Time In Place - Mike Stern

Sep

25

Time In Place - Mike Stern

≡ Category: 1980s, Fusion, Highly Recommended, Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING

Rating:

Talk about a prescient title. Time In Place is firmly stuck in the era it was created, the late 80s. That churchy, slightly tinny synthesizer, the B. B. King blues guitar attack, the echoey, slick production sound, it’s all practically a cliche from that era. Then you add the post bop tenor work of Michael Brecker and Bob Berg, which invariably climaxes in New York soul sax wails. It’s enough to make your gums ache.

But if you can get past all that, there are some very cool compositions to sink your teeth into.

Case in point: the opener, Gossip has an intriguing head, with it’s jagged melody and evasive rhythms. I’m also fond of Chromazone, which cleverly builds it’s A section from variations of a single phrase. Actually, all of the tunes have merit.

The music is all very well played, for what it is. You can’t fault the professionalism of Stern (guitar), Jim Beard (keys), Jeff Andrews (bass), Peter Erskine (drums), or Don Alias (percussion). Talk about an A team. These guys are all monsters.

It’s just that it’s so 1988. When I listen to this, I visualize Huey Lewis, Arnold Schwartzenegger, Stallone and Michael J Fox having a circle jerk. It’s not fair to judge it on that basis, it really isn’t, but I’m afraid I can’t help it. That’s why the rating is so low.

Update 1/16/2009: I was reading this review over, and it’s pretty unkind and not really fair, so I’m upgrading my rating by a full star. I mean, Time In Place is pretty much perfection for what it is.