JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
Rating: 
When I listen to Illicit these days, I think of it as the album where Tribal Tech first experimented with the free jams which have come to dominate their releases.
But back then, thank goodness, there was alot of variety in Tribal Tech’s approach.
Take the opener, The Wave. Clearly, guitarist Scott Henderson is laying waste to idiotic smooth jazz stations. The first dulcet tones mimic the call sign of the typical smooth jazz station. That pap is rudely interrupted by Scott Kinsey’s roiling synthesizer and a heavy metal-ish guitar and bass rhythmic underpinning, courtesy of Henderson and Gary Willis, respectively. Kinsey plays a brief staccato synthesizer melody over the guitar and bass pattern before Scott Henderson launches into a blistering guitar solo which is almost equal parts metal, bebop and lyricism. A nifty ensemble passage separates Henderson’s solo from Garry Willis’ nimble and boppish essay on bass. Then we get a special treat: Kirk Covington’s drum solo, played in counterpoint to the guitar and bass rhythmic pattern from the beginning of the tune. I always get more of a kick out of a drum solo when the drummer solos over the form of the tune. The Wave is a great track.
Stoopid is a Zawinul-esque R&B groove thang, updated for the hip hop era.
Black Cherry is more of a subdued affair, the sort of through composed piece Henderson was writing back in the 80s, modeled on Zawinul tunes like A Remark You Made. That’s not a putdown by the way. If you’re going to imitate someone, why not a master like Zawinul?
Slidin’ Into Charlisa is a soulfully bluesy R&B ballad, complete with a slinky horn section. It’s sexy as hell.
The twin tracks Riot and Aftermath are Tribal Tech’s collective impressions of the L.A. riots — both were fully improvised. Are they successful as tunes? Not so much, but they are fascinating as a demonstration of musicians listening to and responding to each other. I’m happy to hear them. I’m just grateful the whole album isn’t like that.
What you get with Illicit is Tribal Tech at a pivotal point in their development. Scott Henderson and Gary Willis were becoming more interested in grooves, they were experimenting with spontaneously created band performances, but they hadn’t yet grown bored with complex tune forms. In terms of individual virtuosity, all the band members were at a very high level, and as a band, they were definitely on the same page, as well. So, with Illicit, you get an excellent cross section of everything the band is capable of.
I suppose you could argue that the band is derivative of Weather Report, but so what? Tribal Tech takes Zawinul’s innovations in some interesting new directions, and does nothing that would embarrass the master. Illicit grooves hard, offers lots of opportunities for group interplay, and showcases the virtuostic abilities of the band’s individual members. It would seem ungrateful to ask for more.