Reviews
The Bob Sneider & Joe
Locke Film Noir Project: Fallen
Angel
(Sons of Sound SSPCD031)
 "Hey,
great idea for a jazz disc! Instead
of the strings-challenged small Hollywood
orchestra playing the soundtrack music, we
have here a swinging septet which improvises
inside and outside the movie themes with
great creativity, and it's in great sound
too." [read
the review]
—Audiophile Audition,
2006
"Guitarist Bob Sneider takes center
stage on two fine projects…. Fallen
Angel has
frequently beautiful
renditions of film themes.… Locke’s
vibe solos are a set highlight." [read
the review]
—Nashville City
Paper,
March 2006
"Guitarist
extraordinaire Bob Sneider has been
a busy man lately, co-headlining two new albums
this month. Sneider and vibraphone giant
Joe Locke share top billing on their wonderful
new album conjuring
the moods of film noir. Sneider's
slinky guitar lines, wrapping themselves around
tunes like "Les Modernes" and "Promenade
Sentimentale," are beautifully complemented
by Locke's gorgeous cascades…" [read
the review]
— Rochester City,
March 2006
"…calling this simply “mood
music” would
be selling it drastically short. Locke, who has
been known for his pyrotechnic mallets, is perhaps
better defined by his sensitivity; he’s
able to express emotion on the vibraphone as
few others have been able to achieve, with a
supreme subtlety and grace. The album’s
opening track, the title tune penned by Locke,
is hauntingly beautiful. Sneider, who has
had other releases on the label and who deserves
far wider recognition, excels in both improvisation
and accompaniment; he and Locke blend
beautifully, and like Locke, performs the emotional
material with a heartfelt and tender touch. Fallen
Angel is a gorgeously melodic and thematically
cohesive work." [read
the review]
— JazzWeek,
March/April 2006
"Highly recommended. …subtle
solos and post-bop harmonies. Evocative
throughout,
this is music to listen to. The mood is there,
but the musicianship is too. Locke
delivers the goods again and again on vibes throughout
this project along with the solid band…. Throughout Fallen
Angel the combination of guitar,
piano and vibraphone blend surprisingly well
and provide a rich blanket of sound in these
great arrangements." [read
the review]
— Jazz Police,
April 2006
"This Film Noir Project transposes
that spell to music, capturing the essence
of the themes that enhance the thrill of watching
the films. Music, even in its darkest
ambit, can be elevating. Bob Sneider and Joe
Locke not only take soundtracks from classic
movies, they also add some from films that
fell flat on their face. But they bring
the music to life, making each tune a unique
experience. …Another classic, and one
of the best here, is “Farewell,
My Lovely.” The arrangement draws
the players into a vortex from which each spins
and unravels a fascinating tale. The tone is
melancholy, shaped by the soft swish of the brushes
and a caress against the piano and vibes. The
trumpet augments the brooding atmosphere, and
in an ever-evolving landscape, the guitar adds
counterpoint and the tenor saxophone essays a
looming, big-voiced presence. In sum, this group
triumphantly immerses itself in the nectar of
noir." [read
the review]
— All About Jazz, April
2006
"The originals are just as worthy
of being utilized in movies. Hofmann's "Last
Kiss" is a provocative duet with guitarist
Bob Sneider, perfect for a seductive scene
in a mystery flick, while Locke's tense, strutting "Fallen
Angel" would seem to be perfect to wrap
a movie, or an opening theme, as it is utilized
on this top-notch CD." [read
the review]
— All Music Guide,
April 2006
"This music is as subtle and nuanced
as the shadows in an old black-and-white movie. The
material is excellent… There
isn't a jarring note anywhere in the mix, which
is so well-designed that it's nearly a song
cycle. …What elevates this
CD from a well-executed novelty to a memorable
collection is the band.
…big ears, fine technique, and impeccable
taste—their contributions are crucial
to making this recording work as well as it
does. And boy, does it work.
I listened to it eight times through today,
one spin right after another, and never got
bored. I also realized that this recording,
while a fitting tribute to film noir, finally
departs from it: although there's always danger
lurking in those movies, this
music has a soothing and sensuous effect. It's
wonderful stuff." [read
the review]
— All About Jazz, April
2006
"It's easy listening, but with
a bittersweet undercurrent of melancholy beauty
that's completely in character with its source.…Guitar
and vibes have been a texturally appealing match
as far back as vibraphonist Gary Burton’s
recording debut on Nashville guitarist Hank Garland’s Jazz
Winds from a New Direction (Columbia, 1961). Sneider
and Locke fit together hand in glove, inventive
individually, transcendent together. Fallen
Angel is deceptive in its accessibility—the
disc reveals greater depth beneath the surface,
matched with a reverence for the music that in
no way precludes taking considerable liberties
and opening the music to rich interpretation." [read
the review]
— All About Jazz, May
2006
"Very, very nice this one is… admire
the considerable inventiveness of the arrangements.
…Blending
of characters is another dramatic aspect of this
never-aggressive set.
These compositions from film noir have polychrome
arrangements and spark creative initiatives,
structured overall as a very mellow, melancholy-tinged
performance on unhackneyed themes well-found." [read
the review]
— All About Jazz,
June 2006
"Nice concept, great album." [read
the review]
— CD HotList,
August 2006
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