EER-Music.com is sad to report Susan Weinert passed away in March, 2020
after a long battle with cancer. She will be missed greatly.
Thank you Susan for all the fine fusion guitar music over the years.
"Watch the Euro-Queen of fusion guitar! Go Susan Weinert LIVE!" Susan Weinert Band - triple talk live http://www.susanweinert.com/ Released: 10/2002 Very cool jazzy comping over driving drum and bass grooves, this live CD is reminiscent of Wayne Krantz's "Two Drink Minimum". Although she doesn't hit the distortion box as much, Susan includes a guitar synth to her clean chording which opens up the tunes and fleshes out the trio's sound. On "The Kobayashi Syndrome", Susan pulls everything out of her stylistic bag of tricks and creates a great signature tune. Her solos are improvised gems of jagged lines and legato runs with chordal stuff throw in�she keeps you interested at all times. The rhythm section is very tight and each solo showcases their individual talents while keeping the groove going constantly. But, solos aside, this is by all means a band effort and they can snap your head back with their "out of nowhere" returns to the head�you could swear there's a mind meld going on with these three! Aside from the synth taking away from her nice guitar tone at times, this well recorded live CD is a fusion lover's delight. ~ by Joe Nardulli, EER-MUSIC.com Songlist: Snapshot Your Smile in Your Face No Sellout Hopeless Case Lost Paradise The Kobayashi Syndrome LineUp: Susan Weinert (g) Martin Weinert (b) Hardy Fischotter (dr)
Susan Weinert Band: Crunch Time; (CD, 46:43) verBra Records vBr 2144 2, 1994
For rockin' jazz fusion and passionate jazz guitar, Germany's Susan Weinert, has my vote as the genre's reigning queen -- Jane Getter being hot on her heels. Weinert is explosive, versatile, power-punching, inventive, brazen yet warmly soulful in a multitude of sensuous chops and furious licks. Be it phrasings, timing sense, instrument voicings, technical soundness, or overall song structure -- Weinert is top notch. No argument with this statement is even remotely possible. Weinert on guitar and guitar synth is joined by Martin Weinert on killer bass. He plays a full, melodic, funked groove of tight bounch and supreme heaviness. Hardy Fischotter slays the drums in precise devastation. Oliver Heuss guests on great keys. From the opening cut, "Don't try that again, M.F." to "Maybe" the ride of ten sonic treats never fails to satisfy. This is a 12+ on a 1-10 scale of "Lame to Awesome". Yow! Crunch Time by the Susan Weinert Band pulls out all the stops! Weinert wails and lets "edge" be edge. She makes you sit up and take notice. Her riffs are mean and slick and will make a lot of jazz fusion fans say, "Whoa baby, this lady can flat out jam!" Fans of Tribal Tech and Hendersonic pyrotechnics will love this. This may be a 1994 release but hey -- great music is ageless, so seek this one out today! Highest recommendations! ~ John W. Patterson
Susan Weinert Band: The Bottom Line; (CD, 58:57) Intuition Music/verBra Records/Imm INT 2177, 1996
This time out, Susan Weinert has mellowed some since her fiery Crunch Time 1994 release. The excellent guitar playing is still everywhere but things are toned down a few notches leaning more towards straight up jazz with less crunchy-edged fusion. Weinert's acoustic guitar and Martin Weinert's acoustic bass works well in the melding of electric and non-electric moods. Even keyswoman extraordinaire, Rachel Z, chimes in with ivory clean runs and flourishes to augment Weinert's electric guitars and guitar-synth. That jazz standards feel comes through here and there but this release retains Weinert's strong signature sound, slightly overdriven, and sustained warmly. Again that Scott Henderson aura is predominantly present but a certain Frank Gambale lilt and warmth of presence and tone is recurrent. Rachel Z comes and goes in keyboard washes and embellishings, interwoven wonderfully in Susan Weinert's delightful compositions. Hardy Fischotter plays the drums with perfection and evident purpose. On "Masters of the Midiverse" we are treated to a delicious Holdsworthian guitar-synth intro that melts into an oh-so-Metheny moment complete with brushes on drums and Rachel Z tinkling away in her butterfly kisses way. Very, very nice. This release is an 11 song delight, track to track, with surprise after surprise of mellow wonder. The final cut, "Vinnie" again treads Holdsworthian waters in the composition's stylings early on but is also seems a subtle tribute to Vinnie Coliauta?, sounding at times like a cut from his recent solo release. Rachel Z gets to stretch a great deal here! For those of you out there looking for great jazz guitar and splendid keys but want less screaming amps yet able to groove too -- The Bottom Line is just right for you. Recommended!
~ John W. Patterson
Susan Weinert Band: Mysterious Stories; (CD, 55:50) verBra Records/Imm vBr 2111 2, 1992
This the Susan Weinert Band's debut release, (as far as I know). Mysterious Stories has a Pat Metheny, Wayne Johnson, (hear it on the mellow "Feel free to come by any time you want"), or Birelli LaGrene feel in many places with brief flourishes of either Scott Henderson or Frank Gambale. Martin Weinert's bass and doublebass is "Gary Willis" strong and greatly serves to augment Weinert's electric guitars and guitar-synth. Hardy Fischotter drums with precision and grace and drives the heart of the beast. Hear some mean drumming especially on "Wrong time, wrong place" and "Put me in coach, 'cause I'm the right man for that job". Weinert gets her crunchiest and most raw electric-edged on the rockin' "Three Choices" and gives a taste of what her following release, Crunch Time would lean towards. There is that Ray Gomez, jazz fusion bluesy rock boogie happening all over the place on this one. That Tribal Tech feel is strongest on "A short story about Tofu". Weinert even tackles Mike Stern territory in her riffs on "Put me in coach, 'cause I'm the right man for that job". On "We've made some money, man?!" I heard that Gambale/Henderson mix nearly 40/60. This release serves to demonstrate just what great skill was beginning to blossom at Weinert's fingertips. Her later releases prove it clearly. Good stuff. ~ John W. Patterson
Observe how the word
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