DIANNE REEVES — Art & Survival (1993) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Versatility has gotten vocalist Dianne Reeves in trouble. Those who feel she could be a great jazz singer want her to stick to scat singing and interpreting show tunes; others who enjoyed the light fusion and urban contemporary hits prefer that she look toward the future. Reeves does a little of both on her this set. Art And Survival includes her most hard-hitting message songs to date. The only problem is that Reeves' voice doesn't lend itself to shouts or expressing defiance; she sounds strained on "Endangered Species" and seems more like she's presenting a diatribe than expounding on a theme. Overall, Art And Survival is neither '90s revisited bop nor overtly commercial Quiet Storm fodder. Dianne Reeves is really seeking a middle ground between her two audiences, and if everything here doesn't work, at least she keeps forging ahead. Ron Wynn
Tracklist :
1 Old Souls 5:20
Drums – Joey Heredia
Electric Bass [Fretless] – Jimmy Johnson 
Lyrics By, Music By – Dianne Reeves
Music By – Eddie del Barrio
Percussion – Alex Acuna, Luis Conte, Munyungo Jackson
Piano [Acoustic] – John Beasley
Synth – Eddie del Barrio
2 Come To The River 5:36
Bass – Abraham Laboriel
Drums – Abraham Laboriel Jr.
Guitar – Michael Thompson
Lyrics By, Music By – Diane Louie
Music By – Dianne Reeves
3 One More Time  5:37
Acoustic Bass – Andy Simpkins
Arranged By [String], Conductor – Jorge del Barrio
Concertmaster, Violin – Endre Granat
Contractor – Bill Hughes
Drums – Paul Kreibich
Lyrics By – Dianne Reeves
Music By – Eddie del Barrio
Piano – Frank Collett
4 Anthem 5:26
Arranged By, Conductor – Diane Louie
Bass – Abraham Laboriel
Drums – Abraham Laboriel Jr.
Guitar – Charles 'Icarus' Johnson
Lyrics By, Music By – Dianne Reeves
Music By – David Torkanowsky
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano – David Torkanowsky
5 Freedom Dance 6:55
Backing Vocals – Dianne Reeves
Bass – Abraham Laboriel
Drums – Abraham Laboriel Jr.
Guitar – John Pisano
Lyrics By – Jeanne Pisano
Lyrics By, Music By – Dianne Reeves
Music By – Eddie del Barrio
Percussion – Luis Conte
Piano [Acoustic], Electric Piano – David Torkanowsky
Soprano Saxophone [Solo] – Steve Tavaglione
Synth – Eddie del Barrio
6 Endangered Species 3:23
Backing Vocals, Arranged By [Backing Vocals] – Dianne Reeves
Drums [Trap] – Abraham Laboriel Jr.
Lyrics By – Jeanne Pisano
Music By – Dianne Reeves
Percussion – Alex Acuna, Luis Conte, Munyungo Jackson
7 Josa Lee 6:54
Acoustic Bass – John Patitucci
Arranged By [Music], Drums – Terri Lyne Carrington
Arranged By [Strings, Music] – Eddie del Barrio
Lyrics By – Dianne Reeves
Music By – Eddie del Barrio, Terri Lyne Carrington
Piano [Acoustic] – John Beasley
Programmed By – Erik Hanson
Trumpet – Ralf Rickert
8 Body And Soul 10:06
Arranged By – Eddie del Barrio
Bass – John Patitucci
Drums – Billy Kilson
Guitar – Pino Marrone
Piano – Kenny Kirkland
Words By, Music By – Ed Heyman, Frank Eytom, Johnny Green, Robert Sour
9 Silent Tears And Roses 6:49
Acoustic Bass – Andy Simpkins
Arranged By [Strings], Conductor – Jorge del Barrio
Concertmaster, Violin – Endre Granat
Contractor – Bill Hughes
Drums – Paul Kreibich
Lyrics By – Jeanne Pisano
Music By – Eddie del Barrio
Piano – Frank Collett
10 Lament For A Lonely Child 6:48
Acoustic Guitar – Pino Marrone
Arranged By [String, Musical] – Eddie del Barrio
Backing Vocals – Dianne Reeves
Bass – John Patitucci
Drums – Billy Kilson
Percussion – 'Bombo Le Guero' Luis Conte
Piano – Kenny Kirkland
Words By, Music By – Eddie del Barrio
11 Bird Alone 6:46
Acoustic Bass – Andy Simpkins
Arranged By [Musical, Strings], Conductor – Jorge del Barrio
Concertmaster, Violin – Endre Granat
Contractor – Bill Hughes
Drums – Paul Kreibich
Lyrics By, Music By – Abbey Lincoln
Piano – Frank Collett

GARY HUSBAND — Dirty & Beautiful · Volume 1 (2010) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Fusion isn't as plentiful as it was back in the 1970s, which was the golden age of fusion just as the '30s and early '40s were the golden age of swing and the mid- to late '40s and '50s were the golden age of bop. But noteworthy fusion can still be found if you know where to look for it, and Gary Husband's Dirty and Beautiful, Vol. 1 is an example of noteworthy 21st century fusion. An impressive cast of fusion icons joins the British keyboardist/drummer/composer on this 2010 release, including guitarists Allan Holdsworth and John McLaughlin and keyboardist Jan Hammer; guitarist Robin Trower, who is best known for hard rock and blues-rock, is also on board. With such a cast, one would expect five-star results. But Dirty and Beautiful, Vol. 1 falls short of exceptional, although it's still an enjoyable, solid outing as well as a fairly diverse one. This 51-minute CD, which is dominated by Husband's original material, has its more aggressive moments (including "Ternberg Jam" and "Dreams in Blue"), but many of the tunes are on the reflective, contemplative side; that is certainly true of "Bedford Falls," "Afterglow," "The Maverick," "Averstone Jam," and the mysterious "Boulevard Baloneyo." And Husband reminds listeners that quality fusion, like quality bop, quality Dixieland, or quality swing, isn't just about pyrotechnics -- which is why there is a lot of lyricism on this album to go with all the chops and technical proficiency. Fusion enthusiasts will appreciate the amount of nuance that Husband and his soloists bring to Dirty and Beautiful, Vol. 1. Alex Henderson  
Tracklist :
1 Leave 'Em On  4:32
Bass – Jimmy Johnson
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Keyboards – Jan Hammer
Written-By – Allan Holdsworth
2 Bedford Falls  3:20
Bass – Laurence Cottle
Drums – Gary Husband
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
3 Between The Sheets Of Music  3:32
Bass – Jimmy Johnson 
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Violin – Jerry Goodman
Written-By – Jan Hammer, Anthony Smith
4 Yesternow - Preview  0:57
Bass – Livingstone Brown
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – Robin Trower
Written-By – Miles Davis
5 Afterglow  2:15
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
6 Dreams In Blue  10:12
Bass – Jimmy Johnson 
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
7 Ternberg Jam  3:01
Bass – Jimmy Johnson 
Drums – Gary Husband
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
8 Moon Song  4:32
Bass – Laurence Cottle
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – Steve Hackett
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
9 Swell  0:45
Drums – Gary Husband
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
10 The Maverick  4:53
Bass – Steve Price
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – Steve Topping
Written-By – Steve Topping
11 Boulevard Baloneyo  7:42
Bass – Jimmy Johnson 
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
12 Alverstone Jam 5:22
Bass – Mark King
Drums – Gary Husband
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband, Mark King

GARY HUSBAND — Dirty & Beautiful · Volume 2 (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Rather than releasing a double album, keyboardist/drummer Gary Husband split the jazz fusion songs he recorded with high-profile guests into two separate but equal hour-long discs. It's a logical, economically feasible way to get this music out and probably makes for a better overall listening experience, too, since the sound can get wearing, even over the length of a single platter. Anyone who enjoyed the first volume from 2011 will find the same pleasures here as Husband invites mostly guitar-shredding guests such as Mike Stern, John McLaughlin, Wayne Krantz, Robin Trower, Jimmy Herring, and old pal Allan Holdsworth, among others, for a good, old-fashioned '80s fusion fest. As is typical of the genre, the line between noodling and edgy improvisation can get awfully thin and there are moments that alternate on either side of that divide. That's the case within the confines of some songs such as the ten-minute John McLaughlin extravaganza "Sulley" that goes through multiple tempo changes, winding through its extended playing time with some terrific guitar soloing and some that just meanders. Props to bassist Mark King, whose husky yet malleable playing on the track holds down the rhythm and keeps the song vital even when the leads wander. Trower's Hendrix-inspired bluesy reverb on Miles Davis' "Yesternow-Epilogue" fades in where the first set's "Yesternow-Prologue" left off in a performance that blurs the border between rock and jazz. The energized nature of the disc is tempered on a short and lovely reading of Jan Hammer's "Rain." Hammer doesn't contribute to the track, but he does appear on Holdsworth's "Fred 2011," letting Husband -- who plays both drums and keyboards on eight of the eleven cuts -- concentrate on percussion. A similar dynamic applies to John McLaughlin's "New Blues, Old Bruise," where the guitarist is M.I.A. Rather, tenor saxist Sean Freeman, whose playing is strongly influenced by Wayne Shorter, gets free rein to strut his impressive stuff, which shifts from lovely to jagged as he blows his way through the ten-minute jam. Despite the obviously overdubbed nature of Husband's double-duty instrumental work, this album, and the previous one, sounds remarkably organic. That's especially true of the funky "East River Jam" featuring a relatively dialed down Wayne Krantz, whose innovative solos seldom go where you think they will. It adds up to a tasty, if somewhat inconsistent project that will please fans of both the old-school jazz fusion genre and of the prestigious musicians who help Husband bring it home. Hal Horowitz
Tracklist :
1    If The Animals Had Guns Too 5:28
Bass – Jimmy Johnson
Guitar – Ray Russell
Keyboards, Drums – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
2    Rolling Sevens 4:44
Bass – Teymur Phell
Guitar – Mike Stern
Keyboards, Drums, Percussion – Gary Husband
3    New Blues, Old Bruise 10:21
Keyboards, Drums – Gary Husband
Tenor Saxophone – Sean Freeman
Written-By – John McLaughlin
4    East River Jam 3:01
Guitar – Wayne Krantz
Keyboards, Drums – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband, Wayne Krantz
5    Fred 2011 4:48
Bass – Jimmy Johnson
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Keyboards – Jan Hammer
Written-By – Allan Holdsworth
6    Rain 2:48
Guitar – Neil Taylor
Keyboards, Drums – Gary Husband
Written-By – Jan Hammer
7    Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Brothers 6:14
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar, Programmed By – Alex Machacek
Written-By – Alex Machacek
8    Fuguie 4:18
Keyboards – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
9    Sulley 10:08
Bass – Mark King
Guitar – John McLaughlin
Keyboards, Drums – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
10    England Green 2:52
Bass – Laurence Cottle
Guitar – Jimmy Herring
Keyboards, Drums – Gary Husband
Written-By – Gary Husband
11    Yesternow - Epilogue 4:52
Bass – Livingstone Brown
Guitar – Robin Trower
Keyboards, Drums – Gary Husband
Written-By – Miles Davis

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH – Atavachron (1986-1996) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

For a little background, back in the '80s the SynthAxe was invented. It looked like something that fell out of a UFO. It was guitar-like with sets of strings and other onboard controls that allowed the triggering (playing) of synthesizers. What was unique was that guitarists could therefore play a synthesizer without needing a great amount of keyboard expertise. The SynthAxe was the interface that very uniquely interpreted a guitarist's skill into synth sounds. For guitarist Allan Holdsworth, it was yet a whole new way to achieve the sounds unvoiced in his soul in ways he just couldn't do with a standard guitar. Holdsworth has always sought a horn-like voicing with the ability to manipulate a note in a myriad of ways. He is known for being one of the most unique stylists on guitar, but it is the SynthAxe that allows him to go places a guitar can't reach. This release was special in that it marks Holdsworth's first use of the SynthAxe alongside electric guitar. The SynthAxe sounds more like a keyboard than a guitar. It has a wider sound spectrum than keyboards and in this release you will hear a myriad of synthscapes and effects. This release offered a semi-progressive symphonic element and served to ever stretch the boundaries of jazz fusion. Beautiful female vocals in one song framed by surrealistic visual musicks of the SynthAxe and keyboardy leads by Holdsworth may have turned guitar fans off, but this effort is clear evidence of the genius Holdsworth was demonstrating release after release. And as expected, Holdsworth continued to strive for that reed voicing and phrasing on his guitar solos, which merely pushed him to his best. John W. Patterson

Tracklist :

1. Non Brewed Condiment 3:39

2. Funnels 6:10

3. The Dominant Plague 5:41

4. Atavachron 4:45

5. Looking Glass 4:31

6. Mr. Berwell 6:21

7. All Our Yesterdays Sea 5:25 

Musicians :

Allan Holdsworth - Guitar, Ssynthaxe

Jimmy Johnson - Bass

Gary Husband - Drums

Special Guests :

Alan Pasqua - Keyboards

Tony Williams, Chad Wackerman - Drums

Billy Childs - Keyboards, Soloist

Rowanne Mark - Vocals

 

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH – Metal Fatigue (1985) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Criminally unknown and underappreciated, Allan Holdsworth is one of the greatest musicians ever to pick up the electric guitar. Here, on 1985's Metal Fatigue, everything finally comes together for him. For the majority of this record, Holdsworth is joined by bassist Jimmy Johnson and drummer Chad Wackerman, and these two musicians, virtuosos in their own right, complement Holdsworth beautifully (check out Johnson's wonderful part in "Home" and lovely solo on "Panic Station"). The leader is known for his extremely legato phrasing and rich harmonic vocabulary, both of which are on display in the solo and frantic fills of "Metal Fatigue." Anchored by Paul Williams' vocals, the song is marvelously constructed, with a strong verse melody supported by Holdsworth's upper-register guitar chords. The guitarist's much-vaunted whammy bar work is also on full display here. Certain fills in "Metal Fatigue" are almost queasy sounding, as Holdsworth bends and slurs in impossible ways. His use of the tremolo bar comes out not only during his melodic playing, but also during his rhythm playing, where he allows his chords just a trace of shimmer, enough to lend body to his playing but not enough to blur the harmonies. The influence of Holdsworth's unique style is evident in the work of such rock guitarists as Eddie Van Halen and Alex Lifeson (listen to VH's "Drop Dead Legs" or Rush's "YYZ" for a taste of this connection), but the watered-down and otherwise assimilated adaptations of his style pale compared to the unadulterated stuff. One of the most important fusion records of the '80s is also Holdsworth's best work. Absolutely essential for those who like their rock with a healthy dose of jazz. Daniel Gioffre
Tracklist :
1    Metal Fatigue 4:54
Bass Guitar – Jimmy Johnson
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Vocals – Paul Williams
Written-By – Holdsworth, Williams
2    Home 5:29
Bass Guitar – Jimmy Johnson
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Vocals – Paul Williams
Written-By – Holdsworth
3    Devil Take The Hindmost 5:33
Bass Guitar – Jimmy Johnson
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Vocals – Paul Williams
Written-By – Holdsworth
4    Panic Station 3:31
Bass Guitar – Jimmy Johnson
Drums – Chad Wackerman
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Vocals – Paul Williams
Written-By – Holdsworth, Williams
5    The Un-Merry-Go-Round 14:06
Bass Guitar – Gary Willis
Drums – Gary Husband
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Keyboards – Alan Pasqua
Written-By – Holdsworth
6    In The Mystery 3:49
Bass Guitar – Jimmy Johnson
Drums – Mac Hine
Guitar – Allan Holdsworth
Vocals – Paul Korda
Written-By – Holdsworth, Korda