• New Music Reviews
• |
• Archives
• |
• News
• |
• Submissions
• |
• About
• |
• 
• |
• 

February 2025

• Craig Brooks: Desolation Freeway
• Mantric Momentum: Alienized
• Pattern-Seeking Animals: Friend Of All Creatures
• Crazy Lixx: Thrill Of The Bite
• Ginger Evil: The Way It Burns
• Dream Theater: Parasomnia
• Tyran: Tyran's Oath
• Saber: Lost In Flames

January 2025

• Wildness: Avenger
• The Ferrymen: Iron Will
• Labyrinth: In The Vanishing Echoes Of Goodbye
• Bonfire: Higher Ground
• The Big Deal: Electrified
• Landfall: Wide Open Sky

December 2024

• After Lapse: Pathways
• Illusion Force: Halfana
• Powell-Payne: Voilá

November 2024

• Sunstorm: Restless Fight
• Storace: Crossfire
• Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
• Lionville: Supernatural
• Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
• Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
• Lonerider: Down In The Dust
• Seventh Crystal: Entity
• Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
• Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
• Impellitteri: War Machine
• Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter

October 2024

• Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
• DGM: Endless
• Daytona: Garder la Flamme
• Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
• Frost*: Life In The Wires
• Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
• Fans Of The Dark: Video
• Radioactive: Reset
• House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
• Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire

[ More Music Reviews ]

Jennings, Jerry: Shortcut to the Center

Instrumental Guitar

4.0/5.0

Independent/Self-promotion
www.myspace.com/jerryjenningsband
www.jerryjenningsmusic.com
Review: Craig Hartranft,  08.23.2010

Unsung and unrecognized guitar virtuosos abound in these United States, and the world. Jerry Jennings, from Northern California, is one guitarist that deserves greater recognition. Jennings started playing guitar at 12 and was influenced early on by Grand Funk, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and then more significantly by Frank Zappa. Prior to the re-release of Shortcut to the Center, he has released two CDs The Good Part of a Pencil (1993) and Signs of Humanity (2002).

Shortcut to the Center has its roots in the early 2000's under the guidance of legendary guitarist Ronnie Montrose. It had a limited pressing and was mostly available at Jennings' performances. Now, receiving the proper promotion, Shortcut to the Center sees the light of day once more, and we're better for it. Jennings is a proficient and creative guitarist who draws upon rock, blues, jazz, and more, and then seamlessly blends them into an entertaining fusion. We're not talking epic metal shredding here, but rather fluid and stylish, almost effortless, guitar creativity. Jennings can blister with energy on Weather Manipulation, Meltdown, or Rule 14, but then tantalize and hypnotize with genuine elusiveness on Observation or She's. There's also a compositional diversity here that keeps you intrigued throughout: you want to keep listening. When's the last time you said that about a typical instrumental guitar record?

With his diversity and creativity, on Shortcut to the Center Jerry Jennings's delivers a grand and entertaining disc of instrumental guitar cleverness. Quite recommended.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

With his diversity and creativity, on Shortcut to the Center Jerry Jennings's delivers a grand and entertaining disc of instrumental guitar cleverness.

Alphabetical Index

By now it's old news. Everybody in the prog universe knows: Dream Theater got the band back together. Drummer and founding member Mike Portnoy returned to his Dream Theater family to celebrate their 40th ... [ Read More ]