Paul Bollenback, perhaps best known as organist Joey DeFrancesco's regular guitarist although he has led quite a few record dates of his own, gathered together quite a variety of material for Brightness of Being. In addition to four of his originals, the repertoire includes some Ray Charles hits and songs by Stevie Wonder, Neil Young, and classical composer Puccini. Bollenback is joined by bassist James Genus, either Terri-Lyne Carrington or Ari Honnig on drums, and three different saxophonists. Veteran David "Fathead" Newman is typically warm and soulful on "Unchain My Heart" and "You Don't Know Me," Tim Garland shows versatility on his three reeds, and tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas plays a bit more conservatively than usual during his appearances. Another asset is singer Chris McNulty, who is heard on four numbers, mostly singing wordlessly. But throughout, guitarist Bollenback is generally the solo star, giving this diverse set unity, coherency, and a constant swing. Recommended. ~ Scott Yanow
"Bollenback's chord solo is true art. His intro on 'You Don't Know Me' is also a harmonic gem. The original 'Together' features a wonderfully imaginative player who, while flying by the seat of his pants, uses his marvelous chops to build a solo of wonderful intensity!..could be a bop-funk hero!his playing carries such a variety of styles, while losing no power, that once you hear him, you can't ignore him.
' Vintage Guitar, June 2006 "Not one jazz virtuoso could put the definition of jazz into words, but all agreed that you know it when you hear it. That's the way it is with Paul Bollenback. It's bona-fide playing, unambiguous, up-front and powerful," summarizes guitar master George Benson, a long-time supporter. Bollenback's debut recording as a leader, Original Visions, on Challenge Records, is one of the most creative efforts by a guitarist in recent memory. Double Gemini, his second CD, features four of his own compositions and won the title of CD of The Month in Jim Fisch's distinguished jazz column in 20th Century Guitar Magazine. It won the same award from the renowned jazz radio station WBGO in Newark, New Jersey. His 3rd release on Challenge, Soul Grooves, won 'Ndigo Magazines 'Best Contemporary Jazz Album of 1999'. Challenge has since released 'Dreams' and 'Double-Vision'. Bollenback released his 6th project as a leader, Brightness of Being, on the Elefant Dreams label, in March 2006. Along with extensive airplay, Bollenback has also received wide acclaim both in the United States as well as internationally for his ground breaking adaptations, arrangements and sonic treatments of classical pieces by Puccini and de Leon as well as pop classics by Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles and Neil Young. Brightness of Being was recently included on Jazz Week's Top 100 CD's for 2006 on their Jazz Album Chart.
Paul Bollenback's emotionally expressive style and eclectic approach is the result of a wide range of influences, including Carlos Santana, Yes, Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Kenny Burrell, Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, John McLaughlin, Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter and Lenny Breau. At the age of seven, he received a nylon-string guitar from his father, a scientist, classically trained trumpeter and lover of music. When Bollenback was eleven, his family relocated from Hastings on Hudson, New York, to New Delhi, India. It was there that he cultivated his life-long interest in exotic musical sounds and timbres, which is evident in even his most jazz-based work. When his family returned to New York, Paul's father bought him an electric guitar and he started to gig in rock and roll bands around the area. Then he heard Miles Davis and his world changed forever. Having relocated again in 1975, this time from New York to Washington, DC, Bollenback continued to study and play jazz and fusion. He attended University of Miami as a music major, then later studied privately for eight years with Baltimore-basedDown Beat (p.66) - 4 stars out of 5 -- "Bollenback's production is lustrous, his playing is exuberant...[and the] notes fly in elegant trajectories."
JazzTimes (p.104) - '[Bollenback] employs versatility as a kind of ethos. The result is an exuberant mishmash, in terms of both repertoire and style."
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