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Colaiuta / Ford / Haslip: Jing Chi 
2001, Tone Center

Jing Chi is an album that will help you to appreciate how truly
difficult it is to compose, execute, and produce an advanced instrumental
collection. I can sense the struggle that occurred to invent the themes that
are laced throughout this effort. Anybody who has endeavoured an attempt at
inventing a melody line knows what I mean by this and can appreciate this
struggle. And, when making an attempt at melodies that are outside of the
normal diatonic harmonies, it is even more difficult to find appealing melody
lines. But, there are some masters that do it so well that it makes us think
that it is easy when it really is not.

Jing Chi is a collection of mostly instrumental compositions that are
somewhere towards the rock end of jazz fusion. The music is groove-based with
grooves that disappointingly do not move as much as I would like. There seems
to me to be a general lack of inspiration, direction, and captivation that is
missing from this effort. The music just does not grab you and say "Hey! Come
with me! We are going someplace you have never been before and you are gonna
like it whether you think you are gonna like it or not!". It rather seems to
wander aimlessly in a manner that encourages my attention elsewhere. This is
not to say that there is not good playing or that there are not good musical
ideas present, but the end effect just doesn't do it for me. The rhythms and
riffs seem a little too stale for my palette, and there just is not enough
drive and impulsion to attract my attention, though I do appreciate the attempt
at out! side harmonization.

In summarizing Jing Chi, instrumental rock and jazz fusion are a
difficult undertaking. There are few artists that can pull it off as well as
Shawn Lane, Greg Howe, Al Di Meola, Steve Morse, and the others in the upper
echelon do. These masters do not leave much room for the others that are good,
but not up to this world class stature. And, though I see some merit, it seems
to me that Jing Chi just does not measure up to this current world class
standard. The main shortcoming I see is that the music is not musical in an
accessible manner that makes it satisfying to hear.

1) The Hong Kong Incident 
2) Stan Key 
3) Tengoku 
4) Crazy House 
5) Going Nowhere 
6) Go Figure 
7) Man In The Ring 
8) In My Dream 
9) Train Song 
10) Aurora 

~ Christopher Ruel ~ www.ChrisRuel.com ~ Chris@ChrisRuel.com



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