JEFF URSO: Straight Ahead

Cover	Release	Style
	2004	Instrumental guitar rock
	Label
	self-released
	Website
	www.jeffurso.com
	Contact
	jeff@jeffurso.com
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	34:28	JU2443
	Review by	Rating
	Johan	7/10
nederlands	Review
Jeff Urso is an American guitarist born and raised in a suburb outside of Chicago. He discovered the drums at the age of 7 and played them for several years. In 1983, after hearing Van Halen’s first album, Jeff’s love for the guitar started and at that time he also bought his first guitar and amp. For a while he switched back and forth between drums and guitars. After years of gigging in the club circuit with bands like Zero Down, Tribe Of Zero and Mr Salty, he realized that the only way to come to personal fulfilment was to write, perform, record and produce his own songs. His goal is to enlarge the audience of instrumental guitar music by writing more ‘radio friendly’ songs and to get some new listeners to appreciate this type of music for the great art that it is. Guitar lovers like me, can’t help getting curious when hearing about an album like this. But if you expect an album full of overwhelming soloing like we’re used to from Steve Vaï, Joe Satrian or John Petrucci, this not the CD you’re looking for. You will undoubtedly detect influences from the above, but more in a rhythmical way, complemented with nice ‘tricks and licks’. “Straight Ahead” is an album on which the music does the talking, it combines great guitar play with nice melodies. To use Jeff’s own words: ‘Great songs do not always have to have lyrics. In fact, most people can’t remember the words to some of their favorite songs, but they can hum the melody. There’s something on this CD for everybody.’ That’s exactly what you can expect from this album – accessible music, with fine songs and catchy rhythms. The guitar sounds clear with a jazzy/bluesy undertone. The production of the entire album is well done. Ideal to enjoy in your lazy sofa or during listening sessions with other guitar fanatics. The compositions would also fit in action sequences of movies or documentaries. Maybe that’s why this entire CD has been licensed to MTV for use in Real World, Road Rules & Real World/Road Rules Extreme Challenge. I couldn’t find any real highlights, but all songs are pretty good. One thing, though… after listening to it attentively over and over again, I began to feel slightly bored – which lowers the rating just a bit. Best to just look at “Straight Ahead” as a creative instrumental piece of background music – nothing wrong with that, anyway.
Musicians
Jeff Urso: wrote, performed, arranged, recorded & produced everything
Tracklist
Straight Ahead (3:07) Feel Good (3:25) Rhythmic Wave (3:52) Low Down (2:45) Down & Dirty (3:29) Warm Day (4:00) Cyber Me (4:46) Perfect (3:57) Thinking Of You (3:05) I Alive (1:54)
Discography
Straight Ahead (2004)


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