The jazz-fusion ensemble Mosby Group hails from St. Louis, and is led by master guitar player Todd Mosby, a gifted musician who combines searing jazz rock ala John McLaughlin, Larry Coryell, and Pat Metheny, with North Indian rag influences. Mosby utilizes electric guitar as well as the 20 stringed Indian instrument called the Imratgitar on the CD's seven lengthy pieces, and he is joined by a crew of other seasoned musicians to create an enjoyable listening experience of smoldering fusion music.
"North Star" kicks things off in fine fashion, a song sweetened by the wonderful Fender Rhodes of Adam Maness and the tasty guitar lines of Mosby. The rhythm attack of bassist Phil Burton and drummer Henry Claude add a nice funky groove to this very 70's sounding piece. Maness turns in a great Chick Corea-influenced performance on the 12-minute "Bhim's Palasie", where his gentle Fender Rhodes electric piano melodies float above the gentle jazz rhythms, eventually giving way to Mosby's blazing guitar runs. After the brief "Falling Water", which sees Mosby hitting gentle melodies on the Imratgitar, the band moves into the laid back jazz of "Heading West", a song that combines styles of be-bop, fusion, and Latin jazz, surely to please fans of Corea's work. Mosby delivers some speedy leads here that harken back to the glory days of John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, while furious rhythms and spacey Fender Rhodes support him marvelously.
On "Kalian's Way", the band melds Indian rag with Eleventh House styled fusion, as Mosby performs some melodies on the Imratgitar and then lays down a searing electric guitar solo. The band lets it all out on the rampaging "Turn", a rocking fusion number featuring Mosby's distorted wah-wah leads, popping bass grooves from Carl Caspersen, nimble drum work from Ron Carr, and of course Maness and his magic Fender Rhodes. Fans of the Mahavishnu Orchestra will love this tune!
There you have it, a solid mix of calm and volatile 70's fusion styles, with some traditional Indian flavors added in for good measure. East West is highly recommended to fusion lovers of all ages.
Track Listing
1) North Star (9:53)
2) Bhim's Palasie (12:27)
3) Falling Water (2:28)
4) Heading West (9:23)
5) Kalian's Way (11:44)
6) S.A.T. (0:19)
7) Turn (9:06)
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