Hazar Reincarnated

Hazar
Reincarnated
Immersive Audio Network

Las Hazar, known simply by his last name, will undoubtedly awaken many ears with his superb acoustic guitar as represented on this CD/Blu-ray Disc release. On a musical program ranging from bebop to Brazilian music to Gypsy swing, he displays not simply impressive technical fluency but a melodic and improvisatory sense that, at times, is astonishing. He is joined on one selection by Al DiMeola. Others heard on this release include pianist Mike Roelofs, bass clarinetist Piotr Torunski, and percussionist Mehmet Katay.

The clarity of his tone, phrasing, and inventiveness is immediately evident on the opening "Made For Wesley," where he quietly builds his solo throwing in dazzling single note runs over the airy backing. Chick Corea's "Spain is a superb duet with DiMeola, who also plays the cajon on this track. There is more astonishing guitar on Dorado Schmitt's "Bossa Dorado." What is impressive is that no matter how fast Hazar plays, the melody remains the roots of his improvisation. At the same time, his ability to add to the beauty of a piece is shown on the rendition of "Black Orpheus," which is also a showcase for Roelofs' romantic lyricism. Some of these same qualities are also evident in the performance of "Summertime."

After a scintillating performance of Charlie Parker's "Donna Lee," this album closes with a superb solo rendering of the traditional "Le Vieux Tzigane." It caps a recording of a remarkable, virtuosic guitarist whose technique, if often startling, never betrays the music's melodic foundation. As observed, this release comes with a Blu-ray Disc of the performances. Not having a Blu-ray player I was not able to evaluate that portion of this package.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here is the performance of "Bossa Dorado."