submitted on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 06:06 in Jazz Niche by Mike_Longo Rating:
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Before becoming synonymous with self-indulgent excess--or worse, smoothed-out pap--fusion offered the excitement of joining jazz improvisation and harmonic sophistication with rock energy and driving rhythms. Though they may not self-identify with fusion, a growing number of musicians raised on both rock and jazz feel no compunction in drawing influences from and blending both. One such group is the Minneapolis trio Happy Apple: saxophonist (and occasional keyboardist) Michael Lewis, electric bassist Erik Fratzke and drummer Dave King, better known for genre-tweaking with The Bad Plus. On their seventh CD, they mine a seemingly inexhaustible vein of grooves to support their catchy themes...
Source: allaboutjazz
Author: Sean Patrick Fitzell
