Eric Marienthal: It's Love (2012)

Saxophonist Eric Marienthal is among contemporary jazz's busiest talents. On the day that It's Love was released, Marienthal also played a starring role on the Jeff Lorber Fusion entry Galaxy. The two albums reflect Marienthal's varied talents, as both a creative improviser and a lover of groove-oriented popular music. It's Love was produced by guitarist Chuck Loeb, who also appears throughout the set. Also in this studio band are Yellowjackets' keyboardist Russell Ferrante, drummer Gary Novak, and bassist Tim Lefebvre. Marienthal's love of pop-soul is displayed on the album's opening number, a cover of Brenda Russell's iconic "Get Here." Introduced by Ferrante's piano and spare percussion and guitar, Marienthal's alto moves right into the melody and sticks close while digging deep into his horn's grain for emotion. When the key change happens, he syncopates the lyric flow and allows the melody to guide him. While this track has been covered by many singers, pulling it off in a contemporary jazz setting isn't easy. The temptation to show off one's chops at the expense of the tune is everywhere; Marienthal's discipline keeps him honest and he lets its original intent flow right through to the listener. He switches gears on a 21st century reading of Irving Mills' "In a Sentimental Mood," which doesn't resemble any instrumental version out there -- Loeb's solo guitar intro evokes Wes Montgomery before Ferrante and Marienthal enter and return what has long been a vehicle for jazz improvisation back into a lyric song. The title track is a haunting ballad co-written by Marienthal and Loeb, while the latter's "Two in One" is a midtempo groover with Marienthal soloing on soprano. "Babycakes" and "St. Moritz" were co-composed by the saxophonist with Lorber. The former evokes the Crusaders circa 1969 and 1970 as Marienthal uses Wilton Felder's soulful phrasing in a gospelized groove while Loeb plays tasty fills а la Larry Carlton. Lorber contributes keyboards and additional guitar, too. On "St. Moritz," Till Bronner's trumpet adds depth, density, and an added lyricism to the breezy Caribbean atmosphere until the midway point, where it gets nocturnal and funky. It's Love is a (mostly) laid-back offering, yet it's solid: beautifully arranged and executed, its silky production and emotive undertones, make it a perfect Valentine's Day soundtrack to boot. ~ Thom Jurek

Tracklist:
01. Get Here
02. In A Sentimental Mood
03. Can't Buy Me Love
04. It's Love
05. Two In One
06. Costa Del Soul
07. Babycakes
08. Café Royale
09. St. Moritz
10. When I Found You
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Human Element: ST (2011)

In the tradition of Weather Report and the Joe Zawinul Syndicate, two powerhouse pan-global bands that have greatly influenced generations of musicians around the world, Human Element is staking out a new corner of the musical map on its self-titled debut. Comprised of keyboardist Scott Kinsey (Tribal Tech), electric bassist Matthew Garrison (Zawinul Syndicate, John McLaughlin's Heart of Things, Herbie Hancock), percussionist-vocalist Arto Tuncboyaciyan (Al Di Meola's World Sinfonia, Joe Zawinul, Marc Johnson's Right Brain Patrol) and drummer Gary Novak (Chick Corea's Elektric Band), Human Element incorporates elements of fusion, funk and Armenian folk tunes into a potent 21st century brew that defies easy categorization.

Personnel: Scott Kinsey (Keyboards, Vocals) Arto Tuncboyacian (Percussion, Vocals, Effects), Gary Novak (Drums, Cymbals), Matthew Garrison (Basses, Vocals, Effects), and Special Guest John McLaughlin (Guitar).

Recorded at Gary Novak' Kronos Studio in Burbank and mixed and mastered by Kinsey in his home studio, Human Element travels from intense offerings like the 5/8 title track and Bottom of the Mirror to the Gnawan music influenced groover Essouaria and funky jams like Crazy Girl and Shake It. Tuncboyaciyan's Hi Lao (featuring a cameo by guitar hero John McLaughlin) injects a Middle Eastern flavor into the proceedings while Garrison's two tracks, Izzy and Cut, showcase his remarkable facility on the bass. For a change of pace from the whirlwind intensity, Tuncboyaciyan offers transcendent vocals on the beautiful ballad See With Your Ear and the zen-like calm of Onno, a touching ode to his late brother. Arto's son Seto also contributes some thoughtful spoken word passages on the solemn lament Think About It, which tackles the grim topic of the Armenian genocide.
Rather than being a one-off studio project with an endless cast of characters, Human Element is the sound of a band in the process of establishing its identity.
''We decided that it should definitely be a band and that a record should be just the four of us,'' says Kinsey. ''There's something special about that. We all loved Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra and we wanted that real band approach. So the four of us camped out for a couple of days and recorded all the basic tracks for this record. Everybody contributed tunes and we all had some input on how the songs were going to end up sounding. It was never really one guy's vision, even if it was his tune we were recording. That's why I really think in the end it does sound like a band record.''

And while the Zawinul influence may be apparent at times, the four kindred spirits boldly stride into distinctly new territory on Human Element. ''Language-wise, we all got so much from Joe,'' says Kinsey, ''and yet we wanted it to be different and about us. And as we got into it, I think it started to really take on an identity of its own. It spans a big area of music and yet it still sounds like one thing.

Kinsey and company hope to establish Human Element as a major force on the international festival scene, bringing their unique and powerful message to fusion and world music fans everywhere. ''The plan is to really go for it with this band,'' says Kinsey. ''We all believe in it because there's really nothing else like this band out there. Since Joe passed, there's just no one making music that's really on that type of wavelength. So there must be a lot of people out there who would like to find music that speaks to them the way that Joe's music did.''

Human Element definitely fills that void. With the release of their self-titled debut on Abstract Logix, this powerful quartet takes its first step in its musical mission.

Tracklist:

1. Introduction
2. Izzy
3. The Human Element
4. Speak with Your Eye
5. Onno
6. Hi Lao
7. Cut
8. Listen with Your Mouth
9. Essaouira
10. Crazy GIrl
11. See with Your Ear
12. Shake It!
13. Bottom of the Mirror
14. Think About It

Human Element

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