Embarcadero is Richard Boukas's second release as a leader, and a quantum leap forward as a jazz guitarist, vocalist, composer and producer. With the stellar playing of trio mates Mike Formanek (bs) and John Riley (dr), this session covers a wide range of compositional styles and grooves: from the hard-swinging "Keep It Loose Jack", "Frankly" and slow introspective "Bittersweet" to the uptempo samba "Calico" and even-eighth groove of Frederic Samba. Embarcadero, the title track, is a riveting centerpiece of this project. A haunting theme on the nylon string guitar draped over a suspended even-eighth groove, the thematic statement is followed by some of the most exciting open trio playing on record. Also featured is "Chopiniana", Boukas's first extended recording of solo classical guitar– which synergizes numerous Chopin themes into a wholly new form faithful to the composer's aesthetic. The recording quality is very clean, warm and spacious, allowing each instrument to be heard clearly within the larger and often lush textures. Boukas uses multiple vocal layers on Frederic Samba and Bittersweet to great dramatic effect, owing to his lifelong passion for classical music and choral singing. He also scats up a storm on the first track, "Keep It Loose Jack". 1. Keep It Loose, Jack - is a medium swing AABA jazz tune dedicated to master guitarist Jack Wilkins, who was a huge inspiration to Boukas in his early jazz years. Having previously used the saxophone or trumpet to deliver the melodic content, this is the first time Boukas recorded his vocal scatting as the main melodic instrument– a portend of things to come in his later Brazilian Jazz projects such as AMAZONA and BALAIO (listen here on CDbaby). The A section is full of twisting modulations between key centers a minor third apart (A-C-Eb-Gb), while the B section relaxes over dominant pedals. Boukas scats and plays through these tricky chord changes with agility. After a supple bass solo by Formanek, Riley gets to trade 8's in a shout chorus. 2. Embarcadero - The composition for this title track was written on a chilly, foggy day in San Francisco, literally under the Golden Gate bridge at the Embarcadero. Meaning "point of departure", this piece shows a clean break with Boukas's earlier straight-ahead jazz writing. The even-eighth note theme, replete with dark harmonies and elusive chord progressions, is played chord melody style on the nylon string, while Formanek and Riley show great restraint and use of space. Midway through the repeat of the melody, the signature E phrygian pedal begins the extended "trio solo" which builds intuitively to a great climax. Here Boukas shows his well-developed fingerstyle technique, mixing blistering solo lines with jabbing chordal textures as bass and drums respond in kind. The theme returns, this time with the voice in a soaring quality. Other voices and steel string solo guitar gradually enter as the signature repeated phrase becomes the backdrop for an expansive development of texture and emotion. 3. Frankly... - is a playful medium swing tune that evokes the music of Horace Silver. It is a straightforward 32-bar tune on which Boukas takes an extended bebop solo. Here he not only plays a great deal of double-time lines but agile chord melody soloing clearly reminiscent of Wes Montgomery. 4. Calico - is an uptempo samba dedicated to the feline world (in fact, it is Boukas's own cats who open the piece along with the drums). Both Boukas and Formanek take rapid-fire solos over these chord changes, which also use descending minor 3rd progressions as in "Keep It Loose, Jack". Riley gets to trade 8's with Boukas before the theme returns and Satie the cat has the last word. 5. Chopiniana (dedicated to Chopin) - Boukas's first recorded solo classical guitar piece, Chopiniana is a melding of several Chopin themes which occurred organically over the course of several months. The central theme is from the great F minor Ballade, establishing the pathos so pervasive in Chopin's melodic writing. Boukas uses original composed phrases to sew together each theme used in the piece, which is intended to be a prelude to the following track, Frederic Samba. 6. Frederic Samba - An ambitious tribute to Chopin and a landmark piece for Boukas, the main theme uses the harmonic structure of the E minor Etude (Op. 25 no. 5) as its basis. The B section changes back and forth between a sweeping 3/4 and then back to the even-eighth groove. The elaborate Brahmsian coda in 3/4 features an eight-voice choir and guitar counterpoints. As with Embarcadero, the piece uses many harmonic inversions to navigate modulations to remote key centers. 7. Bittersweet - is a slow waltz which is first stated in the electric guitar, then in a six-voice vocal ensemble. The overall character of the piece is quite dark and introspective, using choice dissonances and harmonic progressions that mask the tenuous tonality.