Search - Tony Macalpine, Bunny Brunel, Dennis Chambers :: Cab4

Jazz Fusion that is a slick kick with chops

Samuel Clemens | 10/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Hello all ye fusion friends,CAB4 on Mascot Records (M 7079 2)[66:49] just flew in from the Netherlands into my CD player and I am lovin' it. It's all too rare when I can pop in a CD and relish it the whole way through -- on a first listen too.MacAlpine, Brunel, Auger, & Chambers have done it again. And a major bravo to Patrice Rushen on seriously superb Chick Corea-ish keyboardscapes and soloing!!This release gives me the same feelings I got upon hearing RTF's Romantic Warrior the first time. Yeah, it is all that -- jazz fusion so tight, so slick, so melodic, so well executed, and compositions so engaging that it deserves a 12.5 out of 10. It is a laid-back groove in many spots but smokes enough here and there to satisfy hard-core fusion rockers needing egde and dymanics. It is not anywhere as dense and frenzied as Romantic Warrior weighed in so long ago but listen -- these guys could easily have pulled off a near perfect clone-tribute to RTF and thus gone the way of -- well ya know -- "that's nice, what else can ya do?" . . . Instead we get a solid 21st-century fusion groove that perfectly demonstrates how high-quality jazz fusion can be without all the extended "look-at-me" blowing going on.The virtuosity of everyone is screaming out in the controlled unison lines, balanced voicing, tones, and phrasings. Be it bass, keys, axe or drums -- this release is magic! It's gonna be really hard for me to choose a favorite track!In a nutshell, all you fusion fans who already own this -- you know what I mean dontcha -- and the rest of you folks need this NOW! ~ EER-MUSIC.com Editor, John W. Patterson np: CAB4 -- sheesh, dis be cool y'all"

It ain't CAB 2, but it's still sa-lammin'

chillyt | Columbia, MD USA | 04/02/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"CAB 4 takes a 36-ounce baseball bat and slams you in the forehead on the first cut. If you're an old fusion-head like me, you will love this CD - a lot of notes, but not just for the sake of showing off technique, sudden shifts in tempo, a touch here and there of odd-meter - things you don't often hear in jazz nowadays.This CD is a little laid-back in places - "Jam & Toast" sounds like Fourplay on acid and has a (gasp) fade-out at the end, but "Hold On", "One For The Road", "Raymond", "Bass Ackward" (with a Wooten-esque bass line), "Cloud 10", "Alphonse", and "Dede" will have you peckin' yo' neck and making those musician grimaces in your car.I was drawn to the CAB cds because I'm an unabashed "Dennis Chambers ho" and I have a Bunny Brunel LP (remember those) from the early 80's. The addition of Patrice Rushen was a pleasant plus. I hope Tony Mac can keep the streak going."

Jazz at its best!

J. Feinberg | Los Angeles, CA | 10/15/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"These guys are maniacs - you take some of the best jazz musicians out there, put them together, and you get something unlike what you've ever heard before. Tony MacAlpine's playing is astronomical - Bunny Brunel is a madman on a bass... The rest of the musicians are solid and impressive too.. This is the perfect record to put on, relax, and let them take you away. I really dug it - but what happened to CAB 3???"