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Finneus Gauges: More Once More

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Finneus Gauges: More Once More
My first impression of the ' Finneus Gauge album ' more once more ' was on the CD cover. Being a marketing man by profession, the cover was superbly done and great attention was given to design and quality.

Listening to the album reminded me of living and working on the East Coast of Canada when I would go down to local taverns and halls and listen to Matt Minglewood or Sam Moon. The sound was a reminder of my days also in Toronto and listening to Gino and Ross Vanelli on their early ' Brother to Brother ' stuff.

Finneus Gauge are probably as close to a modern day ' Weather Report ' as I have heard, with the Vanelli Brothers jazz style thrown in for good measure. The musicianship is of the highest standards and the overall quality of production is excellent for an album which was primarily recorded in Chris Buzby's home studio.

To produce an album as intricate as this requires an amazing imagination, much talent and lots of rehearsal. The interplay and solo arrangements makes this a very Joe Zawinul / Jaco Pastorius sounding album, highlighted by the album's outstanding cuts, the instrumentals Tracks 5 and 8. (One problem I did have was the track listing. There was nothing on the CD sleeve to tell me the running order or the name of these two cuts, just the lyrics. They are included on the back cover of the CD)

The vocalist and lyricist Laura Martin uses her voice as another instrument and the vocals ' go with the flow ' interchanging with the lead guitar of Scott McGill and keyboardist Chris Buzby. The track ' Customer Service ' typifies this mix of the natural meets the electronic.

The album is definitely aimed at the general American record buying public with a mix of rock, fusion and jazz. I couldn't categorize this sound as it has so many genres, and to drop it into a niche in order to compare it is extremely difficult, but I think it would probably be at home in the German market too.

I have always admired the off-beat avant-garde sound of jazz meets fusion à la the aforementioned early Gino Vanelli albums of the seventies and the fretless bass sound of Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke — Finneus Gauge come very close in this direction in my opinion.

' More once more ' is an exciting adventure by a group of very fine musicians, who have penned twelve original tracks which may be an acquired taste for some and a breath of fresh air for others. If you like your music with drive, dynamic playing and lots of energy, then check out this album by one of Philadelphia's ' New guys on the block ', Finneus Gauge.

For sound clips, pictures, lyrics, news updates and other interactive information contact their excellent site at http://ghostland.com/finneus.html .

Rating
9 outa 10

Killer Cut
Track 5 - King of the chord change

Personnel

Album information

Title: More Once More | Year Released: 1997 | Record Label: Train Records

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