Beetcafe.com
rockford illinois entertainment guide
Date: 12/17/2003
Tom Mac - Upper Palette
© 2003
www.tommacgroup.com
Reviewed by Gregory C. Johnson
gregor@beetcafe.com
Tom Mac's solo debut CD "Upper Palette" features a combination of four original compositions and five musical adaptations of songs that everyone is sure to recognize. Mac brings several musical styles together on the CD. From soft jazz to experimental fusion to Gershwin, Rogers & Hammerstein and Dylan, the music flows effortlessly through the use of acoustic guitar based arrangements.

Mac brought together an outstanding group of musicians for his first production. Accompanying Mac is the renown jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan on electric guitar, seven-time Grammy award winning drummer Paul Wertico, John Moulder on electric guitar, RVC professor of Chemistry Frank Calvagna on electric guitar, Roscoe Beck on acoustic/electric bass, Larry Gray on acoustic/electric bass, and Eric Hochberg on acoustic/electric bass.

Upper Palette's journey through music begins with a jazzed up version of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" with Mac singing through a megaphone for that 1930's radio sound. Next is a soft jazz version of "Summertime" that just flows perfectly. You can just imagine being in a dimly lit jazz club enjoying the dancing melody. The Mac original instrumentals, "In a Hole" and "What a Joke", jump to an experimental jazz fusion theme. "Spent", another Mac original, is a fine acoustic journey searching through the soul of its composer. "My Favorite Things", "Norwegian Wood" and "All Along the Watchtower" are beautiful acoustic renditions. The CD climaxes with the haunting instrumental "Song for Jack".

For those that love acoustic style music, Tom Mac's "Upper Palette" is worth a listen.
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