PROGRESSIVITY

TUNNELS returns to being a three piece, parting way with guitarist Van Manakas, to create Progressivity, an album very much similar to their first self-titled release. TUNNELS really fail to bring anything new to the table here. Progressivity basically serves as a slightly weaker second disc to their first album. A little expansion would have been nice, but having more material akin to that which they're already producing turns out to be some of the most original in the prog circuit and is very welcomed.

Percy Jones's influence is downplayed slightly here with Wagnon taking most of the spotlight in both writing and playing. The pieces written solely by him tend to be the strongest, especially "Syzygy Incident" and "Progressivity" which rank as the band's best material. I rank this album slightly weaker than their first two because of the overlong jam "7, 584, 333, 440 Miles Away" which leans a little bit on the directionless, even pointless side overstaying it's welcome at a generous twenty minutes.

Not being a particularly big fan of Fusion, TUNNELS have managed to blow the door open for me and served as a great springboard into jazz. Now being more knowledgeable in the genre it's still apparent that they are one of the shinning talents therein, however their first two releases manage to outshine this one, if only marginally.