Customer Reviews

Thick

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

OK, so the first time I heard "Thick" I thought it sounded like jammed
out takes from the last 3 Henderson/Willis & co.'s CD's. I hadn't read
anything about the album being "more improvised"; in fact, I didn't
even know it was coming out and just stumbled across it in a record
store (can I admit that I bought it at a store?). But though on first
listen it was easy to yearn for the angular-but-memorable melodies on
"Face First" or "Illicit," the more I listen to this CD, the more I
realize that this is the essence of what Tribal Tech is all about:
incredibly sympathetic interplay, at a level one generally expects
only of be-bop giants (Miles, Coltrane, Rollins, et al): the kind that
requires of its players the deepest, most empathetic degree of
listening and turn-on-a-dime, almost offhand instrumental virtuosity.
Excepting the fact that from a "formal" and harmonic standpoint this
music charges beyond the parameters of bebop, it's really more like
the classic albums of the 50's and 60's; this record is the
electrified "fusion" equivalent of "Kind of Blue" or Lucky Thompson's
"Trichrotism" or one of Coltrane's early "free" records.

Twenty five years ago, groups like Return to Forever, The Dixie Dregs and
Larry Coryell's Eleventh House blew me away by playing lines in unison that
I couldn't even hope to play by myself at half the speed. Fusion was
exhilarating back then, because it was charging into new territory--they
were playing things in a way no one had before. Yes, the music was
"arranged," but only in the sense that the big band records of the 40's
were arranged: it was extremely complicated music presented as an extension
of a "personality," with a unified, pre-planned approach (in this sense,
you might think of Chick Corea or John McLaughlin, or even Frank Zappa as
the 70's equivalents of Ellington or Gershwin). Think about it, though: jazz
didn't stay where it was. By the early 60's the music had matured beyond
the limited paradigm of big band charts into an area where musical
interplay and individual expression were the ultimate criteria. I would
argue that fusion has followed a similar progression, and that CD's like
"Thick" are the next step in fusion's evolution.

Of course, it hasn't been a smooth upward road. Lots of fusion fans
(me included, I'll admit) complained that fusion began to suck in the
80's because it got too "sweet:" that guys like Earl Klugh and Kenny
G, and groups like the Rippingtons and Spirogyra turned it into little
more that elevator music for yuppies (just as big band music, with
notable exceptions, eventually devolved into Lawrence Welk). But
though it sells just fine, when you think about it, much of what's
being called "fusion" is really little more than a chops-intensive
offshoot of late 70's R&B; it's a whole different idiom. Boney James
isn't playing fusion: he isn't the guy we should be complaining about.
The real "fusion hacks" mucking up the genre are the self-conscious
"shredders" still doing rote worship at the altar of technique (I hate
to name names, but has anyone out there heard Bunny Brunell's "LA
Zoo?"). Where's the adventure? The growth? The risks?

Guess what?
The adventure is right here, on this CD. This is the next evolutionary
step in the world of electric jazz. Like the best Bebop of the mid
50's, it's deep, and mature, and youthfully audacious all at the same
time (and if you think about it, Bird, Monk and Diz took quite a bit
of similar flak from the jazz faithful when they pioneered
the"dangerously non-melodic" form of bebop way back when). So yes, I
would agree with some of the other reviewers that
compositionally-speaking, "Thick" isn't as carefully crafted
as other TT albums, but compositional craft isn't what this music is
about. Does a piece of music need a pre-written, slaved-over melody in
order to be "catchy" This music doesn't have any, but I
still can't get it out of my CD player. "Thick" is just
about as "catchy"as jazz gets for me.

When Tribal Tech, probably the greatest fusion band of all time, decided to record a disc of in-studio improvisations, it set the industry--not to mention their fan base--on their collective backsides.

Many have still not recovered (see the clueless negative reviews).

Their loss.

Anyone, it seems to me, with ears even slightly open, should rejoice, exult, turn back flips in the presence of this altogether astounding music.

For one thing, this is the obvious forerunner of John Scofield's brilliant fusion discs. For another, it proves that Scott Kinsey (keys) is a player of huge consequence. Gary Willis does nothing but solidify his standing as among the absolute greatest e-bassists of all time. And Kirk Covington grounds the proceedings in rock-solid and brilliantly imaginative percussive moves.

Of Scott Henderson, little need be said, except that here, stripped down from some of the guitar gimmickry and wizardry that characterized Illicit and Reality Check, he perhaps casts an even longer shadow both in terms of his monster chops and his wacky tonal sensibility, fully on display, e.g., on the title cut.

Maybe it's just perversity on my part, by I'm entirely taken by the bizarro vibe of "Clinic Troll." Maybe I've spent too much time in SoCal; maybe I'm just terminally weird--I don't know. But I'm totally down with what's happening on this number. If fact, I'm pretty much just blown away by the easy, laconic, off-the-cuff supercharged vibe happening here.

Spooky, noir, scarily dazzling, this is among the finest discs I own.

When I first listened to this disc, I thought maybe it lacked the melody and thematic development of Tribal Tech's previous efforts. Now, though, I've come to love it for what it is: a jam session of sorts, invented as it goes along, steered in new directions by the whim of the moment. The sound this band creates here is bold, unusual, ecclectic, and yet surprisingly accessible to a broad range of listener tastes. As music, across all genres, becomes ever more cliched over time, Tribal Tech has once again found a way to break out of the mold. Theirs is a musical voice all their own, and the instrumental music of "Thick" is a free-flowing conversation.

Okay. . .this is my first review ever. What brought me out of my cave? I just got this cd and I HAD to put my two cents in. This is a GREAT cd. Very exciting and exploratory. Very listenable. I'm not really a fan of extremely obtuse or experimental jazz where you're just sitting there desperately trying to find some bit of melody or harmony to hang your hat on. I like tonal and atonal music. But I'd say my favorite is somewhere in the middle. And these gentlemen have a wonderful way of dancing around that tonal center. Flying out to the edges of harmonic perception and just when you think they're about to go too far, they swoop back into some exquisitely tasteful and grounding stroke of instrumental genius. And to me, the most important thing to state about this album, and something I believe hasn't been mentioned, this album GROOVES. I consistently found myself tapping my fingers or my feet or bouncing my head up and down to the infectiousness of the rhythm here. The album is in no way "one-note". There's a lot of variety here. Open your ears and give this a shot. You won't be disappointed by the musicality and cohesiveness of this band!

Mesmerising, stupendous, powerful, rocking, out there, holy $(-)!#, geez, wow! For being live & unrehearsed , it really shows the chemistry/compatibility/power of the group!

Once upon a time, there was an exciting new musical genre called fusion. It was performed by memorable artists such as Miles Davis, Weather Report, John McLaughlin and Chick Corea, to name a few. Well, I'm happy to say that fusion is still alive and kicking in Tribal Tech. This is not the fluff stuff of Kenny G and the Rippingtons. This is creative, spontaneous, and thrilling music played by four virtuoso musicians. Scott Henderson is, to my ear, the most accomplished and stylistically diverse guitarist out there today. More importantly, these guys play as a unit, even during their often convoluted forays into total improv. Fact is, I just can't get enough, and their freshness becomes more vivid with each listenning. These guys play fusion the old fashion way, they BURN it!

The term "fusion" is too confining a term for the artistry of Tribal Tech. For over a decade, they have made consistently excellent and state-of-the-art instrumental music. Their artistry has gone unappreciated because they occupy an instrumental no-mans land. Guitarist Scott Henderson's style is too hard core and aggressive for the Jazz crowd, yet too harmonically sophisticated for the metal and hard rock crowd. The rhythm section of innovative bassist Gary Willis and precise-yet powerful drummer Kirk Covington is too slamming for Jazz, but too rhythmically sophisticated and swinging for the progressive rock & metal crowds. Keyboardist Scott Kinsey is a musical mad scientist that defies musical description. This leaves Tribal Tech in their own musical netherworld, which they have dominated by producing one stellar release after another. On Thick, Tribal Tech alters their approach, producing an improvised and raw release that is less polished than their earlier work. For the most part, it works. Henderson's muscular Jazz-Metal approach dominates tracks such as "Sheik Of Encino", "Thick", "Jalapeno", "You May Remember Me", and "Slick." The low point of the CD is "Clinic Troll", which seems less like a song than an excercise in silly noises. The interplay of the band is stellar, and while Thick may lack the compositional color of stellar Tribal Tech releases such as Illicit or Reality Check, its visceral punch more than makes up for the relative lack of compositional sophistication.

I'm a huge Tribal Tech/Scott Henderson fan, so it was a given that I was going to buy this album. However I was not sure what to expect from "Thick" knowing in advance that it was almost entirely improvised. It's now my favorite Tribal Tech album because it's loose and fun. Can't wait for their next offering - I'm sure they'll only get better at this style.

I really hope these guys decide to record a live album someday. There's no substitute for that live "vibe" in my book.

I truly belive that this album really shows what unbelievable musicians these guys are. They pull all stops. I had the chance to talk to Gary and Kinsey and when I commented on the recording, I was nearly knocked off my feet when they told me that most of the tracks were improvised. To think that complex tunes like Jalapeno were recorded with no rehearsal is impressive. Willis and Henderson have some great stuff on this recording. It is a must have for fusion fans alike.

Thats right I made up a word! as a follower of Scott since his early cds to sideman for Chick Corea, Joe Zawinal and Ponty,
I am speechless, and as a guitar player inspired at his forward guitar thinking, I visit this CD after awhile just to
surprise my ears. If you want to feed your ears mundane crap there is certainly enough of that on the top ten hit lists
the throw away pulp culture, but if you want to grow musically hop aboard the Tribal Tech train if you play a Kazoo
or want something new welcome.