Steen Grontved - Night Vision Goggles (2007)Lion Music

A Danish multi-instrumentalist Steen Grontved is best known as a session musician, so his first solo album is simultaneously his first artistic departure from the shade. Mr. Grontved played guitar, guitarsynths and did a key programming on the debut. Other musicians are Nikolaj Storr (bass guitar), Lars Ringgaard (blues harp solo), Josef Aarskov (drums, vocal) and Kim Adrian (percussion).

After my first contact with "Night Vision Goggles", I was positively surprised with Steen's music. This CD includes melodic jazz/fusion with rock, rhythm'n'blues and African tribal music influences. One of its greatest advantages are fast licks and instrumental diversities. His solo output can be described with many adjectives: bright, gentle, challenging, likeable, romantic and reposeful. They concern both Steen's original tracks as well as the Danish famous cover called "Mester Jacob". Mr. Grontved drew the greatest exemplars from the masters of the genre - Allan Holdsworth, Brett Garsed, Scott Henderson, and even Brian Tarquin and Joe Satriani. He made use of his superior technique to produce a picturesque and excellently arranged solo work!