MISSUS BEASTLY

A München-based band whose lineup and sound changed and morphed with each release, this being their second despite previous incarnations with other band names. On this album they display extraordinary, top-tier Jazz-Fusion skills over the course of some truly memorable song compositions.

1. "Julia" (3:54) despite a rather chaotic opening, this song moves into a motif in the second half of the first minute in which great piano and flute play is mixed in with all the others as the band rollicks through some psychedelic funkiness. (8.875/10)

2. "20th Century Break" (5:02) great spirit and melodies built on a fun, funky (and familiar) sound and rhythmic pattern. Again, I love the way the piano drives this one but also how the horns assist the whole way along. The fourth minute features a refreshingly-unusual clavinet solo, but then we're back to the clever and melodically-mutually- supportive AREA-like multiple thematic expositions for the close. (9.33333/10)

3. "Geisha" (5:23) very solid rhythm base of piano, drums, and clavinet with electric bass seeming to go off on its own melodic journey while two flutes smooth it all out. Very Chick Corea-like though even stronger in places (that bass!) I love the fact that the pianos (2?) and clavinet are playing off one another throughout the entire song. And the groove is so infectious. Definitely a favorite of mine--a top three song, to be sure. Norbert Dömling is one interesting cat! (9.5/10)

4. "Vacuum Cleaners Dance" (5:17) another chaotic/psychedelic start that eventual irons out into another hard-driving heavy jazz-rock flute-led composition. The lead flute player performs like Thijs van Lier or Ian Anderson when they're at their craziest but, overall, I feel that this is a Mwandishi-era Herbie Hancock song played by Milanese band AREA (with Freideman Josch's flute supplanting Demetrio Stratos' vocal acrobatics). Solid and definitely entertaining. (9.125/10)

5. "Paranoidl" (4:20) a straightforward start, solid rhythm section with wild Hammond organ play throughout the somewhat-slower first half. Then the band switches into high gear with some crazy bass playing, Fender Rhodes, wah- wah rhythm guitar, and frenetic sax soloing. The song feels like something like Canterbury-infused NATIONAL HEALTH and Jazz-Rock-oriented AREA co-mingling on stage, taking turns imposing their leadership in the different motifs. The musicians are all so dialed into this one! (9.25/10)

6. "Fly Away" (7:46) after a long drawn out two-minute intro, this song congeals into, at first, a great horn-accented big- band jazz-rock but then turns to a more melodic "pop" jazz feeling sound for a few bars, but then it kind of returns/reverts to the slowly in-fading intro motif as if to restart or rebuild toward that whole-band, big-band motif. It's not until the five minute mark that any true solo gets underway--tenor saxophone--as a synth slowly fades in to counterpoint from just beneath before being faded out for Fender Rhodes and electric piano. An unusual (and pretty innovative) circle of constantly-rotating soloists ensues before they all mysteriously synch up together in the final 30 seconds! How cool! (13.75/15)

7. "Talle" (5:40) less jazzy, more proggy folk-rock, even with a saxophone occupying the lead position. The drumming in the first 90 seconds is the one thing keeping this from falling into pop-folk. Kind of a stylistic mix of something between Al Di Meola and Bob James. Also, a lot less adventurous compositionally though some of the individual performances are note-worthy: particularly the bass and multiple acoustic guitar tracks--the latter which turns electric rhythm in the slightly funkier TRAFFIC-like second half--and the flute in the third minute. (8.875/10)

Total Time: 33:22

This band is so tight! The precision synchronization of their play is quite remarkable--not to mention the proficiency of each and every band member (some on multiple instruments).

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of refined and sophisticated Jazz-Rock Fusion. A must-hear for you J-RF fans.