Tohpati, Tribal Dance, Featuring Jimmy Haslip and Chad Wackerman

Indonesian guitarist Tohpati has been breaking things up internationally as a key member of Simak Dialog and in his own right. He comes at us now with a power trio album, Tribal Dance (MoonJune 064). It features the excellent presence of two all-star players, certainly members of one of the units if one were to assemble a couple of dream-team fusion trios, namely Jimmy Haslip on bass and Chad Wackerman on drums.

This is music of great tensile strength, reflecting Tohpati's extraordinary guitar facility and sense--and his roots in Indonesian music. As ever this is a great combination of factors for your ears. The presence of Haslip and Wackerman seem to push Tohpati to a higher level than ever, and of course his bandmates do what you expect them to--give you some cutting edge prog-fusion playing like only they can.

Tohpati's originals here are noteful and musically interesting, many steps beyond the usual fusion licks--and original in a way that is all his.

It's a gas all the way, cutting-edge fusion from start to finish! Listen and dig in.