Customer Reviews

School of the Arts

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I agree with the other rave reviews. When I first got the disc from amazon I was a little disappointed to see it was accoustic with two of the best electric guitarist Frank Gambale and Steve Morse. One listen changed that. Amazingly complex and melodious. How great to hear Jerry Goodman's distinctive violin work again. Highly, highly recommended.

I have been a fan of T Lavitz since his days with the Dregs. This is some of the best progressive I have heard in years. All the compositions are good but "Like This" stands out as a wicked track for me. "On Fire" and "Portrait" are awesome as well with Steve Morse smokin' on acoustic guitar. You need to get this one. I promise there is something to please everyone on this CD.

From the opening base line on track one this is going to please you very much. The music is driving, spirited, and wonderfully tasty. Several of the tracks have an almost "charlie brown on steroids" feel to them. Also a little Beckian funk if one listens closely. This disc is really good.

"Sounds like Oscar Peterson and Stephane Grappelli with a kick up the proverbial" said my direct son. I laughed as I thought this reminded me of many other combinations but hadn't thought of this one.

From the opening bars of the woody double bass and then dazzling piano of the celtic/bluegrass/jazz inflected composition complete with the high tinkling runs that are T Lavitz's trademark, you hope this is going to be good.

Like other reviewers I was a little cautious seeing that Morse and Gambale were only playing acoustic. Yet after one listen I am convinced that the decision for no electric guitars has resulted in a great unique album. This "School of the Arts" is a colourful,fun and entertaining outing by some of the most talented musical legends of the last two plus decades - Dave Weckl, John Patitucci, Frank Gambale, Steve Morse and Jerry Goodman. This group is creatively led by T Lavitz , composer, producer and wonderful pianist. It is his piano work that is the sparkle that dances on the canvas of this music and makes it a rewarding listen.

The ripping second track sounds like an acoustic Mahavishnu Orchestra outing with exciting violin playing by Goodman on the first of his three tracks. Incredible musicianship is what strikes the listener as Weckl and Patitucci lock solidly together. For drummers, this album is worth the purchase just to hear Weckl play in this fresh setting. His playing is inventive and precise and his solos are as engaging as what we heard early in his career with Michel Camilo.

"On Fire" had me thinking of early T Lavitz work with Jeff Berlin and Scott Henderson except this is John Patitucci at his pumping best on electric bass. Morse plays on two tracks and stands out on `Portrait' which sounds like a typical Dregs/Morse opening but soon segues into a different tone closer to an Al di Meola workout - yet Morse's final breakout is a return to his bending bluegrass best. Gambale is wonderful on acoustic with some intense synchronized runs with Lavitz on `High Falutin' Blues'. On all the tracks with Gambale there is always a bar or two of sweeping arpeggio madness to let you know he is still there but because he is on acoustic this does not dominate and rightly the piano is centre stage. I don't have the language to describe Lavitz's piano work - I find it exciting and easily accessible with a stronger blues feel and jazz inflection as opposed to straight jazz - though like the cover artwork by Max Franosch - fresh and colourful and contemporary.

Goodman's final track, `Dinosaur Dance' is a pretty piece with an evocative piano melody. As with all these compositions there is always a bridge to another world where musically there is more edge before returning and resolving.

The final band track, `A Little Mouse Music' is an incredible Latin excursion with opportunities for each musician to shine. Weckl flexes his muscles to delight us and my only serious criticism is that this track fades out rather than ends. Finally T fittingly closes out the album with the only reflective solo piano piece.

I love this album and didn't realize how much T's style and even compositions carry strong Dregs overtones. (I suppose it is like when you listen to Morse with Deep Purple - his style and tone are fundamentally unchanged in 30 years.) But this album is so much more than an acoustic Dregs or Chick Corea Acoustik band amalgamation. The adjectives, 'colourful',`fresh' and `fun' characterize what I hear here. I would not know what to call this genre, but if you like exciting, brilliantly played music; if you like any of these individual artists or the group, `Dregs', don't hesitate.

Top Scale musicianship by top scale musicians. I've been a fan of jazz for many years and Chick Corea is top's in that field, in my opinion. In the late 70's we had the Dixie Dregs who fused jazz,rock,funk,bluegrass and classical influence into one group. This album is the fusing of those two groups. While Chick doesent appear here, his "go to" guys shine through the entire record. Frank Gamable just smokes on acoustic guitar and Steve Morse has no trouble holding his own. Though i dont like the term "acoustic", i forgot all about that after the first listen. We dont hear enough from the Dregs either, who havent released any new matetial since 1994. T. Lavits is all over this one along with Jerry Goodman on violin.

If you're a fan of these two groups, you wont be dissapointed, two thumbs up!!!

The entire jazz fusion movement touched me deeply when I first heard musicians like Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny and of course, Steve Morse. Now when I listen to channels featuring jazz, soft jazz, and most contemporary instrumental music, I wonder why I no longer get the same feeling from the music. I am not well versed in music theory, so I have never understood why some music feels so great, while others sound like elevator music. I will leave it to others with much greater music knowledge to dissect "School of the Arts", but I can strongly urge anyone who reads this review to consider buying this CD. Every track is special, and features some wonderful playing and composition. For those afraid of Jazz, this CD reaches back to the best of the Jazz/Rock fusion era as it is just fun to listen to. I find myself listening to it often, and hearing new phrases that make me smile. One word of caution, you may find yourself uncontrollably playing air guitar, drums, and piano because the music is so full of that kind of energy...Enjoy!

I heard the tune "On Fire" on Beyond Jazz XM radio and wrote down the info. After googling I found the album here. Listening to the album I got chills. Not too many compositions do that to me. I highly recommend this one. Fantastic players and some great writing. I hope these guys Tour!!

Somebody should really wake these people up and tell them it's not the 70s anymore. Fusion is dead and it just seems these shredder guitarists like Holdsworth, Gambale, Morse, Henderson, Garsed, etc. are just playing music to display their guitar chops, which is really boring and not very interesting at all.

The rest of the band here are also stuck in a time warp. None of these players have grown any. They're still churning out the same knuckle-busting chops that they've always had and show little development in the way of compositions.

They're all highly skilled players, but that's all they are, they don't show any deep emotion or feeling. It's all on the surface with these guys, which explains a lot to me.