Record Boy Ink:

What happens when an ex-member of a huge rock band records an album using jazz elements? Well, if you’re Sting, you sell millions of records. If you’re Andy Summers however, you sell about 10!

Y’see, Andy doesn’t have the marketing push that his former bandmate has. No deals with Compaq or Jaguar. No Super bowl appearances or Millennium special deals going on. But Andy has something that Sting doesn’t have. That’s right, a Record Boy Review!

On Andy’s latest project “Peggy’s Blue Skylight” (RCA), he explores the music of Charles Mingus. Yeah I know, this has been done before by Joni Mitchell, but outside of his raucous interpretation of “Boogie Stop Shuffle”, Summers approaches Mingus’s material as a jazz artist would.

The album is largely instrumental, built around Summer’s guitar voicings. Andy gets some pretty cool tones, especially on the title cut. A few tracks have some vocalizing and on “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat/Where Can A Man Find Peace?” rapper Q –TIP recites Mingus’ words. This track proves to be the album’s only speed bump in terms of repeated listening in Record Boy’s opinion, but ain’t that the beauty of the CD player remote control?

The only song sung on the album is “Weird Nightmare”. Stepping up to the mic is none other than Debbie –oops- DEBORAH Harry. Ms. Harry actually delivers one of her best ever vocal performances here. She can actually be a credible jazz chanteuse, truly singing as opposed to posturing.

Also making appearances on this CD are the Jazz Passengers and Randy Brecker. On “Myself When I Am Real”, Summers teams up with the Kronos Quartet to great effect. With an arrangement by Sy Johnson, this track is the most arresting on the album. Rich and complex musically, this performance would surely have made Charlie Mingus smile.

All in all “Peggy’s Blue Skylight” is a real treat. It might be too jazzy for rock heads and vice versa, but anyone who appreciates good music coupled with solid performances will appreciate what Mr. Summers is doing. Even without commercial endorsements.

(Click Peggy's Blue Skylight if you wanna buy this CD online!)