New from Oz Noy and Andrew Synowiec is a guitar team-up highlighting scorching licks, excessive power, and robust songwriting. The album is Leisure Substance, and post-bop observe density is the crux of the biscuit. The 2 virtuosos run the gamut with quite a lot of grooves and textures, however each say good songs are the secret.

Leisure Substance is harking back to jazz-duo information of the previous. Why did you determine to make this collectively?

Andrew Synowiec: I’ve at all times been a fan of these albums and wished to do one thing like this. Oz and I had a gig on the books, so I mentioned, “Hey, let’s make a file out of it.” We had yin and yang factor going, so we match collectively fairly nicely.

You guys contributed songs equally, however how was the recording course of?

AS: We recorded at Huge Metropolis Studios, which is why I named the primary tune “Huge Metropolis.” We did a gig to road-test the songs since you study a lot by taking part in the fabric reside and it taught us all the pieces we wanted to study. Lots of it went with out saying.

Oz Noy: The gig went very well, so I used to be like, “Hey, that is cool. Let’s strive to do that recurrently.” Andrew was like, “Hey, how about we file one thing?” I used to be like, “Certain!” The one factor was I didn’t have any further tunes, so I introduced in a pair that would work. Andrew introduced the remainder, and it labored. We knew that we performed nicely collectively. That half was simple.

There’s a lot of chemistry on the file. The acoustic monitor “Brothers” actually stands out.

AS: I’m actually happy with the best way that turned out. That music fell out of the sky proper across the time this venture was developing. I assumed it might supply counterbalance to what I knew could be plenty of the more-fiery stuff you may count on from us.

Did you file “Brothers” going through one another?

AS: We had been taking a look at one another with baffles between us, so there was plenty of bleed, which was factor. I performed a nylon-string on that.

ON: I used an acoustic 12-string, however I used a tuning that’s form of bizarre – it’s in fourths and fifths. You may hear it once I play chords; they’re not bizarre.

Oz, what’s that rugged B3 sound on the primary riff to “I Don’t Know Why?”

ON: I used a Univibe on that. Any impact you could make go quick will sound like a Leslie, and also you additionally want a little bit achieve to drive it a bit so it sounds more-realistic. I performed that via my Two-Rock TS1 head.

Andrew, what was your setup for “The Royal You?”

AS: I used to be going for an ’80s Miles Davis factor, and within the mixing course of we handled the drums to sound retro. I used my Rivera Knucklehead Tre head going right into a Tone Tubby H-Bomb 2×12 cab. I used two electrical guitars – a Les Paul-style and my B.A. Ferguson, which is sort of a Les Paul however with a barely shorter scale. It feels, in one of the best ways, like a toy guitar. It’s actually enjoyable to play. I went backwards and forwards between the 2.

You guys actually locked in with drummer Marvin “Smitty” Smith and bassist Hadrien Feraud.

AS: These guys are ridiculous. Marvin is likely one of the biggest musicians I’ve ever performed with.

What’s subsequent for the dynamic Duo?

ON: World domination (laughs)! We’ve got a few dates on the West Coast and the East Coast, so we’ll be taking part in L.A. and New York.

What do you guys have occurring individually?

AS: The studio factor is at all times cooking, knock-on-wood, and I’m taking part in my very own music as a lot as I can.

ON: I simply completed a bunch of excursions. I’m releasing a jazz-quartet album that I recorded for Criss Cross Data. I’m taking part in requirements.
Any probability there’s a follow-up album?

ON: Certain, why not? If we’ve the fabric. – Oscar Jordan

This text initially appeared in VG’s February 2025 problem. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.