Jimmy Haslip
ARC

The name of bassist Jimmy Haslip is well known to fusion music lovers, being a founding member of the Yellow Jackets but also a highly sought-after session musician, and a true deus ex machina of some of the most refined AOR productions - just think of "Brother To Brother" by Gino Vannelli.

Haslip's bass technique is immediately recognizable for its killer groove and powerful sound, resonant and unusual in solos.

Unlike many electric bass champions, Haslip is a discreet and prudent musician, very careful not to overdo it, and comes to his first solo record only in 1993, after many years working behind the scenes, having reached full awareness of his capabilities but especially of his limitations, mainly on the compositional and arranging front. Hence the very wise choice of electing the fabulous composer, arranger, and bandleader Vince Mendoza as his main collaborator, who signs half of the album's tracks and co-produces it.

Add a "dream band" (Peter Erskine on drums, John Scofield on guitar, Randy Brecker on trumpet, Joshua Redman on saxophone, John Beasley on piano, Judd Miller on EVI and various electronic gadgets) and the path to a fully successful and convincing album is already halfway traveled...

Mendoza unleashes his Latin soul and crafts light and delightful Caribbean vignettes: "Niños," to which a repeated guitar arpeggio lends a sweet indolence, and "Leap," where the immaculate sound of steel drums shines in all its crystalline beauty, and where Haslip illustrates his instrumental mastery in a very calibrated solo.

The composer then declares his complete love for John Scofield, tailoring a stunning "Orange Guitars" to his measure, effectively introduced by a fiery Joshua Redman.

As in every respectable rich fusion banquet, the dishes and flavors are as varied and multiple as one can imagine, and so from the Native American dance of "Red Cloud," we move to the intimate exploration of Scofield and Haslip in "I Dreamt Of You." Despite his acrobatic virtuosity, it is in the slow tracks that Haslip takes the most fitting solos, showing exquisite touch and absolute sound control. The pieces composed by the bassist, while adhering more to fusion standards ("Outland," "Old Town"), remain well above anonymity. The emotionally impactful overture "Mãtha," where the atmosphere harkens back to the ineffable "Wichita" of Methenian memory, is also outstanding. But also with great work from Randy Brecker's trumpet...

More scents of the Antilles for the hyper-vitaminic and highly enjoyable ride of "Market Street," with Bob Mintzer's sax, his colleague in the Yellow Jackets. Inescapable is the romantic closure of "Hanna's House," with Haslip's bass playing the lead role: a bit sappy, but it's a venial sin that everyone forgives.

Fusion played and organized at its best. An album full of interesting and quality music, perhaps not revolutionary, but surely engaging and sincere.

Rating: 7/10 rounded down.