Beneath the Mask is the easiest as well as breeziest Elektric Band album inwards years, amongst Latin-flavored melodies that are concise as well as 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 real 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, as well as saxophonist Eric Marienthal-has never sounded better.
You tin e'er await only about of the best musicianship anywhere from a Chick Corea album. Bassist John Patitucci as well as drummer Dave Weckl are ii of the close renowned musicians at their instruments, as well as 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 solely inquiry is, “What is Chick doing now?”
The novel Corea is geared to a greater extent than towards commercial jazz, if y'all tin telephone band it jazz. Even though his music has e'er been pre-composed, his novel stuff provides fifty-fifty less of a vehicle for improvisation. It does hold an intense degree of musicianship, but the compositional chemical cistron of the former Corea has given agency to a to a greater extent than groove-orientated sound. Corea, similar the residual of the world, is getting funky (another musical chemical cistron to which the footing is indebted to New Orleans); on several numbers, Patatucci slaps the bass as well as Gambale scratches the guitar land drummer Weckl’s busy hands could confound an octopus (although his playing is subtle as well as seemingly effortless).
Highlights include “One of Us Is Forty,” a driving funk tune amongst busy Fender Rhodes rocking from Corea as well as 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, thence to the tour de forcefulness formula as well as into a Castilian segment reminiscent of much of Corea’s yesteryear work. “A Wave Goodbye” is a spacy, reflective rainy twenty-four hr menses slice amongst a distressing saxophone melody. “Charged Particles” is to a greater extent than serious, classically-influenced fusion, amongst fast conduct beat melodies as well as a grinding keyboard part, nether an evil guitar solo.
"Beneath The Mask" would endure the terminal album that the "classic" Elektric Band would tape for 12 years, as well as later their previous 2 outings featured Chick on a grand piano, he obtained an electrical midi-Rhodes pianoforte as well as the amazing Yamaha SY-99 synthesizer,and every bit a result,the album was punchier, funkier as well as to a greater extent than direct-to-the-point than their previous ii outings "Eye Of The Beholder" as well as "Inside Out".
As usual, 1 band fellow member was featured on the lion's part of the cuts. Electric guitar was a large focus on this collection, thence Frank Gambale came to the fore, contributing fantabulous solos on "Little Things That Count", "Lifescape", "Free Step", an acoustic contribution on "A Wave Goodbye", also every bit business office of the trade-offs on "Illusions".
His finest moment, however, is 1 of the CCEB's greatest accomplishments every bit a combo, "Charged Particles". The band was amazingly tight, the tempo changes as well as shifts handled beautifully, as well as it all sets upwards a Gambale showcase, where he combines alternate picking along amongst his classic "sweep style" for v minutes as well as alter of sheer fusion bliss.
Eric Marienthal institute a novel vocalization every bit well, opting for soprano sax every bit opposed to his normal alto, the championship track, "One Of Us Is Over 40", "Jammin' E. Cricket" as well as "Illusions" all hit goodness from this stylistic change.
John Patitucci holds the bottom halt on bass as well as "Jammin" E. Cricket" shows what he tin do.
Dave Weckl's drumming, every bit e'er is superlative as well as energetic.
Chick himself was apparently having a lot of fun, best showcased on "99 Flavors" which he composed every bit 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 forty (4:57)
4. H5N1 moving ridge goodbye (4:46)
5. Lifescape (5:12)
6. Jammin E. Cricket (6:54)
7. Charged particles (5:21)
8. Free footstep (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 as well as soprano saxophone
John Patitucci – bass
Dave Weckl – drums, mixing, percussion
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