Cullen exploring many various sides of his musical inspirations through his own compositions. A robust recording clocking in at 70minutes, this CD contains many different elements of Cullen’s playing while all retain that unmistakable tone and clarity of melody.

 

"David Cullen's acoustic-guitar pieces follow through on the eclecticism of musicians like Ralph Towner, touching down in blues and folk before adding superstructures of jazz chords and echoes of flamenco."

 

Jon Pareles/ The New York Times 

 

CULLEN CONTINUES TO SET HIMSELF APART ON LATEST CD, "INDIGO BLUE"

Guitarist delivers some acoustic jazz that can best be described as "magical"

David Cullen , guitarist extraordinaire, has done it again.
The Jazz artist has just released another remarkable album.

"Indigo Blue" is an apt title for this acoustic nugget.  In the liner notes to "One Night , One Guitar",  Cullen's previous album Cullen rhetorically asks, "when was the last time you heard a live classical/jazz guitar CD?"  That beautiful album deserves its accolades and "Indigo Blue" while not "live" is  yet another great reason to listen to an acoustic jazz guitar CD.

When Cullen sits back , relaxes , and plays his own superlative material , it can be magical.  And if i had to review this CD in one word, "Magical" would indeed be that word.  From the Blues-inspire "Down Home" to the almost new-agey (in a good way) "Ebb and Flow," this album never fails to please.

Cullen wanders all voer the place with his songs, never settling into a typical hole.  That said, he also manages to maintain the groove o feel of the song throughtout.  That is ,his jazz meanderings aren't just musical mathematics.  He follows the muse, while keeping the basic rhythms underneath his improvisations- if that makes sense.

The highlights, in my view, include the title track, a piece borne of experimentation that Cullen pulls off with a certain ease, belying its complicated nature.

That , by the way, is the signature of a master-when he can make something difficult and demanding sound simple, when he can get yoru toe tapping without ever diverging from his experimental path. Cullen does just that continuously thoughout this CD.

A case in point is the remarkably catchy and jazzy " Make The Room Move", a veritable funk song on classical guitar.  Few people could pull off something like this with as much aplomb.

"Bela's Bounce" is another fine romp, dedicated to Bela Fleck.  According to the album's liner notes, Cullen finds Fleck's banjoo work appropriately "astounding" He also hopes to capture some fo that magic in this tune.  It is no disservice to Fleck to report that Cullen has done just that.

Even the lesser tracks, such as the unassuming "Good To See You", have a beauty that filters through.  This song is a sunny little treasure that acts as proposed as a good introduction.

And this album works on several levels .  That is , you can be doing housework with this album playing on the background, and it acts as sort of a musical wallpaper.  Or you can listen with the headphones on , paying intense attention to every musical detail.  Either way "Indigo Blue" will make its mark on you.

Reading Times
Jim Speese/Correspondent