Back in the late '60s while the band Cream was at the height of their popularity they released the double album Wheels of Fire. At the same time the bassist/ vocalist for the group, Jack Bruce very quietly released an instrumental jazz album called Things We Like. Now what you may ask has this got to do with our man Trip? Well the ever experimental Mr. Wamsley has just released, without much fanfare, an absolutely fantastic instrumental jazz recording which very much reminds me of the Jack Bruce project. Trip is accompanied by Garett Buell on drums, tabla, djembe and malletkat, Todd Bragg on drums, things and doodads, Richard Bourk on drums and Bob Bowers on tenor sax. These guys have put together a disc that is going to catch a lot of people off guard. If you were looking for another Dancing About Architecture or The Difference Engine, then forget about it! But if you like your jazz at times red hot and cookin' and at other times silky and smooth, think Ornette Coleman or John Coltrane, then this puppy is for you.
Forget about Kenny G., this is the kind of music that Mark Robertson was begging for on the last This Train album. The 9 cuts vary in length from about 5 to 13 minutes and show without a doubt why Trip Wamsley is a master bass player. It also shows off just what a great percussionist Garett Buell is, something which is only hinted at with his work in Caedmon's Call. All of the players on this project are great and each one is given a chance to show off his chops during the course of the project. If you liked the jazz oriented pieces on Trip's first two solo albums, then don't wait, pick this up right away. At present, you have to get this through his website, www.tripwamsley.com.
10 tocks, I know it only goes up to 5 but this deserves it
