Vinnie Colaiuta
Vinnie Colaiuta

I noticed the absence of a must among the reviews on DeBaser: Vinnie Colaiuta, the only solo product from the great drummer who, despite the passing of time, still manages to amaze.

The album dates back to 1994, and just knowing who made it makes your mouth water. It consists of 9 tracks, each very distinct from the other, and requires a keen and well-prepared ear due to the complex structures of the music expressed here and the highly technical experiments attempted on this record.
It begins with the first track which, for me who loves prog, is an incredible gem: I'm Tweeked/Attack Of The 20lb Pizza is a fabulous prog piece that echoes the King Crimson of "Red," but enhanced by a drum that holds a very particular rhythm. It seems, in fact, that the legendary Vinnie loses the beat at certain moments, but after further listens, you can notice that this rhythmic choice is entirely intentional; it's a bittersweet decision that makes the examined track unique.

If the record continued as it started, it would be explosive; however, the album is even more fabulous for the variety of genres in the tracks, mainly due to Mr. Colaiuta's long career playing in almost all existing musical genres. The following track, Private Earthquake: Error 7, is another track that I think is noteworthy. It's an excellent fusion track that encompasses funky, psychedelia, jazz, scratching, experimentation, sax "a la Weather Report" and 'space' rhythms. It's worth noting that, as Vinnie's voice reminds us in the first few seconds of the track, "That's Jazz". Also, Chauncey, accompanied by deafening bass and a drum with a monotonous and depressing rhythm, continues on the fusion-psychedelic wave, just like the following track John's Blues, so distressing and crazy as to fall outside the conventions of fusion. I particularly like the alien Slink, which is truly frightening in its complex rhythmic apparatus and in the great keyboard-sax phrasing. It's a lively and cheerful piece that lifts our spirits after the previous two tracks.

Maximum emotion for the song Darlene's Song: relaxing, complicated in its apparent simplicity, with some flashes of slight repressed aggression that resurface, then get lost in a calm and tranquil rhythm, to be savored when sitting on your home's steps while admiring the stars of a summer night. Momoska (Club Mix) is a song? how can we define it? techno-fusion-latin, an unusual thing. I have said it all.
Then we find a gritty, imaginative, attentive track just like the quick martial arts master Bruce Lee, who is moreover the name of the song under examination. It almost seems like watching the films of the great karatist, and in certain moments, you get the impression of seeing him bounce on his elastic legs, ready to launch towards his opponent to deliver two decisive punches. The track ends with a drunk trumpet piece that almost seems to show Bruce's hidden side: a playful camaraderie. Finally, If One Was One, I have no words to describe it. It's an absolutely brilliant and insane prog piece. It's all structured on the timings and well-composed exits of the various instruments, which show a hidden complex reality behind the apparent realities (if one was one, indeed). In short, it seems like a track written by someone suffering from schizophrenia! Is it? how can I say? WOW.

In summary, it is an innovative album, for music connoisseurs; it indeed is an album that assembles a fusion tainted with the matured King Crimson's prog-not prog (from Red onwards); without a doubt, the most fabulous and impressive thing is Mr. Colaiuta's experimentation on the drums, which makes this album a must for every passionate drummer with a great desire to challenge themselves and improve.