Frank Gambale was still a vital part of
Chick Corea's Elektric Band when he recorded
The Great Explorers, a hard-hitting, aggressive effort that generally has more in common with the instrumental rock of
Steve Vai and
Joe Satriani than the more complex jazz-fusion he embraced with
Corea and
Steve Smith's
Vital Information. JVC asked retailers to place
Explorers in both their jazz and rock sections, but in fact, the CD's jazz content isn't very sizeable (exceptions include the
Pat Metheny-influenced "Cruising Altitude" and the poetic "Dawn over the Nullarbor"). Be that as it may,
Explorers is a solid effort -- nothing remarkable, but enjoyable and honest.
Vai and
Satriani fans would do well to pay close attention to
Explorers, while those who are only interested in hearing the guitarist play jazz-fusion will probably want to pass. ~ Alex Henderson