 |
Tony MacAlpine :
guitar, keyboards
Bunny Brunel :
bass, keyboards
Brian Auger :
keyboards, B3 organ
Patrice Rushen :
piano, clavinet, Rhodes
Dennis Chambers : drums |
|
It is often said
that jazz and fusion sell so bad the musicians involved have to
deliver almost an album each month in order to survive. Of course
you can look at it that way but you can also look at the genre as a
huge melting pot of talent where everyone helps eachother out not
only because they’re friends but mainly because they complement
eachother beyond your wildest imagination ! Take bassplayer Bunny
Brunel who played alongside superb musicians such as Herbie Hancock,
Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Al Jarreau, Nathalie Cole, Larry
Coryell, Al DiMeola, Mike Stern, Joe Farrell, Chic Corea, in fact a
list too numerous to mention. Bunny also released a string of solo
albums before founding the rousing CAB. The band’s second album was
nominated with a Grammy, a proof of the quality which is to be found
all over the music. The bass/drums understanding is always a very
important cornerstone in a band which is why Bunny teams up with
Dennis Chambers here. Starting out at the tender age of four (!),
Chambers is more of a funky drummer having played with Parliament,
Funkadelic, George Duke, Stanley Clarke, Santana, and many others.
His wonderful sense for groove is already very dominant during the
opening song ‘Hold on’ which also contains some tasty basslines.
Although drums and bass will mainly dominate this album guitarist
Tony MacAlpine steps in as well although adding a fair amount of
keyboards too. On ‘One for the road’ he plays the mean Hammond
whilst it’s the sympathetic Patrice Rushen who delivers the jazzy
piano solo. Rushen recorded both with Prince and Michael Jackson,
Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, Jean-Luc Ponty and Tom Jones which
fully illustrates her versatality. The final part of this ‘Cab’ is
the immortal Brian Auger and his incredible B3. Known throughout the
world for his Brian Auger’s Oblivion Express and collaborations with
Julie Driscoll, Auger remains one of the few sixties icons that
still sounds as fresh today as when he recorded his parts for the
very first time.
Governed by
percussion loops as programmed by Bernie Torell, ‘Tony Mac’ is
indeed a tour de force for MacAlpine delivering the goods as if he
was a second DiMeola. The rhythm continues whilst Patrice Rushen
delivers some wonderful Fender Rhodes sounds taking away the
attention from the guitar. No doubt Cab is Burnell’s festive season
with fretless and fretted basses alternating during ‘Bass ackward’
whilst Chambers has a field day. ‘Cloud 10’ gets an ‘airy’ element
injected by means of some tasty steel drums which kind of
counterbalance with MacAlpine’s guitarparts. Although it’s mainly
Patrice Rushen delivering the Fender Rhodes goods, on ‘Alphonse’
it’s Brian Auger alternating the Rhodes with his favourite B3. Great
¾ tune as a tribute to the great Weather Report drummer Alphonse
Mouzon. ‘Jam & toast’ is indeed the fusing of different approaches,
the authentic jazz courtesy of Patrice Rushen’s piano, the more
proggy bit with Auger on B3, the rock approach of Tony whilst bass
and drums deliver that funky beat as a constant heartbeat. Although
already recorded on an earlier album by Burnell, the final track
‘Dede’ really sums up what the entire Cab project stands for : a
perfect marriage between technical highlights and songs.
Contrary
to a lot of ‘look mama no hands’ albums, Cab delivers individual
prowess without losing the melodic structure out of sight. In the
end the album is there to be enjoyed both by the musician who
marvels at the high quality of musicianship as well as the lover of
good instrumental fusion. |
