KBB LIVE 2005 OFFICIAL BOOTLEG

After their two excellent studio-albums Lost And Found (2000) and Four Corner's Sky (2003), this exciting new Japanese progrock band released the CD Live 2004, in 2006 followed by the DVD entitled KBB Live 2005 Official Bootleg (recorded in Tokyo). This was a special "Nearfest 2006 Limited Edition" release in order to celebrate KBB their performance on that famous annual USA progrock festival. I was already very impressed listening to Live 2004 but the experience of this DVD is great, what a stunning band!

KBB plays instrumental, very jazzrock inspired, the level of the musicians is mighty close to virtuosic and the interplay is awesome. Looking at this live DVD you can notice that the flowing and propulsive rhythm-section is a perfect foundation for the many solo escapades by keyboardplayer Toshimitsu Takahashi (lots of lush Hammond organ waves, sparkling electric piano runs and spectacular, often dazzling pitchbend driven synthesizer solos) and especially violin player Akihisa Tsuboy, he really shines. On his own website I read that Tsuboy has played in many bands and contributed to several albums in Japan, he was even a guest musician on the known Japanese progrock album Water Blue (1989) by Vermillion Sands! He has incorporated elements from JL Ponty, PFM, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Eddie Jobson in his sound in a very virtuosic and spectacular way: from dreamy to dynamic with a great build- up in Backside Edge, classically inspired and strong interplay with electric piano in Discontinuous Spiral, powerful and evoking Kansas in the very dynamic Shironiji and a wah-wah drenched sound in the sensational final track Tono (also including an outstanding synthesizer solo). My highlight on this DVD is the composition Inner Flames: a powerful and dynamic sound with compelling interplay between violin and Hammond organ, spectacular solos on synthesizer, violin and jazzy inspired piano and halfway the focus is on Tsuboy, he freaks out with a very distorted sound, a kind of "Jimi Hendrix meets Ritchie Blackmore", how sensational!

If you want to watch exciting new jazzrock (with 'multi camera shooting'), check out this live DVD by KBB, highly recommended!