Guitarist Scott Henderson's enviable technique as a monumental blues-rock soloist shines on his "Wayward Son of Devil Boy," inflicting hurting on his axe via some serious shedding in addition to molding a blues-with-a-vengeance opinion amongst blazing fills, detuned extended notes in addition to wailing choruses. But the preponderance of the album offers an abundance of cunning insights in addition to spins on pieces such as drummer Billy Cobham's jazz-fusion anthem "Stratus." Then i time again it would live a sacrilege to ignore this trend-setting classic. Here, all-universe session drummer Dennis Chambers slams the backbeat into overdrive inwards concert amongst bass groovy Jeff Berlin's sinuous fretless bass lines. Owing to the original recording, Henderson abides past times belatedly guitarist Tommy Bolin's tension in addition to liberate buildup, in addition to and thus goes off the radar amongst stratospheric licks, leading to the heavy metal-like finale.
Henderson morphs polytonal chord voicings to execute a translation of pianist Herbie Hancock's funkified "Actual Proof," where Berlin unleashes a mindboggling solo, awash amongst twirling notes in addition to breakneck linear runs. Henderson injects some spacey electronic treatments in addition to spatial attributes into saxophonist Wayne Shorter's championship rail from Weather Report's Mysterious Traveler (Columbia, 1974), raising the bar amongst edgy in addition to distorted squelch chords spell reshaping in addition to reconfiguring the principal theme, tinted amongst a rather ominous rite of passage.
HBC likewise integrates a pure jazz chemical component into Shorter's "Sightseeing," offset past times the artists' expressive solo spots in addition to streaming background effects, all the spell prepping for the kill towards the coda as Berlin thumps in addition to plucks his bass strings into submission. Sure, he's all over the place, but lessons learned volition dictate that he makes every regime annotation count, marked past times his lyrical thematic statements in addition to a technique to cash inwards one's chips for.
Other than the instrumentalists' technical mastery, these works' structure lend to a refreshing glimpse of the proverbial roads previously traveled. From a holistic perspective of the jazz-fusion genre, it doesn't acquire a whole lot better.
As mightiness trios go, it doesn’t acquire much to a greater extent than powerful than guitarist Scott Henderson, bassist Jeff Berlin in addition to drummer Dennis Chambers. Like an update of the McLaughlin/Pastorius/Williams “Trio of Doom,” HBC succeeds past times putting musicality higher upwardly its overwhelming technical skills-only far improve than that hit-and-miss collective did.
On HBC, this trio opts for generally modern standards past times the fusion era’s elite composers. Berlin’s serpentine bassline in addition to Henderson’s keyboard mimicry highlight Herbie Hancock’s opening “Actual Proof.” Wayne Shorter gets his due as well: Henderson’s spacey intro in addition to Chambers’ combustible drumming highlight “Mysterious Traveler,” in addition to the guitarist’s underrated straightahead jazz chops smooth through on “Footprints” in addition to “Sightseeing.” Another Weather Report composition-the funky, stop-and-start “D Flat Waltz” past times Henderson’s onetime employer Joe Zawinul-proves the 12-minute highlight amid this honorary sequence.
Other highlights: Chambers blends funk in addition to fury on Billy Cobham’s closing “Stratus,” a return of sorts for Henderson, who wowed lodge crowds amongst it inwards his native Florida during the ’70s. And Berlin’s solo reading of his “Threedom” provides the disc’s best original moments.
HBC is the novel fusion supergroup comprised of iii virtuoso musicians: Scott Henderson Jeff Berlin in addition to Dennis Chambers who bring together together to create i of the virtually phenomenal trios inwards the history of jazz fusion. Rather than jumping into the studio as virtual strangers in addition to winging it similar some superstar alliances HBC hitting the route starting fourth dimension in addition to refined a repertoire of classic fusion covers inwards front end of thousands of hungry fusion fans. After assembling an impressive collection of road-tested masterpieces, the group, composed of all leaders, decided that it was lastly fourth dimension to combine their talents to brand this musical statement.
Henderson is i of the virtually well-known contemporary guitarists inwards the jazz fusion genre in addition to he has mesmerized guitar fans to a greater extent than or less the globe amongst his masterful phrases in addition to unique style. Guitar fans convey enjoyed hearing Scott operate amongst Jean-luc Ponty, Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul, in addition to mightiness fusion trio "Henderson, Smith, in addition to Wooten" amongst Steve Smith in addition to Victor Wooten. In add-on Scott has churned out an incredible trunk of operate stemming from his other career as founding fellow member of Tribal Tech in addition to likewise a solo artist, both of which he has toured extensively to support.
Bassist Jeff Berlin is a celebrated solo creative individual amongst numerous fusion recordings nether his advert in addition to affiliations amongst artists such as Al Di Meola, Bill Bruford, Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, in addition to Billy Cobham. Berlin is widely regarded as i of the greatest bassists inwards the globe in addition to is as expert at playing hard-core no holds-barred jazz-fusion in addition to direct ahead traditional jazz. As a bassist Berlin's tone phrasing, in addition to keen feel of tune are a winning combination that has helped him attain the top of periodical reader's polls for years.
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 formidable, ferocious, in addition to ultra-funky presence behind the kit inwards such celebrated ensembles as Parlament-Funkadelic, Steely Dan, Santana, in addition to The Brecker Brothers as good as incendiary fusion outfits led past times guitarist John Scofield, Steve Kahn, Mike Stern, in addition to John McLaughlin, Dennis Chambers is a miracle inwards modern music. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 remarkably versatile drummer who has shown limitless mightiness to swing on a minor kit inwards traditional jazz settings or flaunt his stylistic chops inwards fusion supersessions, Dennis Chambers is i of the virtually recorded drummers inwards the globe of jazz fusion.
Track listing:
01. Actual Proof
02. Mysterious Traveller
03. Footprints
05. D Flat Waltz
06. The Orphan
07. Sightseeing
08. Wayward Son Of Devil Boy
09. Threedom
10. Stratus
Personnel:
Scott Henderson: guitar;
Jeff Berlin: bass;
Dennis Chambers: drums.
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