The sound that radio has called "smooth jazz" is often simply great pop music performed as instrumentals, ensuring that the genre is ripe for cover tunes of familiar pop songs; indeed, some labels even demand that their artists do them. Sometimes, it's done simply to reach a wider audience, but guitarist
Daryl Stuermer comes more naturally to
Another Side of Genesis, a lively and immensely likeable collection of guitar-driven takes on well-known
Genesis hits.
Stuermer played with the group --
Phil Collins,
Tony Banks, and Mike Rutherford -- from 1978 through 1992, and undoubtedly knows backwards and forwards the dreamy ballads like "Since I Lost You" (played as a duet between
Stuermer's acoustic and
Kostia's piano, with soft orchestral touches) as well as raging rockers a la "Land of Confusion" (naturally performed as a blistering electric jam). Because he really doesn't add much in the way of improvisation or invention, the most interesting aspect of the disc is following which guitar
Stuermer leads with. The sing-songy "Follow You Follow Me" is given a lively percussive treatment with a plucky acoustic lead voice, but he chooses to convey the beautiful mushiness of "In Too Deep" with the snappier strains of the electric. "Throwing It All Away" is performed for several minutes as an elegant acoustic ballad enhanced by
Kostia's lush piano harmonies, when suddenly
Stuermer picks up the electric and starts jamming with some lightning-quick distorted notes. More truly inspired moments like that would have made this fine tribute to his former bosses even more interesting. ~ Jonathan Widran