Jazz guitarist Steve Khan's been around for a long, long time, having been one of the pioneers of the jazz-fusion movement of the early 70's alongside other players such as Larry Coryell, John McLaughlin, andAl DiMeola. Through many recordings as a leader as well as sideman, Khan has developed quite a reputation for himself, and still continues to release albums at a pretty impressive clip. Borrowed Time is his follow-up to The Green Field, and he surrounds himself with pretty much the same cast of stellar musicians, namely bassist John Patitucci (Chick Corea Electrik Band/Wayne Shorter), legendary drummer Jack DeJohnette, and percussionist/vocalist Manolo Badrena (Weather Report), as well as some guest which include Randy Brecker on flugelhorn, Rob Mounsey on keyboards, and Salsa legends Marc Quinones on timbal, Ruben Rodriguez on bass, Bobby Allendre on congas, and vocalist Gabriela Anders.
There's a wide mix of styles here, from the tight jazz of Thelonius Monk's "I Mean You", to the laid back and smoky "Face Value", which features some great Latin grooves from the Salsa players and a stunning flugelforn solo from Brecker. Patitucci's rumbling acoustic bass and the dexterious chord voicings from Khan propel the near 14-minute "El Faquir", a dark mix of jazz, Latin, and avant-garde elements, and the guitarist's tasty jazz leads permeate the old school, McCoy Tyner penned "Blues for Ball". Pure Latin jazz can be heard on the swinging "Have You Met Miss Jones"", and "Hymn Song" is another Tyner piece that comes to life with the tricky drum fills from DeJohnette and busy percussion work from both Ralph Irizarry and Roberto Quintero.
As good as Khan's guitar work is here, it's almost as if he's not the central player, as the contributions from Patitucci and the wizard DeJohnette cannot be overlooked, and are quite intergral to the overall success of these songs. This is a pretty hot band that takes some of these jazz classics and originals to soaring heights, making it a must hear for fans of fusion and Latin jazz.
Track Listing
1. I Mean You
2. Mr. and Mrs. People
3. Face Value
4. El Faquir
5. You're My Girl
6. Blues For Ball
7. Have You Met Miss Jones?
8. Luna Y Arena (Moon and Sand)
9. Hymn Song
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