Greg Clinton, Essays & Contemplations (self-released, 2002)
A week or so ago I was in Lugano, Switzerland, presenting a paper with a sleep inducing title that I won't bore you with. The meetings dealt with the use of computer technology in education. I was attracted by one snazzy title. "So You Want to Be a Rock'n'roll Star?" it proclaimed, and it dealt with the use of new software being used at the University of Washington. The session was poorly attended, but that meant that the three of us who were there were able to dig more deeply into Pro-Tools than we might have otherwise. The fellow sitting next to me had some serious questions, and he led the investigation. "Can it do this?" "What about that?" He then pulled out a CD from his briefcase. His own image was on the insert, holding a guitar . . . playing a flute. After I told him I wrote for Green Man Review, he handed me the disc and said, "Be my guest."
Essays & Contemplations is a collection of instrumental pieces composed and played by Greg Clinton. He plays electric and acoustic guitars, Roland guitar synth, electric bass, and flute, and acquits himself well on all. He is accompanied here and there by Patrick Strawser on keyboards and bass; by Chris Hood on drums (on 2 cuts); and by Art Grider on tenor sax (on "Interplanetary Jam"). Greg's brother Larry adds classical guitar to "Theme: Looking Ahead."
The music here is a blend of soft jazz and the sort of soundscapes that were found in the progressive rock of another decade. Think Genesis or King Crimson and you'll have an idea. Pat Metheny is an influence on Clinton's guitar playing. He admitted as much to me as we talked in Switzerland.
The album begins with a joyful jolt of that prog-rock sound. Clinton describes the piece in the liner notes. "'Celebration' . . . express[es] the happiness and fun there can be in praising God. Simply that." From where I sit, "Celebration" does just that. "Interplanetary Jam" is an "unrehearsed jam between Greg (guitar) and Patrick (bass) with a drum machine." If there's a weakness to the album, it is its reliance on drum machines for rhythm. Where real drums appear, the album is lifted. "City Nights" is a moody guitar piece showcasing Clinton's fretwork. Very tasty.
"Hectic Day" is a MIDI piece, and while I wasn't keen on it the first time, further listenings proved that it did capture the theme of its title. The drum programming is thin, though. "Meditation" is, well, a meditative composition which Clinton describes this way: "[it is] the interplay of two contrasting melodic contemplations: first with the main theme, 'God, there is so much sadness in the world;' and second, with the following melodic ideas, 'Yes, but God is good.'" Again Clinton's guitar is the standout instrument, perfectly representing the contrasting moods; first thoughtful and sad, then lifting the spirit in hopefulness. This hope is expanded in the next track, "Passing Whimsy," a MIDI piece that brings a smile to the lips for a minute. Then the guitar comes back for "The Wind (Where it Likes)." Based on a quote from Jesus Christ ("the wind blows where it likes . . . so it is with everyone born of the Spirit.") this piece seeks to celebrate the wind blowing here and there. Chris Hood's drums add a touch of humanity to this evocative contemplation. "Theme: Looking Back" features Clinton's flute. It's a brief but soothing piece.
There are eleven compositions gathered here. Each one seeks to comment on, or display, an attribute of life on God's green earth. Greg Clinton has successfully passed on his impressions of the joy, the ups and downs of life, hope, faith and above all the closeness of the Creator. Just right for an hour of meditation.
Greg Clinton has a Web site here.
