Congratulations Rob on the great review on your latest release “One Cloud” !! Especially noteworthy as the review came from the guy who invented the instrument. Emmett Chapman.
review by Emmett Chapman
Sometimes one cloud is all you need.
It follows you around, something to proudly point to wherever you go. And if your live gig doesn’t turn out as planned, you’ve got this silver lined CD to stand in for you. (I must say though, I’m pretty sure Rob Martino can play almost all of this CD live any time he wants to.)
And yes, it’s a treasure, and I have no doubt, also a milestone for Rob.
It’s all solo Stick and The Stick sure sounds good! There are almost no effects in the foreground Stick sound. The “orchestra” of textures, voicings and expressions are all from his hands. The entertainment value alone is high, as it’s fascinating to hear what one artist can extract from a single musical instrument live in a recording studio – strumming effects, harp like arpeggios, a broad dynamic range, always a dialogue between the hands, and of course those familiar passing tone embellishments from his bass 4ths tuning.
My biggest surprise was in the variety of rhythmic grooves he creates throughout the album. In his two extended songs, “Circle” and “Enigma”, the rhythmic element becomes even more intense as he stretches out. This more relaxed yet more dynamic mode of play might foretell a future direction in his musical art!
And yes, I hear the “vintage” sound of Michael Romanowski’s special mastering process. It’s somehow an American electric guitar sound with a metallic ring from bass and melody sides. Rob doesn’t even bother to change timbers from song to song. It’s always his same unique sound of well recorded but largely unprocessed Stick strings through dual in-phase Villex PASV-4 pickups. I believe such faithful sonic consistency is the mark of a true stylist, putting ones best foot forward at all times, in plain shoes. Continue reading “Rob Martino “One Cloud” review” »
