Nippertown, What are you listening to?

http://www.nippertown.com/2015/05/07/todd-nelson-what-do-you-listen-to-on-the-way-home-from-a-gig/



Nippertown "None Of The Above" cd release show review


http://www.nippertown.com/2015/05/21/live-nelson-esposito-quintana-madison-theater-50815/

"As with the music on Here, NEQ’s new material can’t just be stuffed into one single rocking bag. Although it holds the same “You talkin’ to ME?” feel that I love about NEQ"


Metroland

http://metroland.net/2015/05/07/nelson-esposito-quintana/

"The fuller production and confident swing of the new tunes characterizes a more muscular approach than the sparer, bare bones sound of 2010’s Here. Alongside a more hard-rocking edge, all members color the proceedings with unexpected electronic washes and intriguing loops."


Nippertown!!

http://www.nippertown.com/2015/04/30/the-name-game-no-more-tn3/#more-130453

"When the trio of guitarslinger Todd Nelson, bassmaster Kyle Esposito and percolating percussionist Manuel Quintana released their debut album, Here, back in 2010, the disc was credited to Todd Nelson. Along the way, the trio adopted the moniker TN3, a more genre-defying name than the Todd Nelson Trio, which might somewhat mistakenly lump them into the jazz bag.

But a lot has happened since then…

Now the band is about to release their long-in-the-works sophomore disc next week, and they knew it was time for a change."


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Metroland Magazine, Pocket Change by Mike Hotter – September 16, 2010
http://www.metroland.net/back_issues/vol33_no36/recordings.html
“Todd Nelson is a preternaturally tasteful guitar player…”
“…the album is enjoyable from start to finish…”
“…his guitar lines hew mindfully to the emotional intent of each composition…”
“Custom built for fans of instrumental rock and jazz…”
“..Here is unpretentious enough in its pleasures to please even those who don’t consider themselves aficionados.”

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Review by Greg Haymes, September 27, 2010
http://www.nippertown.com/2010/09/27/cd-todd-nelsons-here
“Nelson’s guitar sound is clean and crisp, but always warm, bringing to mind Bill Frisell…”
“Despite his lengthy musical career, Nelson’s recorded output has been all too sparse. This album goes a long, long way in remedying that situation.”
“A stellar break-out recording that is worth the wait.”

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Pipeline Magazine from the UK.
Tasteful electric guitarist Todd Nelson is joined by fretless bass and drums for this pleasantly jazz-tinged outing. It is easy on the ear as Todd plays with feel rather than flash and the melody is never too far away. All tracks are Nelson originals and the uptempo rhythmic Lois is Out makes a fine intro. Crestfallen has a suitably downbeat air but things look up with the 12-bar rocker Volts. The dreamy Into the House and The Blacksmith sandwich a meandering Dinosaur (sic) with its lengthy fretless bass feature while a hypnotic Wheels Across Sonora with its catchy cascading phrases closes things out nicely. 

Alan Taylor

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In the spotlight: NEQ                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Go ahead, name three instrumental bands.
Not easy, is it? I pick the Ventures, Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass and NEQ. NEQ?
That's Albany guitarist Todd Nelson's instrumental band. Along with Nelson on guitar are fine Ulster County players drummer Manuel Quintana and fretless bass player Kyle Esposito. They will be joined by John Hines playing trumpet and Bob Resnick on percussion. And you can bet they (NEQ plus 2?) will be performing music from their strong new album "Here."
Nelson is a longtime fixture on the Albany music scene (Silver Chicken, Units, Fear of Strangers, Rumdummies). His fine CD "Here" features exquisite chord melody playing and a smorgasbord of genres, all with a jazzy undercurrent, and his formidable technique.
That is front and center in the CD's songs, from the gospel-tinged "Into the House," the mysterious "The Blacksmith," moody "Crestfallen," blues-drenched "Volts" and funky "Lois Is Out," as Nelson and crew leave no style unexplored.
Which means this concert will be anything but boring, as they take the framework of the studio cuts and expand upon it live at the aptly named Sanctuary.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Sanctuary for Independent Media, 3361 6th Avenue. Troy
Tickets: $10, $5 for students

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AlbanyJazz .com, Review by J. Hunter, December 17, 2010
http://www.albanyjazz.com/cdreviews/toddnelson-here.html
“Nelson’s not out to revive a form of guitar jazz that was ancient in the ‘80s and is practically prehistoric now, so blowing the doors off their hinges is not on the agenda. He wraps his jazz in the stripped-out ethic of punk, and the result is far from the same old thing; rather, it’s both rich and elegant at the same time.”
“And the groove rarely stops on Here, though it is nicely varied. “Wheels across Sonoma” recalls music from one of the Pat Metheny Group’s best albums, the soaring travelogue American Garage: You get the sensation of hot wind blowing through the sunroof as your car cruises through the Mexican countryside, maybe on the way to California.”

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Roll Magazine, Crispin Kott, Volume 40, November 10, 2010
“…Nelson and company seem comfortable allowing silence and subtlety to accentuate the strength of the playing. It’s a powerful result, as on the aptly-titled “Crestfallen,” which evokes an emotion about as well as any song in recent memory has done.”
“Coming in at seven songs and around three-quarters of an hour, Here is just the right amount of music delivered with both skill and style. What more could anyone want from an instrumental guitar album?”

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Albany Times-Union - review by Michael Eck, November 5, 2010
http://www.timesunion.com/default/article/Fresh-Tracks-in-the-518-798639.php
"...Nelson was always the support behind a voice -- sometimes his own, more often another's. With the release of "Here," though, he's finally singing with his truest voice, his two hands."

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Kingston Daily Freeman – review by David Malachowski, October 22, 2010
http://dailyfreeman.com/articles/2010/10/22/entertainment/doc4cc0ec6ea634b357216748.txt
“Nelson has carved a nifty niche with chord melody playing — a lost art…”
“It’s not really smooth jazz — it’s got too much heart for that.”
“Volts” is an old-time rocker, while the sinister “Dinosaurs” is a highlight, as is the gorgeous “Wheels Across Sonora…”

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