Infinity by Rare Blend

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Jazz Fusion | Instrumental Rock

9 tracks | 46 minutes

Released Dec 1999
on TSM productions

Click for a 30-second preview. All tracks are 192kbps high fidelity sound quality. Protected WMA $0.77 or unprotected MP3 $0.88.

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sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 07:03 Z'hadum lyrics BUY MP3 07:03 Z'hadum lyrics "GIFT MP3" 07:03 Z'hadum

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:34 Funky Ovulation Shuffle lyrics BUY MP3 04:34 Funky Ovulation Shuffle lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:34 Funky Ovulation Shuffle

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:16 Twice upon a time lyrics BUY MP3 05:16 Twice upon a time lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:16 Twice upon a time

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:31 Cool Days Hot Nights lyrics FREE 05:31 Cool Days Hot Nights lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:31 Cool Days Hot Nights

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:35 Kitchen Cinque lyrics BUY MP3 03:35 Kitchen Cinque lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:35 Kitchen Cinque

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:56 Blue Diamond lyrics BUY MP3 05:56 Blue Diamond lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:56 Blue Diamond

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 04:43 Chickee Babe lyrics BUY MP3 04:43 Chickee Babe lyrics "GIFT MP3" 04:43 Chickee Babe

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 03:55 Blue Samba lyrics BUY MP3 03:55 Blue Samba lyrics "GIFT MP3" 03:55 Blue Samba

sample lyrics "DOWNLOAD" 05:35 Java Jam lyrics BUY MP3 05:35 Java Jam lyrics "GIFT MP3" 05:35 Java Jam

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Jazz fusion, instrumental rock, progressive, improvised groovy jams.

Editorial review

After the release of Rare Blend's self-titled EP, the band added well over 25 minutes worth of new tunes. It seems they also dropped a slow tune, "Isabella," this release. Rare Blend is Vic Samalot on guitar, Bobbi Holt on keys, Jeff Scott on bass, Paul Stranahan on drums, and Tom Doggett guesting on sax. This is guitar-driven, jazzy, funked-up, fusiony jam music. Samalot stretches amply, and many of the compositions are primarily written by him. The occasional synth or bass lead filler improv pops up here and there. The strongest cuts are "Blue Samba," "Z'hadum," "Blue Diamond," "Funky Ovulation Shuffle," and "Kitchen Cinque." You will hear Santana and the little-known Alphonse Mouzon/Lee Ritenour/Tommy Bolin project Mind Transplant on portions of the above. Funk undercurrents are strong, along with rock drive and full jazz sensitivities, in Rare Blend. If more fusion-fired unison lines (bassist Scott knows the formula) and widely variant time signatures -- and less boogie-down grooves -- are used in this group's future releases, Rare Blend might even echo such acclaimed jazz fusionists as Tribal Tech, Five After Four, and F-5. There is very strong potential in Rare Blend. Notably, "Time Upon a Time" should really wow listeners during the piece's first three minutes with its unique compositional voice, but thereafter, the group falls back into bland lounge jazz standards for the duration. Avoidance of been-there-done-that jazzy breaks and groove-a-thons will only serve to better Rare Blend. "Comfortable jamming territory" for a musician tends to lose listener interest rapidly. Being good at the expected is laudable but not excellent. But overall, Rare Blend's Infinity is a decent CD, outdoing the band's earlier EP. ~ John W. Patterson, All Music Guide

Bio / Background

Rare Blend's "Infinity" is a 9-song collection with a mixed

bag of elements. Some tracks emphasize jazz grooves with a Latin touch, while others features progressive twists with improvised instrumentation. It's contents are suggestive of the band's name; the raw energy of one side and the abstract melodic movements of the other. A very well performed album and is a great find for the avid jazz / rock fan. RB brings an exciting wide array of styles that you wouldn't normally associate with a fusion band. If your looking for something that isn't your standard run-of-the-mill, overproduced musical experience, check out Rare Blend's "Infinity".

Musicians:

Vic Samalot -Guitars

Bobbi Holt -Keyboards

Jeff Scott -Bass

Paul Stranahan -Drums & Percussion

Sax track on "Java Jam" courtesy of Tom Doggett

Written by Rare Blend. Recorded, produced, and mixed by Vic Samalot & Bobbi Holt. Add'l engineering by Jeff Scott. Recorded at Act-V and Odyssey studios in Cleveland, Ohio USA.