Rick Peckham.(Brief Article)(Sound Recording Review)

Rick Peckham. Left End. Perfected Music PM1001, 2004.

No doubt about it, guitarist Rick Peckham has a great sound. He plays a Fender Telecaster, an instrument known for its spanky, twangy tone, and therefore one that is usually preferred by country and blues players rather than jazz musicians. Peckham favors a hard-edged tone that is also a bit unusual for a jazz player--at times, his sound is distorted and downright rockish, even punky. But his tonal palette is actually quite broad, and includes softer and more traditional jazz flavors as well. His debut album as a leader finds him in a trio setting with bassist Tony Scherr and drummer Jim Black, playing a program of original compositions that also includes two free improvisations and one standard, a respectfully deconstructed arrangement of Thelonious Monk's "Evidence." Peckham's compositions come across as rather dry at first; there is little in the way of hummable melody, and in some cases it is ...