Mike Mainieri
Wanderlust

Born in 1938, a New Yorker of clear Italian origins, Mike Mainieri can rightly consider himself (and indeed he is, according to most specialized critics) one of the foremost exponents of the contemporary vibraphone; among the first to experiment with the avant-garde sounds of the "synth-vibe," his notoriety in musical circles that matter is due to merits that go far beyond his prestigious tenure with Steps Ahead, pioneers of an original (and technically commendable) variant of ethnically contaminated Fusion in the '80s.

Besides embarking on a promising career as a record producer and talent scout for new Jazz talent, Our Man has collaborated with countless illustrious figures: from Paul Simon to Billy Joel (also New Yorkers, and not coincidentally open to refined "cross-over" stylistic projects), to the Dire Straits on "Love Over Gold" and "Brothers In Arms" (the dialogue with Mark Knopfler's guitar on "Private Investigations" is spine-tingling). Not to mention the work done, between the Sixties and Seventies, alongside sacred monsters like Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, and Wes Montgomery (and, even before that, with Buddy Rich).

A much-appreciated session man throughout the Seventies (where he often found himself alongside a great friend of his: Steve Gadd), Mainieri simultaneously started a more than dignified solo career, appreciated especially by the most exquisitely jazz-inclined audience and commendable in terms of critical acclaim (also considering Our Man's often underestimated modern approach, at ease among multiple styles and a great connoisseur of popular musical traditions, primarily South American).

Endowed with outstanding executive sensitivity (rhythmic and melodic in equal measure, as per the tradition of the best vibraphonists), Mainieri reached a very significant milestone in his stylistic evolution in 1981, and especially in his self-definition as a soloist and virtuoso (always well-balanced), striving to navigate through the nuances of a targeted repertoire, more than ever suited to highlight his skills as an arranger.

"Wanderlust" is an extraordinary, stellar album, beautifully played, also notable for its production quality. To say the least, the cast of "side-men" (a more than unfair term) called to create this compelling episode of great Fusion is impressive: from Steps Ahead Michael Brecker, Peter Erskine, and Warren Bernhardt to a very young Marcus Miller already engaged with Miles Davis' band, from Don Grolnick to percussionist Sammy Figueroa heading a related ensemble, responsible for many of the (inevitable) openings to certain World-Music avant la lettre.

But the cherry on top is the instrumental mastery of the leader, his ability to always find the right solution in the extemporaneousness (sometimes frantic, complex) of executing diverse, multifaceted pieces, difficult but not unwieldy; thus pleasant, fluid, measured. As in Step Ahead, Mainieri's well-established tendency to expose the themes of each composition in unison with Michael Brecker's sax prevails, carving out numerous solo spaces yet always in context with the constant work carried out by the other musicians.

A leader indeed, Mike, but always attentive to the coherence of his phrasing within the imposed instrumental fabric: primarily from Miller, who has already developed a sufficiently authoritative Funk bass style in the vein of Stanley Clarke and Louis Johnson (thus, with extensive use of the "slap" technique); from Don Grolnick's keyboards (mixed with electronic programming); from Peter Erskine's drums, commendable for taste and agility in execution (both in the more classically Jazz pieces and in the more "impure" and contaminated episodes).

A frantic percussive whirlwind introduces the initial (and rhythmic) "Bullet Train", between Bossa Nova airs and precise interventions from Brecker's sax, before a quieter central section reserved for the evolutions of the vibraphone; experimentally ethnic is the following, lengthy "Bamboo", featuring guest Japanese Fusion guitarist Kazumi Watanabe: an uneven rhythmic structure between drums and the ethereal sounds of Jeremy Steig's flute, then Mainieri orchestrates the dances before the closure destined to resume the initial theme in the perspective of an ideal "looped" development; it is again the leader who dominates the more jazzy "Flying Colours", while the relaxed "L'Image" (with the illustrious presence of Tony Levin on bass) is introduced by Warren Bernhardt's piano and recalls the cadences of the more recent Pat Metheny.

The second part of "Wanderlust" opens with "Pep's", perhaps the best track, elusive, nocturnal, mysterious: these are the atmospheres that best exalt Mainieri's velvety touch, here aware of the Blues lesson but also capable of high-quality harmonic variations, before the intervention (more than ever contextual) of the other Brecker brother, Randy, on trumpet (a beautiful and timbrally varied solo, on constant organ support). Conversely, the perhaps too-invasive electronics of "Crossed Wires" do not fully convince, but Mainieri's phrasings impress with their whirlwind speed and precision (a lesson in technique and feeling, capable of overwhelming the most unprepared listener). The romantic "Sarah's Touch" and the extraordinary "title track" for solo vibraphone conclude: various impressions of the soloist, captured in a moment of reflective solitude.

Five stars well deserved: I've listened to a lot of Fusion, but this is a Masterpiece, believe me. Sincerely recommended to genre enthusiasts.