RITUAL review

A ritual is described as a religious ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. A ritual contains highly stylized events, and so it seems highly appropriate that Sedona based guitarist Anthony Mazzella entitles his new release, "Ritual".
 
Mr. Mazzella was born and raised just 30 miles outside of New York City, however, one would never know it listening to his new work, as it takes the listener on an expedition around the world. The guitarist weaves together a journey of 11 colorful tracks, taking the traveler to many different places, meeting many different people; indeed the music has a lot to say - its so full of life, that at times one could feel a desire to write a story about the scenes that unfold throughout the listen.
 
'Venus', the opening track, is a fiery, emotional start. Mr. Mazzella immediately places us perfectly in the middle of Spain. It is a passionate, hand clapping, foot stomping piece that immediately perks up the listeners ears. It is a dance song for sure, and you will hear Spanish folksong while imagining animated footwork reflecting the rhythm of the guitar and percussion. 

There seems to be an ode to the great cultural influence of Jamaica in 'As She Sleeps' . Close your eyes and you can hear those steel drums, those reggae rhythms, while relaxing on the warm beach. 

The 3rd track is entitled 'Southbound' but Mr. Mazzella could have just as well named it 'South of the Border'. We are instantly plunged into Mexico. This song has such a rich flavor that we could associate with the culture of Mexico. The zest of the language, the warmth of the people, the tastes of the cuisine. Its all right here. There are shades of riding horseback, through those dusty plains, and realizing that for many, Mexico is home.
 
Mr. Mazzella doesn't stop at Mexico. How about a trip to Egypt? 'Infinite Hunger' definitely stirs up something deep, something massive. I thought to myself, 'Are we at the great pyramid of Giza, staring up into the sky, wondering?' You will hear Egypt, imagine a Sphinx, and see the snakes be charmed.
 
'The Bridge To The East' seems to point right towards the Middle East. Mr. Mazzella throws us in the middle of a crowded bazaar, perhaps somewhere in Persia. You can almost smell the incense in the air, hear the sounds of the crowds, taste the flavor of the foods in the marketplace. What is for sale? Only Mr. Mazzella knows for sure, but I would suggest whatever it is, its tempting.
 
Perhaps 'Sun Ritual' is Mr. Mazzella's way of pointing out that if the sun doesn't rise, we do not rise. This song is clearly his homage to the fireball in the sky that allows us to live. We really worship the sun.
 
The listener can not help hearing Albeniz in the opening of the track, 'Lifting the Veil' but it doesn't really stop there. Mr. Mazzella demonstrates a virtuosic flair in the track. Its a driving piece that really has a push to it, and Mr. Mazzella shows how comfortable he can be playing an electric guitar as well as his acoustic instruments. There is some technical prowess in the track that was quite impressive.
 
The half Celtic - half Moroccan influenced 'The Way Home' is quite an interesting track. I wondered what Mr. Mazzella was realizing when he wrote the track. We clearly start off near the Cliffs of Moher, but yet there Arabic  shades of the Moors of Northern Africa. By the time the track has finished, the listener arrives in a frenzy of Mizwid. You listen close and you'll hear Uilleann bagpipes in Marrakesh. 
 
'Remember The Dream' is a gorgeous, but haunting piece, and it really does sound like a dream forgotten. Perhaps that is the point that Mr. Mazzella was trying to make. So many times we awake from a wonderful dream and then quickly forget it. For all one knows, Mr. Mazzella could be instructing the listener to try to remember the dream, because soon it may be gone forever. 
 
The album appropriately finishes with a towering piece. It is curious that Mr. Mazzella entitled it 'Ritual Moon'. In this case, Mr. Mazzella does not pay homage to the moon, but uses the moon as a prop in a ritual for something else. I can only gather that this piece is related to "Sun Ritual'. Perhaps the ritual of the sun has passed and has given way to the risen moon, all the while preparing for break of dawn, when that first ray will return. On a personal note, as I was driving the other night to a full moon near the winter equinox, this track seemed to fit so perfectly, almost as a soundtrack to what I was observing as that full moon lie just above the horizon. Mr. Mazzella wisely chooses an appropriate finale to his magnificent work.

'Ritual' is a highly recommended work. Its unquestionably, what a great work of art is supposed to do. It will bring you to many fascinating places, and introduce you to many colorful people. For those of you who can not afford the airfare to take a trip around the world, perhaps Mr. Mazzella's album is the next best thing...

 By Frank Ruggiero of GenuineDynamite.com

The New York Times

Mazzella displayed classical and guitar pyrotechnic influence. At times he was truly one with his guitar. The energy emanating from him and his instrument was felt throughout the room and replenished for him by roars of applause after every song. Combined masterful skill and talent to create a one-man show that was very well received.

--Alyssa Lora, The New York Times

Flagstaff Live

The words "Electric Fingerstyle Guitarist" do not effectively describe Anthony Mazzella. Simply put, Mazzella is a virtuoso. He takes the guitar and makes it do things it wasn't intended to do.

Mazzella's show demonstrated his range as a guitar player. The opening set was comprised mostly of originals with titles like "Azalea," "Adolescence" and "Regression." It was fascinating to see how he brings an abstract thought to musical form. After the originals, Mazzella played a couple of cover songs. Stevie Wonder's "Higher Ground" transformed a single guitar into an entire band coming from his nimble fingers. It was amazing. After a short break, Mazzella moved on to some flamenco-influenced arrangements. Regardless of what he played, I was mystified.

Mazzella grew up in New York and started playing guitar at age thirteen. He played in rock and heavy metal bands in clubs until he learned "all the Eddie Van Halen solos" and felt as if he had nowhere to progress. He found a new challenge in classical guitar and flamenco. The new format allowed him to expand his music much further.

We here in Northern Arizona are lucky to have the opportunity to see this guitar master.

--Jason Campbell, Flagstaff Live

Billboard Magazine

Mazzella makes a convincing argument for inclusion among rock's new generation of guitar heroes with this striking instrumental interpretation of the U2 hit. He does an astonishing job in creating the energy and pace of a full band with only one guitar. His fingers move like lightening and with a precision that will boggle the mind. This well-known cut is an excellent introduction to "The Birth," a collection of vivid and intricately constructed original compositions. --Larry Flick, Billboard Magazine

Long Island Live

An artist who uses his guitar the way a masterful painter uses a palette. Anthony Mazzella creates music that can be best described as tone paintings. This electric fingerstyle guitarist is capable of creating astonishing aural canvases. Combining the influences of Stanley Jordan, Michael Hedges, and a slew of other guitar wizards with his own innate creativity, Mazzella seems destined to carve out his own niche in the world of instrumental music.

Mazzella's performance at Heads and Tails in Roslyn elicited more than a few jaw-dropping moments from the audiences perspective. Watching the musician at work was akin to observing a painter possessed at the canvas. Every nerve attuned to his instrument. Every thought connected to a musical note. Mazzella dazzled those in attendance with a hour-long display of an ability that only a combination of natural talent and almost fanatical devotion to practice could produce.

The 10 song set was comprised of all original music save one. A mind-boggling rendition of U2's "Where the streets have no name." Somehow, Mazzella duplicated the entire feel of the original version in addition to recreating most of the instrumental backing of the song, on one guitar! The original material highlighted both Mazzella's technical mastery of the instrument and the depth of his imagination. A firm knowledge of a host of musical genres was evident with elements of rock, folk, blues, jazz, classical, and Eastern music threading their way through his compositions.

During "Another Place, Some Other Time" It was easy to imagine a musical conversation between Stanley Jordan and Michael Hedges as Mazzella employed both musicians' approaches, the result of which was a highly unusual hybrid. Later, he played a tribute to the guitar innovations of Eddie Van Halen, in which he coaxial violin and brass sounds from his guitar.

Perhaps the most impressive of them all was "Azalea/Obstacles of life/The Birth" With this trilogy, Mazzella pulled together every musical nuance within his grasp creating an art gallery of moods and colors.

--Long Island Live