reviews: Men On Wire

"This is the duo's follow-up to the highly regarded 'At the Dimming of the Day' (FLY4) and it's hard to imagine a more eclectic mix of songs. Material by, amongst others, Peter Gabriel, Burt Bacherach, Clint Eastwood and Pat Metheny is given the Garrick/Etheridge treatment.

The arrangements work beautifully and both men focus on the music rather than gimmicks and gadgets to bend and distort the sounds they produce. That said, a little bit of transmogrified Telecaster guitar here and there spices up the interplay between the two instrumentalists, but such effects are used sparingly and the album is all the better for it.

One test of a good cover version is how much new insight it brings to the original material, and nowhere is that shown more skillfully here than in the mournful, bittersweet rendition of Alfie. Garrick's and Etheridge's interpretation makes you think it really could be Reinhardt and Grappelli and that ability is quite breathtaking. Throughout, both men display a mutual respect for each other's talents and a real connection with the songs they are playing. This adds depth, warmth and a sense that this has been a labour of love.

'Men Off Wire' sees a little bit of self-indulgent electronic noodling creep into the proceedings, but all is forgiven in the album's finale, a wonderfully haunting, Celtic-flavoured cover of Freddie Mercury's 'Love Of My Life', which - pretty much like the whole album - is simply sublime and not to be missed."

John Adcock, Jazz Journal

"Chris Garrick is one of the world's leading orthodox jazz violinists. His range stretches from Stephane Grappelli's flirtatious urbanity, through a barn-dance robustness, to a classical fastidiousness with slow romantic music, and Garrick drives himself with a furious rhythmic propulsion. His guitar partner, John Etheridge, is an irrepressible improviser with a comparable range, and the pair consistently deliver fresh-sounding albums. This fine set includes pop hits from Peter Gabriel's Mercy Street, Freddie Mercury's Love of My Life and Burt Bacharach's Alfie, to the standards Blue Moon and Let's Fall in Love. All the material is interpreted with that elusive mix of taste, strength and spontaneity. Garrick adds lyrical country-swerves to Mercy Street, gets a townships-jive with a pizzicato riff feel going to Abdullah Ibrahim's Msunduza, and develops Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most in a series of airy flourishes and mournful low notes. Etheridge breezes through Django Reinhardt swing on the Charlie Shavers blues Undecided, and on Let's Fall in Love, and explores Clint Eastwood's Gran Torino as a whispering electric dreamwalk. It's direct and lyrical song-rooted jazz from a couple of relaxed experts."

John Fordham, Guardian

"The compleat guitarist, John Etheridge makes the most of small-scale settings, as he has demonstrated time and time again in his superb collaborations with John Williams. HeÕs equally at home with another regular partner, the violinist Chris Garrick, a protŽgŽ of the late John Dankworth who is also a fixture in EtheridgeÕs Django-ish group, Sweet Chorus. The playing is relaxed yet full of colour, especially on Abdullah IbrahimÕs Msunduza. Garrick adds fuzzy electronic touches elsewhere, and dips into the Peter Gabriel songbook on the opener, Mercy Street. Traditionalists will derive just as much pleasure from the gentle covers of LetÕs Fall in Love and Alfie."

Clive Davis, Times

"Christian Garrick (violin) and John Etheridge (guitar) are two of BritainÕs most virtuosic and versatile performers on their respective instruments. They are comfortable with pretty much any style of jazz and contemporary music from gypsy/Hot Club stylings to jazz rock fusion. The pair are long term collaborators who have worked together on many Stephane Grappelli/Django Reinhardt inspired projects, notably EtheridgeÕs Sweet Chorus group and indeed Etheridge once played with Grappelli himself. At the same time both are equally happy to embrace more contemporary ideas and technologies as evidenced by Etheridge's role as a member of Soft Machine and the subsequent Soft Machine Legacy band and Garrick's own Firewire project.

'Men On Wire' brings the pair together in a pared down duo situation. They have worked in this context before on the acclaimed 2006 recording 'At The Dimming Of The Day' and once again they explore a fascinating mix of jazz standards and quality pop tunes with a couple of originals thrown in for good measure.

Released on Garrick's Flying Blue Whale imprint the album title was inspired by the high wire walker Philipe Petite who, pre 9/11, famously walked a wire between the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City. Garrick and Etheridge deploy another kind of wire, the strings of their instruments, but in itÕs own way this is an equally risky balancing act with some of the items in the programme being very bold selections. The duo make use of both acoustic and electric instruments and their sound is surprisingly full and never less than interesting.

The twelve selections begin with the duo's version of Peter Gabriel's 'Mercy Street' from Gabriel's classic 1986 album 'So'. GarrickÕs violin adds a folk tinge to GabrielÕs melody as Etheridge tastefully deploys a range of guitar sounds from delicate acoustic to fluent, jazz flavoured electric. The overall feel is intimate, sometimes with the mournful quality of an Irish air.

'Msunduza' is a piece by Abdullah Ibrahim dating back to his Dollar Brand days. As Garrick's liner notes state the style is township jive crossed with highlife with much pizzicato from the violinist. The mood is celebratory and utterly charming.

Burt Bacharach's 'Alfie' is a brief but idiosyncratic visit to one of the hoariest items in the jazz repertoire but the duo still make it sound good. Charlie Shavers' 'Undecided' is a playful romp, but itÕs far removed from the usual 'Hot Club' style as the duo break the tune up and have great fun messing around with it.

There's a lush, sumptuous version of Clint Eastwood's 'Gran Torino' theme as Garrick's richly toned violin soars above the cushioning of Etheridge's acoustic guitar. Later in the tune the roles are reversed as Garrick provides the backwash for Etheridge's fluid electric.

Richard Rodger's pop hit 'Blue Moon' marks a return to the playful side of the duo with wah wah violin and Etheridge's 'transmogrified' guitar. Apparently it's a modified telecaster with the bottom two strings replaced by bass guitar strings. The duo retain an obvious affection for the tune whilst simultaneously taking liberties with it.

Pat Metheny's gorgeous melody James has entered the repertoire of many groups over the years. The tune, dedicated to singer/songwriter James Taylor originally appeared on the Metheny Group album 'Offramp'. It's subsequently been covered by Martin Taylor among others. Garrick and Etheridge treat the tune with respect but add distinctive elements in the form of Garrick's seven stringed Jordan violin which lowers the range of the instrument and even allows Garrick to accompany Etheridge's solo with a pizzicato bass line.

The standard 'Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most' is the vehicle for an inspired duet with both players mirroring each other's moves with grace and acumen.

Garrick's 'The Little Wonder' is the updating of a tune the violinist originally wrote for his 1994 album 'The Secret Light Show'. An affectionate tribute to his then very young daughter it's another fine example of the art of the duo.

Garrick's arrangement of Harold Arlen's 'LetÕs Fall In Love' is a swinging tribute to jazz violin pioneer Joe Venuti and his guitarist partner Eddie Lang with Garrick and Etheridge also bringing some contemporary touches to the music.

'Men Off Wire' is an impressionistic follow up to the marvellously titled 'Absinthe Minded' from 'At The Dimming Of The Day'. It marks a temporary dalliance with free jazz and a low key electronica.

The album ends as it began with a pop tune, this time Freddie Mercury's 'Love Of My Life', again given a lovely folkish lilt by the duo.

Intimate, sometimes moving, sometimes playful, 'Men On Wire' is the sound of musicians who trust each other implicitly. There is no grandstanding but the playing is of the highest standard and in a relatively exposed setting the music is always interesting. The duo coax an impressive array of sounds, moods and textures from just the two instruments and exude an air of relaxed accomplishment throughout."

The Jazz Mann