Today's Listen

Virgil Donati - Just Add Water (1997)

I recently discovered drummer Virgil Donati through the band Planet X; if you want some music that will literally melt your mind, I suggest you check out their album Quantum. Donati, who recently received praise from drummer Mike Portnoy in an interview, really is fascinating. His drumming is insanely complex, which really makes for some fancy fusion. On this particular album, guitar-virtuoso Scott Henderson (Tribal Tech, Vital Tech Tones) and bassist Ric Fierabracci join Donati for the 45 minutes of magic on this record. What makes this album unique is the fact that the whole thing is an unrehearsed jam session; in my opinion, this is one of the best ways to make music. The quality of music on albums like this depends on the chemistry between each component of the band, and on this album it's clear that there's plenty of chemistry. As stated before, Donati is a wizard on the drum kit. Henderson's work is amazing, which is nothing new to my ears; the guy does things that would make Jeff Beck scratch his head. With these two musical giants already making such a big bang, how could they find a bassist that would keep up? Well, they dug up Fierabracci from somewhere, and boy was it a nice selection. Having never heard of him, I was pleasantly surprised about his performance. This man is a beast, to say the least. He does some stuff with a bass that I had no idea could be done. You really have to hear it to believe it, and even then, you will be flabbergasted. Overall, this is a great album for those who enjoy their fusion straight from the noodle factory.

There's no material from this album on youtube, however this is a nice solo of his. He does some wild things in the second half of it:

Today's Listen

The Mahavishnu Orchestra - Visions of the Emerald Beyond (1975)

This album should sound very good to the ears of those who understand and appreciate the jazz fusion genre. John McLaughlin is stellar as usual, and the band behind him is full of energy. This album finds the band in it's second incarnation; the combination of Narada Michael Walden on drums and Ralph Armstrong on bass makes for a kickin' rhythm section, and the addition of violinist Jean-Luc Ponty trading solos with McLaughlin results in some awesome fusion. Walden, who is also featured in Jeff Beck's album Wired, really has some chops; however, he cannot fully match the ability of the band's previous drummer and founding band-member Billy Cobham. Overall, the album is a thrill with many ups and downs, but only 1 track of the 13 breaks the 5-minute mark, which at times makes for a little lack of focus. A few songs have some vocals, which sometimes fit well, and sometimes feel out of place. I've never really been a fan of much vocals incorporated into fusion music, but when it works out I can't complain. Highlights include the "Lila's Dance," "On the Way Home to Earth," and the "Eternity's Breath" suite. I had previously heard a cover of the latter song from the "Jeff Beck - Live at Ronnie Scott's" DVD, which is also fantastic.

Today's Listen

O.S.I. - Office of Strategic Influence (2003)

What a strange album. With Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) on drums and Jim Matheos (Fates Warning) on guitar, I could only assume this album would be nothing but pure progressive metal, yet half-way through the album I was left scratching my head. Dubbed by numerous websites as a "progressive metal supergroup," I was very excited to begin listening, but what the album turned out to be was something much different. It's tough to describe it, but in terms I know, I would call it experimental rock exploring an electronic sound-scape. This is mostly due to keyboardist Kevin Moore's (ex-Dream Theater) somewhat wild use of effects. Both Matheos' guitar and Portnoy's drums seem to be somewhat restrained, which for me is a bit of a let-down. However, the combination of guest vocalist Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree) and Moore's unique use of effects brings the band together, and by the end I felt satisfied. This is a very strange, and somewhat difficult listen, even for me, but somehow it works.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Office_of_Strategic_Influence_%28album%29