Shapiro Project "Open Road" CD

This is original, energetic Jazz music in the best tradition of straight-ahead, mainstream, and contemporary styles.

Here's more info on the CD including the credits:

1. Open Road
2. The Naked Soul of Blues
3. Untitled
4. Resolution
5. Inner Rage
6. Mr. Scofield
7. A Wide Field
8. Lazy Move
9. Omen

EUGENE SHAPIRO-guitar
BORIS SHAPIRO-drums
Rusty Blevins-saxophones
Kevin Thomas-bass

All compositions written by Eugene Shapiro, except No. 7 ("A Wide Field")-a Russian Folk Song-arranged by Eugene Shapiro. All compositions are published by ASCAP. C&P 2005. Shapiro Project Records.


"...listening to this ensemble...you will hear the musical spirit which will carry them to greater heights and the success they deserve."


1. Open Road. The title track. Beautiful melody, charming chord progression in 3/4, and great playing. Solos: guitar, tenor sax, bass.

2. The Naked Soul of Blues. Great grooves, ear-catching melody. You can trace influences of R&B, Funk, and, of course, Blues. Solos: guitar, alto sax.

3. Untitled. Gorgeous composition with very expressive playing by the band. You will be mesmerized by this tune. Played with a "free time" concept, this is a real jewel. Solos: soprano sax, guitar.

4. Resolution. Nice, groovy Bossa-Nova. This shows our Latin influence, especially Brazilian. Solos: tenor sax, guitar, bass.

5. Inner Rage. Modal, energetic and intense Jazz, We don't "sleep on the job" like many other bands on the West Coast do. We do like and practice East Coast style. Solos: tenor sax, guitar, drums.

6. Mr. Scofield. You will definitely hear John Scofield's writing influence in this composition. Especially his more simplistic and great style of basic urban Funk. Grooves really hard and the Shapiro Project's playing is engaging. Solos: guitar (with light distortion), tenor sax (with an octave effect).

7. A Wide Field. I took a melody of the famous Russian Folk song "Wide Filed" and arranged it as a Jazz tune. Russia is where me and my brother Boris were born, so it's showing our roots and how we apply them to Jazz. Originally "Wide Filed" is in 4/4, but I made my version a 3/4 intense modal and swinging tune. The guitar/sax Soli you hear throughout the tune and the Intro/Ending is my original contribution to the song. I am sure they will capture your ear and mind. Solos: tenor sax, guitar, drums.

8. Lazy Move. The most commercial tune on this CD. Very danceable and groovy, reflects an influence of an early 70's R&B and soul Jazz, and also Funk and Fusion. The Soli after the solos is probably the best part of the song. Solos: tenor sax, guitar.

9. Omen. Last, but not least on this CD. Back to modal, expressive, "on the edge," hard swinging Jazz. Starts with a great drum intro. Throughout the CD the band's playing is engaging, and this tune is not an exception. The fastest on the CD. Solos: drums, guitar, alto sax, drums.

Enjoy!


"You will be glad you bought this album."
author: Patrick Gaffey (JazzNotes)
This album is a joy, from its cover, a landscape which looks drawn on an Etch-ASketch, through each and every tune. The Shapiro Project continues to evolve. Kevin Thomas went to New York City to seek his fortune, Russ Blevins is playing with other Las Vegas bands now, but the talented Shapiro brothers continue to find excellent new bandmates. Still, the Open Road band will be hard to top. Rusty stands out from start of the title tune for his command of nuance. Eugene (originally Evgeny; the brothers were born in the USSR—theres a title he hasnt used yet) has digested the straightahead jazz guitar tradition. Kevin is a real bass player, with the apt solution for any situation, and Boris is simply a great drummer. Every one has mastered the art of producing beautiful sound, making this an album every jazz lover will listen to over and over. Rusty’s solo on “Open Road” is resourceful and brilliant, but is lifted to the highest level by the support of the other three. Kevin plays a rich ostinato, Eugene’s comping feeds ideas and Boris keeps the flame high. “The Naked Soul of Blues” is a ballad which could be a classic, and the band shows its ability to keep a slow tune compelling. Again, the work of Kevin and Boris behind Eugene’s solo is just as vital as the thoughtful solo itself. I praised “Mr. Scofield” after a live performance and remain impressed by Eugene’s nerve in taking on the cleverest composer working today. He has created a tune John Scofield could have written. Boris recalls the incredibly funky work of Billy Martin on Scofield’s finest album, A Go Go. Eugene’s solo starts with clean rhythms cleaving to the funky beat, then he quotes “Jean Pierre” to great effect, a tune Scofield played countless times while in Miles Davis’ band. Rusty refers to a different Scofield album, Hand Jive, which featured saxophonist Eddie Harris, a Blevins favorite. Rusty solos using either a Varitone or a similar device and uses Eddie’s difficult technique of call and response, low register replying to high. The album is well-balanced, switching from medium to ballad tempos, maintaining an overall relaxed groove. You will be glad you bought this album. jn. Patrick Gaffey is a jazz fan.


I found myself spinning this CD again and again, and I think so will you.
author: John Smith
This CD is awesome. Recommend it to anybody. The tunes are beautiful and groovy, and the band sounds cool. There's a variety of styles on this CD, so I think many people with different music tastes will enjoy it. "Open Road" is a great CD for your CD collection. I found myself spinning this CD again and again, and I think so will you. I especially like "Open Road," "The Naked Soul of Blues, "Mr. Scofiled," and "A Wide Field." Thanks Shapiro Project!


You are going to want to add "Open Road" to your listening experience and CD collection.
author: Lou Bruno
all content copyright 2005 contemporaryjazz.com, website design by JMG Shapiro Project Open Road [E. Shapiro, C&P 2005] Review by Lou Bruno Date: Jan, 2006 [9 Tracks 63:13 Total-Spin-Time] Shapiro Project is a Las Vegas based Jazz quartet led by guitarist and composer Eugene Shapiro. The band was organized in 2000 by four University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) graduate students pursuing Jazz studies degrees. Shapiro Project presents the listener with an innovative peek into today's new contemporary jazz sound. The results on Open Road are very engaging compositions that are dynamic in creativity and musicianship. Open Road is the quartet's second CD and features original compositions written by Eugene Shapiro. Their website describes this project as "ranges from straight-ahead to modal jazz; as well as Funk, Latin, and contemporary Jazz." In my opinion, a couple of the songs even lean towards the Free and Fusion genre also. Boris Shapiro, the drummer and Eugene's brother, adds tremendous depth, pace and timing to the overall tightness of the rhythm section throughout the project. So what is Modal Jazz? Modal jazz is jazz played using musical modes rather than chord progressions. The composer chooses not to write their songs using chords, but instead uses modal scales. In the instant case of Open Road, this meant that Kevin Thomas, the bassist, for instance, did not have to "walk" from one important note of a chord to that of another - as long as he stayed in the scale being used and accentuated the right notes within the scale, he could go virtually everywhere. To give another example, Eugene Shapiro, the guitarist, would not have to play the same chords or variations of the chords, but could do anything, as long as he stayed within the scale being used. The overall result is more freedom of expression. In essence, this is a return to melody. It also has a kind of bluesy sounding musical quality to it. Open Road reminded me of what Miles Davis' accomplished on the song, "So What" from the "Kind of Blue" album. This cd offers the listener some edgy, expressive, upbeat tunes, but all done in a tasteful and approachable overall sound. Tracks like "The Naked Soul of Blues", "Inner Rage," "A Wide Field" (a Russian Folk Song), and "Omen" are my favorites. "Untitled," track three, is a very reflective, moody, and dark, in a "free-time" concept tune that could fit very nicely in a movie score of a mystery or suspense film. The project's overall sound quality is very good and the recording gives one the impression it was recorded either on the first or second take in the studio. The entire band brings this music to life as if they were born to play it. The tunes here are excellent and inventive, and the listener is the winner. If you like the music of Kenny Garrett, Bob Berg, Dave Weckl, John Patitucci, John Scofield, Mike Stern, Michael Brecker, UZEB, Steps Ahead, Yellowjackets, and Vital Information, then you are going to want to add Open Road to your listening experience and cd collection.