Search - Robin Eubanks & Mental Images :: Get 2 It

Since the '80s, trombonist Robin Eubanks has worked with a variety of jazz masters, from Steve Coleman to Dave Holland. On this CD, featuring Holland, percussionist Mino Cinelu, and Eubanks's brother, the Tonight Show guitarist Kevin Eubanks, the multifaceted trombonist showcases his exceptional skills in myriad of refreshing musical contexts. On the polymetric numbers "Metamorphos," "Indo," and the title track, which also features Eubanks's soulful and spacey electronic 'bone sound, the leader's penchant for driving and adventurous, catchy odd-meter figures comes through. Eubanks's electrified sound is also showcased on the slow and sexy "Blues for Jimi," which captures the down-home side of Jimi Hendrix. The labyrinthine "Cross Currents," is a piece commissioned by the late trombone master J.J. Johnson, and the ethereal "House of Jade," by Wayne Shorter from his Blue Note days, both highlight the complex tones Eubanks gets from his instrument. A trombone-and-guitar ballad, "Essie," and a trio workout, "Reunion," by the Eubanks cousins and Cinelu, is a zesty impromptu jam. In Robin Eubanks's hands the trombone legacy will surely grow in this century. --Eugene Holley Jr.