Matthias Lupri Group

Anyone who enjoyed Matthias Lupri's debut disc, Window Up Window Down - and lots of people did, to judge from the CD's success in radio polls - will find even more to like in this sophomore effort. The direct, articulate character of Lupri's vibes playing and composing are even more imposing this time around, while his abilities as a bandleader shine brighter in the present quartet, which includes two true giants of contemporary improvised music, George Garzone and John Lockwood. Shadow of the Vibe, in sum, provides what one hopes to find from a musician who made a strong first impression: real growth. Lupri is no underaged phenom, but rather a still-young though experienced adult who has not rushed his journey into jazz's deeper waters. He was born in Germany in 1964, and came to North America with his family a year later. After four years in Kansas, the Lupris moved to Alberta, Canada, where Matthias studied drums and began playing professionally as a teenager. "I was a drummer for 15 years," he reports, "playing blues, rock and country music. But jazz fascinated me, and I went to college to learn more about it. That's where I was introduced to the vibes, which was a mandatory... more...