GOING OFF TOPIC

Composer/pianist Zachary Detrick has the support of the Coniguliaro Brothers in this fresh collection of avant gard-ish jazz-rock fusion songs, ditties, and études.

1. Sven Svengridsson Uses a Telephone (3:35) sounds a bit as if Vince Guaraldi and the North Sea Radio Orchestra joined forces. (8.75/10)

2. Waltz of the Toast Fairy (3:11) this one sounds so much like something from JEAN-LUC PONTY's catalogue. Very nice, light and fun. (9.25/10)

3. ScorpionCrabFish (3:38) now this one sounds more like the Coniguliaro Brothers with its stop-and start tempos and sudden changes in motif and direction. (8.75/10)

4. Pinball is for Truckers (4:47) back to Vince Guaraldi, only, this time, melded into a simplistic style and ABABCAB form. Nice as a study--for practice in a certain sound and style--but little revealed that is fresh or mature. (8.5/10)

5. Dale Takes a Walk at 3am (4:22) sounds half Aaron Copeland and half ARANIS (or, better yet, the Quebecois Prog Folk band from the late 1970s, CONVENTUM); a totally chamber / classical music arrangement/adaptation. I like this one a lot. It's also more completely worked out and polished (especially in terms of compositionally.) (9/10)

6. Ponderosa Pine Sol (4:16) a little more complex--especially with shifting time signatures--but still feels so much like a study/practice session--a song used for skill-building. (8.875/10)

7. New Haven Left-Handed Jamboree (3:28) more European folk/street-infused jazz to my liking. Nice development and performances. (9/10)

8. JFK Jr. (aka Elvis Presley) (4:24) fun, complex, and alive. (9.25/10)

Like many albums that the Coniguliaro brothers are involved with, this one seems to have a song order in which the music gets better and better with each song until by the end (or final third) of the album you start to feel that the artists are A) warmed up, B) firing on all cylinders, and C) loose/relaxed enough to try the hard stuff--the more complex, multi-layered song constructs.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of folk-infused Jazz-Rock Fusion that I recommend to all prog lovers who love the music of North Sea Radio Orchestra, Aranis, and Vince Guaraldi.