Adam Glaser, Excursions Review

Pianist and composer Adam Glaser is a refined player, but he is also an experimentalist willing to push the boundaries of his ideas in a musical setting not bound by rules or traditions, but instead instilling them into his compositions with ablaze.  Glaser’s last release Wide Awake was a nicely knitted trio album that highlighted Glaser’s traditional proclivities. His latest outing Excursions is aptly titled as the album finds Glaser in the composer, performer, programmer and recording engineer seat using virtual instruments. The result is a freedom that offers a wide variety of contemporary jazz to blossom.

Bottom Line: From the gate “Naomi’s Binomial Nomenclature,” invokes a stylish contemporary sound with Glaser employing a Rhodes sound while a deeply grooving bass growls and interacts with the virtual drummer, vision of Hancock dance about the track. “I’m Ready,” has a tasty fusionistic vibe and Glaser lays it down with a funky backbeat and a soulful melody. Replete with a keyboard organ sound this track is funktastic. “Pursuit No. 1,” had a cool soundtrack vibe, it chugs along with juicy nuggets that entice the ear.  Glaser changes up the beat and deepens the intrigue, adding in a low-end piano blast that adds to the darkened ambiance.  His dexterity abounds and he continues to layer quick runs, and funky colorizations.  There is so much to dig with Excursions, each track offers its own slice of fusion of hip sounds and burning musicianship. It reminded me when Hancock and the Headhunters II and Corea Electrik Band toured together back in 88. Lots of juicy morsels to satisfy the adventurer in all of us. That’s the short of it.

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