D.Chambers/ J.Berlin/ D.Fiuczynski/ T.Lavitz - Boston T Party

Styles:  Jazz Fusion, Funk  
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 58:57
Size: 135,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:23)  1. D'funk'd
(5:37)  2. (Great) Ball Of Issues
(6:39)  3. Around About Way
(5:54)  4. I Hate The Blues...(But Here's One Anyway)
(6:44)  5. All Thought Out
(8:24)  6. Emotional Squalor
(1:44)  7. Deff 184
(3:08)  8. Last Trane
(7:44)  9. Constant Comment
(6:36) 10. Foxy Morons

If quirky titles and wacky cover art were award categories, the foursome of Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, Dave Fiuczynski and T Lavitz would score major honors with their new release, Boston T Party. However, those are just attention getters. The real prize is the music quirky, wild, and most of all, fun. Some of the more interesting titles are "(Great) Ball of Issues, a humorous spin on Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire, and a pair that put a creative twist on common phrases: "Around About Way and "Foxy Morons. Each player is an accomplished artist in his own right. Here, they come together for a fusion jam session. Drummer Dennis Chambers is known for his work with Santana, Steely Dan, P-Funk and other artists in the jazz, funk and fusion genres. Bassist Jeff Berlin has numerous recordings in his own name, but has also worked with Al DiMeola, Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham. Guitarist Dave "Fuze Fiuczynski has worked with the Screaming Headless Torsos and other progressive artists. T Lavitz, on keyboards, has worked with the Dixie Dregs, Jazz Is Dead and Widespread Panic.

Boston T Party, produced by Lavitz, provides an hour's worth of ten original songs. The quartet delivers a musical smorgasbord. There's a bit of rock, accented by jazz, fusion, funk and other assorted sounds sometimes all within a single track. The opening track, "D'funk'd, opens like a cross between early Herbie Hancock and a time warp from a science fiction film, then cranks up into a multifaceted jam. Lavitz's keyboard solo at the two-minute mark is reminiscent of some of the classic hard rock songs of the 1970s. From there, the song strikes a delicate balance between jazz fusion and the soundtrack from one of those quirky sci-fi flicks that predate "Star Wars. Chambers delivers some strong licks without getting in the way of his bandmates' solos. He skillfully shifts from snare to toms, keeping within the structure but at the same time playing with freedom to explore. The same can be said of all the musicians throughout the album. The group is perhaps most mellow if it can be said they're ever mellow on this album with the slower-paced "I Hate the Blues ... (But Here's One Anyway). 

Lavitz is solid on the B-3 organ. Chambers and Berlin set the pace in standard 3/4 time while Fuze takes us on a freewheeling jaunt. The rest of the album follows the same form which is to say, unrestrained. Even when the other musicians are playing somewhat structured rhythms in the background, Fuze just takes off with hyperdrive engines on maximum. Imagine, if you can, an electric guitar on steroids. And if the music isn't enough, there's the cover art, which depicts a giant teacup on the streets of old Boston. Floating in it are instruments, a capital "T and a drowning man. A black cat appears to be jumping from the cup, but it isn't wet. Quirky? You bet. ~ Woodrow  Wilkins https://www.allaboutjazz.com/boston-t-party-dennis-chambers-tone-center-review-by-woodrow-wilkins.php
 

Personnel: T Lavitz: keyboards; David Fiuczynski: electric guitar; Jeff Berlin: electric bass; Dennis Chambers: drums.

Boston T Party

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Scott Henderson, Jeff Berlin, Dennis Chambers - HBC

Styles: Guitar Jazz
Year: 2012
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:28
Size: 136,7 MB
Art: Front

(10:16)  1. Actual Proof
( 6:58)  2. Mysterious Traveller
( 8:45)  3. Footprints
(11:57)  4. D Flat Waltz
( 3:25)  5. The Orphan
( 5:18)  6. Sightseeing
( 4:21)  7. Wayward Son Of Devil Boy
( 3:09)  8. Threedom
( 5:15)  9. Stratus

Not simply a super-group, but more like a jazz-fusion superpower as this formidable trio melds classic fusion works amid a few originals on its debut release, although the artists have crossed paths over the years. Bios and resumes would transcend the limitations of a review or analysis. So, it's the in-your-face attitude, creative impetus, and the respective musicians' gargantuan chops that account for a passionate exposition. Guitarist Scott Henderson's enviable technique as a monumental blues-rock soloist shines on his "Wayward Son of Devil Boy," inflicting pain on his axe via some serious shedding and molding a blues-with-a-vengeance stance with blazing fills, detuned extended notes and wailing choruses. But the preponderance of the album offers an abundance of cunning insights and spins on pieces such as drummer Billy Cobham's jazz-fusion anthem "Stratus." Then again it would be a sacrilege to ignore this trend-setting classic. Here, all-universe session drummer Dennis Chambers slams the backbeat into overdrive in concert with bass great Jeff Berlin's sinuous fretless bass lines. Owing to the original recording, Henderson abides by late guitarist Tommy Bolin's tension and release buildup, and then goes off the radar with stratospheric licks, leading to the heavy metal-like finale.

Henderson morphs polytonal chord voicings to execute a translation of pianist Herbie Hancock's funkified "Actual Proof," where Berlin unleashes a mindboggling solo, awash with twirling notes and breakneck linear runs. Henderson injects some spacey electronic treatments and spatial attributes into saxophonist Wayne Shorter's title track from Weather Report's Mysterious Traveler (Columbia, 1974), raising the bar with edgy and distorted crunch chords while reshaping and reconfiguring the primary theme, tinted with a rather ominous rite of passage.  HBC also integrates a pure jazz element into Shorter's "Sightseeing," offset by the artists' expressive solo spots and streaming background effects, all the while prepping for the kill towards the coda as Berlin thumps and plucks his bass strings into submission. Sure, he's all over the place, but lessons learned will dictate that he makes every note count, marked by his lyrical thematic statements and a technique to die for. Other than the instrumentalists' technical mastery, these works' construction lend to a refreshing glimpse of the proverbial roads previously traveled. From a holistic perspective of the jazz-fusion genre, it doesn't get a whole lot better.~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/hbc-scott-henderson-tone-center-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Scott Henderson: guitar; Jeff Berlin: bass; Dennis Chambers: drums.

HBC

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Dennis Chambers - Groove And More

Styles: Jazz Funk
Year: 2013
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:19
Size: 125,1 MB
Art: Front

(5:24)  1. Aircraft
(7:29)  2. Time to Time
(4:24)  3. Fall Out - Radio Edit
(4:41)  4. Past and Future
(0:47)  5. Drums Solo Pt 1
(4:56)  6. We Don't Know
(7:18)  7. Virtual Life
(6:40)  8. Fall Out
(4:50)  9. Practice What You Preaching
(6:30) 10. Running On Line
(1:14) 11. Drum Solo Pt 2

A drummer whose propulsive style and versatility have enabled him to play in combos or large groups, and work with fusion and hard bop bandleaders, Dennis Chambers has also released two sessions as a leader. He's also recorded and played with Bob Berg, Bill Evans (sax), Victor Bailey, Bob Belden, Kevin Eubanks and Mike Stern among others. All these musicians currently have sessions including Chambers available on CD.  Bio ~ Ron Wynn  http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dennis-chambers-mn0000816892/biography

Personnel: Dennis Chambers: drums; Scott Henderson: guitar solo on " Virtual life " & " Time to time ";  Brian Auger: Hammond organ solo on " Running on line " & " Aircraft "; Jeff Berlin: bass on " Practice what you preaching "; Patti Austin: vocals on " Practice what you preaching "; Stanley Jordan: guitar solo on " Past and future "; Gregg Kofi Brown: vocals on " Fall out "; Dora Nicolosi: vocals on " We don't know "; Lino Nicolosi: rhythm guitars, guitar solos, percussion programming; Rossana Nicolosi: bass; Pino Nicolosi: keyboards, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes; Dora Nicolosi: backing vocals & scat on " Fall out " and & scat on " Aircraft "; Gregg Kofi Brown: backing vocals on " Fall out "; Melissa Aldana: tenor saxophone on " Fall out " , saxophone solo on "Aircraft " and soprano saxophone on " Running on line "; Bob Crystal: tenor saxophone & flute solo on " Fall out ", tenor saxophone on " Aircraft ."

Groove And More

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Jeff Berlin - Aneurythms

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 65:28
Size: 149.9 MB
Styles: Fusion, Progressive rock
Year: 2006
Art: Front

[6:20] 1. Porky & Beans
[6:34] 2. Copland
[7:52] 3. Saab Story
[5:38] 4. Ars Longa Vita Brevis
[7:07] 5. Miss Management
[7:12] 6. Justibofidus
[6:10] 7. A Mark You Remade
[7:00] 8. Lapp Dance
[6:47] 9. Don't Be Happy! Worry!
[4:43] 10. Auntie Social

He's only released a handful of albums under his own name over the past thirty years, but bassist Jeff Berlin remains a singularly distinctive electric bassist. That he's chosen to spend as much time as an educator at the self-started Players School of Music in Florida as he has performing and recording just means that he's as big a believer in nurturing others as he is in self-promotion. Still, with chops to burn, an instantly recognizable tone and encyclopedic musical knowledge, it's a mystery why he's not better known outside fusion and progressive rock circles.

Aneurythms could be considered a fusion record, but that would be selling it short. Not that there's anything wrong with fusion, but Berlin demonstrates a much broader reach. The record has no shortage of virtuoso playing from Berlin, but it's a more democratic effort than Lumpy Jazz (M.A.J., 2004), where the bassist was almost always front and center. Here pianist Richard Drexler (back from Lumpy Jazz), keyboardist Otmaro Ruiz and guitarist Gannin Arnold get plenty of space, while producer Brian Bromberg occasionally anchors the proceedings on acoustic bass, leaving Berlin free to play a more dominant role.

The music ranges from the up-tempo funk of "Porky & Beans" which, with its lengthy and idiosyncratic head, could easily have fit into the Bruford repertoire of the mid-to-late 1970s, to the more lyrical and Midwestern vibe of "Copland." "Ars Longa Vita Brevis" is a piece of modernized classical counterpoint, while "Miss Management" mines Latin territory and demonstrates Berlin's comfort at navigating more jazz-centric changes. Berlin's dense but appealing tone works throughout, whether it's up front or holding down the groove with drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. "Justibofidus" is a fiery fusion burner that features Arnold—a guitarist whose general association with smooth jazz artists belies an unexpected energy and facility. His solos reference Scott Henderson but he's no mere clone. Given that anyone familiar with Berlin will not be surprised by the bassist's fine work here, Arnold is the real surprise of Aneurythms—a guitarist from whom more, we can hope, will be heard. "A Mark You Remade" references the famous Weather Report tune "A Remark You Made" and bassist Jaco Pastorius' innate melodism, but it's tribute, not imitation. "Don't Be Happy! Worry!" manages to swing and be funky at the same time, and is another showcase for Berlin's remarkable ability to wind his way through more complicated constructs.

Lumpy Jazz was an album that you had to love bass to enjoy. While there's no shortage of bottom end dominance on Aneurythms, its greater equity means it will appeal to a broader audience—and not just fusion fans. Berlin is a player/writer who comfortably straddles the line between more raucously energetic and gentler, more elegant music that, with a wider frame of reference, proves you can please all of the people all of the time. ~John Kelman

Jeff Berlin: electric bass; Richard Drexler: piano; Otmaro Ruiz: synthesizers, piano solo; Gannin Arnold: guitars; Brian Bromberg: acoustic bass; Vinnie Colaiuta: drums.

Aneurythms

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Jeff Berlin - High Standards

Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 54:29
Size: 124.7 MB
Styles: Straight ahead jazz
Year: 2010
Art: Front

[6:17] 1. Groovin' High
[5:02] 2. Nardis
[5:59] 3. I Want To Be Happy
[8:06] 4. Body & Soul
[7:02] 5. Solar
[8:04] 6. Invitation
[5:26] 7. If I Were A Bell
[1:18] 8. Valses Nobles Et Sentimentales No. IV
[7:11] 9. Someday My Prince Will Come

Jeff Berlin has justifiably gained acclaim as a fusion bass wizard, racking up credits with the likes of Allan Holdsworth, Bill Bruford and Kazumi Watanabe and even subbing with old-school prog rockers Yes. But given the evidence of the music he favors at his own concerts and the concepts he imparts as head of his Clearwater, Fla., music school, the celebrated four-stringer has always been a straightahead jazzer at heart.

A no-nonsense, sometimes controversial advocate of music education, Berlin demands high-level work from himself and his bandmates, and encourages the same from his students. Hence the title of his latest and maybe most accomplished album as a leader, High Standards, a set of jazz gems that has the bassist joined by his regular Florida-based trio-mates: pianist/upright bassist Richard Drexler and drummer (and Pat Metheny vet) Danny Gottlieb. The three gallop from the get-go, with a rollicking run through Dizzy Gillespie’s “Groovin’ High.” That’s one of several brightly engaging uptempo tunes, along with Frank Loesser’s “If I Were a Bell” and Miles’ “Solar,” which opens with a floaty free section. A bluesy shuffle feel provides a welcome twist on “Invitation,” injected with Berlin’s fresh chordal flourishes, and the two bassists come off as natural-born tonal partners on Miles’ “Nardis” and the closer, “Someday My Prince Will Come.”

Yes, it counts as something of a chopsfest: Berlin’s fingerboard work remains amazingly fluid and fast, his ideas ceaselessly bubbling up. But the creativity of his soloing and the undeniably grooving swing of his walking lines ought to once and for all put to rest any lingering biases about the viability of the electric bass as a lead instrument in straightahead jazz. Right? ~Phillip Booth

High Standards

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