Customer Reviews

Jing Chi

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

No, it's not the performance that shows it's age. After all it's an amazing trio supplemented by some great players. It's the material that keeps this at three stars for me. Vinnie Colaiuta, as always does not disappoint. He always plays as though it is his last day on Earth. But, this is not enough to overcome the material. As we all know Robben Ford and Jimmy Haslip are great players. Robben shows his Hendrix influence and Haslip, when he chooses, really shows us why he is one of the great bassists. However, I wanted more. I want to be exilarated after hearing a group of players like this. Please, no more cosmic lyrics. I suppose I'm being hard on this record but these are among the best players alive. This is a solid recording and one all fusion oriented listeners will enjoy. But for those of us who seek inspiration...those of us who need these guys to be in our faces, leaving us inspired and breathless, this is not the record. Unless you are a drummer, which I happen to be, because Vinnie never fails to make you laugh or cry depending upon your mood at the time. Next record give us more!

This disc jams and wails! Taking the advice of the esteemed reviewers of this site and being a Robben Ford fan, I got this CD. What a great bunch of unbelievable tracks! From the opening number "The Hong Kong Incident" through the tenth and final track "Aurora" this is an all around great CD. All ten tracks on this disc is full of outstanding instrumentals and jams.
Led by the legendary Ford on guitar, Jazz veteran Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and bassist Jimmy Haslip, individually, all accomplished musicians in their own right. But together you find out quickly by listening to this disc that these guys are all very good at what they do and put out a tight blues-rock sound.
If you are a fan of one of these three gentlemen or all three go out and purchase this disc and hear them tear it up on this 2001 release. It's worth the trip!

I've owned this album for a couple of months now, and I love it as much now as I did the first time I heard it. Vinnie has always been one of the Gods of the drumkit, and this album doesn't disappoint. His ability to be technically astounding while seeming so laid-back and subtle never ceases to amaze me. Jimmy Haslip makes me want to cry, especially when I remember that he plays his six-string bass upside down. And Robben Ford, well, what can I say about him that hasn't already been said by a thousand other people? He's amazing. He's soulful. He's eclectic. And though I'd never really been a fan before this album, I'm hooked now. So for anyone reading this review, if you like your jazz fusion laced with plenty of blues influence, BUY THIS ALBUM!!

According to ancient Chinese herbalism there are three basic energies known as the The Three Treasurers or "Jing Chi". When the basic energies are used in abundance they generate a feeling of well being. The title choosen for this CD seems all too appropriate. Here, Colaiuta, Ford and Haslip combine their energies and produce one of the finest releases this year. The CD can best be described as fusion, although regular jazz fans and guitarist should also find plenty to like about the disc. The CD opens with the rhythmic "Up the Line" which could easily be mistaken for a track off Eric Johnson's Alien Love Child project and rarely slows down the tempo. There are only two vocal tracks here, the first "Going Nowhere" features Robben Ford on vocals and the second, "In My Dream" features the vocals of bass and keyboardist, Jimmy Haslip. As you might expect, Robben Ford plays his telecaster like a man possessed while Vinnie Colaiuta's drums and Jimmy Haslip's bass fill the background air like a sonic boom. This is great stuff.

A very strong collaboration among three virtuosos:guitar wiz Robben Ford of Blue Line fame,drummer extraordinaire Vinnie Colaiuta(Sting) and bass maestro Jimmy Haslip,"Jing Chi" is a very pleasant surprise.The songs are a mixture of instrumental and vocal,showcasing the fantastic talents of the three soloists.A very fine album!

Buy this album if for nothing else than to hear Vinnie Colaiuta play the drums. The amount of groove and technique that he puts forth is worth price alone. This album is a little "jammy" per say, but they pull it off simply because they are all such accomplished musicians - it wouldn't work if the musicianship wasn't there.

This is quite an experience, and somewhat difficult to categorize. Yes, it's fusion, but different from any other fusion effort I've ever heard. This is just a cool album, where the players take some risks and most of it works. Robben Ford's playing is very stretched out and apparently endlessly inventive. The rapport between the musicians is very strong. It really sounds like they set out to have some fun and did so.

I'd definitely want to hear more of this sort of thing.

This disc was a disaapointment for me. The main reason is this is pretty much a showcase for Robben Ford. Now I like Robben Ford and he is a great guitarist but the problem is WHERE IS VINNIE?? Vinnie and Jimmy are given supporting roles to Ford. If this was pitched as a Robben Ford solo disc I would give it more stars. However, it was pitched as a collaboration between three top notch musicians and only one of them is given room to show his talents. The disc has a couple of vocal songs that are pretty worthless. Haslip is given only a couple of breaks to display his fretless work and Colaiuta is left out. This man is one of the greatest drummers alive and has won polls to prove it but on this disc he is nowhere. He does the best that he can to make the rhythm interesting but he isn't given much to work with. The first couple of songs are good but,as far as the group dynamic is concerned, it is downhill from there. The only positive thing about this disc is the playing of Ford. He uses a variety of tones and effects to showcase the fact that he is a great blues/rock orientated player. Shades of Carlton/Beck/Vaughn/Johnson are all heard while he keeps his own style. The man is very impressive on this. If you are a Robben Ford fan then get this immediately. However, if you are like me and were looking for a trio then you might want to restrain yourself.

Really excellent fusion album, leaning closer to the 70's jazz rock than many current so called fusion bands, who sound more like smooth jazz. This is real, no fluff here, just lean and mean fusion. Occasional keyboards add a nice touch, but it's mostly guitar/bass/drums (a bit of tasteful vocals on a couple of tracks). Robben Ford blends blues with jazz and rock perfectly, where other players play a lot of blues and a bit of jazz. He's more into the feel than raw chops, but make no mistake, he has plenty of chops when he chooses to use them. So does the rest of the band, restrained yet never limited. Vinnie is amazing, but not in a show-offy way. Jimmy Haslip's bass playing is as agile as any guitar virtuoso. Their mastery of the blues and the ability to transcend it any time is amazing. To make a sweet deal even sweeter, Brian Auger's Hammond B-3 on "Man In The Ring" is a great bonus for me, since I am a great fan of his. I'd give it six stars if I could.

I picked this up a week ago and have not been able to listen to anything else. It has so much depth, and the diversity of songs is excellent. The collaboration between these guys is great, and is definitely worthy of a spot in your collection. The cut called "Go Figure", so rich and funky; what a groove!