Jam Camp - Black Hills Jam - Preserves Volume 2

Year of Release: 2004
Label: Flying Spot Records
Catalog Number: n/a
Format: CD
Total Time: 68:39:00

How progressive is jazz? Just as progressive rock ventures into other genres, vice versa is also the case. Jam Camp is a collective that mixes progressive rock with jazz and jam and with their debut album, they received some good reviews. Apparently many people like their "spontaneous" way of creating music. So now they have released their sophomore effort: Black Hills Jam.

On this album, they play a trick also done on the Promised Land album by Ferringo, Leal and Kuprij: David Broyles (guitar), is heard in the left speaker and Micheal Smith (guitar) is heard in the right speaker. This creates a nice effect, especially if they both play different parts. The line up is completed with Jess White on bass, Joel Veatch on drums and Steve Munger on sax. Needless to say the sax is mainly responsible for the jazz sound in the music.

Although they throw in a heavy riff here and there, it is mainly some laidback jazz/rock/fusion. Two songs clock over 15 minutes and surprisingly enough these songs do keep the attention. All tracks are recorded at several sessions in the studio, adding to the spontaneous feel of the music. The drums are a bit in the back of the mix and the bass is nearly ?invisible," so it is mainly guitars and the sax, which dominates quite, that you hear.

This release might not interest the average ProgPower Online visitor, as this has nothing to do with metal, but the melodic rock fan might be interested to try out something new and different? On the website you can download some samples.

Note: the low score is mainly as this is not really a release fitting for PPO, but if you like fusion, jazz rock, add two stars and you have your score ;-)

[This review originally appeared August 2004 at the ProgPower Online review site -ed.]

Tracklisting:
Black Hills Jam (15:27) / Wormhole (4:23) / Westside Highway (7:03) / Trees (10:42) / Groove Monkey (8:39) / Swamp Gas & Moonshine (15:15) / Dangerous in Deed (7:50)

Musicians:
David Broyles - guitar (stereo left)
Michael ?Smitty? Smith - guitar (stereo right)
Steven Munger - saxophone
Jess White - bass
Joel Veatch - drums

Discography:
Jam Camp (1990)
Black Hills Jam - Preserves Vol. 2 (2004)<

Genre: Jam Band

Origin US

Added: May 29th 2005
Reviewer: Marcel Haster
Score:
Artist website: www.jamcamp.com
Hits: 2484
Language: english