Watching some of Will Sumner's videos on YouTube, I was struck by several things. Even though he is the leader/featured artist, he often does not stand in the center of the stage. He stands on the side in front of his amplifier and just plays. His is a master guitarist whose showmanship is based on how he plays more than what he looks like while he plays. When he solos on electric and the camera zooms in you are more likely to think killer rock than smooth jazz. And, this is big, he has a completely original sound with just enough of a familiar lean to keep it in a listener's comfort zone and widen that comfort zone in the process. He's one of those artists who have a big regional following and let the music do the talking but don't feel compelled to do a lot of marketing. This is a real gift to those of us who find the music but can lead to being lost in the glut of more heavily promoted releases. So, I said with a grin, we're here to help. This one, Pier Groove, and Tracks, his previous release, should be in your collection. If they are not it's time to grab them.

Pier Groove has a gentler energy than the more rock leaning Tracks but don't mistake that for unobtrusive smoothness. It just flows more gently from the outset and the rock elements are present in a more subtle way.  The focus here is the layering of different guitar sounds and seamless transitions between them. He can shred when he wants to and he has the usual treasure trove of effects and sonic toys but he knows how to use them to enhance the song and the mood instead of overwhelming it. That is a reflection of the confidence and maturity that you hear in his music. The guy knows how to write a catchy melody then add some depth, intricacy, and some surprising twists and turns to keep your attention.

Pier Groove is not by any means derivative or copycat but there are a lot of melodic and harmonic elements that remind me of Acoustic Alchemy's earlier releases and purity reminiscent of Craig Chaquico's first two albums. In other words, if you like those you will love this. Several of the tracks seem to reflect their titles. “River,” the midtempo opening track, has this flowing dual guitar sound and a lyrical piano accompaniment.  “Mojave” moves more into a minor key mode with a haunting electric guitar line that reflects the dry ambiance of a desert landscape. “Sultry Sunset” softly shifts in both color and texture and “Tropical” has a driving Latin groove that is spiced up by steel drums – real, not digital, played by Kali Ross-Ma’u. Jason Weber, another regional artist who deserves national acclaim, plays sax on several tracks including “Tropical,” and “Moment's Notice,” the most rock leaning track on the album. Sometimes the sax presence on a guitar oriented album can overwhelm or change the context but these arrangements are played and mixed perfectly with Sumner and Weber playing off each other and with each other while neither overwhelms.

Sumner wrote the songs and produced the album; he also plays guitars, piano, keyboards, and percussion. He is joined by Weber on several tracks and Ross-Ma'u seems to be the only other featured musician. When one artist does most of the instrumentation on an album it can often end up sounding technologically contrived, but that could not be further from the case on Pier Groove. Sumner is a master when it comes to mood enhancing shadings and textures and the overall mix. The interplay between instruments is seamlessly cohesive - it always sounds as if several musicians were in the studio playing together live. Sumner's artistry on piano is equal to his sublime guitar work and the percussion never sounds looped or computerized. “Organic” is a word that gets bantered around a lot but it does apply to this music. The sound is as clean and the instrumentation as “real-sounding” as it would be in a live performance. The digitally driven high gloss shimmer that brings sterility to a lot of smooth jazz releases is not present at all. Sumner has given us a lovely, enjoyable, and totally human CD here, one that you will find yourself seeking out when you want music that is engrossing, spirited, and joyously honest.

Visit Will Sumner's website at www.willsumner.com. You can also hear this album in its entirety on Spotify.