LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts/ By Rick Scott/ Great Scott Productions) - The soundtrack to an alluring world voyage, a festive exaltation of music, art and life, guitarist
Lawson Rollins' solo debut album, Infinita, was released last week (May 20) via the artist's Infinita Records, distributed by Baja/TSR Records. The collection of eleven original compositions, guided by Rollins' classical Spanish guitar, explores diverse cultures and unveils intriguing and tantalizing mysteries with the spirit of romance. Rollins wrote the album and produced with Shahin Shahida (of the Persian-American group Shahin & Sepehr) and Dominic Camardella (Ottmar Liebert, Flora Purim, Airto Moreira). Virtuoso musicianship, soulfully inspired songs and meticulous production values create infinitely exciting possibilities, free in form and spontaneity yet cohesive and focused.
The title track, blessed with divine vocals from Brazilian chanteuse Purim, was the first single serviced to smooth jazz and college radio stations. It was the No 1 most-added single in its first week at smooth jazz radio and has been the No 1 most-added single at college radio in three consecutive weeks. "Infinita" is receiving national radio spins from outlets including XM Satellite Radio, DMX and Music Choice. YouTube honored a brief yet astounding Rollins performance clip as a "Music Spotlight" selection and placed the clip on its home page over the weekend, which generated over 500,000 views in one day and almost 700,000 views to date (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQ9PRzIyzFA). iTunes selected Infinita's cover art to be featured at the top of their World Music page. The album will be featured in listening station programs at major retail chains across the country throughout the summer.
Rollins is a prodigious professional committed to using music to celebrate cultural uniqueness while making the world seem just a little smaller. With his dexterous fretwork serving as the luminous golden thread thoughtfully laced throughout Infinita's opulent musical tapestries, Latin, Indian, Persian, Arabic, Middle Eastern and European percussion and rhythms beat the path for lilting guitar and graceful piano melodies to roam unimpeded through expansive fields of World Music and jazz. Authenticity was important to the San Francisco-based Rollins, thus he surrounded himself with a masterful ensemble capable of bringing his vision to fruition.
Early reviews are praising Infinita. In the All Music Guide, veteran critic Jonathan Widran called the album a "masterful genre-busting collection of Latin, Indian, Persian, Arabic, South American and European sounds." and described it as a ".provocative and seductive project."
SmoothJazz.com enthused, "It's impossible to resist the ethnically diverse grooves that drive Lawson Rollins' new multi-cultural solo debut.
From the loungey, 'Cafe Jobim' featuring Purim, to the rich groove of 'In Motion,' to the cinematic, Middle Eastern-influenced 'New World Raga,' Lawson Rollins carves out his solo place in the eclectic world of nu music."
Midwest Record stated, "Totally tasty adult world beat stuff that'll really get your ears tingling." Music Graffiti wrote, "There's an unmistakable Mediterranean aesthetic in Lawson Rollins' music. But the collection exhibits reservoirs of Latin and African rhythm and texture. The roster of artists is stellar, almost like the Yankees of old - not a single light spot in the batting order.
This is an album that satisfies the casual listener's moods and the thirsty quest of more discerning musicphiles." Smooth-Jazz.de concluded, "Lawson's album Infinita is a must for serious lovers of the acoustic guitar."
Additional information about Rollins is available at www.lawsonrollins.com.
