CD - A captivating debut from Dublin guitarist Lee Meehan’s heavyweight quintet, featuring mainly original compositions in a contemporary post-bop vein.
Lee Meehan first developed his jazz pedigree by paying his dues as a Blues performer in Dublin’s pubs and clubs. Jazz guitarist Louis Stewart’s influence still looms large in Ireland, and Lee’s admiration for and friendship with him led him to develop his jazz chops so that he has now developed into a strongly swinging contemporary guitarist with clear traces of the influence of Stewart, Wes Montgomery et al.
Lee has been busy gigging with the various jazz line-ups for some years, more recently as a leader and composer, so that he is now one of the most active players on the Irish scene. The band he assembled for his debut album features some of the best contemporary players active in Ireland, all of whom have a wealth of playing and recording experience. They are:
• Michael Buckley, tenor (John Abercrombie, Dave Liebman, Mingus Big Band etc.,)
• Scott Flanigan, piano (Larry Coryell, Jean Toussaint, Van Morrison. Jim Mullen etc.)
• Dave Redmond, bass (Larry Coryell, Bill Caruthers, Ian Shaw etc.)
• Darren Beckett, drums (Madeleine Peyroux, Brandon Flowers, Lee Konitz, Kenny Wheeler etc.)
A hallmark of the the album is the close melodic interplay of Lee’s guitar with Michael's saxophone backed by the ever-grooving trio of Scott, Darren, and Dave.
Five of the album’s seven tunes are Meehan originals, demonstrating his strong composition skills. There’s one from bassist Dave Redmond and a cover of Tadd Dameron’s beautiful, On A Misty Night.
Tracklist:
1. Boppin' For Pat [05:05]
2. Danu [06:32]
3. Some of Us Are Looking at the Stars [06:36]
4. Make It Monk [06:06]
5. Only Leonie [08:07]
6. On A Misty Night [06:49]
7. CBGB's [06:17]