For some, recruiting an all-star cast agency zip to a greater extent than than a budget to back upwards it, but inwards the instance of Gary Husband's Dirty & Beautiful Volume 1, it reflects the many friendships the keyboardist/drummer has built over the years—all clearly happy to assist deliver the album that should, past times all rights, pose him to a greater extent than squarely on the map as a leader inwards his ain right. John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Robin Trower, Level 42...all well-known names inwards jazz in addition to rock/pop circles; in addition to yet, Husband has never managed the same cachet. Since focusing on making his keyboard operate an equal to the reputation he's built as a powerhouse drummer, through albums including his wonderful solo pianoforte tributes to Holdsworth in addition to McLaughlin—The Things I See (Angel Air, 2004), in addition to A Meeting of Spirits (Alternity, 2006)—as good as his ensemble-driven Aspire (Jazzizt, 2004)—Husband has, however, been achieving greater visibility, most lately inwards McLaughlin's quaternary Dimension, whose To The One (Abstract Logix, 2010) is the overdue studio debut of a grouping that's been impressing audiences on the road since 2007.
If for zip else—and at that topographic point are enough of other reasons, to survive sure—Dirty & Beautiful is notable as the album that reunites McLaughlin with Mahavishnu Orchestra keyboardist Jan Hammer in addition to violinist Jerry Goodman. That the 3 don't genuinely play together becomes irrelevant, as each turns inwards a stunning performance, from Hammer's guitaristic synth operate on Holdsworth's rigid opener, "Leave 'Em On," a longtime alive staple for the guitarist's trio with Husband in addition to bassist Jimmy Johnson, to McLaughlin's extended fireworks on Husband's "Dreams inwards Blue," the album's longest rail at over 10 minutes that, inwards improver to Husband's effervescent kit work, features a set-defining pianoforte solo. Goodman's as incendiary functioning on the greasier "Between the Sheets of Music" as good comes unopen to beingness an early on set-stealer; an one-time Hammer melody on which the keyboardist doesn't play, leaving it to Goodman, Husband, Holdsworth in addition to Johnson. It's been decades since the maiden of all Mahavishnu Orchestra imploded, but every 1 of these players has never sounded better.
Elsewhere, Husband engages inwards some bluesy, Jimi Hendrix-ian psychedelic jamming on a retro expression at Miles Davis' riff-based "Yesternow," courtesy of Trower, spell ex-Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett turns inwards a surprisingly fusion-esque functioning on drummer's laidback "Moon Song," in addition to Level 42 bassist Mark King brings out the funk on the closing "Alverstone Jam."
Throughout, Husband is a multiple threat: a drummer capable of laying a meaty groove while, at the same time, ratcheting upwards the unloosen energy degree with his interpretive interaction; a keyboardist who delivers finely honed melodism as much as expansively textured landscapes; in addition to a broad-reaching writer, from the Joe Zawinul-esque "Bedford Falls" to the brooding "Boulevard Baloneyo," an alternate version of which is included as a bonus rail on the Japanese edition. The debut of Husband's post-bop Drive, on Hotwired (Abstract Logix, 2009), may select been tragically overlooked, but the all-star cast in addition to fusion leanings of Dirty & Beautiful Volume 1 should force Husband upwards into radar range, in addition to hopefully Pb to the 2d book promised past times its title.
Over the course of report of a remarkable, still-unfolding career, Gary Husband has defined himself as the ultimate musician's musician: a fiery, perceptive presence who elevates every scenario -from the tightly arranged to pure, open-ended improvisation. Whether focusing on his intricate, propulsive drumming or unleashing his nimble, harmonically shrewd keyboard abilities, Husband never fails to brand his presence felt, spell ever remaining sympathetic to his swain musicians in addition to to the composition at hand. His vast arrive at of experience allows him to residue the technical in addition to the intuitive with rare grace, earning him the chance to perform in addition to tape amongst such maverick, inventive talents as John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck, Allan Holdsworth, Jack Bruce, Mike Stern, Robin Trower, Billy Cobham, Gary Moore, Level 42, Andy Summers, in addition to many, many more.
In improver to his prolific career as a sideman, the British-born Husband has recorded 7 of his ain albums, featuring his multi-instrumental, compositional, in addition to bandleading skills inwards an array of contexts. He is at nowadays poised to issue his most ambitious projection yet, the two-volume Dirty & Beautiful, book 1 of which is to survive made available past times Abstract Logix on Nov 16, 2010, with book 2 to follow inwards Spring of 2011. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 visionary do years inwards the making, recorded inwards studios around the world, Dirty & Beautiful Volume One is a riveting showcase for the many gleaming facets of Husband's musical imagination, featuring an enviable cast of supporting musicians, amid them John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Robin Trower, Steve Hackett (Genesis), Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra), Jimmy Herring (Widespread Panic, the Dead, Allman Brothers Band), January Hammer (Mahavishnu Orchestra in addition to Miami Vice TV serial soundtrack), Mark King (Level 42), in addition to more.
"I experience this album to survive rich, total of extremes, in addition to passionate," Husband reflects. "It's non at all my maiden of all album, but it feels a piffling similar a debut album, inwards that it heralds a supply to my jazz/rock roots." The album's championship hints at the unique co-existence that defines his music: for all its sophistication, technique, in addition to facility, at that topographic point is an underlying grit in addition to intensity that somehow only enhances the luminous beauty at the heart of these performances. "If I scream upwards virtually what it genuinely is to play -what the feeling is inwards what I chase -there's a request for a profound beauty there, certainly. But it can't genuinely survive whole, to me, without the grunge, in addition to the dirt. Like picking a fresh raspberry inwards the woods in addition to eating it."
Despite its kaleidoscopic arrive at of styles, textures, in addition to grooves -not to cite the various globe-spanning locales inwards which it was recorded -this maiden of all instalment of Dirty & Beautiful is powerfully coherent, thank y'all to both the consistent lineament of its contributors in addition to to Husband's careful curatorial instinct. "As with whatever album I make," he explains, "I concerned myself straight with the overall bend of the tape -the journeying it presents, how it travels from rail to track, in addition to the overall coherency. But, as I strongly hoped for since the beginning, in addition to inwards spite of the fact at that topographic point are a lot of artists from real dissimilar realms here, at that topographic point is a definite, real detail variety of coherency going on through the several dissimilar lineups simply doing what nosotros do together -everything in addition to everyone towards the same cause. The whole matter plays as I'd hoped -as 1 message, with everyone concerned conveying the same degree of commitment, unloosen energy in addition to pump from rail to rail through their performances. After all, the artists involved hither are all in addition to then great, a lot of factors variety of halt upwards taking attention of themselves anyway!"
From Robin Trower's churning, wailing post-Hendrix guitar on the brief see to Miles Davis's "Yesternow", to Steve Hackett's stirring interpretation of the wistful "Moon Song" through to Mark King's slithering bass on the refracted second-line funk of the closing "Alverstone Jam," Dirty & Beautiful Volume One is an explosive, evocative celebration of the of the mutual abide by betwixt Husband in addition to his collaborators, in addition to immediately heightens the anticipation for the 2d volume. "It's predominantly a tape simply virtually playing the variety of cloth I experience similar playing correct at nowadays with people, friends, in addition to musical colleagues that I experience similar playing with," Husband concludes. "In a big way, it as good documents my perpetual activity as a touring musician. This album is what my diary oftentimes looks similar in addition to it portrays real much the fulfilment I experience playing with all of these various people on a pretty consistent basis, inwards the many in addition to various musical worlds in addition to situations that I do or select done. It's got my postage on it, but nosotros all verbalise in addition to melody inwards to basically the same mutual language. Friendship binds it. Respect in addition to harmony are as good elements that bind it. There is the fact that I know most of these gentlemen extremely good in addition to experience a deeply special closeness in addition to bond with them as individuals in addition to musicians. That binds it inwards an ultimate way for me."
Tracks Listing
1. Leave 'Em On (4:32)
2. Bedford Falls (3:20)
3. Between the Sheets of Music (3:32)
4. Yesternow - Preview (0:57)
5. Afterglow (2:15)
6. Dreams inwards Blue (10:12)
7. Ternberg Jam (3:01)
8. Moon Song (4:32)
9. Swell (0:45)
10. The Maverick (4:53)
11. Boulevard Baloneyo (7:42)
12. Alverstone Jam (5:22)
Total Time: 51:03
Line-up / Musicians
- Allan Holdsworth / guitar (track 1,3,11)
- January Hammer / keyboards (track 1)
- Jimmy Johnson / bass (track 1,3,6,7,11)
- Gary Husband / drums, keyboards
- Laurence Cottle / bass (track 2,4,8)
- Jerry Goodman / violin
- Robin Trower / guitar (track 4)
- John McLaughlin / guitar (track 6)
- Steve Hacket / guitar (track 8)
- Steve Topping / guitar (track 10)
- Steve Price / bass (track 10)
- Mark King / bass (track 12)
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