Search - Guitar Supreme :: Giant Steps in Fusion Guitar

Arrangements unworthy of the players

Seacouch | Seattle, WA USA | 05/18/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Not a bad idea, but there are already a million (maybe more?) Coltrane tribute recordings out there, so the bar has already been set very high. The arrangements are what hold this project back. I haven't heard enough of Richman's work to say that he's a bad arranger, but he has no business arranging these tunes. He bit off more than he could chew, and really should've hired an accomplished arranger. These are very challenging tunes to arrange, because they really need very little arranging. The original material is so strong, that you better be a damn good arranger - and have a couple good ideas - before you start tinkering. The result here is not Fusion, but Fuzak. The tunes all have a lame LA milquetoast sound, as if arranged for Kenny G. Rough edges have been smoothed and sanitized. But, to keep things 'spicy', almost every tune has at least one odd-time signature measure!! That makes it fusion, right? Give me a break.

FWIW, my favorite recent Trane tribute recording is probably Conrad Herwig's 'The Latin Side of John Coltrane'."

Disappointment...

Maurizio Notarangelo | Italy | 05/27/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"A bunch of great guitarists dealing with John Coltrane's complex harmonies. Quite every jazz player considers Coltrane as one of the most rappresentative and influential musician in the world; I love all the musicians playing in this album, they all have the harmony knowledge to play on the intricate Coltrane's chord changes, BUT...it seems they never listened to his songs, to his sounds, to the magic athmosphere he was able to create on his albums. That dreamy sensation is the main thing lacking here in my opinion. Playing in a Coltrane tribute is NOT ONLY playing over Coltrane chords! Here it's like some good guitar players practising...where's the Tribute??

Besides, in Giant Steps (soloist: Greh Howe) why mix a kind of Hendrix's Foxy Lady in the main theme???

I would have expected something more, considering skill of such guitarsits.

Maybe a too commercial project?"

Fusion for the guitar mind

a proghead | United States | 11/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Back teeth are used for crushing and mashing... this was Coltrane. Front teeth are used for cutting and biting. That's this CD. You need both sets to eat food. Don't listen to this CD if you want to hear Coltrane standards. Listen to this CD if you want to hear great guitarists playing great distortion-infused fusion at the top of their form. Larry Coryell's "Satellite" is awesome here, as are Greg Howe and Eric Johnson and many others here. This CD may not be for everyone, but it's definitely for me!"