Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Andy West with RAMA: Rama 1

136

Andy West with RAMA: Rama 1

By

Sign in to view read count
Andy West with RAMA: Rama 1
Known for his longtime affiliation with the Dixie Dregs, bassist Andy West assembles an all-star prog-rock/jazz-fusion based band here. Supported by high-octane guitarist Mike Kenneally, Dregs drummer extraordinaire Rod Morgenstein and other notables, West lays down the booming bass patterns for this rather boisterous affair.

Notions such as Intelli-Metal come to mind, as the musicians meld raucous soloing endeavors with blistering rhythms and shrewdly coordinated shifts in strategy. And while the compositions are somewhat nondescript, this outing is more about burgeoning, in-your-face type riffs and compactly executed solo spots. In fact, the liners divulge that each player composed their respective parts.

At times, the music seems bonded in titanium, due to the silvery sound sculptures and bone crunching rhythms. Overall, West and associates have engineered a genial production, as they get to the point in expeditious fashion via a series of relatively complex passages amid the lead soloists’ power-packed exchanges.

Magna Carta

Track Listing

1.Mad March 2.Meetings 3.Herd Instinct 4.Bloomsday 5.Old Meat Frame 6.Memento Mori 7.Qubit 8.Government 9.Resonate

Personnel

Andy West
bass, electric

Andy West: bass, guitar, keyboards, synths

Album information

Title: Rama 1 | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Magna Carta Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Fiesta at Caroga
Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective
Fellowship
David Gibson
Immense Blue
Olie Brice / Rachel Musson / Mark Sanders

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.