DARYL STUERMER: Retrofit

Daryl Stuermer

Retrofit

© 2004 Urban Island Music (656437196528)

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NEW RELEASE. A mix of blistering funk and cool, laid back soulful electric guitar orignals from Phil Collins and Genesis veteran right hand man.

notes

Review from "The Jazz Nation" - Retrofit

From his early fusion days with Jean Luc Ponty to the most recent world tour with Phil Collins, Daryl Stuermer has proven himself a guitarist, composer, producer and musician's musician. Retrofit, is his 5th solo project (4th on the Urban Island Music label) and not a retrospective per se, it is instead a gathering of the musical experiences garnered along the way. Forging 9 original compositions, he celebrates his maturity as an artist, yet reveals the youthful energy harnessed from going back to where it all began. His 2003 release Sweetbottom Live: The Reunion Recording, was the catalyst and Retrofit, is the result.

Joining Stuermer is a solid group of musicians: Kostia (acoustic/electric piano), Eric Hervey (bass) and John Calarco (drums/percussion) and they begin with two tracks that strike immediate contrasts. Revealing quite an eclectic range Stuermer's title track riffs electrified rock roots and the beguiling follow-up tune Rendezvous makes you understand, with its bluesy feel, that Stuermer is fluent in several guitar languages! An engaging quality transcends the ballad Promises as the octaves are played in Wes Montgomery style and not only does Stuermer promise, but he delivers as well! He takes the Wes-feeling further with melodic chord variations all the way to Zanzibar! Stuermer's signature sound gets decidedly edgier on the tracks Vagabond Street, Sharkskin Suit and Midnight Traveler as he tells these progressive stories.

The song I Will Remember You is performed beautifully on the nylon string guitar and the intriguing percussion lines make it an experience you won't soon forget! As you dive further into Stuermer's album Retrofit, it's not surprising to learn of his extensive work with the supergroup Genesis and the longstanding association with legendary recording artist Phil Collins. Their collaborations include I Don't Wanna Know, Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore, Only You and I Know, as well as the ASCAP-award winning song Something Happened on the Way to Heaven. The most recent arrangement of the song The Least You Can Do appears on Retrofit. Originally composed by Stuermer in 1993, lyrics were later penned by Collins and the vocal version was recorded on Collins' album Testify.

They say you can't go home again, but Daryl Stuermer not only takes us there, he brings us on a tour of his musical experiences and in the process creates something new. He arpeggiates the chords, rocks the rhythms and more than notes, he's captured the spirit. Musically speaking, Daryl Stuermer has put the pieces together and Retrofit is indeed greater than the sum of its parts!

D.J. Fazio

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  • Very good stuff
    author: Ed R.

    Some very good stuff here. I enjoyed Mr. Stuermer when he was with Ponty and he has even improved since then. Excellent composition and execution. I highly recommend his later CD, Rewired, and am anticipating his next release. Tell your friends who like good guitar work, this is an artist they must hear.

  • A must for all guitar fans!
    author: Simon Howe

    Great CD - apt title - feels like I'm listening to Larry Carlton during the 70's which is a great compliment to Daryl as he is my all time favourite - retrofit deserves much airtime which would bring a whole load of fans and daryl the recognition he deserves for a great album!

  • Class all the way
    author: ronnie warren/wash., dc

    This is just a smooth classic cd. A real nice change of pace for all you jazz listeners. Grooved all the way through this one. Check it out!!!

  • Like a fine wine...better with each and every listen!
    author: Jeff Markanich

    What a simply wonderful CD! Retrofit puts me in a great mood no matter what type of day I have. Not one bad song on the entire CD. My entire family loves it.

  • a hybrid "smooth fusion" album with a little more pizzazz and kick
    author: World of Genesis

    Retrofit is a refreshing change from other Stuermer albums. Yes, the album still has a predominant smooth jazz backbone, but there is a definite return to his '70s jazz fusion roots on this record - more so than ever before. The end result is a hybrid "smooth fusion" album with a little more pizzazz and kick than we've heard from Daryl in a while, and a seemingly logical progression from his last solo album, Waiting In The Wings. Stuermer continues to use the same musicians from his last outing, and the cohesion remains a constant throughout the nine tracks that comprise Retrofit. Among the stand-out tracks on the album are the title cut; "Zanzibar," which really showcases Daryl on acoustic guitar; "Midnight Traveler" and a great jazz instrumental version of "The Least You Can Do" which was co-written with Phil Collins (an alternate pop version with vocals appears on Collins' Testify album). Despite one or two songs which are heavily (or should I say overly) saturated with smooth jazz, this album is a solid offering from beginning to end. I hope that Stuermer continues to travel even further down the path of jazz fusion in the future and, someday, abandons the smooth jazz arena completely. This album leaves me eager to hear where Daryl will go next!

  • What the fans are saying
    author: Fans From Daryl's Web Page

    From Charmine: I have to tell you that I really love it! Very nice. "Least You Can Do" is wonderful, along with all the other songs. That was a great Idea for the CD cover too. I really wish I could have made your last Milwaukee gig ..... From Rob:.. I haven't stopped playing Retrofit since we got home, all the tracks are terrific, "Sharkskin Suit" is an instant favorite, as well as the title track.

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