Reviews of “Proof of Light”

“The sound of this music is bigger than its component parts. Maybe it’s guitar marvel Mark Wingfield’s careening reverb, his vibrato or sustain…Wingfield’s guitar as a piercing, darting, spectral sound full of artful glissandi… the guitarist seemingly winging it but really guiding the song’s intricate contours… full of life from a generous spirit.”
Downbeat * * * * ½ (John Ephland)

“Wingfield possesses the goods to be a world-beater… sparking vivid notions that the guitar is an extension of his soul.”
“Astounding virtuosity and unique voice.”
“Many artists and technicians within the perceivable inner circle recognize Wingfield as a force to be reckoned with.”
“Akin to guitar heroes, Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix, Wingfield makes his guitar howl, sing, and cry for mercy amid flickering single note runs.”
All About Jazz (Glenn Astarita)

“Mark Wingfield is undoubtedly one of the greatest guitarists of recent years worldwide…. His languid, plaintive, spiritual sound, ambient and personal… guitar seems to be occasionally in some sparkling Hindu robes that find their ally In the drumbeats of Asaf Sirkis… atmospheres and silences to make Yaron Stavi sing on his double bass.”
TOMAJAZZ (Barcelona) (Enrique Farelo)

“Astonishing” “Mark’s guitar is going to take you to spaces you’ve never explored before” “Will bring back memories only you are privy to – “How does he do that”, you’ll be asking yourself.”
Improvijazzation Nation

“Guitarists who offer a truly individual style, something to say beyond technique, are harder to find. Mark Wingfield falls into the latter category…. Command interest not only because Wingfield and his bandmates are ridiculously gifted craftsmen, but also because they crave innovation and risk…. you simply never know what sonic treat is around the next corner.”
Relix Magazine (NYC USA) (Jeff Tamarkin)

“Mark Wingfield has created a unique electric guitar vocabulary… his playing is characteristically deep, nuanced, and inventive. 
Guitar Player
 (USA) (Barry Cleveland)

“Here Mark Wingfield unquestionably proves that he can become a giant… Coltrane’s style, comes to the fore in several ways… Mark Wingfield served with his silky melodic sound fits generously with the artists on the legendary Munich ECM label.”
Rock Times (Germany)

“The tones Wingfield is able to squeeze out of his instrument are truly remarkable… Lightning fast fusion to slow sustained highs, his playing is exceptional… giving the music an ethereal quality with tremendous atmosphere… Wingfield is a remarkable player ably demonstrating his fabulous dexterity and keen sense of tone.”
Sea of Tranquility (New York) (Jon Neudorf)

“The vocal dimension that’s so central to Wingfield’s playing. His lines undulate melismatically much like a singer’s, and the cry of his playing exudes an emotional immediacy characteristic of the human voice.”

“will appeal to fans of progressive guitar playing is a dramatic understatement; it would be more correct to describe the album as an essential addition to any such fan’s collection.”
Textura (Ontario Canada)

“The ethereal, bending howl of the leader’s guitar leads the ear in other directions… expressiveness and singing lines… a distinctive, pitching bending, now wailing, now growling sound stretching out slow moving melodies… The themes and melodic lines hint at music from a myriad of cultures… Full of energy and emotion… Fans of the continually expanding frontier of music blending rock, jazz and eclectic influences will want to have this album on repeat.”
LondonJazz (UK) (Mike Collins)

“Enchantingly wondrous… Six-string savant searches the darkest reaches of personal universe… everybody talks about his unique approach and amazing technique… while almost ignoring the pleasure his sonic creations bring… brightness of the true master”
DME (Canada) (Dmitry M. Epstein)

“As a guitarist he has earned the highest recognition amongst professional colleagues with his melodic, signature style of playing… sometimes majestic, in other parts mysterious and always surprises you with its turns, twists and inflections… Mark Wingfield plays with the imagination of the listeners… evokes memories and associations”
Grand Gtrs (Germany) Kerstin Baramsky

Guitar Player Magazine’s editor Barry Cleveland selected Mark for his Top 40 Guitar Player Artist InterviewsOther guitarists on the list are such luminaries as Jeff Beck, Wayne Krantz, Eric Clapton, Mike Stern, David Gilmour, Allan Holdsworth, Mark Knopfler, Martin Taylor, Bill Frisell, Ry Cooder, John McLaughlin, Johnny Marr, Ralph Towner, Daniel Lanois, David Torn, Paco de Lucia, John Scofield, Adrian Belew and Terje Rypdal.

“His superb phrasing is just the start. It’s his choices in tone and the way his notes spill into unusual areas that make the biggest impression. They just coat your ear holes with gooey goodness… the chops of god… a unique voice, singular approach and defined sense of journey. This work takes you to places serene and stimulating.”
Modmove (Australia) (Rob Hudson)

“As a guitarist Mark Wingfield is quite extraordinary… As a guitar player Mark Wingfield is very inventive, creating something fresh, in a truly original style.”
Background Magazine (Holland) (Pedro Bekkers)

“One of the best jazz guitarists in the world… He has raised the bar”
HPF (Budapest, Hungary)

“Mark Wingfield’s music soars high above the subliminal, the terrestrial, the mundane, transporting us with his musical voyage… His guitar takes on the role of a vocalist or a horn – shimmering and sometimes bellowing with expression and imagery of profound beauty… Progressive innovative guitar at its finest! Five stars!”
Jerry Gordon WPRB FM, Princeton (USA)

LondonJazz Best 10 albums of the year

“A mesmerisingly atmospheric, evocative, even (appropriately) cinematic set of music… The sort of allusive, contemplative jazz that has come to be associated with ECM… This is a subtle, often dramatic, but always wholly enjoyable album.” LondonJazz

Mark’s latest album with Kevin Kastning was named as one of the favourite albums of the year by NYC‘s premier radio station WFMU

“A fantastic, expansive and adventurous album from two master musicians. Unquestionably, one of the best albums of this or any other year.” Anil Prasad of Innerviews

Guitarists Mark Wingfield and Kevin Kastning attracted a host of rave reviews for their previous album together (‘extraordinary beauty’, ‘fantastic, expansive and adventurous’, ‘sublime’) and this duo recording contains seventeen reasons why… Wingfield’s searingly eloquent electric guitar against the astonishing plethora of sounds obtained by Kastning…‘new acoustic landscapes of imagination and deep introspection’, and that is a pretty accurate description of what Wingfield and Kastning deliver throughout an intriguing and consistently gripping set.”
LondonJazz (Chris Parker)

“Celebrated British guitarist” Guitar Player Magazine

“Mark Wingfield shifts from Eno-esque ambient soundscapes…to ripping rock-tinged abandon… to cinematic guitar-synth.” “Dramatic” “Intriguing” Bill Milkowski, JazzTimes

“Virtuoso” Guitar Player Magazine

“Abstract paintings in sound evolve into a ballad that actually tells a story from the heart.” Jazzreview.com

“Wingfield’s forward-thinking exploration of smart, swinging, and highly melodic globally informed jazz.” Barry Cleveland, Guitar Player Magazine

“Brit guitar hero” JazzTimes

“I found myself amazed” The WholeNote

“Irresistible beauty” “Extraordinary” “Sublime” “Magnificent” LUX ATENEA

“Sleeper Street exemplifies his determination to take his instrument into previously-unknown territory” Anil Prasad, InnerViews

“All in, Sleeper Street is a great slice of contemporary UK jazz combining muscular virtuosity, cinematic soundscapes and distinctive compositional style with admirable authority.” Guitarist Magazine

“Wingfield’s guitar playing is mysterious, majestic, and blazing in turns” Guitar Player Magazine

“The six string winged, improvising shaman” Music That Matters

“Innovator” The Guardian

“Wingfield’s musical eclecticism is well attested… very distinctive-sounding” JazzWise

“Unique and sophisticated…one of England’s most accomplished players.” Guitar Player Magazine

“Setting scenes and moods that also invite the listener to pick up their mental brushes and paint their own pictures.” Jazzreview.com

The Kastning/ Wingfield duo not only convince the listener of a very high level of guitar playing but also of deep philosophic thinking. The compositions build up of countless layers in such a magic way that in every relistening newer, other layers open up. The I walked into the silver darkness is the most remarkable guitar album of the first half of 2011.” HiFi Portal Magazine

“Literally scaling new heights sonically” FAME

“Almost moved me to tears.” BBC

“Wingfield is proving to be a key proponent of adventurous, swinging and modern instrumental jazz-rock fusion in the 21st century.”MWE3

“Consistently brilliant and forward-thinking” Guitar Player Magazine

“Wingfield and Kastning are surely pushing the envelope with this disc.” “Two extremely gifted guitarists” “I am in awe of how they can express themselves by travelling through every region of the instrument, often with what seems like effortless abandon. This collection of original instrumental pieces will impress all guitarists, no doubt.” The WholeNote

“Guitar virtuoso” “Uplifting” “Inspiration” Guitar Techniques Magazine

“Cinematic eloquence… command of electronic textures… and swooping-bird evocations” The Guardian

“Often soaring in the upper registers, Wingfield’s guitar hovers above…” JazzWise

“Contemporary jazz doesn’t get any better than this.”Fretwired

“One of the UK’s best new composers” SPNM

“One of today’s most creative transatlantic musical voices” BMIC