It is not unusual for jazz musicians to be involved with universities and colleges, but normally that is in relation to their musical area of knowledge, but for guitarist and sitar player Daniel Garbin it is somewhat different as he is an associate professor with the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at Queensborough Community College of the City University of New York (CUNY), having a PhD. in Mathematics. He is also entirely musically self-taught, teaching himself how to play guitar after becoming inspired by the folk music in his native Baia Mare, Romania. As a teenager he performed blues, rock, flamenco, fusion, and several forms of jazz including big band, and after moving to the States he played Latin rock, co-founded the jazz fusion band INOAN, and became attracted to Indian Classical Music, learning the sitar.
Here he has brought together Camila Cortina Bello (piano, keys), Scott Litroff (alto saxophone), Eddy Khaimovich (electric and acoustic bass), and Brian Woodruff (drums) and while I have no idea if this a band who have been playing together , or session musicians, there is certainly a strong relationship between them (as can be heard in the dying seconds of “Rolling Hills” where everyone laughs at a really good take). All the songs are originals, and there is a fresh lightness in the interplay between Daniel and Camila/Scott when they are duetting, although he is also more than happy take a fluid lead. It is difficult to understand he is totally self-taught as there is a real confidence and finesse in what he is doing, as he melds Latin and jazz together to create an album which is very enjoyable. I think it is also the first time I have come across the sitar in this context, and it works really well, and I only wish he had played more of it on this recording. Overall this is a very interesting debut, and I am sure we will be hearing much more from him in the future. 7/10
