Alex Skolnick Trio, Transformation - 1h 1m 52s

Tracks & Durations

1. Transformation	5:54
2. Electric Eye	5:21
3. Fear Of Flying	5:11
4. Money	5:14
5. Both Feet In	5:30
6. Scorch	7:14
7. Blackout	5:04
8. IMV/The Trooper	5:19
9. No Fly Zone	4:29
10. Don't Talk To Strangers	5:58
11. Highway Star	6:29

Note: The information about this album is acquired from the publicly available resources and we are not responsible for their accuracy.

Review

Straight ahead jazz mixed with heavy metal? Welcome to the world of the Alex Skolnick trio. When they first began in 2000, the idea was admittedly a bit far out: an improvisational trio doing creative arrangements of tunes by groups such as Black Sabbath. Even more unusual was the fact that this combo was led by a former speed metal guitar hero who had traded his electric guitar for a hollowbody archtop (known as a `jazz box'), moved to New York and studied with legendary musicians through the jazz department of New School University, where he earned his BFA. It was here where Alex hooked up with two fiery young prodigies in their early 20's on upright bass and drums; the three began practicing composition assignments and jazz standards. Frustrated with the limitations of the jazz repertoire, Alex stumbled upon this concept one night by hearing an arrangement of a Scorpions song in a dream. Arrangements of songs by Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, the Who and others followed; the group quickly developed a following in such New York City venues as Wetlands and the Knitting Factory.

The new trio album, "Transformation" (Magnatude), represents a turning point for the band. Original compositions fill just over half the album along with new arrangements of tunes by Judas Priest, Pink Floyd, Deep Purple, and more. There is some new sonic territory in the covers; from the fiery Middle Eastern section in Deep Purple's "Highway Star," to the Latin acoustic flavor of Dio's `Don't Talk To Strangers.' Similarly, the originals cover a wide range of styles: from Alex's ethereal ballad `Fear Of Flying,' to the surf/blues of `Both Feet In' (penned by drummer Matt Zebroski) and Alex's creative composition and title track, `Transformation,' which combines a driving rock beat with jazz harmony, a rock guitar solo section and a haunting, catchy melody sung by all three members. This melody is enhanced by the cello of special guest Dave Eggar (who has recently played with such jazz greats as Michael Brecker and Dianne Reeves). Another special guest, Grammy nominee Charlie Hunter, comes aboard on his 8-string guitar/bass hybrid for Alex's funk/jazz composition, Scorch.

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