Adam Levy - Buttermilk Channel (2001)

Guitarist Adam Levy is joined by organist Larry Goldings and drummer Kenny Wolleson on this understated and rather engaging album. Levy's tone is far more trebly and bright than is common in jazz, and this suits his compositional aesthetic, which boldly departs from jazz in many instances. There's more than a hint of blues and rock in the slow shuffle of "I Guess," the relaxed, twangy vibe of "Dear John" (a tribute to Scofield, perhaps), and the semi-reggae vehicle "Orange You Glad," which begins with strummed open-string voicings that briefly conjure an Eastern feel. Despite his rock leanings, Levy is not one for distortion and high decibels; even the rocking vamp at the end of "That's All She Wrote" ebbs and flows with dynamic subtlety. Levy's jazz leanings become more evident on "Out of Harm's Way" and the closing track, "Sphere of Influence." This is intelligent, genre-defying music played with a quiet passion.