Part of a wave of post-Pat Metheny guitarists, Tom Ollendorff makes music that focuses on accessible melodies without stinting on technical dazzle on his third album Where in the World. The Welsh axeperson isn’t a guitar flash – burning solos and quirky fills delivered with a lopsided grin aren’t his purpose.
Alongside his longtime rhythm section of bassist Conor Chaplin and drummer James Maddren, Ollendorff crafts song structures that allow for catchy riffs to ride across tricky rhythms and subtle but challenging shifts in tone, keeping the cuts attainable even as the skill with which they were crafted infiltrates your brain. Listen to “Meaningless Mirror,” in which tempo shifts and frisky solos never detract from the inviting sonic template. The winning “Last Leap” follows a similar path, reminding us of the days when jazz tunes could actually be hit singles, while “Tokyo Waltz” exploits its titular time signature for a track that begs for airplay in the very best way. Unsurprisingly, this approach works especially well on the ballads, particularly the thematically interrelated pair “Worried World” and the title tune.
To top it off, Ollendorff and his engine room are joined by a special guest: pianist Aaron Parks, whose own melody-forward writing and performances make him perfectly sympatico to the guitarist’s approach. Where in the World is a sparklingly wonderful record, the kind that makes you wonder why you’ve haven’t heard of its creator before.
