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

DAVID BINNEY — Balance (2002) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Alto saxophonist David Binney's follow-up to his extraordinary CD South offers a different approach overall while retaining the fresh contemporary style that underlines his status as an innovator and unique voice. Pianist Uri Caine is retained, drummer Jim Black takes over for Brian Blade, tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin teams with Binney on two tracks, Tim LeFebvre is a new addition on electric bass guitar, and Wayne Krantz is in for Adam Rogers on electric guitar. To Binney, balance is an elusive commodity, and nearly impossible to maintain. His love for the fusion and funk music of the '70s is translated into modern terms and gradations. On the high-end level of complexity, the title track displays repeat themes in varying modes and shifting accented tempos, mixed meters, and a funky underpinning completely slowing on the bridge. The chase is on during "Speedy's 9 Is 10" with Binney and McCaslin in hot pursuit, interrupted by the steel guitar of Rogers during his lone cameo appearance on the CD with bassist Fima Ephron. A wild dissected funk delivered by Black during "Fidene" is shaded by creature-feature and groping electronic sounds. There are a few soul ballads that frame Binney's tart alto better than the larger group pieces, and Caine's pretty piano is also showcased in "We Always Cried" and "Perenne." An expanded ensemble with guest Peck Almond elicits clarion calls in 10/8 time during the short "Midnight Sevilla," and there are two takes of the fun and funky "Arlmyn Trangent," again with the wonderful McCaslin. Black is a constant source of rhythmic drive and inventiveness, giving Binney a large palette to paint broad color strokes. While not as vital as South, Balance is a worthy addition to the discography of one of the top performers in modern progressive jazz. Michael G. Nastos

"A jazz that doesn't need a remix because it already is one. It doesn't get more exciting than this" - (AZ München) ACT
Tracklist :
1    Balance    6:36
2    Marvin Gaye    4:56
3    Arimyn Trangent    6:48
4    I'll Finally Answer    7:48
5    Midnight Sevilla    1:34
6    Speedy's 9 Is 10    5:40
7    We Always Cried    5:25
8    Lurker    4:15
9    Rincon    4:45
10    Fidene    4:16
11    Arimyn Trangent Reliv    3:03
12    Perenne    4:55
Credits :
David Binney - Written, Alto & Tenor Saxophone
Wayne Krantz - Guitar
Uri Caine - Piano, Synth
Tim Lefebvre – Bass
Jim Black - Drums
Artwork – Peter Krüll

Guests:
Adam Rogers - Guitar on 6, 11
Fima Ephron - Bass on 6, 11
Donny McCaslin - Tenor Saxophone on 1, 3, 6, 8, 9
Tanya Henri - Vocals
Peck Almond - Brass
Kenny Wollesen - Broom on 12
Jon Haffner - Alto Saxophone on intro, 1