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Rating:
In 1990, a greying Steve Khan pulls a remarkable rabbit out of the hat with his Eyewitness companions: 'Public Access'.
The Eyewitness lineup features: Steve Khan, beloved son of the very famous musician Sammy Cahn (real last name, with an h after the A!) on guitar, Anthony Jackson on the 'contra-bass guitar', which later became the six-string bass he invented a few years earlier, Manolo Badrena on percussion, and Dave Weckl on drums, whenever he's not busy with Chick Corea’s group.
This is another cult band among musicians. Highly distinctive in composition and execution, perhaps more so on this album than any other. The band was truly in sync here. 1) 'Sise' is a mid-tempo track with suspended harmonies and light yet relentless drumming, accompanied by Latin-style vocal choruses. 2) 'Blue zone' delivers a swing played with great flair. The interaction between Steve, the two beats, and Anthony Jackson is tight. Steve consistently uses a Gibson 335 with a touch of delay and a synth trigger unit in parallel, filling out the sound. Jackson often complements with chords, and the swing is never mundane. 3) 'Kamarica' takes us back to Latin atmospheres with particularly engaging and explosive rhythm section work—Puerto Rican chants, Calypso in the air. Exceptional. 4) 'Silent screen' Once again returns to the atmosphere of expansive and contemporary sounds; with broad choruses and elongated phrases. 5) 'Mambosa' is a hypnotic track that captivates you with an incessant and contagious bass riff. The guitar weaves in and dialogues with what seems to be a keyboard (though it's probably sampled sounds triggered by the guitar itself). The piece unfolds engagingly, like the entire album, in fact. 6) 'Butane Elvin' revisits para-jazzy atmospheres and blazing time changes with impossible unisons between bass and guitar. 7) 'Botero People' marks a return to Brazilian-Latin vibes with an alluringly precise tempo. The two percussionists do remarkable work throughout the album. 8) 'Dedicated to you' is an atmospheric track, with class and scattered magnificent sounds applied sparingly, warranting savoring. It’s an 'old standard' by Papa Sammy, performed with due respect and unparalleled mastery. The bass is very pointed, and here Jackson offers a lesson in understatement and instrumental technique. It grows slowly, to your ears' marvel and delight. No woman will resist these elegant lines. Who knows: maybe women come from Pluto. An undervalued track. Wrongly. 9) 'Mama Chola' to close: a hypnotic piece with a suspended atmosphere. Sung in a Hispanic dialect, with broad arpeggiated chords and time breaks that characterize its progress. Midway, the time shifts drastically only to return to the prior tempo. Alternating tempos and surprising development halfway through. Class to spare. Taste and sounds typical of the nineties. Very hi-tech yet with a big heart.
An album to play in the car at night to allow yourself to listen to music of the highest class as soon as the news diverts to the upcoming spring 2006 elections. Finally, imagination in power. At least in your car. Oh: on Amazon used from 2.88!!! Incredible!!!
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