Ronnie Montrose — a guy who knows a little bit about trying to
make a living playing instrumental guitar music — once told me he
admires anybody with the guts and talent to take a shot at it. Add
to Ronnie’s theoretical list of admired musicians one Bob Margolis
of Maryland, a talented guitarist who self-publishes instrumental
discs in between playing sessions and teaching.
Impetus, Margolis’ third self-released disc, finds him
exploring a variety of textures and tones on both electric and
acoustic. Of the ten tracks on display here, eight are Margolis’s
own compositions, and they’re strong ones, the kind of smooth
instrumental jazz-rock that inspires the listener to imagine a
story to go with them.
On the electric tracks, Margolis proves his chops without ever
being showy. Cuts like “Impetus” and “Convergence” are about feel
and melody more than power, despite their essential drive. “Rub It
In” might be the one place where Margolis struts a little, laying a
stinging solo over a blues beat.
The acoustic tracks are equally strong. “Kinship” is mellow and
thoughtful, “Philosophical” starts slow but has a nice build from a
simple melody into an engaging electric-acoustic duet, and
“Two-fo-pa” has Margolis picking sweet high notes off the top of a
rumbling jazz-funk bass line. In a classy move, Margolis closes
with a very pretty solo acoustic rendering of Gershwin’s classic
“Summertime.”
And now, for Margolis’s one minor misstep. You’ve gotta admire
the guts of any undiscovered guitarist who takes on Jeff Beck’s
legendary “Freeway Jam”; it’s kind of like a club-circuit rock band
cutting a remake of “Stairway To Heaven.” Margolis gives it a
spirited try — he obviously loves the song — but it’s just too
big a mountain to climb if your listener is familiar with Beck’s
explosive original.
Maybe the highest compliment I can pay Bob Margolis is that this
album reminds me a lot of Larry Carlton. Like Carlton’s work,
Impetus is full of elegant, tasteful guitar lines and an
understated power, while also serving as a celebration of the pure
joy of playing. That’s nice company to be in.
For more information on Bob Margolis, see his Web
site at
www.bobmargolisgroup.com
