Molly Miller Trio – The Ballad of Hotspur
From its opener “Cine” I was transported back to my childhood years of the early 60s when instrumentals like The Chantay’s “Pipeline,” penetrated the charts atmospherically & was played daily on AM radio. It’s surprising to hear that the “instrumental” as a pop attraction is still alive in some musician’s minds & nimble fingers. It’s music that inspires writers & motivates the mind with images that conjure reflective moments & subtle moods.
11 distinctive tunes radiate from this collection & though some have a melancholy delicacy, a surf’s up spray & some cowboy dust it’s all done with expertise & finesse. California native Molly Miller is the guitarist who lays down the somewhat Les Paul-Chet Atkins type of tradition in her own repertoire & decorates it with her own appealing accents.
“Blues and Greens,” is more lounge jazz oriented & the melodies are stainless – they’d stimulate lyrics from wordsmiths with each listen. But there are no lyrics here so you should use your imagination. A listen to Molly on “Saddles Back,” & you hear her “personality” convincingly in the notes spilled from her slender fingers. The Jennifer Condos bass run is equally prevalent as is the Jay Bellerose drum work that’s not standard but quite creative.
Produced by the trio The Ballad of Hotspur (Drops May 3/Intraabang/40:00) is Molly’s 3rd CD & has musical sensibility in its showcase. It’s not just a bunch of instrumental knockoffs. Each has an aura & immediacy that creates scenes in one’s mind. “Orchids and Cowboys,” is near-motion picture theme oriented. There’s also a gentleness reminiscent of compelling instrumental classics such as Santo & Johnny’s “Sleepwalk” & Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green classic “Albatross.”
A bit more intense in arrangement is “66 West” which comes off with a jazzier tinge & noir-flavored percussion. Molly’s not a flashy player or aggressive in approach. She seems to nail down melodic runs through every twist & turn of her compositions. Her characterizations are as creative as the guitar players mentioned along with the highly stylized Robben Ford & Pat Metheny but not as explicit as Robert Fripp, Jann Akkerman, or Al DiMeola. Molly is more of a distant cousin to Django Reinhardt & Joe Pass’s school of subtle, tasty & expressive guitar.
Many tunes have a musical adhesive that while impressive technically doesn’t compromise her melodies for flash. Each tune embodies a persuasive controlled exuberance that never colors outside the lines. The playing is always fluent without being an exercise in showboating. “What Do You Say To Heartaches/Chips Away” & “In the Evening” are performances that give their moments value.
Highlights – “Cine,” “Blues and Greens,” “Saddles Back,” “Orchids and Cowboys,” “66 West,” “What Do You Say To Heartaches/Chips Away,” “Head Out” & “In the Evening.”
Musicians – Molly Miller (guitar), Jennifer Condos (bass) & Jay Bellerose (drums).
Color image courtesy of Ana Azarov. CD @ MusicToday & https://www.mollymillermusic.com/about