Record Reviews

ANTOINE FAFARD ~ AD PERPETUUM UNICORN 5092 (Barcode: 649906856153) ~ CANADA ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2014 Released: 2014 This is the third album as a leader by Canadian Fusion bassist / composer Antoine FafardFind albums by this artist, recorded in a trio setting with guitarist Jerry De Villiers, Jr.Find albums by this artist and legendary drummer Vinnie ColaiutaFind albums by this artist. Three guest musicians: keyboardist Gerry EtkinsFind albums by this artist, drummer Gary HusbandFind albums by this artist and saxophonist Jean-Pierre ZanellaFind albums by this artist appear on selected tracks. The album presents ten original compositions, nine of which are composed by Fafard and one is co-composed by Fafard and De Villiers. Fafard is a veteran Fusion player, who led the Montreal based group Spaced OutFind albums by this artist, which released six albums and a couple of DVDs between 2000 and 2008. Spaced Out was floating somewhere between Fusion and Progressive Rock, but Fafard´s solo albums, first of which was released in 2011, are decidedly more Jazz oriented with focus on improvisation and cooperation with world´s leading Fusion players. Stylistically Fusion is often an extremely limited niche, with most albums in that genre sounding very similar, if not identical, to each other. Of the thousands of Fusion albums recorded since the genre crystallized from the early Jazz-Rock cradle, only a handful are truly inspired, innovative and even fewer are groundbreaking. The main reason is usually the focus on the endless instrumental doodling and show off faster than light soloing, rather than on the musical qualities, melody, harmony, etc. In short most Fusion albums have sadly very little music in them. This album is, I´m happy to say, an exception to the rule in every conceivable aspect. The compositions are all extremely musical, with solid melodies and diverse rhythm patterns, which keep the listener on his toes. The arrangements call for an attentive interplay and split second coordination between the players and the overall ambience of the music is more lyrical than the usual Fusion setting, which often tends to be rather aggressive. Of course there are the individual performances by the musicians, which are all first-class. There are many solo spots for everybody, but those are kept short and intensive leaving the listener wishing for more, rather than praying for the torture to be over with. Colaiuta, as usual, drives the music forcefully and his playing is always phenomenal, second after second. His unique feel and extraterrestrial technique are like the icing on a cake on every album he plays on. The drums "duet" he plays with Husband on one of the tracks is sensational. De Villiers plays some superb guitar licks, but again, does not dominate the proceedings like most Fusion guitarist tend to. Fafard plays tasty, melodic bass lines and his solos are classics of the genre. Overall this is a superb Fusion album, which should make every fan of the genre happy, but also be accessible to more Jazz oriented listeners beyond the strict Fusion circles. Well done indeed!

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JACQUES KUBA SEGUIN ~ L`ELEVATION DU POINT DE CHUTE ODD SOUND 13 (Barcode: 701256999604) ~ CANADA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2013 - 2014 Released: 2014 This is the fourth album by Canadian (of Polish origin) Jazz trumpeter / composer Jacques Kuba SeguinFind albums by this artist, recorded with his sextet which features saxophonists Jean-Pierre ZanellaFind albums by this artist and Andre LerouxFind albums by this artist, pianist Jonathan CayerFind albums by this artist, bassist Frederic AlarieFind albums by this artist and drummer Kevin WarrenFind albums by this artist. Stanley PeanFind albums by this artist recites a text on one track. The album presents seven tracks, six of which were composed by Seguin and the remaining one was composed by the Canadian singer / songwriter Daniel BelangerFind albums by this artist. The music floats somewhere between contemporary Jazz and Jazz-Rock, although no electric, especially guitar, instruments (except for a bit of Wurlitzer piano) are employed. The compositions are pretty solid, diverse but focused, which makes this album a great improvement in comparison to its predecessor. Sequin does not solo extensively, which is fine sine he is not the strongest instrumentalist in his group, leaving the lead to other soloists. The rhythm section is very good, especially Alarie, who plays some exceptional funky beats and gives the entire music a kick. Overall this is quite an enjoyable piece of music, not ambitious and groundbreaking in any respect, but providing solid, entertaining music which can be enjoyed by a wide scope of Jazz listeners. With nice compositions and skillful arrangements this is definitely worth checking out.

Updated: 29/10/2019Posted:

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