Contemporary Jazz Guitarist & Composer
Take Another Look
(1990)
Track List
1. Take Another Look (Grant Geissman/David Benoit) [4:01]
2. Greer's Tears (Grant Geissman) [4:46]
3. Choices (Grant Geissman) [5:05]
4. Big Hair (Grant Geissman/Larry Steelman) [4:21]
5. Cuba Libre (Grant Geissman/Emil Palame) [4:44]
6. Attitudes (Grant Geissman) [4:22]
7. Asleep in the Deep (Grant Geissman/Emil Palame) [5:17]
8. Sun Fun (Grant Geissman/Emil Palame) [4:59]
9. Pipe Dreams (Grant Geissman) [4:20]
Personnel
Grant Geissman - Guitars
David Benoit, Gordon Goodwin - Piano & Keyboards
Sam Riney - Woodwinds
Jimmy Johnson - Bass
Emil Palame, Larry Steelman - Piano & Keyboards
Tom Walsh - Drums
Bob Sheppard - Tenor Sax
Rick Baptist, Charlie Davis - Trumpet
Brad Dutz - Percussion
Steve Holtman - Trombone
Sid Page & The North Hollywood Wire Choir - Strings
Amy Shulman - Harp
Recorded & Mixed by Alan Hirshberg
Mastered by Tom Baker
Produced by Grant Geissman & Paul Stilwell
Reviews
"From the guitarist with the coolest hairstyle in L.A. comes another one of those sweet, instantly likable pop-jazz treats. Grant Geissman shines on his label debut, smartly sticking to the acoustic, which he employs over grooves ranging from orchestral to samba to light funk. The guitarist and friends like Emil Palame (keys), Sam Riney (woodwinds), Flim Johnson (bass), and David Benoit are all elite players, fun to listen to, with much to express musically. But as strong as the playing is, Geissman's best gift is in the writing department. His moody lines on "Asleep in the Deep" give Riney room to spread out, while "Choices" sounds like the short film score it is, a midtempo delight. "Take Another Look" was co-written by Benoit and has that unmistakable angst-free sound about it. "Big Hair" and "Attitudes" are the hummable funkfests, and "Cuba Libre" (co-written by Palame) features some of the niftiest brass smooth jazz has ever heard. And then there's "Greer's Tears," which rivals Russ Freeman's "One Summer Night in Brazil' as one of the most beautifully lilting ballads of the early days of the genre. Written for Geissman's daughter, it features a lush string section bringing out its moody melancholia."
- Jonathan Widran