Customer Reviews

Don't Be Scared

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This CD is one of the most exciting and bold CDs released recently. Rather than resting on his laurels and releasing yet another bland, straight-ahead, take-no-chances jazz record, Wertico actually tries to do something different on this release. The music is intense, exciting, challenging, and original. Yes, some of it is ugly...but some is beautiful as well. The range of tone, emotion, style, and energy on this album is something to behold. If more jazz artists had the courage to release music this striking, the music world would be a much more interesting place. This is music of joy and open minds.

wow. this cd is simply amazing. such power on tunes like African Sunset, Clyborn Strut, and The Testament, and such a great touch on songs like The Underground. Wertico's drumming is perfect for this kind of music and just goes to show how great he is, doing all styles from kurt elling, to larry coryell, to this. moulder's guitar playing is down and dirty (and you would never guess that he's a priest!) and eric hochbergs bass lines just hit the spot. this cd can appeal to anyone, for example, my dad who most may say is sorta a "square" is contantly stealing this cd from me and playing on his way to work. he says it puts him in a good mood. so please buy this cd, and support wertico and his bravery and courage to release a cd this daring and awesome! if i could give this cd more stars, believe me, i would, but ... only limits me to 5! Buy this cd!!!!

With the world of jazz today seeming to go around in circles, it's nice to see something that's going "off-road." It's even nicer to find that this CD is also one of the greatest I have heard! Wertico's drumming fits perfectly with the rough and dirty guitar playing of John Moulder, and the repeated bass lines of Eric Hochberg. Odd time signatures and alternating feels are no problem for this very talented trio. We have a wonderful blend of fusion jazz music here. This album would make an excellent addition to your current jazz library, adding a little spice to what may be a very bland mix.

If you want to buy this CD, make sure that you listen to the preview songs first; don't just read the review cause might make the same mistake as I did.

I bought this CD hoping that the songs will sound like Pat Metheny Group music. Nope, it's completely different. To me, this album is like an abstract sounding music. Some people might like this kind of music, but not me. I guess I just have to stick with Pat Metheny Group albums if I want to hear the classic "PMG" sound.

Paul Wertico has been a satisfactory if uninspired drummer for Pat Metheny for many years now, but given the penchant for playing with great drummers that Metheny has (especially his amazing recordings with true greats like Roy Haynes, Jack Dejohnette and recently, the immensely talented Bill Stewart), many fans have wondered what it is he obviously seems to value in Wertico.

I bought this record thinking that I may have found some behind the scenes clue, and what I found was that Metheny has been doing Wertico a favor by focusing on his strengths (crisp cymbal playing and high frequency grooves) rather than all of his weaknesses that are in supreme evidence here.

Wertico's own playing is a blurry mess here, rhythms are often muddled up with too many notes and all attempts at being aggressive wind up sounding like the most tired of fusion cliches. Also on display is an apparent inability to sustain an intense groove for more than a few bars at a time. His sidemen also manage to indicate just how far away he is from the high level that Metheny generally acheives in all of his recordings by sounding either clonelike (the guitarist offers up one Scofield cliche after another) or faceless (the bassist just sounds like he could be anyone) to the point where what is supposed to be urgent or "angry" sounding music just sounds ugly; and what is unforgivable is that it is a boring kind of ugly at that.

This is one to avoid if you are looking for music that provides more than one listen.