CAB - 2000 "CAB 2"

CAB 2 is the second studio album by the rock/jazz fusion band CAB, released on February 20, 2001 through Tone Center Records. The album was nominated for Best Contemporary Jazz Album at the 2002 Grammy Awards.

Unlike some Tone Center offerings, which can be thinly masked excuses for a fusion-blowing workout, Cab 2 succeeds on both compositional and soloing levels. With drummer Dennis Chambers, organist Brian Auger, and bassist Bunny Brunel (once of Chick Corea's '80s band), here joined by speed-king guitarist Tony MacAlpine, the album revels in the Holdsworth-Elektric Band-Vital Information format, retaining high levels of spontaneity throughout. The lineup is well balanced: Chambers is both incredibly funky and creative with his blazing drum romps, while Brunel is consummately lyrical and able to comment on Chambers's furious feet and finger explorations. Melodically, old-timer Auger keeps his head down with lush R&B stabs of B3 organ riffage--the perfect complement to MacAlpine's often hyperbolic, dazzling fretboard mayhem. Mostly, the quartet keeps it high, hard, and fast, running the voodoo down over Brunel and MacAlpine tracks such as "Decisions," "Top Spin," and "Song for My Friend," which employ brisk odd-meters and (what else) serpentine melodies. It's only when this fusion supergroup dwells on midtempo material ("Temperamental," "Sunday") that they run short on fuel, plodding where they should be pummeling, snoring on the job when fusion demands high-speed mental acuity. For its pure soloing prowess, often bittersweet melodies, and boiling arrangements, Cab 2 goes all the way.

All the arm chair critic snobs here who can't play, should just break out their old IOU and Stanley Clarke albums, have a Coke and a smile, and admit that they have become their parents. Yeah, you're old!
The whole band is amazing, the tones are rich, the playing stellar, and Tony MacAlpine is the God of Hell Fire. This is a nice move for Tony. From Neo-Classical to Planet X, (Have you seen him with Vai!!!) and now this. He's pushing the envelope and his guitar tone on Cab 2 is the best he's ever had. It's very refreshing to hear Tony play with more sense of funk, and with Dennis Chambers on board how could he not?
Dennis Chambers?! Oh my God! Brian Auger?! Oh Yeah! Bunny?! Boo-Ya!!!
If only Scofield could play more like this. Like he had some fire in his belly (Mustard in his soul!) and stopped playing tired, cerebral, scholastic, white bread, funk jazz.
MacAlpine comes from a whole other direction joining this band which makes it so fresh. I dig that he's not coming from a post bop clone school attempting to break free of it like so many others. MacAlpine brings the fire of Malmsteen and the jaw dropping facility of Holdsworth but sounds like neither. In context, the band in on a whole other level because of their different influences.
It's the mixing of genres that makes it special. Not a bunch of Miles Davis alumni being allstars with nothing to shake anyone up with.
Greg Howe's Extraction with Dennis Chambers and Victor Wooten wasn't even this successful. Howe wants to be so hip when he should just shred and let the rhythm section do their thing. It's the contrast in musical styles that makes projects like this special. Not everyone coming from the same place.
We need more unadulterated shredders doing projects with funk jazz guys. Enough with the bop clones trying to impress dead people.
I will definetly be buying more Cab releases.

I love this disc. I have owned it for nearly a year now and still enjoy listening to it. I feel sorry for the other reviewers that they can't seem to catch it. I have gotten alot of satisfaction out of listening to these guys. Dennis is one of my favorite players of all time.
Brian Auger (who I listened to alot in the late 60s and early 70s) also is a nice addition to the band. Great stuff, even just for listening.

You know,its so typical for a jazz/fusion player to diss people like Tony MacAlpine.Sorry but I find John Scofield (or whatever) as a drugged-out Pothead.. sorry his music just ain't got that grit.I imagin him as just child from the 60's still on narcotics trying' to record jazz/fusion or something like it.While Tony is straight up level headed and a well progressed musician who puts out good music.Look i bet half of the people that dissed this CD don't even play jazz/fusion,well I take that back cuz some of you people sound like jazz players;Arrogent,Obnocsious(parden the spelling),and down right close-minded(jazzbos..lol thats funny ^_^).Look this band doesn't have to sound like Chic Korea,or that addict John "whats his last name" or even freakin' Miles Davis to be a jazz/fusion band..Oh and to that guy that said about them not expressing the meaning of life (or something like that) dude.. these aren't Coldplay alright? (which fail big time at tryin' to explain "life" )..These guys are musicians that give out some slammin' time changin' maximum fusion that actually know how to play their instruments!Their music is what they're about.See musicians can express themselves through their instruments they don't have to whine,scream,or sing through a mic to get a point across..and if you ACTUALLY listen to the music you'll hear it.Tony MacAlpine came from the 80's : True. Tony MacAlpine can't play fusion: False!..I mean if this isn't fusion what is it?..Progressive? no..If that writer still thinks that about Tony.. then he/she should hear Planet X!The album Moonbabies has some pretty unique fusion songs as well as some hard hittin' Progressive songs (listen to track 3) hence the style the band has been branded with Prog Fusion.. wait oh yeah "there is no such thing as Prog Fusion! it has to sound like the fusion from the 70's/80's or jazz from the 40's to be cool and exist!" people listen,Musicians are creative people (well some of them anyway..)I mean this the 21st century and we can't keep putting the same stuff out and the CAB project isn't.. infact, their music is a step in a new direction.Sorry if some of you are too arrogent and close-minded to see it...Oh! and about the album..its really really REALLY good fusion(sorry i'm at a lost for words its that good ^_^)!I first heard the song "Southside" on the radio and man I fell in love with it!At the time,I didn't know it had people like Tony and Dennis but when i found that out i was even more amazed! :) 5 stars all the way!

Thanks to "Original Uploader"

Track listing

1.     "Decisions"       Bunny Brunel     9:12
2.     "Madeline"       Tony MacAlpine     8:29
3.     "Dennis"       Brunel     5:14
4.     "For Joe"       Brunel     7:11
5.     "South Side"       MacAlpine     7:25
6.     "Song for My Friend"       Brunel     4:41
7.     "Temperamental"       Brunel     9:40
8.     "Top Spin"       Brunel     8:06
9.     "Wah Wah"       Brunel     7:00
10.     "Sunday"       MacAlpine     5:12

Total length: 72:10

Personnel

    Tony MacAlpine – guitar, keyboard
    Brian Auger – keyboard, Hammond organ
    Bunny Brunel – keyboard, bass, engineering, production
    Dennis Chambers – drums