Columbus native and jazz violin virtuoso, Christian Howes, will be performing throughout this week in Columbus in support of his recent album release, Out of the Blue. Wednesday night, Christian will be at Dick’s Den, Thursday night at the Vonn Jazz Lounge, and Sunday at the Central Presbyterian Church in downtown Columbus. Christian will have copies of Out of the Blue on hand at each show.
Out of the Blue
An inspired pairing of the technically dazzling violinist and world-class blues guitarist Robben Ford, Out of the Blue finds Howes wailing with typical authority on a program that explores the blues in all of its manifestations. From the exhilarating opener — a cover of Chick Corea’s swinging post-bop romp “Fingerprints” (his take on Wayne Shorter’s classic minor key composition “Footprints”) — to a shuffle blues rendition of Fats Domino’s “I’m Walking,” along with blues-tinged interpretations of Carla Bley’s “Sing Me Softly of the Blues,” Horace Silver’s “Cape Verdean Blues,” Ornette Coleman’s “When Will the Blues Leave” and Howes’ own highly expressive title track, the real deal blues is at the heart of this ambitious concept album. Augmenting these inventive covers are Howes originals like the infectious second line groover “Gumbo Klomp,” the funky “Bobby’s Bad” (named for Howes’ Ohio mentor and one-time Ray Charles organist, Bobby Floyd), the affecting country-flavored title track and the gospel flavored “Seek and Ye Shall Find” (featuring soulful vocals by Sharon Hendrix). The collection closes with an intimate duet between Howes and Floyd on a jaunty piano-violin rendition of “Sweet Lorraine.”
Christian Howes
Following a string of self-produced albums through the ‘90s, virtuoso violinist and Columbus, Ohio native Christian Howes stepped into a larger arena by moving to New York, where he soon became an in-demand figure on the scene. A classically-trained player, Howes quickly earned a reputation in jazz circles by playing with the likes of trumpeter Randy Brecker, trombonist Steve Turre, guitarist Joel Harrison, pianist D.D. Jackson, saxophonist Greg Osby, drummer Dafnis Prieto, Dave Samuels’ Caribbean Jazz Project, Bill Evans’ Soulgrass, crossover pioneers Spyro Gyra and the legendary guitarist-inventor Les Paul. He made further strides in the jazz world with his 2003 recording Jazz on Sale, then revealed a more romantic side on his 2008 Resonance Records debut, Heartfelt, a lush, orchestral ballads project with jazz veterans Roger Kellaway and Bob Magnusson. Now Howes takes it up a few notches on his fiery followup for Resonance, Out of the Blue.
You can buy the album online below by clicking the image: