Greg Howe - Ascend (1998)

Greg Howe - Ascend (1998)
EAC IMAGE (APE+CUE+LOG) | 314 MB | MP3 @ 320 | 113 MB | Covers (300 dpi) included
Genre: Instrumental Virtuoso, Neo Classical, Fusion

Easton, PA's Greg Howe was a breath of fresh air amidst the seemingly never-ending stream of harmonic minor guitar virtuosos pouring forth from the Shrapnel Records label in the late '80s. While other post-Yngwie Malmsteen players of the "shred guitar" genre were pursuing the dramatic neo-classical vein, Howe brought a sense of funk and groove to the table that was sorely needed. Howe paid his dues playing the Easton/Allentown club circuit in the '80s with the band Duke, featuring his brother Al on lead vocals. When one of his instrumental demos grabbed the ear of talent scout and Shrapnel Records owner Mike Varney, Howe was signed to the Shrapnel label in 1987. ~ All Music Guide

Along the way he would make himself available as a sideman for pop superstars, filling in for guitarist Jennifer Batten in 1996 on Michael Jackson's History tour through Europe and Asia, touring the U.S. and Europe in 2000 with Enrique Inglesias, making two separate tours of the states in 2001 and 2002 with NSYNC and doing a promotional tour in 2003 with Justin Timberlake. In fact, Howe ultimately ended up leaving the Timberlake tour in 2003 in order to complete work on "Extraction", the already critically acclaimed all-star funk fusion extravaganza, featuring electric bass virtuoso Victor Wooten ( of the flecktones ) and the world class drummer Dennis Chambers (Formerly with Parliament/Funkadelics, John Scofield, the Brecker Bros, and Currently with Santana. ~ Official Greg Howe Site

Greg Howe follows up his neoclassical work on virtuoso keyboardist Vitalij Kuprij's 'High Definition' in a solo effort that focuses solely on neoclassical (with Kuprij again on board). Maniacal stands out among the others. The syncopated rhythm is disturbing yet compelling. If you don't have a stable heart, be careful not to play this one too loudly. The composition is nothing short of brilliant, making Maniacal one of my all time favorite neoclassical tracks. The rest of the album maintains a high level of excellence, as we have come to expect of Greg after High Definition, but does not maintain the relentless drive that is accentuated in Maniacal. Greg's playing and composition on Ascend are world class, but I've listened to High Definition so much that I've now gotten used to it. One surprising aspect to this album is what seems to be a Rush influence that I had not seen up to this point in Greg's playing. Greg's influences are diverse in style and genre but all have one thing in common: they are all outstanding musicians and this shows in his absorbtion of styles. ~ Chris Ruel's Music Reviews


Tracklisting:
1. Unlocked (6:13)
2. Tales Told (6:12)
3. Garden of Harmony (7:04)
4. Abrupt Terminal (5:49)
5. La Villa Strangiato (9:41) (Rush Cover)
6. Maniacal (6:51)
7. Her Dance (1:31)
8. Full Throttle (6:06)

Total Time: 49:27

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Line-Up:
- Greg Howe / Guitar, Bass, Production, Engineering
- Jon Doman / Drums
- Vitalij Kuprij / Keyboards
- Prashant Aswani / Guitar on "Full Throttle"

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