Back in the mid-80s, trumpet legend Maynard Ferguson left his comfort zone of big band sounds and experimented with electronics and funk grooves. It raised a lot of eyebrows at the time and divided up his followers, but he stuck with it for awhile and attracted new fans in the process. This 2 cd set documents the two famous “High Voltage” sessions to help you see what the fuss was all about.
The pair of albums is actually two different groups, with a similar sound. Denis DiBlasio plays tons of reeds and woodwinds along with Todd Carlon/key, Ray Brinker/dr, Rick Shaw/b, Michael Higgins/ g and Steve Fisher/perc on the ’87 session, while Ferguson blows with John Toomey/key, Dave Tull/dr, Michael Lufkin/b, Tom Bevan/g, Billy Hulting/perc and Matt Wallace/sax on the ’88 recording. Ferguson shows his die-hard fans he hadn’t lost his roots with some really swinging stuff like “Shufflemonk” and “Nightgown” while pieces like “High Voltage” are reaching to break the ozone layer. The team snaps with electronics, keyboards and even synth sounds from Ferguson’s brass on pieces like “Jack Usage,” while “Omaha” is as catchy as catch can. A bonus track with Ferguson going bel canto on “O Sole Mio” is a gorgeous reminder of why this guy is in the jazz Hall of Fame. An interesting foray from a bebopper with a big and restless heart.