JAZZ ROCK/FUSION

A1. "Oceanus" (10:58) a very cool, very fresh sound with Jon Christensen and Ralph Towner keeping busy on their respective instruments while Eberhard Weber almost drones away on his bowed electric bass (or cello) and Jan Garbarek fills the front with periodic exhalations from his sonorous tenor sax. The quartet amps up the intensity and volume a bit in the fifth minute before Ralph enters into a jazzy 12-string solo. I'm hard pressed to tell you whether or not the syncopated rhythm 12-string work is the same track with Ralph playing it all at once or whether there is a completely separate track dedicated explicitly to each (lead and rhythm). Jon Christensen's infinitely-nuanced cymbal and snare work is so patiently deployed, responding to Ralph's guitar work that it almost feels as if the two were joined at the brain. And Jan and Eberhard's contributions are so respectful, so reactive and ego-less. (I think that would be the quality I can claim to like best with regards to Jan's saxophone playing: his patient response to both external and internal "calls to action.") Brilliant and enjoyable song despite lacking much in the way of melody. (Weird to think that Eberhard's drone-like bass notes may have been the most melodic in the song--at least in terms of a Western sensibility of what is "melodic.") (18/20)

A2. "Visitation" (2:32) an exercise in Nature and primordial recreation. (4.333/5) A3. "Drifting Petals" (6:56) Ralph on solo piano playing a playful, gentle, introspective pastoral tune is joined in the second minute by Jan's flute. In the third minute, drums, reverberated fretless electrified bass, and Ralph's 12-string guitar step forward to creepy-crawl an exercise in hypervigilance--one that each of these ECM masters are completely up to task. The whole-band dynamic interplay in the fifth minute--both loud and soft--provides a real emotional peak. And the return to gentle piano arpeggi and guitar flute for the final minute is a display of sheer perfection in symmetry. (13.75/15)

B1. "Nimbus" (6:25) here is where I see fodder and inspiration for Pat Metheny's own solo acoustic guitar work. My favorite song on the album: it's absolutely gorgeous music. After 2:30 of exquisite solo acoustic guitar work the band is slowly coaxed into joining Ralph: first Jan's flute, then a slow entry of Jon' beautifully nuanced drumming, along with more tracks of Ralph's guitars and two tracks of Eberhard: one on bowed cello and one on upright double bass. Once full speed has been reached Ralph's awesome 12-string play is met face-to-face with Eberhard's dynamic double bass play and the entry of Jan's perfectly-balancing tenor sax. I don't always like Jan's work (or that of any saxophonist) but this is amazing--and powerful! Great, rousing band interplay over the course of those final couple minutes. Wonderful music even acoustic musicians can make thanks to the magic of multi-tracking! (10/10)

B2. "Winter Solstice" (3:58) Ralph playing near-Spanish style classical guitar with Jan meeting and matching him all along the way with his soprano sax. Man! These two are so in sync--so attuned! And both are definitely putting their full virtuosity on full display. Though I'm not such a fan of the melodies chosen/played by the two, I am so incredibly impressed by their astonishing timing in conveying them that I can't help but be won over. Standing ovations for this one! (9.75/10)

B3. "Piscean Dance" (3:33) funk in acoustic jazz?!? Jon Christensen and Ralph are definitely trying their best to demonstrate its possibility! Definitely a song that both impresses and endears both artists to me even more. (9.3333/10)

B4. "Red And Black" (1:12) electric guitar, volume-controlled whale sounds from Eberhard's electrified bass, and Ralph's acoustic guitar explorations--all coming together as if purely intended as an exploration of a certain sound possibility. (4.375/5)

B5. "Sand" (4:07) droning (and, probably, heavily-effected) sustained bowed cello notes joined by double bass notes with soprano sax splatterings and, eventually, Jon's funky drum play and effected 12-string guitar strums and gentle pickings all come together to create a sound palette that sounds remarkably similar to that which Corrado Rustici, Elio D'Anna, Percy Jones, Renato Rosset, and Narada Michael Walden will be creating for their 1976 NOVA album, Vimana. (9.33333/10)

Total Time: 40:57

I am emotionally and mentally blown away by the music Ralph and his virtuosic friends (and Manfred Eicher's production crew at ECM) have created for this album!

A/five stars; a masterpiece of some of the finest, most creative guitar-centered acoustic jazz you are likely to ever hear.

1. "XYZ" (6:56) this opener certainly does a great job announcing the serious skills and chemistry of Hiromi's new band. This very complex and least-melody-friendly song on the album still manages to impress because of the display of talent necessary to play these sophisticated and fast-shifting chord, rhythm, and melody changes. Impressive--though not my favorite. (13.625/15)

2. "Yes! Ramen!!" (8:14) so much fun, quirk, stylistic soup (kind of like the ramen itself!): more from Hiromi's incredibly free-flowing playfulness. (14.5/15)

3. "Pendulum" (5:57) the spirit of my late beloved Ryuichi Sakamoto seems to be flowing through Hiromi's fingers and piano on this but more, the stunningly exquisite vocal performance of Michelle Willis is somehow perfectly matched to Hiromi's beautiful music. Even the poetic lyrics are a welcome, fitting, and, again, perfect enhancement--precisely because of the musical quality of the poetry. Hadrien, Gene, and, later, Adam's contributions in the second half are equally respectful of Hiromi's Sakamoto-like gift to the cosmos. (10/10)

4. "Out There: Takin' Off" (6:33) too much fun, too much joy gushing from these performers to not love this song! (9.125/10)

5. "Out There: Strollin'" (6:43) a little more grounded in a blend of both traditional, "classic" melodic jazz as well as the Pat Metheny approach to music-making, this song has again so many nostalgic references: from all three of Hiromi's collaborators as well as the bandleader herself. This feels to me like a walk through New York City circa 1965. I love it. Adam O'Farrill's trumpet play is so fun and playful! How could someone not just fall in love with this music. Makes me want to go watch old Woody Allen movies. (9.25/10) 6. "Out There: Orion" (8:10) on this song it feels as if we are stepping down another floor into more traditional jazz sounds and styles--especially in the melody-making department: I feel as if the main melodies and variations on the main melodies are more akin to that which supported Frank Sinatra and Nancy Wilson in the 1950s. Don't get me wrong: I LOVE it, but it's just a feeling I get. Especially when each of the four "Out There" suite members is compared to each other. (13.75/15) 7. "Out There: The Quest" (8:11) the spirit of Weather Report/Manahattan Transfer "Birdland" comes through quite strongly here, that is, the 1980s. Man! I sure love the sounds and playing styles of both trumpeter Adam O'Farrill and bassist Hadrien Feraud! The way Gene's drums are presented in the mix (separation and sound spectrum) bug me a little. Not as big of a fan of this song as the others. (I've never been much of a Weather Report or "Birdland" fan.) (8.875/10)

8. "Pendulum" (6:19) the instrumental, all-piano version of song #3. It's just as beautiful without the great vocal performance and lyrics of the other version: mostly because Hiromi's music is so damned perfect. I love the different liberties Hiromi takes with the main melody in the fourth and fifth minutes--just before she begins gently working some low end bass notes into the background (from 3:44 to the song's end). (9.75/10)

9. "Balloon Pop" (6:18) a lot of fun syncopated staccato interplay between Hiromi (more her left hand), Gene and Hadrien. Adam gets a few passages to inject his own ten cents--and they're lovely (if mixed a little too far back into the sonicsphere)--but it's Hadrien's Anthony Jackson-like solo in fourth minute that really blows me away! I'm an absolute sucker for this kind of disciplined staccato syncopation--especially when it's performed at such a high precision level as this is. Fun whistle-like synth solo around the five minute mark with nice background trumpet accents, then it's off to the land of duelling anjos for the final minute: everybody trading barbs and challenges around the circle, one after the other until the finish. (9.125/10)

Total Time 63:21

I am so surprised (and overwhelmed) to find my inner being exuding such joy and elation as I listen to and review this album. I feel so very privileged to be able to know and have this kind of joyful music in my life. If I have any complaints/criticisms of this album, they are very minor--and they have nothing to do with the compositions or performances. I find myself ever so slightly put off by the way Gene Coye's drums are recorded. At times all of the four instruments feel rather subtly separated, that is, the tracks devoted to Gene, Hadrien, Adam and even (sometimes) Hiromi feel as if they have plexiglass walls between them: as if they were recorded in separate rooms, separate cities, at separate times and then the engineers tried to make them feel together. I've been quite resistant to listening to much of Hiromi's discography since she fell into my life with her first Sonicbloom album back in 2007: I just was afraid that nothing else could ever be better much less compare to that. A few live performance videos with Anthony Jackson have recently softened my stubborn stance, and then, today, this album popped into my awareness! Am SO GLAD it did! Also, I've been so focused on "Classic Era" Jazz-Rock Fusion and 1960s Jazz that I'd completely ignored (like a righteous little snob) any modern Jazz-Rock Fusion. Okay: I now see the error of my ways. I'm going to open myself back up to 21st Century Jazz-Rock Fusion. Hiromi, Antoine Fafard, Kamasi Washington, Meshell Ngegeocello: watch out: I'm comin' for y'all!

P.S. I ADORE the album art of this album! Now that's what I'm talkin' about! A/five stars; a certifiable masterpiece of joy-filled upbeat Jazz-Rock Fusion. All hail the Queen! Highly, highly recommended. For anyone who professes to love music.

Michal and his partner would move to the USA leaving his band behind. Urbaniak was such a fan of American Jazz, and on "Fusion III" he gets his wish to play with some American greats. So it's somewhat ironic that his keyboardist on "Fusion III" is Wlodek Gulgowski from Poland. He hadn't played with Urbaniak previously, as he had moved to Sweden in 1965. He would join MADE IN SWEDEN for their final release the following year in 1976.

For my tastes in Fusion Urbaniak's previous four albums blow this one away. All in that 73/74 time period with the live "In Concert" being part of that plus their studio records "Inactin", "Atma" and "Fusion". "Fusion III" on paper might look better, but the results do not agree with this. Unless you like funky music that is. I prefer the more European Jazz style that he played in Poland with those experimental passages. "Fusion III" is more accessible, melodic and softer. I feel that his Polish band is on another level, but honestly it's more the style of music they are playing.

So besides Michal, Urszula and Wlodek, all born in Poland, we get John Abercrombie on guitar, Anthony Jackson on bass and Steve Gadd on drums. Larry Coryell guests on one track, plus we get some other guests on here adding some vocals, extra guitar and drums. It's kind of crazy that the previous record "Fusion" didn't have bass or guitar on it, yet I adore that record. There was no guitar on "Atma" or "Inactin" either, but both had electric bass. My favourite tracks are the opener and closer which are the two parts of "Chinatown". And my favourite bits are what the keyboarder is doing playing synths and clavinet along with an abundance of electric piano.

A lighter and more commercial sound to this record over his previous stuff, but this is still a solid 4 star record in my world. I'll just stick to his Polish records from that '73/'74 period. Urbaniak's best!

1. "Spoiled love" (5:19) opens with heavy rock chords and sound palette that sounds just like it comes from the kind of Black Sabbath or albums that SPINAL TAP made their name on for their parodies. Getting into the meat of the song there are some ELP-like sounds and chord progressions (and skill displays) before the organ and bass fall into line for the support of Gabriel Dominik Mueller's excellent voice to sing over. Great song established with stellar performances from all of the instrumentalists though especially Markus Sing's amazing lead guitar solo in the third and fourth minutes. I love how it goes soft for Dieter Miekautsch's electric piano solo (with added Mellotron later) for the final motif as bassist Dave Schratzenstaller's Greg Lake-like lines remind the listener of KING CRIMSON's In the Court of the Crimson King. Saxophone joins in with a little over a minute to go before Gabriel returns in the final minute; here he reminds me a lot of Roye Albrighton's voice for NEKTAR. (9.5/10)

2. "Song for Ann" (2:49) a great Keith Emerson-like piano solo. Gorgeous! (4.75/5)

3. "Time will change" (5:31) very disciplined almost-mathematical Jazz-Rock that is built a little like Paul Desmond's "Take Five" while sporting some "I'm a Man" descnding chords to regularly bridge the band into a reset. Nice piano, electric guitar, and saxophone. A new blues-rockin' motif starts around 2:45 which eventually supports the TRAFFIC/VAN MORRISON-like vocals that arrive in the fourth minute. (How much this reminds me of the 1990s HAPPY MONDAYS!) Awesome bass and rhythm guitar play along with Gabriel's excellent blues-rock vocal. Not my favorite style of music but definitely a great construct with quite excellent and creative performances from everybody in the band. (9.125/10)

4. "Only me" (5:07) more power psychedelic blues-rock that seems quite inspired by bands from a few years earlier like Traffic, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and even Santana. (8.875/10)

5. "Sorcery" (5:23) a blues-rock vamp over which sax, electric guitar, and keys elicit some impressive solos--especially Markus searing wah-wah guitar. The sound palette drifts into some really nice ALLMAN BROTHERS territory in the fourth and fifth minutes just before everybody throws any restraint to the ground for a free-for-all race to the finish. (8.875/10)

6. "Filled up" (6:26) More interestingly-constructed music that seems to have its hands in several pies: rockabilly, Baroque, and even the angular, anachronistic quirk of Gentle Giant. The vocal section in the fourth and fifth minutes is like GG being performed by Peter Hammill's VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR or The Netherlands' FOCUS. Interesting-- and definitely way more proggy than jazzy. Too bad Gabriel's vocal track is recorded/processed rather poorly. (8.875/10)

7. "Kids hunting" (6:11) on this one I hear a 60s rock start turn VDGG with some AREA injected into the music in the second minute. Vocals enter at the three-minute mark with a kind of DEREK SHULMAN style of singing used in the first vocal motif. But then the band switches to a more rapid-paced rock motif in which Gabriel's voice sounds more like Sabbath's Ozzie Osborne. The vocal performance is nice but, again, it's recorded/rendered rather poorly--like Grand Funk Railroad's early renderings of Mark Farner's lead vocals. (9/10)

Total Time: 36:46

Too bad these talented musicians (and songwriters) didn't stay together: there is some very high-quality musicianship as well as highly-creative song construction going on here. Only guitarist Markus Sing and keyboardist Dieter Miekautsch went on to contribute to any other successful bands (Konstantin Wecker and Missus Beastly/Embryo, respectively).

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of creative, skillfully-rendered progressive rock music.

A1. "I've Given You My Love" (4:43) opens up like an ABBA dance tune before quickly veering into the funkier pre-Disco realm. Alphonze's synth solo takes the first extended solo, then pianos, rhythm guitar, and horn blasts punctuate a bridge after the chorus to return to the verse and start over--with the lame synthesizer continuing to solo/announce the melodies (as if it were a human voice delivering lyrics). It's good, solid, definitely danceable and melodic, just not as interesting as--more like the music a TV talk show band would use between guests or to introduce a guest. It's definitely better in the final two minutes when organ and horns are more prominent. (8.875/10)

A2. "You Don't Know How Much I Love You" (4:40) opens with a drum beat like Barry White's "I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More, Baby" but then blends in some Marvin Gaye What's Going On before turning into something more like "Love's Theme" (with lyrics). This is definitely Al's poorest vocal performance on the album: there are way too many moments in which his pitch fails to stay in key. (8.375/10)

A3. "I Gotta Have You" (2:46) a song that plays out as a kind of humorous cheeky Stevie Wonder-like song. Very simple chord and rhythm structure over which Al sings the title lyric with a few add ons for emphasis. The dude is feeling sex- deprived. Same drum sound, same voice sound issues, and same synth drilling teeth from behind. (8.5/10)

A4. "My Life Is So Blue" (4:37) a song that is set up to be a little more classy, even elegant, with both it's construction, sound palette, and Gino Vannelli-like vocal styling. High marks for effort, demerits for coming across with too much schlock. (8.875/10)

A5. "Funky Snakefoot" (3:45) great drumming, great bass playing from Gary King, and great clavinet play from Harry Whitaker open this one, quickly establishing a very refreshing groove. Trumpet, piano, and trombone solos from Randy Brecker and Barry Rogers, respectively, in the second minute are brief but powerful. Andy Gadsden's saxophone in the fourth, also before the song fades out. Very high-spirited and fun! Easily the best song on the album (perhaps the only one). (9.3333/10)

A6. "My Little Rosebud" (2:02) a very openly tongue-in-cheek Country-Western parody. Mark Horowitz' pedal steel guitar and banjo play are actually quite impressive. (4.25/5)

B1. "A Permanent Love" (4:20) more upbeat, uptempo soulful dance music over which Alphonze sings. The dude shows a little passion and feeling for this lyric; with the addition of the horn sections accents, the music sounds a little like contemporary Stevie Wonder. The lyrics are definitely meant to be the focal point of this one but the horn section is fun (would be fun to be a part of). (8.875/10)

B2. "The Beggar" (4:35) funky synth bass line opens this before cool, solid drum beat joins in. Electric piano, synth, organ, and Alphonze's voice join in. Too bad A's Eddie Murphy-like voice is recorded, engineered and mixed so oddly throughout this album (far into the back--almost muted). Again, the lyrics are meant to be the star of this song--much in the vein of popular social commentarist Gil Scott-Evans, methinks. The song is faded out right in the thick of A's rather impassioned delivery of lyrics. How odd!(8.75/10)

B3. "Oh Yes I Do" (4:35) bluesy-R&B that sounds a bit like The Temptations "Can't Get Next to You." Al starts singing right from the start: once again sounding very much like the voices Eddie Murphy would make popular on his Saturday Night Live musical skits, only, I don't think Al is trying to be comical. The Steohen Winwood blues organ chord progression keeps things organized as Al uses his drums and favorite synth sound to rouse a little more energy over the final two minute's instrumental passage. (8.75/10)

B4. "Tara, Tara" (3:35) nice drumming and keyboard work over this song that mimics Billy Preston, Stevie Wonder and predicts K.C. and the Sunshine Band a little. The drumming is impressive, I just wish it had been recorded and mixed a little better. (8.875/10)

B5. "Where I'm Drumming From" (1:20) sounds like someone fooling around on an early drum machine: rapid fire here, there, everywhere! (Is this where the sound was recorded from to make my first drum machine's programmed sounds?) It's as if a guitarist turned on the record button and just proceeded to spit out 90 seconds of runs. (4/5)

B6. "Ism" (3:08) opens with drums as if to impress--and they're flanged! Then big bombastic jazz chords are played over the continued impressive drumming with synth banks, horns, synth bass chords. I actually like these angular chord progressions though the drumming gets a little pompous and over-zealous from time to time. The man is all Animal tom- and cymbal-crashing--not even the cool flange effect can keep me from feeling embarrassed for Al's apparent need to impress. (9/10)

Total Time: 43:16

A jazzed-up Soul/R&B album with each and every song intended to have possible pop radio play (if only the Soul/R&B charts). It's fun, with no real low/deficiencies it's just not top tier production. Also, Alphonze just doesn't have the voice or vocal talent to pull of radio-quality hits and his drumming is quite often embarrassingly over the top: as if the 25- year old feels some overwhelming drive to prove his skillfulness. (Was he dissed by the critics early on in his career?)

C+/3.25 stars; an interesting and often enjoyable display of Soul/R&B wannabe from a supposed upper-level Jazz-Rock Fusion. I had much higher expectations than this was able to deliver. In terms of relevance to a prog or J-RFuse database, this must, unfortunately, be relegated to the collector/fans only bin.

1. "Silly Putty" (4:52) an interesting song that borders on the funky R&B that was all the rage in 1975 but really has its roots in the Blues-Rock that pre-dates the 1970s. Between Stanley, George Duke, and David Sancious the band has every weird funky chicken sound possible covered in this playful novelty tune. Not my favorite style, it still manages to entertain and, of course, display incredible musicianship. (Just wondering: Which came first: Lenny White's "Chicken- Fried Steak" or this?) (9.125/10)

2. "Journey to Love" (4:52) spacious southern rock that starts out with some high-pitched vocals (apparently as provided by Stanley and George) and then develops into something that sounds like a slowed down Mahavishnu Orchestra song. Horn section adds punctuating accents at the end of the singers' second verse signaling the start of the instrumental jam session that would unfold for the final two minutes of the song. I think the reason George Duke and David Sancious rarely get mentioned with the great sound-pioneers of the 1970s (like Jan Hammer, Chick Corea, or Herbie Hancock) is their tendency to explore/choose really odd sounds for their keys and guitars. (8.75/10)

3. "Hello Jeff" (5:16) this one definitely has both the JEFF BECK and RETURN TO FOREVER sound with Stanley in particular using those heavy, thick bass chords he became known for with Chick's band. The guitar shreding here (from Mr. Beck and recent discovery David Sancious [from Bruce Springsteen]) is other-wordly! I'm not a fan, however, of the sound rendering of Lenny White's drums--nor of the Al DI MEOLA-like main melody. The best parts of the tune are Jeff's solos and Stanley's finish. (8.875/10)

4. "Song to John, Part 1" (4:22) Chick Corea on piano, Stanley on his bowed double bass, and Mahavishnu John McLaughlin working his magic on an acoustic guitar. (Stanley must have received an "only if it's all acoustic" answer from the Mahavishnu when he asked for John's participation on this album's recording sessions--which would be in character for the Shakti-inspired guitarist at this time.) The song plays out like any/every John McLaughlin or Chick Corea song on acoustic instruments: virtuosic performances, great melodic sensibilities, and each artist inspiring the others to their highest levels of creativity. I just love all three of these artists when they're in acoustic mode! Chick's sense of melody is really so sublime--but so are those of Stanley and John--especially when supporting Chick in that fourth and fifth minute! (9.25/10)

5. "Song to John, Part 2" (6:09) the "lively" half of the suite--feels like a precursor to RTF's "The Romantic Warrior" (one of my ALL-TIME favorite songs!) from their upcoming album of the same name--though the second minute to the fourth has quite a little Django Reinhardt-Stéphane Grappelli energy and feel to it as well. How much fun must these guys have been having! Great jam! You will not find songs like these very often in the real world! (10/10)

6. "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts 1-4" (14:25) Messrs. Clarke, Duke, Sancious, and Gadd back for a gorgeous fifteen-minute suite--with the support of the full horn section in the (minutes). The opening three minutes is just synth, piano, and bass weaving a beautiful, contemplative atmosphere together to get the listener ready for . . . the "launch." At the three minute mark the full band jumps into electric world with bass, synth strings washes, Fender Rhodes, and drums creating a dynamic power motif within which David Sancious adds some searing lead guitar riffs in mini- crescendo moments. Things smooth out a bit in the sixth minute before George and Steve fall into support of a multi- sectional bass solo. (By multi-sectional I mean low end bass notes offset by high-end piccolo bass riffing.) This turns into more sustained searing electric guitar from David for about a minute in the ninth minute, culminating in a horn- section thickened section to fill the tenth minute--which leads to an odd break at 10:15 after which an AL DI MEOLA- like guitar-led Chick Corea patch ensues within which Stanley's machine gun bass play keeps up note for note with the same from David Sancious. The melody first exploded into the sonic field by the raging guitar-and-electric-bass duo is quite familiar but I can't place from where. The drumming in this "break out" passage are quite straight time rock 'n' roll as opposed to the rather funky, syncopated forms Steve was playing before the ten minute mark. The horns help amplify and multiply the fiery melody being ejaculated by David and Stanley until a crescendo and crashing trumpet scream at 12:15 re-opens the door for a very peaceful George Duke synth and electric piano after-the-storm section takes over to lead Stanley and the "strings" to a fadeout exit. A wild ride! Not so much a concerto as a RTF-like power suite! (27/30)

Total Time 39:21

Multi-instrumentalist David Sancious is quite a find! His guitar skills are virtuosic (as are his keyboard skills--as will be proved in near-future solo and collaborative albums) yet I've always felt that his sounds and melody choices are either too imitative of other greats of the era (like, here, Al Di Meola) or that they're too sweet, dense, or obtuse for me to ever be drawn into. However, here with Stanley he has found a partner who at least drives him to heights of the greats. George Duke feels too much the support mule on his three songs: rarely given the flashy solo time that David or Stanley himself take--which seems a waste. And Steve Gadd is great though sometimes feeling a bit the odd man out in terms of gelling perfectly within the weaves and styles set up by Stanley. For me, the Chick Corea-John McLaughlin- Stanley suite "Song for John" is the album's highlight with the opening song, as virtuosic and erudite as it is, proving to illustrate for me the fact that funk (my beloved funk) can be taken to outlandish extremes--barnyard, bawdy, or adolescent extremes.

A-/five stars; a display of creative song-making commensurate with the virtuosity of its participants. Perhaps not on quite as high or memorable of a level as some of the iconic themes and songs from the other Jazz-Rock Fusion classics of the time, but definitely fitting and deserving of the attention of any lover of virtuoso musicianship.

1. "August Suicidal" (4:32) sounds like a slightly more sophisticated 1960s Eric Burdon with The Animals or Arthur Brown's Crazy World. Organ, racing drums, guitar, and bass with pompous male vocalist singing and screaming over the top. Interesting bass guitar solo in the third minute. (8.875/10)

2. "When I Look Into Your Eyes" (3:40) slow, polished 1960s psychedelic rock. They musicians are skilled and very disciplined, but I hear absolutely no elements in this song that would lead me to think, "Jazz-Rock Fusion." However, I greatly admire the control and maturity the band displays on this musical expression. (9/10)

3. "La Beauté Du Buste" (4:50) soprano saxophone, bass, and wah-wah-ed Fender Rhodes electric piano each soloing at the same time, forming an interesting and surprisingly palatable weave. Now, this could qualify for significant J-RF points--though there is nothing here that doesn't sound like it was inspired by Yes Fragile shorts or The Doors' L.A. Woman. (8.875/10)

4. "Make Me Look Away" (5:40) this one feels almost straight out of the American South: like a Doors venture into Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Arthur Lee's LOVE; The Eagles and Joe Walsh before they became one. The earliest Lynyrd Skynyrd. Very solid, great Southern Rock with one heck of a lead guitar sound (and, for that matter, that of the rhythm guitars, too) and skilled and passionate guitar soloing (from multiple guitars!). This could easily have been a major hit on FM radio stations in America! (10/10)

5. "Rockin' Rambler" (11:42) a cross between Creedence Clearwater Revival, Grand Funk Railroad, and Uriah Heep. More stellar sound production and mixing that fully and clearly captures the work of these talented musicians. The song itself is really just a 12-minute two-chord vamp within which Ole Fick sings (and talks) in his VAN MORRISON/JIM MORRISON/MICK JAGGER blended style while Karsten Vogel toots his alto sax along-side. The palette thins in the seventh minute while Ole and Karsten continue vamping. Kenneth Knudsen gets some shine on his Fender Rhodes in the tenth minute before a major slow down, space out takes over (though I can still feel/hear the "absent" two-chord vamp right up to Karsten's final squeak. (17.625/20)

6. "Tell Me" (5:20) back to the Eric Burdon & The Animals (or War) style and sound with Ole following the bass and sax's seven note rising scale melody line exactly during the verses. The choruses are a little more free and interesting, but those repeating verses get pretty irritating. Nice professional ROBIN TROWER-like guitar solo in the third and fourth minutes. A fine, polished performance of a somewhat weak composition. (8.75/10)

7. "Accident" (0:15) bloody nothing. Is the 15-second gap between songs the "accident."

8. "After The Carcrash" (3:00) treated electric guitars slowly weave their picked melodies with one another for the first 1:15. Then Karsten joins in with his plaintive sax. It's like a funereal dirge. Multiple sax tracks woven together are what take us out over the final minute. Kind of magical, that ending. (8.875/10)

Total time 38:59

No matter how finely crafted, performed, recorded, and produced these songs are (and there is a LOT of finery here) this album is in no way, shape, or form a Jazz-Rock Fusion album.

B/four stars; an excellent collection of finely rendered Southern Blues-Rock songs. Would have been great to play in rotation with my Rolling Stones, Doors, Uriah Heep, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Eric Burdon albums.

1. "Inside You" (4:49) reminds me quite a little of FREDDIE HUBBARD's wonderful version of The Stylistics' "People Make the World Go Round" from Polar AC, his final album for Creed Taylor's CTI production team. Like Hubbard's song, this is soothingly hypnotic with some nice ARP synth strings work from Patrice Rushen throughout. (8.875/10)

2. "Acuphuncture" (3:42) there is no mistaking the Smooth Jazz influence of GEORGE BENSON's recent MONSTER hit, Breezin' on this one. Nicely melodic and funky in an early Smooth Jazz kind of way. (8.875/10)

3. "Time & Space" (5:16) a beautiful and contemplative opening to this one opens the door for some great play from Eddie and Patrice. I feel a bit sad for the constrictive restraints spirited bass player Paul Jackson finds himself under. Great soprano sax work from Hadley Caliman. Still, this is an eminently enjoyable Smooth Jazz tune. A top three song for me. Patrice Rushen's multiple instrument contributions should not go without appropriate praise. (9.3333/10)

4. "Nostalgia" (4:10) Yes, sometimes you just can't help but go back to reminisce--which, of course, conjures up inspiration for new songs from the spirit of 1917-73 and the Mwandishi-Crossroads-Sextant-Realization sessions with Herbie and the gang. I love this though it's not very dynamic or fresh. (8.875/10)

5. "Kudu" (6:07) a slow sustained intro leading into a very funky motif started by Paul Jackson's bass at the one-minute mark reveals a song that is very fitting to the Miles Davis school of jazz-rock fusion. Nice clavinet and trumpet accents and flourishes during the next 90 seconds before there is a James Brown-like R&B bridge that shifts the band into support for an even-wilder Miles-like performace from Eddie. Patrice Rushen's electric piano work beneath is so lively that it threatens to distract from Eddie's superlative outbursts. Then Paul Jackson seems to take over at the end of the fifth minute with Patrice amplifying her rhythm guitar-like clavinet play to take us out. Despite the similarities in sound and style to those of 1970s Miles Davis, this is a great Jazz-Funk tune! (9.75/10)

6. "Dr. Mganga" (7:29) the Swahili name that Eddie self-adopted while living in the Mwandishi world, the band pull together a very full, very active, very funky motif that feels as if it's incorporating a variation on Eumir Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra (2001)" My other top three song. (14/15)

7. "Dark Shadow" (6:54) opens with Hadley Caliman playing bass clarinet sounding like a cross between Herbie's "Hidden Shadows" and Weather Report's "Birdland." Eddie throws in a "Nature Boy"-like melody with his muted trumpet to add to the mut-like mélange feeling of this tune. Julian Priester's contributions on trombone in the second and third minutes is awesome. (I've always loved trumpet and trombone way more than that of any saxophone or clarinet.) Patrice Rushen is also doing some very clever and interesting things beneath the horn soloists. The main bass-and-bass clarinet "Birdland" melody playing beneath it all, however, begins to feel a bit worn out: by the time we're approaching the end (which is, thankfully, quite dynamic) I've about had enough of it. Even Patrice and drummer Billy Hart seem to go to sleep around this point--and then, in the middle of the sixth minute, they do! They crash! Everything falls apart: rubbernecks before popping back to action. Unfortunately, they choose to just pick up the same parts they were all playing--the very ones that brought on the group narcoleptic fit! Not my favorite--and a sad way to close an album (cuz it leaves me with a sour feeling of disappointment). (13/15)

Total Time 38:27

Despite Eddie's tendency to "borrow" themes from other songs/artists in order to start/build his own songs, I cannot ignore the contributions to the progression of Jazz-Rock Fusion that Eddie Henderson and his collaborators have made.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion that falls into the category of early Smooth Jazz.