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: : What we do : :
 McGill/Manring/Stevens
(MMS hereafter) released their first album as a group in 2001, and "What
We Do" is their third release. All of them are accomplished musicians,
and they all had musical careers before they formed this group, and are
active in other projects besides playing in MMS.
MMS is in some
ways a traditional power trio. In other words: Guitar, bass and drums
are the only instruments utilized. What sets them apart from other power
trios, is that these guys explore the musical landscapes of jazz and
rock - what most of us would call fusion. Oh, and there's no vocals
here, it's all instrumental.
Jazz and fusion
aficionados: To you I have one statement to make. Check out this album.
It's well played and produced, and you should make up your mind on this
release yourselves. You'll probably like it a lot better than me.
For you other guys
- read on.
The CD sent for
review here is a double CD. The first CD contains twelve songs, all of
them known jazz songs that the band covers; or in jazz lingo: 12
standards. The second CD - a limited edition bonus CD - is a live
performance from 2001, where the band perform their own material (hence
the name of the disc: What We Do Too).
The artists
themselves describe their music as a blend of fusion and progressive
rock. Personally I don't agree fully with that description; probably
because I'm not a musician or a guy with a vast technical knowledge of
music. I'm just a listener, and what I hear when listening to these guys
is fusion, with an overweight of jazz in the musical expression.
Personally I'm not
to much into jazz or fusion. I like some jazz, and I like fusion the way
guys like Meola played it in the late seventies; with lots of drive, big
soundscapes and lots of mood. But I'm not too keen on free
improvisation, and listening to repetitions of themes with degress of
variations isn't quite my kink either. However good the performance may
be from a technical point of view, I tend to be bored by it. Listening
to the fourth variation of a theme in 90 seconds doesn't give me much,
unless the variation explores vastly different soundscapes than the the
first one played.
MMS is in some
ways representative of the above mentioned factors. Variations on themes
and free improvisation are quite describable for a lot of the music
that's on show on this release.
On the main CD
here, the musical expression is very jazzy. Quite natural, since it is
jazz songs that are covered. In most of the songs, it's the rhythm
section that makes you nod your head and think "Yeah, this is jazz".
What makes this fusion and not jazz are mainly three elements: Although
jazzy, the drums are played much more energetic than what's usual in
jazz. The pattern is alike, but it's more lively; energetic instead of
laid back. The bass guitar wanders all over the place, and in many tunes
is the main instrument in parts of the songs, supported by the guitar.
The sound of the bass makes you think jazz, bit it is - in my mind at
least - at times given a much more central place in the soundscape than
what is traditional in jazz. And of course there's the guitar.
McGill's guitar
playing is what makes the label fusion really stick here. He varies a
lot in expression, both in the individual songs themselves as well as on
the album as a whole. Some guitar playing sounds "typical jazz", at
times there's a Hendrix/Trower sound to the guitar, and in some parts
you can hear what sounds like a metal influence as well.
Personal
highlights from the main CD: "Icarus"; due to the guitar sound. "Nefertiti";
due to the "dirty" sounding guitar solos and the guitar sound overall.
"Maiden Voyage"; because of the more rock/bluesrock approach MMS has on
this tune.
The bonus CD "What
We Do Too" is clearly more rock-oriented than the main disc. There's
also more improvisation here, as is natural in a live performance.
Personal
highlights: "Bad Hair Day", a circulating bass and driving, catchy
guitar playing makes this my over all favorite track on this release. A
really good song. "Addition By Subtraction", a catchy tune with a strong
rock/bluesrock feel to it, broken up with interludes of more jazz
sounding playing.
Rating: 6 (out of 10)
Reviewer: Olav Björnsen
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
What We Do (2006)
Controlled By Radar (2002)
Addition By Subtraction (2001) |
