Bob Gorry: GoBruCcio

Jerry Garcia once tried to explain the Grateful Dead's appeal by comparing them to licorice. He pointed out that not everybody likes licorice, but the people who do "really like licorice." The same principle could easily apply to free jazz. There's a unique appeal to free improvisation that some listeners embrace, while others might quickly turn the dial. There's rarely any middle ground when it comes to free jazz, but Bob Gorry's GoBruCcio gives fans a reason to celebrate.

Guitarist Gorry is the founder of the New Haven Improvisers' Collective, and he hosts a radio program dedicated to free jazz. On GoBruCcio, he is joined by bassist Pete Brunelli and drummer Peter Riccio. Together, they form a tight- knit unit of avant-garde improvisation. While most of the music is jazz, there are also underlying elements of progressive rock, blues, and even classical music.

It's easy to spot the influence of artists such as Ornette Coleman, Sonny Sharrock, and Mary Halverson here, but there's also a healthy dose of other experimental musicians as well. Some of the music, for example, sounds reminiscent of artists such as Henry Kaiser, John Zorn, or Fred Frith. There are also moments that get into a freeform playfulness that brings to mind Captain Beefheart's 1969 album, Trout Mask Replica (Straight).

It seems reasonable to assume that in order to create free jazz effectively, the musicians need to be familiar with each other's style. Gorry, Brunelli, and Riccio have been playing together for quite a while and it shows. There's an obvious chemistry among the players here, which is evident from the opening track, "Safecracker," where the musicians follow each other closely down a path that goes through seemingly new territory with each turn.

Some songs, such as "Papillon" and "Javelina," are guitar-driven, which shows rock influences as well as jazz. There are also hints of the blues scattered throughout the album as well. "Magic City Madness," for instance, features some bluesy moments, which transform from a somewhat abstract pentatonic shuffle into an all-out deconstructed bebop tune.

For some, freeform music might come across sounding like random noodling or maybe a local garage band trying to figure out some Sun Ra tunes. While those descriptions might be true in some cases, truly talented musicians can make outside music sound great. GoBruCcio certainly falls into the latter category, and the talent of these musicians makes the album click.