Published on Aug 22, 2000
I am not a heartless person but this has to be said: regardless
if guitarist Stuart Hart’s mother was killed by a drunk driver in
1986, this is absolutely a great CD.
I’ve been away from this genre, New Age, for 11 years when my
friends and I drooled over the Chick Corea Elektric Band. The drool
returned for this CD as the musicians assembled for this CD, though
they differ from song to song, scorch their parts to CD. Only
guitarist Stuart Hart provides the constant, the sole source of
unity from start to finish of this instrumental CD.
“Running Out of Words” starts with a strong theme introduction
followed by the tender saxophone of Tony Liberto. Keyboardist Evan
Miller adds some smooth counter-melodies. Second track “Ernie’s
Over” continues the vibe with a more subtle tempo. Drummer Mark St.
Pierre provides some serious comping for saxophonist Gary Thomas to
solo over.
The pinnacle, and my favorite track, on this CD is “The Green
Pedal.” Drummer Dennis Chambers was a drumming legend before this
CD. Here, in his custom role of being a studio drummer, Chambers
flashes quick fills between hi-hat and snare with ghost notes on
the snare thrown in for good measure. When Chambers plays a
mini-solo among Hart’s playing, it sounds like the two musicians
were smiling throughout the entire recording session of this
track.
“First Impressions” is the best example of Hart’s ability when
he plays dizzying runs that are in synch with the saxophone of Gary
Thomas. Drummer Mark St. Pierre turns in his best performance on
this track.
The overall vibe of this CD, despite the somber inspiration, is
very positive. The musicianship is nothing short of stellar. The
music itself is never boring, which with some instrumental CDs is
the largest hurdle to overcome.