Kenny Reichert: Switch
Calligram Records

You'll find no better demonstration of Kenny Reichert's gifts as an electric guitarist and composer than the opening cut on his latest album Switch. Rather than bludgeoning the listener with high-decibel roar, “Switch” seduces surreptitiously with slinky understatement and an enticing melodic design. Characteristic of his writing, the material is intricately woven yet advances with ease and naturalness through its many twists and turns. The composition's structure reveals a keen intelligence and imagination at work, and Reichert brings the same kind of thoughtfulness to his solo. Rather than strafing the listener with haphazard flurries, he builds a solo piece-by-piece such that a discernible form gradually declares itself. His attention to shape is clearly shown in the arc of an expression born out of forethought, lucidity, and, of course, technical facility (see also his equally terrific turns on “Cherry” and “The Midnight Sky”). Adding to its sinuous effect is expressive yet circumspect accompaniment from members of Reichert's working quartet, alto saxophonist Lenard Simpson, acoustic bassist Ethan Philion, and drummer Devin Drobka.

The Chicago-based guitarist's relationship with his colleagues extends back a number of years, and it shows in the synergy the four bring to the album's nine stylistically diverse selections, a synergy that's only enhanced when Alyssa Allgood and Geof Bradfield add vocals and woodwinds to three tracks apiece, respectively. Reichert first connected with Simpson through Milwaukee-based programs for young artists and after a brief spell at Berklee spent five years solidifying his relationship with Simpson and with Drobka too. More recently, the guitarist's spent time at DePaul University in Chicago, which facilitated working relationships with Allgood, Philion, and Bradfield, and all such moves reap strong rewards on Switch. Produced by Reichert and captured on July 8th, 2023 at Rax Trax Recording, the album's a solid testament to the guitarist's strengths.

Simpson's an irrepressibly swing and singing presence throughout, Drobka ever responsive to what's happening in the moment, and Philion—no slouch in the bandleader department—is his usual unerring self. As memorable as the shape-shifting title track is, those that follow have much to recommend them. “Pivot” follows its rubato-styled intro with an arresting stop-start structure that when not lurching leaves ample open space for the players to insert themselves into. Layering Allgood's wordless vocal into the serene vignette “Things Aren't What They Seem” was a masterstroke; carrying it over into “Acquaintance” tinges the material with a subtle South American flavour, especially when the vocal pairs with Simpson's alto. The spoken word turns with which she bookends Reichert's stylish solo also help makes the urgency-fuelled track stand out. Her third appearance arrives in “Shadows,” a trio cut that couples her moving vocal (“No longer afraid / To show you every part / Shadows start to fade / And I can give my heart … Take me as I am”) with guitar and Bradfield's sensitive bass clarinet. The leader's harder side comes to the fore on “Vanguard,” which burns with distortion and sees him embedding his snarling guitar within a thunderous context that's got as much to do with rock as fusion. At the opposite end of the spectrum is “Farewell,” whose peaceful vibe and lyrical tone make for a lovely outro.

In writing about his 2023 release Deep Breath (Shifting Paradigm), textura described Reichert as a triple threat, and the acumen he demonstrates throughout the always assured Switch shows that his formidable abilities as a guitarist, bandleader, and writer not only remain resoundingly in place but are if anything growing and maturing. An extremely satisfying and well-rounded artistic statement from start to finish.

July 2024