David Cullen and Michael Manring
EQUILIBRE solid Air SACD 2026
It's a rare pleasure to hear music in which chords,
rhythm and melody fall into place so carefreely that to render any technical
analysis is superfluous because the music simply and completely ensnares the
spirit. That's not to say that the playing is not complex on EQUILIBRE. It is
just that via
Cullen and Manring's sleight of hand and fret , the
difficult becomes suddenly inconspicuous. David Cullen alchemizes
an engaging guitar style that synthesizes together
classical,
jazz and world music befitting the best of each of
his influences, from mentors a and teachers Sharon Isbin,
Manuel Barrueco,John Abercrombie and Ralph
Towner.
His compositional style breathes hints of Towner:
Cullen's
"Turbograss" borrows on the Latin staccato bop of
Towner numbers "Beppo" and "Guitarra Picante". Michael Manring knows how to make
these sometimes cerebral tunes sound
downright fun, interjecting a fusion edge
with searing
cascades of fretless bass licks a la Stanley
Jordan. About half of the compositions are Manring's , sometimes sinuous and
funky statements like "Gizmo" and "Homestyle"
which encourage Cullen to capably reach into
territory where his resume gives no attestation of his skill. But it is on the
almost familiar tracks like "Shuffle In", "Canto" and "A Better Place" that
Cullen's compositional genius finds true spontaneous expression with his innate
feel for those chord
resolutions and rhythms which suprise and
please.
ALAN FARK minor 7th/ REVIEW
Manring (fretless bass) and Cullen (nylon string guitar), both highly regarded solo instrumentalists, have combined their
talents to create the duo CD Equilibré. The duo easily combines jazzy,
lyrical and funky elements to create an inspiring listening experience.
Trading melodies, solos and laying down the groove are all apart of
this musically engaging CD. Equilibré contains twelve original
compositions from Manring and Cullen that offer a setting for their
soulful improvisations.
In the artist's words...
Michael and I got to know each other through
Windham Hill gigs with Will Ackerman. We played together onstage in a
trio setting. We never got a chance to jam together backstage. On a
recent gig with Will in Philadelphia I asked Michael if he would like
to do a few duo gigs at the Berksjazzfest. Michael, always up for a
musical challenge, agreed. We traded tapes and e-mails. We practiced
our parts. Michael flew in the night before the gigs. We rehearsed for
2 hours and played our first concert to a packed house. We had 2 more
gigs the next day and then it was off to the studio for 2 days of
recording. In the studio Michael was amazingly quick and focused along
with our superb engineer John Anthony. We enjoyed the Groovemaster
premise of keeping it real, jamming, loose and spontaneous. Basically,
we had a blast. We hope you enjoy the groove.
~ ~ ~ David Cullen
"Cullen and Manring cross the stylistic landscape with a
free spirit and beautiful compositions. A more synergistic interplay I
cannot imagine. Their music is tuneful, toneful, fresh with imagination
and just plain fun! It's one of my favorite albums of the year."
~~ Pat Kirtley
