Tony Green
Tony’s Contributions
July/August 2002 Grooves
1995
Screaming Headless Torsos
The Screaming Headless Torsos, a terribly destructive five piece fronted by outre ax slinger Dave Fiuczynski, is considerably more edgy-compositionally and improv-wise-than your average rock-funk-fusion band. That's one reason their two recent discs-one...
July/August 2002 Grooves
Interplanetary Funk
A.J. Love
In this cybergroove era, A.J. Love's funk can't really be termed spatial, despite the title of his latest, Interplanetary Funk (Angel Magic Music). In fact, this is a fairly lo-fi slice of guitar-centered rock-jazz blowing. While Love's metallic wah-wah...
July/August 2002 Grooves
Live Encounter
Trey Gunn Band
The Trey Gunn Band's Live Encounter (First World) is a guitarist's dream group-three guitarists and one percussionist/drummer, manned by stringsmen who are savvy and skilled enough to make the lack of a bassist and keyboardist seem positively moot. This...
July/August 2002 Grooves
Jing Chi
Vinnie Colaiuta/Robben Ford/Jimmy Haslip
Robben Ford comes to fusion by way of the blues, which partially explains why Ford, Vinnie Colaiuta and Jimmy Haslip's Jing Chi (Tone Center) is easier on the ears than a lot of guitar-led fusion efforts. Ford walks a tasteful line between the two spheres...
July/August 2002 Grooves
Split Decision
Steve Morse Band
As the frontman for the seminal Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse has been in the fusion game longer than some of his more youthful contemporaries have been alive. And after more than two decades on the scene, his playing maintains its distinctive rock/country edge...
July/August 2002 Grooves
Show 'Em Where You Live
Vital Information
Vital Information is guitar shredmeister Frank Gambale and drummer Steve Smith with bassist Baron Browne and keyboard monster Tom Coster. Gambale has a cleaner, more boppish tone with Vital Information than he does in some other more rock-oriented projects...
July/August 2002 Grooves
Insect Warriors
Mark Stanley
Mark Stanley's Insect Warriors (Sir Eel) is, on the surface, big on post-Buckethead concept-the album spins around a mutated-bugs-have-taken-over-a-future-Earth story-though it generally steers clear of the padded-cell territory Bucket claims as his personal...
July/August 2002 Grooves
Blue Paradise
Mike Gallaher
Mike Gallaher's Blue Paradise (Leon Russell) is a throwback to the session-heavy days of '70s fusion, when guitarists weren't shy about playing that referred explicitly to their straightahead roots-in an electrified setting, of course. In addition to his...
July/August 2002 Grooves
Give 'Em Some
Bruce Arnold
Bruce Arnold has made his reputation as a 12-tone adherent, not as a groovemeister. His latest, Give 'Em Some (Muse Eek), is more rhythm-oriented than previous work, though it's more of a pulse than a dead-in-the-pocket groove. With the exception of the...
July/August 2001 Grooves
CAB 2
CAB
Cab's Cab 2 fusionoid approach is getting on in years, but it has aged fairly well, all things considered. Part of the reason is the high caliber of musicianship, starting with flashy-bass elder statesman Bunny Brunel, skinsman supreme Dennis Chambers, keyboardist...
July/August 2001 Grooves
Presents Sylk 130 Re-Members Only
King Britt
King Britt's Sylk 130: Re-Members Only, presents itself as a retro appreciation disc, the soundtrack to an imaginary "End of the '80s" party. But outside of an interesting take on Nu Shooz's "I Can't Wait," a mildly interesting Sugar Hill-ish "All the Way...
July/August 2001 Grooves
The Bigger Picture
James Taylor Quartet
Some outfits are fond of throwing you curveballs, of keeping you off balance, making you wonder what weirdness they are going to hit you with next. The James Taylor Quartet, on the other hand, succeeds by giving folks pretty much what they expect. Namely...
July/August 2001 Grooves
Space Lullabies and Other Fantasmagore
Ekova
Ekova goes the multinational route on its Space Lullabies and Other Fantasmagore, only it mixes its Eastern and African influences with considerable abandon. Credit the mix of musicians and vocalists that power the music. Between Dierdre Dubois' vocals and...
July/August 2001 Grooves
Gnappy
Gnappy
Austin, Texas' Gnappy is like a party guest who shows up with a catered spread after everybody has left. Their crisp, tight, slightly edgy funk-jazz would have been a fresh idea, say, six or seven years ago, back when folks were calling soul retreads jazz...
July/August 2001 Grooves
Midnight Sound
Flanger
The pair of beatheads who comprise Flanger are too damn mellow for their own good. Filled with Atom Heart's dainty keyboard musings and Burnt Friedman's Brazilian rhythms, Midnight Sound floats away on a near anesthetic haze-you could go under the surgeon...
July/August 2001 Grooves
Freaks and Icons
dZihan & Kamien
Dzihan and Kamien's Freaks and Icons practically cries out for a complementary watermelon martini and a copy of the Wall St. Journal. With its lightly prodding beats and careening synth textures, tracks like "Dabudei" and "Homebase" strike a not too tart...
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