Seasons (Live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

iTunes Review

The centerpiece of this 2011 release by jazz guitarist and composer Anthony Wilson is “Seasons, a Song Cycle for Guitar Quartet.” Guitar maker John Monteleone commissioned Wilson to compose pieces for a set of four of his handcrafted guitars; each was inspired by one of the four seasons. Wilson, the son of the great Los Angeles–based big-band leader Gerald Wilson, is joined by Steve Cardenas, Chico Pinheiro, and Julian Lage on this finely recorded live album. Each player gets a turn in the spotlight during the song cycle. Cardenas is featured on the meditative “Winter,” Brazilian native Pinheiro shines on the upbeat “Spring,” Wilson takes the lead for the bluegrass-influenced “Summer,” and Lage is the frontman on the moody “Autumn.” Additionally, Pinheiro performs a mellow version of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Tide,” and Wilson deftly combines his original “Meditation on Autumn” with the Wayne Shorter classic “Fall.” There’s also a full-blown arrangement of Joni Mitchell’s “The Circle Game.” “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” might be the most moving performance here.