Woody Russell - Big Sky (2023 Remastered Edition) (2023)

Fans of adventurous, guitar-centric music that exists outside of mainstream categorization, the likes of what's often heard on the highly respected ECM label, will certainly appreciate Russell's 2023 remastered release of his 2012 album, 'Big Sky'. It's a very good sign of more bold music to come from this restless artist.

Woody Russell's breadth as a composer on this all instrumental release, "Big Sky", represents his work in jazz, film music and other creative variations beyond that for which he is most recognized as a performer. He has continually explored his own creative impulses having composed and recorded music influenced by his love and respect for these forms. As evidenced here, Russell uses his multi-instrumental talents to craft recorded music that is vastly different from what he has released commercially as a recording artist since 1996.

In 2012, fans finally had an opportunity to hear the full spectrum of his expansive and diverse musical offerings with "Big Sky" - a collection of Woody's select instrumental recordings from his vault, dating back to a track from the late 90's.

Though critically acclaimed most notably as a guitarist and singer-songwriter, Woody Russell also possesses a gift for composing music that is well beyond those boundaries. As evidenced here, he unveils more adventurous and sophisticated compositions involving, not only his expertise as a guitarist, but also elaborate orchestration. Jazz, ambient electronic, orchestral, acoustic and world music are all present in his instrumental work.

"With the technologies available today, the studio has become, in many ways, a musical partner. I'm not one to shy away from ambitious musical concepts. I allow myself to be as creative as I wish while trying not to self edit too soon in the process; as I'm more inclined to do when working on a traditional song structure as a singer-songwriter. It's a liberating thing not to have any, or perhaps very few, limitations in front of you when composing. Plus, creating music away from the guitar often leads me to very different, fresh ideas and arrangements that would not otherwise happen if I were strictly limited to using the guitar as my sole compositional tool."

"My first serious instrumental recordings pre-date even the earliest of these releases on Big Sky by a decade. It was at that point when I began to hear the possibilities of my music developing in terms of a broader sonic landscape. But, that said, it's these subsequent recordings that truly represent much more mature writing and production; hence the reason I feel comfortable releasing them as part of this collection."

The title of this collection is a nod to the place where Woody Russell spent his childhood - often referred to as "Big Sky Country"; the U.S. state of Montana. He still returns to reconnect with a place that has meant so much to him since his childhood. He often considers his instrumental music, in particular, as having a deep connection to the natural beauty and the wide open spaces of Montana.

"Growing up on a gravel road, twenty miles from town, was a blessing for a kid to experience. That experience is embedded in my heart as a connection to a place filled with natural wonder and simple inspiration. It's also where my earliest musical memories and formative experiences as a musician began."

Without limits, "Big Sky" promises a very different listen, a creative endeavor that reaches back to an acoustic piece from 1999 and expands forward to four tracks recorded in late 2011, early 2012.