Rob Zuzin

Guitarist Rob Zuzin covers a range of styles in his live performances and original compositions.  In both cases, the guitar is the defining element of the music.  Whether it is solo instrumental, accompaniment for singing, or part of a group, the music is approached as guitar music first. The guitar was the focus of his latest recording, Platforms.

Platforms, released in the fall of 2016, features nine original instrumental pieces created for the acoustic steel string guitar.  The album is a culmination of a diverse yet focused musical experience.

This musical experience includes years performing as a solo guitarist in addition to playing with numerous rock groups.  A love of composition and music production resulted in degrees in each field, and a desire to share the finer points of the guitar and music with others was realized through endeavors as a teacher and a writer.   

It is hard to imagine modern music without the guitar, and the alluring elements of the instrument appear throughout Rob’s playing.  Driving rhythms, compelling melodic moments, and solos that dance on the fretboard are balanced within a unique voice that reflects the experience of a guitarist in this time.  

Rob Zuzin’s latest release, Platforms, features music that blends the stylistic elements of the acoustic guitar and varying proportions of melody and rhythm balanced with lead passages that explore the extreme possibilities of the fretboard. 

The melodic components are the focal point of Move, where the counterpoint briefly expands to include three simultaneous voices.  Call Signs highlights the rhythmic interplay between melody and meter as the main theme appears on the last 16th note of each beat. 

Hacksaw utilizes arpeggios that feature the open strings.  This stylistic device is one of the defining elements of Platforms, appearing extensively within the melody of Maeve’s Lament as well as during the faster passages that occur in 200 and Fly.

The most lyrical track of Platforms is On Snow, On Winter, but most of the pieces contain compact melodies.  This brevity of melodic material is another unifying component of Platforms, and is the basis of Circles, where the opening melody resolves to a three note rhythmic pulse.  In Momentum, the compact melodies are juxtaposed against a galloping rhythmic bass line that is punctuated by brief solos.

The music of Platforms is bold, with rock and roll sensibilities such as driving rhythms and melodic passages delivered with a sense of urgency.  Each composition brings out the best of the steel string acoustic guitar featuring gutsy articulation and spirited phrasing while reflecting a culmination of the popular styles that the instrument inspired.