By: MJ Brady
well schooled musician/ guitarist is Mark Stanley, but if players like Al
DiMeola represent the astute and disciplined pristine students of these
institutions of higher education in music, Mark Stanley, by listening to
this music would represent the proverbial Bad Boy, or class clown. Maybe he
fell asleep during the theory sessions, or didn't take the classical
composer classes seriously, something tells me he was wearing headphones
during some of his classes, listening to Zappa, & Beefheart. Now I am not
implying that Stanley is a bad musician, as i can hear he is an outstanding
guitarist, I am saying he has forged out from under the typical 'pretty'
musics that most Berklee grads have been associated with, he plays guitar
with the same intensity and exploratory skills as Scott Henderson does in
Tribal Tech. And he writes zany music that sometimes borders on RIO, or even
Zappaesque. Few bands are treading into this territory of quirky fusion
insanity, perhaps Mike Keneally, The Fowler Bros, or Mats/Morgan would be
some bands that are relevent comparisons, Tribal Tech should get a nod also,
added with some dashes of Zappa. There are times where the music is loose
and improvised, other times the songs are comprised of grand technicality.
Odd time signtures, incredibly well drafted, speedy runs, and some great
musicianship abound, he also shows a true jazz side to his playing on
Crickets and Moths, giving his sound a Metheny, Stern, or Krantz like vibe.
I really enjoy this CD, it's an excercise in the abstract, while some songs
are derivative of classic fusion, others are so unique and humorous that you
really never get a chance to give typecasts or generalizations of Staneys'
musical vision. This is a tough cd to review, as it really is a original
production, some vocals bits are used, mainly as a tool for the humorous
side of the music, odd loops and noises creep in and out of each songs to
add to the confusion, but all in a good way. I must say that Stanley is an
excellent guitarist, he has the same raw, blues/jazz fusion technique that
Scott Henderson uses, with chops galore, and an endless array of them. There
is some outstanding improvisational drumming on this CD also by both Dennis
Chambers(CAB, Session artist), and Sean Rickman(Shawn Lane). If you like
fusion, are daring, and don't mind some mitigated audacity to jump up from
behind your igloo while listening to music. Find this CD, and enjoy
something entirely new!
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