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| Jazziz Magazine - November 1997 issue | |||||
| Mike Bieber | |||||
| David Occhipinti | |||||
| (Unity Records) | |||||
| David Occhipinti probably couldn't ask for a better showcase than his eponymously titled debut. From the album's start, the young Canadian guitarist reveals a lyrical six-string approach as well as a compositional prowess; he fingerpicks an intricate, arpeggiated melody using broken chords over a 12-bar foundation. Like many young guitar players, Occhipinti has been touched by the tendrils of rock and pop influences - even crediting the Beatles in his "thank you" list. Still, this set isn't a contempo or fuzak outing, but rather a low-key, postmodern acoustic date that thrives on the guitarist's memorable, contemporary-sounding tunes, embracing melody and major keys while recalling the impressionistic, delicate beauty of Occhipinti's hero, Jim Hall. | |||||
| Occhipinti's ensemble - drummer Kevin Dempsy, bassist Jim Vivian, and pianist Dave Restivo - display a sublime intuition, following every sudden start and stop of these harmonically and rhythmically intricate tunes. On the pianoless tunes, particularly the introspective "Tower Images," drummer Kevin Dempsy lightly taps a raga-like rhythm on his cymbals while the guitarist displays his most strident and imaginative improvising. Perhaps the most impressive composition here is the solo-guitar "Iceberg," ripe with neo-classical textures and a droning ostinato that veers closer to classical guitar than jazz guitar. Worth a listen. | |||||
| read more reviews about the debut CD: | |||||
| Toronto Star/May 1997 | |||||
| Jazz Report Magazine/Summer 1997 | |||||
| Calgary Herald/May 1997 | |||||
| T.O. Nite/October 1997 | |||||
| more details about the record... | |||||
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