Last reviewed in these pages as a sideman on Linley Hamilton's impressive Ginger's Hollow this couldn't stylistically be more different for Mark Egan as it's more jazz-rock 1970s type fusion than the hard bop treatments found on Hamilton's album. Egan is in trio formation with guitarist Shane Theriot and drummer Shawn Pelton and you get plenty of rhythmical push and pull on these originals that have an Americana tilt at times beginning with the hoedown quality of 'Ponchatrain' and funky motion of 'Cross Currents'. The meat of the album is centred around 'Big Sky,' 'Pocket Call' and the Mark Knopler-like moods found on 'Sunflower'. More laidback than fiery in nature, Egan proves himself once again one of the most thoughtfully inventive of bass guitarists. And if you yearn for the sound of the Pat Metheny Group of which he was a founder member you will find plenty here to enjoy particularly the beautiful 'Big Sky' which comes closest to that unique spirit, time and place.
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