OK. So, what is the point of deeply looking at a "best of" album? Well, there is a point if it's a band you've just discovered and instantly become hooked on. That's what has happened to me listening to the jazz fusion power trio GHS (Gambale, Hamm & Smith). Frank Gambale is the bandleader. Of course, I knew of his work with Chick Corea and with Return To Forever. Several videos of his have been posted here, demonstrating his amazingly virtuosic playing. Well, in this Best Of CD, that's magnified times ten.
Being a power trio (of which fewer and fewer seem to exist except for more well known ones like Cream, Hendrix, some of Jeff Beck's groups, Rush etc.), there is a certain art to coherently jamming with fewer musicians in the band. Gambale, Hamm and Smith exemplify this notion extremely well when it comes to many of the numbers on this record. It's got it's own sound. But, it can be compared to work by other virtuoso sweep picking or shredding guitarists like Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. The realms of heavy metal and fusion jazz can cross over in respect to the guitar playing. It should be noted that bassist Stuart Hamm has played with Joe Satriani in some of his bands before.
The chemistry between the three musically works out extremely well, especially on a track on this record called "All In Your Head" which appears in the second half of the album, towards the end. Steve Smith's drumming is absolutely monstrous! The guy can play remarkable fills that exude energy. Hamm is locked right in, and Frank Gambale's guitar soars above the rhythm section while remaining completely syncopated, which is EXACTLY what a power trio MUST be.
On the opening track "Bad Intent", Smith starts it. Frank is heard saying, "OK, Steve. Show me what you can do." Then, the journey begins into the sonic stratosphere. Gambale is playing fairly clean, jazzy chords before the band starts into a funk jam with Hamm and Smith locked into a groove, Gambale doing wah filtered rhythm guitar that morphs into legato, sweep picking which is his hallmark. He is fretting, and moving the pick between the strings rapidly at the same time. He's known for that technique in guitar circles. It works with both clean and dirty tones and he switches back and forth between the two in certain sections.
So, the structure is jazz, but the setting owes itself to what can be heard in some forms of heavy metal. Smith and Hamm are right in the pocket and the tune really swings. On "Dangerous Curves", it starts with cymbal flourishes and Gambale playing clean, fluid lines with Smith rollicking on the drums, before the crunch comes in and the song becomes a free form jam. There's no real structure on this one. It's everyone go for it but just keep the rhythm together. That's the beauty of poly rhythms. For a casual listener, this music might leave them asking, "what's that? I didn't understand a thing!"
The "dangerous curves" in this song could be seen as a roller coaster in the mind of a listener. Gambale hits the wah again and Stu Hamm comes out charging on the bass for an equally speedy solo. Hamm has techniques that take slapping and popping on bass to the extreme. Simmer down to bass and drums for a while. It sounds like a literal whirligig. Frank's guitar is not too far away, and he jumps back in, playing a melody that again, is hard to describe, before starting his own pyrotechnical solo.
Then, it's back on the roller coaster to bring "Dangerous Curves" to a close. "Sink" is a typical, swinging jazz piece. It is hard to tell where to put this one. The chords Frank plays and the rhythms are pretty much straight ahead jazz with a lot of space still being left open. It's a basic jazz trio sound but with Gambale's touch, playing a more modal tune (or so I'd guess). Disclaimer, I am aware of the basics of modes, but know little to nothing of how they work in a real musical setting.
"Sink" is a good track to kind of get away from the frantic side for one tune, even though Steve Smith adds percussion flourishes and slow drum rolls into the equation. He seems to have endless energy even on the slower tunes. ...And, speaking of drums and energy, track four ("Spirit of Dun Dun Dun"), is... wait for it... a drum solo! Keep time with a moving hi hat and rumble all over the kit. Don't forget the crash cymbal and ride cymbal.
"Katahdin" is next. Frank's guitar chimes harmonics before another speedy tune takes form. This one has peaks and valleys, starting out in a valley. Drum propulsion powers Gambale and Hamm along this winding road. Then, the tempo picks up to a chase level. Gambale explores the outer limits of the stratosphere, making the guitar cry and scat at the same time. Speedy fingers are a definite virtue to this kind of music and Gambale is right on the money. Slow down a bit. Start another drum fest. Smith is off on another explosive solo with Gambale and Hamm simmering down their parts only slightly. Then, restate the theme, bring in the cymbals and we're off to the races once more.
Hello, main theme. This is power trio coming in for a landing. Thank you for flying the musical equivalent of jet propulsion. We leave "Katahdin", headed for "Yang". If this is "Yang", one wonders where the "Yin" could be. Well, this is the Yin to the "Yang" of the previous tune. Do a 180. Steve Smith is slightly more relaxed here with Gambale and Ham locking into a groove between them. Frank's tone is mellower here, too. It's a chiming, almost soothing sound on the clean side. He and Hamm go hypnotic in the initial section and the tune unfolds as a pleasing smooth jazz sort of piece, possessing restrained power.
Each note unfolds very smoothly and this semi rave up is on medium simmer. Frank kicks in the boost for his solo, but spaces the notes at intervals that aren't so jarring. They ring out crystal clear before the song goes back into a more frantic side, chugging along like a locomotive before quieting back down to restate it's A section. The phrase is repeated throughout the closing bars of the song, ending in a relatively calm set of notes that possess the same pattern of the intro.
Time for a bass solo. It's a short Stu Hamm interlude called "Nostalgia". This is a piece that sounds ethereal and wide open, with just the bass playing. Hamm uses some echo or reverb here. A nice touch. He improvises on an ascending set of changes and calmly ends the song back on it's original note, an E minor if my ear tells me correctly.
Are you ready for more sonic adventure? Then, let us travel to "The Throne of Savitar". This mythical king's ode starts with a drum roll and Frank playing a descending pattern with Stu Hamm adding some heavy slap bass. The changes are kind of abrupt. But, the song flows along like rapids in a river. Hamm's bass is more present here and he extends the potential of his sonic range, slapping the strings. The notes bounce around like a tennis ball hitting a wall and going back to the racket. Frank Gambale is tearing up the fret board and then, Hamm, fuzzes out the bass to be right on the same warp speed track as the guitar.
Coming back to the main theme, Gambale takes the lead once more. This mythical beast (Savitar) still stands tall over his kingdom. The song moves into a fluid section with Frank's fingers absolutely flying now. An orchestra fit for this character of gargantuan proportions. The band is now right together, proclaiming the reign of the beast. But, eventually, it is as if the beast is lying down, somehow vanquished as Steve Smith continues to thrash the drums. Does Savitar rule this anthem? Is this noble conqueror still in the fight? Yes. Drums signal his quest to press on.
The mighty Savitar has built back his strength as Gambale wields his power in music with the golden scepter of the guitar, before, his triumph is realized and he emerges to rule again. Enough with the reign of the mythical king and his anthem. Up next is Frank's guitar solo called "Isle of Few". This beautiful number features Gambale solo on acoustic guitar. A piece of musical paradise and tranquility, amidst all of the electrified organized chaos in most of the album.
"All In Your Head" seems to go to the listener's head from the first eruption of notes. Light the fuse. This is Gambale, Hamm and Smith in lockstep to kick out the jams! Wailing guitar, thumping bass and thunderous drums bring to life another anthem of epic proportions. The changes on this song are very bluesy and yet, a fire burns within it. What is all in the listeners head here? Just the thought of, "all hail shred guitar!" This is a masterful display of sweep picking and bluesy sounding bends. Then, a key change.
Stu Hamm takes over, ready to bring the funk. His bass weaves it's way around a new groove. He's bouncing the notes around as if they're spring loaded. All the while, Gambale's attack is sharper than ever, repeating those fiery notes from the song's opening. It's another musical roller coaster with plenty of sharp curves as opposed to ups and downs. It's like a musical race track almost. Gambale's guitar cries with abandon as the drums are thundering all around him while Hamm's bass is rock solid. The song climaxes
in a searing fanfare of electric glory ending on an E chord.
"Geo 100" may sound like a geometry course or geology course on a college curriculum. Not here. This is a funky number that has to do with the other kind of rock. Rock & roll. Gambale's guitar chimes over another funky groove before crunching into a rhythm and swapping with Hamm's bass. Leads are traded between the two in another wild display of musical fireworks. Clean tones ensue in the middle portion, still propelling the song forward.
Here come's more fire from "the thunder from down under" as Frank Gambale digs into another patented sweeping solo, letting the notes fly from his guitar like arrows. The three musketeers are once again preparing to topple this song on it's ear with more thunderous drums and crunching, incendiary riffing. The tune goes back to E major for Hamm's slightly calmer bass solo. He hits the higher registers of his bass with ease, putting "Geo 100" into a more tranquil state.
Gambale uses harmonics to accentuate Stu Ham's riffing before digging back into power chords and thrashing guitar lines. Not speedy or thrash heavy metal, but very close. Another E chord closes that phrase before a funkier side to the tune emerges, cleaning up the tone, syncopating the rhythm even more. An interesting contrast of timbres here. Some violin like notes emerge from Gambale's fingers on another lead solo over the top of the groove.
The song ends with five descending, clean chords.
For the finale, "The Challenger", acoustic picking reigns supreme yet again. But, this song is another quicker tempo piece, even though it's mainly acoustic. As the theme takes hold, more groove ensues with Hamm on electric bass, but with the contrast of Gambale's acoustic playing twangy and yet clear riffs. It's another funky number. Steve Smith plays a lot of snare drum here and occasionally meddles with crash cymbal and tambourine. It's a mid tempo number that doesn't really build up to fiery heights, but has a pleasantly neat groove.
Gambale takes off on a bluesy solo with Hamm playing right in the same pocket. This trio is extremely coherent and feeds off of each other well. One wonders what this challenger is fighting. Maybe it's just the presentation of a strong willed person who still has a cool demeanor for the most part. Smith rumbles into an intricate drum solo before Gambale and Hamm quickly respond with the main riff. This pattern takes up the next section. The tempo and dynamic increases and then, in a flourish, the song quickly ends, heralding triumph for the hero in the listener's mind's eye.
This is a very intriguing album and spreads across several ideas and palettes. Still, the complexity of it may leave listeners with questions. It is worth a listen and is one of the coolest "Best Of" collections that can be listened to. The Best of GHS is an adventurous listen to be sure with many twists and turns.
Track listing "The Best of GHS"
1. Bad Intent
2. Dangerous Curves
3. Sink
4. Spirit of Dun Dun (drum solo)
5. Katahdin
6. Yang
7. Nostalgia (bass solo)
8. The Throne of Savitar
9. Isle of Few (guitar solo)
10. All In Your Head
11. Geo 100
12. The Challenger
No comments:
Post a Comment