Jocelyn Gould PORTRAIT OF RIGHT NOW

October 11, 2024

JOCELYN GOULD

PORTRAIT OF RIGHT NOW

Manitoba Film & Music

Jocelyn Gould, guitar/voice; Will Bonness, piano; Jared Beckstead-Craan, bass; Curtis Nowosad, drums.

Guitarist, Jocelyn Gould is a 2021 JUNO Award winner for Jazz album of the Year. “Portrait of Right Now” is her fourth release, featuring ten tunes including eight original compositions. The first and title tune races across my listening room with hurricane force. Gould and her trio come out swinging in the most wonderful way. The tune is fresh, interesting and perhaps inspired just a wee bit my Thelonious Monk’s amazing talents. I hear the great composer’s influence.

The Gould band is tight as a stretched rubber band. They pop with groove and individual ingenuity, starting with Will Bonness’s piano solo. Gould’s fingers fly over the strings of her guitar, to make her own brilliant, creative statement. Jared Beckstead-Craan walks his bass with determination, pushing the groove along with Nowosad on drums. When they trade fours, the percussive master shows off his drum skills. “Portrait of Right Now” is a great composition and should get lots of airplay.

Gould follows this exciting musical excursion with another original tune called “You’re No Fun at All.” It’s another swing but at a more moderate pace. It shows off Gould’s love of melody. I enjoy her blues tune called, “Can I Tell you A Secret.” Notably, she he can play it all, and you certainly can’t lose when you play the blues.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWoDiOy_Dcg

On “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” she accompanies herself on guitar while singing. Her voice is light and sincere. The thing is, her guitar mastery is so amazing and all encompassing that Gould doesn’t need to add ‘songstress’ to her resumé. It’s part of her talent, but pleasantly mediocre compared to her brilliance on guitar. Take for example her interpretation of Wes Montgomery’s “Jingles” composition. She is absolutely dazzling during this arrangement.

It is clear that Gould has paid close attention to the techniques and styles of Kenny Burrell, Grant Green, Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass. But Jocelyn Gould has established her own unique and beautiful style. This album title and body of work reflects Gould’s current artistic position in the jazz world. Her musicality and virtuosity on the guitar, along with outstanding composing skills, solidifies her place in the twenty-first century as a jazz guitarist of superior note.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

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