L.A. Jazz Scene Review of Pete's Pandemic Playlist

   It is not an understatement to say that the pandemic has made life very difficult for virtually all musicians during the past two years. As with all of his contemporaries, guitarist Peter Curtis found himself without any gigs and with a lot of unexpected time on his hands.

            Since he is fortunate enough to play an instrument that sounds quite complete unaccompanied (when played by the right person), Curtis did the logical thing and recorded a set of solos. Pete’s Pandemic Playlist, other than on “The Nearness Of You” where he is joined remotely by saxophonist Charlie Richard, features the guitarist alone in the studio, playing thoughtful and mostly gently swinging solos.

            The 14 titles are taken from a wide variety of sources and all of the titles have something to do with the isolation caused by COVID. These include “I Will Survive,” “It’s A Small World,” “Stayin’ Alive,” “Sting’s “Don’t Stand So Close To Me,” “Solitude,” “In The Air Tonight,” “Toxic,” and Wayne Shorter’s “Armagaddon.” On some of the songs, such as “Don’t Fence Me In,” Curtis’ tone and style hint strongly at country music while at other times he sounds a little like a classical guitarist, but this is very much a jazz album, one that despite the world situation sounds cheerful and optimistic.

Peter Curtis’ subtle improvisations, which often keep the melodies close by, are enjoyable to hear and this CD will sound good even when COVID is history. It is available from www.petercurtismusic.com.