darkshade Pat is back! With a new lineup, bringing over long-time bandmate at this point, Antonio Sanchez, on drums. On bass is Linda May Han Oh, and on piano is Gwilym Simcock. The band is backed up by an orchestra. This is arguably one of his best albums over a 50 year career, which is quite a feat this late in the game. I haven't felt this great about a Pat Metheny album since The Way Up, released almost 15 years prior to this album. There's been some good stuff released in between, but nothing that has been as enjoyable as anything from 2005 and earlier... until From This Place.

From the massive prog-jazz opening track America Undefined, to the final heartfelt Love May Take Awhile, this album is a journey, and an emotional roller coaster, as Pat's best albums usually are. I enjoy every track here. The opener is very intense, with even some kind of rock out section in the last part, very exciting way to open things up. Same River is very classic Pat Metheny, Pathmaker is possibly the most fun tune on this album, and the harmonica player from The Way Up appears on The Past Is Us, a great tune. The emotional title song touches on the political climate of the late 2010s, but I think the final two pieces, Sixty-Six, written for Pat's age at the time, and the aforementioned Love May Take Awhile, are two of the most powerful pieces of music Pat has put out yet. The orchestral strings really shine on these last two.

I am reminded of Lyle Mays throughout this album, who passed away about a week before this album was released. The tune Sixty-Six takes on a whole other meaning for that is the age Lyle was at his passing, and the music is reminiscent of the Pat Metheny Group classic, "Last Train Home" makes it seem like a tribute to the life of Lyle Mays. The piano work of Gwilym Simcock is to be commended as he really brings out the spirit of Lyle throughout the music of From This Place. The orchestra does this as well, providing the synth-heavy background ambience Lyle would often provide in the PMG along with is piano playing, with an orchestra instead.

Overall, this album is like a marriage of Secret Story and The Way Up, while also bringing back some of the mid-Western sound from the 70s bands, with a pinch of the 80s PMG sound for good measure. All the while pushing things forward, there are many surprises throughout, some things I've never heard Pat do before. As far as his guitar playing, of course it's fantastic as usual, but this time he sounds more inspired than usual as of late, and his classic tone is back. Pat has never sounded so good. His clean guitar tone here is well balanced and warm, unlike his previous few albums where his tone was dry, far-away sounding, and cold.

Highly recommended for anyone who is even slightly into Pat's music. Great album from the modern master of Jazz.

darkshade This review is based on the 2012 reissue.

The Yellow Shark is such a great album. It's breathtaking at times, and doesn't get all tense, scary, and nervous like the London Symphony Orchestra album does (which is a totally different beast of an album anyway). Frank comes out and tells the audience to "get serious, folks", even though he says to throw any panties off to the side of the stage.

The Zappa classics that get a makeover here are outstanding, and rival their earlier versions. I'm especially keen on the Dog Breath Variations and the Uncle Meat theme, because they translate so well to an orchestra. The sound is also outstanding, not only one of the best sounding Frank Zappa albums, but also one of the best sounding albums from anyone that I've ever heard.

Most of the tunes get a HUGE applause from the crowd, especially the final G-Spot Tornado, which itself is a remarkable rendition of a tune Zappa originally wrote for the Synclavier machine on Jazz From Hell, never meant to be played by actual musicians, but the crowd roars with cheers and applause, and apparently went on for over 20 minutes, and the fade out with the crowd still going crazy is a testament to that. I don't know if I've ever heard a live recording from any band or artist where the applause lasted so long that they eventually had to fade it out, as we do get to hear a good chunk of it. Another synclavier song that made it here is The Girl In The Magnesium Dress, which sounds cool because I think Frank wrote it with just his hands going up and down the keys of the synclavier keyboard, yet it got transcribed and played by this wonderful orchestra.

As for the new songs, they are also excellent. Some of them are minimalistic, as that seems to be the direction Zappa was going, but I believe the direction he took in the early 90s was, in part, due to his diagnosis of having cancer. Still, songs like Food Gathering in Post-Industrial America, 1992 and Welcome To The United States are some of the coolest pieces of music Frank wrote. The former brings some humor which was missing from a few tracks prior. The latter is cool because a form given to people entering the U.S. is recited over the music, which itself is very dramatic, and in classic Zappa form, reacts to what is being said by the performer. It reminds me of something Captain Beefheart would do, like on The Grand Wazoo from The Lost Episodes (not to be confused with The Grand Wazoo from the album of the same name; The Lost Episodes one is a completely different song).

The case it comes in is beautiful, and the pictures in the giant booklet are great; some are funny, some are just plain cool, but there's one that makes me sad, it's the last one, with some of the guys Frank worked with around that time, like producers and mixers, and they're sitting around him and everyone is smiling, but Frank clearly hadn't shaved for months, meaning the pic was taken not too long before he passed. He knew his time was coming.

I always put The Yellow Shark off because I wasn't ready for it and other orchestral albums because I just wanted the rock and fusion stuff back when I first got into his music. And then when the reissues started coming out and I started collecting them, I still held off on getting The Yellow Shark (and Civilization Phaze III still), but now I realize that was a major error on my part, and I've been keeping myself from listening to one of Zappa's last great works, and it really is one of the best projects he ever put together. If only he had even a few more months to cherish it. He always said he made music for himself, and if others liked it, cool. But us fans have had more time to digest those last couple of releases than he ever did, even though he wrote the music. Point is, The Yellow Shark is magnificent, and I only wish I got it sooner, but now I can listen to it whenever I want.

Don't hold off on getting this album if you are a Zappa fan already, this is an essential piece of music. I wouldn't recommend this to a Zappa newbie, but maybe after you've got 10 or so albums, maybe this would be a good intro to his orchestral work, though I'd argue that any of them are good to start with. This one, however, does have the best sound, with the best intentions from the performers. Masterpiece of prog, classical, third stream, of music.

darkshade One of the best jazz albums of the 1970s.

The lineup alone should tell you this is a classic album. Some excellent performances from everyone. The music is mostly post-bop with hints of jazz-fusion from Herbie Hancock's electric piano and George Benson's electric guitar. Big, long improvisations is the name of the game, as was somewhat common among many of the great jazz artists around this time in the early 1970s.

Freddie Hubbard sounds absolutely inspired on this record, blowing some wild and furious horn lines on top of the funky rhythms, as well as Hancock, as usual.

The cover of the Statue of Liberty gives this album an identity of that with New York City, and this album does bring to mind being there, as it has that vibe, not unlike some of Miles Davis' albums. Speaking of Miles, any fan of his during his mid-late 60s era, as well as the 70s era, should stop reading this review and get this album. In fact, many of Freddie's albums feature Miles alumni, so you can't go wrong with Freddie Hubbard.

If you're looking for jazz from the 1970s that's more jazz than fusion, this album is a great place to start.

darkshade Another great modern fusion recording. I'm telling you, the last few years have seen some of the best jazz-fusion albums this side of the 1970s. This album "Sep7entrion" (the "7" is stands for a "T") has everything you want. Rock-heavy riffs, fantastic thick bass lines, tight drums, odd-time rhythms, funky grooves, and some great melody lines that remind me of Return To Forever, Chick Corea Elektric Band, (no wonder, as Frank Gambale is on this album), Jaco Pastorius' self titled, and Brand X. Alain Caron is one of the most technically proficient jazz bassist around, up there with the likes of Victor Wooten.

What makes this stand out from other modern fusion albums is the great compositional talent from Caron. The music progresses, and goes through an array of moods. I never heard of Damien Schmitt before, but he is so in the pocket behind the drum kit, that I sometimes think he's the star of the show. Very talented musician.

The grooves on this album are what make me keep coming back to this album. All the technical proficiency from everyone involved is great and all, but they really know how to make your body move. This a fusion album I recommend anyone into the genre to check out. You won't be disappointed. This would be a 5 star album if not for the fact that the energy level drops a bit on the last 2 tracks, but otherwise, this is a fantastic album.

darkshade This album is great. I like all of Hiromi's albums, but this one, along with her classic album "Time Control", is among the best fusion albums you'll come across this side of the 21st century. Besides the fact that she is a virtuoso pianist, she also knows how to write a tune, catchy melodies, and top that off with some of the best jazz piano playing ever. She does dabble with keyboard sounds on all her albums, this album is no exception. Thing is, don't expect too much, as this is mostly a piano-dominated record, with bass and drums backing her up. But as I said, her piano playing is great, and there are some tracks that are just so beautiful, it may make you cry ;) Cuts like "Temptation" really bring out her soul and contain some gorgeous playing from her.

But this is a fusion album, and the record starts off with the title song, in progressive rock fashion, piano riffs galore. The next track is a reprise of a tune from her other masterpiece album "Time Control", something she's been doing for most of her catalog. So she has the 'rock' mentality for sure, she just doesn't need guitars or keyboard effects to achieve what she needs to. I will admit, I do somewhat miss her quartet that is on Time Control and Beyond Standard, but since this is labeled as a "Trio Project" hopefully they'll return on a future album. Get this album, one of the best modern jazz/fusion albums, and nice to hear such a good album coming out in a year like 2011.

darkshade Not as good as the previous album or following album, but still a good 70s fusion album, with a great lineup consisting of guys like George Duke, Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Steve Gadd, and many more.

I'm not sure why this one isn't as good as the self-titled album, or School Days, since all the tunes here are high quality fusion. It's probably only because the two albums are just better; but this one is not to be overlooked.

The first track "Silly Putty" is probably the funkiest tune Clarke ever made, and the title track and "Hello Jeff" have some great playing from George Duke and Jeff Beck, who are masters of their instruments, as is Stanley himself. "Hello Jeff" is hard rockin' tune, almost sounds like it was lifted off of his own album "Blow By Blow" but with Clarke on bass.

The other half of the album consists of a tribute to John Coltrane, while good, is kind of just there. Not bad though. The album ends with the classical/jazz-fusion track, simply called "Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra". While good, Stanley Clarke did a similar thing with his previous album, and follow up album, and did it better on those two albums. Still good, though.

Get this one after you get the other two Clarke albums mentioned in this review. This one is still good, and well worth it for the 70s jazz-fusion collector.

darkshade One of Stanley Clarke's best albums. By 1976, jazz-fusion was starting blend with the oncoming trend of disco, or it was beginning to mean "smooth jazz". But at this point, there was still good fusion coming out, and Stanley Clarke released School Days. The title track is a fusion classic, and one of Clarke's more famous bass lines. There is a hint of disco influence on that one (or is it the other way around?), but it's more because it's fast and funky. The melodies are well developed, and you can kind of hear Clarke's influence in Return To Forever when you hear this album, or the previous two solo albums of his. A favorite of mine is "Hot Fun", a short funky little number, with some nice funky horns, but the best thing about this album is probably the final "Life Is Just A Game", a jazz-rock suite that goes from orchestrated movements, to technically impressive jazz-fusion, showing off the band's chops, particularly Clarke's. This one, along with the previous two solo albums, are his best solo albums, and essential for any real collector of 70s jazz-fusion. Not to be missed.

darkshade Stanley Clarke's self-titled album is a fusion classic. When you pop this one in, you might think you accidentally put a Return To Forever album on, but it's ok. There's some reprises of some RTF material, but played differently. I like that some of the material here has been played by RTF, particularly "Lopsy Lu", which is one of Clarke's best known tunes. Great driving shuffle rhythm. You can't not expect great bass playing on this album, and with a lineup consisting of Stanley Clarke on bass, Jan Hammer on keys, legendary drummer Tony Williams, and one-time Return To Forever guitarist Bill Connors, you're almost guaranteed a great jazz-fusion outing. This is not an album to miss if you're a serious jazz-fusion collector, this is one of the best of the 70s, along with the two Stanley Clarke albums that followed this one. Any fan of Return to Forever needs this album, it's like an extension of the jazz-rock work they did.

darkshade Do you like Jeff Beck's fusion albums like "Blow By Blow" and "Wired"? How about Jan Hammer, particularly The Jan Hammer Group's album "Oh Yeah?". Well, you're going to love this. This album has ex-Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian channeling the feel and style of those albums, with a little added heaviness in the guitars, and a few other keyboard sounds not heard from those great 70s albums.

Derek's style has always been a little jazzy, and on previous solo albums, and the albums by his main band Planet X, are a nice mix of jazz, jazz-fusion, and progressive metal. At times he'll even let loose and go completely post-bop amidst the prog-metal. On "Oceana", the jazz and fusion style is pushed to the foreground, leaving only traces of his famous brand of prog-metal. Lots of funky bass, excellent fusion drumming, and with guitarists Tony MacAlpine and Steve Lukather, you know you're going to get some real jazz-fusion guitar ala Scott Henderson; mixed with some heavy riffs here and there.

Seriously, if you are familiar with Planet X or Derek's solo stuff, but wished he'd do a real jazz-fusion album, this is it. Every track here is high quality modern fusion, with great soulful guitar, nice keyboard sounds and solos, but also fast technical stuff that occasionally reminds me of fusion bands like Tribal Tech, Jan Hammer Group, or Return To Forever. Add a little heaviness from the guitars (and keys), and you have a modern fusion classic.

darkshade Soulive plays funky, instrumental soul-jazz versions of Beatles songs. Clever title for the album. The songs translate well to Soulive's sound. It's the original trio here, no horns, no guests. Just Soulive. They play a lot of the hits. The band blends the tunes so well with their own style, you sometimes forget you're listening to, essentially, a Beatles cover album, and really just listening to a great Soulive record.

"Drive My Car" is a nice laid back soul-jazz excursion, and "Taxman" really sounds cool in this context. Eric Krasno handles a lot of the vocal melodies on guitar, and plays them with such feel, that you could just sing along with them. "In My Life" and "Eleanor Rigby" get a real jazzy treatment here; the latter is really cool, really fast drum beat used here.

"I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is probably the best song here, mainly because this song just works for a band like Soulive. Great guitar parts, organ, plenty of groovy bass. This is also the closest I've heard Soulive get to a 'rock' sound.

They make "Come Together" real funky. I heard Chapter 2 (One of Krasno's side projects) play this song in a similar way to how it is here, when they opened up for Umphrey's McGee. That was good, but this version might be just a little better. The best version was Soulive playing this live when I saw them last year. I think this song is a staple in their live shows right now. Great way to cover this song.

The rest of the album is fantastic. Other highlights are "Something", which gets the soulful treatment, "Help" is nice and jazzy, and the album ends, fittingly, with "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", and man does Krasno make his guitar weep. He has so much soul in his playing, he puts John and George to shame. Yea, I said it!

Surely a good album, and if you like The Beatles and wonder how Soulive handle their songs, this one will probably turn you on. The classic Soulive sound is here, so this could be a good album to start with them, but I'd say get one of their other albums first before getting this.

darkshade Soulive had done a lot of things by 2009, they mastered their own style of soul-jazz/funk-jazz, experimented with hip-hop successfully, and tried some other things like pop, reggae, and R&B on the previous album, to more or less poor results.

So, coming off of their poorly-received last album, the band dropped their one-time lead singer/front man, and decided to go back to their roots and just be the original Soulive trio. But that wasn't enough, they wanted horns, so they got The Shady Horns who had been playing with Lettuce (Eric Krasno and Neal Evans's other band).

But Soulive hardly repeat themselves. This wasn't going to be a "Doin' Something" part 2. On this album, instead of evenly fusing soul-jazz with funk-jazz, the band really dives deep, and I mean DEEP, into the funk. The horns are given a bigger role in the music than ever before. Dare I say, the horns steal the show. They channel a lot of the greats of the 70s like P-Funk, James Brown, and Tower of Power. Another change of pace is the production. Gone are the slick productions. The sound here is raw and dirty, kinda sounds like it was recorded in 1969 or something. Everything is clear, just with a bite. The bass really sticks out because of it, and I think that's great. You might really think this came out in the late 60s or early 70s, if you saw that the album is only 40 minutes!

"Up Right" gets things going. Big horns start the show, and the first thing we get is a bad-ass riff, and a lot of piano, surprisingly. There's an organ solo, but mostly piano from Evans. This is one of the coolest Soulive songs.

Next song starts with what sounds like the intro to a prog rock song, but then moves back to the funk. Another awesome riff. Everyone is doing new things, no bag of tricks here.

Nigel Hall, the VIP member of Soulive and Lettuce (for seemingly always guesting on their albums lately) shows up for "Too Much" on vocals. Now, sometimes Soulive's vocal tracks aren't the best songs, but when Nigel Hall is singing, it's ok. He's a great singer (and great keyboardist, but doesn't play here), and the songs he's guested on are generally great. This one's got a bit of 70s Stevie Wonder to it. Nice bluesy solo from Krasno.

I swear, "Backwards Jack" sounds like it came directly from a Lettuce session, which is not surprising as Eric Krasno and Neal Evans are both members of that band, as are most of the horn players. Hell Sam Kininger is using that same wah sound for his sax solo that he uses in Lettuce. Lettuce has a different feel than Soulive; Lettuce is more funk, and a bit of dub/electronic. I guess with Soulive being more funk on this album, a song like this would have happened. Of course, Neal is playing a little more organ than he would in Lettuce, and there's no bassist here obviously.

After all that funk, we need a break, and unlike Lettuce, Soulive provide some down time. "PJs" is a lovely soul-jazz cut, with some beautiful organ flurries, and some of the soulful guitar by Krasno. This man is so underrated as a guitarist, he really is the modern day answer to Pat Martino and John Scofield, but he plays much more aggressive. Here, his playing is delicate, a little bluesy, and full of dynamic. The light horns accent the phrasing so well. Great song.

"Tonight" is a good funk song. Really James Brown feeling going on here, which is never bad. Everyone is on fire here, really in the pocket.

YEA! "Hat Trick" is one of my favorites from this album. Just a bumpin' song, full of great horns. I love the big baritone sax here, the horns in general are very much showcased on this song.

I think the band couldn't not at least include one soul/funk-jazz tune here. "For Granted" brings us back to the early Soulive albums, of course with the production quality here, it sounds more like if the band was around in the late 60s, especially with that bari sax solo. Wow. Really great tune again.

I used to not like the last song, "Prototype" for it's heavy R&B slant, but over time, Ive realized that the band is so tight, that it doesn't matter. And the vocals aren't bad, there's actually great harmonies. It's just a great soul and R&B song, and there are moments of really funky bass from Neal Evans' foot pedals. Excellent soloing from Krasno as we fade out. End of the album already? I'm not even done typing this review?

This is one of Soulive's best albums. I remember when this came out, I had been a fan for some time, but was really disappointed in their last couple of albums, and I remember picking this one up, and just thinking "They're back, and better than before". And 3 years later, I still see this album as their return to greatness (not that they were ever really bad anyway).

This is Soulive's funk album. There's hints of jazz and soul, but the band were really harnessing their funk energy on this one, and it shows. Bad-ass riffs, powerhouse horns, rough and dirty keys and organ, and tight drums.

One of the best funk albums in a very long time, I'm serious! Sounds like James Brown on a bad night ;)

darkshade A band with the word 'live' in their name would have to mean that they are great live, right? You couldn't be more correct when talking about Soulive. This band knows how to groove, and in the live setting, they are phenomenal. The great thing about this album is that it sounds like a studio album, if not for the crowd noise at certain moments. The production is so clear and open. Another great thing about this live album is the inclusion of tunes that I believe are not on any of their studio albums, like "Aladdin", with the most wah'ed out guitar and wah'ed out Hammond B-3 organ; which by the way, is all over this album, giving the album a unique quality unlike their studio albums.

This is one of those live albums that is just as essential as the band's studio albums.

The tunes played from the band's repertoire at this point in time (2002) are even better than their studio counterparts. The energy is so high on every track, the band is just laying it down every time. This is some of the most in-the-pocket stuff you'll ever hear in this lifetime. Eric Krasno plays great licks left and right, but it's his rhythm work that gets me every time. Besides comping the best chords, he has a wah pedal going a lot of the time, which is not heard often on the studio albums, or even at their shows nowadays, but with the wah'ed out organ, it's wah-wah city.

Speaking of the organ, let us not forget that there is no bass player in this band. Neal Evans provides the bass with his foot pedals from his organ, all the while playing virtuosic, wild parts and comping funky riffs. I gotta say, Evans has to be one of the best Hammond B-3 organ players alive. Brother Alan Evans also tears it down on drums, as always, and really holds the band together. His beats are some of the funkiest, but he has restraint. And he knows how to lay back, along with the rest of the band, like on the real soulful and laid back cover of Stevie Ray Vaughan's "Lenny". This is some of the most intimate music, and shows why Soulive might possibly be the best soul/funk-jazz band in the business.

Any fan of Soulive should have this live album. Any fan of soul-jazz or funk-jazz will explode at how awesome this band can be. Enjoy.

darkshade Soulive tried their luck with a full-time vocalist/front man for "No Place Like Soul" Toussaint, who sounds kind of like a really bad Lenny Kravitz. They also worked on more structured song formats, and while I commend them for trying new things, as they usually do every album, here it seems that they failed at whatever they were attempting here.

Some of the cuts are OK, like the opening track "Waterfall". But most songs are completely ruined by the singer Toussaint. I don't know if it's his voice, maybe he shouldn't be singing in this context, or if the band is not playing anything that great. I think it's a mix of all 3. But the vocals do not fit here, and I'm not sure Toussaint is even that good of a vocalist. The music is very much more along the pop vein, a little R&B, a little reggae, and a little soul. But with very simple structures, and what the band is actually playing is, frankly, a little boring. I cannot mention any stand outs, aside from the opening track, which is not that great as it is anyway. Nothing is very memorable here.

There are 2 instrumentals for those curious if the band completely abandoned their soul-jazz/funk-jazz sound. Naturally, they're the best cuts off this album. "Outrage" is one of them, and is a pretty decent faster, hard edged soul-jazz tune. The other is "Bubble". A slow rock-ish jam, that doesn't really do much for me overall.

The two instrumentals are not enough to save this album. Luckily, this is the only album with Toussaint on vocals. The band was probably aware of how ill-received this album was when it came out, and they abandoned the pop/reggae/R&B sound on future albums.

Side note: I have a copy of this album with 2 live bonus tracks at the end, and they are older Soulive tunes from their debut album, and these smoke. If you want these, I recommend getting these from iTunes or something, so you only have to pay $0.99 per track.

This album is only for the Soulive completionist, or if you like the pop/R&B sound the band created here. DO NOT start with this album if you are new to Soulive. It may ruin your perception of the band, and just about any of their other albums are better than this one.

darkshade A good Soulive album. Nowhere near their best, but there is some strong material here. The beats are groovy, guitars and keys are top notch, of course. Unfortunately, the band has allowed a lot of guests on the album, many of them collaborated with the band, and thus, they provided vocals for these songs. While some of them are not bad vocals, they're not anything special either, and some of the vocals are terrible. With that, the albums goes from funk-jazz, to soul, to R&B, to hip-hop. A little all over the place.

The album also has 3 Interlude tracks, maybe to give the album a cohesive feel, which I never thought they had a problem with on previous albums anyway, but they're each a minute long on average, so they almost feel like filler tracks.

The great:

After the first Interlude track, the album starts out pretty good, as "Reverb" is a nice slice of funky soul-jazz.

"Cachacha" is a more Spanish flavored instrumental track with the traditional Soulive sound, kind of a rare mood to find in this band's music. Not bad, though a little smooth at times. The title track is also a great tune. Mysterious in it's funky glory, but also melodic. Maybe the best song on the album.

Pretty good cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Crosstown Traffic". Nice fuzzed out, wah'ed out guitar from Eric Krasno, in tribute to Jimi, I'm sure. Krasno does not try to sound like him, though, and plays more in his own style, but with those effects I mentioned. It's cool to hear him in this way, as he usually does not rely on any effects.

The good:

The the first of the vocal tracks, "Got Soul" kind of reminds me of The Meters, which ain't bad. The music just doesn't seem memorable, with or without the vocals.

"Take It Easy" starts out so promising, and is not a bad track, but the vocals are just kind of there. This would be better without the vocals, as it's some good mid-tempo funk. "Vapor" is another mid-tempo tune, with some nice Scofield-esque guitar work and trumpet solo, but just another OK song.

The not-so-good:

Chaka Khan makes an appearance on "Back Again", well, I just do not like these vocals. Mixed with the type of music being played, it's too R&B for me. "She's Hooked" is ruined by the awful vocals. I feel bad because the beat is tight here, and there's some nice clavinet. The guitar melody is a little annoying though. "What Can You Do" is even worse. These vocals are just so bad and whiny.

Everything else is just very unmemorable.

All in all, a very up and down album for me. While the good tracks are good, they aren't the best tunes that the band have released; before or since this album. And unfortunately, most of the vocal tracks bring this album down considerably.

This is more for fans of Soulive, as there IS good stuff here, and the good outweighs the bad, but I would not recommend this for the casual fan or newbie. Too many tracks I feel like skipping. 2 1/2 stars really, but I'll bump it up to 3 for the good songs, and because the band themselves are tight.

darkshade One of the first of its kind. Fiery and fiercely fast guitar with some of the best fusion keyboard work in this genre. This is almost a supergroup, with John McLaughlin, Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman, and Billy Cobham---all in the same band. Hammer is one of the best keyboardists ever, and he really shines on this one.

So many people have reviewed this album before me, so I just want to mention some things I like. One, is the fuzzed out guitar that John was doing in Miles Davis' band. It's so... ROCK! Yet the music is so... jazz, that it fuses into this sound that is a little hard to describe. Jan Hammer always plays some great electric piano, comping chords like a champ, and Jerry Goodman lays down some nice violin parts, even if his sound is a little 'scratchy'. Unlike his funky solo albums, Billy Cobham is here, rockin' hard on the drums, and his definitive style is already showcased on this album.

This album was important stepping stone in the development in jazz-rock/fusion. Where Miles Davis, Weather Report, and Herbie Hancock would go off into the stratosphere at this time in the early 70s, Mahavishnu Orchestra said, "yea, we can rock out too". This opened up the door for bands like Return to Forever, Fermata, and later on, Brand X. Essential for a any fusion collection, and if you don't have this one, you're missing an important album in the development of the genre.

darkshade Soulive go hip-hop.

But don't be afraid if you're not into that. First off, if you're familiar with their last couple of albums, you should have seen this coming. The band were hinting at this direction, even had a couple of rappers on the previous album "Next". On "Turn It Out Remixed", they let it all loose, with hip-hop guests on most tracks, except for 4 not counting the intro track.

But the band is still playing all the music. It's like The Roots, they're an actual live band, but they're a hip-hop band. Here, Soulive take their older material, and rework it for the hip-hop treatment. And these guys got some nice rappers for this album, a lot of them jazz-rap artists themselves; such as Chali 2na from Jurassic 5; who play a style of jazz-rap like The Roots, does some nice stuff in the context of Soulive.

It's interesting to hear Soulive's music in this way. It makes you realize that their music was always able to transfer well to the sound of hip-hop. They definitely add a little something to make the beats a little more 'edgy' but some of their beats in the past were always edgy, here there is a little studio manipulation in the drum sound, for example. Since the band is playing on the whole album, there is still a little room for them to stretch out, like on Cash's Dream Remix, and many of the tracks are still in that Hammond organ trio sound. It's funny because the band, at times, play like their own music is being sampled, but they're actually playing in ostinato style; you just have to really pay attention to the small nuances.

If you like a little hip-hop in your soul-jazz, this should be right up your alley. I recommend anyone into jazz-rap to give this one a shot. It's pretty good, and I'm not the biggest hip-hop fan. Because it's Soulive actually playing the music, it makes it even better.

darkshade Soulive become a quartet on this album. Sam Kininger fills out the fourth slot on alto and tenor sax, with the original trio of Krasno and the two Evans brothers. Coming off the success of the previous album "Doin' Something", Soulive takes that sound even further on "Next". The production is top notch, maybe even a little slick since I feel like the drum sound is a little thin and it seems like the organ has been pushed back a little bit (while his foot pedals for the bass have been turned up). This is a minor gripe, as everything DOES sound good.

This album is real funky. Having Sam Kininger as a main band member means more sax, and he plays some great stuff. Some tracks he uses a wah pedal which gives it that Headhunters feel at times, but Sam plays different than Bennie Maupin, and the band just groove at all costs. What is also noticeable is the types of beats being utilized on some tracks has a real hip-hop vibe to them, even with some of the riffs played on guitar.

Of course it's no surprise the band were moving in a hip-hop direction when you have guests like Black Thought and Talib Kweli as guests on two tracks. If that isn't your thing, don't worry, this is still classic Soulive, in other words, instrumental funk/soul-jazz. They may have meant something by the title of this album, as the 'next' album is where the band really let loose on their hip-hop influences. For now, this album is great, slightly less than their first 2 albums and debut EP, but still essential for any Soulive fan.

darkshade This is where Soulive really hit their stride. This is the one that put Soulive on the map, so to speak. They return with another great soul-jazz/funk album, but with the funk levels cranked up. But at the same time, cranking up the jazz levels too. This, along with the trio augmented by a 4-piece horn section (one of them the great Fred Wesley), makes this one of the greatest funk-jazz records of the 21st century. This album smokes from the get-go. We are treated to some great grooves provided by brothers Alan Evans on drums, and Neal Evans on Hammond B-3 organ. On top of that is guitarist Eric Krasno playing some great funky guitar.

Any fan of James Brown or P-Funk will want to listen to this album, Fred Wesley plays some of the best trombone solos and horn lines ever, though for him it's probably a walk in the park. In context of Soulive's music, his playing is just tremendous. Alto sax player Sam Kininger lays down some great solos as well, harnessing some Maceo Parker at times.

This album is also where we start to hear traces of hip-hop influences in Soulive's music, mainly in the beats; but they are rare on this album. On the song "Joe Sample" it is most noticed... Of course, it's called that because of the great guitar work, no doubt in tribute to Joe Sample himself.

This is an album of great, energetic music, filled with great funky horns, solid bass (performed by Neal Evans with foot pedals on his organ), and excellent Pat Martino/Scofield-esque guitar. There is no stand-out song, as all the songs are exceptional. The token vocal song is OK but doesn't detract from the music. And we get a great instrumental cover of Stevie Wonder's "Golden Lady" to cap everything off.

Just get this album. One of the best soul-jazz/funk-jazz you'll ever hear. 5 stars.

darkshade Tribal Tech return after an 11 year hiatus with "X". Not the most original album name, but whatever. I'm not Tribal Tech expert, I only have a few of their albums from the late 80s/early90s, and only heard a couple of tunes from their later albums, but I can tell you without a doubt---this is their most original album in a while. This album is hard, experimental in places, and funky in others.

The only thing you know you can expect is virtuoso playing from these guys, of course. After that, X sees the band playing around with song structures. Apparently, in 2010 they recorded most of the rough tracks for this album, lots of improvisation and so on. Then they spent the year and half before this album came out adding overdubs and structuring the jams, making much of this music seem composed; and in a way it is.

What I also like about this album is the "usual fusion" sound is gone, you know, that late 80s/early 90s fusion sound, like Chick Corea Elektric Band, Dave Weckl Band, or Zawinul Syndicate (minus the world fusion aspect); THAT sound. It's gone here. And it's good, because otherwise it would date this record horribly. No, the band is trying new things on this album. A little electronic beats here and there, different keyboard sounds, etc. This record is more earthly. There are moments of intense electric post-bop, some more soulful, contemplative playing by Scott Henderson, and a variety of other different moods.

It's not the most progressive album, but it's a fun record, and one of the more original albums by the band. And it's nice to see Tribal Tech not stuck in the same sound, experimenting with different things.

A pretty good fusion album. If you like modern fusion, you'll probably enjoy this. If you're a Tribal Tech fan, you'll enjoy the different feel this album has.

darkshade Excellent album, this is one of my most listened to jazz albums. There is something about the mood here. Holland's bass is undeniable, he is, of course, one of the greats. But between the horns and the percussion and marimbas, my mind is just taken to another world. This kind of music is usually played on a rainy day, or late at night. It just has that feel to it.

90s jazz has usually been something I haven't been into much, aside from a few exceptions, but this album leaves me wanting more. If you like post-bop, but with a whole lot of creativity, a little groove, and excellent players, this is the album to check out. One of Dave's best albums in the last 20 years.

darkshade Soulive debut album "Turn It Out" is a great album by this organ trio specializing in a funky blend of soul-jazz and funk. This is like Pat Martino styled guitar work, blended with John Scofield styled guitar, and mixed with Jimmy Smith organ work, and funky drums, and you have Soulive, at least on this album. A few songs here were on the band's debut EP "Get Down!", but here they are more refined, and with tighter improvisations.

The band would get funkier on later albums, but here, the band definitely know how to groove. The focus is on the trio setting, with guests such as the aforementioned John Scofield on "Nealization", and Lettuce saxophonist Sam Kininger on "Rudy's Way".

Not a bad album to start with Soulive, but in my opinion, their following 2 albums are even better. This album is a nice slice of funky soul-jazz, and if you like the organ trio setting, this album, and the previous EP are the albums to get, as the band would later augment their sound with horns, and eventually, vocals (at least for a couple of albums). Excellent addition to any jazz collection.

darkshade "Get Down!" indeed. This EP is great. Some of the best soul-jazz and funk-jazz you'll find. Excellent guitar work from Eric Krasno, great drums from Alan Evans, and solid organ from brother Neal Evans, who also plays the bass parts on the organ; this band has no bassist. What's especially outstanding about this album, is this basically an album that documents the first time the 3 of these guys playing together. It sounds like they've been playing together for years. The album (well it's an EP, but it's long enough to be an album) is the reason these guys formed Soulive, one of the most successful jazz bands in the 2000s.

This music is like if Pat Martino fused with John Scofield, and played with Jimmy Smith, but an element of funk is also here, and the band would further the funky sound on future albums. Here, the band had never played with each other, so the focus is on head>improv>head for the most part, with funky grooves and slick melody lines.

A couple of these songs can be found on their proper debut album "Turn It Out", but here they are in a more raw form, with different execution. This was my first Soulive album, and not a bad place to start, this way you can see the progression from here until their third album, before they started introducing vocals and hip-hop to their sound. A great soul-jazz album was heavy doses of funk.

darkshade This is where the real Lettuce sound comes from: the live show. This band is impressive in the studio, and I think all their studio albums are essential jazz-funk listening, but there's something else going on here on this live album. The grooves are faster, the solos are nasty, the jazz is cranked up, and you can tell everyone is having a great time. This album just makes me feel so good; the grooves just run through my body. I have to give it to Sam Kininger on this one, he really rips it down on his alto sax. He's really channeling Michael Brecker with that nasty 70s sound.

Ive seen this band live myself, and they really are this good, maybe even better now as this show is from their debut album "Outta Here" tour, as most of the songs here are from that album. Nevertheless, every song here is hot fire, the guitars are particularly fierce, guitarists Adam Smirnoff and band leader Eric Krasno duel it out with some great Pat Martino-styled riffs on top of the tightest grooves this side of the year 2000. Adam Deitch lays down some of the fastest funk drumming I've ever heard, you have to hear the pyrotechnical insanity for yourself.

There is no need to highlight any tracks, as ever song here smokes. Just do yourself a favor, if you have even the slightest interest in funk or jazz-funk, get this album as fast as you can. You'll be so glad you did.

darkshade It's been 4 years since Rage! came out, and here we are in 2012 with a long awaited new Lettuce album, titled "Fly". I pretty much got into the band around the time their last album came out, so Ive been waiting the whole 4 years for this album to come out. When it got announced, I was a little worried that it would be Rage! Part 2, which wouldn't be so bad, but it might have been more of the same. Luckily, Lettuce's third album is once again it's own album with it's own sound. The production is a little dirtier than the last album, but still crystal clear. The sound is as tight as ever, but there's new things going on. The band worked on different set ups for where the instruments would be mixed and panned, which is really noticeable when you listen on headphones; such as drums being on the left speaker, and horns soloing in the right, etc. This gives the sound a bit of a vintage sound, but Lettuce are no imitators, they bring in modern influences to their funky sound. This album sees the electronic influence rise, dare I say a dash of dub-step, something that hasn't been heard much before in Lettuce, not a lot, so don't be scared away. This is, of course, mixed with their legendary jazzy sound and a little hip-hop influence.

As I said before, this is not Rage! part 2, but a completely new monster. The album starts off, with a more laid-back than the previous two album openers, with the title track, a little reminiscent of James Brown's "I Feel Good" but funkier. Lots of spacey, delayed guitar and wah-ed out horns. The second track "Lettsanity" is fast and funky, a real bad-ass song; sounding like it came from the Rage! sessions, and is the closest this album comes to sounding like Rage! did. Nice sax solo.

From here on out, the band move into new territory. "Ziggowatt" is some heavy funk, the guitar, bass-organ, and bass playing in unison makes this a song that might blow out your sub-woofer, heh. Kind of reminds me of eric Krasno's other band, Soulive. Some rock-ish guitar solos here too. "Madison Square" shows a more melodic side of the band, seldom seen before, but still funky as hell. This song grooves, one of the best cuts here. The rhythms are crazy, which have an almost galloping feel. OH MAN the middle section is one of the coolest funk sections Ive heard in a long time. It demands your attention. Fast horn lines with drums and bass layin' it down, half time. The guitar is actually the glue here, playing fast lines, while comping some chords, and doubling the bass; all at the same time.

"Bowler" sees the band playing around with the panning of the instruments. horns on the right, drums on the left, guitar sort of in the middle. This is an interesting song, and introducing some real curve-ball chords. Very Meters-like. "Jack Flask" is another funk powerhouse. This is one of the more aggressive songs, great horns, almost reminds me of P-Funk mixed with Tower of Power.

The token vocal song "Do It Like You Do" is sung by guest Nigel Hall, who returns from guesting on Rage! but the vocal track is so short it doesn't really affect the flow of the album. One of the better vocals tracks from the band (none of them are bad though)

"Play" is another good funk song, though nothing crazy. Kind of a standard Lettuce song. "Let It GoGo" is another sort of standard Lettuce song, but a little better, with some tasty horns and excellent percussion work. Of course, standard Lettuce songs are still full of high energy playing and tight rhythms.

Next is the War cover "Slippin' Into Darkness". Probably not as good as the original, but hey, they still do the song with tons of energy, as is to be expected. Adam Deitch is really in the pocket on this one. Krasno returns for a mighty fine guitar solo

"The Crusher" sounds like what it says. A real slow, and I mean slow, funky tune, sometimes it seems like the beat drops tempo even more, and is almost experimental in the rhythm department. Sounds like a giant robot slowly trudging through a city, destroying buildings and such. This song is a real 'crusher'. Apocalyptic funk, if you will.

"Ghost of Jupiter" starts out the jazzy, but then the beat comes in, and reminds me of a dark, blacksploitation movie from the 70s, just has that feel.

The album ends on a high note, with one of the best songs on the album, "Monorail 3000". If you are familiar with The J.B.'s "Monorail", that's sort of what's going on. I don't think this is a cover, but it's reminiscent of the J.B.'s song. This is REAL FUNKY, some of the best kind. The bass is slick, the horns are blasting, and tight, like Miles Davis-tight. And speaking of Miles, a trumpet solo pops up here, the one instrument that hadn't had a chance to shine on this album until now; well better late than never. Everything works in this song. A good way to close out this album.

Whew, this review came out longer than I thought. Well, if you're still reading this, you must be interested in this album. I say get it, it's a great funk-jazz album. Not as good as the previous album "Rage!", but some of the better funk to come out in recent times. They do some new things, which is good, because all of the band's albums have their own special flavor. Every Lettuce album so far is amazing and essential for any jazz-funk or general funk collection. Fly with Lettuce.

darkshade WOW! If you'd thought the last album was good, wait until you get a load of this. It took 6 years for "Rage!" to come out after the last album, but man, it was worth it. The sound is better and the rhythms are tighter (which I thought would be impossible). It's like the band is hungry to give us the best funk-jazz album.

This album is a funk onslaught!

The opening track is like this grande opening, you just know the band is going to lay it down. And they do. Every single song is funkier than the last, and I am not just saying that. It's like the first 2 songs are a warm up for the rest of the album, songs like King of the Burgs and Need To Understand keep the energy level going, with some feel-good tunes for that funky drive to the beach. But then you have songs like The Last Suppit; think Tower of Power's funky songs, but with an aggressive edge, and finger-lickin' good guitar playing. Relax is not what the title infers, this one is also a hot fire slice of funk, with a dash of hip-hop agressiveness thrown in for good measure.

Nigel Hall guests on keys and vocals on Makin' My Way Back Home, and while his voice is great, it is unfortunately the weakest track here, but the weakest among some of the tightest funk ever made is a compliment. The band also have the token cover of Curtis Mayfield's Move On Up, and while the band definitely do the song justice, they only do the "song" and don't go into the percussion break and big sax jam from the original, but still keeps the energy going, and is nicely done.

This album is absolutely essential to any jazz-funk fan, or funk fan in general. All the Lettuce albums are essential, but Rage! is the best one, in my opinion. It just hits all the right nerves for that funky good time you're craving. Sometimes you want some new funk to listen to besides the greats of the 60s and 70s; but not imitators. That's where Lettuce comes in, they keep the tradition of funk alive, but keeping it up with the 21st century, and moving the genre forward. Get... This... Album... and... RAGE!

darkshade Lettuce is one of the best modern funk bands today. This band is unlike most funk-jazz bands in the 21st century, in that, they are not necessarily just a tribute band to the 60s and 70s greats like James Brown (though who isn't influenced by Mr. Dynamite himself), P-Funk, Sly, etc. but are a band that really takes the genre of funk and push it forward with a little hip-hop influences in the beats, tight rhythm and crisp production, but with enough of a bite. Add to that one of the best horn sections around, and the excellent guitar work from Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno. His style is somewhere between Pat Martino and John Scofield, so you know it gets jazzy in here, but he also has his own sound that is easily discernible among the thousands of funk and jazz guitarists out there.

Now to the band's debut album "Outta Here". The band has actually been around since 1992, but it took 10 years for this album to arise out of the woodwork. But it's not like these guys weren't busy (Krasno had already established Soulive with fellow Lettuce member Neal Evans and his brother Alan), and Adam Deitch had been playing with the John Scofield Band for some time by the time this album came).

Things get off to a wonderful start with the opening title track, and the energy level never lets up. Every song is hot fire, even the token vocal track on Twisted. The music will make you move your head and body. this band just grooves no few bands do. You'd think after a few songs there would need to be a breather song somewhere, but Lettuce just pommel you with some of the tightest funk. It's almost aggressive and it never lets up, but that's fine. There is enough diversity in the sound for it not to get monotonous, going from straight funk, to jazz-fusion, to jazz-funk, to hip-hop inspired funk, there's a lot of great sounds here.

I mentioned John Scofield earlier, and he is here as a guest on a couple of tracks, particularly on The Flu, this track is more of a "darker" funk tune, more in line with jazz-fusion. This is a great track, and essential for Scofield fanatics. Excellent bass lines.

The band do a nice rendition of James Brown's "Superbad", titled "Superfred" here, with guest Fred Wesley providing some great trombone work. There is also a cover of Herbie Hancock's "Hang Up Your Hangups", and again, the band nail it, with some riveting solos that just make you want to get up and move.

Highly recommended for any jazz-funk fan, or funk fans in general. In fact, all their albums at the time of writing this (2012) are essential funk albums, as well as their live album Live In Tokyo. Get this and you will not be disappointed. One of the best debut albums from any band.

darkshade Miles Davis wrote his own history. This fifth album by the Second Great Quintet is among Miles' best albums, yet sometimes forgotten. It is here we hear the first signs of jazz-rock he would later revolutionize. Electric pianos appear thanks to Herbie Hancock and a rare appearance of Ron Carter on electric bass, something he did not usually prefer to play. The quintet is augmented by guitarist George Benson on "Paraphernalia", further showing Miles' interest in rock music.

Now by no means is this a jazz-ROCK album, it is still very much the experimental post-bop this group had been playing, but electrified, with a little R&B mixed in.

The opening "Stuff" doesn't beat around the bush and gets right into action with classic Herbie e-piano playing, but I find Miles' playing on this song one of his best performances, his horn is full of power and I slightly attribute it to the fresh environment of electric instruments and 'rockish' beats; in which Tony Williams is not just adding rock beats to the mix, but is fusing rock rhythms with jazz sensibilities.

Adding George Benson to the mix is very cool, since this would have been the ultimate lineup if Benson stayed with the group, but he is just here as a guest. However his playing on "Paraphernalia" is classic. I was actually aware of Benson's music before I heard this album, so when I heard this song, I was amazed at how he blended in with the music.

At this point, Herbie is back to piano, and Carter on acoustic bass; and this lasts for the rest of the album. The music here is much more like the previous post-bop Miles albums, but again, with the guitar added. Miles is, again, on fire here and Williams drums like a mad man. Wayne Shorter on sax is particularly good on this song. I sometimes forget how good he is on this album, what with everything else going on with the electrified instruments, one of Miles' best performances, and George Benson being present; who's presence is a very fresh.

This album is groundbreaking, though not revolutionary. It is a big step in the eventual creation of what would eventually be called, Jazz-Rock/Fusion, and is not to be missed for the jazz-fusion fan; one that is interested in the genre's history. For those who aren't big fans of fusion, have no fear. If you enjoy the 60s Miles Davis albums and can handle the sound of the electric piano and electric bass, you should thoroughly enjoy this album. I would say a non-fusion fan would get into this easier than a jazz-rock/fusion fan, as this album is still 100% jazz, well maybe 98% ;)

This is the last album with this lineup intact. They would appear on the next album Filles de Kilimanjaro, but only on half the album. This is also Miles Davis' last full jazz album despite the appearance of electric instruments on "Stuff". This album is a big turning point in Miles' music, and music in general. A very underrated album.

darkshade The calm before the storm as I like to view it as.

What makes this album great is not only the music itself, but what came before and immediately after. Miles was building up to this album with his previous albums Miles In The Sky and Filles De Killmajaro, adding electric piano and electric bass to his sound, with some emphasis on rock beats.

When this album came around, Miles had surrounded himself with many well known jazz musicians, most of which would all go on to push the genre of jazz-rock/fusion further into the 70s.

But here we are. Whenever I listen to this album, it's great every time. The mood is peaceful, soothing, but aggressive at the same time in relation to the drums. Sometimes I think to myself how Miles took this "style" of music, and added a level of ferocity to the following album Bitches Brew, which is the "storm" that this album precedes. If you are familiar with BB, you know exactly what I mean.

By the way, as with most Miles Davis albums, I get the most enjoyment out of his music when it is played at night. His music just has that dark, nightly aura about it. But a lot of mystique is added when put in context with what came afterward too.

Anyway, this music is made up of only 2 songs, both of which are similar in mood, in fact; you may not realize when the first ends and the second begins, if you're not paying attention. My favorite aspect of this album, and just about any of his albums from '67 through '75, is the personnel on these albums showcase the musicians in contexts which you would never hear them in again. So even though fusion masters like Hancock, Corea, Zawinul, Shorter, Holland, McLaughlin and Williams are here, don't expect anything they did outside of Miles' groups. In a way, it's better than anything they have done on their own.

I have trouble describing the music here, as Ive been trying to do that for the last few paragraphs. What I can say is, do yourself a favor. Get this album. If you're a jazz fan, or a fan of any of the guys playing on this album, there is no way you can not enjoy this.

darkshade It's obvious these guys love their 70s jazz-rock/fusion, and 90s/2000s jazz-funk. But these guys also like to throw in some electronic stuff, and also some world music, most notably on this album Indian music.

The album opens up with the funky title track. Lots of slap bass, and an initial favorite when I first heard this album. It's funky, but there is some interesting interplay between the keys and guitar.

There's a lot of cool tracks here featuring funky rhythms, and some Indian-influenced flavors. A couple of tracks have a strong John Scofield feel, ala Uberjam. But also Big Fun by Miles Davis comes to mind, with a lot of Sitar playing.

There's even a Frank Zappa moment in the song "Poodle Factory". (anyone get the double joke?). However I am reminded of bands like Telefon Tel Aviv when I hear the electric piano, but it only lasts a few seconds.

There is also a Soulive/Lettuce feel too. Great beats and a little DJ scratching thrown in. Lots of funk. It's hard for me to call this "jazz-funk" though. Sure, there's a lot of funky moments, and there's almost always a groovin' beat, but there's so much more to this music than funk, you can't stick that label to it. There is a good amount of world music, mixed with classic sounds of the 70s fusion artist, but in no way is this retro-sounding. It very much sounds like a modern, progressive recording.

If you enjoy works by John Scofield, Medeski Martin & Wood, Soulive, and Lettuce, you will love this album.

darkshade This live album from the Pat Metheny Group is "the best of the best with none of the BS". Besides this being the first album I bought by the band, it has all their live staples, and they are some captivating performances. Sometimes jazz is better live, and this album proves that. Maybe I'm biased due to this being my first album, but I've heard all the songs from their original studio albums, and most of them are better here.

The music has world music influence, but is very much jazz-rock fusion, which is basically what this band does best at this point in their career.

As a fan of world music-influenced music, this album is great, lots of Brazilian sounds. But the main feature is Lyle Mays on keyboards and piano, and Metheny himself with his signature clean but warm tone, mixed with his distorted synth guitar. I am sometimes reminded of being in the middle of Africa, during dusk, and it is very relaxing.

I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Pat Metheny's work, particularly his classic fusion albums. Excellent music.

darkshade Where do I begin? This album is one of the best jazz-rock albums ever made. Why? Because not only is it well crafted music, but it is truly innovative music. There is no moment in the album where you are reminded of 70s fusion, in fact, though you can tell it is Metheny on guitar and Lyle Mays on keys, but everything that happens in the music is compltely original, which is hard to do with 2000s jazz-rock fusion.

Instead, the group create a fascinating experience for the listener. Think of this as a progressive rock fan's dream jazz album. The melodies are endless, and catchy, even some solos are hummable.

The Pat Metheny Group have made some very fine albums, and some that aren't completely my taste, but still well made. The ones that are good, are amazing, and I consider some almost 5 star albums. With The Way Up released in 2005(which is still their most recent album as of 2011), they finally achieved that "Masterpiece" status.

This music is refreshing coming from a group and guitarist who are veterans of jazz. The Way Up Part 1 first 6 minutes or so is pure prog heaven, some fantastic music all around; just sublime.

However, there are some complex pieces within The Way Up, and the music moves like classical music in structure. This is not an album you can wrap your head around in 2 or 3 listens. But when you hear it for the first few times, there is always something that sticks out, making you want to come back for more.

I cannot recommend this album enough, especially to show that this genre still has a lot to say, and can continue to progress. If you are a fan of Pat Metheny, you probably already have this album. If you aren't this is an essential album to have.

darkshade This album is very good. A great debut from Hiromi. Though there is more piano than keyboards here than say, Time Control, this is still a worthy addition to anyone who enjoys Classic Fusion, especially the kind from the 2000s.

Things start right off with XYZ, a very fast paced number, with some nice odd time signature riffs (one in 9/8 if I'm not mistaken) This leads into some very nice piano work by Hiromi; she is probably one of the fastest pianists you will ever hear.

The second track Double Personality features some nice sax work by Jim Odgren, something not heard much on Hiromi's albums. The thing I like about this album is the approach to fusion, not relying on keyboards and their effects, but using them sparingly and relying on the naked piano, but you don't even think of this when listening, just "This is great jazz/fusion music!"

Dave "Fuze" Fiuczynski also appears on this album as a guest. He would later join Hiromi's Sonicbloom for the albums "Time Control" and "Beyond Standard". Dave's wild guitar playing throws some of the music back to the 70s fusion sound, but since he usually plays a fretless guitar, it gives it a more modern twist, with Hiromi and bassist Mitch Cohn going crazy behind him.

There are also some wacky keyboard grooves which sometimes make you feel like you're inside a computer, but this album contains some of Hiromi's more beautiful compositions (which she would expand on, on her follow-up "Brain")

Get this if you have any interest in jazz, fusion, modern prog-jazz, etc... This is a nice slice of 2000's fusion. Not as good as Time Control (her best album IMO) but an excellent release nonetheless. Enjoy!

darkshade easily one of the best jazz-fusion albums of the last 10 years. Hiromi's playing is fantastic, and the music has the energy of 70s fusion, mixed with modern sounds (especially by fretless guitarist Dave Fuze).

This album is also quite accessible, if you have even the slightest interest in jazz, you will enjoy this record.

I must say, when i first heard of Hiromi, i saw her album covers and thought it was some modern contemporary jazz, not pushing the boundaries, and probably boring or predictable. NOPE. The opposite. While it keeps the jazz tradition of "it must swing", that's about as far as tradition goes. The drums are out of control, the bass is tight, with that modern fusion bass tone, but it's Hiromi who takes the songs to new, unheard levels.

The best way i can describe this music, is she approaches fusion with a traditional/acoustic jazz mindset. But the compositions are very proggy, and quite progressive ;) so dont think it's straight ahead jazz with moogs and rhoades piano. This is electric fusion at its finest, and one of the more original jazz albums ive come across released in the 2000s. plus Hiromi is hot!

darkshade My first Miles pre-fusion album.

I had heard So What long before I even got into Miles’ music, but when I got the urge to check out his pre-fusion albums, I went with this one first. I bought it mostly because of the lineup. Tony Williams, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Ron Carter are a who’s who of jazz-fusion (well except maybe Carter) but I knew it wasn’t jazz-fusion. I did, however, want to hear what they were doing with the great Miles Davis before the fusion scene exploded.

I fell in love with this CD. At the time I thought this was one of his best, and perhaps one of the best jazz records of all time. As my jazz collection has grown over the years, I can tell you this is a great record, one of Miles’ best, but not the best of all time. It is like a slightly avant-garde post-bop record, mostly due to Wayne Shorter having probably the most contribution to the music on this record.

What’s funny is that if you’re listening closely, you can hear all the sidemen’s nuances that they would later capitalize on later on in the 70s. Hancock with his neo-classical style mixed with R&B flavored chords, Williams being the usual monster on the set, and Shorter displaying his great talent for melody which would become classic in Weather Report.

Then there is Miles himself. The thing about this lineup is he seemed to take a backseat to the other members, and there is a lot of time where he is not playing. This is not unusual for him, but it is even more so here. However, I think this era of his music was his peak technically and playing-wise. Miles’ playing is just hot fire, and his solos are fast a lot of times, but of course never forgetting to be melodic. I think working with younger musicians at this stage in his life kept his chops up and made his playing fiercer (and not the kind of fierce heard on albums like Bitches Brew). His playing is very bright. Of course, there is still the cool Miles Davis, as heard on Little One, where I personally get this mid-60s vibe, very relaxed playing.

This lineup would evolve throughout the 60s and make even more interesting music. If you’re looking for great Miles jazz, this is a good place to start. I got this one and went chronologically into Miles’ fusion period. Good addition to any jazz collection.

darkshade Essential Jazz-Rock/Fusion from a man not usually associated with jazz. You can find jazz throughout Zappa’s discography. This album, The Grand Wazoo, may be the best example of FZ jazz. It is the follow up and companion album to Waka/Jawaka, but where that album had its flaws, The Grand Wazoo is near perfect. If you are familiar with Zappa’s music this is a must have. If you’re not, but you’re trying to have a great jazz-fusion collection, this album is also a must. My version of this album has tracks 1 and 2 switched, so it starts out with For Calvin. I have heard the other version where the title track is first, and let me tell you, my version is better. It may seem strange having For Calvin as the first track, but it makes the experience much cooler. The song is quite weird and avant-garde; just what you’d expect from Zappa. But starting off a fusion record? With lots of horns playing dissonant lines, and vocals that sound like a dying witch, it would probably scare off the casual jazz listener away. However, I have always felt that having it as the second track ruins the flow of the album. With For Calvin as the first track, the album can be seen as starting out very chaotic in usual Zappa fashion, and gradually through the album becoming jazzier and more melodic. The title track is one of Zappa’s best tunes, and contains some great improve over a shuffle beat. The song is kind of Third Stream in nature, but is totally rockin’. I enjoy how the band plays the composed sections and everyone falls into the solo sections quite nicely. What is a Frank Zappa record without a little humor? Cletus Awreetus-Awrightus is a short little pompous track, with full wind ensemble here; particularly trumpets and clarinets playing very fast lines, complemented by the drums. Eventually, a woman sings the first part of the main theme, followed by Frank himself singing the other half of the main theme, and it’s quite funny. I always think of him sitting in the studio recording it. As the album continues, one notices the fact that it’s getting jazzier. Eat That Question contains one of FZ’s best rock riffs, and one of George Duke’s best keyboard solos. Duke is one of the reasons this album is so good, as he brings a Herbie Hancock type sound to the table, making almost everything Zappa-related that he plays on, very jazzy. The album closes with the mellow Blessed Relief, which might be hinting at the trip one takes listening to this album and making it to the end. This is one of the most beautiful songs ever conceived by Zappa, with great solos by trumpet, keys, and guitar; Frank plays with that cool effect on his guitar, similar to what he used on Watermelon in Easter Hay from Joes Garage. As I said before, this album is essential listening for any fan of jazz-fusion. It’s also unique in that it has all the trademarks of a classic 70s fusion record, but with the Frank Zappa strangeness (though most of it is not so strange by his standards). Don’t let that turn you off though; your fusion collection is not complete without this album. One of the few fusion recordings that is excellent from start to finish. No solos are too long, and Frank doesn’t go on and on about politics or sexual harassment in the workplace :)