Ozone Quartet - Live at Local 506 CD Reviews

Live at Local 506 Reviews

Arlequins (Italy/Italian)
Ragazzi (Germany/German)

Expose
These well-received veterans of Progscape, ProgDay, and Orion Studios offer a live slab of their best material in June 2000 at their performing peak, at Local 506 - a favorite ProgDay pre-show watering hole, near the completion of their first extended east coast tour, and just before the band called it a day. Well, the good news is that they have reformed in 2003 and are playing out again; this live release should more than hold the fans over until a new studio album can be completed. A short order of introduction for the uninitiated: Ozone Quartet plays an instrumental hybrid of heavy rock and fusion, with strong jazz and classical influences; the crack rhythm section of Wayne Leechford (stick) and Fran Dyer (drums) supports the front line of Hollis Brown (violin) and Jeremy Shaw (guitars), with a sound that seems equally influenced by David Cross era Crimson (and perhaps some Discipline era too…) and Mahavishnu Orchestra, as well as some chamber-based ideas, although those are not as evident in this live setting, where they pull out all the stops and rock hard. Folks familiar with the band’s previous two studio releases Fresh Blood and Nocturne will find many of those songs here, although ratcheted up energy-wise for the live performance; in fact this live set belies the somewhat more reserved nature of the band’s studio recordings, giving instead a cranked up high intensity vision of what those studio albums always hinted at. Am I clear? This is the one! -PT

Blonker/Barikada (Bosnia)
During the last few years, USA act Ozone Quartet has received respectable status in the progressive community. They are an instrumental outfit, with well-educated professional musicians. Musically, we could find traces in their work of the Dixie Drags, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and in some way they are also influenced by the sound of Brit. fellows Soft Machine. "Live At Local 506", was origianlly recorded in 2000 and released in 2003.That wasn't additional overdubbing. It all sounded very clear, direct, concise, and also subtle.The band members often communicate with improvisations. Those sort of instrumental dialogues are also very dynamic and intricate." Live At Local 506" confirms high standards and capabilities of the group's musical backgrounds. -BL

Dutch Progressive Rock Page (Holland)
Their area of operation is an intriguing blend of instrumental progressive rock with fairly laid back Jazz-fusion and a splash or two of world music influences for good measure. The main stylistic pointers would be King Crimson, Mahavishnu Orchestra and Dixie Dregs but Ozone Quartet comfortably asserts their own identity on this recording. They are never as jazzy as Mahavishnu, nor are they quite as self-indulgent when it comes to solos. The tune remains the king here, though the players are not without the chops when it comes to ability.

I have not heard either of the studio releases, nor have I seen the band live, (there is the small matter of a very large ocean acting as a barrier to this) but received wisdom says that the band is at their best in live performance. This disc supports that assertion in spectacular fashion.

The sound, for a live recording, is superb. Often it is only the modest applause from a small but appreciative audience that reminds you that this is not a studio creation. The band appears to be on top form, and they are all great players. Wayne Leechford is a terrific stick player, in the manner of Tony Levin, and fans of Levin will surely appreciate Leechford’s contributions to this disc. His bass lines twang, dance and twist their way across the tracks with considerable aplomb. Fran Dyer adds plenty of percussive texture to the sound as well as providing the sturdy backbone of each tune. He is a busy player and his style fits right in with the other players. Jeremy Shaw is a fine guitarist, reminding at times of Steve Morse or Eric Johnson, but his playing here is fairly subdued. When he does step forward for the occasional solo (as on Missing Link and Diamond Eye) he proves to be capable of concise but fiery blasts of some considerable power.

The real star of the show, though, has to be the captivating violin of Hollis Brown. Throughout the performance she takes center stage (sound wise) with a passionate display of the violinist’s art. I have loved electric violin since being entranced by Daryl Way on Curved Air’s early albums, and have eagerly devoured the works of Jean Luc Ponty, David Cross, Kansas and P.F.M (to name but a few) ever since. Hollis plays in a slightly more jazzy style than some of these players, but is more restrained and melodically based than Ponty or Jerry Goodman of Mahavishnu fame. She also displays a classical leaning absent in the purely fusion-oriented groups. It would be difficult to pick out highlights of her playing as she is fantastic on every track, and is the main reason for listening to this disc. She is exceptionally good, however, on the eastern tinged opener Backbone Of Night.

This is a very even disc with no real standouts, and certainly no substandard cuts, but I have picked out a few tracks to give a flavour of what is on offer :

-Flood and Dragonfly both have the minimalist jangle of Discipline era Crimson, sans vocals but plus a melodic verve that is most appealing.
-Missing Link initially revisits Crimson circa Red, but not quite matching the original in intensity. Brown can do the David Cross bit in fine style, but Shaw, for all his talent, is no Fripp. The tune mutates into a more sedate, classically inspired piece, before returning to the crunch and swagger of the opening for its conclusion.
-Surge is a Mahavishnu–ish romp where Brown’s playing equals Jean Luc Ponty at his peak.

Overall, This is a great recording, catching the band at the height of its powers, and would make a good introduction for newcomers. For those favoring instrumental music, those who find Mahavishnu et al a trifle flash, and particularly for lovers of electric violin, I can heartily recommend it. -DS

YTSEJAM.COM
If you’ve not yet heard this North Carolina-based band’s work, you need only race to your local Internet emporium to pick up this and their other releases. Working in the tradition of Dixie Dregs, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and King Crimson, Ozone Quartet are proof positive that fusion is neither dead nor smelling bad. One of the most intriguing elements of the band remains Hollis Brown’s very fine violin, which ignites this album during the opening “Backbone Of Night” and keeps things burning until the closing “Flesh Blood.” That’s not to say that Fran Dyer’s very fine drumming, Jeremy Shaw’s hot guitar lines and Wayne Leechford’s Chapman Stick aren’t integral to the sound, but, instead, to suggest that Brown offers the band its voice, its vocal point. Get it. -JB

Sea of Tranquility
I know I'm not the only one who was completely stoked to hear that Ozone Quartet had reformed last year. In celebration of the band once again joining forces, they have released this absolutely killer live set from Local 506 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina back in 2000. Let's get right to business, shall we!

Things kick off rather nicely with "Backbone of Night", a highly melodic tune that features the soaring electric violin of Hollis Brown and the dexterous guitar work of Jeremy Shaw. The band goes for the jugular on the complex and rocking "Dragonfly", with Shaw's guitar weaving intricate lines with Wayne Leechford's Chapman Stick, while Hollis' violin simply wails manic leads. Continued aggression cries throughout "Mutoid Man", a very funky fusion piece that recalls vintage Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as King Crimson, with metallic guitar work, piercing violin, and complex rhythms. A more laid back fusion approach is shown on "Flood", which is a wonderful vehicle for Brown's melodic and emotional violin passages, and should appeal to fans of Jean Luc Ponty's 70's material. Check out Shaw's two quick yet gut wrenching guitar solos here, both providing a short and manic break from the otherwise majestic sounds of this highly appealing song.

The band goes for a slower, more grinding tone on the crunchy "Missing Link", thanks to Fran Dyer's pounding drum work and the heavy guitar riffs from Shaw, yet move right in to majestic Dixie Dregs territory with "Diamond Eye." Hollis Brown paints a beautiful landscape with her violin while Jeremy Shaw slowly builds in intensity with his guitar licks before screaming into the mix with a hot wah-wah laced guitar solo. Great ensemble work from the whole band can be heard on the symphonic "Surge", a wild ride that sees Leechford's acrobatic Stick work jumping over manic guitar & violin flights, supported by the nimble drum work of Dyer. Leechford and Dyer build a deep groove for Brown to pop in with her "peek-a-boo" violin lines on "The Watcher", and Leechford steals the show with his gymnastic Stick lines on the soaring fusion of "Stash." What better way to end this great set than with "Fresh Blood", a pulsating rocker featuring stabbing violin, chugging guitar riffs, and driving rhythms. Shaw's guitar solo here is masterful, with a big thick tone and tasty choice of notes, followed by an equally impressive and yearning solo from Brown.

This CD has been a long time coming, and will help warm the palette for a new studio recording from this powerhouse band. Run and get this quickly, it doesn't get much better. An early front-runner for instrumental progressive fusion release of the year! -PP