Dušan Jevtovič:
Am I Walking Wrong? (2013)
Guitar-led jazz fusion is interesting stuff: my own initial experiences probably started with
Allan Holdsworth and his experimentation on the synth-axe back in the early 80's with
Metal Fatigue and moving forward from that. That being said, once you've spent some time with guys like
Toshiki Kadomatsu or
Pat Metheny, even modern, edgier guitar-led instrumentality sounds near-pedestrian.
Still, I did like this. In the case of Dušan, I found his emphasis on distortion almost refreshing in a sense. He's cut from the cloth of guys like
Robin Trower or
Buckethead, but his playing is less predictable than the former's and yet more acidic than the latter. And even when he goes into semi-acoustic mode on cuts like "If You See Me Again', his abrasive noodlage is almost comforting in its modality. You get the impression he's probably nursed himself on a lot of Bartok or bands like Univers Zero as a toddler, but perhaps that's just me reading too much into things.
All n' all, color me impressed. There's not enough "oomph" in either his technique, production or the overall atmosphere for
Am I Walking Wrong? to nudge out any of my existing go-to albums for guitar led jazz fusion/instrumental stuff, but I'm happy that he exists and follows his muse. I'd be interested to hear more from him.
6.5/10