CAB

AMG Review of CAB

Glenn Astarita
All Music Guide

This hard-driving fusion power trio packs a mighty punch on CAB, its inaugural release. On this outing, guitarist Tony MacAlpine renders his customary rippling sheets of sound along with electric bassist Bunny Brunel's sinewy lines and drummer Dennis Chambers' heavy-handed polyrhythms. There are no hidden agendas here as the soloists surge into the stratosphere with ominous intentions via blazingly fast unison choruses and Chambers' propulsive backbeats and hybrid funk-rock rhythms. The trio also engages in a few call-and-response type episodes in concert with intermittent doses of fiercely stated jazz-based passages. However, MacAlpine steers the charge with blistering lead soloing to complement his effective utilization of electronic keyboards. Essentially, the band abides by a democratic approach, where everyone gets ample breathing room amid a series of nicely arranged compositions and turbocharged improvisational sequences. Overall, this impressive 2000 effort provides the world of fusion with a much-needed shot of adrenaline.