Gary Husband

Fusion isn't as plentiful as it was back in the 1970s, which was the golden age of fusion just as the '30s and early '40s were the golden age of swing and the mid- to late '40s and '50s were the golden age of bop. But noteworthy fusion can still be found if you know where to look for it, and Gary Husband's Dirty and Beautiful, Vol. 1 is an example of noteworthy 21st century fusion. An impressive cast of fusion icons joins the British keyboardist/drummer/composer on this 2010 release, including guitarists Allan Holdsworth and John McLaughlin and keyboardist Jan Hammer; guitarist Robin Trower, who is best known for hard rock and blues-rock, is also on board.

Gary Husband’s latest album, Dirty & Beautiful Volume 2 , is the follow-up to the well-received Volume 1. The music manages to be both evocative and forward-looking. This is no easy trick. All-star albums can present problems. The music can be difficult to take on tour since each song was tailored for a specific musician or band. It can also be daunting to present any sort of thematic vision for the same reason. Often, these gatherings are also weighed down by the desire to cram the CD with as much music as possible, which can lead to all-star overkill.

Gary Husband - A Meeting of Spirits (2017) {Edition Records Official Digital Download}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44kHz - Official Digital Download (bandcamp.com) -> 183 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 117 Mb | Cover | 5% repair rar
© 2017 Edition Records | EDN1098
Jazz / Modern Jazz / Piano / Percussion

Gary Husband, English legendary drummer and pianist, interprets the work of Mahavishnu guitar great and bandmate John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, the 4th Dimension). “This is Gary Husband in full bloom: Wonderful!!!”John McLaughlin. “These are tour-de-force piano performances, with effortless technical piano artistry.” MICHAEL GIBBS (arranger, Mahavishnu Orchestra “Apocalypse”).“Supreme inventiveness, absolute creativity and unique and deeply moving piano music!! Truly inspiring!!” CHICK COREA.

By the late '90s, guitarist Gary Moore was at a career crossroads. Should he continue on the path that brought him his biggest stateside success (Still Got the Blues), or try something a bit contemporary? The ex-Thin Lizzy member decided on the latter, issuing Dark Days in Paradise, an album that saw Moore utilize electronic beats and, of course, his trademark soaring guitar work, rather than blues-rockers. And you have to give the guitarist credit – he does venture outside of what you'd usually expect from a new Moore album, whether it be the Beatlesque "One Fine Day" (which contains a bassline quite similar to the Fab Four's "Rain") or the keyboard-heavy ballad "Like Angels" (which sounds like it's straight from 1987). While fans of Victims of the Future may be left wondering where the hard rock went, Dark Days in Paradise will be an interesting listen for fans curious to hear Moore trying new approaches.

All credit to Gary Moore for having the courage to leap into the relative unknown with A Different Beat. It is indeed greatly removed from anything he had released prior to 1999. Perhaps it was the new-found freedom from the guitarist's contract with Virgin that fuelled the change of direction–that and Moore's obvious affinity with outfits along the lines of Apollo 440 and Fatboy Slim (to whom "Fatboy" is a tribute). There's still opportunity for some trademark axe solos, thankfully, and hearing Moore's fretwork gymnastics over contemporary dance beats is a totally unique experience. Most impressive are "Lost in Your Love," given an impassioned vocal and instrumental performance, and the blissed-out "Surrender," the other end of the emotional scale entirely.

By the late '90s, guitarist Gary Moore was at a career crossroads. Should he continue on the path that brought him his biggest stateside success (Still Got the Blues), or try something a bit contemporary? The ex-Thin Lizzy member decided on the latter, issuing Dark Days in Paradise, an album that saw Moore utilize electronic beats and, of course, his trademark soaring guitar work, rather than blues-rockers. And you have to give the guitarist credit – he does venture outside of what you'd usually expect from a new Moore album, whether it be the Beatlesque "One Fine Day" (which contains a bassline quite similar to the Fab Four's "Rain") or the keyboard-heavy ballad "Like Angels" (which sounds like it's straight from 1987). While fans of Victims of the Future may be left wondering where the hard rock went, Dark Days in Paradise will be an interesting listen for fans curious to hear Moore trying new approaches.

After several hit albums in the U.K., Level 42 finally found American success with the 1986 album World Machine and its hit single, "Something About You." When 1987's follow-up release Running in the Family also scored on this side of the Atlantic, it seemed Level 42 was here to stay. But 1988's Staring at the Sun was an artistic catastrophe and a commercial failure, and Level 42 would never again reach the artistic and commercial peak of its two U.S. successes. Guaranteed was a considerably better album than Staring at the Sun – not that the band could do much worse – but it went virtually unnoticed in America.

This is another fine effort from Cobham, who continues to turn out quality recordings that have gone largely unnoticed by both critics and consumers. Beginning with Incoming, Cobham toned down his thunderous approach in favor of a more controlled and complimentary style. His compositions also reflected consideration for the development of his fellow bandmates. Focused continues this trend with an overwhelming sense of honesty. Joining him are his former band mate Randy Brecker and fellow collaborator drummer/keyboardist Gary Husband. Most of the tunes here are over seven minutes long and allow each member to fully develop their statements. Brecker is particularly stunning on "Nothing Can Hurt Her Now."