Hristo Vitchev Quartet

“Familiar Fields”

(First Orbit Sounds Music FOSM181)

The guitarist and composer Hristo Vitchev has been a regular presence on the Jazzmann webpages since 2009 and the release of his first album as a leader “Songs For Messambria”. Originally from the Messambria area of Bulgaria Vitchev has lived in San Jose, California for many years and has become a significant presence on the San Francisco Bay Area music scene. Here at the Jazzmann I’ve also covered Vitchev’s other releases, two intimate duo albums with pianist Weber Iago (2010’s “The Secrets Of An Angel” and “Heartmony” from 2012 ) and the ambitious “The Perperikon Suite” (2011) which featured a quintet line up that included rising star vibraphonist Christian Tamburr.

As can be deduced from the above Vitchev is a prolific composer and his latest group album features more of his highly melodic compositions. As both a guitarist and a writer Vitchev is audibly influenced by Pat Metheny and his music has something of Metheny’s melodic sense and attention to detail plus the same painterly quality that imbues much of Pat’s best Metheny Group work. However Vitchev also brings much of himself to the music including elements of the folk music of his native Bulgaria.

Vitchev’s right hand man, his Lyle Mays if you will, is Brazilian born pianist Weber Iago who has appeared on all of Vitchev’s album releases. Iago is again a significant presence on this latest recording alongside the Vitchev group’s long term bassist Dan Robbins but there has been a change in the drum chair with new man Mike Shannon replacing previous incumbent Joe De Rose.

According to Vitchev’s liner notes most of the material on this album was written in the time frame between the releases of “Secrets Of An Angel” and “The Perperikon Suite”, the pieces subsequently acquiring fresh insight and impetus at the eventual recording session in 2012. The nine lengthy original pieces (all between five and ten minutes) are typical Vitchev with strong melodic hooks and rich, colourful and sometimes complex arrangements. The playing is precise and everybody performs well with Iago, Robbins and Shannon all making strong contributions towards the success of the music.

Opener “Ballad for the Fallen” quickly establishes a signature group sound, superficially similar to the Metheny Group, but with the musicians bringing enough of themselves to the proceedings to create strong collective and individual identities of their own. Bassist Robbins takes the first solo, his sound big but flexible. Vitchev follows with his clean, graceful Metheny-like lines eventually seceding to the excellent Iago. Shannon’s neatly energetic, richly detailed drumming adds substantially to the overall group sound and the new man is featured in the tune’s closing stages.

“Wounded by a Poison Arrow” maintains the same melodic thrust and is more lyrical than the title might suggest. The piece harbours flowing solos from Vitchev and Iago with Robbins and Shannon keeping things ticking over neatly, the bassist featuring strongly with a highly melodic cameo towards the end of the tune.

Shannon’s drums introduce “The Prophet’s Daughter”, a particularly fine example of Vitchev’s writing style. At eight and a half minutes in length the piece, like so many of Vitchev’s compositions, has a strong narrative quality with the guitarist prepared to allow time for his ideas to evolve. He also permits his soloists time to stretch out and both Iago and Robbins respond with brilliant solos that demonstrate flawless technique but without any hint of “showing off”. Both Vitchev and Shannon bring similar qualities to bear on their own features. Indeed there’s the sense that within the individuals’ freedom of expression there’s still a palpable sense of serving the music at all times.

There’s a particularly strong musical chemistry between Vitchev and Iago as demonstrated by the music on their two duo albums. Vitchev trusts Iago implicitly and the pianist’s delightful solo introduction to the ballad “They Are No More” is one of the album’s highlights. The piece features one of Vitchev’s most beautiful and haunting melodies and there’s a real sound of yearning and regret in the music. The composer’s own solo is gently lyrical, crystalline notes spinning out above Shannon’s sensitive brushed accompaniment and Robbins’ rich bass undertow. There’s also further lyricism from Iago on a beautifully judged solo and a delightfully pithy statement from Robbins who seems to be afforded a good deal more space in this edition of the group and uses the opportunity to maximum effect.

The title track is a two part affair beginning with the faint melancholy of “Departure” and concluding with the more celebratory “Return”. “Departure” includes solos from Robbins, a highly dexterous cameo, and Vitchev, more expansive, his crisp intonation shadowed by the chatter of Shannon’s cymbals. The sophisticated use of dynamics is always a characteristic of Vitchev’s writing and Iago’s flowingly rhapsodic solo leads into a stirring Shannon drum feature. It’s interesting to note that Vitchev’s compositions often offer time in the spotlight for all four musicians yet without ever dissolving into the tired head/solos/head format, instead the approach is more considered with evidence of a keen compositional intelligence at work.
“Return” is another example of Vitchev’s grasp of dynamics as the piece builds from Iago’s glacial piano tinklings to embrace a feeling that is much more warm and effusive via beautifully constructed solos from Iago and Vitchev.

“The Mask Of Agamemnon” builds from Vitchev’s initial vamp into another exceptional Robbins bass solo, this in turn followed by a particularly agile and inventive solo from Vitchev as the group temporarily slips into guitar trio mode. Iago then gets his chance with a sparkling solo that moves effortlessly up through the gears before the piece resolves itself with a series of variations on the opening figure.

“The Fifth Season” enjoys a broadly similar structure with the insistent, vaguely military chatter of Shannon’s drums fuelling lucid solos from Iago and Vitchev.

The album concludes with “Willing to Live” which Vitchev dedicates to his grandmother for her “endless desire to keep living and fighting”. It turns out to be a delightfully lyrical homage introduced by Iago at the piano and featuring some of Vitchev’s most beautiful playing. Iago matches him for pure loveliness as the piece delicately unfolds with Shannon’s cymbal colourations and Robbins’ deeply resonant bass undertow also worthy of mention.

Once again Vitchev has produced an immaculately crafted, often supremely beautiful album. The compositions may all be the guitarist’s own work but in this quartet he has a great team and everybody makes a strong contribution to the success of the music. Again one can’t escape the Metheny comparisons but Vitchev is still very much his own man and his music deserves to be heard not only by Metheny’s legion of fans but by discerning music listeners in general. 

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