Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Scott Jones: Fictional Characters
Scott Jones: Fictional Characters
ByAlthough Jones' chosen sonic path may be reminiscent enough of well-worn fusion territory to elicit some initial skepticism, it's evident not long into the proceedings that his talents as player, composer and arranger well exceed the strata of the merely good for an earned place among the exceptional. This reading is seconded by the presence of players on Fictional Characters whose reputations were made while backing some of those aforementioned behemoths keyboardist Steve Hunt (Allan Holdsworth, Stanley Clarke), bassist Romain Labaye (Scott Henderson, Nguyen Le) and drummer Archibald Ligonnière (Scott Henderson, Richard Bona). The fact that Jones can handily contend with this pack (and even run ahead of it at times) says most of what one needs to know.
In addition to his own compositions giving him and his capable bandmates challenging opportunities to shine (and they do), Jones himself has the cajones to cover the Holdsworth mainstay "Atavachron," with a former member of the AH band no less. More remarkable still is that Jones shows he has the mojo to issue a version fresh enough and hot enough to sufficiently justifiy its existence to even the most jaded of Holdsworth freaks.
Perhaps the less obvious yet crowning proof of Jones' skill lies in "Time Is An Infinite Field." An evocative Hunt piano improv originally intended as a solo intro piece to one of the tunes, Jones' recombinant guitar overlay is an astonishingly seamless, organic-sounding retrofit. It shows an uncommon musical empathy that not only adds more wonder to a beautiful base track, but a sublime high point to an album rife with blazing ones.
Unlike the crop of recently popular crossover bands who have wooed chunks of the mainstream public into opening their ears to various progressive instrumental, jazz and fusion music, Jones' brand of uncompromising, unapologetic fusion isn't likely to win many converts to the genre, save those already so inclined. Be that as it may, as a new and fully-recognizable offering to a musical idiom that receives few unmutated additions of late, Fictional Characters will surely provide a hefty and exciting shot in the arm for jazz-rock/fusion's stalwart devotees.
Track Listing
Floki's Shipyard; The Long Night; Human Music; Shut Up and Dance; Interlocking Wheels; Let's Cook; Time Is An Infinite Field; Atavachron.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Fictional Characters | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Autumn Hill Records
< Previous
Mike Jurkovic's Best Releases Of 2020
Next >
Bow Shoulder
Comments
Tags
Scott Jones
Album Review
Mike Jacobs
Fictional Characters
Autumn Hill Records
Steve Hunt
Allan Holdsworth
Stanley Clarke
Romain Labaye
Scott Henderson
nguyen le
Archibald Ligonnière
Richard Bona