Doug Hewitt: Reviews

Electric Jazz to art rock and sublime folk. A seamless mosaic from quiet acoustic guitar and violin to symphonic crescendo. Brimming with delicious vocal and instrumental complexity. Passionate, cosmic lyrics. Beautifully produced. Highly recommended.

From instrumental jazz to spacey, vintage psychedelic and lyrical, intimate folk Picasso Tomato blurs boundaries and takes chances. Make sure to check out the beautiful collaboration between Hewitt and lyricist Claudia Rullman.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Doug Hewitt returns with Picasso Tomato and it is well worth the wait. The intricate guitar-based instrumental "Antarian Blues" begins the album and sounds much like the jazz leanings of prime period Bert Jansch or John Renbourn. It is the unusual melding of musical inspirations - from folk to jazz to rock; that makes his music unique. With a pleasing and expressive voice Hewitt crafts sublime love songs to cosmic word-fests. Excellent backing and harmony vocals, saxophone and expansive violin. Mellotron and Hammond keyboards and phase-shifted or fuzzed guitar may put you into a retro mood but Picasso Tomato is firmly rooted in the here and now because of Hewitt and company's sterling playing.

Full of energy and eclectic rhythms and incorporating jazz, folk, rock, orchestra and chamber music, Picasso Tomato is anything but predictable.

This is Doug's most ambitious album to date. The former Zen Cats leader fuses jazz, blues, folk and rock styles into a seamless mosaic with intricate lyrics and strong vocals.