FunkFreak75
Part of Chris Hinze's circle of musician friends, a Keytone production is Charlie's reward.
A1. "Suite Of The Festival" (5:01) wonderful solo Spanish guitar play to open this one before alto saxophone joins in. Quite lovely duet. But then around 2:20 the full band jumps into a Caribbean-sounding Latin groove. Charlie has switched to soprano sax and is now dueting with Chris Hinze's flute and Michaël Samson's electric jazz guitar. Nice composition, Chris! (9/10)
A2. "Harriet" (6:28) this John Lee composition opens with a late-night piano, upright bass and brushed drums foundation. Chris Hinze 's flute and a variety of other wind instruments used by Charlie Mariano join in. I hear little or no guitar in this one but I do hear two piano keyboards. Nice gentle tune with delicate emotions expressed from Charlie's variety of instruments. (9/10)
A3. "Quest" (4:08) another John Lee composition (as is typical, quite a mathematical though layered structure) performed by the electric ensemble (including organ and two electric guitars) over which Charlie's alto sax starts us out. Jasper van't Hof and Philip Catherine get the next solos as the playing of the rhythm section of John and Gerry intensifies. Pretty cool. (9/10)
A4. "Electric Funk Jungle" (5:46) Indian flute, hand percussion, and odd synth-guitar sound (or is it some kind of weird little metallic flute?) playing loosely, freely, as if recreating the randomness of Nature (thus the song title), is soon joined by John Lee's electric bass and then Gerry Brown's drumming. A nasally reed instrument arrives (or is it an alto saxophone?) as the groove beneath smooths out into something quite funky. Very interesting fusion of world music over a jazz-funk rhythm track. Almost like something WAR was doing around the same time (or a bit earlier). I really like the foreign scales done with the odd combination of wind instruments and percussion fun during the second half. At the end, the music simple dies down, one instrument at a time. (9.125/10)
B1. "Cascade" (5:31) a different kind of jungle music, this one bordering on with some really fast two-note, two-chord bass play over quite frenzied drums and wild soprano sax play. The next soloist comes from an electric guitar that is sporting a really odd sound--as if they're MIDIed with a Calypso steel drum and a kazoo, at the same time. Weird but cool--and very solid. (9.125/10)
B2. "Piece For Banjo And Kazoo" (9:00) opens with quite a lovely sound: both from the lead alto sax and the DEODATO-like electric ensemble in support. Once fully established as basically a two-note vamp, the sax leads (is it now a soprano?) while some really cool rhythm guitar plays along in the left channel. The "chorus" sections are more complexly jazzified but then about three minutes in the music shifts into a delicately-played two-guitar arpeggiated eight-chord progression beneath which John and Gerry really ramp things up into Billy Cobham/Bill Bruford territory while electric guitar solos in a jazz fashion (which means it's probably not Philip Catherine--probably the "other guy," Michaël Samson). Fender Rhodes takes the next solo while the rhythm section remains equally interesting in their actively dynamic support/interaction--and the rhythm guitarist continues to entertain and fascinate. Such a solid, peak J-R Fuse song! The only thing this song might benefit more from is slightly better melodies. Once the Rhodes is finished, a soprano sax takes back the lead and carries us to the song's end. Wow! How fun! How invigorating! This is every bit as good as anything Return To Forever ever did before they set the new bar with Romantic Warrior! (19.25/20)
B3. "Locus" (4:22) John Lee's third and final composition for Charlie opens with a typically-mathematical foundation but everybody in the band is playing with reckless abandon around the steady bass line--including Gerry on the drums! I love the LENNY WHITE Venusian Summer-like space synth floating around in the distant background throughout. And I also love Gerry's drumming, the rhythm work of the guitarists and Fender Rhodes player. Wow! (9.125/10)
Total time: 40:16
How does this album get overlooked as one of the best things Jazz-Rock Fusion ever offered?!
A/five stars; a masterpiece of peak era Jazz-Rock Fusion. What an ensemble! What a delightful vision for the jazz fusion of anything!
