Soul of an Angel Review

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(More customer reviews)You can't get an idea of the power and majesty of these songs by listening to the clips, as his intros are anywhere from one to four minutes. But what great songs these are. There really aren't many jazz musicians of this stature who can and do write such beautiful melodies, and fill them out with such outstanding arrangements. Not that Mr. Harper doesen't do standards justice, such as on 'It Came Upon A Midnight Clear' on this release, and the magical 'My One And Only Love' from "If Our Hearts Could Only See". It's just that the wonderful melodies of the title song, 'Credence' and especially 'Thine Is The Glory' are new and original and meaningful.
All of these pieces are surrounded by hard and taut playing by the other band members. Francesca Tanksley, who has been playing piano with Mr. Harper for more than 15 years, turns in a blistering performance on 'Thine Is The Glory' that just about makes me weep with joy.
This music is deceptively soft-on-the-edges jazz which is familliar with the entire history of the music, but isn't happy to just sit by and reminisce. This is music that is ready to tell you something new about yourself. Are you ready?

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World-renowned saxophonist performs in quartet, quintet & sextet settings, featuring trumpeter Eddie Henderson, pianist Jessica Tanksley, French horn player John Clark, bassist Clarence Seay & drummer Taylor Baker.

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Gentle Hearts Review

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(More customer reviews)I did buy this album because Greg Howe is involved and I found a very nice album full of nice fusion tunes. Tetsuo Sakurai was the bass player in the japanese fusion band Casiopea and he has a lot of experience. The band recorded I think more than 20 albums. I own a lot of them (they are actually unavailable) and you can find there some melodic fusion that deserves to be listened. Here instead you can find Tetsuo in very good company with two of the best american jazz fusion instrumentalists, Dennis Chambers and Greg Howe with a japanese guest keyboards player. The music is a high octane fusion but very melodical and entertaining. It is really a very nice album that could be appreciated by every music fan and jazz fusion enthusiast. I love it. I want to point out that is very melodical but at the same time challenging from a technical point of view. Very balanced. I'm glad I did buy it ! It is a very nice addiction to my fusion collection. Consider that nowadays these albums are not very common because fusion in untrendy. But this music has value and it will remain. Bravo Tetsuo! Greg and Dennis are monsters of course .....

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Ex-Casiopea bassist presents his power trio album with Dennis Chambers (Graffiti) and Greg Howe. EMI. 2004.

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Van Morrison, The Concert Review

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(More customer reviews)It's hard to believe this concert was taped in 1989, at the Beacon Theater in New York, long time ago! Van has never been known to age gracefully, but the voice, the high and low ranges, the sounds and mumbles he makes still mesmerize his audiences. Many of the performances here feature his spiritual side with Whenever God Shines His Light; Thank God for Self; I Will Be There; and When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God. He touches lightly on Gloria, and extends Moondance/Fever.
Two influential guests include the blues guitarist John Lee Hooker and jazz pianist, composer, and Mose Allison. Allison has often called the "William Faulkner of Jazz." In 1996, Morrison recorded Tell Me Something: The Songs of Mose Allison.
What is not listed as a track is the mesmerizing and unusual duet between sax player and Morrison, doing Common One. The sax play will echo every line Morrison does. Not only is it unique to listen, but that duet is very fun to watch. Now this song was performed on the Astral Weeks Live At the Hollywood Bowl and the DVD treat Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl: The Concert Film (Amazon.com Exclusive). As usual the bluesy jazzy sound of the entire concert is a thrill.
Other songs include: Raglan Road; Star of the county Down; In the Garden; Have I Told You Lately; Cleaning Windown; Orangefield; Summertime in England; It Serves Me Right To Suffer; Booom Boom and She Moved Through the Fair.
I don't believe this concert is in DVD format. I don't know why, but sit back and enjoy some rare treats by Morrison in stereo sound. ....Rizzo


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Tom Joyner: United We Funk Live Review

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(More customer reviews)Not too short and not too long. detailed and specific. it makes sense, informative, and entertaining.

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Live at the Olympia Paris 1960 Review

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(More customer reviews)In the fall of 1960 Gerry Mulligan's Concert Jazz Band, with guest
Zoot Sims, toured Europe for the first and only time. For his "On
Tour" LP (1962), Mulligan chose just four tracks from the Berlin and
Milan concerts. His liner notes include the comment that "a small but
very noisy group of youngsters" had made the Olympia concert "a dismal
evening for everybody," but this isn't remotely apparent on the 2 CD
set of the Nov 19 Paris performance. A blurb on back, "The Must Have
companion piece to the Mosaic box set" isn't hype. These CDs are a very
happy surprise: the CJB plays superbly and the sound is nearly always
excellent. (It's certainly up there with the Village Vanguard and Santa
Monica tracks included in the Mosaic package.) Even at 110 minutes, there
are no superfluous tracks or lulls in the high energy level. The test
case is a 21 and a half minute version of Mulligan's "Spring is Sprung"
which, depending on one's mood never quite manages to wear you out with
any of its solos. As a sort of extended encore, there's the bonus of an
additional 45 minutes from a performance of the Mulligan Quartet at the
Olympia in 1962, recorded shortly before the CJB went into a New York studio
one last time. This is a great pair of CDs from Gambit Records. (The liner
notes are not especially informative, but that is its only fault.) The Swiss
Radio Days release of the similar CJB Zurich concert is half as long and not
nearly as exciting or as well recorded; CJB fans will probably want to own both,
but "Live at the Olympia Paris" is the indispensable one.

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Two CD set featuring rare live performances from Paris! Gerry Mulligan’s first trip to Paris took place in 1954, when he presented his legendary piano-less quartet. His success there led him to return many times, with a sextet in 1955 and 1957, with his Concert Jazz Band (composed of fourteen musicians) in 1960, and again with his quartet in 1962, when he alternated sets with the Horace Silver group featuring Blue Mitchell. The two latter performances are included on this release, which presents the Olympia concerts from November 19, 1960 and October 6, 1962. Featuring Zoot Sims, Bob Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Nick Travis, Don Ferrara, Gene Quill, Buddy Clark and Mel Lewis. 21 tracks. Gambit. 2006.

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Rite of Strings Review

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(More customer reviews)I've been a long-time fan of both Al DiMeola and Jean-Luc Ponty though I didn't know much about Stanley Clarke beyond his glowing reputation.So when the "Rite of Strings" tour paid a visit to San Antonio, I was interested in seeing how the three would work together.Very well, as it turned out and of course they played music from their eponymous album as well as a few extra songs giving each of them a chance to individually shine.I bought the CD at the concert and was very pleased upon listening to it. There is something here for fans of each musician. My favorites are Indigo, which is unabashedly DiMeola, Song for John, a Clarke/Corea composition which is incredibly mellow and relaxing, and Memory Canyon, which has Ponty written all over it. There is no song on the album I don't like but I do wish that Al would have chosen something other than the Chilean Pipe Song, one of the weaker songs from his Orange and Blue CD.I'd rate this a winner as I came away with a higher regard for the musicianship of each of the bandmembers.

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Paul Hardcastle - Jazzmasters: The Greatest Hits Review

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(More customer reviews)My introduction to Paul Hardcastle came in 1985. Back during this time, "disco music" was almost obsolete. It had been replaced by "Dance" music. Around this time, studio mixing became very common to many Pop sounds. Many of these songs were known as "12 inch Remixes" (because they would often be released on 12 inch vinyl as singles). This allowed many songs, including those that were not traditional "Dance" style songs to be played in Dance Clubs. As a result, traditional Rock starts such as Bruce Springsteen had many of their tunes remixed into a "Dance" style and were now getting airplay in the clubs (Springsteen had "Cover Me" and "Dancing in the Dark remixed).In the early 80s, Paul Hardcastle was primarily an instrumentalist making songs that fit into the Dance Music genre. In 1985, Hardcastle had a very interesting song that became a big hit on the dance club scene and a huge hit in the UK.. The name of the song was "19" and it dealt with the Vietnam War as well as the effects after the war (posttraumatic stress disorder). In the United States, Hardcastle was viewed as a one-hit wonder with "19", but he still managed to continue to have success in the UK. (He would write,"The Wizard" that would become a theme for the UK's "Top of the Pops" show) Much of his decline in the United States might have been with the decline of Dance Music (i.e. 12 inch Remixes) in the late 1980s. Although I was a fan of the song, "19" - I can't say I followed Paul Hardcastle closely throughout the late 80s. Then, as the 90s came - I started hearing about Paul Hardcastle again. This time, he had gone into a new direction - Smooth Jazz.Hardcastle's work in Smooth Jazz is put together in a nice greatest hits collection entitled - Paul Hardcastle "Jazzmasters - The Greatest Hits".
Many may argue whether Smooth Jazz is really Jazz or not. Whether you believe the term "Jazz" belongs in Smooth Jazz or not, I do believe this genre has established itself on the music scene. I look at Smooth Jazz as primarily an instrumental music style that is an incorporation and fusion of several instrumental styles. Some of the fusion may be classic Jazz brass sounds, but others may be modern music styles of electric guitar or synthesizers. Because of the wide range that this genre can encompass, I feel many artists fall into this category. Paul Hardcastle's roots as a Synthesizer player and composer make his move to this genre of music almost a natural fit.
Hardcastle's Smooh Jazz work on "Jazzmasters - The Greatest Hits" is taken from his solo work and his work as part of a group. The term "Jazzmasters" refers to as part of the group - The Jazzmasters. As part of the Jazzmasters, they released four albums over the past decade: "Jazzmasters", "Jazzmasters II", "Jazzmasters III", and "Jazzmasters IV". "Jazzmasters - The Greatest Hits" encompasses the first three Jazzmasters albums. It also takes work from solo work that Hardcastle has done in the Smooth Jazz arena. Hardcastle's Dance Music work is not represented on this collection.Most of this work is hard to find on its original released CDs - but it is available on the collection "The Best of Paul Hardcastle". Paul Hardcastle has established himself as very successful Smooth Jazz artist in terms of commercial sales. Although now a big name in Smooth Jazz, I still find it surprising that when I mention his name to the mainstream music fan, I get the reaction "Who's Paul Hardcastle?"
There are two arguments you often get from those who are not fans of Smooth Jazz: 1) That's not Real Jazz; 2) It all sounds the same. In the case of Paul Hardcastle's work, I look at what Hardcastle tries to accomplish as a basis for refuting this argument. Throughout his whole career, Hardcastle has always tried to experiment and push the boundaries of his music. This goes all the way back to his Dance Music days of "19" and continues with his Smooth Jazz work. Using this as a model, Hardcastle isn't trying to do real Jazz, but incorporating Jazz elements into his music. Listen to the terrific Sax work in "Lost in Space" and "Forever Dreamin" and you will see that while these aren't Jazz songs, they do have elements of Jazz in it. As for the music sounding the same - I think this is sometimes a fair argument in the Smooth Jazz world. An initial listen to Hardcastle's Smooth Jazz work may also leave this impression, but as you listen to it (and you will need to listen to it several times), you will see how his work does have a lot of variety.
There are two songs on this collection that incorporate a vocalist -Helen Rogers. These songs are "Wonderland" and "Feel the Breeze". I happen to think "Feel the Breeze" is the best song of the collection. "Feel the Breeze" has a beautiful saxaphone intro which blends into a Latin Jazz style intro. Rogers' voice might not be one for a Latin Sound, but her R&B sound really comes across perfect. Snake Davis provides the saxaphone and does some flute which really blends nice.

The collection includes a new song "Shine". This song features some acoustic guitar rifts by Hardcastle's 9 year old son, Paul Hardcastle Jr. It also has some terrific sax work.
The collection features some outstanding liner notes. There is a page devoted to each song that tells a little about the song, there are some comments by Hardcastle, and even discusses some other related aspects of Hardcastle's career. I found this album a great way to find something that is a cut-above the average Smooth Jazz sound. It's also a great way to gain an introduction to one of the underrated artists of our time. I highly recommend this collection.

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We Live Here Review

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(More customer reviews)This is one of the more difficult PMG albums to like. What has changed most since the previous studio album ('Letter From Home', but can it really be six years earlier) is the rhythm. It isn't just that the personnel have changed -- Pedro Aznar has disappeared, to be replaced yet again by Messrs Blamires and Ledford. No, for this album, the compositions are guided by the new groove, a sort of Metheny hip-hop, minus any rap.
Some, but not all, of it works. None of Metheny's subsequent albums has followed this path.
Well worth the price alone is a wonderfully exuberant track #4, 'To the End of the World', which provides empirical proof that there is a God. Structurally, it's a re-working of 'Are You Going With Me' to the new groove, but there is no harm in that. I could swear that even the intellectual Steve Rodby gets funky for a few seconds!
A fascinating aspect of the sleeve notes is where each artist lists seven or eight albums of the past. It doesn't say whether these are their most influential albums, or their favourite albums, but there are a few surprises. Guess who lists Stravinsky? Beefheart? Wayne Shorter? (Three of them, actually.)
No Metheny compilation would be complete without track #4.

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Have Band Will Travel Review

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(More customer reviews)I rode with the Mike Vax Kenton alumni band for 5 days in 2008. I think twelve of the ninteen players were alumni. The younger guys, Stan would have been proud to have them in his band. Mike Vax is an excellent leader, trumpet player and good guy. If you get a chance go see the band in 2011, when they are going on an extensive tour to celebrate Stan's 100th birthday; don't miss it. Buy this CD; you will not be sorry.Jack Hanna

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* Cover Sticker: "Stan Kenton's legacy is in good hands" (Sammy Nestico). * Now "officially" The Stan Kenton Alumni Band (from estate blessing), this is the definitive group of musicians paying tribute to the one and only Stan Kenton as only true alumni could. * Recorded during last year's bus tour (the first without the great Bob Florence), and led by Mike Vax, this is the best recording in the series--a beautifully rich big band explosion! "This band is carrying on [Kenton's] legacy and one hopes he is somewhere smiling. All of the excitement that earmarked the original Kenton orchestra has been captured for a new generation." -- All About Jazz "Bless you Mike, for keeping the faith. Not just for schlepping your 19 sidemen on the bus again, but for spreading the Gospel According to Stan in the process." -- JazzTimes

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Peter White Christmas with Mindi Abair and Rick Braun Review

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(More customer reviews)Ahh... fire on, tree lit, presents wrapped, children in bed - sit back on your comfy chair, put this CD on and press play... enter a wonderful world of top flight, tinsel-covered fusion jazz!
Peter White is not new to this kind of music genre.
In fact he released another succesful festive album in 1997.
Perfect for chillin' out during the busy Christmas season !
Songs of the Season

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Peter White is an extraordinary and fluent acoustic guitarist whose skills are world-renown. Mindi Abair is a double-edged talent from her fluid saxophone to emotive vocals. Rick Braun is a masterful trumpet/flugelhorn player whose warm tones transform the simplest melody into a work of art. They have separately sold literally millions of records and anticipate the acceptance to this special performance of Christmas chestnuts.

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Birks Works: Verve Big Band Sessions Review

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(More customer reviews)Dizzy Gillespie always hankered to lead a big band, but like most post-war big band leaders he found that they just were no longer economically viable. His first big-band efforts, recorded on Savoy & RCA Victor, date from the heyday of bop; that band broke up, but this later band, from 1956-57, is made up of a terrific mix of hungry up-and-coming hard boppers like Lee Morgan, Benny Golson & Ernie Henry and other musicians like Phil Woods, Al Grey, Wynton Kelly & Joe Gordon. This band was decidedly a Cold War-era band: its three albums (compiled on this 2-fer set) were called _Dizzy Gillespie: World Statesman_, _Dizzy in Greece_ and _Birks' Works_, & the band basically survived by touring around the world, sponsored by the US Government. (For more information on Gillespie's bandleading & its background, the curious should look at Scott DeVeaux's marvellous book _The Birth of Bebop_.) After they returned to the US the band broke up in 1958--ironically enough, as an interview in the liner notes points out, just before their recording of "Over the Rainbow" became their first jukebox hit.
OK, so what of the music? Well, it's hard-hitting big band material, with charts by Ernie Wilkins, Benny Golson, Quincy Jones, Melba Liston & others. Surprisingly there's little material showing the interest in Afro-Cuban fusion which Gillespie elsewhere showed. There's a certain amount of throwaway material--silly nonsense songs like "Umbrella Man", or the disappointing "The Champ" which after a terrific Gillespie scat intro becomes a long drum solo for Charlie Persip. Melba Liston inexplicably provides the umpteenth jazz reorchestration of Grieg's "Anitra's Dance" and Debussy's "Reverie". But the rest is prime Gillespiana--often revisiting past tunes like "A Night in Tunisia" but also providing first hearing to important material like Golson's "Whisper Not" and "Stablemates". The man himself solos mightily, & the rest of the band is superb too.
One caveat, however: there are two serious remastering problems with the release. First: the previously unreleased take of "Whisper Not" is afflicted with bad reverb, to the point of unlistenability. Second: the master take of "Whisper Not" has several odd volume fluctuations, including a strange moment where the rhythm section triples in volume for a second. One wishes that record companies paid closer attention to the products they released--in every other respect this CD is a model reissue.

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Jingle All the Way Review

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(More customer reviews)The Flecktones have always been known for incredible instrumental abilities and challenging arrangements. By recording a holiday collection, they have made their music more accessible without sacrificing technique. This is also an incredibly diverse collection: I find that there are songs I can't stop listening to, some I enjoy greatly, and some that are fine (as well as one that is terrible--I can tolerate Tuvan throat singing as a texture, not as the primary instrument as it is on the Jingle Bells reprise).
"Jingle Bells" has quite a bit of throat singing, but the chromatic bass line is what really makes this different and interesting. Similarly, "Silent Night" has enough alternate chords and a driving rhythm to make a well-known carol new and unusual. "Sleigh Ride" is the first song that I find incredible--Bela starts it with a common opening banjo-lick (think "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"), that tears into a series of single-line runs that are astonishing in their fluidity. Jeff matches this on the sax later in the song, all of which is propelled by Vic and Futureman's astonishing groove. Vic's solo includes a quote from "The Wizard of Oz," and during the instrumental breakdown he begins a "Rudolph" quote that the rest of the band picks up on. Astonishing musicianship; any question that these guys love playing together?
The next song is a stunningly gorgeous solo bass rendition of "The Christmas Song." Vic shows the full potential of the bass as a solo instrument with high chords over a resonating low tone that is full and beautiful. "12 Days" is another favorite, with the band tackling a different meter and key with each day. How they stay together through 12 key and tempo changes at the end is astonishing to hear (props to special guests Andy Statman and Edgar Meyer, here and on other songs). The fact that this is bookended with a Bach oratorio demonstrates the range of these musicians: classical banjo (think "Perpetual Motion") with a sax counterpoint, quarter-notes on the bass driving it along; yes, it's a classical piece, but a fully modern arrangement.
The Peanuts songs are next; from the other reviews, these are clearly favorites, though I found little unusual about the arrangements, perhaps because they were jazz pieces to begin with. The Jingle Bells reprise, as I mentioned, is the one song I never listen to. The Hanukkah Waltz is good, Sugar Plum fairies has some astonishing banjo runs which are then duplicated on bass. "What Child is This" is my absolute favorite: more Tuvan throat singing, but it perfectly fits the mood and feel of Dyngyldai: this song has the heaviest groove I've heard in a long time, and when it takes off the power is overwhelming.
"O Come" is a nice, slow mandolin/string bass duet that is unremarkable. The medley is interesting, then the band has a blast with "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Vic and Futureman start the groove, everyone else joins in, you hear the count-off, then there is a fantastic definition of the melody, with all the instruments trading off single notes. I first heard this idea on the "Strength in Numbers" CD, and am still always amazed when it happens. This is the band having their last blast.
"River" is solo Bela, playing piano and banjo simultaneously. The fact that it is simultaneous is an unnecessary gimmick: the arrangement is beautiful and perfect.
My point in this review: the musicianship is incredible and the songs are varied. Chances are you'll find something you love, even if you don't love the entire collection.

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Béla Fleck, often considered the premiere banjo player in the world, has made a name for himself as a virtuoso instrumentalist unbounded by genre. His band The Flecktones - Victor Wooten on electric bass, Jeff Coffin on sax and flute, and Future Man on percussion - are equally talented and adventurous as Fleck himself, and together they have made a string of critically acclaimed albums that combine bluegrass, jazz, funk and world music with technical prowess, unlimited imagination and occasional zaniness. Their new holiday CD Jingle All the Way is all of that, with bells on - Christmas music as it's never been heard it before, with unique tonal textures (banjo, Tuvan throat singing, klezmer mandolin), hot solos and tight ensemble arrangements that make every measure new. Jingle All the Way is the perfect stocking stuffer for those who like their Christmas music fun and challenging at the same time.

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Pat Metheny: Secret Story - Live in New Brunswick, NJ Review

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(More customer reviews)I haven't seen all the other Metheny DVDs so I can't compare this one to any of them. I do own More Travels on VHS, which is not strictly speaking a live concert, as there was no audience present for that live performance. There are distracting "arsty" moments on that video, plus they cut to interviews and other stuff that after a while take away from the video.
There are no distractions on this presentation, just an hour and a half of great music. While this DVD is not the Pat Metheny Group, it IS live in front of an enthusiastic audience, and there was reason for their jubilation. This is a sublime performance of a great collection of tunes performed by a stellar group of players. The lineup includes the late 80's PMG sans Lyle Mays. In his place are two of my favorite keyboard players, Jim Beard and Gil Golstein. Their's is a tough job, as they had to play all the orchestral and supporting parts from a very dense studio album. They perform their tasks admirably, and together with Mark lederer and David Blamires, who also have their hands full supplying all the brass parts and adding their considerable vocal and percussion talents to the many layered textures, the sound is nearly as full and detailed as the original studio recording. Rounding out the sound is an added guitarist and Armando Marcal supplying beautiful colors and percussion. What a great show! And until now I thought I'd have to rely on my memory of that ecstatic, singular night! The sound is great, the mix nearly letter perfect. The picture is grainy and not as sharp as one would hope for a DVD, but the content is so good, this can easily be overlooked. This is a straightforward no nonsense concert video, just nine great musicians reverently and joyfully laying down some of Pat's most heartful and honest music from the happy/sad but always beautiful Secret Story CD. Highly recommended.
NOTE: It is interesting to note that Pat Metheny put the kabosh on the american release of this DVD, the reason being, he apprarently felt that the performance here was not up to his high standards. While that may be true, (there are a few minor clams here and there,) the overall performance is still excellent, if not letter perfect. This is after all, the only documentation of this historic tour and as such, the imperfections can easily be overlooked. Most people won't even notices them. You can find copies of this DVD on Ebay. It is a treasure not to be missed,especially to fans of the CD.
By the way, I have to agree with the poster who mourns the lack of DTS encoding. I would even settle for Dolby Digital-anything but crappy prologic. It says its in DD but it isn't .The sound is merely passable, and it could've been great.

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Still Life Review

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(More customer reviews)With virtually every cut on this extraordinary CD, Pat Metheny surprises, touches, moves and delights you. This album is one of those rare perfect things in life; every sound seems as if it was meant to be, at that moment, in the world, right now -- like magic. Though I love everything on this record, it is Last Train Home, with its rush of melancholy voices in its final stretch, that is my absolute favorite. Buy Buy Buy...

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Trading 8s Review

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(More customer reviews)If you're worried that having guest guitarists would transform this album into a shredfest with little regard to the music, think again. All of the musicians are playing tasty licks to complement the tunes and also bring out the best in Carl's playing.
Carl is a master guitar player and musician. He not only plays well, he has great TONE and feel. A must for those who appreciate quality music.
Another benefit...the CD is NOT over compressed like a lot of today's CDs.
It sounds great!

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Pepper cake announces the new CD of Carl Verheyenex supertramp guitar with a new album called Trading Eights. He recorded 10 songs and singled out 6 of them to feature 6 of his favorite guitar players actually trading solos, and in many cases 8 bar phrases with him. The result is an inspiring mix of styles and musical energy.Robben Ford playes a blues, Joe Bonamassa an up tempo instrumental, Albert Lee a country style song and Steve Morse a soulful ballad.Rick Vito turned in some beautiful slide playing and Scott Henderson tore up our version of George Harrisons Taxman. Some special guests on that record which was recorded in 2008. Carl is on tour through Europe on more than 40 shows in 2 months! Please welcome a guitar hero!

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At the Village Vanguard (Spec Packaging) Review

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(More customer reviews)This was a terrific record when it was issued and it is just as good today. The up-tempo pieces feature tight arrangements and great solos and the band's enthusiasm is infectious. The balads are lovely as well. The sound on the CD is excellent. I would recommend the CD to any jazz lover.

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Paint the World Review

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(More customer reviews)Here, Chick took a very different approach to the Elektric Band paradigm, namely he left more open space for improvisation as opposed to mapping out nearly every last note or being overly concerned about airplay potential. There was also a major lineup change, Chick and saxophonist Eric Marienthal being the only holdovers from the first EB. The new participants were guitarist Mike Miller, drummer Gary Novak and bassist Jimmy Earl.
And did the change help? Mostly, YES!
The band overall ahs a much looser feel to it, thanks in no small part to drummer Gary Novak who brings an entirely different attitude and approach than Dave Weckl's, not a slam, just a contrast. Gary has a wonderfully loose funky creative style of drumming that is a good fit for Chick's music.
Bassist Jimmy Earl comes into the equation taking the unusual approach of NOT soloing at all, but preferring to concentrate on making the music groove, and groove he does! Not everyone can do what his predecessor John Patitucci did so beautifully (namely play lead bass and NOT come off like a show-offy wanker) and Jimmy wisely keeps that in mind, but his playing is FAR beyond anonymous thumping P-Bass minimalism too.
Guitarist Mike Miller is a real treat too, bringing a tart, biting sound and an angular melodic sense to the table yet playing with a lot more soul than uber-chopsmeister Frank Gambale could ever hope to. His biting solo on "Ritual" is especially fun to dig into.
However, I wish I could be as enthusiastic about Eric Marienthal's playing. Granted, he has chops and all, but for me, comes up short in the creativity department, as it seems he plays the same Sanborn-esque licks over and over again with little variation when not navigating Chick's twisty melodies. I've always thought of him as the EB's weakest link. IF there had been NO sax at all, this disc might've earned a 5 star rating without much trouble.
But that said, I dare say, the songs themselves are a LOT more fun to listen to here, as opposed the the uptight and overly fussed with and mind-numbingly predictable predecsssor "Beneath The Mask". There's far more breathing room for each musician and a much looser organic sound in general. Chick actually goes rather sparing on the synths here, preferring to hit mainly pianos. One of the discs high points is "Ritual" a more biting electrified version of a piece that originally appeared on his excellent 1981 release "Three Quartets". "Tumba Island" is a rather odd yet endearing piece based on some dance music that Chick hear while on vacation on a particular island. Elsewhere, the twisty melodies fly and everyone sounds like they're having a ball playing, which is VERY important.
It's a shame this version of the EB didn't stay together very long, at least judging by what was on here, it could've evolved into a VERY exciting electric-jazz outift. Definitely recommended, gripes about EM notwithstanding.

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Songs Include : 1. Paint The World 3:58 / 2. Blue Miles 5:32 / 3. Tone Poem 6:51 / 4. CTA 5:49 / 5. Silhouette 1:43 / 6. Space 6:08 / 7. The Ant & The Elephant 7:33 / 8. Tumba Island 5:58 / 9. Ritual 7:36 / 10. Ished 7:18 / 11. Spanish Sketch 8:07 / 12. Reprise 2:50

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