New Album From Jim Witzel
Guitarist Jim Witzel’s second album, FEELIN’ IT, puts his own spin on those great recordings of the 50s and 60s including four standards.
FEELIN’ IT is a showcase for Witzel’s straight-ahead, modern jazz compositions that reflect the mid-sixties’ Blue Note influence of such players/composers as Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and others. Attracted to their lyrical, accessible style, he calls his player inspirations the Great 8, which include Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, George Benson, Pat Martino, John Abercrombie, and Pat Metheny.
The standards on the album feature the organ trio, which comprises Witzel on guitar and two great musicians based in Northern California, BRIAN HO on the Hammond B3 and JASON LEWIS on drums. Jazz writer Andrew Gilbert has said, “Brian Ho, rising jazz star. These days, Ho is one of the region’s most promising young jazz organists,” while Lewis is an in-demand drummer who has performed with many top names in the jazz firmament. Witzel asked tenor saxophonist DANN ZINN to join the trio on Witzel’s own compositions. Zinn is a renowned reed player who has appeared on over 100 albums as a leader, soloist, and sideman.
Although Jim Witzel has an extensive resume as a sideman, he is not widely known outside Northern California. Although he has been flying under the radar for far too long, his highly accessible playing and compositional talents on FEELIN’ IT will certainly garner new fans interested in organ/guitar/sax bands or anyone who likes fun, toe-tapping yet lyrical music.
JIM WITZEL guitar
BRIAN HO Hammond B3
JASON LEWIS drums
DANN ZINN tenor saxophone
Produced and Arranged by JIM WITZEL
