SIMON AND BARD

Musaic

[Flying Fish FF 243]

It was said back in 1970 or thereabouts that John McLaughlin’s emergence as Electric Guitarist Extraordinaire would produce a zillion copiers in the years to come. And though few have come close to equaling either his technical ability or emotional finesse, whoever made that first prediction turned out to be a prophet of no mean means.

But with less frenetic times upon us, the mantle of Who Will Be Copied In The Future has shifted and seems to be hovering over Pat Metheny - he of melodic lyricism, well-structured dynamics, emotional depth, digital delays, finely honed chops, and ensemble interaction (most notably on the Group album) laced with moments of brilliance.

In his wake have come imitators, detractors, clones (see Wayne Johnson review, MUZIK!, Vol. 2), and ardent espousers of Mellow Intensity; which, though certainly not a catch-all for Metheny’s energetic, eclectic stylings, has certainly fallen under his influence.

One of the newest offerings in the Mellow Wave is Fred Simon and Michael Bard’s Musaic, and while it breaks no new ground, it does have real musical content; it hints that in concert (when given the time to stretch out) these guys could cook; and that one (or in this case, two) can walk the line somewhere between Bob Jamesian vapidity and the frozen tundra surrounding ECM and produce intelligent, warm personal music, pleasing to the heart and head at the same time.

On most of Musaic’s tunes (six of the seven were written by Simon) a theme is established by reedman Bard and both he and Simon (on keyboards) build their solos around it. Though tensions rise and fall throughout the record on various solo and ensemble passages, there never seems to be enough build-up to arrive at satisfactory resolutions - there is always a bit more that could have been stated, but wasn’t.

This is best demonstrated in "Morning Song" in which Simon and Bard choose not to deal with the climactic daybreak-sunrise of morning (for the ultimate statement on that, hear "Night Meets Light" by the Dixie Dregs); but rather the nine to ten o’clock hour when things have settled a bit, the Times has arrived, and the bagel is ready to be buttered and cream cheesed. Make no mistake, mid-Sunday morning is a very nice time, but the most interesting part of the day has already passed.

Stylistically, the duo glides between Oregon (without taking their chances) and some of the My Song musings of Jan Garbarek and Keith Jarrett. And in what can only be described as a major miracle of this Modern Age, it should be noted that only one funk-jazz number (featuring Larry Coryell on guitar) finds its way on the album. (A slightly lesser miracle is the fact that "Fancy Frogs" funks along for only three minutes.)

Musaic, as its cover photos imply, is an album of fog-streaked pastels, of introspective, yet inspiring beach-walking moments, and an effort to bridge the gap between aural and visual sensations. If it doesn’t succeed with every song, it sure as hell tries and is worth checking out.

- Steve Hurlburt