Max Ridgway Trio, Deep Memory Scan

We have come across guitarist Max Ridgway happily with Kazhargan World and Cheryl Pyle on these pages and on the Gapplegate Music Blog. He is a creative guitarist and very capable cat, who always seems to come through with something worthwhile. Today we take a look at a trio under his own leadership and their album Deep Memory Scan (self-released).

It is Max of course on electric guitar, plus Richard Martin on bass and Tony Swafford on the drums. The program puts Max front and center with some lively jazz-rock that makes excellent use of a bluesy point-of-view. Richard and Tony lay down rock-solid grooves that play on the riffing-hitting Max tunes and give Max a chance to excel.

And that he does. He has a beautiful sense of line and chord in the rootsy mode and he stays with it for all eight tracks. The sense of space and note-ing makes the music rock and funk out with hard soul--nothing smooth about it.

I love his articulation here. He makes his guitar speak and say something with what is perhaps is a widely spoken language over the years. But he makes it all seem fresh and the band hits it hard with him.

Max is a player. This is good rocking, tonight or any night. Check it out.