BILLY COBHAM'S GLASS MENAGERIE: STRATUS

After many years and some funky albums from his great debut, Billy Cobham formed his European band Glass Menagerie with two future jazz/fusion stars - guitarist Mike Stern and Polish violinist Michal Urbaniak. In more classic jazz fusion format, band returned Cobham's music back to jazz-rock.

Rich in electric guitar,with violin interps, band plays good jazz rock there. Album sound is very clear,acoustic. It is Cobham's debut with German label In-Acoustic, you can feel their usual cold and clear sound on all album.

Compositions are quite different, well balanced, more band's musicianship, than Cobham plus back-up musicians. Every musician has possibility to show himself and enough time for that. Real return to form!

I'll start with what I perceive as the weak spot of Stratus: it sounds like safe, "smooth jazz" in places. "AC/DC" and "Total Eclipse" are prime examples, although each has its charms, and the piano work on "Total Eclipse" is excellent. But overall, I get the feeling that five excellent but risk-averse musicians got together for a gig and nailed their parts on the first take.

OK, now that's out of the way. Stratus is a good listen. Compared to Mahavishnu Orchestra's Birds of Fire - - the other album I have that features Cobham - - Stratus is less adventurous but more consistent. Interestingly, this is true of the drumming as well. I'm not sure if this is common when the bandleader is the drummer, but Cobham opens the album with a half- minute solo, which he picks back up on side two for another three and a half minutes. And that's pretty much it. The rest of the time, the spotlight is on someone else in the band - - not the guy who's name is on the cover.

And the other members of the band are great too, especially bassist Tim Landers and violinist Michał Urbaniak. The quintet was rounded out by Mike Stern (guitar) and Gil Goldstein (keyboards). Urbaniak and Stern each later played with Miles Davis, for whom Cobham played on "Feio" from Bitches Brew. While Cobham wrote four of the tracks on the album, the other four musicians wrote one apiece.

Stratus may not be an essential fusion album, but it's a good one. Three stars.