Forbidden Saxophone

For this excellent outing (his third project for JVC), keyboardist Tom Coster performs 11 originals plus "Lover Man." Although his fusion-oriented music is full of funky ensembles, there is more variety than expected. Coster shares the solo space with tenor saxophonist Bob Berg, and the fiery guitarist Scott Henderson, creating a colorful and sometimes unpredictable program of music.

"On the Other Hand" finds pianist Michel Camilo straying from his normal piano trio format to command a larger ensemble with horns and percussion. This expansion is continued further with the addition of a guest vocalist on one track ("Forbidden Fruit"). His stunning piano chops, however, are in fine form as usual, as are his masterful composing and arranging skills. With this release, his fifth as a leader, Camilo is in his prime.

CHIC's third album has been praised by many as their very finest, yet - perhaps because of the impossible task of surpassing two monster albums (C'est CHIC + We Are Family) - I feel this comes off a wee bit disappointing. Of course, there was the ambiguous "Good Times", possibly CHIC's very greatest track with Nard's classic bass line, this first single has made history of its own, and there's no denying the splendid quality of this record. "A Warm Summer Night" is a sensuous instrumental that belongs among my favourites with its corny "Te quiero papi" whisper. Needless to say, the music is faultlessly played, repeating the theme over and over again.

For roughly half a decade, from 1968 through 1975, the Band was one of the most popular and influential rock groups in the world, their music embraced by critics (and, to a somewhat lesser degree, the public) as seriously as the music of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. Their albums were analyzed and reviewed as intensely as any records by their one-time employer and sometime mentor Bob Dylan. Although the Band retired from touring after The Last Waltz and disbanded several years later, their legacy thrived for decades, perpetuated by the bandmates' respective solo careers as well as the enduring strength of the Band's catalog.