Artist:     Ron Jackson

Album:     Standards and Other Songs

Label:     Roni Music

Release Date:     3.8.2019

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BUY DIGITAL

BUY PHYSICAL

In 1957, I finally got for Christmas what I really wanted for well over a year: a guitar. A few weeks afterwards, I was struggling with the transition to six strings from my previous four-string Christmas guitar—aka uke—when my father brought home a guitar LP for me to get inspired by. That album was none other than the jazz classic Mellow Guitar by George Van Eps.

George Van Eps played a guitar of his own invention, one with seven strings, and was so far advanced on his instrument, it might as well have been a piano. In fact he always referred to it as his “Lap Piano.” I did spend hours listening to him, and although he was not Buddy Holly or Scotty Moore, it left far more than a dent in my ten-year-old brain, just like those rock & roll giants did, mainly because of the unique tonal range.

Fast forward 23 years, and I’m hosting Bucky and John Pizzarelli for a concert and seminar in my guitar shop. Attached to the shop, is none other than the shop of renowned jazz guitar maker Bob Benedetto. When Bucky ordered his second Benedetto seven-string that day, I put my order in for my first.

Ron Jackson, who has studied with Bucky Pizzarelli, is a new-to-me, far-too-few-for-me seven-string player. I have placed my own seven string in the hands of many guitar greats over the years who have politely declined to even noodle on it. This has never computed with me, especially coming from the jazz crowd, for it’s just another string and the tonal benefits are certainly worth dealing with.

Jackson deals with it rather nicely on this outing, mixing some old standards from Irving Berlin and Cole Porter with other songs, most which play well with the standards. I say “most” ‘cause “Passion Fruit” by hiphopper Drake didn’t have very much melody going for it to begin with. On the other hand, opening the set with Van Morrison’s “Moon Dance,” which if it’s not a jazz standard by now it will never be, gives the listener a pretty good sense of most that will follow. Using Nathan Brown on string bass and Darrell Green on drums further cements that Raphael’s Silver Cloud Lounge vibe.

Ron wisely chose to include one solo guitar piece that fully demonstrates what a seven-string is capable of, with Vincent Youmans iconic standard from the ’20s, “More Than You Know.” Speaking for myself, I could have used a little more of that on here, don’t you know.

—Ken Spooner