Albums like this give support to the idea that the best friendships are the long lasting ones. Bassist Tom Kennedy has been teamed with drummer Dave Weckl since their adolescent years, touring and recording in a wide range of musical combinations and environments. Kennedy’s latest album has him showing his prowess mostly with his 5 string electric bass and mostly with childhood buddy Weckl in a rocking fusion and funky atmosphere.
Roger Guth sits in at the sticks when Kennedy plays acoustic bass and keyboards on the sleek and cheerful “Simple Song” with the core team of Jay Oliver/key and Roger Squitero/pec as violinist Sarina Suno and soprano saxist Ada Rovatti glide through the rich theme, and also when Kennedy plugs in and takes the melodic lead for Bill Evans to slither around with on tenor and soprano sax during “Altitude”.
With Weckl in the driver’s seat, the sticks and bass bend and snap like Reese Witherspoon with some funky AWB horn work on “Hurry Up!” and with guitarist Mike Stern and saxist Rovatti searing through the sizzling “Elements”. Kennedy puts on some wide wale chords to get into the mood for digging in a rivulet of groove with a thick pulse and greasy soul on “The ‘70s”. Tunes that sound like something Steely Dan should record are heard when Randy Brecker mutes his trumpet for the title piece and Weckl gives some thick pulsations on “BB’s Blues”. Most intriguing is when Gary Meeks sits in with his bass clarinet to veer around the lurking line of the adolescent amigos on the nifty sounding “Jacket”. More punches than a middleweight bout.