"I can't put it any other way -- this record is absolutely fantastic!"
Highly entertaining, if not wildly original...
B. Wilcox | Girdwood, AK | 06/13/2006
(4 out of 5 stars)
"... which about says it all. If you don't have a detailed knowledge of Previte's past work, the fact that he reworks some old compositions won't matter. It's a highly entertaining, highly energetic album. (It reminds me of The President's "Bring Yr Camera", a Wayne Horvitz project that Previte was a part of.)
Complaining that he reworks some earlier compositions for a new line-up of musicians seems beside the point. Jazz musicians do that all the time.
This isn't cutting edge, but it it's tremendously entertaining. Given the line-up, it's more in the ballpark of Galactic or Critters Buggin.
To hear something recent that's more adventurous from Previte, try Groundtruther's "Longitude" (with Charlie Hunter and DJ Logic). In fact, it's Charlie Hunter who really climbs out of his rut on both albums.
"
Where do I sign up?
Mean Streak | Melbourne, Australia | 04/27/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Take a group of highly talented jazzmen - you've got Skerik, Stanton moore and Charlie Hunter to name a few - and get them to cut their teeth on the sonic 'blaze' that is Previte's imagination, and you get a spontaneous hard drivin' energy that you can feel as much as hear. This is a great piece of all-out-brawling rock-jazz. It breaks the mould of genre-bound categorization and presents a fresh contemporary approach to instrumental music.
I first heard of Previte in relation to his Latitude series of discs he cut with Charlie Hunter, but have not yet had the chance to sample that series. After hearing this, that's my next stop. Previte's coalition of the willing? Where do I sign up!"
A good project that's missing something
schmoogie | Tampa, Florida | 11/08/2008
(3 out of 5 stars)
""The Coalition of the Willing" (TCOTW) is an interesting venture. For this effort, Bobby Previte put together a great band with the likes of bigwigs such as Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore and Skerik. The music is rock inspired jazz. The flavor is consistent with like-minded artists on the Ropeadope label. Indeed, "TCOTW" will appeal to listeners of jam based music such as the Benevento & Russo Duo, Critters Buggin' and T.J. Kirk. While heavy weight champion Charlie Hunter participates, his signature sound is strangely absent. This bland offering lacks memorable melodies and power solos. That written, every track has a fantastic sound. In this respect, the CD unintentionally works well in the background. I saw this incarnation of TCOTW live. My hope was that the mediocrity of this CD was due to the difficulty of capturing improvisational magic in the studio. Unfortunately, this project was just as lackluster on stage. Almost all of the other reviews for this project are glowing and I now believe that there is a vocal minority. It's not just me because by the end of the band's set, most of the audience had disappeared. In any case, "Coalition of the Willing" is an enjoyable background listen."