Electric bassist extraordinaire Bryan Beller fronts a formidable band of jammers on this live recording from L.A.’s famed Baked Potato. Guitarist Griff Peters is the solo standout on the raucous opener, “Greasy Wheel,” and Beller’s Mu-Tron-inflected solo here is a thing of ugly beauty. The lyrical “Life Story” opens with Beller stretching out with a full minute of unaccompanied bass virtuosity. Guitarist Mike Keneally (formerly of Frank Zappa’s band) makes a special guest appearance on the hyper-complex “Love Terror Adrenaline/Break Through.” Peters wails with abandon on the hard-rocking “Seven Percent Grade,” and second guitarist Rick Musallam takes a more deliberate legato approach on “View.” The chugging closer, “Cave Dweller,” sounds like a James Gang reunion. The rest falls somewhere between Vital Information and Gov’t Mule.
Originally PublishedBryan Beller: Wednesday Night Live
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