American guitarist Miles Okazaki is a sought-after session musician and sideman who plays and has played with
Dan Weiss and
Tineke Postma, among others. He is also a member of
Steve Colemans band
5 Elements. In common with the latter lord, Okazaki is a theorist who teaches at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and shared his thoughts on guitar playing in his book Fundamentals Of Guitar. For
… Thisness, his third album with his regular quartet, he drew inspiration from the watercolors of his mother, visual artist Linda Okazaki (her work also graces the cover), the Surrealists and the poetry of Sun Ra, among others. The music on Thisness sounds artful. There is little or no isolation, but layers of complex rhythms and expressionistic melodies painted on, with the band members either following each other closely or on their heels. Remarkable how this naturally played abstract music always remains accessible and pleasantly colorful. (MR)more
