Customer Reviews

Jing Chi Live at Yoshi's

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

 

 

Great live fusion with extended jams featuring a great power trio--guitarist extraordinaire Robben Ford, drummer's drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, and Yellowjacket's bassist Jimmy Haslip--assisted ably by Otmaro Ruiz on keyboards and Marc Russo on sax. This disc contains 4 tracks from the studio-recorded version of Jing Chi (Going Nowhere, The Hong Kong Incident, Stan Key, and Crazy House), and 4 new tracks (That Road, What Goes Around, Cold Irons Bound, and Blues MD). Overall the cd has a little more bluesy and not quite as "hard" a feel to it as the studio version. As you'd expect with such a cast of characters, this is great stuff.

JING CHI LIVE AT YOSHI'S finds the original Jing-Chi trio in a live setting with a couple of guests. The guests definitely help.
Overall the band still delivers blues/rock with Jazz flavorings. Like the studio version the disc is mostly instrumental but there are 2 vocal tunes. If Blues/rock is your thing then you'll be loving this. Robben Ford is still the featured player on this disc; However, unlike the studio release, I was expecting it. Ford, once again, delivers with his blues/jazz/rock style. No shred, just pure feeling and his tone smokes. His style is still a blend of Hendrix/SRV/Johnson/Beck, which places him in esteemed company. He just might be the best living Blues/Rock guitarist out there. One of the many highlights for him is 'Stan Key'. Jimmy Haslip still is in the background but is solid. Vinnie is given more room to show his stuff and he delivers on songs like 'The Hong Kong Incident'. I have heard better Vinnie, but this should make fans happy.
The two guests are Marc Russo and Otmaro Ruiz. Russo is only on one song, 'Blues MD', but he adds a new sound to the mix and the band definitely sounds better when they add more people to the trio. This is especailly true for Otmaro Ruiz. Ruiz was a member of John Mclaughlin's "Heart of Things" band and he contributes to practically every song. His keyboard sound and style are a perfect fit. He doesn't overplay but adds to every song that he is heard on.
The disc has 8 songs on it and half of them are on the studio version. So, if you want new material then you've got it. Among the new songs are a Bob Dillon cover "Cold Irons bound" and a piece added by Ruiz, 'What Goes Around". I hope this means that he'll be on any future recordings. The studio songs are given more depth live because the trio stretches and Ruiz makes me wish that he was on the first disc. Even a vocal tune like "Going Nowhere" sounds good on this effort. If you liked the first disc then you'll like this one as well. I found the first disc to be mediocre but this one is very good. Jazz/Fusion is taken to new heights when it is performed live and JING CHI is a testament to this.

This band has so much potential! Although there are strong performances on this cd it just hints at what it might have been. Robin Ford is great throughout. He is tasteful and blistering when he needs to be. Vinnie is well, Vinnie but very reserved and kind of hemmed in. Haslip is as solid as they come and he and Vinnie are truly what a solid rythm section is about. Yet its not all there. I was at these shows and the tracks here are not the most exciting performances from those nights. I wanted more from this cd. Perhaps next time.

Blessedly, I live in Oakland, walking distance from Yoshis and I get to attend way too many shows there. This was one show that I reallly looked forward to since I'm a huge Vinnie fan and also a Robben and the Blueline fan. I went two nights in a row and saw a total of four sets and enjoyed them all but there seems to be so much more potential for these three guys. Robben's tone is, as always, just perfect, Jimmy is solid and Vinnie is, well Vinnie but the band just never seems to climax. As one reviewer put it, the band just seems hemmed in. I kept waiting for Vinnie to tear it up but it just never happened. Maybe I'm just getting spoiled but I think Robben's other band was more entertaining. Still, this is good disc and I would recommend it to anyone who likes blues/fusion.

If you are looking for hummable tunes, this is the wrong disc for you. If on the other hand you are looking for four musicians improvising at the top of their game in a "without a net" setting this (and any Jing Chi CD for that matter) is a great thing to have.

Is there a better guitarist than Robben Ford? Better drummer than Vinnie? Better bass player than Jimmy Haslip? I would say no, maybe some just AS GOOD or different. I have found myself always perking up when Jing Chi tune pops up on my random play.