Showing posts with label Instrumental Jazz-Rock-Fusion Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Instrumental Jazz-Rock-Fusion Reviews. Show all posts

9/12/2020

Instrumental Jazz-Rock-Fusion: Manuel Muzzu- 3-Ree

Release Date: July 15, 2020

Label: Independent

Website


3-Ree is Manuel Muzzu’s third proper album. He has a handicap (I would rather call it a disadvantage) with his right hand so he cannot use all his fingers. You would never know that until he told you though. His playing is superlative.

Manuel Explains: My songs are inspired by all the different sounds I manage to extract from my 6 string basses including what may sound like a conventional guitar when I use it as a harmonic instrument opposed to a slap or a straight forward fretless melodic one.

Now think about that for a minute, how does this man discard a disadvantage with the most important factor in playing a stringed instrument, your hands? Amazing is the word as far as I am concerned.

Many things come to mind while listening to 3-Ree. The attraction for my ears and tastes becomes evident straight away as the first track “Give a Fu(n)k” starts. Notice the play on words in the title. Manuel likes to have some fun and give you something to think about as you browse over the track list.
 
He then takes the classic jazz-fusion from Coltrane “Giant Steps” and gives it his title dropping the s calling “Giant Step.” I imagine you would call it that as it sounds like a funky electronica jazz fusion mix with that impeccable bass of his leading the way. It is almost like the sounds of older computers moving at light speed that you would hear in older sci-fi movies or from the space-age cartoon The Jetsons from the 60s. A very interesting take on a legendary jazz fusion track indeed.

Manuel has many guests adding to the overall sounds and atmospheres of each track. As each track progressed through all of its layers of changing bursts of colors and paces, I could not help but think of some of my favorites since I started listening to jazz-rock fusion in the early 80s. Al Di Meola came to mind at first. And of course, his first band Return To Forever that amazing supergroup. “Soca Suca” really brought all of that reminiscing and feeling back to me very quickly. I remember the revelation of hearing Di Meola and Jean-Luc Ponty for the first time. This is great music and for many reasons.

Manuel’s use of the bass is genius and how gets that guitar sound is incredible.  3-Ree is a stellar recording from start to finish. If you are a listener that enjoys jazz, smooth jazz, rock, jazz-rock-fusion, or all of the above, then you are in for a sonic treat of the senses. 3-Ree is the entire palette of the jazz canvas converging into one incredibly entertaining group of tracks.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck
September 9, 2020

Track List:
01. Give a Fu(n)k
02. Kosong
03. Giant Step
04. A Place to Be
05. Soca Suca
06. Smoothazz
07. Stay Right To the Bottom
08. Just a Lullaby