Roberta Piket plugs in on this outing with her electric quartet Alternating Current, featuring Bruce Arnold on guitar, Cliff Schmitt on bass, and Kirk Driscoll on drums. Playing Wurlitzer exclusively, Piket adds color with wah and echo effects; Arnold, for his part, leans heavily on the fuzz pedal, making for a high-energy session. The band creates a fun, funky vibe on "Somethin' Easy," the closing "Blue Slipper Frogs," and the title track, but Piket's moodier side comes out on the ballady "Fatherless Figure" and the spacy, off-kilter "Unfair Competition." Other highlights include the shape-shifting rubato piece "A Scene of One" and Piket's revisitation of "Speak, Memory," the edgy, up-tempo blues that served as the title cut of her acoustic album of the same name. In all, it's a worthwhile departure for this hip, advanced player.
© David R. Adler /TiVo