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#Bloomerangs

Moments and Fragments

Review by Gary Hill

This is a strong set. While the bulk of this is fusion, there are a few exceptions. We generally include fusion under progressive rock, so this fits under that heading. This is all instrumental. Some of it leans on the more traditional and melodic. Other parts get into Rock in Opposition territory. It's all quite effective. It also changes enough from track to track to ever feel redundant or tired.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) in Music Street Journal: 2020  Volume 2. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2020.

Track by Track Review
Home (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)
Piano brings this into being. As other instruments join, it works out into a classy jazz arrangement that is very strong. I really dig the jazz guitar playing that is a feature of this number.
Leaps and Bounces (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)
Fast paced fusion textures are on the agenda here. Thing shifts, grooves and really creates some awesome musical tapestries as it continues. There are plenty of old school jazz elements on display along with a fusion element. There is a section with some echoey bits of guitar that make me think of early (Peter Banks-era) Yes.
In Some Shape or Form (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)

An up-tempo groove leads this thing out of the gate. The cut works forward by working through some particularly effective fusion zones. The track drops back later, and we're taken into more of a pure jazz kind of movement from there. There is some smoking hot guitar soloing later in the piece, too. The drums get a bit of a showcase here, too.

Untold (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)

This is a shorter cut. The rhythm section has an old-school jazz vibe to it. For some reason I'm reminded of John Coltrane's My Favorite Things album. The piano really drives the piece.

Catch a Clue (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)
The opening movement of this is among the strongest passages of the set. It brings a cool fusion meets space rock element to the proceedings. That works out to a short bit that seems to end the cut. It comes back in with mellower, more Rock In Opposition oriented zones from there. It's quite freeform and a bit weird as it grows outward. Around the six-and-a-half-minute mark it moves out to a powerful fusion jam that's more mainstream, but also particularly tasty. It goes into some almost King Crimson-like territory from there, though.
Another Melancholy Waltz (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht & Stefan Lenthe)
A pretty and quite slow moving jazz tune, this is a strong one. It has a suitable melancholy texture to it, and provides a nice respite after the majesty of the last tune.
After the Fact (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)
Back into more full-on fusion zones, I dig the guitar work on this a lot. The piano gets a chance to shine, too. This number covers a lot of musical territory, working through several changes.
Layers of Complexity (feat. Chris Parker & Rodrigo Cotelo)
This is a short world-music based piece that's a nice change.
S Mitchell St (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)
Some cool fusion exploration is on the menu here. The early parts of the piece focus on some intensity. Then it drops to a mellower, melodic movement from there. It builds back out after a time into a more standard jazz type piece with some potent music built into it. Then, after the seven-minute mark, the cut is rebuilt into another new fusion jam. Don't get comfortable, though, because this just keeps shifting and growing as it continues.
Change of Pace (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)
There is a crazed fusion element here. I'm reminded a bit of Frank Zappa in some ways. This has a lot of that Rock in Opposition thing going on within it. It's a bit jarring at times. This is very hard rocking and almost leans toward heavy metal zones at times.
Mind Your F (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)
This has almost an old-school country-western feel in some ways to me. It has a real cafe music sound built into it, too. At least those things are true of the mellow opening section. The cut works out to some killer fusion jamming from there. It has some great changes and intriguing musical passages as it makes its way through. I dig the bass prominence later in the number. The mellower section that features it is all class, too. That cafe music element returns late in the track.
Normality Links (feat. Stefan Lenthe)
This short cut is a stripped back, echoey connecting piece.
That Sums It Up (feat. Chris Parker, Clay Wulbrecht, Stefan Lenthe & Rodrigo Cotelo)

That has to be one of the most perfect titles for an album's closing track. The song itself is an energetic and effective piece of fusion that is quite cool. It resolves into spacey zones later, bringing some real space rock elements to the end of the set.

 

 
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