Harriet Tubman – “Prototype ” – [Avant]

Thurston Hunger   5/29/2006   A Library, CD

Arrested for rocking while black?’ And as a
result sentenced to the confines of the jazz
library? You, the DJ, must liberate them…
The trio’s second all-instro CD, captured live.
Focus is largely on Brandon Ross, a killer guitar
player, but batterizer J.T. Lewis whomps, and
bass hero Melvin Gibbs just squashes “Slide Rule”
Ross ranges from Buckethead blisterings to Jim
Thomas (Mermen) volume pedal wash and sustained
spray. “Chief of Police” has that funk yet funny
Godzilla-trying-to-tiptoe-heaviness reminiscent
of Drums and Tuba. At times, I’d kinda like
Briggan Krauss or David Shea or ?’?’ for contrast
wth Ross, heck Gibbs has worked with lots of
those cool ?’?’s. Still this is excellent guitar
storm music, it will be interesting to see how
Rollins (Henry and Sonny) fans connect to this.
Humbucker up, and hammerdown. -Thurston Hunger