While Fusion For Miles was a star filled affair the paid tribute to the early fusion era of Miles Davis, this latest foray Back On the Corner sees some of the same players, and a few new ones, tackling the funk style that Miles found himself in during much of the early/mid-70's. The cast here is led by former Davis sax player (who appeared on Miles' 1973 classic On the Corner) David Liebman, who has assembled guitarist Vic Juris, bassist Tony Marino, drummer Marko Marcinko (all three have played with Liebman for the last 15 years), as well as Anthony Jackson on contrabass guitar, and Mike Stern, who played guitar for Miles During the early 80's. The results on Back On the Corner are quite enjoyable and inspired, and it's evident that the musicians had a lot of fun recording these songs.
Most of the tracks here are Leibman originals, meant to capture the feel of Miles' recordings and style, but the group does cover two of the late trumpet master's songs from Leibman's time with him, "Ife" and "Black Satin". The latter piece actually was from the On the Corner album, and here is given a funked up fusion slant, and features an especially ferocious guitar solo from Stern. "Bela" is a lovely & sedate jazz piece, with both Stern and Juris trading gentle lines, while "5th Street" and "New Mambo" offer up plenty of Latin grooves amidst the funky arrangements. "New Mambo" is an especially classy piece, with Marcinko's tricky drum work laying the groundwork for Leibman's sophisticated sax and Stern's snaking guitar solos. The best is saved for last though on the near 11-minute funk-fusion romp "J.B. Meets Sly/5th Street Reprise", a fast paced piece with the whole band locked into a tight groove that also leaves plenty of room for solo spots. With both Marino and Jackson popping some runs on both electric bass and contrabass, Juris and Stern take turns wailing on the electric guitar, with Leibman offering up a brief respite between the guitarists' rampaging jaunts. Thrilling stuff indeed!
With equal doses of funk, tight fusion, laid back jazz, Latin, and classical flavors, Back On the Corner is not only an excellent tribute to the music & style of Miles Davis, but a testament to the writing skills of Dave Leibman and the talents of all the musicians gathered here. Take your groove and get "back on the corner" with this hot instrumental offering-you won't regret it.
Track Listing
1. 5th Street
2. Ife
3. Bass Interlude
4. Black Satin
5. Bela
6. Drum Interlude
7. New Mambo
8. Acoustic Guitar Interlude
9. Mesa D'Espana
10. Electric Guitar Interlude
11. J.B. Meets Sly/5th Street Reprise
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