REVIEWS ~ PICTURE THIS, REACH (self-released CD) - I imagine Vermont jazz trio Picture This has had to contend with its share of indifferent diners and bar patrons during its six-year existence, what with jazz bands relegated mostly to the corners of restaurants and lounges - except during the glorifying week of the Discover Jazz Festival. But, chances are, some of those seemingly preoccupied diners have absorbed the sheer joy this trio emits in its fluorescently shiny compositions.
I'd find it hard not to notice, placed in the proximity of Matthew Deluca's drums, Jerome Monachino's guitar, and particularly Peter Engisch's piano, the presence of generous talent, sparkling spirit and a certain confidence that is independent of whether anyone notices.
Right from its exuberant start, "Tell It Like It Is", Picture This asks you to do just that: Close your eyes and imagine what this musical flight of fancy shows you. Reach is bright-sounding, sonically and figuratively, and tends toward a beauty that can feel uplifting or melancholy depending on your mood (sometimes beauty is profoundly sad, in my opinion).
Engisch drives most of these tunes, though his piano and Monachino's oft-synthesized guitar are close companions. Both seem to favor a high-end melodic range, making for a romantic, watery yin that some might like to hear grounded with some grittier yang.
There is no bass in this band, and even the bottom end of the kick drum is obscured in the mix - Deluca is also partial to high-hat percussion, another high-end element. The occasional appearance of Monachino's voice - in instrument-like syllables, not words - is a welcome edge of human warmth here, as the synthesization is cold despite its soothing, ethereal quality. The St. Mike's choral director doesn't show off his considerable vocal talents in this band, though.
The majority of these nine instrumental compositions are mid-tempo excursions that seem propelled by the need to reach some elevation of spirit. It's a pleasure, then, to slow right down to the dreamy pacing of "Miles Away", which indeed takes you there. The reverie is soon displaced by the drama of the aptly named and urban-sounding "Push" - a tune that interweaves Engisch's lyrical piano with Monachino's soaring, mid-range guitar and steely, tense percussion on a closed high-hat from Deluca.
The title track is a lengthy foray into fusionland that steered me in the direction of a nice little nap, but no sooner did I get there than a pesky upbeat composition called "Chocolate Amber" interrupted my alpha state, followed by the Latin-influenced "More Ways Than One". Reach concludes with the kind of melancholy I'm partial to, though - a quiet, meditative, porcelain thing called "Courage of a Smile".
Recorded at Engisch's Ad Astra studio in Williston, this debut CD is a very pretty picture.
Pamela Polston, Seven Days. June 3rd, 1998. The weekly read on Vermont news, views, and culture. Vol.3 No.41