3rd Force - Force Field (1999)

Anyone not hip to the diverse genre sounds coming out of Higher Octave these days can find the perfect sampler in 3rd Force's vibe-intensive Force Field. While the electronic keyboard trio of William Aura, Craig Dobbin, and Alain Eskinasi provides thick, acid jazzy grooves that range from dreamy and laid back ("7th Heaven") to shuffling hip-hop, trip-hop, and aggressive blues, some of the label's biggest names have a ball strutting their own stuff as the lead melodies and harmonies. Grant Geissman in particular gets opportunities to go easy on the nylon string (playing off the distant call and response of saxman John Klemmer and John Halblieb's muted trumpet), swampy on the slide guitar (the thickly percussive, dark and haunting "Bridge of Dreams"), and joyously funky on electric. Brian Hughes' brisk electric strings take center stage on the throbbing "Something Special," while Craig Chaquico's snappy acoustic flow weaves in and out of Richard Hardy's wistful sax harmony on "The Closer You Get." Ozzie Ahlers interjects a few lively piano solos on two of the Chaquico-led tunes, but it's just for name value; Dobbin's sparkling ivory tenderness is just as grand. Sax wise, 3rd Force seeks the smoky cool of Bryan Savage and Paul Taylor, whose soprano lines form a call and response with the hypnotic piano melody on "Revelation of the Heart." ~ Jonathan Widran