Guitarist Dave Stryker hit on a groovy idea with 2014 s Eight Track, his reimagining of classic pop tunes from the 70s with his working trio plus vibes. Their hip renditions of those tunes were eagerly received by audiences and critics alike. Eight Track was the #1 most-played CD on WBGO for the year and reached #3 on JazzWeek Radio chart. Styker s Eight Track is straight up fun, wrote Dan Bilawsky in All About Jazz while Steve Greenlee declared in Jazz Times: Forget those Time-Life collectors editions sold on late-night infomercials. Buy this. Downbeat s Ken Micallef called it a stone groove.
These nostalgic 70s anthems are deeply ingrained in Stryker s consciousness. And the earthy feel of the organ quartet sound is imbedded deep in his bones after 30 years of playing on the scene. He successfully, joyfully combines the two on Eight Track II.
