Customer Reviews

Five Peace Band Live (Bril)

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Any list of the top jazz releases for this year must include this live set taken from the critically-acclaimed Fall 2008 European tour of the "super-group" that was named by John McLaughlin.

The draw may be the two iconic fusion artists - Chick Corea and McLaughlin - but saxophonist Kenny Garrett has a number of outstanding solos, his work on Hymn to Andromeda is an incredible salute to "Trane," and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta emerges out of the mix with a solid style that must be heard to be fully appreciated.

Corea's introduction to Dr. Jackle is blues personified and leads to the band taking full flight with ample space to push one another to sweet solos. McLaughlin keeps his electric guitar is sizzling on Raju, The Disguise and Senor C.S., but his subtle interplay with Corea on Someday My Prince Will Come is the true gem.

Bassist Christian McBride has several very expressive acoustic solos that are grand examples of his artistry. Herbie Hancock guests on piano for In a Silent Way/It's About That Time.

The band is currently on the North American leg of its world tour, with the 2-CD release only available at the shows. This is fusion that is steeped in the history that began with Miles Davis and remains vibrant through those who helped pave the trail continuing to stride in a new direction some 40 years later.

Chick Corea and John McLaughlin made musical history when they played on Miles Davis' landmark albums "In A Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew". Here these two musical legends have united to play some stunning and expressive Music that truly defies any definition, though words like jazz and fusion might be appropriate.

This is really not Mahavishnu Orchestra meets Return To Forever, and it's certainly not a contest in who can play most notes pr. second. Instead it's visonary and creative unfoldments of Here and Now. The very long tracks brimming with intelligent improvisations are mostly of newer date with Mclaughlin's three contributions taken from recent albums "Industrial Zen" and "Floating Point". Corea also delves into recent compositions. We get a jazzstandard, some blues and a medley of Joe Zawinul's "In A Silent Way" and Miles Davis' "It's About That Time" with a brilliant guestspot by Herbie Hancock.

Mclaughlin, who plays clean jazzfusionguitar - no laptop no guitarsynth to the delight of more orthodox fans - and Corea have rarely sounded better than here, clearly inspiring each other to reach for the heights and depths. Supplemented by the great saxplayer Kenny Garrett who matches the intensity and virtuosity of the bandleaders. Christian McBride playing stunningly on both acoustic and electric bass, driving the music with fine jazzy lines and delivering some blistering solos. While drumlegend Vinnie Colaiuta anchors the proceedings in expert style.

An instant classic!

Right now, jazz legends Chick Corea and John Mclaughlin are touring with their "Five Peace Band." The Five Peace Band is a fusion supergroup the likes of which has not been seen since Miles Davis created the genre some forty years ago. Chick and John are joined by Kenny Garrett on alto saxophone, Vinnie Caliuta (to be replaced by Brian Blade in America) on drums, and a personal favorite of mine, Christian McBride on bass.

When they announced the tour last year I was excited and bought tickets to see them when they came to New York as soon as they were available. I was worried briefly, though, that the group may not live up to my expectation. Although John McLauglin is without a doubt one of the most gifted guitarists ever, and a great composer, some of his recent albums have left a bit to be desired when compared to his earlier work (a few are also a bit heavy on the programmed synth for my taste). They have recently put out an album from some of the shows while they were in Europe which has put me at ease, since it is a spectacular collection of material.

Five Peace Band consists of two discs of live material divided into only eight songs (half of which are twenty minutes or longer). The extended tracks let every member of the band have a chance to really stretch out, and they do, with spectacular results. The only real problem with having such long tracks in general is that sometimes they begin to feel stale by the end; there is no reason to say in ten minutes what could be said in five. The Five Peace Band does not have this problem. Each track here follows a natural arc never wears out its welcome. Some, like the opening track "Raju," start with and maintain throughout a driving intensity. Others, like "In a Silent Way/Its About That Time" have a slower or softer intro that over the course of six or seven minutes builds into that sort of driving intensity.

Closing the album is the standard "Someday My Prince Will Come", which is a duet between Chick and John, which remains soft, lilting and beautiful from start to finish. In all cases the songs remain grossly entertaining. The bandmembers know how to listen to eachother are always interacting in interesting ways. Solos sometimes weave in and out of eachother as the musicians swap whose in front more or less as they choose to. The tracks are varied in sound as well. Although Mclaughlin continues to use the same basic subdued tone he has used on everything recently, there is a great deal of sonic variety elsewhere in the band. Chick switches from the Rhodes electric piano to the acoustic on select tracks (such as Jackie Mcleans blues, "Dr Jackle") and Christian McBride switches liberally from electric bass, to plucked or bowed acoustic. All in all, no two tracks sound the same. If that doesn't sound good on its own, then as a bonus, Herbie Hancock sits in with the band on one track, "In a Silent Way/Its About that Time" (the first time Herbie, Chick and John have played that cut together since they recorded with Miles). I don't think words can do that song justice, needless to say its worth the price of admission on its own.

I would recommend that anyone fan of jazz at all at least give this album a look. I can only hope you enjoy it as much as I have. I cannot wait to see them live.

I'm going to be the fly in the ointment here. I do think this is a superb album that places the old-line fusion sound quite nicely for the modern world's sensibilities. It is packed with adventure and shifting tonal qualities. But I don't like John McLaughlin's guitar sound. I think it sounds depressed -- not the synth stuff of recent records, which I really abhor -- but, nevertheless, nothing close to the biting, crackling tone and power of his Les Paul days. With the softened sound, I think his musical ideas and lines have muddied as well. Chick and Garrett constantly pull us back in with riveting work, which bothers me because in my mind, still musty with circa-1970s sonic explosions, no one could ever upstage Johnny McLaughlin, Electric Guitarist. Before handing me a negative vote, please go play "Eterinty's Breath" from "Visions of an Emerald Beyond" and compare his tone there to here. I'm not saying people shouldn't change and grow, but McLaughlin is muting his own genius and it needs to stop.

Recently was fortunate to see Five Peace Band at Berklee in Boston. Easily eclipsed the marvelous Return to Forever concert last year. All the players were in fine form but i found that Kenny Garrett somehow stole the show. His playing appeared to push the other musicians to new heights. At times, he seemed to be channeling Coltrane!

A major release in the Jazz world, a sign that very good, inspired, beautiful, important music can still be played today. Frankly I haven't heard something so beautiful since probably the Dave Holland band's releases. It's rare to hear truly significant jazz music played today. For the most part recent records tend to fall in the category of "generic" jazz music, ... a sort of clichè music, with no fire and few sparks. This is not the case. It's a fantastic release for real. I have bought it mainly for McLaughlin because he's one of the few contemporary musicians that I follow, but I have to say he's probably the lesser contributor to this music. Corea is OVER THE TOP, he really steals the show here. He's phenomenal here. Generally speaking he's not in my favourite pianists list, but when he's on, like here, he blows everyone away! I adore the rhythmic tandem of Colaiuta and McBride and even Garrett, which he's not my favourite sax player for sure, he still manages to sound brilliant over the entire concert! A wonderful record every JAZZ enthusiast should own. Fusion is not the word here for what I am concerned. This is Jazz with the capitol J. EnJoy !!!!

Truly a fusion supergroup, the Five Peace Band is having fun onstage and it comes through in the music. My favorite piece is Corea's "Hymn to Andromeda," which starts out, like something by maverick classical composer Jerome Kitzke, with Corea alternately playing, strumming and beating on his grand piano with a mallet while Christian McBride plays an angular counterpoint on bass. As the piece builds to a climax, Kenny Garrett takes a wild, loping solo that leaves nothing on the table. I can't even speak articulately about how great McLaughlin and legendary drummer Vinnie Colaiuto are.

This album is beautiful. The songs are great and each of these artists is playing at the very top of their game!!! I would recommend this to anyone that appreciates great music!!!

Sometimes a "dream band" gets put together for a recording date or a tour - and they all play great, but it doesn't quite click and nothing really exciting happens.

This isn't one of those times. This takes off like a rocket and never looks back.

This album really shows what these masterful improvisors are capable of, and it's nothing short of spectacular. Fusion never sounded fresher, more melodic and open-ended. Mr. Mac and Mr. Chick have not spent much time playing together in these past years, being in charge of their own unique fusion projects, but that's fully rectified on this album, where they are finally laying down some serious fusion in full interactive mode. Unfortunately, the samples available on Amazon don't do this album justice. You'd think it's a noodler, but that cannot be farther from the truth. The CD contains some of the most passionate and powerful performances I've ever heard from all the musicians. The tone palette is reduced to the basics, with only the trademark guitar and electric piano sounds (no synths or guitar effects), but the music itself is the focus here, with some venerable fusion compositions, and others less known, but equally eloquent. Kenny Garrett adds some roaring sax work, and Vinnie C is a monster on the drums. Despite the fact that the music is firmly rooted in fusion, the overall sound of the album is contemporary jazz, rather than 70's retro-style, which may please both the mainstream jazz listeners and fusion fans. All I can add is that I hope that there will be many more Five Peace Band albums in the future!