........ When one is climbing a tall mountain, it is wise to occasionally stop and look back upon one's progress from a higher vantage point. This puts the past into perspective and enables one to make a sound decision for one's next step. Such is the advantage of looking at the big picture. This recording, the seventh Andrew Cheshire CD and the sixth on his own Joule record label, is to some extent this type of overview. Containing ensemble performances from 1991 through 2001, it displays both the progress and the consistency of Cheshire's music. Like all of his recordings, the majority of the tunes included here are Cheshire originals and represent a small, but memorable selection from his nearly sixty recorded compositions.
........ Although Cheshire's compositions continue to evolve, there are characteristics that keep them consistent in both style and quality. Those characteristics are: rhythmic intensity, openness, and harmonies that display beauty, subtlety and modernity. Cheshire's earlier compositions reflect the influence of post-bop composers, such as Coltrane, Shorter and Henderson. His more recent compositions, that are increasingly unique, reveal the influence of modern orchestral and French Impressionist music.
........ The four standards included in this collection, "Just Friends", "Recordame", "Solar" and "Autumn Leaves" are performed with great verve and creativity, displaying Cheshire's ability to breath life into classics. His versions are truly interpretive rather than derivative. If one listens closely, one will hear that Cheshire has re-harmonized (put new chord changes to) "Autumn Leaves", while saving the original melody. "Just Friends" swings with such enthusiasm and command that the listener is likely to have as much fun listening to it as the musicians had playing it. The performance on Joe Henderson's "Recordame" demonstrates Cheshire's willingness to go out on a limb and take chances while he is soloing.

........ There are many reasons for being attracted to Andrew Cheshire's guitar playing. His tone is always elegant, whether playing electric guitar, nylon string acoustic, or steel string acoustic, all of which are represented in this collection. He never relies on gimmickry, theatrics or electronic ornamentation to establish an identity of his own. His identity stands forth because of the beauty of his tone, non-cliché ideas, and the intuitive freedom that he displays in his soloing. In fact, it is his willingness to take chances, and to emphasize melodic development over strict adherence to harmonic and rhythmic limitation, that really sets Cheshire apart from other great jazz guitarists. In addition, his improvising is marked by the influences of modern and classical music and reminds one, in some respects, of the piano playing of the great Bill Evans. Most importantly, Cheshire swings. That is, his soloing soars seamlessly and powerfully through the chord changes with great rhythmic power.
........ It is rare to find an artist who has an unconventional and revolutionary style that also has warmth and beauty to his work. Most avant-garde or "alternative" musicians display much anger and roughness in their music, seemingly with the desire to actually alienate the listener. Cheshire is also an exception in this regard. He has found a way, because of considerable time and effort, to include the listener in his exploration.
........ Yet Andrew Cheshire continues to remain one of the great, American underground artists, partially by choice. In 1992, he left New York City, where he had established himself as an upcoming player and where he had developed many of his present musical associations, to settle with his family in rural, northeastern Pennsylvania. Certainly, had he decided to remain in New York, he would have continued to achieve greater notoriety. However, Andrew's choices have been dictated first by a commitment to his family and secondly by uncompromising artistic integrity.

........ Living outside of the mainstream has not made Andrew Cheshire complacent. To the contrary, his numerous compositions, his seven CDs (six of which are self-produced), his contribution to other's recordings (Eric Wood, Don Friedman, and others) indicate that he has done anything but let time pass him by. Andrew is also a graphic artist, a poet, an electronic technician who repairs and builds amplifiers, and a painter whose work adorns the covers of several of his CDs. In short, he is a renaissance man whose life is a continuum of personal mastery, and who is in control of every aspect of his art.
........ Those already familiar with Andrew Cheshire's music will find this recording as exciting, possibly more so, as anything he has previously released. For those encountering his music for the first time, I can think of no better an introduction to his beautiful and challenging music.

........ Eric Madis Seattle, WA September 23, 2002