Enter The Hydra

Enter The Hydra is guitarist Michael Coppola's trio album, and the first CD on which Michael plays his one-of-a-kind 9-string guitar (the Hydra). The disc features Phil Bowler (Wynton Marsalis) on upright bass and Paul Hannah on drums and is a collection of seven standards and three originals. The trio explores various odd time meters and polyrhythms throughout. Jim Fisch writes in the liner notes, "The listener with notice immediately how Coppola's chords shimmer with a heavenly and heretofore unhead brilliance. His melodies - of which he seems to possess an inexhaustible supply - take unexpected courses, as he deftly weaves his way up, down and across his axe's strings. Coppola, Bowler and Hannah approached the recording sharing a common vision and standard of excellence resulting in an empathetic, singular musical experience. It all comes back to Coppola's use of the word 'tone'. My dictionary defines it as 'the quality of sound.' Simply put, this is what the music on Enter The Hydra is all about."