Michael Occhipinti: Creation Dream - The Songs of Bruce Cockburn

The musicians inject or perhaps transpose the themes and finely crafted lyricism of Cockburn into a jazz-based set, brimming with softly executed statements, tender choruses and effective soloing by the leader, violinist Hugh Marsh, trumpeter Kevin Turcotte and Byron, who appears on three tracks. On pieces such as “Mistress of Storms”, Byron and Occhipinti engage in rapid fire yet subtly stated unison lines as they segue into a tenacious swing vamp, marked by the guitarist’s interesting chord voicings and tuneful melodies.

Violinist Hugh Marsh injects warm, sonorous motifs into “Wondering Where the Lions Are (Giftbearer), as the band embarks upon an understated Caribbean groove amid Occhipinti’s unconventional phrasing and clever melding of roughly hewn statements performed on electric guitar yet Marsh eventually picks up the tempo with a blistering solo.

Occhipinti alters the momentum and elevates the intensity a bit during the rock/shuffle groove titled, “Creation Dream”. Here, the artist exhibits his distinctive style yet rekindles memories of the late jazz/blues/rockabilly guitarist Danny Gatton; however, Occhipinti also fuses avant-garde chord progressions with fiery licks and glistening dynamics. - The band surges onward with a rather playful take on “Rumours of Glory”, while they pursue radiant dreamscapes on “Homme Brulant”.

Not being overly intimate with Cockburn’s massive body of work, it is rather evident that Michael Occhipinti and co. have poured their respective souls into this thoroughly convincing project, as the this band exuberantly extracts and reinvents the man’s music, in altogether attractive fashion! Recommended.

* * * * (Out of * * * * *)

NOJO Music

Comments