This page contains a brief overview on the album ANDREW CHESHIRE: The Four Ages of Bob. Learn more about the artist and explore the track lists and website. If you find any information that needs to be corrected, please let us know.

 
Personnel:
Andrew Cheshire - guitar
Lance Koonah - tenor
Jesse Greene - piano
Joe Michaels - bass
Adam Stranburg - drums

Recorded 06/19/04
Cover Art: Andrew Cheshire
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The Four Ages of Bob, the tenth release by guitarist Andrew Cheshire, continues on the path of his previous recordings with inventive, stylized, and captivating music. The cover art and liner notes (also produced by Cheshire) elaborate on a fictional character named Bob whose life has been filled with change. From concept to composition, the recording effectively parallels Bob's life with music that varies in mood, tempo, and execution. Cheshire's quintet of solid musicians nicely works out eight compositions around the theme. The instruments for this project also include piano, saxophone, and rhythm section to produce some memorable moments as the musicians are supportive and clearly in sync with one another. An accomplished guitarist, Cheshire's many attributes include not only serious chops and technique, but also a pristine sound delivered with clarity that is evident throughout the recording.
The music begins with the smooth upbeat groove of "Bob Attends a Love-In," but things really get interesting when "Bob Takes a Bad Trip" and "Bob Discovers Scientology," where the band embodies modern swing, free jazz, and other modes with fervent interaction and developed solos. The sound is vibrant as each instrument is acutely pronounced with spots like searing drum rolls, deep bass lines, and tight melody arrangements. This is clearly noticeable on "Bob Meets a Beautiful Girl"; the ballad exudes a quiet solitude where tempo and spacing is clearly punctuated. The remaining compositions carry this same level of high quality and detailed musicianship in a recording that is easily accessible, appealing, and well performed.

~ Mark F. Turner

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Andrew Cheshire's last album, Pavane Pour Une Infante Difunte, was one of the finest guitar trio CDs of the past twelve months. With The Four Ages Of Bob, Cheshire has expanded the trio into a quintet and recorded another outstanding record. This time the Philadelphia-based guitarist chronicles the progress of Bob, a sort of archetypal American optimistic free spirit, from the 1960s through an anger-drenched 1980s, and up to his incarnation as a 1990s computer geek who ultimately disappears into a parallel universe called Lum.
The elements of Cheshire's guitar style remain: the clean tone, the darting triplet figures, the metric modulations, in which he turns the beat around, the bracing riff figures. Cheshire places a classic jazz guitar sound in a crisp post bop setting that makes it sound utterly refreshing. Hear how his rubato solo on "Bob Takes A Bad Trip" builds coiled tension, while on "Bob Enters The Land Of Lum," he floats gentle lines over the rhythm section's swaying waltz.
And the entire quintet delivers the goods, maintaining a high level of interplay as well as solid swing. Bassist Joe Michaels and drummer Adam Stranburg have further refined their approach; they work hand-in-glove. The momentum they work up on the swinging "Bob Buys A Pet Rock" is heady indeed. Pianist Jessie Green is a real find, an aggressive soloist who, once he works his way fully free of his influences, could be a major musician. Likewise, saxophonist Lance Koonah has much to say. To my ears, he's searching for his own voice, using elements drawn from Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, and possibly Clifford Jordan. The Four Ages Of Bob is Andrew Cheshire music, that is, consistently rewarding jazz.

~ Marc Meyers

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Check out the artist's website:
http://www.andrewcheshire.com

Track List:
1. Bob Attends a Love-In
2. Bob Takes a Bad Trip
3. Bob Discovers Scientology
4. Bob Buys a Pet Rock
5. Bob Meets a Beautiful Girl
6. Bob Joins a Garage Band
7. Bob Encounters a Moment of Truth
8. Bob Enters The Land of Lum

Other Genres:

• JAZZ: Traditional Jazz Combo
• JAZZ: Bebop
• FEATURING GUITAR