|
Bryan Ewald in Three
Time
"A blend of Clapton's
prowess and Harrison uniqueness make him one of the best and most
prolific players in the area."
by Matthew
Pugh for the Bay Weekly
Guitarists are a dime a dozen. Exceptionally great guitarists are not as
copious. What makes a guitarist great — above all other characteristics
— is a combination of technique and sound.
Take Eric Clapton for example. His speed, fingering and other technical
skills are marvels to behold. But what’s equally impressive about
Clapton’s playing is its ability to be recognized by ear alone. When I
hear Clapton, I know it. Watching him is an added bonus.
There are guitarists — like the Beatles’ George Harrison — who
don’t share Clapton’s godly gifts but shimmer just as brightly.
Harrison isn’t fast or fancy, but his songwriting, chord choices and
bold experimentation make his music identifiable and him a great
guitarist.
A blend of Clapton prowess and Harrison uniqueness has been captured by
Annapolis-based guitarist Bryan Ewald, making him one of the best and most
prolific players in the area.
 Performing for
over a dozen years, Ewald is virtually stalked around Bay Country by
musicians wanting to fuse his chops into their lineup. A helluva nice guy
and always exploring different musical avenues, Ewald spreads his talents
in bands across the East Coast, but he has his heart in three local gigs.
The first is with the Jarflys every Tuesday night at Armadillos in
downtown Annapolis.
The Jarflys are the brainchild of Jimmie’s Chicken Shack front man Jimi
Davies. The Jarflys sextet — who sound nothing like the Shack —
features Ewald on lead-guitar/vocals, Davies on lead-vocals/guitar, Noel
White on drums/vocals, Larry Melton on bass, Jon Gillespie on keys and
Junior Brice on saxophone.
Ewald has about six electric guitars in his rotation, but lately he has
favored a black 1962 Fender Telecaster with orange sunburst. The
Telecaster’s distinctive whine melds well with the Jarflys, who have
been bitten by a species of jam-band bug.
In keeping with the group’s free-formed manner — if that’s possible
— Ewald uses a Wah-Wah pedal, Vibrato, Delay, Fuzz, Compressor and other
effects to paint ethereal colors over the group’s tunes.
With extended sections throughout, these tunes give Ewald soloing carte
blanche. His leads bounce from light, pizzicato tickling to heavy string
bending. Every note he plays counts. None of his movements is taken for
granted.
Proving his diversity, Ewald mixes a slide and volume swells with finger
picking and harmonics. His fluidity reveals an unconscious and even
instinctual understanding of music’s holiness. Teases from the Allman
Brothers tune Jessica and Led Zeppelin’s The Ocean show respect for the
people who inspired him to step on stage.
My only gripe about Ewald with the Jarflys is too little volume. A
guitarist with his touch needs to be turned up so listeners can appreciate
his phrasing.
Ewald’s plays a second gig at Armadillos every Thursday night with local
vocal queen and long-time collaborator Meg Murray. This gig is simple and
stripped down, featuring only the duet and Ewald’s Martin DM acoustic.
Smoke, spirit scents and folks unafraid of Friday hangovers fill Dillo’s
upstairs room. Like a jukebox, Ewald’s volume level is perfectly mixed
in the fore and background, not forced on the audience. I could converse
without yelling, or fall deeply into the music if I preferred.
Lending to the atmosphere’s flow, Ewald moves through a ridiculously
large repertoire, covering everything from Steely Dan, Fleetwood Mac,
Stevie Wonder and Tower of Power to Coldplay, Radio Head and Ben Folds
Five.
Relaxed best describes Ewald’s approach in this forum. His obvious
familiarity with venue does not detract from his performance, however.
Ewald plays his DM crisply and smoothly. His annotation, metronome-like
timing and speed travel far beyond the skills of most barroom strummers.
Ewald knows his instrument, too. Rarely does he scramble around the body
or neck for notes or tone. He hardly ever glances at his hands, and he
never looses his cool when flubbing a lick.
His voice — while not booming — is warm and resonates with slight
nasal charm. It is affective alone, and more so intertwined with
Murray’s.
This weekly session is enjoyed by both guitar enthusiasts and extended
happy-hour chasers alike. After watching Ewald, both usually say, “damn,
that guy’s good.”
Good, too, is Ewald’s third focus, Starbelly — a three-piece original
pop-rock band featuring him on guitar/vocals, Dennis Schocket on
bass/vocals and Greg Schroeder on drums/vocals.
I abhor most pop music because its quality and message tend to exist
solely on the surface. But Starbelly has successfully fused pop
characteristics with deeper musical concepts, offering a choice of easy
listening or introspective exploration.
Ewald does not stand out with Starbelly but rather lends a crucial
supporting role. Without him, the band would lack the careful guitaring
and vocal wherewithal to produce their sound.
Tons of over-dubbing and orchestration create an audio wall that would
shoot, er, blow Phil Spector’s mind. With tight three-part harmonies and
an Aquarius-age tone, Starbelly — minus a fourth — oozes likeness to
the Beatles’ Rubber Soul and Revolver albums.
Starbelly has a penchant for the studio and doesn’t perform as often as
Ewald’s others groups. They can be caught at Armadillos occasionally as
well as at other area venues. Their latest album, Every Day And Then Some,
is in local record stores.
If you’re fortunate enough to have seen greats like Clapton or Harrison,
then do yourself a solid and check out Ewald. Ewald won’t be selling out
the MCI Center anytime soon, but he impresses me just the same.
|