You may not know the name Kire Najdovski — or even how to properly pronounce it — but his debut CD likely will be one of the finest instrumental guitar CDs to tickle your ears this year. Even the song titles are fun! Born in Macedonia and now living in Rochester, N.Y., Najdovski also plays with Al Chez & The Brothers of Funk Big Band. Chez was a longtime member of the CBS Orchestra for the Late Show With David Letterman before retiring in 2012.
Arrival opens with "Finger Style," a manic track on which the guitarist introduces himself and his rock-solid Rochester rhythm section, Don Torpy on bass and Emmett Ientilucci on drums. From there, this power trio takes listeners on a memorable sonic tour. "Cookie Man" establishes a relentless groove, while such tracks as "Space Ballad" and "For You and Me" reveal Najdovski's gentler, introspective side.
"Sudbo Moja" sounds like it comes from another world, with dizzying finger work from the guitarist and some smooth jazz breaks courtesy of sax man Dan Merkey. "Friends" is beautifully melodic, with Najdovski pulling every ounce of music from each note and turning the song into a celebration, and "Soulmates" is fuzzy fun.
Through it all, Arrival oozes class — the sound of three friends jamming together, with Najdovski letting his musical partners shine almost as much as he does. Arrival isn't all about shredding and showing off. These guys want to make music together, and such a simple approach works brilliantly.
Arrival concludes with "Reach the Heaven Out," a short solo tribute to Najdovski's father that almost sounds like teardrops. It's a fitting end to a wildly diverse and refreshing instrumental album that, indeed, signals Kire Najdovski's arrival.
Track Listing:
1. Finger Style
2. Cookie Man
3. Space Ballad
4. For You and me
5. Soulmates
6. Friends
7. Miles
8. Sudbo Moja
9. Tuesday
10. Reach the Heaven Out
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