Search - Steve Khan, Rob Mounsey :: Local Color

New Age Meets Triple "Z" Jazz for a Repartee

loce_the_wizard | Lilburn, GA USA | 05/14/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Released in 1987, "Local Color" showcases the talents of guitarist Steve Khan and keyboardist-synthesizer master Rob Mounsey. The CD features seven instrumental tracks, each long enough for some improvised, extended interplay. As a whole, the effort does not hold up that well through the years, sounding dated and overproduced at times. The drum machines are especially irritating, and sometimes the synthesizer flourishes and frills come across as gimmicky. Still, there are some very fine moments when everything meshes. The floating, languid Gondolas is as good as any New Age music released back in those first years when CDs were killing off the LP. The Hunt conjures up the give and take of a hunter and its prey, and I See a Long Journey casts a reflective spell over the listener. Mr. Khan works hard to fit his acoustic guitars into the swirling soundscapes of Mr. Mounsey, usually with excellent effect and timing, and sounding nothing like the funk-fusion player with which he is typically associated. Mr. Mounsey does not always, however, create a sustainable counterpoint, sometimes drifting too far, sometimes getting too creative, but sometimes infusing just the right touch. The production and sound quality are excellent throughout, and this session is certainly worth a cursory listen."