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Steve Uccello
“Symmetria”
www.steveuccello.com

To be honest, this CD has all the makings of something that I would pop in for a second, skip around & put in the donation pile. It’s a bassists solo CD in which he plays every instrument with a few exceptions (and that exception consists of a family member). Steve has credits listed as composer, arranger, performer, engineer and producer (in addition to over a dozen different instruments!). Only the mixing and mastering and some edits were done out of house.

So why am I about to write a glowing review?
Because it’s beautiful… plain and simple.

Very atmospheric in nature, this CD listens to me like a large and vast sound-scape. Almost as a life fully lived and represented through sound. Full of lush and beautiful tones, drones and bowed notes with whispful loops, the music evolves track by track seeming to peak in the middle and slowly begins to bring us back to the ground.
This release is very hard to put into words. The only thing I can truly think of is that this would be a stellar soundtrack to an artful movie representing life. (ala Koyaanisqatsi but representing life IN balance as opposed to life out of balance). We are led through birth, discovery, excitement and eventually brought full circle and laid down to rest.

Obviously, this isn’t a “man, you’ve gotta check out this track, it’ll blow your mind!” type of CD. This is meant for when you have the time and patience to be still and let it flow past you. Stylistically, not for everyone perhaps, but I found it to be beautiful and artfully done. Something to truly be proud of Steve!

Special love must be given to Portland’s own Stumptown Printers for this one, too. The artwork is beautiful and this is some of the most striking and interesting packaging I’ve ever seen… nice one!