Mr. Moonjune Recommends, Vol. 2, "Letting Go"

Mr. Moonjune, aka Leonardo Pavkovic, the driving force behind MoonJune Records, has come up with a second volume anthology of prog-fuse music by artists and bands that may not be well known to you, but nonetheless deserve a hearing. The anthology contains 25 worthy tracks and you can get them as Mr. Moonjune Recommends, Vol. 2, "Letting Go" for a modest donation of $1, or whatever you'd like to contribute above that.

It's a wonderful bargain, of course, but most importantly it introduces you to internationally stationed artists who are playing some extraordinary or at least far-from-ordinary prog fuze. There are wonderful guitarists, tight bands, space rockers and notes galore.

For a buck you hear: Alex Machacek, Jeff Sipe, Matt Garrison; Asaf Sirkis; Mark Wingfield & Rene von Grunig; The Avengers; Apostolis Anthimos; John Sund Acoustic Sense; Dialeto; Uzva; Michel Sajrawy, and 16 others. Some may not yet be totally original in what they are up to but everything sounds very good, sometimes excellent.

Here's a bunch of music worth hearing, for almost nothing. It's a no-lose proposition.

Go to http://www.moonjune.com/mjr_web_2013/home_mjr/ and click on the album cover to find out the complete details and to get your download.

Tim Carey, Room 114

Electric bassist-composer Tim Carey comes to the fore with his debut effort after a significant apprenticeship playing around Seattle and around the world with a varied cast of worthies that includes Julian Priester, George Cables, and others.

Room 114 (self-released TCM-001) is the disk. It puts together a mellow yet lively sort of fusion that branches out of Pat Metheny's later work but then goes its own way. Tim is joined by the lucid guitar of Brendan Odonnell, piano and keys by Eric Verlinde, drums and percussion by Jeff "Bongo" Bush and more drums on selected tracks by Tarik Abouzied. The band is on the mark and Tim contributes some very nice post-Jaco soloing.

The songs and ensemble riffing got my attention on first listen and they continue to do so. It's a tasteful blend that has a kick to it now and again and manages to stand out from the pack. Give it a listen!

Bassist Tony Grey Makes "Unknown Angels" A Memorable Outing

Tony Grey, bassist, multi-instrumentalist and writer of interesting music, has just come through with his third album, Unknown Angels (ObliqSound 110). He's played with McLaughlin, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Zakir Hussein, Branford Marsalis, a pretty heavy list for someone who is not all that old. They needed a good electric bass player, one thinks. As we sometimes find out, that doesn't mean that a solo album by someone with such credentials is going to put you in a great place for your ears.

That's what I was thinking when I first put this one on for a first hearing. Turns out this is no lightweight entry into the 2010 offerings. McLaughlin and Hussein's Indian-fusion influence is there, especially via John Shannon, who plays some interesting lines, there are wordless vocals a la Pat Metheny (Tony Grey has a nice voice), and Tony's bass playing has the post-Jaco fortitude one might expect these days.

Unknown Angels has that "something else" that makes this an album that is not just "nice" but stays in your head. The composition, arranging, and overall execution of Tony's pieces are what puts this one above something noteful but not notable. It's fusionoid and ambient, it cooks sometimes and there is some really hip bass, good drumming and all the rest. In the end though the melodies linger on in the mind. You pick up the CD after a few listens and you say, "yes, THAT one," instead of "hmm...I know I played this a bunch of times but I feel a blank."

It's lyrical, thought inspiring, dream and reverie inducing. I would recommend this one to anybody who wants to hear some musically informed, poetic, fus-e-logian sounds. Recommended.