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 Brian Nation photo

 

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"Can one album capture the essence of Vancouver jazz in 2006? Not to my ears; you need to pick a pair to balance this scene's wildly divergent tastes. So start with Two Much Guitar, a wonderfully plain-spoken six-string songbook from Bill Coon and Oliver Gannon, and then work your way out towards the fringe, Jesse Zubot's extraordinary multi-instrumental abstraction, Dementia, 14 fragile and fractious improvisations for violin, mandolin, guitar and electronics."

-- Greg Buium: Arts and Life Section of the Vancouver Sun Dec. 20/06


"These two premier Canadian guitarists (tendencies of Burrell, Montgomery, Kessel, etc.) have it sown up with retail sites that let you hear the first half minute of tracks in order to make purchasing decisions. Their openings are brilliant; I’ve never heard the theme statement of Tadd Dameron’s “If You Could See Me Now” timed or phrased better. Corey Weed’s note talks of two-head contests and the glint in one of these guitarist’s eyes as the other soloed. I think he wanted to impress the other guy by outplaying him, something recommended in manuals of lovemaking. They are gentle with each other’s guitar parts. Coon’s “Zattitude” has zip, Dave Robbins so tightly sprung they had to give him a drum solo. The audience is enthusiastic, and the lovely sound does suggest they were actually listening. Just think, they could have missed the start of “Darn That Dream”! It sounds like one man playing two guitars with all four hands, bassist and drummer getting time off to let the guitars behave well. You hear Darren Radtke’s bass all the better at the opening of “Have You Met Miss Jones”. After the duo Dameron, Gannon’s brisk and boppy “So Nice” is the second new composition in an octet including Charlie Parker’s “Chi Chi”, but otherwise consisting of standards. There are a few sets along lines like this one, a serious option beside sets with famous names. The very guys to send a man home happy, or in this form detain him there."

Robert R. Calder (popmatters.com)
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Bill Coon & Oliver Gannon - Two Much Guitar
Bill Coon and Oliver Gannon - guitars
Darren Radtke - bass
Dave Robbins - drums

Recorded live at the Cellar: Sept. 10th and Nov.19th, 2005

 

available for purchase online at:

Cellar Live

 

 

"The selling point here is the extraordinary intimacy Coon and Gannon achieve. The two guitarists are just dissimilar enough to make the most of their shared interests. Melodic grace is expected, but what’s most impressive is their work in a supportive role: comping behind each other, they supply the soloist with provocative rhythmic stabs and suggestive harmonies."

Alexander Varty (The Georgia Straight)


 ". . . Coon and Gannon present three ballads as duets: Polka Dots ( Polka Dots and Moonbeams ) is essentially a sonata for two guitars, starting with a bouncy intertwining of the two guitar lines. A more gentle section follows, then another segment with more staccato lines; the final chorus has a more swinging tempo. Another VanHeusen vehicle, Darn That Dream, starts with one guitar leading the melody while the other sits back and provides a bassline; they trade roles on the next verse, a formula that works well throughout. On Tadd Dameron s If You Could See Me Now, the guitars sing like two vocal partners, adding lush sweeping chords."

Brian Nation

 

"Two Much Guitar is a disc featuring veteran Canadian jazz guitarists Bill Coon and Oliver Gannon. Coon and Gannon display a great deal of respect for each other. This is one of those guitar duo CD's that eschews the typical "chops fest". While the chops are there, both guitarists play supportively for one another and for the beautiful standards that they are playing over. Coon and Gannon also display a great melodic sense that comes from musical maturity. There is a lot of respect here for the classic songs they are playing over. The band swings nicely and Radtke and Robbins provide the perfect setting for Gannon and Coon to work over. The cohesiveness between the four of them is clear from the start. it should be noted that this is a live CD from a performance at the Cellar Jazz Club in Vancouver, BC. It is well recorded and mixed. All four instruments are balanced and clear, unlike many live recordings.

Parker's up tempo blues Chi Chi opens the disc, followed by a swinging version of "All the Things You Are" with nice interplay between two unaccompanied guitars in the intro and head. "Polka Dots and Moonbeams", "Darn That Dream", (with a great chordal and melodic intro), "Have you Met Miss Jones", and Tad Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now", are all played beautifully. The disc is rounded out by two originals: Coon's "Zattitude" and Gannon's "So Nice". Both are well written pieces, and stand up to the standards that they are joined by.

This disc joins the cannon of great jazz guitar duo discs along with players like Ellis and Pass, Byrd and Ellis, Van Epps and Alden. Two Much guitar is a swinging, straight ahead jazz guitar disc that is a great addition to any jazz guitar library."

Reviewed by Eric Elias in the February 2007 issue of Just Jazz Guitar

 

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