Max Light Trio Herplusme

Max Light Trio
Herplusme
Red Piano Records

I write this on the day (April 16, 2020) Max Light was supposed to perform at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as part of the Museum's Take 5 series. Alas, the performance was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Light, a guitarist from the Washington DC area, is now resident in New York City. Light finished in second place in the 2019 Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz International Jazz Competition. The rest of the trio consists of Simón Willson on bass and Matt Honor on drums. Light has written eight compositions with performances that emphasize ensemble interplay. The inspiration for many of these is growing up and childhood memories.

There are moments where Light leads with some abstract pointed phrases. Other moments find him sounding more lyrical. There are some echoes in Simón's bass solo, while Honor deconstructs and restores a groove on the opening "Boy." One might suggest Light's approach is part of a post-Abercombrie generation of guitarists. By the end of "Boy," there is a mesmerizing quality to the performance. "Overcrooked" is inspired by a skateboarding trick as well as subdivision. This latter point is shown by Light's shifting between subdivision of 4, 5, 6, and 7 sixteen notes per quart note. The result is an unstable, unsettling groove but intriguing track. In contrast, Light plays in a more genial, lyrical manner on a ballad, "Pumpkin Pie."

Other selections bring together shifting rhythms with melodic phrases that sometimes segue into no-time changes segments. They also may employ unusual time signatures with the trio's members playing off each other in an engaging manner. For example, "Baby's Hard Times," utilizes a 13/8 meter, but also has some of Light's most imaginative soloing. "The Things You" is a radical recomposition of the standard "All the Things You Are." This recomposition involved the removal of some bars from the piece. A result is that the song seems familiar yet strange.

This is Light's debut recording and brings forth a fresh and unique approach. It is a recording that had me awaiting the now-postponed performance. Hopefully, the wait for his live performances will not extend too far in the future. His website is MaxLightGuitar.com.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is Max Light's semi-final set at the Hancock Institute Jazz Guitar Competition.