David Garfield & Friends: The State of Things

No recording dates are listed on The State of Things, but Garfield's clearly been working on it for years, given that a third of the tracks feature Carlos Vega—a versatile drummer who appeared on literally hundreds of albums before passing away tragically in 1998.

This fusion-centric effort features many of LA's best session players, but in many ways it's as much Landau's disc as it is Garfield's. He pays tribute to Jimi Hendrix on a version of "If Six Was Nine that—as blasphemous as this may sound—might actually be an improvement on the original. While his tone says rock, his lines say jazz as he demonstrates complete facility navigating changes on the swinging version of Miles Davis' "Milestones and a more delicate mainstream take on John Coltrane's "Naima. He exhibits his more textural side on "Me and kicks things into extreme high gear on the greasy funk of "Five Storks and the more overtly rocking "Black Cadillac.

Landau's so all over The State of Things that it's easy to overlook the strengths coming from every other corner. Garfield chooses the right drummer every time. John Guerin, another studio veteran who passed away in 2004 who may be best-remembered for his '70s work with Tom Scott's LA Express and Joni Mitchell, is featured here on three jazz standards—the aforementioned "Milestones and "Naima, as well as an all-acoustic version of Miles' "Nardis. Vinnie Colaiuta comes in for more powerhouse fusion tracks like "Tsunami, which also features a guest spot by iconic guitarist Allan Holdsworth, while Vega straddles the territory between the two and Phillips is the perfect choice for the Hendrix cover. And while Landau's voice is hard to ignore, Garfield's no slouch either, delivering a fleet-fingered solo on the ambling funk of "Aliens.

The energy level is high and the album is definitely about soloing, but Garfield is also a fine writer of ten pieces, collaborating with others including bassist Jimmy Johnson, EWI player Steve Tavaglione and Landau.

All too often fusion albums—especially session-based ones with no consistent core band—come across as nothing more than an opportunity for soloists to ply their wares, most times with minimal regard for the essence of the material. The State of Things is a welcome exception where the only thing as impressive as the many players' virtuosic yet meaningful facility is their respect for the writing and, despite their sometimes raw power, an avoidance of self-indulgence and excess. This is fusion as it should be.

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