Record Reviews

GARY HUSBAND ~ DIRTY & BEAUTIFUL VOLUME 2 ABSTRACT LOGIX 033 (Barcode: 700261344836) ~ UK ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is the second of two albums by British drummer / keyboardist / composer Gary HusbandFind albums by this artist recorded with a host of friends, all of which are superstars of British and international Jazz, Rock and Jazz-Rock Fusion, like guitarists Allan HoldsworthFind albums by this artist, John McLaughlinFind albums by this artist, Robin TrowerFind albums by this artist, Ray RussellFind albums by this artist, Wayne KrantzFind albums by this artist, Neil TaylorFind albums by this artist, Alex MachacekFind albums by this artist, Jimmy HerringFind albums by this artist and Mike SternFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Jan HammerFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Sean FreemanFind albums by this artist and bassists Jimmy JohnsonFind albums by this artist, Teymur PhellFind albums by this artist, Mark KingFind albums by this artist, Laurence CotileFind albums by this artist and Livingstone BrownFind albums by this artist. The various lineups perform eleven pieces, five of which are original compositions by Husband and one is co-composed by him. The music on this set is less diverse stylistically and explores mainly the various possibilities of the Jazz-Rock Fusion idiom, with accents and variations influenced mainly by the presence of the different guitar players on these tracks. Each and every guitarist contributes his very personal stylistic nuances, presenting overall a wonderful kaleidoscope of guitar Fusion pieces. The melodic themes of all these pieces fit very well together, which turns this seemingly unconnected collection of pieces into a coherent album, which is a thrilling listening experience. As on its predecessor, Husband plays drums and keyboards on the various pieces, always with great taste and his usual virtuosity. His drumming approach is another solidifying element of this entire collection, which again manages to sound like a complete pre-planned album as opposed to a random collection of tunes, in spite of such diverse lineups taking part in the proceedings. As usual this is Fusion Heaven, not only because of the incredibly high level of individual performances, but mainly because it is all about music and not individual ego trips which often haunt Fusion to its death. Therefore I can only wholeheartedly recommend this album to all Fusion lovers, especially since really good Fusion albums are so incredibly scarce these days. Hats off, Maestro!

Updated: 09/07/2016Posted: 09/07/2016

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