Greg Howe is known to make quantum leaps every once in a while. The two prime examples of this where Introspection in terms songwriting and Parallax in terms of playing. Extraction is not that kind of album, but that's not a bad thing. Extraction is best viewed as a natural progression. On Hyperacuity, one his best efforts, great songs, playing, technique and tone all combined to form what seems to be the style that Howe was striving for all along. Extraction picks up where Hyperacuity left off. The songs are a bit looser in feel and structure, due in part to the all star lineup consisting of Dennis Chambers on drums (is there any album he doesn't play on?) and Victor Wooten on Bass. Combined with Howe they arguably form the best trio around. Both seamlessly shift from supporting roles, creating one of the deepest pockets ever, to the spotlight where they both shine. Dave Cook's keyboard contribution is also first class, adding a new shade to Howe's music, fleshing out the sound as well as providing a nice contrast to Howe's soloing. Even though all the tracks where recorded separately, the musicality of these players allows them to sound as if they're all playing together, feeding off each other. Greg's tone is his best to date and the recording itself is incredible - every instrument sits perfectly in the mix.

So how's the playing you ask? In three words - confident and mature. First off, it doesn't seem like Howe is trying to blow everyone away on every track. Instead, he seems like a player who has found his voice and is very content refining his improvisational skills on his particular brand of funk/fusion songs. That's not to say the album isn't littered with incredible playing, it just means that it doesn't hit you over the head right away. This also has to do with the company he keeps. This album could have easily turned into an unbearable chops fest, as each of these players can rip forever. As the leader, Howe gets high marks for putting the emphasis on musicality, groove and taste. One aspect of Howe's playing which seems to have improved is his phrasing, especially over the more complex changes. There's a certain effortlessness to it, as he weaves inside and outside lines like there was nothing to it.

Only one complaint really, which could be said for other Howe releases as well, and that is that while the quality is outstanding, the quantity is a bit low. What makes this more pronounced is the fact that the wait for Extraction has been nearly four years. Most eyebrow-raising out of the nine songs is "A Delicacy", which is a remake of a song from Now Hear This. Even though Howe is wonderful on acoustic, as evidence on Contigo, this is not really what the fans have been looking forward to. If it had been track 14 I could see the point but as it stands it seems a bit filler. In this day and age of home recording, a few more songs would have been nice after four years. Hopefully this will be remedied by a shorter wait till the next time. Other than that, as expected, the bottom line is,THIS IS A GREAT ALBUM - GO GET IT.