VIRTUE

That is the first album by Alphonse Mouzon I've acquired, a Japanese edition on the CD and I've never regretted it. As an open music fan, I don't mind stylistic uneven tracks ranging from very good jazz-funk to ferocious fusion and drum soloing. More than 50% of the music here is essential for any fusion fan, notably "Baker's daughter", "Nyctophobia" and "Virtue" followed by some ambitious and experimental parts from the "Mouzon Drum Suite". Fusion ballad "Come into my life" is very accessible but well played with lush keyboards and melodies. The suite is quite naturally inspired by rhythms, more specifically African. All musicians show extraordinary playing abilities, I like Stu Goldberg' fast soloing particularly but devastating bass in Virtue and Nyctophobia need to be highlighted too. "Nyctophobia" actually comes from the 11th House times but the version is nothing short of wonder. Absolutely blitz- speeding rhythms team with bass and breathtaking keyboard and saxophone soloing. This is one of the fastest pieces that fusion can offer (check live version of Malaga Virgen from Brand X for another candidate). Though more commercial and accessible music was starting to sneak into Mouzon's music, this is first and foremost a jazz fusion record and composed/executed damn well.