Jazz guitarist Ryan Blotnick came back to live in New York after his studies in Copenhagen, Denmark, with bachelor's and master's degrees in music performance. He's working on different projects, and his latest release Music Needs You has been recorded with the Ryan Blotnick Group featuring Blotnick on guitar, Pete Robbins on alto saxophone, Albert Sanz on piano, Perry Wortman on bass and Joe Smith on drums.

Eight of the tunes are composed by Blotnick and one by Robbins. It starts with "Winter Melt," a cool jazz type track with beautiful melody lines of guitar, sax and piano. The complex rhythms of the title track melt together to something new that seem to stray somewhere in the musical landscape of these guys. Then comes Robbins' romantic tune "The Quiet Space Left Behind" dominated by his terrific sax playing. And finally, with "Tired House," Blotnick and the guys recorded a wonderful tune that makes you dream of a cozy cocktail bar, a nice swimming pool (the drink, not the water) in your hand and a charming lady at your side. This is how you can chill out.

Ryan Blotnick is only 24 years old, but his music tastes like matured wine. For this album he has gathered a five-piece lineup that delivers a stunning sound somewhere between a chilled bar sound and cool as well as free jazz, a mixture of classic jazz standards and improvised grooves. I really love it.

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