JIM GILMOUR: Great Escape

Cover	Release	Style
	2006	Progressive experimental rock
	Label
	http://www.progrockrecords.com
	Website
	http://www.jimgilmour.net
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	57:19	PRR137
	Review by	Rating
	Reggie	7,5/10
nederlands	Review
His name may not ring as many bells as the likes of Keith Emmerson or Rick Wakeman, but as the keyboard player of one of the most famous and oldest progressive rock bands in the world, Jim Gilmour can be sure of a large following. He joined Saga in 1980, when they recorded the album “Silent Knight”, containing the timeless track “Don’t Be Late (Chapter 2)”, which remains one of their fans’ favourite songs up until today. He even co-wrote some of the songs on that album, and has been a great influence on the sound of Saga ever since. However, for “Great Escape”, his second solo album, you really mustn’t expect a Saga-like record. It’s Jim Gilmour doing his own thing, and you can hear influences of progressive rock, jazz, fusion, folk and classical music. The album is produced by John Bianchini (who also plays the guitars), and Gilmour himself. On drums, he worked with Christian Simpson (Saga) and Roger Banks (24K). Corrina Tofani does the additional vocals. It’s a very crisp sounding production, with some great tracks on it. As the theme for the album, Gilmour used his many excursions through the Canadian wilderness as the source of his inspiration. I think he succeeded in combining his many musical ideas with his experiences from his camping trips, resulting in a varied and musically interesting record, which actually brings you in the right mood. Songs like “No Sign” and “Algonquin” are good rockers, but they do include some very strong influences from the jazz-scene. Especially his experimentation with fusion is very noteworthy in tracks like “Radiant Lake” and “Last Portage”. That last song seems to be 13:28 minutes long, but it ends after about 7 minutes, followed by a 90-second gap. For the last part of the song, Gilmour plays some very “interesting” piano improvisation. “Wasteland” and “The Northwind” are prime examples of more sensitive songs, played with great feeling and melody. With “Great Escape”, Jim Gilmour proves that he can play the keyboards as good as, if not better than, the other greats in the genre. His singing is not as good as it could have been, but it fits his style very well. His trademark sound is instantly recognizable, and his technical wizardry is a great inspiration for keyboard fans. A recording with a great atmosphere!
Musicians
Jim Gilmour: Keyboards and Vocals John Bianchini: Guitars Christian Simpson: Drums (on tracks 3, 4 &6) Roger Banks: Drums (on tracks 1, 2, 5, 9 & 10) Corrina Tofani: Additional Vocals
Tracklist
No Sign (7:21) Algonquin (5:32) Lost Along The Way (5:14) Killarney Sunrise (4:44) The Northwind (4:01) Radiant Lake (4:42) Carden Isle (3:47) Wasteland (2:59) Canoe Do It? (5:28) Last Portage (13:28)
Discography
Safety Zone (with GNP) (1987) Instrumental Encounters (1997)


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