Carl Verheyen - Mustang Run [CD]

About Mustang Run Starting with "Taylor's Blues," an up-tempo blues shuffle, the listener is drawn in by the familiar yet unique take Verheyen has on this age-old form. This is followed by a tone poem, "Julietta and the St. George," which begins as a classical acoustic guitar and piano duet that evolves into a funk groove. Next is a straight-ahead jazz-fusion song called "Fusioneers Disease" featuring Simon Phillips on drums. Verheyen's soaring melody on "Last Days of Autumn" calls to mind Jeff Beck's more sensitive side, while the deep groove on "Amandola" supports a melody that sticks in the mind long after it's over. Says Carl, "There are so many guitar shredder records out there, but if I buy them I tend to listen once and file them away. I wanted to make a melodic statement on a record that would bear repeated listening for years to come." Being with Supertramp for so many years, Carl has played "Bloody Well Right" 1,000 times or more. On this, the only vocal tune on the album, he reworks it with a swampy treatment on slide guitar and fellow Supertramp member John Helliwell on sax. The music really ramps up as Carl's ode to coffee drinking called "Riding the Bean" gets underway. Featuring the amazing Stu Hamm on bass, the song's outro connects to the title song's intro via an impromptu studio jam improvised right on the spot. The haunting melody of "Mustang Run" features a wild solo outing from electric violinist Jerry Goodman. Chad Wackerman and Jimmy Johnson, a rhythm section that works for such diverse artists as Allan Holdsworth and James Taylor is featured on "Fourth Door on the Right." This up-tempo jazzer also features saxophonist Bill Evans. On this and every other tune, Carl's unique brand of improvising is presented with the gorgeous tones he's known for. The CD closes with "Spirit of Julia," a soul-baring blues lament in the style of Ray Charles' deepest church-inspired hymns, bringing us full circle back to the bluesy language that began the record.