Breaking the Cycle is the second album from fusion outfit Marbin, and sees the band expand from the original duo of guitarist Dani Rabin and sax player Danny Markovitch to now include drummer Paul Wertico and bassist Steve Rodby. The songs on Breaking the Cycle vary from burning jaz-rock fusion to lighter, more melodic fare, all of it being highly entertaining and showing a band that is really firing on all cylinders.
The opener "Loopy" really starts things off with a bang, a ripping fusion piece featuring soaring sax lines from Markovitch, a molten guitar solo from Rabin, and Wertico's nimble stick work. "A Serious Man" and "Mom's Song" sees the quartet moving into more introspective and melodic waters, while "Bar Stomp" is a frazzled blues romp, with Rabin's distorted rumblings sounding very close to Terje Rypdal's classic work. Markovitch really shines on the gorgeous "Western Sky", and the guest vocals of Matt Davidson & Leslie Beukelman really add a nice touch to the poignant modern jazz styled piece "Outdoor Revolution".
"Burning Match" is a dark, smoldering number, which kicks off with some tempting sax lines before Rabin's yearning guitar cries a variety of moaning notes. The upbeat "Snufkin" has a more whimsical feel, thanks to some quirky sax melodies from Markovitch and plenty of intricate rhythms from Wertico & Rodby. Add in Rabin's textured acoustic guitar work and you have a wonderful little number. Near 9-minute closer "Winds of Grace" is a folky vocal tune with guest singer "Daniel White. It's a pretty majestic song, featuring a great sax solo from Markovitch, and will appeal to those into folk rock and prog.
There's a lot to like here on Breaking the Cycle. Marbin have come up with plenty of memorable melodies and tasty playing throughout the CD, and though I would have liked to hear more aggressive material like the opener "Loopy", there's really nothing wrong you can say about anything here. It's a classy recording from a group of very talented musicians. Chalk up another winner from MoonJune Records!
Tracklist:
01. Loopy -5:59Tracklist:
02. A Serious Man -3:49
03. Mom's Song -2:05
04. Bar Stomp -3:04
05. Outdoor Revolution -3:08
06. Western Sky -2:12
07. Burning Match -5:11
08. Claire's Indigo -2:11
09. Snufkin -2:48
10. Old Silhouette -4:12
11. Winds Of Grace -8:39
Personnel:
Dani Rabin (guitar)
Danny Markovitch (saxophone)
Paul Wertico (drums, percussion on 1/8
Steve Rodby (bass)
Special guests:
Jamey Haddad (percussion 2/4/6/8/9/10)
Matt Davidson (vocals 3/6)
Leslie Beukelman (vocals 3/6)
Makaya McCraven (drums 4)
Daniel White (lyrics and vocals 11)
All music composed by Markovitch and Rabin
Breaking The Cycle
Hotfile / FileServe @ 320K
