“…Busstra’s singing tone is attractive, and he succeeds in creating thoughtful solos that make each note count.”
On Firm, fragile, fun (BuzzMusic Records), Dutch guitarist Marnix Busstra and his quartet with pianist Rembrandt Frerichs perform 11 original songs that cover a wide variety of moods. Busstra later asked non-musicians to supply one-word summaries of each song, which he then used as titles. To mention a few: “Deep” is somewhat downbeat; “Crazy” is humorous and manic; “Mild” begins like cool-toned West Coast jazz and “Smoky” is a bluesy strut. While none of the moods are all that extreme, Busstra’s singing tone – which at times resembles John Scofield’s – is attractive, and he succeeds in creating thoughtful solos that make each note count.