Craig Chaquico

On "Fire Red Moon", it’s full-on kick ass time again. The blues-heavy set features vocalist Rolf Hartley wailing on a mix of tunes co-penned by Chaquico and-standard-but-never-old covers like "Born Under a Bad Sign", "Rollin’ and Tumblin" and "Crossroads." Those who miss his softer side can find traces of it in the instrumental "Blue on Blue," but Fire Red Moon leaves no doubt that this always-masterful player has returned to plugged-in mode for real.

Following two albums with a reconstituted L.A. Express, Bluestreak and Smokin' Section, Tom Scott returns to solo frontman duties on his Higher Octave Jazz debut, New Found Freedom, but he does so with a large number of guests. Those guests help broaden the styles of music available on the release, although Scott's own saxophone work remains a touchstone and everything on the disc will be easily programmable on smooth jazz radio. Indeed, the variety gives programmers many choices. Craig Chaquico, a fellow veteran of the 1970s rock scene and now a labelmate, joins Scott with some characteristic acoustic guitar work on the becalmed opener, "Feelin' It," after which adult contemporary singer Ann Nesby croons "You Are My Everything" while Billy Preston joins in on organ.

As its album title suggests, Starship's compilation Greatest Hits (Ten Years and Change 1979-1991) covers not only the group's popular heyday, 1985-1991, but also the earlier era, 1979-1984, which was actually the latter days of Jefferson Starship, after the departures of co-lead singers Marty Balin and Grace Slick, with former Elvin Bishop Group singer Mickey Thomas replacing Balin, and Slick, eventually, returning. The history that is described by the collection is largely one of attrition, effectively traced by the performer credits listed in the booklet. In 1979, the group is a sextet consisting of Thomas, lead guitarist Craig Chaquico, rhythm guitarist Paul Kantner…

Manhole was the last of the experimental Jefferson Airplane, and Grace Slick's first official solo album. While Bark and Long John Silver, the final stages of the original Airplane, displayed the excessive psychedelic nature of the musicians within the confines of their group format, Blows Against the Empire, Sunfighter, and Baron Von Tollbooth and the Chrome Nun allowed for total artistic expression. Manhole concluded this phase with 1974's other release, the Jefferson Starship's Dragonfly. By taking the name from Paul Kantner's Blows Against the Empire solo project, Dragonfly began the renewed focus on commercial FM which would turn into Top 40 airplay. Manhole is the antithesis of that aim, but is itself a striking picture of Grace Slick as the debutante turned hippy being as musically radical as possible…

Jefferson Starship was among the most successful arena rock bands of the 1970s and early '80s, an even greater commercial entity than its predecessor, Jefferson Airplane, the band out of which it evolved. Many Jefferson Airplane fans decried the group's new, more mainstream musical direction, especially after Airplane singers Grace Slick and Marty Balin departed in 1978. But with shifting personnel, Jefferson Starship managed to please its new fans and some old ones over a period of a decade before it shifted gears into even more overtly pop territory and changed names again to become simply Starship.

Touring behind icons like Michael Bolton and Mariah Carey has no doubt enhanced guitarist Chris Camozzi's sense of a pop melody, and he shares those expert acoustic and electric chops in a solo spotlight of his own on Windows of My Soul, Higher Octave's latest rock guitarist turned smooth jazz cat release. He's found a fitting home on the label, because his rich tapestry of cool yet just aggressive enough to be invigorating sounds blend the rhythmic charms of Craig Chaquico and the smoky after hours passion of Neal Schon. A tender nylon string reading of The Beatles' "Michelle" complements a snappy repertoire of fiery electricity ("Go Wes Young Man" has an obvious influence) and charming romance along the lines of the seductive "The Dreamers." Program a few of the later cuts in sequence and your soul mate won't complain any time soon. For, like his labelmates, Camozzi's production skills are all about creating moodswings which best fit each tune's lyrical lilt. More often than not, these windows look out optimistically, through the eyes of love.

Since the Rippingtons do Russ Freeman's bidding, he hasn't found it necessary to do a full-fledged, regular solo album since he founded the group in 1986. (There have been duo albums with David Benoit and Craig Chaquico as well as a solo holiday record, however.) But listeners "started encouraging me to 'step out' more and to play more guitar," he writes in the liner notes to Drive, and "hence, this album," his first such release since 1985's Nocturnal Playground. That statement is the key to what distinguishes the disc from a Rippingtons album. Although Freeman has called upon a few guest musicians, with Chris Botti contributing muted trumpet work to "Soul Dance," Jeff Lorber keyboards to "Brighter Day," and Eric Marienthal sax to "Anywhere Near You," the tracks are designed as showcases for Freeman's guitar playing, not otherwise leaving room for other soloists.