FunkFreak75 The Wisconsin-based band's sophomore release: John Harmon's ascendance into the leadership role has progressed though Fred Sturm is still present. Also, fretless bassist Randy Tico has joined the crew while tow of the original horn players have left.

1. "King Weasel Stomp" (6:22) a very funky fast-moving romp through some cinematic/game show theme music. Nice synth solo (from Larry Darling?) in the second minute as Randy Tico and the band support with changing thickness and tempos from behind. John Harmon gets the next solo on his electric piano with sparse accompaniment from Randy and drummer Mike Murphy until gentle horns join in from the background. Nicely done. Then Larry (or more likely, Jeff Peitrangelo) bursts into the fray with some boisterous trumpet play, upping the energy for all--a trend that carries forward to the song's finish. (9/10)

2. "Spring (Inspired By The Season For Ivan)" (8:25) pre-1980s Pat Metheny Group with some really strange dynamic arrangements! A very cool, mature composition of perfectly arranged group dynamics. A mighty nice representation of Spring--not unlike the music of Jay Beckenstein's SPYRO GYRA. (18/20)

3. "Mountolive (Inspired By The Literary Creation Of Lawrence Durell)" (5:14) opens like a dirge for a New Orleans funeral before turning cinematic and DON ELLIS ORCHESTRA fullness and light--and Randy Tico's funk. There's also some more je ne sais quoi-ness to this: like a BURT BACHARACH-itude or Brian ENOssification or BILL CONTI-ness. The massive drum solo paired with the New Orleans dirge doesn't really work for me but the rest is amazing (9.5/10)

4. "Come September (A Father's Farewell To His Five-year-old Son)" (2:54) lullaby electric piano is joined by solo bass trombone for this emotive, surprisingly dark opening. This one definitely develops cinematically though also very much like a collaboration between Weather Report and MAGMA, kind of like Blade Runner's "Blade Runner Blues" except done for trombone instead of flugelhorn. Weird to think this existed before and separate from Vangelis' composition of said soundtrack--which was composed with synthesizers but first published on vinyl by the New American Orchestra using Chuck Findlay's flugelhorn in the lead position. (9/10)

5. "Wizard (Musical Impressions Of J.R.R. Tolkein's Unforgettable Mage, Gandalf From "The Lord Of The Rings")" (10:55) moving straight from the intro of the previous song into this one with no delineation the music takes on many more standard jazz idiosyncracies--even Big Band era stuff--while also using the modern conventions championed by the likes of Chick Corea and Eumir Deodato. Lots of odd and unusual synth sounds--including on the percussion side of things--while the big band rhythm section and choral vocals join in. The drumming and interplay of the fretless bass and electric keyboards are, to my ear, essential anchors for the success of this piece. Everything is so well-conceived and precisely delivered! Plus, there is a "big cinema" classical music film score feel to many of the most dynamic parts- -not unlike that which Chick Corea pulls off for his magnificent The Mad Hatter "opera." (19/20)

6. "Smile At The Foot Of The Ladder (A Musical Portrait Of Henry Miller's Clown/Saint August)" (5:02) gentle performed seamlessly over militaristic snare drumming for the first couple minutes before every thing goes Paul Desmond melodic/smooth jazz with Fender Rhodes, flutes, and choir vocal "Oooo"'s. Again, nice bass and subtle drumming play. I love when the horn section joins in over the Take Five"-like rhythm pattern and electric piano soloing. Return to the military snare drumming with muted horns to close out this wonderful song. (9.25/10)

7. "Brown Boy (A Bermudian Street Scene)" (7:21) a nice piece of sophisticated smooth jazz that Bob James and Joe Zawinul (and even Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and Benny Goodman) would have been quite impressed with. Great Jaco- like smooth fretless play in the seventh minute which is followed by quite a jovial, celebratory finish. (13.5/15)

Total Time 46:13

Newcomer Randy Tico's Jaco Pastorius-like fretless bass gives the band a further "in" with the trends int Jazz-Rock fusion as does some of the new synth sounds (like clavinet) and increase of Latin percussionism. Despite an overall movement toward funk and Jazz-Rock Fusion, there are still many signs that this is still an institutional "big band" orchestra. I love the citations of literary references and/or inspirations for each of the songs--and I LOVE the tight, professional sound of what sounds like a very disciplined, well-conditioned orchestra.

A-/five stars; an excellent addition of incredibly well-polished and sophisticated Jazz-Rock Fusion to any prog lover's J-R F collection.

FunkFreak75 The debut album from this very-mature-sounding big band of Jazz-Rock Fusion enthusiasts from Wisconsin (where I live)--with six (!) full-time members of the horn section.

1. "Earth And The Overlords" (3:42) an odd adventure into near-funky jazz-rock that tries to cross over into Jazz-Rock Fusion the way Don Ellis' orchestra pioneered it but comes up short. (8.875/10)

2. "Catalpa Complex" (6:29) a little more funking but a little more big band-like too. The best section is the funky synth solo in the third minute when the horns are silent and the bass and percussion can be heard. No wonder it's got some nice keyboard centricity to it: it's composed by keyboard player John Harmon--a member whose position in the band will move more toward leadership over the course of the next few albums. The choral vocals in the fith and sixth minutes give the song even more of an AVERAGE WHITE BAND feel despite the more big band-sounding horn arrangements. Nice drum work in the final minute though it feels a little academic--rehearsed (and maybe charted). (9/10)

3. "Blue Snow" (2:36) quite cinematic in an ECM/Eberhard Weber-kind of way. Speaking of ECM, the sound quality of this album is so clean and pristine that it begs asking to know more about Ray Papai and his Ultra Nova Records in Lake Geneva! (9.5/10)

4. "Dark Riders" (5:52) a rather unique musical experience in that this song feels as if it was intended as a soundtrack accompaniment to something like the "Monkey Chant" from the film Baraka. Very interesting and visionary! (9/10)

5. "Clea" (10:05) more contemplative music that sounds like it could come from Paul Winter Consort, Weather Report, or maybe even Bob James. Soprano sax, gentle bass and electric piano and percussion play. In the middle the band collective provides wordless choral chants. Then it turns very dreamy with keys, gentle wind-like percussives, and sonorous trumpet soloing over the top. Worded choral vocals enter in the seventh minute. Such interesting and unusual music! I am truly impressed! And it ends like an ECM version of "Edelweiss"! (18/20)

6. "Geese "(1:42) horns working in a flock-like mathematical weave of individual honks. Pretty cool! (4.5/5)

7. "The Last Generation" (6:46) another odd song that seems to blend and bridge many styles and sounds--sometimes feeling conflicting, sometimes feeling perfect, at others purposely awkward and tension-filled while behaving as if perfectly intended to be exactly as provocative and ambiguous as it is. Like projecting/predicting a future jazz onto the soundscape of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Too bad the arrangement of the horn section and the drum play are so "standard" otherwise this would really work! (13.75/15)

Total Time 37:12

Definitely a surprising, haunting album of resfreshingly creative, one might say innovative Jazz-Rock Fusion--unlike anything I've ever encountered yet in my deep dive into the history of J-R Fusion. I have to admit to liking future bass player Randy Tico's bold fretless work on Tale of the Whale more than Randall Fird's rather tame and unobtrusive work on this album. Overall, I'm not sure whether I like all of this music despite the fact that I appreciate and greatly admire the quirky, unorthodox, "out of the box" compositions contained herein.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of innovative and eccentric Jazz-Rock Fusion.

FunkFreak75 Definitely Jazz-Rock Fusion of the Third or "Smooth Jazz" Wave from this band from Appleton, Wisconsin's Lawrence University.

1. "The Fly" (4:04) pseudo-funk that sounds like it came from a high school "big" band/orchestra--recorded in their own gymnasium. (8.75/10)

2. "Tale Of The Whale" (10:35) sounds like someone crossed an exaggerated Eberhard Weber bass with some VANGELIS music in an effort to try to replicate whale music in the ocean. Not quite Paul Winter Consort, but close. Around the fourth minute the band tries to go full PAUL WINTER Consort with a WEATHER REPORT rhythm section. Very catchy and engaging. The bass player, Randy Tico, is very good: very melodic. Too bad the opening four minutes wasn't so corny. (17.75/20)

3. "Homage" (3:38) (bass) trombone soloing over piano, fretless bass, and drummer's mostly-cymbal play. A bit of an early Pat Metheny vibe to this. Horn section takes over in the third minute for a crescendo before settling in for a gentle let down to finish. (8.75/10)

4. "Galadriel" (7:04) cinematic VANGELIS-like soundtrack music over which Randy Tico solos on his fretless bass. Horn section and drums kick in around the one-minute mark giving it a Broadway musical sound and feel. Piano solo that follows is very easy listening lounge music. It's a nice song--but definitely more elevator/Adult Contemporary music than hard-drivin' or funk J-R F. (13.125/15)

5. "Nessim" (4:57) definitely some late night street creepin' cinematic stuff. Randy Tico's fretless bass is once again in the driver's seat though the chatter of the horns in the back seat and toms of the road noise certainly play a role. Then we get the input of the choral male vocalists singing wordless "Aaah"s. Dreamy and somnambulistic--and perhaps a little too repetitive and, therefore, monotonous. (8.66667/10)

6. "Narouz" (7:40) opens with the enticing promise of SHAKTI's "Mind Ecology" before muted trumpet and chorale vocalese takes on a. When the band settles into its full form, it is over a near-Latin rhythm track of a single speedy fretless bass riff, fast drum pace, and Herbie Hancock-like Fender Rhodes support. Bridge into refresh over which Larry Darling's trumpet lashes out with the Fender Rhodes just beneath. At 2:45 there is a slow down for a solo from John Harmon on his electric piano. The band gradually--almost imperceptibly--rejoins and pushes John farther. Michael Murphy's drums are quite impressive. This is definitely the most vibrant, dynamic, and true example of Jazz- Rock Fusion on the album--maybe the only exemplary example. (13.75/15)

Total Time 37:58

A mixed bag of wide-spectrum samples of Jazz-Rock Fusion styles--from Latin, funk, cinematic, New Age, Smooth, and "big band," there's a lot of J-R Fuse's history represented here.

B/four stars; an excellent eclectic sampler of many styles of Jazz-Rock Fusion with some very clean sound and very tight performances. Recommended!