2 DRINK MINIMUM

This was first Wayne Krantz album I heard and still my favourite and one of my top 30 jazz fusion albums. Further this was my first improv jazz album I warmed to, in part (as I've crudely put it before) Wayne Krantz has a huge bag of jazz and rock riffs** committed and with his sympathetic rhythm section(s), can conjure up some delightful melodic jazz rock fusion apparently at the drop of a hat. I've seen him play at the former Ronnie Scott's Club in Birmingham and can confirm that there is a mix of the familiar and the dangerous new appearing for the first time, right here and now!

'Whippersnapper' - one of my essential fusion tracks - kicks off the proceedings. It is upbeat, medium fast paced tune and should ensure most new listeners will want more. It also should tell the discerning fusion fan, that even in the mid 90's jazz rock still was being played with great enthusiasm and vigour, while adding something new. Overall a well balance selection of tunes, through the slower paced and again back to the fast. An excellent album for the fans of guitar lead jazz rock. Other live albums were to come for various line-ups of Wayne Krantz Trios but IMHO as an introduction to Wayne Krantz, the guitar virtuoso, this is the one to start.

(4 stars for PA, 5 stars for established jazz rock fans)

**See my biography in PA for a correction to this statement and clarification of what Wayne Krantz's musical philosophy really is!!!