Year: 2007
Time: 69:10
Size: 158,8 MB
Label: Musea/Poseidon
Styles: Progressive Rock/JRF
Art: Full
Tracks Listing:
1. Rainbow Chase - 7:18
2. Moon over the Road - 4:58
3. Meiji Street - 6:30
4. Another Encounter - 9:16
5. Jazz it - 9:34
6. Yellow Moon - 8:16
7. The End of Tears - 11:34
8. Blowout - 11:40
Jazz, if the Bonzo Dog Band are to be believed, is delicious hot but disgusting cold. This is HOT so don’t be put off by the “J” word as it doesn’t always signify four guys on a stage each playing a different tune.
Side Steps are a very tight and exciting jazz-fusion outfit from Japan comprising Atsunobu Tamura (electric guitar), Hiroaki Itoh (keyboards), Koichi Iwai (bass) and Ichiro Fukawa (drums). Their instrumental electric jazz is in the vein of Chick Corea’s Elektric Band with fluid instrumental prowess and dexterity and an ear for melody being consistently present. All the pieces are written individually by Atsunobu and Hiroaki and this live set, recorded at 3 nights over a period of 14 months at the Silver Elephant in Tokyo, show the band to be a formidable unit capable of holding their own with the best. The bravado in their playing is not overdone and individual performances do not stray into ego massaging – though it certainly could have done as these guys can really play. Each member plays it just right, the result being a powerful band performance.
Formed in 1990, the band have been quite prolific over the years and their website reveals a dozen albums worth of material, including several live discs. The rhythm section inventively supports the lead keys and guitar to produce a melodic and sophisticated sound with some prog influences amongst the jazz dexterity. These guys know each others playing inside out and this leads to some lovely exchanges and arrangements. Elements of Spyro Gyra and Uzeb emerge and the guitar work is sometimes reminiscent of Allan Holdsworth or Frank Gambale – the band is not out of place in such exulted company. Pretension is avoided despite the complex and ambitious nature of the music, an example being Another Encounter with its great melodic sweep and energising pace holding the attention throughout.
This is the second volume of their Alive live albums, the first being reviewed unfavourably on DPRP here. I totally disagree with the conclusions regarding the emotion in the playing, however this is how fast, technical jazz can come across as it is hard to add emotional elements at 100mph. I do find a warmth and depth in the playing so maybe they have developed over time or maybe it’s just the way I hear this kind of music. More favourable reviews of what this band has done on previous studio albums can be found here: Steps On Edge and Verge Of Reality. To me they play for the good of the melody rather than the individual instruments and the quality to be found in the compositions only underlines the precision of the playing
There is real variety on this album with tracks taken from throughout their career. Opener Rainbow Chase is a high-energy blast, which is carried over to the delicious Moon Over The Road. Last track, Blowout, starts with a Steve Vai influenced solo before the rest of the band comes in. This is the most rock orientated track on the album but the bubbling John Patitucci bass runs and Corea-esque keyboard stabs still give it a jazzy vibe. The bass is particularly notable for the precision of the playing and the knowledgeable way a supporting role can quickly change to lead. All instruments swap brief solo spots that don’t get out of hand with The End Of Tears being a long and emotional track, very melodic and showing the lighter side of the group.
This is dynamic instrumental music and if it is a fair glimpse of what their live shows are like then Side Steps are a great band indeed. Of particular recommendation to those with a liking for the instrumental rigours and rewards of top quality fusion, this band may be a very good place to start for those unfamiliar with the work of the giants of the genre. There are clearly going to be many who cannot take to this sort of music and are put off by the barrage of notes seemingly spewed out in a random fashion. I personally marvel at the closeness of the playing on such difficult material and enjoyed the album very much. My rating is therefore based on my feelings towards the genre and this great band deserves to be heard – not prog so I can’t really give it an 8, but very good stuff nonetheless.
Alive II
Комментариев нет:
Отправить комментарий