From their debut self-titled release in 1992 to Soulfish in 1993 this band's hyper-kinetic twists and turns have been a delight. They'd Coltrane soothe, play heavy metallic fusion, rap to jazz, do speed funk, and even strains of
Mahavishnu Orchestra. But first and foremost
Lost Tribe was and is avant garde, cutting edge jazz.
After a five year hiatus they are back. Of the original group there remains
Adam Rogers on guitar, David Binney on alto saxophone,
Fima Ephron doing bass, and
Ben Perowsky on drums. No longer do we hear
David Gilmore on guitars and guitar synth. This is a different
Lost Tribe; mellowed, still delightfully quirky and inspiring.
Compositionally speaking,
Lost Tribe's songs have not really changed. It's the attack, the tone, the forcefulness, that has diminished in
Many Lifetimes.
Lost Tribe had plenty of quiet, reflective moments in their past releases but now the music's mood seems carefully spiraling around a very somber helix with measured breaths. This is above average, high quality jazz. ~ John W. Patterson