Highway 10 Blues

A trippy and ambient, highly experimental blend of old-school jazz elements and modern production techniques, Highway 10 Blues is the brainchild of L.A. based producer/composer and bassist Greg Reeves, who, along with Cordovan, achieve his stated goal of creating cool chill music for and inspired by the open road. Drawing upon elements of rock, reggae, jazz, blues, and dance, he invites the listener into a fascinating world of sonic invention that is dreamy one minute, hypnotic the next, floating then grooving, inviting then slightly annoying (perhaps intentionally). The opening track, "Highway 10 Blues" sets the tone: industrial percussion textures bounce over silky trumpet lines (by Cindy Bradley) and languid guitars, not really building steam until the subtle introduction of an underlying bassline. The styles from there range from exotic and new agey ("Mesa") to jazz-flamenco trance ("La Nevada"), and loungey jazz ("Jackpot"). An interesting note which places this offering smack in the middle of the digital age: all the players recorded in their own studios, with files swapped over the internet between L.A., San Francisco, and New York. In addition to all the new techniques employed, the album was mastered to analog tape. It's the chill equivalent to a bridge between classic and modern recording, fun at times to listen to, but probably best enjoyed as background music than something to keep you going for hours on the highway.