Carl Orr: Unstoppable
Musicians:
Carl Orr (guitar), Billy Cobham (drums),
Adam Glasser (keyboards), Neville Malcolm (bass)
.Composed by Carl Orr
.Recorded: Hertfordshire, England, July 2001
Rating: 89/100 (learn more)
The clicking of guest drummer Billy Cobham's sticks counts down to "Unstoppable." Cobham was returning the favor to Orr for playing guitar in Cobham's bands on some recordings and various tours since 1990. The tune's opening head is an R&B "Funk City." For a fleeting second or two the piece threatens to go the Smooth Jazz route. (Excuse me while I contemplate vomiting). But the direction veers. Thank God! The melody is somewhat reminiscent of Cobham's more commercial recorded efforts of the '80s and '90s. No surprise there. I am not too thrilled by it. No surprise there either. Of course, Cobham is always worth a listen. But the reason to open your ears for this cut is the tune's midsection. Orr is one of the best fusion guitarists we have. He is a deeply intense player. He tears apart the structure of this tune and throws the waste to the side of the road. There is no pretense here. This is about deconstruction of the form in a passionate and violent way. The only thing that keeps my rating below 90 is the unfortunate head arrangement.
Reviewer: Walter Kolosky
Tags: 2000s jazz · fusion · guitar
Comments are closed.