With the creation in 2023 of progressive jazz/rock/fusion collective The Haas Company, veteran drummer Steve Haas and keyboardist/composer Pete Drungle have laid a truly sonically surreal foundation for a dynamic series of recordings spotlighting legends of the genre. Their Frank Gambale spotlight collection Celestial Latitude, subtitled Vol. 2, is the follow-up to their 2023 debut Galactic Tide featuring guitarist Andy Timmons.
Celestial Latitude offers a powerful reminder just how impactful the Australian born Gambale has been on the jazz fusion world, from his decades of solo artistry and original six years with the Chick Corea Elektric Band to his 12 years with Vital Information. From the densely percussive, keyboard heavy opener “Mekat Rock” through the crazy, mind-bending offbeat trippiness of “Bug Fights” andthe spacey and fiery mystical madness of the closing track “Liquid Crystal,” the point seems to be to let Gambale shred while also offering insightful glimpses into the intricacies of his trademark sweep picking and economy picking techniques.
Yet amidst what comes off more often than not as out-there soundscape for musicians to run wild, there are moments of controlled sanity and some pretty soulful melodies – most prominently on some passages of the mystical title track and on the charmingly exotic “Ultra Flamingo,” which begins with Gambale’s equally snazzy, rhythmic and melodic Spanish guitar before he switches out to another electric for a bluesy fusion jam with Drungle. Adding a bit of more mainstream jazz flair are guest saxophonists Pete Gallio and Jay Rodriguez.
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