Beneath the Mask is the easiest in addition to breeziest Elektric Band album inwards years, amongst Latin-flavored melodies that are concise in addition to downright hummable. Corea’s atmospheric harmonies cope to endure seductive without evaporating into nothingness. On “One of Us Is Over 40,” the band fifty-fifty slips into a rattling friendly (and uncharacteristically African) lope. Corea weaves his tricks into a seamless musical fabric. And the Elektric Band — Corea, bassist John Patitucci, drummer Dave Weckl, guitarist Frank Gambale, in addition to saxophonist Eric Marienthal-has never sounded better.
You tin ever await or thence of the best musicianship anywhere from a Chick Corea album. Bassist John Patitucci in addition to drummer Dave Weckl are ii of the virtually renowned musicians at their instruments, in addition to guitarist Frank Gambale, amongst his burning “sweet picking” style, isn’t far behind. Saxman Eric Marienthal has matured considerably inwards Corea’s ranks. So, musically speaking, Beneath the Mask is typically solid. The exclusively enquiry is, “What is Chick doing now?”
The novel Corea is geared to a greater extent than towards commercial jazz, if y'all tin telephone telephone it jazz. Even though his music has ever been pre-composed, his novel stuff provides fifty-fifty less of a vehicle for improvisation. It does keep an intense degree of musicianship, precisely the compositional chemical constituent of the one-time Corea has given agency to a to a greater extent than groove-orientated sound. Corea, similar the remainder of the world, is getting funky (another musical chemical constituent to which the footing is indebted to New Orleans); on several numbers, Patatucci slaps the bass in addition to Gambale scratches the guitar land drummer Weckl’s busy hands could confound an octopus (although his playing is subtle in addition to seemingly effortless).
Highlights include “One of Us Is Forty,” a driving funk tune amongst busy Fender Rhodes rocking from Corea in addition to a catchy chord melody. Corea falls into an increasingly familiar tour-de-force rock-out formula here, amongst everyone playing inwards unison on fast, pumped-up lines at the front end of the stage. Left over from his Return to Forever days, this formula is what he uses to halt his sets. “Illusions” starts amongst spacious chords inwards a repeating bass riff, goes into a fast groove, in addition to thence to the tour de strength formula in addition to into a Castilian segment reminiscent of much of Corea’s past times work. “A Wave Goodbye” is a spacy, reflective rainy hateful solar daytime slice amongst a distressing saxophone melody. “Charged Particles” is to a greater extent than serious, classically-influenced fusion, amongst fast at nowadays beat melodies in addition to a grinding keyboard part, nether an evil guitar solo.
"Beneath The Mask" would endure the final album that the "classic" Elektric Band would tape for 12 years, in addition to later on their previous 2 outings featured Chick on a grand piano, he obtained an electrical midi-Rhodes pianoforte in addition to the amazing Yamaha SY-99 synthesizer,and equally a result,the album was punchier, funkier in addition to to a greater extent than direct-to-the-point than their previous ii outings "Eye Of The Beholder" in addition to "Inside Out".
As usual, i band fellow member was featured on the lion's portion of the cuts. Electric guitar was a large focus on this collection, thence Frank Gambale came to the fore, contributing splendid solos on "Little Things That Count", "Lifescape", "Free Step", an acoustic contribution on "A Wave Goodbye", besides equally part of the trade-offs on "Illusions".
His finest moment, however, is i of the CCEB's greatest accomplishments equally a combo, "Charged Particles". The band was amazingly tight, the tempo changes in addition to shifts handled beautifully, in addition to it all sets upward a Gambale showcase, where he combines alternate picking along amongst his classic "sweep style" for five minutes in addition to alter of sheer fusion bliss.
Eric Marienthal establish a novel vocalisation equally well, opting for soprano sax equally opposed to his normal alto, the championship track, "One Of Us Is Over 40", "Jammin' E. Cricket" in addition to "Illusions" all exercise goodness from this stylistic change.
John Patitucci holds the bottom halt on bass in addition to "Jammin" E. Cricket" shows what he tin do.
Dave Weckl's drumming, equally ever is superlative in addition to energetic.
Chick himself was manifestly having a lot of fun, best showcased on "99 Flavors" which he composed equally a sample tune for Yamaha's SY-99 keyboard earlier recording it amongst the group.
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Track listing:
1. Beneath the mask (3:33)
2. Little things that count (3:50)
3. One of us is over xl (4:57)
4. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 moving ridge goodbye (4:46)
5. Lifescape (5:12)
6. Jammin E. Cricket (6:54)
7. Charged particles (5:21)
8. Free pace (7:47)
9. 99 flavors (3:56)
10. Illusions (9:45)
Total Time 56.09
Personnel:
Chick Corea – keyboards, mini moog, mixing, producer, synclavier, synthesizer
Frank Gambale – guitar, synthesizer guitar
Eric Marienthal – alto in addition to soprano saxophone
John Patitucci – bass
Dave Weckl – drums, mixing, percussion
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