Scene Magazine

It's my hope that when the new créperle on Mountain Ave. opens this album will play every afternoon whilst folks enjoy their baked delicacies, because Jasco has made the perfect mellow, late lunch record. Toeing the line between background ambience and attention-worthiness, this laid-back but upbeat mix of guitar styles makes for an enjoyable listen thanks to Jasco's obvious talents and the album's crystalline sound.
The title tells the record's story, as Jasco is normally a blues-a-la-Stevie Ray Vaughan kinda guy who wanted to try out/show off the many other things his ten dexterous fingers can cull from a guitar. Normally I'm loathe of style-hopping albums, because you usually end up with a cursory glance at eight different or ten different styles, with the overall recording usually lacking a clear voice. Thankfully that is not the case here. Though listeners are privy to Gypsy-jazz, Flamenco and, yes, some blues, the arrangements- drums, upright bass and occasionally sax backing up Jasco's finger-picked guitars- are cohesive, and a clear sense of purpose pervades.
And what is that purpose? Making acoustic, instrumental music that is lively and interesting and not just another foray into noodling jazz solo that only musicians "get". There is one track, "One Summer's Day," where Jasco flirts with the kind of interchangeable, mid-tempo jazz that isn't really doing anything, but even that song is saved by a worthy drum solo. For expanding his horizons and doing it well, Jasco proves that life outside of blues can still be rhythmic and engaging.

-Nathan Harper



www.scenemagazine.info/

Blues Matters

Hailing from Colorado, Jasco is a blues guitarist who's played guitar since the '80s, and currently plays in the band Mojambus. "Ain't Jus' Blues" is Jasco sharing his hobbies with us; namely Django Reinhardt style gypsy jazz, Flamenco and classical pieces, all played fingerpicking style. It's a pot pourri, and it's all an instrumental affair, but rather than feeling that Jasco is showing off his versatility, the sunny vibe reveals a musician's genuine love and enthusiasm for exploring music and the possibilities of his instrument. Whether unaccompanied, as on the great central flamenco piece "Malaguena," or backed by a band, on the jazzy "Era of Elegance" or swinging "One Summer's Day," it's all gentle music, lighter than a summer breeze. Train Tracks is a languid blues- probably the closest thing to his day job- and "Diablo Suave" has a slinky, sexy Latino groove. Of the classical pieces, the hidden track at the end has the most affecting melody. People's passions and hobbies are rarely as interesting to an observer, but there's a warmth that's worth checking out for all fans of Reinhardt or Wes Montgomery.

- Duncan Jamieson

www.bluesmatters.com/