js David Fiuczynski’s new CD, “Planet Microjam”, explores a musical world that is still mostly untapped in the western world of music, the world of micro-tonality. For those unfamiliar with the term, microtones are basically the notes that exist between the known notes in the musical scale of the western world. Micro-tonality involves splitting the musical octave into much smaller increments, much as they do in much of the traditional music from Asia and the Middle East. To western ears micro-tones can be a bit odd at first, basically it sounds like the musicians may be out of tune, but for the listener eager to discover new music, it does not take long to get used to this different way of doing things and you may find it fascinating also.

For the lover of new sounds and experimental explorations, its hard to find something new anymore, but this CD offers sounds that will be fresh for even the most hardened avant-garde enthusiast. At the same time, in an interesting balancing act, the music on here is not so outside that it will be unattractive to those who are only mildly curious. Much of the music on here falls into a sort of world beat/post bop fusion that may remind some of Shakti, Bill Laswell, Talvin Singh, L Subramanian and other artists who fuse jazz with Indian and Middle Eastern improvisation. The pieces that feature piano tend to be more tonal and sometimes have functional chord changes in a jazz fusion style. Within this more traditional tonal setting, David’s micro-tonal guitar sounds more like an Indian sitar or sarod.

All of the musicians on here are excellent and the jam sessions really build, plus the great Jack DeJohnette shows up to play some of his rhythmic magic on a few cuts. If you are looking for something new, or seek world music fusion jams with a little more authenticity and soul, then this CD is for you. David Fiuczynski is a real virtuoso on guitar and his music sounds like no one else.