Richard Hallebeek - 2004 [2014] "Richard Hallebeek Project" (Remastered)

Richard Hallebeek (born August 2, 1969 in Bilthoven) is a Dutch jazz fusion guitarist.

Advanced jazz rock fusion by Dutch guitar monster, Richard Hallebeek, with Lale Larson (keys) and Bas Conelissen (drums), and featuring Shawn Lane (guitar) & Brett Garsed (guitar).

This project brings together a group of exciting jazz rock musicians playing genuine compositions with intense improvisations. No endless, un-coordinated numbers. No boring, "heard-it-all-before" songwriting. Just the very best in high energy, progressive and moreover, complex music.

Richard Hallebeek is probably best known for his 1995 album, Generator, released on Mark Varney's Legato label. Jamming along at the tender age of 23 with guitar legends Carl Verheyen, Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, Scott Kinsey and Dan Gilbert he wrote the majority of the album's tunes, proving he was a voice to be reckoned with. Richard has studied jazz and improvisation at the Amsterdam Conservatory; he also studied for a year at the GIT in L.A. with Brett Garsed.

Lale Larson (keys) has worked closely with highly respected guitarist, Todd Duane (with whom he appeared on Mark Varney's compilation CD Guitar on the Edge as the only keyboard soloist). Between 1996-99 Lale composed and recorded The Seven Deadly Sins, a highly original concert in seven movements which contains everything from acoustic piano and jazz to thrash metal. Around the same time he also wrote several piano pieces, two of which were performed by pianist Joakim Olsson on 17/5/96 at the Royal Conservatory in Copenhagen.

Sebastiaan Cornelissen started playing drums when he was just 5 years old. At the age of 17, he began his studies at The Conservatory of Amsterdam. During that time he formed jazz/fusion group, Isotope, along with teacher and well-known Dutch piano virtuoso, Rob van Bavel. They have since released 2 albums: Isotope and Perception of the Beholder (Munich records). Besides Isotope, Sebastiaan also performs with his quartet featuring Leonardo Amuedo, and a very exciting project with highly respected guitarist Eef Albers.

And if the above players aren't exciting enough, read on. The CD includes none other than legendary guitar virtuosos Shawn Lane and Brett Garsed.

A Dutch Richard Hallebeek is fairly known in so-called guitar society. He graduated from Hilversum Conservatory and Musician's Institute (Los Angeles). So far he cooperated with the likes of Shawn Lane, Frank Gilbert, Carl Verheyen, and also with his teachers - Scott Henderson and Brett Garsed. He is strongly associated with a Finnish guitarist Antii Kotikoski as well. You can come across Richie's name in the booklets of Maximum Brain Disfunction's, The Flowriders', Isotope's and René Engel's releases. Moreover, he is a journalist of a Duch magazine - "Music Maker".

Richard invited to recording some famous stars like an Australian Brett Garsed and Shawn Lane. Brett played in AOR band called Nelson, but is most famous for his cooperation with T.J. Helmerich and their two CDs - "Quid Pro Quo" (1992) and "Exempt" (1994). However, Shawn Lane recorded a few solos on Mark Varney Project's "Centrifugal Funk" (1991). Obviously, you can as well hear Brett's parts on that compilation. Unfortunately, Shawn died in 2003 at the age of forty. It was after recording his solos for RHP a little while.

I'd call RHP a jazzy project, not only because of Hallebeek's and Lane's jazz education, but also thanks to rhythm section's parts made up of Udo Pannekeet (bass) and Sebastiaan Cornelissen (drums). We can find some instrumental similarities to Lale Larson's Ominox, but his presence and ideas in RHP couldn't have vanished without trace. I think that musicians sometimes make references to symphonic rock from the seventies ("Good Food"). RHP is a good proposal for devotees of Pat Metheny's and De Gladas Kapell's music. If you were looking for relaxing music that is best for losing in meditation and supporting in deceleration of daily life's mad pace, you are spot-on!

The production is crystal clear and avoids sounding sterile as too many releases in this genre do. The addition of Shawn Lane (what was his last musical adventure) and Brett Garsed are sure to bring in a few fans that otherwise may not get to know of RHP, and they too will be satisfied with their artists contributions. There is a definite live vibe throughout yet each track posesses structure and avoid aimless meandering.

Highlights on jazz fusion albums are often hard to pick as its generally more "a sum of the parts", as opposed to "single entities". Yet Canoga Park stands out thanks to its mesmerising atmospheric depth and some sublime solos from Richard Hallebeek and Shawn Lane. Good Food has a nice almost 70's pomp prog vibe to it that again makes it worthy of its own mention.

Overall RHP is a very solid slice of jazz rock and I get the feeling this band will be killer in the live setting. Fans of jazz rock/fusion make sure you check this out!

Track listing:

1 Prescription Strength 6:53
2 Lined Out 7:41
3 Canoga Park 4:36
4 Good Food 6:28
5 Free 6:43
6 Axe 4:53
7 Enigma 10:02
8 Orange Faces Everwhere 3:28
9 Imagine 5:49

Personnel:

Richard Hallebeek - Guitars
Shawn Lane (1,2,3,7) - Guitars
Brett Garsed (1,4,5,7) - Guitars
Sebastian Cornelissen - Drums
Lale Larson - Keys
Udo Pannekeet- Bass