"Based in Los Angeles, Larry Martus boldly goes solo for his debut recording, even more boldly featuring an all-original playlist. Martus has been playing guitar since age 11 after first experimenting with trumpet and other instruments. Initially studying classical guitar, he was drawn to the music of Pat Metheny, John Scofield, John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola, and later Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, and Joe Pass. As a student at the Berklee College of Music, Larry encountered John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Bill Evans, Charlie Parker and more, and it is the collective influence of these muses that informs his compositions and approach to performance. Transcendence unfolds like a series of 14 small dioramas in a single exhibit, each offering a subtly different perspective drawn from a single and gentle world view. Martus’ classical/acoustic upbringing shines throughout, as do the ghosts of Joe Pass and Bill Evans, creating an album of luminous passion and harmonic elegance. The recording itself has the intimacy of a private listening room, or as Martus notes on his website, “If you close your eyes while listening to this album, you may feel like you're right there in the middle of the recording session!” The equipment varies from low to high tech, but Martus has an all-acoustic heart. Martus is somewhat of a gearhead, recording Transcendence with a range of tools from a nylon-string acoustic on the classically shaped, luxuriously circumspect “Adagio” to the 21st century equipment used on the melodically shifting “Soliloquy,” thickly woven, rhythmically engaging “Prizm” and counterpointellist upper, “All Things in Time.” Delights abound on the remainder of the album, brought to life through a variety of mostly older Gibson and Fender gear. “Until Then” is a sweet ballad begging for lyrics; “Extensions” has a more contemporary, Metheny-esque sound, a more spare structure with chiming reverb underlying the series of improvisations; “Quixotism” tilts at sonic windmills with playful dexterity; “Ins and Outs” feels like a boppish reconstruction of a tune from the Great American Songbook with some daring runs; “Song for Christine” has a back-country flavored melody pushed along by bassline phrases; “Window of Your Soul” might be retitled “Window to Larry’s Soul”, its reflections revealing layers of the composer’s vision. Indeed, the suite as a whole mirrors the soul of a poet working with aural watercolor rather than words. This is an auspicious debut from a gifted composer/performer who undoubtedly has a lot more to say." Andrea Canter, Contributing Editor Jazz Police