w00t

Album Review

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Jazz fusion is such a vague, misused, and generic term that it's a revelation when a band plays it correctly. The four players that comprise Garaj Mahal have been together for about a decade, honing their already sharp chops and delivering electrifying live performances that push the boundaries of jazz fusion into rock, funk, world music, and even blues, while maintaining a foothold in their genre. The band expands its scope even farther on Woot, recorded with few overdubs in three studio sessions spread out from May 2007 to April 2008. It's a defining work for the group, consistently throwing curve balls at the listener whose first response is likely to be astonishment at how these guys navigate a minefield of time and tempo changes with such aplomb. The nine longish, predominantly instrumental tunes are equally divided among the members, minus Kai Eckhardt's two-minute bass spotlight. Most solos are from guitarist Fareed Haque and keyboard master Eric Levy, but as in the past, it's the uncanny intertwining of the musicians that creates the tension and release here. There are Zappa-styled excursions ("7 Cows Jumping Over the Moon"), funky New Orleans side trips ("Uptown Tippitinas") and even an Eastern European influenced dance ("Ishmael and Isaac") that shifts gears so often it's nearly impossible to follow on first hearing. Somehow this all gels and never seems weird, eggheaded or overly eclectic for the sake of it. As primary soloists, the bulk of the onus falls on Haque and Levy, who elicit unusual sounds from a variety of stringed instruments (including a Moog guitar) and keyboards that are surprising without being jarring. There are plenty of fireworks from bassist Eckhardt and drummer Alan Hertz, too, as they keep the pocket throbbing while the other two blast off. At 70 minutes, this is a lot of Garaj Mahal to absorb, especially since each track seems like its own musical voyage. The disc demands several spins just to absorb all the stylistic twists and turns that make Mahal superior to others in its field. Woot is not an easy set to absorb but it's worth the effort to follow this talented foursome on their creative jazz fusion journeys.