Brian Bromberg - Metal (2005)

Brian Bromberg, a highly versatile bassist who can play straight-ahead jazz, fusion, smooth, and adventurous music with equal skill, is a masterful tapper too. On this rockish fusion set, most of the selections have just Bromberg joined by drummer Joel Taylor. Bromberg utilizes an overdubbed piccolo bass like a guitar (so one would swear this was a guitar-driven power trio) in addition to his standard electric bass. Keyboardist Dan Siegel is on two numbers and drummer Tom McCauley subs for Taylor on one song, but otherwise all of the music is made by the two musicians. The results are nine rock-oriented originals played with plenty of spirit, passion, and fun in addition to the expected virtuosity. -- Scott Yanow