Nat Janoff, guitar; Matthew Garrison, bass; and, Gene Lake, drums.
Nat Janoff records with several groups and this independently released CD of all original songs was recorded in 1999.
The opening cut of "Looking Through" is pure fusion with Janoff laying out the melody with fast trills and Lake (son of esteemed Jazz saxophonist Oliver Lake) adding a dynamic punch on drums. Janoff initiates a fluid Jazz-infused rhythm to "Room With A View" and the trio jams through this tune in a lengthy exploration. "Horizon" has a wayward harmony on this brisk improvisation. Bassist Garrison's lyrical take on "Home" lends complexity to this tune. On "Three Sunsets" Janoff overdubs a maze of notes as he imaginatively weaves his way through the lovely slow melody. Lake shines on "Orange" with just the right inflection on this adventurous selection. "Spiral" has a spontaneity and interesting interplay with the drum patterns laid down by Lake.
This CD is composed of seven cuts which runs just over thirty minutes. Janoff covered two tunes ("Looking Through" and "Spiral") on a more recent CD with his group Berkana more to my liking. This is a worthy effort full of superbly crafted fusion.
by Dorothy L. Hill