Laurence Juber, "Catch LJ Live!," Solid Air Records 2013

Laurence Juber first gained the spotlight in the late 1970s as lead guitarist in Paul McCartney’s group, Wings. Since then Juber has forged a successful career as an instrumentalist, composer of solo works for guitar, and interpreter of popular music. This CD/DVD package gives an excellent overview of his stage repertoire. Everything on both discs was captured in one performance in July 2009 at Alva’s Showroom in San Pedro, California. As expected, Juber offers an energetic performance and stellar musicianship. His selection of material is outstanding as well, which sets him apart from many other solo guitarists. He constructs interesting and well-paced sets, combining well known pop tunes with his own compositions, the latter of which never suffer in comparison to more familiar material. Looking at the first few selections on the CD, Juber begins with his bluesy "Catch," follows it with Lieber and Stoller’s classic "Stand By Me," his tune, "Cobalt Blue," then Sting’s "Every Breath You Take." On first listening I detected a deliberate musical progression, indicating not only Juber’s sense of pacing, but a historical progression in his selection of two iconic pop songs with a similar groove. Like the CD, the DVD begins with "Catch" as its first full-length selection, although the video program differs from the CD in several respects. A few tunes appear on only one of the discs – "Maybe I’m Amazed," "I Saw Her Standing There," and "A Spoonful of Sugar" are exclusive to the DVD, while "Little Wing," and "It’s Only a Paper Moon" are only on the CD. Several of LJ’s showcase pieces are included on both discs, "The White Pass Trail" and "Strawberry Fields Forever" among them. The sequencing differs on the CD and DVD, and the CD includes no stage patter, perhaps in recognition that listeners may want to experience the music differently (that is, listen to single tracks), in absence of the visual element. The entire package affirms Juber’s attraction for music fans in general as well as guitarists. It’s infused with the high quality his audience can expect, from the fine acoustic tone to his nearly flawless execution. Juber’s fans can treasure this as a souvenir of his live shows, and it’s also a great introduction to his music. Catch it.
© Patrick Ragains MINOR7th.com