Dueling guitarists, united in jazz

Saturday, October 06, 2007

BY ZAN STEWART

Star-Ledger Staff

JAZZ

Digging into their distinctive, prodigious styles, which are deeply rooted in the bebop-and-beyond idiom, guitarists Bob DeVos and Dave Stryker gave a persuasive duet performance Thursday at the Glen Rock Inn in Glen Rock.

The veteran West Orange guitarists, both longtime leaders, rarely play as a duo, which made their appearance as part of the Glen Rock Inn's six-year, ongoing jazz series special.

The first set revealed not only the guitarists' ability to play all manner of statements engagingly -- these ranged from alluring readings of a song's theme to long, intricate lines -- but also their profound rhythmic capacity. It was as if each had a drummer in his head, so strong was their sense of swing despite having no accompaniment except each other.

Their individual sounds were full and alluring, yet were also different. DeVos, who plays a custom-built Rob Engel guitar, gets a round, rich tone -- his notes decidedly fat in a pleasing, buoyant way -- while Stryker, employing a Gibson ES-347 (both instruments were open-holed), got a bit more grit and edge while remaining hefty and sonorous.

The pair's opening "Corcovado" was a characteristically creative rendition. Stryker began, freely stating the theme, as DeVos filled with chords and single notes. At one point, Stryker made his tone twangier, inviting a bluesy feeling into a bossa.

DeVos took the first solo and scored with luxuriant flowing lines, comely chordal melody, and little snippets, as Stryker played chunky chords in rhythmic support. In his solo, the latter dropped in tumbling descents, evocative bluesy thoughts and songlike garlands of notes.

In their solos on "Come Rain or Come Shine," the guitarists brought out their blues acumen. The number climaxed with conversational phrase trades, as each seemed to find just the right answer to what the other had just played. Then they soloed simultaneously, orchestrating a beguiling tapestry of choice notes and glowing sounds.

Stryker handled the theme to "Watch What Happens," as DeVos played punchy chords in accompaniment. Stryker's solo again had a wealth of blues matter, as did the one played by DeVos, who added sumptuous chordal melody.