Caroline Erskine wrote:
Maine-based guitarist Ryan Blotnick will celebrate the release of his intimate new album The Woods on Monday, May 18 at Threes Brewing in the Gowanus neighborhood of Brooklyn. Doors open at 7:45 p.m. with a suggested donation of $20.
The Woods is a collection of original compositions recorded live in one room at The Woods recording studio in Woodstock, NY, drawing on the intimate production style of the great Blue Note albums of the 1960s.
Spacious, slow-unfolding and modal in character, the record foregrounds Blotnick’s glistening guitar melodies against the inventive counterlines of pianist and organist Tyler G Wood, with bassist Adam Chilenski and drummer Otto Hauser grounding the music in a deep pocket rooted equally in jazz, rock and psychedelia.
The album opens up slowly and rewards patience, built around quiet anthems and soundscapes that develop through small variations rather than overt climaxes.
Also on the bill is the Danny Fox Trio, celebrating their 18th anniversary. Fox recently released the trio’s fourth album, Time Took Care of It, on Adhyaropa Records.
Blotnick first emerged in New York’s downtown jazz scene and has since built a career bridging jazz, world music and cinematic soundscapes. His work has been featured in award-winning films at Sundance, SXSW
Ryan Blotnick — The Woods Release Show Threes Brewing Monday, May 18 — Doors 7:45 p.m. $20 suggested donation
8 p.m. — Danny Fox Trio
9:15 p.m. — Ryan Blotnick