The Time it Took

Review by John Serino

Its Monday, its dark and it’s raining. I’m definitely staying in tonight. I’ve got a cup of Dark roast (still too hot to sip) and I’m having a good listen to a Jazz album i picked up over the summer. The name of the Album is “The Time it Took”, composed by Montreal based jazz guitarist Marc-Andre Seguin. I met M-A (Marc-Andre) earlier this year and had the pleasure of attending his album launch this past August. I was immediately impressed by him. His musicianship was obvious. His tone was warm, yet sharp when he needed to be. His chord selection was colorful and he attenuated his strings like a percussionist. M-A plays with restraint and times his punches perfectly, definitely no stranger to discipline. But, even beyond all that, I remember thinking… This guy is 26 years old and he sounds like aged wine.  Oh yeah, he’s also the webmaster and owner of JazzGuitarLessons.net. So, if all that wasn’t enough, one day while walking on Boulevard Saint-Laurent he casually mentions… by the way, I just finished an album, wanna come to the launch? Marc-Andre is a solid talent, one definitely worth investigating, so I thought I’d go back, listen to “The Time it Took” and share some of my thoughts with all of you.

Essentially, this is a great quality recording. I’m no jazz expert, but I like the production. The mix is clear and as a listener i don’t find myself struggling to make out the parts. I’ve heard clarity issues in big budget rock albums, so i think part of the clean result must be attributed to the compositions. The writing is crisp and the parts aren’t competing for space. Having said that, I truly enjoyed the performances of Alain Bourgeois on drums and Marzcin Garbulinski on the double bass, who do well to find space in this guitar oriented album. The trio has great chemistry and it cuts through in their recordings. Marc-Andre has created a sense of belonging within a variety. Something which is very rare in today’s generation of writers. He has given us different sounds and emotions, yet you feel like it’s all coming from the same place. Songs like “Stand Under”, “Au Paradis” and “The Time it Took” provide a fresh sound, interesting changes, solid guitar chops and great energy.  While the darkness in “Beautiful Spring”, brings atmosphere to the mix. M-A then introduces my favorite riff of the bunch in “Bon Voyage” which additionally ads commercial appeal to the album.