Charles Colizza, Hug The Devil Review

Born in Montreal, Canada, guitarist Charles Colizza began his entry into music at the tender age of six to discover his primary instrument, guitar, at age twelve. Winner of the student competition of jazz performers named after Oscar Peterson, it was quickly becoming evident that Colizza was on a path of excellence. Colizza has been living in New York, and the city is one of the biggest inspirations to his debut album Hug The Devil. Comprised of originals with the addition of Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love,” the album explores a vast sonic tapestry of jazz styles.

Bottom Line:  Hug The Devil features jazz styles ranging from modern jazz, post-bop, and free jazz. “Ground Zero,” lives up to its name. It is the nucleus of the album itself, the anchoring point of introduction that livens the palette of the album’s colorizations. Or the edgy in your face Mmm… Yeah Sure,” that signals Colizza means business. On the title track “Hug the Devil,” Colizza explores the creative improvisational aspect of free jazz employing various moods and textures with the beauty of space and angularity. That is not to say the album does not explore the beauty, “Stiff Breeze,” is filled with ornamentation of modern jazz, but with a slow-burning sensuality that builds with intensity as each not passes. As a guitarist, Colizza uses the full range of the guitar as he chooses his colorizations with thoughtful anticipation of the composition in service to the music’s improvisational qualities and intricacies. A gifted guitarist that goes beyond just chops, his rhythm, ideas, and concept of presenting originals is thought-provokingly convincing on Hug the Devil. That’s the short of it!

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