Review: The Blue Road by Juan Garcia-Herreros, The Snow Owl

Review: The Blue Road by Juan Garcia-Herreros, The Snow Owl…

We have been following Juan Garcia-Herreros, AKA The Snow Owl, for a while now and have been very pleased to witness his extraordinary progress as an artist and musician:

• Jake Kot reviewed Juan’s debut album in 2010
• I reviewed his Grammy nominated CD “Normas” in 2013
• And he was our cover interview in that same issue.

So, it is a great pleasure for me to have The Snow Owl’s latest CD “The Blue Road” in my hands”. This CD is comprised of eleven original compositions with Juan on his six-string contrabass guitar and an excellent group of musicians to execute his vision.

As always, the bass work is flawless and lays down the perfect balance of groove, technique and harmony. It shines when needed but allows the greater message of the music to be the focus of your attention

The group is very tight and the arrangements are intricate and precise. Each piece is performed with meticulous attention to detail and displays a wide variety. More importantly this music takes you along on Snow Owl’s life path and encompasses the vast complexities of our existence.

The Blue Road is the first part of a trilogy that in itself a spiritual journey for The Snow Owl. As this CD marks a beginning, I feel the musical reach to the past as he captures the musical essence of his forefathers. I recognize the Indigenous roots blended with an Afro-Antillean/Latin foundation, but there are tones from many other places in the world, reiterating the universal nature of music.

Something new and different from Snow Owl’s previous works is the incorporation of lyrics in some of his tracks. Vocalist SuCh stands out for me as her haunting vocal quality is an absolutely perfect fit for Snow Owl’s instrument and musical concepts.

I can’t begin to adequately describe this masterful piece of art, it really must be experienced firsthand. It is awe inspiring and simply ‘must be heard to be believed’… so I invite you to get your own copy as soon as it hits the streets on July 5, 2016.

More information at  www.the-snow-owl.com

For the vocalist, visit www.iamsuch.com