Learn Alex Skolnick - 2004 Transformation

artist/alex-skolnick-mn0000620299">Alex Skolnick made his yell every bit a six-string guitar slinger inwards the Bay Area thrash legends artist/testament-mn0000751910">Testament. Apparently fed upwardly alongside metal, he quit the band, went to music school, in addition to hooked upwardly alongside a pair of jazzers (artist/nathan-peck-mn0000237661">Nathan Peck on double bass in addition to artist/matt-zebroski-mn0000815473">Matt Zebroski on drums), alongside the sentiment of doing exploratory fusion-jazz, using the heavy metallic songbook for standards (and inspiration) in addition to non the "regular" (or, it could locomote argued, "over-covered") classic jazz songbook. This, their instant album, features radically reworked versions of artist/judas-priest-mn0000246611">Judas Priest, artist/pink-floyd-mn0000346336">Pink Floyd, artist/scorpions-mn0000299471">Scorpions, artist/iron-maiden-mn0000098465">Iron Maiden, artist/deep-purple-mn0000192382">Deep Purple, in addition to artist/ronnie-james-dio-mn0000845775">Ronnie James Dio, evenly balanced alongside some master copy compositions. And field this album is really good played, alongside fantabulous performances from all involved (especially artist/zebroski-mn0000815473">Zebroski's operate on "IMV/The Trooper" in addition to artist/skolnick-mn0000620299">Skolnick's guitar on "Money"), the album every bit a whole comes off much similar plant past times artist/the-bad-plus-mn0000756501">the Bad Plus, that is, a well-executed gimmick. That may plough some listeners off, but how many dyed-in-the-wool metallic fans are going to tolerate fifty-fifty ane infinitesimal of what artist/spinal-tap-mn0000012654">Spinal Tap termed a "jazz odyssey"? And how many dyed-in-the-wool jazz fans are going to seek out the master copy version of artist/priest-mn0000246611">Priest's "Electric Eye" to utilization a comparing alongside the version here? Probably non every bit good many. If you're somehow either ane of these 2 extremes, this album volition belike operate for you, both inwards the background in addition to on the headphones.

Call me a jazz bigot. When I received Transformation past times Alex Skolnick, patently the ex-guitarist for thrash metal-heads Testament, my outset sentiment was, "Great, some other rocker trying to locomote a jazzer." Things didn't larn improve when I saw that Skolnick was interpreting cloth past times Judas Priest, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, Scorpions, Iron Maiden and—yes—Ronnie James Dio. Sure, enough of serious jazz artists bring approached contemporary singer/songwriters inwards recent years—Brad Mehldau, Charlie Hunter, fifty-fifty Herbie Hancock. But metallic bands? I mean, really.
Well, imagine my surprise to expose Skolnick a fine jazz guitarist, completely capable of getting to the heart in addition to somebody of songs past times a grouping of artists to a greater extent than associated alongside classic rock, in addition to transforming them into almost unrecognizable novel tunes. Unlike the Bad Plus, who are nada less than shtick—a grouping whose supposed reinvention of songs past times Nirvana in addition to Black Sabbath utilization footling to laurels the originals, in addition to fifty-fifty less to brand them interesting in addition to refreshing novel mediums for improvisation—Skolnick in addition to his trio of bassist Nathan Peck in addition to drummer Matt Zebroski breathe novel life into these tunes, transforming (there goes that discussion again) them into something fresh, field at the same fourth dimension existence reverential to their sources. Judas Priest could never bring conceived "Electric Eye" every bit a lithe 7/4 romp, nor Scorpions their "Blackout" every bit a swinging jazz waltz, but in that location yous go.
That Skolnick comes to jazz from stone every bit opposed to the other way around agency that field he has a work solid grasp on harmony in addition to is capable of navigating strange meters in addition to shifts inwards feel, in that location is a for certain liberate energy and, inwards particular, attitude that is missing from your typical fusion player. That's non to tell guitarists similar Scott Henderson in addition to Frank Gambale lack attitude; it's only that there's something unlike almost the way that Skolnick digs into a solo, fifty-fifty when it's on an abstract ballad similar "Fear of Flying." And Skolnick does this, for the most part, alongside a build clean in addition to warm tone that is exclusively affected alongside a touching of delay, completely eschewing the typical overdriven fusion tone alongside the exception of a brief location on the championship rail in addition to his surprisingly swinging version of Deep Purple's "Highway Star."
If Skolnick has whatsoever precedent inwards jazz, it would bring to locomote Larry Coryell, who has blended a truthful stone in addition to ringlet mental attitude alongside a far broader achieve over the course of educational activity of his career, demonstrated to keen final result at this summer's article.php?id=14138#Coryell" target="_blank">Ottawa International Jazz Festival . Like Coryell, Skolnick demonstrates that translating the liberate energy of stone to a jazz context can locomote a to a greater extent than subtle thing, showing that yous tin imbue to a greater extent than traditional trappings of swing, modal playing in addition to richer harmony alongside an border that doesn't spoil their essential purity. Transformation is a surprising tape that succeeds on many levels in addition to proves that it is indeed possible to shift gears mid-career in addition to audio similar you've been doing it all your life.

 Track listing:

1. "Transformation" – 5:53
2. "Electric Eye" – 5:20 (Judas Priest cover)
   • Originally released on the Screaming for Vengeance album.
3. "Fear Of Flying" – 5:10
4. "Money" – 5:13 (Pink Floyd cover)
   • Originally released on the The Dark Side of the Moon album.
5. "Both Feet In" – 5:28
6. "Scorch" (Featuring Charlie Hunter on 8-string guitar)^[1] – 7:17
7. "Blackout" – 5:03 (Scorpions cover)
   • Originally released on the Blackout album.
8. "IMV/The Trooper" – 5:18 (The Trooper is an Iron Maiden cover)
   • "The Trooper" was originally released on the Piece of Mind album.
9. "No Fly Zone" – 4:27
10. "Don't Talk To Strangers" – 6:00 (Dio cover)
    • Originally released on the Holy Diver album.
11. "Highway Star" – 6:30 (Deep Purple cover)
    • Originally released on the Machine Head album.

Personnel: 

Alex Skolnick (vocals, guitar)
Nathan Peck (vocals, acoustic bass, double bass)
Matt Zebroski (vocals, drums, percussion)
Dave Eggar (cello).