The fusion trio
Niacin, comprised of keyboardist
John Novello, bassist
Billy Sheehan, and drummer
Dennis Chambers, perform originals (mostly from
Novello and
Sheehan) plus
Frank Zappa's "King Kong." Their playing frequently falls between improvised rock and soul-jazz, with
Novello's organ and keyboards leading the dense and crowded ensembles through some avant funk grooves. While it is doubtful that any of the individual originals will catch on, fans of the rock side of fusion will find
Niacin's music to be stimulating and fairly original within the genre. ~ Scott Yanow