Reviews

What The Critics Say

At this level of improvisation, content is technique and technique is content.. both content and technique are smashing even where Mr. Bocian has acted as more in the capacity of a composer.

Gunther Schuller, New York Times interview

Powerful contributions from the technically awesome guitarist Michael Bocian (with Joe Lovano, Queen Elizabeth Hall).

London Times

Michael Bocian's "Five Elements" beautifully captures the many sides and personalities of his music. The first half of the CD displays his long love of the nylon string instrument playing Classical compositions including one of his original pieces. The sound and articulation are truly his own unique contribution to this music.

The second part has Michael showing the other side of his musical strengths: his creative improvisational powers. These "Five Elements" are gems of spirit and structure. Technique is used to express "heart" as he feels his way through the spontaneously composed explorations.

This is Michael's finest solo guitar work.

Scott Lee

I just listened to this CD today, Michael Bocian's The Five Elements, and it is outstanding. Michael's music presents great content in a personalized eclectic mix of influences. Indian Sitar ideas mixed with flamenco and funk flourishes melded together to create music that is both dramtic and atmospheric. The Suite is the high point to me. I really dig it as you might gather... Good luck with it, Michael. Bravo!

Ernie Krivda

Everyone’s developments in music is a very personal experience. We all learn from one another and give each other ideas to feed off of, so we can become our own player in what ever kind of music we encounter. Michael Bocian is a very accomplished guitarist and musician and has experienced a long and dedicated journey in the world of improvised music. We’ve played and developed together through the years and I feel very close with him musically and personally. Michael appears on my Blue Note recording "Viva Caruso" and contributes beautifully on the pieces he’s featured on. This collection of 25 Etudes which he’s put together is a wonderful combination of expressive beautifully crafted pieces of music. They are not just exercises or a patternistic overview. This recording and book is full of passion, you will feel the dept of each piece as you listen and follow the written music. Michael plays with his own feeling and sense of time, rhythm and melody. To be expressive in this world of music we live in, that’s what we all have to strive for. Explore all of the possibility’s this collection has to offer and you will learn, have fun and make them all your own.

Joe Lovano, on 25 Etudes For Contemporary Guitar

Bocian’s unique talent is a stimulating addition to the contemporary music scene

Bob McCullough, JazzTimes

The finest jazz guitarists to have come out of Cleveland are Jimmy Shirley, Bill DeArango, Jim Hall, and MichaelBocian Hall universally admired and respected and DeArango arguably the greatest bop guitarist, blew people away and winning an Esquire award, but Bocian who cites DeArango as an influence hanging around him as a teenage is deserving of far more attention and air play because his playing is technically brilliant.

Harvey Pecar, The Scene

There's little doubt.. that Bocian is a major talent to be reckoned with in the guitar world.

Bob McCullough, JazzTimes

Michael Bocian, whose tone is quite original, is a name to remember for the future.

Scott Yanow, Cadence

A questing forward - leaning quality in his lines... builds solos with a keen sense of motivic development and irrepressible swing... most remarkable is Bocian's articulation, the clarity of each note

John Garelick, Jazz Report