CHICKEN NOODLES II (WITH TRAVIS DICKERSON)

So yummy is one edition of CHICKEN NOODLES that another was in store! Yep, BUCKETHEAD and his partner in crime TRAVIS DICKERSON hooked up for yet another free-stylin' session of guitar and keyboard improvs in full jam form for another battle of the blues and jazz. Basically what we get here is DICKERSON making his Fender Rhodes Piano while BUCKETHEAD adds his jazzy clean guitar workouts. The album is much like the first edition only the tracks are slightly more energized as they jam on to infinity. There is a veritable 60s retro vibe going on as it reminds me of those extended instrumental passages in The Doors albums.

So what we get is a series of melodies that are either initiated by DICKERSON's keyboards or taken by the horns via the guitar route. The tracks vary in tempo and style but are connected in timbre and volume dynamics. There's a nice warm feel to the jams as they are clearly pouring their hearts and souls into the music and not worried about creating too slick of a final product. The minimalism allows them to focus on the melodies at hand and these two veterans pull it off with style and grace like pros. While some of the tracks are short, "Concentric Motion" and "Oyster Crackers" clock in at over nine friggin' minutes! These are the tracks that possibly outstay their welcome a bit but when all is said and done, this is one of those nice gentle albums that plays in the background while you engage in some other activity.

Given the nature of the music, i wouldn't call this stuff essential by any means however it is certainly well played and engaging in doses of full attentiveness but mostly i find this to be great supplemental music in the chicken lover's vast canon of craziness. While guitar and piano outburst can occur from time to time, this is pretty much an egalitarian romp through jamsville while melodic counterpoints are simply allowed to dance around together like gin fueled hillbillies in Appalachian dreams. Nothing to take seriously here, just nice jam sessions that carry on for various amounts of time. Not my favorite BH release by any means but certainly an entertaining listen if not exactly essential.