Recently, I was checking into information about Dennis Chambers and I came across some online video clips of his 3-piece band, Niacin. The short pieces of their work were completely engaging, funky, highly skilled clips of what appeared to be jazz. Taking a drummer, a bass player and a keyboard player in many instances, means jazz. Selling a CD in the jazz section of a record store normally means jazz.
When I picked this one up, I was profoundly disappointed with what I found. There's no depth to this music whatsoever. The recording of Dennis Chambers' drums leaves a LOT to be desired. He's a punchy, dynamic, WILD drummer with practically obscene skills and at the same time, his sound really needs to be brought out front to be heard. This live recording sticks him in the background, obscuring the very thing that makes him one of the best in the business. Billy Sheehan likewise was a great bass player back in the days of the bands he's known for. He's still a great bass player technically speaking, but that's just it, it's all technical. If you were playing rock music back in the 80's, remember the whole rock&back thing? Bringing up bizarre modal scales and playing music written more from the desire to be obscure and technically impresive rather than injecting any *real* feeling or soul? Well..he's still doing that. It's like listening to a mathemetician play the bass guitar. He *is* good in a purely technical way, but again, there's no depth. John Novello...wow. Where did THIS guy come from? How could Chick Corea stand being in the same room with this guy? The Hammond B3 organ is far too fine an instrument to be held in captivity by someone who can't take it farther than this. He's clearly the one brought out front in the mix here and he brings almost nothing to the table. If you want to hear the B3 used well, listen to someone like Bernie Worrel. He can make hte B3 sing like it should. John Novello puts out complete crap here that reminds me of my first band. Simple, slow three or four note, somewhat dischordant runs repeated ad nauseum. When given the space to shine, he farts out a few poorly thought out, lonely notes.
This one really isn't worth a listen. It's complete garbage and it's sterile, shallow sounds should be quarrantined from jazz sections worldwide.
