BELEDO — Dreamland Mechanism (review)

BELEDO — Dreamland Mechanism album cover Album · 2016 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
js
Fans of uber jazz fusion guitarists like John Mclaughlin and Alan Holdsworth have a new reason to rejoice in the rising star of Uruguayan guitarist Beledo. Actually Beledo is not new, he has been a star in Latin America for some time now, and in recent years has been working with some well known North Americans such as Randy Brecker, Adam Holzman and Gary Husband. If Beledo’s name is not known yet, signing with MoonJune records in 2013 should help give him more exposure. So we come to 2016 and Beledo has released a new album of powerhouse virtuoso classic fusion called “Dreamland Mechanism”.

The first three cuts on this CD reveal that Belado is not only a formidable guitarist but he can also play keyboards with the best of them as well. On these three tracks, Beledo is a one man mini-orchestra, double tracking guitars, violin, accordian and keyboards while backed by the rhythm section of Lincoln Goines on bass, and Gary Husband on drums. Opening track, “Mechanism”, is a highlight with its late 60s styled heavy riffs reminding us how much early jazz rock came from the hard blues centered riffs of Jack Bruce and Cream. On track four, “Lucila”, Belado shows his interest in poly-rhythmic Indonesian fusion by bringing on Sundanese percussionists, Endang Ramdan and Cucu Kurnia. “Sudden Voyage” continues the complex rhythms as Husband plays something very akin to an Afro-Cuban ensemble on his drum kit.

For the rest of the album, Beledo puts away the keyboards and sticks to his ample guitar skills as they fire off some more classic fusion tracks, and one more with Indonesian flavor, “Budjanaji”, which also features a solo from Indonesian guitarist Dewa Budjana. Beledo sites Alan Holdsworth as an inspiration, and his influence shows, but Beledo is far from a copyist and has developed his own signature sound, one that should start becoming more familiar to the international fusion crowd. Fans of high quality jazz-fusion guitaristics should check this out, this is not just mind-numbing shredding, Beledo has technique to burn, but he can be tastefully melodic and expressive as well. You will hear plenty of intense fret work on "Dreamland Mechanism", but Belodo always puts the music first.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Cecil Taylor Unit : Live At Fat Tuesdays, February 9, 1980 First Visit Avant-Garde Jazz
CECIL TAYLOR
Buy this album from MMA partners
Solo Bern 1984 - First Visit Avant-Garde Jazz
ANTHONY BRAXTON
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ernesto Rodrigues, Bruno Parrinha & Johannes von Buttlar : Whispers and Reveries Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ERNESTO RODRIGUES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ernesto Rodrigues, Nuno Torres & Johannes von Buttlar : Cosmic Collision Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ERNESTO RODRIGUES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Ernesto Rodrigues, Carlos Bechegas, João Madeira & Monsieur Trinité : Free to Open Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ERNESTO RODRIGUES
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Songs My Mom Liked EPK - Anthony Branker
ANTHONY BRANKER
js· 17 hours ago
“INFLUENCES” by Jared Hall, trumpeter & composer
JARED HALL
js· 17 hours ago
Jean-Pierre (feat. Darryl Jones)
BILL EVANS (SAX)
snobb· 1 day ago
Magic Box
CHRISTOPHE MARGUET
snobb· 1 day ago
The Peacocks
ANTOINE DRYE
js· 1 day ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed