Artist Features
Guitarist Daniel Garbin Releases New Album: Rising
JGT contributor Joe Barth talks to New York guitarist Daniel Garbin about his new album “Rising”.
Photo credits: Anna Yatskevich
Guitarist Daniel Garbin, is, in some ways, a bit of a Renaissance Man. He very easily moves between the realms of mathematics, photography, and music. By profession, he is a professor of mathematics at Queensborough Community College in New York. As a photographer, he specializes in landscape and outdoor images, and as a musician, you might see him performing around New York with his duo, SiMiDaNi. At a math conference in India in 2006, he acquired a sitar and became proficient at it. Daniel has just released a new album, Rising.
JB: Before I ask about the new Rising album, tell me about yourself. You grew up in Romania. During your teenage years, what was musically most helpful in your personal development as a guitarist?
DG: I grew up in Baia Mare, a small town in northwestern Transylvania, a region of Romania. The local music scene was small but vibrant. Musicians there played a wide range of styles, from traditional folk to rock, blues, and jazz. They were deeply committed to developing their technique and mastering the vocabulary of multiple genres. From an early age, I was exposed to traditional folk music and was fascinated by how naturally the musicians communicated through it and moved between styles. I also started attending blues jam sessions and began learning guitar with my friends. We would spend countless hours challenging each other to learn songs by ear. Our listening tastes ranged from The Beatles and Led Zeppelin to Gary Moore, Mezzoforte, Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Joe Satriani, Paco de Lucía, and Al Di Meola. Over time, I became increasingly drawn to jazz. By the time I started college in Cluj-Napoca, I had joined a big band and continued exploring jazz standards and fusion.
It was during my teenage years that I met Simona Pop, who later became my wife. She has played a very important role in the realization of the album Rising. From encouraging me to pursue this project to being a partner in composition and production, Simona has facilitated the way.
JB: Daniel, to learn more about what shaped your musical values on the guitar, to you, what are the three most influential guitar albums and why?
DG: One of the most influential albums for me is Friday Night in San Francisco by Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucía. This live acoustic performance completely redefined what I thought was possible on the guitar. The chemistry between the three guitarists, the virtuosic speed, and the dynamic interplay between flamenco, jazz, and Latin influences showed me that music could be both technically astonishing and emotionally intense. It made me appreciate the power of live improvisation and deep musical dialogue between players. This album lit a fire in me early on and pushed me to explore the boundaries of what could be done on the instrument.
Another cornerstone for me is The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery. Wes’s phrasing, his soulful tone, and his ability to build melodic solos with such clarity had a profound impact on how I think about improvisation. This album introduced me to jazz in its purest form and taught me the value of space, groove, and subtlety. Wes didn’t need to be flashy to be powerful—his playing felt like a conversation. It also opened my ears to the role of harmonic sophistication and swing feel, both of which became important pillars in my own playing.
The third would be Not of This Earth by Joe Satriani. This was one of the first instrumental rock albums I dove into as a teenager. Satriani’s approach was melodic yet adventurous, blending lyrical phrasing with high-level technique and sound design. His use of modes, legato phrasing, and effects created an otherworldly sound that was unlike anything I’d heard before. It made me realize that the guitar could serve as a complete voice in itself, capable of storytelling without lyrics. This album fueled my imagination and inspired me to explore more experimental and fusion-based approaches.
Together, these three albums shaped my musical values—balancing technical command with expressiveness and blending genres to find a unique voice on the guitar.
JB: Talk about the title track, “Rising” that opens the album.
DG: The title track , Rising, holds a special place in my heart as the album’s opener and the only piece where I play sitar, infusing an Indian influence into the music. This track unfolds gradually, allowing each musician to shine — Camila’s lyrical piano, Eddy and Brian’s dynamic rhythm, Scott’s soaring saxophone, and my sitar solo. I wanted it to feel expansive, blending Eastern and Western sounds while leaving space for improvisation. For me, Rising is about dialogue and momentum, capturing the feeling of something emerging and evolving in real time. It’s both a statement and an invitation: an opening that welcomes listeners into the world of the album. I’m honored that Rising has been recognized as the number one track on All About Jazz’s Top Recommended Jazz Songs of 2025, a testament to the collective energy and creativity of everyone involved.
JB: The album consists of all original songs by yourself and three songs you collaborated on with Simona Pop. Did you compose this music for this particular project?
DG: Most of the material was written specifically for this project. However, two compositions—DSD and Almost Forgotten – Like Satch—are based on earlier, unpublished works. The first part of DSD draws loosely from a theme that Simona wrote during her high school years, while the second part was composed more recently with the Rising project in mind. Almost Forgotten – Like Satch, on the other hand, is an older piece of mine, originally written in the style of Joe Satriani (also known as “Satch”).
JB: Talk about your experience with the sitar and what you find rewarding about improvising with it.
DG: In 2006, I visited India for a mathematics conference and purchased a Ravi Shankar–style sitar, later completed and modified by master craftsman Sanjay Rikhi Ram. My lack of familiarity with Indian classical music proved helpful, allowing me to approach the instrument without preconceived limits. Using the sitar in a jazz context is challenging since Indian classical music lacks harmony, modulation, and equal temperament tuning. I think of it as a four-string, dropped-D “bass guitar,” where most of the melody lies on the main string.
To adapt it for jazz, I developed my own style and modified the instrument by adding four frets and adjusting the movable ones to create an evenly tempered, chromatic sitar. I play using all fingers on my left hand and often employ two or three melody strings instead of one, sometimes even venturing onto the fourth. What I find most rewarding about improvising with my modified sitar is the sense of discovery it brings. Because the instrument was originally designed for a musical system so different from jazz, every improvisation feels like charting new territory—finding unexpected harmonies, timbres, and textures that neither tradition anticipates. The sitar’s resonance and microtonal flexibility invite a more fluid approach to phrasing, while its adaptation to equal temperament allows me to interact freely with jazz harmonies. This balance between structure and exploration—between the rigor of mathematics and the spontaneity of music—is what makes improvising on this instrument deeply fulfilling.
JB: I believe you made up the word “Anomisericordo.” Why did you give the fourth track that title?
DG: The title of this track is a kind of portmanteau, blending the name Simona (spelled in reverse) with Fellini’s film Amarcord—itself a portmanteau—and Joe Henderson’s composition Recorda Me. The resulting title, Anomisericordo, can be interpreted as “Remembering Simona,” as she co-wrote the melody. Much like Fellini’s comedy-drama, the piece juxtaposes moods: the melody unfolds over harmonic passages that shift between the dark and the whimsical. At the same time, the sequence of minor chords subtly recalls the harmonic contour of Henderson’s Recorda Me, weaving a bridge between cinematic nostalgia and jazz tradition.
JB: You are a college-level math professor. Briefly tell us how you relate music and math as a musician?
DG: As both a mathematician and a musician, I see math and music as two languages that describe patterns and structures—one through numbers and the other through sound. In math, we study relationships, ratios, and symmetries; in music, those same ideas appear in rhythm, harmony, and form. For example, rhythmic patterns can be analyzed using fractions and modular arithmetic, while musical scales and intervals are based on frequency ratios—essentially geometric progressions. Even composition often mirrors mathematical concepts like symmetry, transformation, and recursion.
JB: Bassist Eddy Khaimovich and drummer Brian Woodruff play superbly. What do you appreciate most about these two musicians as your rhythm section?
DG: I appreciate Eddy Khaimovich and Brian Woodruff as my rhythm section. Eddy’s bass is both grounded and melodic — he has this way of holding the groove while simultaneously responding to what the music is doing, which gives me the freedom to explore harmonically. Brian’s drumming is equally inspiring: he’s precise yet fluid, driving the energy without ever overpowering the ensemble. Together, they create a musical foundation that feels rock-solid but never static, allowing the group to take risks and improvise confidently. What I value most is their deep musical intuition and responsiveness — they listen, react, and elevate every moment, turning each performance into a true conversation.
JB: Talk about your musical relationship with pianist Camila Cortina.
DG: Working with Camila Cortina Bello has been an incredible experience — her playing brings rhythm, melody, and a Cuban pulse that complements my compositions perfectly. On my Rising project, her piano weaves around my guitar lines, adding warmth and spontaneity that inspire me to explore new musical directions. Tracks like Rolling Hills capture the conversation we have in real time, balancing structure with improvisation. For me, jazz is about storytelling, and Camila’s approach — rooted in Afro-Cuban rhythm and classical lyrical phrasing — allows that story to unfold naturally. Together, we create a space where tradition meets innovation, and where melody speaks in ways words cannot.
JB: Scott Litroff is a lyrical saxophonist. What do you appreciate about his playing?
DG: What I appreciate most about his playing is the way he tells a story with every phrase. Scott’s tone is rich and expressive. His solos float over the harmony while still making each note feel intentional. Scott listens deeply to the ensemble, responding in real time, which makes our interplay feel natural and conversational. He brings both elegance and energy to the music, contributing a distinct voice that adds to the group’s overall sound.
JB: I love the groove on “DSD.” Tell me about that song.
DG: This piece is a collaboration with Simona and unfolds in two movements. Part A was born nearly a quarter of a century ago—a simple, lyrical melody that carried charm, yet always seemed to long for something more. For years, it lingered in that incomplete space, waiting. Only recently did we return to it, drawn by memory and inspiration. Part B emerged from that reunion—Simona gave it voice through melody, while I shaped its harmony. Together, the two parts now speak as one—past and present intertwined.
JB: What do you appreciate most about your Heritage archtop guitar?
DG: Beyond its aesthetics, this archtop delivers a wonderfully warm tone, with sound that remains evenly balanced across all registers. For an electric guitar, it surprisingly evokes the character of an acoustic instrument, reminiscent of a classical guitar. This quality becomes especially apparent when I play fingerstyle, employing techniques drawn from classical and flamenco traditions. Using a pick simplifies certain techniques, such as tremolo or fast alternate picking, but it also tends to compress the sound. Playing without a pick has expanded the instrument’s dynamic range and expressive potential, and the Heritage guitar meets all my demands in that regard.
While mixing Rising, I found it unnecessary to use inserts like EQ or reverb for the Heritage tracks. The EQ came naturally from the Schertler amplifier, which is fairly neutral, and the studio’s acoustics provided a natural reverb. Finally, not finding a single flaw in a guitar is, for me, a testament to exceptional craftsmanship.
JB: Other than the title, why close the album with “Into the Sunset?”
DG: The album opens with Rising and closes with Into the Sunset—a deliberate arc that, in many ways, mirrors a day in the life of me. These two pieces act as emotional bookends, capturing the essence of how I move through time when everything feels aligned. Rising begins with the quiet energy of morning—hopeful, clear, full of intention. It reflects that fresh momentum when the world feels open and full of possibility. From there, each track traces a kind of internal journey, through moments of focus, reflection, curiosity, and flow. By the time we arrive at Into the Sunset, the energy shifts into something more grounded. It evokes the golden hour—not just in the sky, but within. It carries a sense of calm, of gentle closure, and of quiet accomplishment. It’s that feeling at the end of a good day, when there’s nothing more to do and nothing you’d change. In this way, the album isn’t just a collection of songs—it’s a narrative of presence, rhythm, and the subtle emotional landscape that unfolds from dawn to dusk.
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