Jazz Articles about Niacin

The Best Of '90s Jazz Fusion

by Len Davis
August 7, 2022

John Mclaughlin The Heart Of Things, Michael Brecker, Brecker Brothers, Miles Davis Live Around The World, Jeff Richman, Niacin from High Bias, Chick Corea Electric Band, and Tunnels with Percy Jones. Playlist John McLaughlin “Healing Hands" from The Heart Of Things  (Verve) 00:00 Michael Brecker “Escher Sketch" from Now You See It-Now You Don't  (GRP) 07:00 Brecker Brothers “Scrunch" from Out Of The Loop  (GRP) 14:07 Miles Davis “Hannibal" from Live Around The World (Warner) 21:20 Jeff Richman “Suite ...

Niacin: Krush

by Glenn Astarita
September 24, 2013

After a lengthy hiatus, the high-impact progressive rock and jazz-fusion trio fires back with its 6th studio album. The respective musicians' demanding schedules as first-call session aces and ongoing affiliations with other bands, both in and out of the studio, spans multiple jazz and rock related genres. Here, the trio's vigorous turbo-powered gait remains intact, along with its demanding rhythmic blueprint. The band tackles guitarist Al DiMeola's fusion classic “Majestic Dance," originally appearing on Return to Forever's 1976 ...

Niacin: Organik

by John Kelman
November 13, 2005

With a collective resume that ranges from the ostentatious stadium rock of David Lee Roth and Mr. Big to the fusion of John Scofield and John McLaughlin, the members of Niacin--keyboardist John Novello, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Dennis Chambers--clearly have chops to spare. What's remarkable about their sixth release, Organik, is the unbelievable high level of energy maintained throughout. By the time the hour-long program is over, even the most indefatigable listener will be spent and exhausted. It's a ...

Niacin: Time Crunch

by John W. Patterson
December 1, 2001

This is a first for me. I open a demo package and am so impressed I begin the review before the CD is finished. This release is THAT important. Jazzers will dig this. Fusion heads will get into it. Prog rock fans will drool. Rockers will bang heads. And anyone who loves awesome keys, monster bass and slammin' drums MUST grab this. I received this CD and liner notes “naked" and I instantly assembled a fine jewel case for this ...

Niacin: Deep

by Glenn Astarita
April 1, 2000

One of the few modern day champions of the Hammond-B3 organ trio, “Niacin” now record for progressive-rock/fusion label “Magna Carta” and with their 3rd USA release, Deep the musicians do indeed, sway their hard driving ways a bit more towards the prog/fusion realm. Deep may be the trio’s finest effort to date! With this release, “Niacin” not only kicks out the jams while often trading heavy fours intermingled with a huge wall of sound yet also intertwine powerful funk-rock backbeats ...

Niacin: High Bias

by Christopher Hoard
August 1, 1998

If you've sensed a shortage of adrenaline and testosterone in the year's new jazz releases, and still yearn for some of that down-to-earth, kick-ass fusion, replete with hyper-athletic chops and afterburner grooves, then wait no longer. Virtuoso fusion projects seem to be out of fashion with large corporate labels bent on milking their vaults with re-issues (seems they've found out there's just more profit when there's no artist development or living musicians involved!).

Fortunately, in the forever fickle record industry, ...

Niacin: High Bias

by Glenn Astarita
May 1, 1998

High Bias is the follow up to last year's explosive debut on Chick Corea's Stretch record label. As the press release suggests: Niacin is a tighter and slightly more cohesive unit. The driving force is keyboard guru John Novello. Novello is a well know West Coast session musician, educator and Hammond B-3 enthusiast. Bassist Billy Sheehan and all-world drummer Dennis Chambers round out the core of Niacin while Alex Acuna, Pat Torpey, Kenwood Dennard and Rayford Griffin each contribute percussion/drums ...