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Alex Skolnick/Alex Skolnick Veritas [Digipak] CD 753957214821 Front

Veritas [Digipak]  -  CD

Artist: Alex Skolnick/Alex Skolnick | SKU:  2174577
Release Date:  3/29/2011
5.0 of 5 5.0 of 5 (1 reviews)

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Songs

Hear a 30-second sample of each song.
 
1. Panna(1:28)
2. Bollywood Jam(5:22)
3. Song of the Open Road(6:30)
4. Veritas(6:11)
5. 99/09(7:10)
6. Path of Least Resistance(4:24)
7. Alone in Brooklyn(4:34)
8. The River Lethe(9:08)
9. Flection(5:09)
10. Fade to Black(4:55)
11. Bollywood Jam Club Remix(5:41)

Details

Format
CD(1)
Release Date
3/29/2011
Original Release Date
4/1/2011
Length
60 minutes , 32 seconds
Genre
Progressive Rock
Label
Palmetto
Studio/Live
Studio
Mono/Stereo
n/a
UPC
753957214821

Release Notes

Veritas [Digipak]: Release Notes: Muze 
Full performer name: Alex Skolnick/Alex Skolnick Trio.Personnel: Alex Skolnick (guitar); Nathan Peck (double bass, electric bass); Matt Zebroski (drums).Audio Mixer: Nik Chinboukas.Liner Note Author: Alex Skolnick.Recording information: Spin Music Studios, Long Island City (10/2009).Guitarist Alex Skolnick is best known for his work with Bay Area metal band Testament, but he also plays classical-influenced hard rock with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and was a member of prog metal group Savatage for a while. The Alex Skolnick Trio sounds nothing like any of these groups; it's a straight-up jazz trio that started out recording versions of hard rock and metal songs, but has written more and more original material on each release. This disc, the trio's first for the jazz label Palmetto, features only one cover -- Metallica's "Fade to Black." The other tunes run a fairly wide gamut, from the almost Soundgarden-ish blues-rock groove of "Bollywood Jam" to the Pat Metheny-ish "Song of the Open Road." The title track is a slow ballad with heavy-footed, almost rock drumming, while the Metallica cover, which features overdubbed guitars, ironically turns out to be more of a showcase for bassist Nathan Peck than Skolnick himself. The bassist radically expands the song's chordal parameters, thrumming along beneath the repetitive guitar figures and making Metallica swing. Other tracks explore jittery funk ("99/09") or atmospheric prog-fusion reminiscent of Mahavishnu Orchestra ("Path of Least Resistance"), and the disc ends with a "Club Remix" of "Bollywood Jam" that's interesting, but not a patch on the original. The Alex Skolnick Trio has gradually grown from an interesting novelty to a thoroughly respectable jazz-funk-rock unit, one that may yet allow its leader to be reviewed or interviewed without the words "heavy metal" appearing anywhere in the copy. ~ Phil Freeman

Credits

Performer Alex Skolnick/Alex Skolnick
Engineers include:  Nik Chinboukas
Producer(s) Alex Skolnick Trio

Customer Reviews

(1 out of 1)
A Vision Matured
5
Posted by: from San Antonio, TX on 03/29/2011Alex Skolnick has been creating music for over 20 years. His credits include performing with such diverse acts as Bay Area thrash pioneers Testament as well as Savatage, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. With all that rock and metal cred, the project that is dearest to his heart is the modern bebop jazz trio that bears his name. Since the release of their debut album, Goodbye to Romance, Alex has forged ahead with a unique and modern vision of improvisational jazz. Their newest release, Veritas, clearly shows their most mature and sophisticated effort to date. The Alex Skolnick trio first gained notoriety by reinterpreting modern rock and heavy metal songs as a modern take on be-bop. With each succeeding release original songs gradually replaced these covers, with Veritas containing but one cover, Metallica’s Fade to Black. It is with these inventive compositions where Alex and his band mates, Matt Zebroski on drums and Nathan Peck on upright and electric bass, stretch their wings and challenge the listeners notion of modern jazz. On Veritas, the Alex Skolnick Trio takes the listener on a musical journey that demonstrates just how diverse the musical universe can be. The opening tracks, Panna and Bollywood Jam, are an amazing point/counterpoint of musical influence from India, where a traditional take on Ravi Shankar is followed by a driving and upbeat melody heavily influenced by the work of A.R. Rahman. This combination grabs you from the outset and lets you know that this disc will take you on a musical journey that you might not have been expecting. Each song on the disc is fresh and inviting. Song of the Open Road, Flection and The River Lethe demonstrate great improvisational jazz grounded by Nathan Peck’s upright bass lines while 99/09 features a tasty funk feel on top of Matt Zebroski’s dazzling percussion. Alex takes it down a notch with the ethereal and introspective song, Alone in Brooklyn, to which he plays homage to A.I.R.’s Alone in Kyoto from the Lost in Translation soundtrack. From top to bottom this album makes jazz accessible to a new audience While Alex enjoys a reputation as a Joe Satriani disciple, don’t expect a shred-fest. With the Alex Skolnick Trio, and especially on this disc, you will find one of the freshest sounds around. Jazz is no longer out on the fringes, with the recent successes of Rodrigo y Gabriella and Esperanza Splading paving the way, The Alex Skolnick Trio are creating standards for a new generation.

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Editorial Reviews

Veritas [Digipak]: MUZE Review
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