Josh Shear, The Herald/Reminder Metrowest - 3/03
" ... kudos to local musicians David Frain and Mark Dunlap, who manage to mostly avoid self-indulgence on their CD Pull the Shades ... [which] is mostly original tunes, highlighted by elements of the musicians' rock and roll background. ... it's always refreshing to hear distortion pedals and other guitar effects on a jazz record. Pull The Shades is enjoyable, particularly the fast, catchy 0pener "Caipirinha," named for a Brazilian drink - a recipe for which is included inside. ... the CD is a lot of fun."
Northeast Performer-01/03
"... their first release ... demonstrates high levels of talent in both composition and performance .... [and], Frain/Dunlap's rendition [of Round Midnight] possesses a film noir quality that makes it a pleasure to hear again and again.
eSoundz Reporter - 9/02
"David Frain and Mark Dunlap present excellence ... Their jazz-driven rock-edged sound is mellow and progressive ... From the album, we especially recommend Caipirinha, Freddie Freight Train, and the title song Pull The Shades."
TAXI, The Independent A&R Leader & Music Critics - 4/02
"You guys have a truly amazing ensemble ... [this is] hard driving serious jazz" and rated the recording a 9 out of 10 for music, arrangements and production.
Bob Cochran, Jazz Director WMPG - 10/02
"Great music! I'll give it a spin on my next show."
Mark LaChance, Greenfield TV15 Producer-10/02
"Excellent band ... definitely!"
Four different groups of musicians are featured on this debut CD and each tune was recorded with a quintet with the addition of percussion on track 6.
David Frain, guitar, and Mark Dunlap, double bass are on all tracks along with additional instrumentation including sax, flute, guitar, piano and percussion.
Track 1, CAIPIRINHA, is a hot samba, which was inspired by a trip to Carnival in Rio and was named after Brazil's most popular cocktail.
PULL THE SHADES is the title track of the CD. Written while Dave was attending Berklee in Boston, MA, and living in an apartment across from exotic dancers, this recording evokes voyeuristic images that are sexy and sensual.
BIG DIG, track 3, has a strong groove and is named after the massive construction project occurring in Boston, MA. A head-boppin' tune with hot and cool solos, it combines influences from Allan Holdsworth, Wes Montgomery, Michael Brecker and Led Zeppelin.
A beautiful rendition of the classic Jazz ballad ROUND MIDNIGHT was captured during one of the recording sessions. Although the tune was played only as a warm-up for the recording date, it's dark and haunting mood compelled us to include it on the CD.
FREDDIE FREIGHT TRAIN, track 5, gives a nod to the famous Miles Davis composition Freddie the Freeloader. It starts with odd meter grooves and then transitions into a laid back bluesy feel.
CLOSE TO YOUR HEART sounds like a classic 60's Bossa Nova and features flute, nylon string guitar and double-bass solos.
CHOICES is a brooding tune with heavy bass and piano and an intense sax solo.
WARM LIGHT ZONE, track 8, is a modern waltz with spacey atmospheric effects that was written by and performed with German guitarist Matthias Ockert.
WAYWARD, the last cut, modifies the opening motif from Carry On Wayward Son, by the rock group Kansas, into an odd meter groove. The song then goes into a blues tune and climaxes with an energetic drum solo.
Enjoy.
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