Bernie Worrell: Improvisczario

By: Forrest Reda

Bernie Worrell is not afraid to experiment. Recorded on the fly, Improvisczario (Godforsaken Music) shows that alchemy is a musical process that true masters can accomplish with the right players. Drummer Will Calhoun (Living Colour) and the aptly named Brett Bass (Mollie King) were enlisted as his rhythm section, leaving Worrell free to go nuts on piano, Hammond, clavinet and whatever other keyboards he deems fit. Guest musicians include Mike Gordon, who offers banjo on the excellent “Up In The Hills,” and Warren Haynes, who offers some wailing guitar on “Dirty” and a little feedback jam and Hendrix riffing on “Mosqito.” With the exception of “Bass on the Line,” Improvisczario isn’t a funky album, but it grooves (and then some), giving listeners the most pleasurable mind-fuck of the year.

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