MARC KLOCK GROUP: Tentacle Dreams

Marc Klock Group

Tentacle Dreams

© 2004 Marc Klock (823770002223)

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Backed by ex-Jeff Beck bassist Phil Chen and the incredible sounds of ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra and Dixie Dregs violinist Jerry Goodman, guitarist Marc Klock delivers multiple sounds that surround you as if they were indeed the tentacles of the Klock beast.

notes

Marc's new CD "Tentacle Dreams" is out. Recorded with local Los Angeles talent including violinist Jerry Goodman on electric 5-string violin. Jerry has been a force on the music sceen for over thirty years with credits from the Flock, John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra, Grammy award winning artist, Jan Hammer and the six-time Grammy nominated Dixie Dregs featuring Steve Morse among many other fantastic projects.

Phil Chen, bassist extraordinaire, Phil is legendary for his work on Jeff Beck's "Blow by Blow" and Rod Stewart's, "Foot Loose & Fancy Free, Blondes Have More Fun" and "Foolish Behaviour". Phil also toured the world with Stewart and then went on to play with Jackson Browne, the Eurythmics, Pete Townshend and a project with Brian May and Eddie Van Halen. He also appeared on the Doors' all-star tribute album and Lita Ford's Greatest Hits Live!.

Jimmy Paxson, Jr. is a hard-working drummer from a well-known musical family. His dad is jazz drummer Jimmy Paxson, Sr. and mom Sunnie Paxson was voted one of Los Angeles' Best Jazz Performers in Los Angeles Magazine and was jazz bassist Stanley Clarke's keyboardist from 1985 to 1988. Jimmy Jr. has toured with Alanis Morissette, Robben Ford and recently recorded an Osaka Tigers (baseball) Theme featuring Ronnie Montrose, Steve Vai, Phil Chen, and Japanese star Masanori and keyboardist Ed Roth who Jimmy brought in for this project.

Ed Roth is a very inventive musician adding a variety of unique sounds from his collection of vintage analog keys including a Fender Rhoades and Korg organ. Ed recently toured with Latin superstar Marisela and also performed shows with Funk Legends the Brothers Johnson. His studio projects include the new Glenn Hughes/Joe Lynn Turner record, a live in the studio Glenn Hughes DVD, and a new record from rapper Goast. Ed is also featured on a Warner Bros. "Jazz Christmas" CD.

Tentacle Dreams is a meld between jazz and rock - held together by melodic integration and Marc's dynamic mixing. Marc is forging more than music - he is revitalizing the art of capturing unique and one-of-a-time performances of incredible musicians.


Recent Review from ProgressiveWorld.net

Review of "Tentacle Dreams"
By: John "Bo Bo" Bollenberg

Backed by amongst others the extremely talented bass player Phil Chen and the incredible sounds of ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra and Dixie Dregs violinist Jerry Goodman, to name but two, guitarist Marc Klock most certainly can place a very big smile on his face. Delivering eleven Marc Klock originals, Tentacle Dreams is indeed as its name says, having its multiple sounds surround you as if they were indeed the tentacles of the Klock beast. So for fusion enthusiasts this might well come as a very interesting surprise indeed!
Whilst with a title like "Mummy Dearest" I thought this would be a tribute for Marc's mum, the moment you absorb these eastern sounds, it becomes clear the "mummy" here is from Egyptian origin, getting "unwrapped" as the music evolves! Adding an extra keyboard player in the line-up, one can be frightened that this could mortgage the sound of the guitar, but Ed Roth makes sure his interventions are not upfront in the mix and will most certainly not drown any of the other instruments. I like the way he uses the electric piano in the opening section of the album's title track, making way for Phil's bass, which then opens for some shredding by Marc, which in turn opens the way for Jerry Goodman. It's as if layer upon layer of music is being built in order to result into a goodie-bag full of musical magic. The song ends with some solitary drum work by Jimmy Paxman, Jr., fusing neatly into "Vibe," sporting some lovely acoustic guitars next to the immortal violin of Goodman.

In "Chromophobe" that electric piano is present in a more profound way, taking turns with Marc's howling guitar outbursts. A very powerful and rocking track indeed, as is "Dig," which has Jerry's violin sound almost like a mouth-organ here. With the Latin-flavoured "Get Up," we are on a ride towards Santana land or early solo Al Di Meola. If only more percussion was added, together with some impressive horn sections, which could easily replace those tame synth sounds which sadly do not sound right here. I think the word "socca fusion" could be the most appropriate definition for this one. "On Second Thought" has exactly the same Al Di Meola feel, once again fuelled by Ed's electric piano. The album closes with what is probably the most aggressive composition on the album. "Back From Mars" (the only co-written track written here with drummer Jimmy Paxson) brings heavy drumming to the fore, accompanied by weird guitar sounds, almost resulting in free jazz chaos.

Contrary to what you might think Tentacle Dreams is not all about guitar, guitar and even more guitar. Instead, Marc Klock places himself into the foreground as the composer of this music sharing his place as a guitarist with the other musicians in the band. So the result becomes equally divided between the instruments, maybe with a little emphasis on the guitar, but most certainly giving every single instrument enough room to shine and experiment in its own right. It most certainly has become a very varied whole with different textures of the musical scope tackled, yet I'm convinced this will probably sound ace when given the opportunity to be performed live. In the meantime Marc has begun pre-production on his next project and I only can hope that he uses the same musicians.

reviews

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  • Beck, DiMeola and McLaughlin reflect in Klock's blazing rock and tasteful blues
    author: ProgressiveWorld.net - Dave Cisco

    Even more retro is my last stop for this trip, the Marc Klock Group's Tentacle Dreams. If you enjoy(ed) Seventies fusion a la Jeff Beck, Lenny White, and Mahavishnu, you'll go nuts for Tentacle Dreams; I know I do! Guitarist Marc Klock has pulled together some of fusion's original pioneers, as in Mahavishnu violinist Jerry Goodman and bassist Phil Chen, who laid down the bottom on Jeff Beck's Blow By Blow. The group is rounded out by veterans Jimmy Paxson, Jr. on drums and Ed Roth on keyboards, including the compulsory Rhodes piano. Leader Klock is no slouch, either; tastes of Beck, DiMeola, Vai, and McLaughlin reflect in Klock's blazing rock and tasteful blues riffing. Goodman shows that he's still got it with plenty of solos and some fine duos with Klock. The songs are all over the fusion map, from furious rock ("Kaos") to spacey blues ("Vibe," "On Second Thought") to jazzy funk ("Chromophobe"). Highlights are hard to pick out, probably because of the lofty caliber of Klock's composing and the collective musicianship present, but my favorites are the Indian- flavored "Mummy Dearest," the bluesy groove of "On Second Thought" (featuring some fine horn from guest David Trough and a lovely Rhodes solo from Roth), and the very wild "Back From Mars", recorded in honor of McLaughlin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Great stuff, every bit, but what really puts Tentacle Dreams over the top is the production. Leader Klock chose to forego modern methods and instead recorded the album on analog equipment to capture a genuine Seventies sound, and his choice was a good one: Tentacle Dreams sounds like a true contemporary of the halcyon greats and exudes a warm, organic ("dated" my ass!) tone not generally found on modern digital productions. Fusion fans, take heart - this is the best you're going to hear this year. Don't waste any more time dreaming about the good ol' days - check out Tentacle Dreams as soon as possible, and visit their website at www.marcklock.com.

  • Its not too often that you find great jazzrock these days.
    author: Missing Piece.net

    It’s not too often that you find great jazzrock these days. And the last time we stumbled upon something this good was probably Vertu’s album (deleted now of course!) Mark Klock is a very able guitarist, and his backing band does not make him ashamed either. Violinplayer Jerry Goodman (Flock, Mahavishnu Orchestra), ex-Jeff Beck/Rod Stewart bass player Phil Chen, Ed Roth on keyboards and Jimmy Paxson Jr. on drums, who has played with Robben Ford, Steve Vai and Ronnie Montrose to name some. The sound is like a mix of Dixie Dregs (without the country) and Mahavishnu Orchestra and quite heavy, but far from metal. A great fusion (or as I prefer to call it, jazzrock, since so much fusion is soooo boring) album. (Per & Martin) HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Rating: 9

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