There aren't a lot, but here are my favorite Jazz-Rock-Fusion releases from the 2000s:
1. GREGG KOFI BROWN Together As One (2005) (World Music, Jazz-Funk, Jazz-Pop, J-R Fusion)
Produced and performed (and mostly composed) by the Nicolosi Family for Nicolosi Productions at the Nicolosi Studios, obviously this Milanese family cares deeply about helping to keep jazz, jazz-Rock Fusion, and Jazz Funk as living, viable music alternatives. Gregg Brown has distinguished himself by promoting the Afro-beat music of Ghana since the 1980s with the band Osibisa (for 34 years) (as well as Ekomé), Youssou N'Dour, Lauren Hill, Damon Albarn, Bombino, and Billy Cobham.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Gregg Kofi Brown / vocals, composer, bass
- Novecento / composition, production
- Lino Nicolosi / guitars
- Pino Nicolosi / keyboards
- Rossana Nicolosi / bass
- Marco Fadda / percussion
- Dora Nicolosi / background vocals
With:
- Sting / vocals (1)
- Dominic Miller / guitars (1, 8), composition (1, 8)
- Stanley Jordan / guitar & composition (5)
- Airto Moreira / percussion & vocals (6)
- Billy Cobham / drums (9)
And:
- Emanuele Cisi / saxophones [tenor & soprano]
- Fabrizio Boss / trumpet
- Riccardo Fioravanti / double bass
Additonal vocals provided by:
- Joe Cang, Lorna Marshall, Patti Boulaye, Teddy Osei, and Tim Hain
1. "Lullaby To An Anxious Child" (featuring Sting) (4:09) sounds like a classic STING song melded with some African traditional elements in the form of the Ghanaese chants. Nice operatic female background vocals behind Sting from (probably) Dora Nicolosi. The only problem with this fine song is the fact that we've already heard so many Sting songs structured and colored just like this one. Nice Dominic Miller-like acoustic guitar performance holding it all together beneath all of the vocalists. (8.875/10)
2. "Live As One" (featuring Novecento) (5:08) a great, laid-back groove that is built over a smooth jazz African-pop sound palette. It sounds very, very much like something SEAL could've done. (Is that Seal singing the lead vocal?) Incredible percussion play in the conga solo during the fourth and fifth minutes. (9.5/10)
3. "World Spirit" (featuring Novecento) (5:30) this song sounds very much like a continuation or alternate take of the previous song: groove, percussion, melodies, everything seems to be based on the elements of "Live as One" except for more layers (keyboards, guitars, bass, percussionists, and horns). The lyrics seem to borrow and vary Steve Miller's "Fly Like and Eagle." Nice smooth sax solo in the fifth and sixth minutes. (9/10)
4. "Wake Up The Morning" (featuring Des'ree, Gabrielle) (5:24) a gospel-like SEAL world anthem. Amazing energy and spirit! Definitely like a SEAL song--one co-created with KIRK FRANKLIN. I absolutely LOVE the African village sounds, noises, and chants throughout the song in the background, forming the background choir chants! I can definitely see/hear how Gregg could've been part of Ekomé. This is what music can do! (10/10)
5. "Sky Flower" (featuring Stanley Jordan) (4:51) I haven't heard Stanley Jordan since he first skyrocketed onto the scene with his solo two handed finger-tapping style in the late 1970s. After a very loose and seemingly-disorganized intro of tribal chants mixed with guitar, flute, and electronica sound magics over the first minute, everything suddenly gels into an awesome drum, bass, and Fender Rhodes groove over which Stanley Jordan soars and daredevils like a swallow. Great vocal from Gregg though the lyrics are totally lost on my cuz I'm so busy being astonished at the skills and melodies of all of the instrumentalists weaving beneath him. Wow! A song worth many listens. I can't fathom giving this anything less than full marks! So glad to have this reminder of the incredible talents of Mr. Jordan! (10/10)
6. "Aya A" (featuring Airto Moreira) (6:07) a percussion dream circle with both Gregg and Airto providing vocals (some worded, most chanted in a language that is not English). This is another song that sounds familiar--as if it came from (or was borrowed by) Sting on one of his mega-hit albums. (The descending chord progression and main melody here seems to imitate a pattern Sting used in constructing many of his famous songs. Perhaps he was a student/admirer of Ghanaese music & melodies.) (8.875/10)
7. "Midnight Flyer" (featuring Novecento) (7:00) an awesome, mostly-instrumental, whole-band, Latin-infused Jazz-Rock Fusion jam. (13.375/15)
8. "Tender Eyes" (featuring Dominic Miller) (4:48) with the gorgeous jazz-electric guitar of Dominic Miller we get a great jazz-pop song (with awesome background vocals) with a voice that sounds like the late great BILL WITHERS singing over music that is a cross between NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN, EARTH, WIND & FIRE, and GEORGE BENSON. (9.75/10)
9. "Shadow" (featuring Billy Cobham) (4:59) I don't know who wrote this song (Gregg, Pino and Lino) but it is one heckuva groove with quite the musicianship from top to bottom. This could easily be a huge pop hit (I'm not sure why it hasn't been)! The organ and bass parts are incredibly infectious and the jazz guitar is awesome as well. (10/10)
10. "Je Fre Me Kofi" (6:46) a little Acid Jazz in this one! A composition of Pino and Lino's, this one is as infectious as any of the grooves and melodies It's an instrumental which begs the question: who is playing what? What is Gregg Kofi Brown's instrument (besides voice)? (15/15)
Total time: 49:54
I find it interesting that the only "weak" song on this album happen to be the one "featuring" the most notable/famous guest.
94.89 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; an absolute masterpiece of beautifully-blended Jazz-Rock Fusion, Jazz-Funk, Smooth Jazz, Jazz-Pop, and African pop influences. This music makes me so happy! Definitely one of the best albums (much less Jazz-Rock Fusion albums) of the Naughties.
2. UZVA Uoma (2006) (Jazz-Rock/Folk Fusion)
Over 71 minutes of wonderful folk-tinged instrumental jazz fusion from this seven-member jam band (and a whole mess of guests) from Finland. Throughout the album I enjoy the electric instruments like the bass and the drum kit drumming, but it is the traditional folk and classical instrumentation that really love: harp, violin and strings, xylophone, marimba and other hand percussions, flutes, and other woodwinds (sax, bassoon, clarinet). I also seem to enjoy the slower parts best--even though the album never gets going at break-neck speeds, they just have a brilliant way of magnifying the weave of melodies during the slower sections.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Heikki Puska / lead, slide & acoustic guitars, piano (5,6), bass (5,6,9), percussion (5-10)
- Lauri Kajander / rhythm guitar
- Antti Lauronen / soprano, sopranino & tenor saxophones, flute, piccolo flute, dizi, quena, tárogató, bass clarinet
- Heikki Rita / clarinet
- Veikka Pohto / bass
- Ville Väätäinen / drums
- Olli Kari / vibes, marimba, glockenspiel, percussions
With:
- Lari Latvala / violin
- Inka Eerola / violin (10)
- Tuure Paalanen / cello
- Saara Rautio / harp
- Timo Kortesmäki / bassoon
- Aarne Riikonen / drums (1,5,6,9)
1. "Kuoriutuminen, part 1" (2:10) flute, bassoon, cello, and harp open this with a gorgeously woven lines that, when woven together as they are, create incredibly beautiful chords--incredibly beautiful symphonic music. The composer of this music (tuned percussion player Olli Kari) really knows what he's doing! (5/5)
2. "Kuoriutuminen, part 2" (6:17) full rock/jazz contingent are now involved, carrying the melodies and emotions forward in an ensemble before switching to a two chord vamp for some electric guitar soloing and free-flowing vibraphone and glockenspiel beneath. Great drumming from Ville Väätäinen as Heiki Puska weaves several tracks of different soloing electric guitars together over the jazz-rock rhythm track. Bassist Veikka Pohto really steps forward with Ville joining him beneath Antti Lauronen's soprano saxophone solo in the fifth and sixth minutes while the guitarists go crazy beneath--both the lead and rhythm guitarists. Definitely a blues-rock vamp for the gang to jam over. What amazing musicianship! (9.25/10)
3. "Kuoriutuminen, part 3" (5:08) here we downshift back to the bucolic folk melodies (even led by the flutist before Heikki and the rest of the band join in and drive that gorgeous melody deep into our brains. (10/10)
4. "Different Realities" (11:14) a brassy three-part suite that sounds like American jazz rock. The middle movement is great with its emotional melodies and the final movement with its awesome STEELY DAN/Larry Carlton-like guitar play are my favorite parts (though I really adore the constant, fluid yet-active support of that xylophone!). (18.3333/20)
5. "Chinese Daydream, part 1" (3:12) opening with harp leading the way for a group of Asian percussion instruments through some gorgeous Westernized Asian chord progressions. In the second half of the second minute Asian clay flute soars above the continuing harp chord-flow while percussives continue adding their intermittent accents. (9.5/10)
6. "Chinese Daydream, part 2" (5:43) The second half of the two-part suite sees the full jazz band getting involved in recapitulating the main themes with their own jazz-band ideas and interpretations. The melodies the band "sees" for this interpretation are quite gorgeous--reminding me of a cross between Burt Bacharach and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (though only in melody, not in style or sound). Great doubled up acoustic guitars in the fourth minute before the horns, tuned percussions, piano, and electric guitar get involved. Amazing! (9.75/10)
7. "Arabian Ran-Ta" (9:59) great even-tempoed folk-infused Jazz-Rock-World Fusion. (19/20)
8. "Vesikko, part 1" (4:00) a rockin' opening that reminds me of both HUMBLE GRUMBLE and a bit of Änglagård. In the second half it starts getting even thicker and heavier, reminding me, for about a minute, of MAGMA. (8.875/10)
9. "Vesikko, part 2" (6:14) the folkier side of jazz with FLAIRCK coming to mind as well as, a little later, CAMEMBERT and OIAPOK. I absolutely LOVE THIS! Xylophones, glockenspiel, marimba, flutes, bass, and lots of percussion (and, later, harp and cello) all involved in creating a very beautiful, very rich, very Oriental sonosphere. It does lose a little of its momentum and cohesion as it approaches its finish and transition to "part 3." (9.375/10)
10. "Vesikko, part 3" (12:56) Back to some more heavier CAMEMBERT-like jazz-quirk before trying to move again into the Zeuhl-ish territory. This does not last long before the band decide to take a totally different side street--one that incorporates some very American melodies (like a combination of "MacArthur's Park" and The Allman Brothers (and Derek & the Dominoes) before turning FROM.UZ). In the seventeenth minute all I hear is "Crashmind" from FROM.UZ's 2008 album, Overlook. Nice guitar soloing (from both electric guitar and pedal steel guitar--thus the Allman Brothers reference) over the tuned percussion. Such ground-breaking music: I know that there are several prog bands in the near future who will make great use of this kind of sound palette and stylistic approach. Wow! What a cacophony of instruments somehow blending together to make that amazing weave over the 19th, 20th, and 21st minutes! (23.5/25)
11. "Lullaby" (4:22) very gently picked acoustic guitar opens this playing all alone before Saara Rautio's harp joins in (on two tracks!). Flutes and bassoon join in during the second minute, then a key change results in the offering of some knee-buckling melodies: coming from several wind instruments all at the same time, each one different yet forming perfect harmonies and a weave that is quite heavenly. It's rather hard to believe that all of this started (and ends) with but a simple arpeggio. (9.875/10)
Total Time: 71:21
There's a lot of music here, but it is all incredible: worth every single minute of one's attention. After years of sitting with this music--revisiting it never enough--I am ready to give this album its due as one of the greatest albums of the Naughties--and definitely the best Jazz-Rock Fusion album of that decade! Simply amazing!
94.61 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of masterfully-composed and performed folk-based jazz-World Music fusion. ESSENTIAL! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Heikki Puska / lead, slide & acoustic guitars, piano (5,6), bass (5,6,9), percussion (5-10)
- Lauri Kajander / rhythm guitar
- Antti Lauronen / soprano, sopranino & tenor saxophones, flute, piccolo flute, dizi, quena, tárogató, bass clarinet
- Heikki Rita / clarinet
- Veikka Pohto / bass
- Ville Väätäinen / drums
- Olli Kari / vibes, marimba, glockenspiel, percussions
With:
- Lari Latvala / violin
- Inka Eerola / violin (10)
- Tuure Paalanen / cello
- Saara Rautio / harp
- Timo Kortesmäki / bassoon
- Aarne Riikonen / drums (1,5,6,9)
1. "Kuoriutuminen, part 1" (2:10) flute, bassoon, cello, and harp open this with a gorgeously woven lines that, when woven together as they are, create incredibly beautiful chords--incredibly beautiful symphonic music. The composer of this music (tuned percussion player Olli Kari) really knows what he's doing! (5/5)
2. "Kuoriutuminen, part 2" (6:17) full rock/jazz contingent are now involved, carrying the melodies and emotions forward in an ensemble before switching to a two chord vamp for some electric guitar soloing and free-flowing vibraphone and glockenspiel beneath. Great drumming from Ville Väätäinen as Heiki Puska weaves several tracks of different soloing electric guitars together over the jazz-rock rhythm track. Bassist Veikka Pohto really steps forward with Ville joining him beneath Antti Lauronen's soprano saxophone solo in the fifth and sixth minutes while the guitarists go crazy beneath--both the lead and rhythm guitarists. Definitely a blues-rock vamp for the gang to jam over. What amazing musicianship! (9.25/10)
3. "Kuoriutuminen, part 3" (5:08) here we downshift back to the bucolic folk melodies (even led by the flutist before Heikki and the rest of the band join in and drive that gorgeous melody deep into our brains. (10/10)
4. "Different Realities" (11:14) a brassy three-part suite that sounds like American jazz rock. The middle movement is great with its emotional melodies and the final movement with its awesome STEELY DAN/Larry Carlton-like guitar play are my favorite parts (though I really adore the constant, fluid yet-active support of that xylophone!). (18.3333/20)
5. "Chinese Daydream, part 1" (3:12) opening with harp leading the way for a group of Asian percussion instruments through some gorgeous Westernized Asian chord progressions. In the second half of the second minute Asian clay flute soars above the continuing harp chord-flow while percussives continue adding their intermittent accents. (9.5/10)
6. "Chinese Daydream, part 2" (5:43) The second half of the two-part suite sees the full jazz band getting involved in recapitulating the main themes with their own jazz-band ideas and interpretations. The melodies the band "sees" for this interpretation are quite gorgeous--reminding me of a cross between Burt Bacharach and Herb Alpert & the Tijuana Brass (though only in melody, not in style or sound). Great doubled up acoustic guitars in the fourth minute before the horns, tuned percussions, piano, and electric guitar get involved. Amazing! (9.75/10)
7. "Arabian Ran-Ta" (9:59) great even-tempoed folk-infused Jazz-Rock-World Fusion. (19/20)
8. "Vesikko, part 1" (4:00) a rockin' opening that reminds me of both HUMBLE GRUMBLE and a bit of Änglagård. In the second half it starts getting even thicker and heavier, reminding me, for about a minute, of MAGMA. (8.875/10)
9. "Vesikko, part 2" (6:14) the folkier side of jazz with FLAIRCK coming to mind as well as, a little later, CAMEMBERT and OIAPOK. I absolutely LOVE THIS! Xylophones, glockenspiel, marimba, flutes, bass, and lots of percussion (and, later, harp and cello) all involved in creating a very beautiful, very rich, very Oriental sonosphere. It does lose a little of its momentum and cohesion as it approaches its finish and transition to "part 3." (9.375/10)
10. "Vesikko, part 3" (12:56) Back to some more heavier CAMEMBERT-like jazz-quirk before trying to move again into the Zeuhl-ish territory. This does not last long before the band decide to take a totally different side street--one that incorporates some very American melodies (like a combination of "MacArthur's Park" and The Allman Brothers (and Derek & the Dominoes) before turning FROM.UZ). In the seventeenth minute all I hear is "Crashmind" from FROM.UZ's 2008 album, Overlook. Nice guitar soloing (from both electric guitar and pedal steel guitar--thus the Allman Brothers reference) over the tuned percussion. Such ground-breaking music: I know that there are several prog bands in the near future who will make great use of this kind of sound palette and stylistic approach. Wow! What a cacophony of instruments somehow blending together to make that amazing weave over the 19th, 20th, and 21st minutes! (23.5/25)
11. "Lullaby" (4:22) very gently picked acoustic guitar opens this playing all alone before Saara Rautio's harp joins in (on two tracks!). Flutes and bassoon join in during the second minute, then a key change results in the offering of some knee-buckling melodies: coming from several wind instruments all at the same time, each one different yet forming perfect harmonies and a weave that is quite heavenly. It's rather hard to believe that all of this started (and ends) with but a simple arpeggio. (9.875/10)
Total Time: 71:21
There's a lot of music here, but it is all incredible: worth every single minute of one's attention. After years of sitting with this music--revisiting it never enough--I am ready to give this album its due as one of the greatest albums of the Naughties--and definitely the best Jazz-Rock Fusion album of that decade! Simply amazing!
94.61 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of masterfully-composed and performed folk-based jazz-World Music fusion. ESSENTIAL! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
3. BILLY COBHAM Drum 'n' Voice - All That Groove (2001) (Smooth Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Jazz-Funk, J-R Fusion)
Billy and friends are in Milano. They're game to jam with local legends like the Nicolosi Family who comprised the pop-R&B band Novecento back in the day. This is the result of those sessions.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Billy Cobham / drums, co-producer
With:
- Dora Nicolosi / vocals (2, 8, 10)
- Giuseppe Neri / vocals (10)
- Gregg Brown / vocals (2, 5)
- Rick Baily / vocals (6)
- Troy Parrish / voice (3, 7)
- "Lino" Nicolosi / guitar (2-6, 9), arranger & co-producer
- "Pino" Nicolosi / keyboards, arranger & co-producer
- Fabrizio Bosso / trumpet & flugelhorn (2, 4, 5, 7, 9)
- Randy Brecker / trumpet (4)
- Amik Guerra / trumpet (4, 7)
- Emanuele Cisi / soprano & tenor saxes (2, 4, 8, 9)
- Michael Brecker / tenor sax (10)
- Leonardo Govin / trombone (4, 7)
- Lorenzo Ravazzani / viola (7, 9)
- Giorgio Molteni / violin (7, 9)
- Luca DeMuro / cello (7, 9)
- Rossana Nicolosi / bass
- Riccardo Fioravanti / double bass (1, 5)
- Eddie Gomez / double bass (8)
- Marco Fadda / percussion
1. "Africa's Sounds" (4:32) great opener of smooth jazz. Billy still has it! (9.3333/10)
2. "Shadow" (4:46) a cool jazzy pop/R&B song with great organ play from Pino Nicolosi and awesome bass and guitar from the other two Nicolosi brothers, Rossana and Lino, respectively. Sister Dora Nicolosi also makes an apearance as Gregg Brown's foil and backup singer. (8.875/10)
3. "Red Baron" (7:44) Troy Parrish speaking the lyrics over the funky music (of a Billy classic?) Never a huge fan of the original (off of Spectrum) but this one is groovin/dance-worthy. (13.5/15)
4. "Okky Dokky" (4:41) great melodic smooth jazz with a 90s Soul II Soul-like Acid Jazz feel. Excellent horn contributions, but such a great groove played by Billy, Rossana, and Marco Fadda. I love this tune! (9.375/10)
5. "Jah Spirit" (5:02) great Acid Jazz music with Gregg Brown's Rastafarian vocal, Lino Nicolosi's excellent rhythm and smooth lead jazz guitar work over Rossana and Billy's killer collaboration. Great double bass solo from Riccardo Fioravanti in the mid-section as well and trumpeter Fabrizio Bosso in the final third. (9.25/10)
6. "I Want You Back" (4:57) great cruisin groove established by Rossana, Pino and Billy while vocalist Rick Baily provides a satisfactory R&B vocal over the top. The Rick's multi-voiced b vox are fun. Rossana Nicolosi is the real deal! Brother Lino provides a fun blast-from the past Eddie Van Halen "Beat It" like guitar shredding in the final 90 seconds. (9.125/10)
7. "Sensations" (5:32) more cool grooving: sounding like a cross between Barry White's old LOVE UNLIMITED ORCHESTRA and some of the 90s' best Acid Jazz grooves (even Swing Out Sister). AWesome trumpet solo from either Amik Guerra or Fabrizio Bosso in the second half of the song. Great, hypnotic groove! (Rossana: you go girl!) (9.25/10)
8. "Leaving Now" (6:26) Smooth Jazz set up for Manhattan Transfer-like pop-jazz vocal from Gayle Moran-sound-alike Dora Nicolosi. Eddie Gomez' always welcome double bass sounds a bit weird. Great smooth jazz "lounge" piano from brother Pino Nicolosi. A tough, complicated vocal is performed admirable but not quite as perfectly as a Barbra Streisand or Celine Dionne (or even Corinne Drewery) would have done. (9/10)
9. "Hands Up!" (5:11) 1980s Smooth Jazz/Soul/R&B heaven! Love the strings arrangement and performance, Pino's organ and electric piano play, the Italian horn section, and, of course, Rossana's awesome bass! No more cowbell! (9.25/10)
10. "Now That You've Gone" (5:07) more stellar Smooth Jazz with nice group vocals and awesome jazz electric guitar over the amazing Pino, Rossana, Billy, Marco Fadda rhythm section. (9/10)
Total time 53:58
I can't think of a 21st Century Jazz-Rock Fusion album that feeds my 1970s-Motown-raised soul better than this one!
92.10 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of funky Smooth Jazz.
4. BILLY COBHAM Drum 'n' Voice 2 (2006) (J-R Fusion)
The collaboration between one of Jazz-Rock Fusion's most loyal and iconic founders and Milano's Nicolosi family continues. The list of guests appearing here arouse high expectations of more serious Jazz-Rock Fusion.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Billy Cobham / drums
With:
- "Lino" Nicolosi / guitars, percussion (3), arranger & co-producer
- "Pino" Nicolosi / keyboards, Hammond, Fender Rhodes, arranger & co-producer
- Rossana Nicolosi / bass (2-5, 7, 9)
- Marco Fadda / percussion (1, 4, 5, 9)
- Brian Auger / Hammond (1)
- Buddy Miles / vocals (2)
- Frank Gambale / guitar (2)
- Michele Carrabba / tenor sax (4, 8)
- Pepe Ragonese / trumpet (4, 8)
- Mike Lindup / vocals (5)
- Dominic Miller / acoustic & electric guitars (5, 7)
- Airto Moreira / percussion (6, 7, 10), vocals (10)
- Jeff Berlin / bass solo (7)
- Jan Hammer / synthesizer solo (7)
- Juan Carlos Calderin / percussion (8)
- John Patitucci / bass (8)
- Dora Nicolosi / vocals (8, 9)
- Guy Barker / flugelhorn (9)
1. "Waveform" (5:04) all synth work, including the bass and programming, reminding me of the spirit of late 70s-early 80s techno-devourer Herbie Hancock. (8.875/10)
2. "Real Funk" (4:36) actually, funked up blues. Excellent blues-jazz guitar from Frank Gambale. Buddy Miles' vocal is okay--nothing extraordinary. (8.75/10)
3. "Running" (7:45) rich Fender Rhodes play from Pino with yet another amazing bass line from sister Rossana. Drums join in opening up the way for Lino's excellent electric guitar work. Billy's just holding time with rock solid tenacity. Great jam; feels a bit like a cross between music behind Al Jarreau and Narada Michael Walden though a step or two up in term of funkiness. Pino's keyboard synth work in the second half is as extraordinary as his brother is on guitar. What a perfect pair! No wonder they're such amazing songwriters! And their prowess only seems to grow the longer the song goes on (even when guitarist Lino Nicolosi shows off his rather exceptional percussion chops in the final minute)! (13.625/15)
4. "Final Destination" (6:53) not quite up to the level of the previous tunes, it takes the arrival of the horns in the second half of the second minute to really get things off the ground, then the interplay between Billy, Rossana and Marco Fadda really begins to shine. (13.375/15)
5. "One More Day To Live" (5:13) virtuoso acoustic guitarist Dominic Miller opens this song before the Nicolosi family join in, setting up a nice bed for vocalist Mike Lindup to lay his vocal in. He's got a nice voice--one that reminds me of Hall & Oates and England Dan & John Ford Coley--but not quite top tier material. Still a nice tune--not disappointing or detracting from the overall vibe of the album. Dominic doesn't really get much spotlight, but I guess that's okay. (8.875/10)
6. "Ozone Part. 1" (2:12) Billy attacks this song (a drum solo) with some new ideas and continued fervor. I am impressed. (5/5)
7. "Ozone Part. 2" (6:28) taking the previous song's ideas and putting it to music with the help of Novecento, Jeff Berlin, Jan Hammer, Dominic Miller (on gorgeous electric guitar), and Airto Moriera. Incredible Jazz-Rock Fusion of the old style! The presence of these old pals really pushes Billy to reach for heights we don't hear from him as often as we did in 1971-73. (9.667/10)
8. "Take Seven" (6:01) again Billy showing much more than time keeping, this bouncy rondo of Jazz-Rock Fusion turns a little smoother when the intro ends and Pino's Fender Rhodes gets singled out for the lead, but then it wavers back into J-R F territory. Rossana's thick bass sound is awesome at the very lowest end of the scale, and the horn accents are très important. Solos from guitar and, of course, John Patucci's bass are great, neither lasting too long before the band returns to the main riff. Michele Carrabba gets the next solo--one of the longest ones (with Patucci)--while Pino's Fender and the funk rhythm section holds full and solid from beneath. And then, sadly, the song is faded out. Too bad! Great groove with some truly stellar drumming exhibited from the Master. Dora Nicolosi is listed as a vocalist on this one (which is something I've grown to look forward to very much) but it's, unfortunately, only in a capacity as a melody supporter with her wordless vocalese. (9.25/10)
9. "Let Me Breathe" (4:23) great groove setting up a wonderful song for the exquisite voice and vocal performance of Dora Nicolosi. Awesome bass, drum, keys, and rhythm guitar accents, but also Guy Barker's flugelhorn solo in the fourth minute. Another song that fades out far too early for my liking. So smooth and enjoyable! A real earworm that carries on long after the song has ended. (9.25/10)
10. "Amazon" (2:11) a drum and percussion duet between Billy and Airto, two long-time buds. Airto's percussive wordless vocalese is like another percussionist in the conversation. (4.625/5)
Total time 51:03
The difference in this album from the previous Drum 'N' Voice collaboration with the Nicolosi family and other friends is in the display of much more of Billy's extraordinary skills--and far more ventures into the more sophisticated and complex realms of peak era Jazz-Rock Fusion--whereas the first Drum 'N' Voice seemed far more oriented toward melodic pop Jazz-Funk on which Billy was primarily a rock-solid time keeper.
91.29 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; another minor masterpiece of melodic, often grooving Jazz-Rock Fusion.
5. BONEY JAMES & RICK BRAUN Shake It Up! (2000) (Jazz-Pop, Smooth Jazz)
An album I picked up by chance and have loved from first listen to today with consistent enthusiasm.
1. "R.S.V.P." (4:44) happy-go-lucky Herb Alpert-like music. (9.3333/10)
2. "Grazin' in the Grass" (5:09) an appropriately high-spirited version of Philemon Hou's song from 1968. Great sax solo from Boney James. The vocal version at the end of the album is actually even better: even more spirited. (9.25/10)
3. "More Than You Know" (4:33) moving and engaging late nite Smooth Jazz. Great interplay and off-play between Boney & Rick. (9.3333/10)
4. "Shake It Up" (4:03) great melodic hooks create a fun, engaging pop-jazz tune of the kind Herb & The T. Brass used to make. Though quite solid, it's not quite as impressive in the musicianship areas as the previous songs. (8.875/10)
5. "Central Ave." (4:10) a great little catchy Smooth Jazz/R&B song that sounds as if it could've come off of an ANITA BAKER album. Great piano chord hooks with horn section melody making over the top allows for free-flowing sections in between for some really nice solos from both Boney and Rick. Smooth! (9.25/10)
6. "Love's Like That" (feat. Fourplay) (4:28) with the participation Bob James (keyboards), Larry Carlton (guitars), Nathan East (bass), and Harvey Mason (drums) what you get is a very solid, very Smooth tune but one in which no one really shines. (8.875/10)
7. "Song for My Father" (5:58) a gorgeous song with great muted horns over awesome bass, keys, and rhythm guitar work all propelled along by some awesome foundational melodic hooks. Boney's sax play is best in tandem with Rick but Rick's muted trumpet play is to die for! (9.25/10)
8. "Chain Reaction" (5:05) easily my favorite song of the album and one of my all-time favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion groove songs! Those melodic hooks! That cruising speed groove! Those amazing solos from Boney! Even the keyboard accents are awesome! And the way Rick and Boney play off of and feed each other is so energizing! And I'm not even started: the bass lines! The (11/10)
9. "The Stars Above" (5:09) the only weak song on the album and it's not even bad! Just a little more sedating and lounge-feeling. But the bass and guitar play is really exquisite! Kind of like old Bob James music from the 70s. I guess what it's lacking is the flashy, emotional solos from the bandleaders: they're good (the solos) just not wowing. (8.875/10)
10. "Grazin' in the Grass (Can You Dig It?)" (w/vocals) (4:21) the added spice of the female vocalists really brings this back to full dimensionality almost as good as the version The Friends of Distinction maded back in 1969. (9.3333/10)
Total length: 47:40
The duo on the marquee really had a gift with each other: co-creating earworm melodic hooks over great pop jazz-funk which would then feed each other to soar to awesome heights while keeping the listener fully engaged from start to finish. Albums like this don't come along very often!
94.375 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a masterpiece of Smooth Pop-Jazz that is in a class among the best--certainly the most enjoyable--Jazz-Rock Fusion I've heard since the 1970s.
6. HIROMI’S SONICBLOOM (HIROMI UEHARA) Time Control (2007) (Jazz-Rock Fusion)
Easily the most exciting, consistently high-level, creative jazz fusion album I've encountered in the 21st Century. Yes, there are a lot of sounds, riffs, passages familiar from my long love for and association with the music of CHICK COREA, but there also tons of fresh, mouth-jarring ideas expressed here--by all four of these incredible musicians. Guitarist David "Fuze" Fiuczynski is truly masterful and chamelonic in his playing--a brilliant foil to Hiromi's stellar, melodic, and often heartbreakingly beautiful keyboard playing. And the bass playing and drumming are often attention-getters, as well. I rate fully seven of this album's nine songs as absolute gems--masterpieces of highly engaging jazz fusion. An album that has never strayed far from my disc player (especially in the car) since I got it a few months ago. So glad "classic" jazz fusion is still being explored and adored somewhere!
*****Five star songs: 1. "Time Difference" (6:19) (10/10); 3. "Time Travel" (8:37) (9/10); 4. "Deep Into the Night" (9:02) (10/10); 6. "Time and Space" (7:56) (15/15); 7. "Time Control, or Controlled by Time" (8:29) (Sample is from a promotional excerpt) (10/10); 8. "Time Flies" (8:01) (9/10), and; 10. "Note from the Past" (12:09) (Sample is from a live performance, [16:13].) (10/10).
****Four star songs: 2. "Time Out" (6:39) (8/10); 5. "Real Clock vs. Body Clock = Jet Lag" (5:53) (7/10).
9. "Time's Up" (0:46), an interrupted brief take of "Note from the Past," which is not on the American version of Time Control, is the American CD's final song. On the Japanese version, the incredibly powerful "Note from the Past" is the finale.
92.22 on the Fish scales = A-/five stars, rare: an absolute modern masterpiece of Jazz Fusion and a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music in general.
7. KOOP Waltz for Koop (2001) (Jazz-Pop, Acid Jazz, NuJazz)
A totally refreshing example of some kind of nostalgic NuJazz from Swedish duo of Magnus Zingmark and Oscar Simonsson, going under the name KOOP.
Lineup / Musicians:
- Magnus Zingmark
- Oscar Simonsson
With:
- Dan Berglund / bass
- Ola Bothzén ' bongos
- Magnus Lindgren ' flute, brass (reeds)
- Matthias Ståhl / vibraphone
1. "Waltz for Koop" (featuring Cecilia Stalin) (3:06) (10/10)
2. "Tonight" (featuring Mikael Sundin) (2:54) (9.5/10)
3. "Baby" (featuring Cecilia Stalin) (3:47) (8.5/10)
4. "Summer Sun" (featuring Yukimi Nagano) (3:47) (8.75/10)
5. "Soul for Sahib" (3:37) (8.25/10)
6. "Modal Mile" (featuring Earl Zinger) (4:21) (9/10)
7. "In a Heartbeat" (featuring Terry Callier) (5:10) (9.5/10)
8. "Relaxin' at Club Fusion" (4:15) (8.75/10)
9. "Bright Nights" (featuring Yukimi Nagano) (3:55) love the weave of the vibes, brushed snare, bass, and vocalise combination during the introductory minute and twenty. Unfortunately, the song needed some change--a shift or detour somewhere along the way. (8.75/10)
Total length: 34:52
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a near-masterpiece and remarkably fresh expansion on the musical tract pioneered by MASSIVE ATTACK and the trip-hop and house music mixologists of the 1990s.
8. KBB Lost and Found (2000) (Proggy Jazz-Rock Fusion)
Amazing violin and keyboard led instrumental Prog Fusion from Japan that harkens back to the debut album of the 1978 supergroup UK as well as to late 1980s JEAN-LUC PONTY. Bass player, "Dani," drummer Shirou Sugano, keyboard player Toshimitsu Takahashi, and violinist/composer, Akihisa Tsuboy are all incredibly gifted musicians, but what's more, they each have an extraordinary gift for melody and rhythm. Also, a special shout out has to go to bass player, "Dani"--who is also the album's engineer--for his great recording/engineering job.
The album begins with the hard-driving, bass-grooving 1. "Hatenaki Shoudou" (6:24) (9/10)
2. "Catastrophe" (9:31) is an amazing offering of frenzied, multiple layered electric fusion (another mostly hard-driver) in which the band's cohesive play and interplay are put on full display. Parts jaw-dropping, parts are goose-bumpy gorgeous. Incredible song. (20/20)
3. "Antartica" (13:28) has a much more neoclassical, symphonic soundtrack feel to it. At times this sounds like something from traditional Scottish folk melodies, at times like a military march, at others concerto-like, and even some brooding KITARO-like folk. This is a complex and maturely constructed piece that only impresses. It's only shortcoming is in the flow and that it doesn't have quite the melodic draw of the previous two songs. (27/30)
4. "The Desert of Desires" (7:38) opens like a ELP or ASIA tune before establishing an organ based, Bruford-drummed bass display. Soloing electric guitar enters at the one minute mark. Very accomplished 80s EDDIE VAN HALEN-like playing. At 2:17 everything drops away to allow an electric piano to establish a slower tempo in order to display a more emotional, bluesy guitar solo style. Reminds me of WHITESNAKE. The chord and melody work of the last two minutes is the best part. Nice work. Nice piece. I don't connect with the emotion of this electric guitar playing or heavy rock style as much as the fusion violin work of the first two. (12/15)
5. "Another Episode" (8:28) again opens like a familiar VAN HALEN song before displaying its violin-centricity. Some absolutely stunning melodies are quickly established and heart-wrenchingly performed. Even the piano and bass are integral parts of the emotional mix of this song. I like the presence of some more Japanese feeling melodies in this song. Very much like the incredible soundtracks put together for Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki films by composer Joe Hisaishi. Awesome synthesizer solo in the sixth minute! The ensuing "farfisa" organ doesn't fit quite as well but its presence is only brief. The next percussive synth chord section is also a bit out-of-date but it evolves into a piano-based return to the opening melodies (though on electric guitar and synthesizer instead of violin). Still a pretty awesome song! (18/20)
6. "Ness No Kioku" (9:41) opens with a low and then high toned SHANKAR-like solo violin. The melodic style here is also much more akin to Middle Eastern or Indian traditions. Truly awesome musicianship in the rhythmic support of the bass and drums. Probably the best and most exciting song on the album, start to finish. (20/20)
7. "Divine Design" (9:26) opens with perhaps the most engaging three sections of the album. Very JEAN-LUC PONTY and DANIEL KOBIALKA-like. A simpler song construction establishes itself for the first four minutes--though there are at least five shifts in that time. The sixth shift at the 4:45 mark goes straight for the J-L PONTY jugular--much in the same way Jean-Luc did in his faster-placed songs and soli from 1975-84. And great, very tight band support throughout the song, into and with every style and tempo shift. Guitar appearance leads into a return to some of the song's opening themes--layered one over the top of another! Cool song! Prog perfection! (19/20)
So professionally done, such high level of musicianship and composition. With the amazing start with the first two songs and the equally amazing final two songs, this one is very close to a masterpiece.
92.59 on the Fish scales = five stars, for sure a masterpiece of progressive rock music.
9. ONE SHOT Ewaz Vader (2006) (Zeuhlish Jazz-Rock Fusion)
Zeuhlish Jazz-Rock Fusion from some of 21st Century France's best musicians. All but drummer Daniel Jeand'heur had worked extensively with the Christian Vander/Magma camp over the previous decade.
Line-up / Musicians:
- James Mac Gaw / guitar
- Emmanuel Borghi / keyboards
- Philippe Bussonnet / basses
- Daniel Jeand'heur / drums
1. "Ewaz vader" (10:32) heavy jazz whose funky bass and electric piano play could be taken as both Zeuhl and Jazz-Rock Fusion. Daniel Jeand'heur's drumming and Emmanuel Borghi's are great while James Mac Gaw plays an amazing track of rhythm guitar that sounds like an extension of Borghi's left hand. Borghi's multiple keyboard sounds are all effective and impressive, but that synth in the eighth and ninth minute is awesome! Mac Gaw returns to the lead for the final 90 seconds--on multiple tracks--with Borghi's mutliple keys and Jeand'heur's free-flowing cymbal play. Hard to find fault with this--none in the skill and timing factors; it's just lacking a little in inviting/engaging melodies. Sometimes extraordinary/impressive skill is not the surest way to a listener's heart. (17.875/20)
2. "Fat" (15:38) slowly developing Zeuhlish electric piano chords and right hand over-embellishment open this one before some guitar notes and cymbal play join in during the third minute. By the middle of the fourth minute the bass has stepped in and, with the drums, they gradually establish forward movement for the massive train. The Magma-like three chord sequence persists, pervades, even dominates the entire length of the song while Mac Gaw and Borghi take turns shredding in the solo spotlights. Nice if you want to listen to lots of impressive solos, but it can get a little tedious if you give in to the hypnotic Zeuhl chords. (26.5/30)
3. "I had a dream / part III et IV" (14:47) gentle, absent-minded, almost pastoral, Mr. Rogers-like Fender Rhodes play opens this one for nearly two minutes before another soul begins to join in (Mr. Jeand'heur's cymbals). Philippe's bass drum-like bass and, a little later, James Mac Gaw's gentle electric guitar runs and arpeggi join in during the fourth minute. The music that is ever-so-slowly developed has a similarity to some of the more contemplative music of John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, and John McLaughlin--until, that is, the 5:40 mark when the band launches into a energetic, hard-moving motif that conjures up more of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Return to Forever. Now this is great Jazz-Rock Fusion! Despite James Mac Gaw's leadership in establishing the "Vashtar"-like melodies, it is Emmanuel Borghi who takes the first solo, starting out in the middle of the eighth minute. Manu does great homage to the most dynamic Herbie Hancock solos: in fact, one of my favorite Fender Rhodes (and then synth) solos I've ever heard. (It doesn't hurt that the rhythm track beneath him is so solid--keeps me cruisin' so energetically.) At the very end of the eleventh minute the music takes a slight change in direction that threatens a shift into Zeuhl territory as James Mac Gaw enters into some crazy sonic realms with his screaling, heavily-effected electric guitar. Who'd have thought there were any sounds left to created on an electric guitar that Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, David Torn, or Guthrie Govan hadn't already created, but I swear I'm hearing a first during this awesome solo. The band then climbs a mountain toward a group crescendo before loosening the grips for a nearly-free fall descent into a Jannick Top Infernal Machina-like finish. AWESOME! One of the best J-R F jams ever! (30/30)
4. "Missing imperator" (13:11) opening with some McLaughlin-Nil-ish cacophony-turning-into syncopated Crimsonian polyrhythms this song makes me believe that the progression of this album, from start to finish, has been one of planned Zuehlish history and flow/interchange/evolution into King Crimsonian/Liquid Tension Experiment heavy prog metal. James is just burning up the center of the sonosphere while Manu, Phil, and Dan hold the Crimsonian base firm beneath and around. At 4:36 there is a sudden relinquishment of power into a more simplistic and spacious, if still driving, motif within which the four instrumentalists widen their tracks with fairly open craziness in their paths. Not a big fan of this song but it remains uber-impressive--especially within the context of the whole album. (22/25)
Total Time 68:28
For the most part this is a very impressive, powerful, and compelling display of dark and heavy journeying through the thickest forests of Planet Kobaïa, The Starless Court of Aspic Thrak, as well as the more paradisical jungles of Mwandishi.
91.79 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Zeuhl-anchored Jazz-Rock Fusion. You will be hard pressed to find a stronger lineup of similarly-focused virtuoso musicians that these four.
10. BILL BRUFORD'S EARTHWORKS The Sound of Surprise (2001) (Jazz)
An album of music that doesn't really fit into the "progressive rock music" category by any way, shape, or means, drummer extraordinaire Bill Bruford continues to gather young jazz musicians willing to push the boundaries of modern improvisational JAZZ--and here he's recruited a true power trio to help him realize his jazz-rock vision. You go, Bill!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Bill Bruford / drums
- Steve Hamilton / piano
- Patrick Clahar / Tenor And Soprano saxophones
- Mark Hodgson / bass
1. "Revel Without A Pause" (7:33) pretty standard sax jazz. (13/15)
6. "Come To Dust" (9:56) meandering piano play at the beginning has a gorgeous JOE SAMPLE
Carmel kind of feel to it. When the rest of the band joins in at the end of the second minute it keeps the pace at a very slow, introductory, and exploratory place. In the piano solo central to the song's middle I hear the heart-felt daydreaming of VINCE GUARALDI. Another exemplary jazz masterpiece. (19/20)
9. "The Wooden Man Sings and The Stone Woman Dances" (7:42) Bill finally lets loose--forgets all time constraints--and goes wild--but in a subtle way! Just listening to the high-hat play is enough to cause me to smile and, often, drop my jaw. Then to listen how synced in Bill's kick drum and Mark's bass are. Remarkable! On another run through I could hear how Steve's piano and Patrick Clahar's soprano sax have the same amazing entrainment going on. This band must have had a lot of fun playing with one another. Then there is the final two minutes of the song where Patrick leads the band on a rampage the likes of which Chick & Return to Forever could only achieve in their very prime. Great work, Patrick! (14/15)
Total Time: 58:46
Some pretty standard saxophone-led jazz peppered with the odd syncopation or unusual time signature, but impeccably performed and recorded. I'm not sure how this one sneaks into the "progressive rock" genre--I suppose only on the coattails of Mr. Bruford's name and legacy.
91.66 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of modern JAZZ--putting on display just the kind of subtle nuances that are needed to keep jazz fresh and "progressive" yet keeping the music accessible, memorable, and beautiful.
P.S. Very cool album cover!
11. GUTHRIE GOVAN Erotic Cakes (2006) (Blues-Rock-based Power Trio Jazz-Rock Fusion)
After over 15 years of study and practice, guitarist extraordinaire Guthrie Govan comes out of the closet as a blues-rock-educated and -grounded composer!
Line-up / Musicians:
- Guthrie Govan / guitars, composer
With:
- Seth Govan / bass
- Pete Riley / drums
- Richie Kotzen / guitar solo (4)
- Bumblefoot / guitar solo (10
1. "Waves" (5:09) opening with a fully-fleshed out motif in which Guthrie introduces the main melodies over a fairly straightforward rock rhythm track but then begins to dance around the fretboard in wildly unpredictable ways from 0:50 to 1:15 when he settles back in among the band to reinforce the opening melody. Another foray into solo expression begins at 1:50 but this time evolves rather protractedly and more within the domains of previously-heard/attempted rock guitar solos (using his own unusual scales to perform his runs). A doubled-up flourish at the three-minute mark signals a bridge to a more blues-rock/classic rock solo. This man has so many faces! And such amazing dexterity! Impressive but also enjoyable. And I love the unusual ending: it feels like an homage to Roy Buchanan. (9.125/10)
2. "Erotic Cakes" (3:51) stoccato chugging music displaying some very odd time signatures and polyrhythms between the three musicians. Guthrie never really seems to be traveling in the same universe and Seth and Pete: it's more like he's rocketing around the rhythmists as if looking for an entrance, looking for a way to join into the groove they're in. His maneouvering makes me think of a heat-seeking predatory bird like a crow (or trio of crows) with hummingbird-like quickness. Interesting and rather enjoyable. (9/10)
3. "Wonderful Slippery Thing" (3:21) another solid rock/blues-rock motif over which Guthrie takes Wes Montgomery and Django Reinhardt to The School of Rock. Uber-impressive and almost humorously-creative but not my favorite, the song had existed since the early 1990s when Guthrie used it to compete in a guitar-playing competition for Guitar magazine in 1993--which he won. (9/10)
4. "Ner Ner" (8:05) another fairly straightforward (and familiar) (Southern) rock motif that presents engaging/alluring melodies over which Guthrie impresses with more flash and fireworks on both electric and acoustic guitars (one of which might very well be the guest guitar soloist Richie Kotzen). This song reminds me a lot of the solo work of STEVE VAI. Nice accessible music. (13.5/15)
5. "Fives" (4:36) sounding very much like a cross between the work of ALLAN HOLDSWORTH, STEVE VAI, and KING CRIMSON, this song starts out heavy-technical but then starts to cruise and fly in the third minute as Steve flits and spits over the top. At 4:00 the music cuts down to bare bones for the quiet support of a nice bass guitar solo from brother Seth Govan. (8.875/10)
6. "Uncle Skunk" (5:29) an interesting song that seems to draw inspiration from a combination of the old blues masters (like Buddy Guy and Roy Buchanan) and modern sound-technicians like Adrian Belew and Robert Fripp. I like the creative energy, engaging (almost "Yacht Rock") melodies, and laid back feel of this one. A top three song for me. (9.3333/10)
7. "Sevens" (5:57) this one opens sounding very much like the palette, construct, and melodies of the SCORPIONS' "Rock You Like a Hurricane," but then things change. A ChapmanStick-like bass chord playing style provides much of the foundation beneath Guthrie's amazing SATRIANI-VAI-like shredding runs. The intermittent softer flying arpeggio sections feel a lot like some of Devin Townsend's more amazing beauty passages whereas the ramped up fourth minute feels more like the work of 1980s heavy metal bands like I love the return to the more melodic and then more delicate stuff for the song's final 90 seconds. (9.125/10)
8. "Eric" (5:06) opening with a slow, spacious, more delicate and melody-rich motif over which Guthrie solos with a slide-like sound not unlike something from Roy Buchanan or even a more blues-oriented Adrian Belew. Nice. Interesting weave of micro-fast arpeggi in the fifth minute. Overall, there is a very comforting, connectable feel to this song that helps render it among my three favorites on the album. (9.125/10)
9. "Slidey Boy" (4:35) a brooding jazz flavor opens this song as Seth solos over Pete's mostly-cymbals and snare drumming for the first minute. His impressive bass play continues as Guthrie joins in with some low end piccolo-bass-like note play that intertwines with his brother's bass play but then separates and begins occupying the middle and upper ranges in a very AL DI MEOLA-like sound and style. As a matter of fact, the music and performances on this song could easily fit on Al's 2002 release, Flesh on Flesh: sounds just like Al and Anthony Jackson working together. My other top three song. (9.375/10)
10. "Rhode Island Shred" (2:18) just like Guthrie's project The Aristocrats, he must feel a need to represent as many separate styles as possible: here the Country-Western Bluegrass scene--with the help of fellow guitar wiz Bumblefoot. Impressive but neither the prog rock or Jazz-Rock Fusion that I'm seeking. (4.5/5)
11. "Hangover" (6:32) a slow, plodding blues-rock bass over which a wide variety of STEVE VAI and JOHN PETRUCCI-like guitar solos flourish--and within which brother Seth shines once again in his Anthony Jackson-like way. Solid if not my favorite. (9/10)
Total Time: 53:39
My only beef with the music on this album is the non-proggyness of a lot of it; the music here belongs more in the realm of Rock Power Trio stuff--most of it quite anchored in blues-rock traditions (very much like the music of The Aristocrats' album releases).
90.87 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of post-graduate-level blues-rock based Guitar School expression. There may not be a guitarist as talented as Guthrie, it's just a little disappointing to me how much of his music is firmly founded in the blues and blues-rock traditions.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Andreas Mjøs / guitar, vibraphone, Omnichord, marimba, percussion, glockenspiel
- Andreas Hessen Schei / Fender Rhodes, Wurlitzer, Mellotron, synthesizer, piano, vocals
- Even Ormestad / bass, Sh-101, baritone guitar, piano, marimba
- Harald Frøland / guitar, Fx
- Ketil Vestrum Einarsen / flute, alto flute, toy saxophone, wind controller
- Lars Horntveth / guitar, lap steel guitar, soprano saxophone, Bp & bass clarinet, Mellotron, keyboards, glockenspiel, tamboura, vocals
- Lars Wabø / trombone, euphonium
- Line Horntveth / tuba, percussion, vocals
- Martin Horntveth / drums, percussion, gong, vocals
- Mathias Eick / trumpet, upright bass, vibraphone, keyboards, Solina strings, vocals
With:
- Kåre Chr. Vestrheim / keyboards, theremin, percussion
1. "All I Know Is Tonight" (7:40) an smooth-flowing upbeat Post Rock instrumental with generous jazz instrumentation filling out the sonosphere quite nicely. Nothing truly extraordinary or miraculous about this song (or any of its parts) but a solid, well-formed and -executed composition. (13.375/15)
2. "Stardust Hotel" (6:28) opening with a little early video game EDM sound before jumping into Mike Oldfield/Ant Phillips electric guitar-led soundtrack-like piece. Lots of stop and start, run and crawl parts alternating throughout. There are some cool sounds being generated by modern electronics being mixed with more traditional instrumental sounds--in very rich and full compositional weaves. Overall, this is quite a 21st Century-feeling song. (9.125/10)
3. "For All You Happy People" (3:58) minimalist weave of reserved sax, bass, and guitar beneath which several cheap-sounding synths weave their arpeggiated chords. It feels odd to hear so few instruments at play when there are so many band members. Despite the title, the first half of this song generates and provokes a rather confusing emotional experience. In the third minute the ensemble switches to something a little more upbeat and simplistic, but, at the same time, it's something still complicated and amorphous: rather like any adolescent's emotional spectrum. Interesting! (9.125/10)
4. "Oslo Skyline" (5:31) this one opens unashamedly like a Post Rock song, only one that seems to draw from the quirk and cerebral complexity of a late 20-something Frank Zappa. the number of changes and shifts make much of the song's travel route quite unpredictable upon first journey, yet tremendously entertaining, rewarding and enjoyable upon repeated listens. (9.125/10)
5. "Swedenborgske Rom" (8:46) opening gently yet spacey and minimalistically--like a MARK ISHAM soundtrack piece--the song is layered so deliciously: from vibes to synths (theremin?), trombones to piano, and more. Then at 1:45 it comes to a complete stop and then moves into a motif with a lovely little a cappella choir arrangement that feels quite processed (like being run through vocoder or partially generated from some other synthesizer/sampler) before returning to the opening motif in the fourth minute. Then, at 3:35, a chord-arpeggiating piano bridges the gap into a new motif of slow-panning infinity guitar notes (probably coming from Lars' lap steel guitar) backed by numerous electronic noises. The weave of instruments slowly builds: amplifying to a MONO-like Post Rock crescendo in the seventh minute (with some absolutely wonderful whole-band coordination and awesome drumming) that is sustained for an unusually long time (about 90 seconds) before decaying into the piano and Lina Horntveth's lone wordless vocal strains reviving the previous melody line from the song's earlier a cappella theme. Cool song! (18.25/20)
6. "Mikado" (5:57) if a Japanese EDM/electronica artist (think Yellow Magic Orchestra) and seasoned blues rock guitarist were to perform on stage with a jazz ensemble and then try to play sophisticated weaves of minimalistically-constructed music this is what you might get. (Again: portents of bands like Japanese Post Rock artist TOE which was working on their first full album at the same time as Jaga Jazzist were working on this but would not "break through" until their 2009 sophomore release, For Long Tomorrow.) Great guitar, vocal, and horn work throughout! Another song that keeps revealing so much within its many layers with repeated listens. With a lineup of eleven contributing musicians, all of whom can offer multiple instruments and, of course, multiple sounds (on multiple tracks), it's no wonder! (9/10)
7. "I Have a Ghost, Now What?" (7:32) a song that, once it gets going (after a two-and-a-half minute opening motif of chaotic, rather formless weird sounds and effects), sounds more like something from STEREOLAB due to its background female vocalese paired with the horns, vibes, and fairly simple and straightforward drum and bass lines. At 5:55 there is a slow down and bridge of chaotic, percussive and smooth sounds that takes the listener back to the chaotic ham radio-surfing-like (organized) cacophony that was the beginning. That's what! I am entertained by the eerie, creepy "what do I do?" parts (at the beginning and end) but really enjoy the upbeat and melodic danceability of the middle section. I'm going to include this in my top three if mostly for the Stereolab-like motif in the middle. (13.625/15)
Total Time 45:52
Total Time 45:52
What I like most about this album (and band)'s music is its uniquities: there are so many fresh, new ideas being revealed in their sophisticated and rather unpredictable weaves--from unusual chord progressions and rhythmic structures to the aforementioned odd and refreshing (naïve and almost adolescent) juxtapositions of traditional jazz instruments with modern electronics, all engineered with sound treatments that are more frequently found in the still-emerging world of Post Rock music. As mentioned above, this is a collection of songs that firstly require repeated listens to find "comfort" and enjoyment but also a collection of songs that the listener will find tremendously rewarding for years to come due to the numerous secrets and gems hidden (sometimes buried) within the heavily-layered weaves.
90.69 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of delightfully-refreshing yet clever and sophisticated modern Jazz-Rock Fusion (or, as they're now calling it, NuJazz).
Very nice instrumental jazz-rock fusion from France, replete with church organ, woodwinds and power chords--another one of the Maurin brothers' musical projects (to go with THORK and NIL), this album presents some very nice instrumental jazz-rock fusion from France, replete with church organ, woodwinds and power chords.
1. "Liber Nonacris" (19:38) very proggy, even, at times, prog folkie, despite its jazz and avant baseline. (36/40)
2. "Acheiropoiètes" (8:40) more brooding over the first three minutes but then it becomes quite cinematic when the full band kicks into a cohesive in the fourth minute. In the fifth minute another turn is taken--as if running away and then slipping into a doorwell to hide from some pursuer. Very cool and effect journey-making. (18/20)
3." Le Grand Dieu Pan" (14:45) despite a slow, spacious start, this one turns into a kind of NIL/GENESIS blend. Quite satisfying. (27/30)
4. "Le Vingt-et-unième Cercle" (5:45) quite a different opening as it sounds like a NeoProg ballad for the first minute--until the change into a minor key sets up a more complex story to be told. The acoustic guitars add so much with that symphonic folk element: very welcomed! With 90 seconds left we are treated to a chorus of angelic female vocalists singing some "Ahhs". More of this would have been nice! The song ends in the sounds of an apocalyptic explosion. (9/10)
Total time 48:48
the softer side of the French Jazz-Rock Fusion scene containing some definite avant garde/RIO, Prog Folk, Symphonic elements and themes, the music is definitely more pleasant and engaging than some French prog bands--more like MINIMUM VITAL, HYPNO5E, or SETNA. I love the fact that David Maurin remains committed to the acoustic guitar throughout.
90.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of instrumental progressive rock of the NIL-like vein. Too bad it doesn't have NIL's extraordinary vocals!
14. CABEZAS DE CERA Cabezas de Cera (2000) (Proggy Jazz-Rock/World Music Fusion)
Great music--truly of a progressive nature--from a Mexican trio-sometimes-duo that include, on this, their debut album, an amazing percussionist (Francicso Sotelo on electronic drum set & tuned and untuned percussion), a Chapman Stick player (Mauricio Sotelo playing "grand stick, electric & acoustic guitars, electric bass"), and an extraordinary master of wind instruments--some of which are local/indigenous (Ramses Luna on "varied flutes, saxophone & clarinet"). A fresh sound that is very exciting to listen to; the Sotelo brothers really have something new and special. Videos of their live performances are really fun to watch.
1. "Ventiuno" (5:40) "Ein und zwanzig!" (8.5/10)
2. "Gocxilla" (5:30) using a LOT of effects to produce monster/animal noises, this is VERY King Crimsonian. (8.5/10)
3. "Encantador De Serpientes" (5:47) kind of like Brazilian jazz. Excellent! Amazing interplay between the three guys. Amazing song! (10/10)
4. "Un Pueblo Escondido" (5:47) this song just makes me happy--in a Caribbean-meets-Balinese-Gamelan way. (9.5/10)
5. "Caravana" (4:40) percussion and flutes open this one as ChapmanStick mostly performs the bass function. Switch to distorted gtr brass horns and drum kit for the second 90 seconds and then something different, more saw-like for the final third. Did Markus Pajakkala here this one before doing his Brutopianisti album? (8.75/10)
6. "Pretexto A Un Texto Fragmentado" (4:30) Art of Noise? Industrial King Crimson? Amazingly fresh and innovative! Love the narration over the music! (10/10)
7. "Gitana" (3:04) kind of Latin-Arabic acoustic jazz. Nice! (9/10)
8. "Frontera" (6:04) true ChapmanStick heaven! (8.75/10)
9. "Al Aire (6:05) nice Latin jazz with more Spanish narration over the top. Not as fresh or lively as "Pretexto", the narration is too much the center and focus of the song. (8/10)
Wow! What did I just listen to! It was unlike anything I've ever heard before! So fresh! So lively! So awesome! And talk about virtuosity! These three have it--on multiple instruments, each!
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music coming from the world jazz fusion direction. Try it out! You won't be sad!
15. PEKKA POHJOLA Views (2001) (Jazz-Rock Fusion Lite)
Jazz-Rock Fusion legend Pekka Pohjola's final contribution to humankind finds the genius going back to his truth, to his soul. Though this is mostly jazz-rock fusion, there is a lot of jazz and smooth jazz-pop here as well.
1. 'Waves" (6:56) gorgeous soprano sax in the lead over piano and orchestra. (14/15)
2. "The Red Porsche" (5:00) funk-jazz from the 1980s--clearly inspired by the Ghostbusters soundtrack. (8.5/10)
3. "Metropolitan" (14:05) opening very much like an AFTER CRYING classically-influenced piece, piano and Pekka's bass take over the second and third minutes--though jazz horns play a very strong role as well. I'm reminded of several 1970s television and film soundtracks as I listen to this. At the five minute mark a kind of "Birdland" bass and layered horns take the lead. These horn arrangements are pretty cool--very sophisticated. Strings are also nice. The old- fashioned big band feel only gets stronger as the piano takes the lead soloist position. At 11:20 things return to the AFTER CRYING orchestral motif of the opening. (26/30)
4. "Views" (7:34) pretty and well composed but a little too saccharine/syrupy for me--more "jazz lite" than progressive rock or even Jazz-Rock Fusion. (12.75/15)
5. "Us" (11:32) easily the most unique, refreshing, and nonderivative song on the album (which is GOOD), I can definitely hear some of the idiosyncratic tastes for melody and rhythm that seems common to all Finns in this excellent song. By the time we're deep into the fifth minute I'm feeling a very strong PAT METHENY GROUP vibe. This is really awesome! Fun and upbeat and makes me want to dance! Then at the 6:00 mark all but piano and occasional space synth flourish support an excellent jazz bass solo. Things amp up for a little bridge just before the eight-minute mark before we get another shift--a downshift into. This is such a delightful song! Though the congealment of the final ninety seconds again brings me back to 1970s film scores (think Arthur or St. Elmo's Fire), it's still wonderful to hear. (19.75/20)
Total Time: 45:37
90.0 on the Fishscales = A-/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion from one of the old masters!
16. PAT METHENY GROUP Speaking of Now (2002) (Modernized Jazz)
One of Pat & co.'s more pastoral jazz albums, this one does not take the listener into realms of avant or theoretical or chromatic or free jazz, nor does it take us back to bebop or Wes Montgomery, but it is more heavily reliant on acoustic instrumentation that most PMG albums. Even in the album's credits the acoustic instruments are given first citations for each of the individuals involved in the project. Still, you will hear Lyle's familiar/signature synths and Pat's familiar/signature "piccolo trumpet" electric guitar leads but all played over piano, acoustic guitar layers, the amazing Steve Rodby's double bass or cello along with newcomer Antonio Sanchez' drumming. (Shout out to the amazing Paul Wertico! You are the best!)
Every song on the album is replete with multiple memorable melodies and gorgeous song structures, stunning solos from Lyle ("Proof"), Pat, all of the vocalists, and trumpeter Cuong Vu.
Great songs: 1. "As It Is" (7:48) which is probably my favorite song on the album (15/15); the more Wes Montgomery-styled, 2. "Proof" (10:09) (18/20); the far-away-romantic, next-the-fireside, 3. "Another Life" (7:08) with its odd almost Gregorian chant vocal interludes (13.5/15); the wonderfully bucolic, pastoral feeling 7. "A Place in the World" (9:52) a top three song for me (19/20); what sounds like a classic jazz standard--a piece of true ear candy--as if sung by Nat King Cole or Antônio Carlos Jobim but is sung by Cameroon's Richard Bona in a language I don't recognize (what should be French?) 8. "Afternoon" (4:45) (10/10), and; the album's closer, 9. "Wherever You Go" (8:03) a real gorgeous, melodic, low key tune in which all of the band members put on display their mastery of delicate jazz play. (14.5/15)
Very good songs: 4. "The Gathering Sky" (9:22) which sounds like a piece that Gene Kelley would have used as a film score to choreograph one of his unique dance numbers (16/20); 5. "You" (8:30) which is constructed much as the Brazilian pieces the band did in the 80s like Pedro Aznar's "Más allá (Beyond)" (16/20), and; the standard PMG Latin-tinged Wes Montgomery-sounding piece, 6. "On Her Way" (5:21) (8/10).
A solid, accessible release of jazz in the familiar vein of what Pat Metheny Group has been doing for over twenty-five years only oriented a bit more to the acoustic side of jazz instrumentation and the melodic side of jazz.
89.65 on the Fish scales = B+/4.5 stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz fusion applauded for the incomparable standards of technical and melodic virtuosity they uphold for their profession; a near-masterpiece to the world of progressive rock music.
17. FARMERS MARKET Surfin' USSR (2008) (Folk/Ethnic Jazz-Rock Fusion)
Besides having the best song titles, hands down, of any album EVER, there is some absolutely stunning music here. Fast "punk jazz" with an undeniable Slavic flavor (employing many familiar melodic themes from Russian musical traditions), the music here reminds me of Markus Pajakkala's 2017 Brutopianisti album, only far more engaging. The music obviously, and intentionally, imitates (or parodies) known styles and motifs from Western music--with none more than the Dick Dale-led California surfer music scene of the 1950s and 60s--but also spy music styles and themes used in James Bond and other spy films of the 1960s and 1970s. All the layers here seem infected by the rapid-fire staccato and tremolo-crazy styles pioneered by Dale's style, though Eastern European and Middle Eastern (even Romani and klezmer) sounds, scales, and charts are also all-pervasive. Definitely a jazz combo as instruments like accordion, horns, banjo, and all kinds of percussives and traditional folk instruments are central and layered throughout every song, the music even spans the breadth of the 20th Century with nostalgia exhumed from the early jazz of the 1920s, the Big Band jazz eras, and the Django Reinhardt-type of Gypsy Jazz.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Stian Carstensen / accordion, guitars, banjo, tamura, bagpipes, flute, percussion, bass, vocals
- Finn Guttormsen / bass, percussion, vocals
- Filip Simeonov / clarinet, trumpet
- Jarle Vespestad / drums, percussion
- Nils Olav Johansen / guitars, vocals, synthesizer
- Sidsel Walstad / harp
- Trifon Trifonov / saxophone
- Jai Shankar / tabla
- Ola Kvernberg / violin
- Arve Henriksen / vocals
- Julie Peneva / vocals
- Nadia Vladimirova / vocals
- Sonia Iokova / vocals
1. "Surfin' USSR" (4:49) crossing Dick Dale with klezmer, spy movie theme music, and New Orleans jazz is pretty brilliant. (8.875/10)
2. "Surfin' USSR Part 2" (2:46) like the Flight of the Bumblebee over some cool Austrian outdoor biergarten jazz. I love the bass lines, clarinet and accordion play. Great melodies. (9/10)
3. "Lodtschitze Mini Maritza (Ferry Cross the Mersey)" (5:07) opens like a classic 1960s film theme song--which only continues and solidifies when the tonguein-cheek sexy lead male singer enters and croons away from his beach cabana. Extraordinary in its authenticity, musical perfection, and wicked humor! A tabla! with a pedal steel guitar! Ballsy genius. But it works! I find myself almost longing for the sunny November beaches of the polluted Black Sea! (9.333/10)
4. "Anyone Who Remembers Vladiwoodstock Wasn't There" (4:34) like carnival theme music: but, when coupled with this title, such a perfect Far Eastern "flower power" tune-in-cheek. Again, the musicianship is extraordinary. Playing such complex rhythm structures I find myself reminded of HOMUNCULUS RES' quirky, stop-and-jerk debut album. The Gypsy-bluegrass jazz of the second half is amazing. (9/10)
5. "Dissident Harmony Sisters' Camel Call" (1:37) diatonic choir singing like that of the famous Bulgarian State Radio Folk Singers. Coupled with that title, it conjures up great imagery. (4.375/5)
6. "To Hell and Baku" (3:57) the drummer keeps parodying hard rockin' music (sounding like Billy Joel's "Big Shot" when accompanied by bass and rhythm guitars). The twin lead guitars give it a Thin Lizzy nod. Then superimpose the clarinet solo over the chugging music of the third minute and you have the Mid-Asian Steppes influence. (Interestingly, the Uzbekistani band FROM.UZ sounded not unlike this when they burst upon the music scene in 2008.) (8.875/10)
7. "Tractor Tracks Across the Tundra" (1:15) parodying Frank Sinatra's "My Way" with a twangy electric guitar and pedal steel supporting. (4.5/5)
8. "From Prussia with Love" (4:08) definitely parodying one of the more famous/ubiquitous James Bond musical themes, flutes, saxophones, and other ethnic wind instruments lead this one while electric Django-like rhythm guitarist keeps us grounded in the Bond theme. Great performances from the tabla, bass, and clarinet. (9/10)
9. "Red Square Dance" (7:47) exquisite rendering of what sounds like traditional Russian fare but it gradually loses my attention due to my lack of familiarity (and comfort) with this type of music. (13.125/15)
10. "The Dismantling of the Soviet Onion Made Us Cry..." (3:21) very clever slower parody. (8.875/10)
11. "Kalashnikov Wedding" (2:50) one of the few songs whose music (here more spy theme sounding) misses the mark provided by its title. I've never heard any wedding music like this--nor do I have any referential connection to anything bearing the name/title "Kalashnikov." Nice quirky Gypsy jazz. (8.875/10)
12. "Steroid Train Trip" (2:21) violin and crazed (exaggerated) vocals lead this Southern bluegrass tune. Banjo and appropriate guitars, too! Not my type of music but the band certainly performs it at an incredible level of proficiency and completely believable imitation. (8.875/10)
13. "Meanwhile Back at the Agricultural Workers Collective" (4:58) the title of this one alone earns this song big points, while the Southern Swamp bluegrass music feels perfectly appropriate. Brilliant performances from fiddle, banjo, bass, redneck front-porch percussionists, clarinet, and flute-whistlists. (9/10)
14. "Ladyboy's Night at the Cultural Relativism Saloon (Fremling)" (2:05) more hard-drivin' klezmer-infused music layered with tons of virtuosic inputs. Reminds me most of Belgian/Hungarian AltrOck Productions artist HUMBLE GRUMBLE. (4.425/5)
15. "One Day, Son, All I Own Will Still Belong to the State" (6:09) Accordion and winds contribute the most to the lead melody-making of this one over its first 90-seconds, then the speedy, syncopatic music clears a little for solos: saxophone and accordion. At 2:24 there is a tempo and motif switch. Amazing performance of this complex music from the drummer and rhythmatists. I love the accordion playing! (9/10)
16. "Yagoda" (2:35) chimes, harp, violin, accordion set this one up for the Bulgarian Farmers Market diatonic singers to perform this gentle folk-Christmas carol-like tune. Great mandolin play in the second half. (8.875/10)
Total Time: 60:20
If you like your music lively, fast, technically wizard-like, jazzy, predominantly acoustic, upbeat (generally), cerebral, and to give you a smile on your face, then this masterful album would definitely be worth your checking out. It may not be the type of music you want to listen to every day, but for that change of pace, ear- and eye-opening listening experience, you needn't go any further than this album.
89.34 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; I cannot help but recognize this album as a masterpiece of a very specific sound and style that definitely belongs in the Folk-Jazz-Rock Fusion category. Incredible artistry and cohesion from the collective. It may not be a masterpiece of progressive rock music--or Jazz-Rock Fusion, for that matter--but it is extraordinary and, rather unique!
P.S. Just get your jollies from reading those titles! Genius!
Why didn't anyone ever tell me how good the older Jaga Jazzist albums were? When you read something like, "The BBC named it the best jazz album of 2002," you want to check it out.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Andreas Mjøs / vibraphone, drums, marimba, percussion, keyboards
- Even Ormestad / bass, keyboards
- Harald Frøland / guitar, Fx, synth
- Ivar Chr. Johansen / piano, Fender Rhodes, organ, Roland Jupiter synth
- Jørgen Munkeby / flute & alto flute, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, keyboards
- Lars Horntveth / tenor & baritone saxophones, flute, bass clarinet, guitars, keyboards
- Lars Wabø / trombone
- Line Horntveth / tuba
- Martin Horntveth / drums, drum machines, percussion, keyboards
- Mathias Eick / trumpet, upright bass, keyboards
With:
- Jørgen Træen / keyboards, percussion, synth, electronics, production, mixing
- Frode Sævik / violin (4,9)
- Nils Olaf Solberg / viola (4,9)
1. "Animal Chin" (4:07) (8.75/10)
2. "Going Down" (5:20) My favorite song on the album. (10/10)
3. "Press Play" (1:16) (5/5)
4. "Airborne" (5:13) KOOP with orchestration. (8.75/10)
5. "Real Racecars Have Doors" (4:15) (8.5/10)
6. "Low Battery" (5:50) (8.5/10)
7. "Midget" (2:32) (4.25/5)
8. "Made for Radio" (5:22) (8.5/10)
9. "Lithuania" (8:38) A top three song for me. (17.75/20)
10. "Cinematic" (6:22) totally experimental glitch editing á la Ryuichi Sakamoto, Carsten Nicolai, Christian Fennesz. Great if what you're wanting for your jazz takes place in the editing/production room and can't be replicated in a live setting (without computers). (8.25/10)
Total Time 48:55
Employing glitch technology is clever (it had to happen sometime, right?) but it's not, IMHO, the answer that jazz was needing.
88.25 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion coming from the NuJazz sub-sub.
19. KVAZAR A Giant's Lullaby (2005) (Proggy Latin Viking Jazz-Rock Fusion)
Viking Prog? Nordic jazz? Scandinavian bassa nova?
- Andrè Jensen / vocals, piano, Rhodes, Mellotron, synth, 6- & 12-string acoustic guitars, mandolin, sampler
- Jon-Erik Gretland / guitar
- Ronny Johansen / Mellotron, synth
- Christian Torp / bass
- Kim A. Lieberknecht / drums, e-drums, loops, programming
With:
- Trude Bergli / vocals (2)
- Tom Roger / flute (2,10)
- Odd Andre Holm / saxophone
- Alexander Knøsmoen / guitar (3,5)
- Endre Tønnesen / bass (3,5)
2. "Choir Of Life" (5:36) more traditional folk oriented instruments open before the rock/prog/jazz instruments join in with female vocalise. (9.25/10)
3. "untitled 1" (1:30) jazz-folk-prog interlude with Spanish-style acoustic guitar soloing over the top. (4.25/5)
4. "Dreams Of Butterflies" (8:30) female singing in English over jazz-rock-folk fusion. (18/20)
5. "untitled 2" (1:49) lounge jazz guitar with combo (4.25/5)
6. "Spirit Of Time" (8:42) space blues--not far from early Pink Floyd or Procul Harum or even Blind Faith. (17/20)
7. "Desert Blues" (6:13) psych/space rock with female Arabian vocal turns jazz-psych with sax, electric guitar, synths and other looped samples forging a OZRIC TENTACLE/JAGA JAZZIST mixed soundscape. Very interesting! (17.75/10)
8. "Sometimes" (5:09) lounge jazz (bassa nova!) with female lead vocals, jazz electric guitar, and rompous full chorus. (8.75/10)
9. "A Giant's Lullaby" (9:42) an psych-jazz variation the classic "Summertime" that builds and morphs in several directions (sometimes all at once!)--holding fast to a jazzy foundation no matter what speed or instrumental palette used. Very interesting, imaginative, and well executed. (18/20)
10. "Dark Horizons" (8:03) haunting melodic prog with a slight hint of jazz. Single lead male voice is interesting choice for the finale (especially given the way the album opened.) At 3:35 full chorus of voices, male and female, perform. Over the coourse of the second half of the song the band takes us through folk, bluesy psychedelia, Broadway, and--sometimes all at once! Fascinating! (13.5/15)
87.40 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent addition of unusual prog music fit for any prog lover's music collection.
Very polished, melodic, and sophisticated Zeuhl-based jazz fusion from France. Three of these band members are alumni of Christian Vander's MAGMA lineup from his 2000s studio and touring band, while drummer and ONE SHOT founding member Daniel Jeand'heur being a long time fan of Magma and the jazz greats of the 1960s.
1. "Black P" (9:09) plodding along with great skill, there just isn't very much for me to be drawn in by. For me, Philippe Bussonnet is the star of this one. (17.33/20)
2. "Opus 12" (7:52) a little more driven and uptempo. James Mac Gaw's guitar play is almost ALLAN HOLDSWORTH-like while Emmanuel Borghi's keyboard range is delightfully more similar to those of George Duke's or Allan Zavod's contributions to JEAN-LUC PONTY's wonderful string of albums in the late 1970s. A very solid song with some nice hooks and, of course, great performances. (13.25/15)
3. "Def MK1" (9:48) back to a more brooding jazz-rock, perhaps even closer to the Avant Garde world of GUAPO or UNIVERS ZERO, though this is still very much what we'd all call Zeuhl. Keyboards and drums are more in the limelight on this one. (17.5/20)
4. "Blade" (4:54) opening just like an old JEAN-LUC PONTY song, this one continues to move along very slowly, very delicately, as if moving cautiously through a dingy dark alley well after midnight. Cool but never really goes anywhere--never achieves resolution. (8.667/10)
5. "Automate" (7:29) more plodding suspenseful music in which the drums, bass, and keys play their parts very conservatively over the course of the opening two minutes. Drums are the first instrument to "come to life" in the third minute as the others go through some zombi-like chord progressions before returning to the opening motif. At 3:35 the soundscape shifts (though the rhythm and pacing remains constant) as keys move to the front to solo in a very JAN HAMMER-like aggressive way. The drummer is so solid, so in-sync with the pace! At 5:35 we return to whole-band solidarity (the keyboard solo ends) before we go through the "chorus" of chord progressions. Guitar takes a turn in the lead for final minute but really does nothing very dynamic. Solid. (13/15)
6. "Downwards" (9:10) dirty electric guitar arpeggi in the opening minute give this a very rock feel to it. The break and bridge at the one-minute mark is also very rock-like, but then the band picks up a new chord progression and new rhythm foundation to carry forward. Keys offer a little floweriness before the band shifts gear into a more laid-back Zeuhl motif with strong bass play and, eventually, electric guitar soloing. Despite some fine drumming on display, the repetition of the same descending chord-and note progression gets a little old; by the sixth minute I've about had enough; there's just not enough exciting music going on over the top/in the front. A little keys action, some fine bass play in the seventh and eighth minutes and, finally, some dynamic (JAN AKKERMAN "Answers? Questions!"-like) guitar work eighth and ninth minutes but it's just not enough. (17/20)
7. "Nosh Partitas" (5:56) coolness (in the engineering of the drums) and melody! Jazz-like in a JEAN-LUC PONTY way. Great keyboard chord support, great bass play (especially the funk stink in the middle), and nice drumming and guitar play. The band all seem to be working very hard to time the syncopated melody lines together as a team. And then James Mac Gaw does some truly avant (DAVID TORN-like) guitar work. Another nice JAN HAMMER-like synth solo in the fourth minute. My favorite song on the album. (9/10)
Total Time 54:18
The skill and competency levels of the four musicians is unparalleled, but the music, to my mind, misses the additional presence of human voices and maybe something else--like melodic (or non-melodic) "hooks".
87.045 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a nice addition to any prog lover's music collection--especially if you like high quality instrumental jazz or Zeuhl.
21. PAT METHENY The Way Up (2005) (Proggy Jazz-Rock Fusion)
I have been an avid PAT METHENY listener and fan since the 70s (his work with JONI MITCHELL and GARY BURTON), and have pretty much every album he has every done, call the 1986 concert I attended of his one of the top five concerts I've ever attended, and consider him one of a very few masters of the art of combining technical prowess with emotional and melodic expression. And, yes, this one is one of his best albums--and one of two that truly fits among the masterpieces in the "progressive rock" catalog (the other being 1992's Secret Story). For long-time listeners, however, this album contains many "old" themes, tricks, and twists--so does not remain quite so fresh and exciting over its entire 68 minutes. The opening "song"--entitled "The Way Up: Opening: does contain some "fresh" sounding slide guitar, beautiful acoustic guitar, and introduces the awesome syncopated guitar strum theme which makes the third song, "The Way Up: Part Two" one of the best prog songs I've ever heard. The Way Up: Part One," the album's longest "song," offers up many old sounds, themes, and melody lines mixed with just enough new sounds, twists, themes, and melody lines (Pat playing more than one guitar lead at a time--in effect, dueling with himself!) to make this music very fresh and exciting. Plus, I must admit that the often-frenetic trumpet playing solos off of/against Pat's guitars offers a fascinating counterpoint to Pat's typically powerful yet melodic lead solos. The slowed down part after the 6:30 mark is a bit unexpected and out of place. And the song's central section is really pretty straightforward jazz, WES MONTGOMERY style (with some good jazz trumpet playing). It's the final, sensitive 5:30 of the song that start to bring one back to the prog fold. But then, voilà, "Part Two" comes on and I can't help myself but I play it over and over, astounded and hooked by the EBERHARD WEBER Following Morning intro section (first 2:15) and the 3:30 to 12:05 section in which Pat's syncopated and time-bending staccato guitar pizzicato's (which are later taken over by keyboards and percussion) lay foundation for one of the greatest 'barely controlled chaos' jam sessions I've ever heard. First Lyle's gentle, sensitive, inimitable keyboard work, followed by Pat and trumpeter Chong Vu going shit crazy! Then we have the wonderful 'calm after the storm' section with its wonderful harmonica lead. (And still the staccato pizzicato guitar-and-keyboard theme plays in the background). Trumpets, harmonica, catchy rhythm work. What treasures are bassist Steve Rodby and drummer Antonio Sanchez (though I worship former Group drummer, Paul Wertico)!
"Part Three" returns to very familiar Pat Metheny Group territory--sounding very much like his 1980s productions--with its very strong Brazillian influence. Nothing really new here.
1. "The Way Up: Opening" (5:17) (8.5/10)
2. "The Way Up: Part One" (26:27) (8/50)
3. "The Way Up: Part Two" (20:29) (40/40)
4. "The Way Up: Part Three" (15:54) (8/30)
I'm very tempted to give this one five stars for the sake of "Part Two" which is, IMHO, one stellar achievement of musical expression. But I won't. (Though I may regret it later.) Still, if you've never heard the musical genius of Pat Metheny and company, start either here or with Secret Story. You won't be disappointed.
86.25 on the Fish scales = B/four stars; an excellent prog album by a man much more deserving of some love from this group of music lovers; one of the 21st Century's finest jazz rock contribution to progressive rock music.
More excellent heavy prog rock with a hint of jazz from these veterans from Japan.
1. "Fist of Fury" (5:10) hard drivin' (8/10)
2. "The Cunning Madrigal" (4:20) unforgettable melody (8.5/10)
3. "Prelude to Concealment (2:23) probably looks really good on paper! (4/5)
4. "Wooden Horse Pathos" (3:57) more like 'wooden apathos.' J/k! I actually hear/feel a little emotion in this one (loose playfulness!) More like this, please! (8.5/10)
5. "The Split Gate" (6:57) a familiar Balinese Gamelan song taken and progified. Great opening third, loses its soul a bit once it goes racing into the prog jazz fusion track but then regains some dignity in the final third. A top three song for me. (13.75/15)
6. "Rebellion" (4:04) raunchy Grunge sounds brought to a bluesy-jazz fusion fabric. Great Fripp guitar. I really like the pace of this one: it allows each instrument the opportunity to be heard. Another top three song. (9/10)
7. "The Stairs for Dreaming" (2:27) weird and disjointed. (4/5)
8. "Echoes From Romano" (5:27) beautiful classically-infused opening 90 seconds with great melodies. Turns hillbilly hoedown in an ELP way in the second minute. Thankfully returning to the melodies of the opener in the third minute before transitioning into an all-out YES ALBUM passage in the fourth minute. Great song despite its unusual motifs spliced together as they are. (9/10)
9. "The Daughter of a Recluse" (2:10) opens with a Japanese folk melody played on keyboard bamboo flute. Joined by guitar, bass, and then electric guitar--still in the first minute. With a weird keyboard passage at the beginning of the second minute, this is obviously meant as an étude. (4.25/5)
10. "A Way of Living as Taro" (2:40) echoplex-like guitar introduces a tightly formed CARAVAN-like Canterbury tune. I keep expecting Richard Sinclair to start singing! Love the steel drums! (9/10)
11. "Doppelganger in the Night" (1:14) raunchy electric guitar-led étude. (4/5)
12. "Isolated Jiro" (4:14) opens like a heavy pop song before going into a jazz-rock theme. (8/10)
13. "The Understanding" (1:01) gentle BOB JAMES-like whole group smooth jazz. (4.5/5)
14. "A Grim Diary" (5:53) rolling bass line with Bruford-like syncopated drums opens this one. Soloing electric guitar enters around 0:40. Synth takes a little trip in the fore around 1:00 before relinquishing the reins to guitar, bass and drums again. Odd synth sounds join in the third minute and then piano fills a pause before things amp back up for the final stretch of almost three minutes. Slight changes in tempos of several of the instruments though the overall pace remains constant. Pretty cool how they did that! (9/10)
15. "Amalgamation of Self and Others" (1:36) electric piano solo exposition is cut off at 0:35 by synth-generated "ocean wave" sounds. EP rejoins, trying to be heard through the electro-static fuzz.(4.25/5)
Total Time: 53:33
Impressive display of skills! What lacks in the music from much of this album--especially the first half--is some kind of soul; it all feels so much like mathematically worked out mental masturbation--circle jerking (cuz of the tight timing and frequent feeling of entrainment). I respect the artists, their skills and their hard work, but I want to feel more of their spirit in their art. Perhaps they were trying to impress too much with those opening songs.
Four stars; an excellent addition to any prog lover's music collection.
Other Great Jazz-Rock Fusion-Related Releases:
Other albums yet-to-be-reviewed:
Line-up / Musicians:
- Hiromi Uehara / piano, co-producer
- Tony Grey / bass (1,3,4,7)
- Anthony Jackson / bass (2,5,8)
- Martin Valihora / drums
1. "Kung-Fu World Champion" ( 6:53) (/10)
2. "If..." (7:11) (/15)
3. "Wind Song" (5:43) (/10)
4. "Brain" (9:05) (/20)
5. "Desert on the Moon" (7:08) (/15)
6. "Green Tea Farm" (4:38) (/10)
7. "Keytalk" (10:02) (/20)
8. "Legend of the Purple Valley" (10:47) (/20)
Total Time 61:27
on the Fishscales = / stars;
HIROMI UEHARA Another Mind (2003)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Hiromi Uehara / piano, keyboards (5)
- Mitch Cohn / bass
- Dave DiCenso / drums
With:
- David Fiuczynski / guitar (2)
- Jim Odgren / alto saxophone (2,3)
- Anthony Jackson / bass (4,5,7)
1. "XYZ" (5:37) (/10)
2. "Double Personality" (11:57)
3. "Summer Rain" (6:07) (/10)
4. "Joy" (8:29) (/20)
5. "010101 (Binary System)" (8:23) (/20)
6. "Truth and Lies" (7:20) (/15)
7. "Dançando no Paraiso" (7:39) (/15)
8. "Another Mind" (8:44) (/20)
Total Time 70:21
on the Fishscales = / stars;
HERBIE HANCOCK River - The Joni Letters (2007)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Herbie Hancock / piano, arrangements & co-producer
With:
- Norah Jones / vocals (1)
- Tina Turner / vocals (2)
- Corinne Bailey Rae / vocals (4)
- Joni Mitchell / vocals (6)
- Luciana Souza / vocals (8)
- Leonard Cohen / vocals (10)
- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxophones
- Lionel Loueke / guitar
- Dave Holland / bass
- Vinnie Colaiuta / drums
- Larry Klein / arrangements & co-producer
1. "Court And Spark" (7:35) (/15)
2. "Edith And The Kingpin" (6:32) (/10)
3. "Both Sides Now" (7:38) (/15)
4. "River" (5:25) (/10)
5. "Sweet Bird" (8:15) (/15)
6. "Tea Leaf Prophecy" (6:43) (/10)
7. "Solitude" (5:42) (/10)
8. "Amelia" (7:26) (/15)
9. "Nefertiti" (7:30) (/15)
10. "The Jungle Line" (5:01) (/10)
Total Time 67:47
on the Fishscales = / stars;
AL DI MEOLA Flesh on Flesh (2002)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Al DiMeola / acoustic & electric guitars, keyboards, drums (5, 8), percussion, arranger
With:
- Mario Parmisano / synthesizer (1, 2, 4, 5), piano (1-5, 7, 8), marimba (1)
- Gonzalo Rubalcaba / Fender Rhodes (1, 5)
- Guillermo Ruiz / alto saxophone (1)
- Williams Polledo / trumpet (1)
- Alejandro Santos / flutes (1-5, 7)
- Anthony Jackson / bass (3, 4, 7, 8), double bass [Fodera Electric Contra Bass] (1, 2, 5)
- Ernie Adams / drums (2, 6, 7)
- Gumbi Ortiz / percussion (1, 2, 4, 5)
1. "Zona Desperata" (9:25) were it not for Al's electric guitar, one might consider this one of Al's Moroccan/Moorish Spanish-influenced acoustic pieces! Like both the Smooth Jazz and World Music realms, Al tries using a number of melodies to hook us in, but, like true Jazz-Rock Fusion, he keeps switching motifs--sometimes rather drastically, as if he were trying to cram a bunch of floor scrap riffs, melodies, and ideas all into one clean-out-the-fridge stew. Some of the flare-like motifs are nice, interesting, and, of course, impressive, but the smorgasborg is so diverse and disparate that I feel as if I'm standing before a long table of 20 completely different ethnic food treats. I will say that this incredibly talented guitarist has lost none of the skill and flair that he burst onto the scene with back in the early 1970s: as a matter of fact, he's only honed and polished them--now able to compose with a whole slew of instruments integrated into his overall vision for the expression of his musical ideas. (17.5/20)
2. "Innamorata" (8:38) once again keeping a foot in the realm of World Music, Al creates a exotic world of exotically-textured sounds from a wide variety of world music instruments and synths in another gentle and seductive song construct. Piano, odd-sounding "double bass" (which turns out to be Anthony Jackson's "Fodera Electric Contra Bass") and flutes and drums occupy much of the sonic field beneath and surrounding Al's guitars. In the end Al has Another odd and jagged journey through a richly diverse old Moorish town. (17.5/20)
3. "Meninas" (5:43) (/10)
4. "Flesh On Flesh" (5:56) (/10)
5. "Fugata" (5:46) (/10)
6. "Deep and Madly" (1:45) (/5)
7. "Saffire Soleil" (4:10) (/10)
8. "Señor Mouse" (9:24) (/20)
Total Time: 50:47
on the Fishscales = / stars;
FORGAS BAND PHENOMENON L'Axe Du Fou (Axis Of Madness) (2009)
In my opinion, the Naughties were for France what the Twenties have been for Norway.
Line-up / Musicians:
- Benjamin Violet / guitar
- Igor Brover / keyboards
- Sébastien Trognon / tenor & soprano saxes, flute
- Dimitri Alexaline / trumpet & flugelhorn
- Karolina Mlodecka / violin
- Kengo Mochizuki / bass
- Patrick Forgas / drums, composer, arranger & producer
1. "La Clef (The Key)" (10:50) interesting and dynamic background jazz that rarely does anything for me other than impressing me with some fine instrumental performances over a slightly Latin-ized eight-chord descending chord progression. (17.5/20)
2. "L'Axe Du Fou (Axis Of Madness)" (16:32) (/30)
3. "Double-Sens (Double Entendre)" (13:50) (/30)
4. "La 13eme Lune (The 13th Moon)" (8:24) (/20)
Total time 49:36
on the Fishscales = / stars;
BIG BLUE BALL Big Blue Ball (2008)
More of a collection of extravagant World Music jams at Peter Gabriel's Real World Studios than a Jazz-Rock Fusion album but worth noting.
1. "Whole Thing" (original mix) (5:27) a Middle Eastern jam captured in the pristine Real World sound. Something is lacking in the group energy. I love this type of music (always enjoyable at my favorite Middle Eastern/Lebanese restaurants) but this one misses the mark. (8.875/10)
2. "Habibe" (7:12) this one definitely sounds like a song from any of Peter Gabriel's albums post "Security." The heavily-processed near-spoken vocal in the verses is cool but I find it hard to believe that it's Peter. (If not, it's an uncredited artist.) Unfortunately, we've already heard to many of these songs from Mr. Gabriel. (13.25/15)
3. "Shadow" (4:28) (/10)
4. "Altus Silva" (6:07)
5. "Exit Through You" (5:52)
6. "Everything Comes from You" (4:42)
7. "Burn You Up, Burn You Down" (4:31)
8. "Forest" (6:17)
9. "Rivers" (5:45)
10. "Jijy" (4:00)
11. "Big Blue Ball" (4:52)
Total Time 59:13
Line-up / Musicians:
- Peter Gabriel / vocals (1,5,7), keyboards (1,5,7,11), piano & organ (11), bass (5), drone (9), co-producer
Track 1
- Karl Wallinger / guitar
- Paul Allen / guitar
- Francis Bebey / flute
- Alexis Faku / bass
- Tchad Blake / tom tom
- Tim Finn / backing vocals
- Andy White / backing vocals
- Chuck Norman / programming
Track 2
- Natacha Atlas / vocals
- Stephen Hague / keyboards
- Tim Whelan / baglama
- The Hossam Ramzy Egyptian Ensemble / strings
- Hossam Ramzy / drums & percussion
- Neil Sparkes / drums & percussion
- Chuck Norman / programming
Track 3
- Papa Wemba / vocals
- Reddy Amisi / backing vocals
- Juan Manuel Cañizares / guitar
- The Papa Wemba Band / percussion
- Tchad Blake / frame drum
- Laurent Coatelen / bongos
Track 4
- Iarla Ó Lionáird / vocals
- Joseph Arthur / vocals
- Vernon Reid / guitar synth
- Michel Sanchez (Deep Forest) / piano, keyboards
- Eric Mouquet (Deep Forest) / piano, keyboards
- Tchad Blake / keyboards, harmonium
- Ronan Browne / uilleann pipes
- Noël Ekwabi / bass
- The Papa Wemba Band / congas
- James McNally / low whistle
- Chuck Norman / programming
Track 5
- Joseph Arthur / vocals, guitar
- Karl Wallinger / guitar, backing vocals
- Tchad Blake / bass, shaker, tambourine
- Justin Adams / backing vocals
- Chuck Norman / programming
Track 6
- Sinéad O'Connor / vocals
- Sevara Nazarkhan / backing vocals
- Richard Evans / guitar, mandolin, recorder
- Rupert Hine / keyboards
- Angie Pollock / piano
- Guo Yue / flute
- Ged Lynch / drums
- Joji Hirota / percussion, drums, Chinese drums
Track 7
- David Rhodes / guitar
- Justin Adams / guitar
- Tchad Blake / guitar synth, organ, shaker, hi-hat, frame drum
- Sherman Holmes / backing vocals
- Wendell Holmes / backing vocals
- Jules Shear / backing vocals
- Karl Wallinger / backing vocals
- Jah Wobble / bass
- Wendy Melvoin / bass
- Billy Cobham / drums
- Arona N'diaye / djembe
- Chuck Norman / programming
Track 8
- Hukwe Zawose / vocals
- Vernon Reid / guitar
- Levon Minassian / duduk
- Arona N'diaye / percussion
- Chuck Norman / programming
- Stephen Hague / programming
Track 9
- Márta Sebestyén / lead vocals, flute
- Vernon Reid / guitar synth
- Stephen Hague / accordion
- Karl Wallinger / bass
- Chuck Norman / programming, drone
Track 10
- Rossy (Paul Bert) / vocals
- Jah Wobble / bass
- Arona N'diaye / percussion
- Chuck Norman / programming
- Stephen Hague / programming
Track 11
- Karl Wallinger / vocals, acoustic guitar, double bass, keyboards
- Stephen Hague / accordion
- Manu Katche / drums
- Tchad Blake / kick drums
- Chuck Norman / programming
CAB CAB (2000)
The debut album from a Jazz-Rock Fusion all-star band that has taken its name from the acronym created by the first letter of the last names of each of the original artists: Dennis Chambers, Tony MacAlpine, Bunny Brunel, (as well as recent joiner, Brian Auger).
Line-up / Musicians:
- Bunny Brunel / bass
- Dennis Chambers / drums
- Brian Auger / keyboards
- Tony MacAlpine / guitar
1. "Night Splash" (5:20) (/10)
2. "Cab" (7:16) (/15)
3. "So There Is Love" (3:41) (/10)
4. "Just Perfect" (5:05) (/10)
5. "One for Stern" (6:59) (/15)
6. "The Watcher" (3:47) (/10)
7. "Atamanashi" (5:23) (/10)
8. "Boogie Me" (4:38) (/10)
9. "Elastic Man" (5:15) (/10)
10. "Bernard" (4:37) (/10)
Total Time 52:01
on the Fishscales = / stars;
CAB CAB 2 (2001)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Bunny Brunel / bass
- Dennis Chambers / drums
- Brian Auger / keyboards
- Tony MacAlpine / guitar
1. "Decisions" (9:12) (/20)
2. "Madeline" (8:29) (/20)
3. "Dennis" (5:14) (/10)
4. "For Joe" (7:11) (/15)
5. "South Side" (7:25) (/15)
6. "Song for My Friend" (4:41) (/10)
7. "Temperamental" (9:41) (/20)
8. "Top Spin" (8:07) (/15)
9. "Wah Wah" (7:01) (/15)
10. "Sunday" (5:14) (/10)
Total Time 72:15
on the Fishscales = / stars;
Line-up / Musicians:
- Tony MacAlpine / guitar, keyboards
- Bunny Brunel / bass, keyboards, fretless bass, piccolo bass, percussion programming
- Dennis Chambers / drums
With:
- Patrice Rushen / piano, keyboards, Fender Rhodes, Soloist
- Brian Auger / keyboards, Hammond organ, Soloist, Fender Rhodes
1. "Hold On" (4:37) (/10)
2. "One for the Road" (7:01) (/15)
3. "Shizuka" (5:26) (/10)
4. "Tony Mac" (8:29) (/20)
5. "Raymond" (6:29) (/10)
6. "BB's Rumba" (4:49) (/10)
7. "Bass Ackward" (4:53) (/10)
8. "Cloud 10" (6:17) (/10)
9. "Alphonse" (6:28) (/10)
10. "Jam & Toast" (6:06) (/10)
11. "Dede" (6:14) (/10)
Total Time 66:49
on the Fishscales = / stars;
CAB Theatre of Marionnettes (2009)
Line-up / Musicians:
- Bunny Brunel / bass
- Tony MacApline / guitar
- Virgil Donati / drums
With:
- Patrice Rushen / keyboards
- Brian Auger / keyboards
- Sandeep Chowta / keyboards
Guest:
- Chick Corea / keyboards
1. "The Prankster" (5:23)
2. "Katputli" (4:23)
3. "The Sultan of Brunel" (3:40)
4. "Purple Mars" (6:02)
5. "The Ventriloquist" (4:41)
6. "Just Do It" (5:23)
7. "Rain" (4:07)
8. "The Pub" (4:24)
9. "Another Day" (4:24)
10. "Jaco Rocco Circus" (6:35)
11. "Theatre De Marionnettes" (6:07)
12. "High Cloud" (4:27)
13. "The Puppeteer" (6:20)
Total Time 65:56
on the Fishscales = / stars;
