With Parker and company presenting morejazz/rock fusion-styled compositions on The Relatives in comparison to his first outing, Like-Coping,the electric keyboard quickly becomes an integral part of the group'ssound. That, and a slightly gritty guitar tone reminiscent of a youngerJohn McLaughlin. Having used the "f" word earlier on to describe anelement of this disc's style, it's not a great surprise thatcomparisons to the dormant Isotope 217 come to mind, seeing as how bothParker-lead projects present fusion in its earliest, rawest and perhapsbest form: before the soprano saxophone and crazy-assed time signaturesbecame the norm. "Mannerisms" chugs along to double-time rhythms ofunison, quirky guitar/bass/keyboard melodies that crash with tensechords on the cyclical breaks throughout Parker's exploratory soloing.Bassist Chris Lopes' catchy "Sea Change" spirals with ostinatos againstdrummer Chad Taylor's tasteful polyrhythms, providing a steadyfoundation for the tune to switch back and forth with a half-time vamp.The wonderfully slick treatment of Marvin Gaye's "When Did You StopLoving Me, When Did I Stop Loving You" stands out on the disc not onlyfor its jazz interpretation, but also for the group's solid andcomfortable performance in the more traditional idiom that conveys agreat sense of buoyancy. There are certain elements in Parker'scompositional style and musicianship, highlighted on The Relatives,that indicate just how much his contributions with Tortoise's haveshaped their sound over the past few years. By the same token, thereare moments on this disc where it sounds like he may have worked someslightly angular arrangements in their spirit. Not to be mistaken for ajazzy Tortoise disc, The Relatives is the outlet for Parker's playful, free jazz spirit to stretch beyond the collective's boundaries with tasteful results. samples:
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