Live album not the band's best

Beeblebrox
Real Brox
acme Bloomington-based jazz group Beeblebrox's latest release, Real Brox, is a live two-disc set recorded at Indy's Jazz Kitchen. The discs often hint at traditional jazz tones, but with more modern harmonies and angular solos to lay the foundation for the band's jazz-fusion sound. It also shows where the band is now without neglecting its past. As the notes say, not all of the tracks included here are the most recent ones. Mainstays Peter Kienle and Monika Herzig are joined by bassist Jack Helsley, drummer Paul Surowiak and saxophonist Tom Clark to form the current quintet -- one that's obviously not afraid of experimenting with different players. On Real Brox, Herzig (keys) seems to be more of a role player for the band and does a great job, but needs to take advantage of her skills as a soloist, especially since the rhythm section is more than capable of supporting the band. The highlight of the album is the smooth, but fiery solos of Clark's tenor and alto saxes and Kienle's unpredictable guitar work. The rest of the band's sound seems a little more solid and straightforward, allowing the soloists (and the cats can all play) plenty of room to stretch the boundaries of melody. Then again, after fifteen tracks, one can't help but think a little borrowing from blues, hard bop or avant garde jazz might give the CDs the kick they're missing. While Beeblebrox isn't quite creative enough to call for comparisons with say, Weather Report or the heavy and tight as CAB (my favorite jazz-fusion band), they are quite good at what they do. I just expect a little more energy from a live recording. With almost two and half hours of music between the two discs, Real Brox may be a little too much of a good thing, but at the same time it offers a detailed look at one of the areas most interesting jazz bands.