Thom Rotella




A perfect guitarist, Thom Rotella is playing both commercial jazz and like Wes Montgomery. At the age of 6  he started playing for the fun of it on his grandfather's guitar. Then he began serious guitar lessons when he was ten.

Rotella played rock but soon changed to jazz through Wes Montgomery's recordings. He visited Ithaca College (as a classical guitar major), and at Berklee he studied under Gary Burton (1970-72). Rotella left Berklee touring with a band, moved to Los Angeles and, with Tommy Tedesco's guidance, he became a studio musician. However after a few years he missed playing live music and in 1984 Rotella moved to New York where he continued working in the studios but also had the chance to appear in clubs. In 1987 he recorded his first solo album for DMP. The three albums that Rotella cut for DMP (1987-90) all sold well in the commercial market. Eventually the guitarist became so involved in the jingle business that he moved back to L.A. A 1996 Christmas album for Telarc led to Thom Rotella being signed to the label and recording 1997's Can't Stop. Can't Stop is an excellent contemporary guitar album by Thom Rotella. Fans have often told Rotella that his live gigs are more energetic than his studio recordings, but this album is out to set the record straight. Featuring an energetic rhythm section and fine accompaniment from his touring group, this album has decidedly more "kick" than earlier Rotella albums. Guesting on this set are Gerald Albright on saxes (the first time Rotella has used a reed player on his albums) and Rick Braun on trumpet and flugelhorn.

Rotella's style is often reminiscent of Wes Montgomery, using Montgomery's famous style of using octaves...and even his tone is similar at some points. And beside his mastery of the guitar, the songs on this album are definitely tuneful. The album starts off with a propulsive blast, "What's The Story?", and swings moods throughout. The uptempo tunes are lively and ultimately danceable (the title track and "Dance The Night Away"), while others create a more subtle mood ("Lights Out" and "Mood"). The mid-tempo tunes likle "As Close As We Get" are pleasant without being bland. Overall, the solid songwriting, energy, and overall mastery of Rotella's guitar makes this set a winner.

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