Music in Focus: Guitar and Me by New York-based Guitarist Aleksi Glick

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As a member of a musical family, New York-based guitarist Aleksi Glick has been exposed to virtually all styles of music since birth, from jazz to classical, folk to rock, and a half dozen other stops in between some of those genres. He’s listened to everyone from Jimi Hendrix to John Scofield, Derek Trucks to Wes Montgomery. His guitar speaks an authoritative language and yet, there is a relaxed feeling and an inbred admiration of music’s many faces.

His debut album ‘Guitar and Me’ plays as a genealogy of the guitar, weaving through various musical styles that have been crucial to the guitar’s evolution as well as influential to Glick’s journey with the instrument. While still rooted in jazz and blues, the album pushes the boundaries of the genre by seamlessly floating through an eclectic mix of other styles including R&B, folk, rock, and bossa nova.

The album features thirteen original compositions and solo arrangements that Glick recorded while in isolation at the height of the Covid pandemic. The album starts with a burner, “With Ease,” an original bluesy hard bop tune that came to Glick after a memorable Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The bossa and R&B infused title track “Guitar and Me” follows as Glick’s own love letter to his guitar. A mix of originals, jazz standards, and classic songs follow. Other highlights include an arrangement of the Grateful Dead fan-favorite “Casey Jones” and the timeless classic “Georgia on My Mind.” “A Tune for Vic,” is a moving tribute to Glick’s recently deceased mentor, the late great Vic Juris. The album concludes with another original, “Rebirth” which is an homage to Glick’s early love of classic rock, and finally “Long Black Veil” one of two tracks that Glick sings on. With each track, you can hear the different influences on Glick’s playing from the classic tones of Wes Montgomery to the modern techniques of John McLaughlin, to the dynamic energy of Jimmy Hendrix. On this intimate debut, Aleksi Glick pushes the boundaries of solo performance and showcases his own journey through music with a deep understanding and reverence for the roots of the guitar.

For further information on the artist and album, visit https://www.aleksiglick.com/