Tribal Music

The virtuoso jazz fusion unit Tribal Tech were formed in 1984 by guitarist Scott Henderson and bassist Gary Willis, debuting a year later with Spears. Over the course of subsequent efforts including 1987's Dr. Hee, 1990's Nomad, and 1992's Illicit, both Henderson and Willis emerged among the most acclaimed instrumentalists in contemporary jazz, with each frequently topping music magazine best-of lists; in the wake of 1995's Reality Check, Tribal Tech went on hiatus to allow the members the opportunity to pursue solo projects, finally reuniting four years later for Thick.

By the time Illicit was released in 1992, Scott Henderson & Tribal Tech (led by Henderson and bassists Gary Willis) had been established as one of the premier, if not the premier, experimental fusion outfits on the globe. That's "fusion" as in the fusion of jazz and rock, not the vanilla instrumental musings of artists like Kenny G, which are occasionally mislabled as such. Henderson's dramatic and powerful soloing and his incredibly refined chord work were the greatest causes for the early attention the group received, and Illicit only furthered the guitarist's reputation with its fire and musical vigor. Henderson's tone is sublime and Holdsworth-ian in its often horn-like quality, and Covington, bassist Gary Willis, and keyboardist Scott Kinsey somehow manage to match Henderson's dynamism and character…

New age composer/multi-instrumentalist Kazu Matsui reinterprets the works of Franz Schubert in Tribal Schubert, placing his classical compositions into completely different, refreshing contexts. Matsui introduces and integrates jazz, hip-hop, ambient, Eastern and improvisational elements into Schubert pieces, transcending the formality of the original works while preserving the melodic beauty of the originals. Tribal Schubert also features new age/jazz pianist Matsui on several tracks, adding to the album's diverse mix of classical and cutting edge.