Dallas-based Kris Berg leads a creative and modern sounding big band on this recent release, mixing in local Lone Star artists with guests like Randy Brecker/tp, Gregg Bissonette/dr, Eric Marientahl/sax and Tome Malone/tb. The result is a mix of originals and jazz standards that sock a solid punch, at times sounding like a jazz version of Tower of Power.
The band shows it’s funky side with Bissonette on the back beat for Malone’s solo on “Modern Peck-nology” , with Brecker searing through the bold sections on the bright and soulful “Sponge”. The brass section gives an elegant intro to the hard swinging “Perspective” with the sax section getting a chance at the opening fanfare for clever read of “Footprints” that features Marienthal gliding over the chugalug groove. A dash of Weather Report gets dreamy as Bruce Bohnstengel glides his soprano through “Adventurees” and Sal Lozano’s flute is fluffy as the team creates some exciting sparks on “Recorda Me”. As spicy as Tex Mex.