Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Foster, Jack III
Label: Progrock Records
Release: year
Rating: 3.5/5
Jack Foster III is a gifted American guitarist and singer, one of the many modern musicians who have successfully ridden the recording and publishing revolution and who have totally mastered the art of promoting their image and work online. At the same time, he’s also one of the few who still understand the philosophy of writing expressively rich and sophisticated, yet instantly accessible forms of rock music. Even though “Jazzraptor’s Secret” is already his fourth album, his career seems destined for eternal studio anonymity, and with it the autonomy of his own musical voice, which is by no means a bad thing.
This time around, just like since the beginning of this “Jazzraptor” project, Jack works with two musicians who are fairly well-known patrons among prog rock fans, even though they’ve spent most of their careers (heh, just like this time) working more in the background. Helping Foster out as instrumentalists and producers are multi-instrumentalist and singer Robert Berry (ex-3, Alliance), who played guitar, bass and drums here and also contributed some backing vocals, and Trent Gardner (Magellan) on keyboards, trombone and backing vocals.
It would be hard to file the sound of “Jazzraptor’s Secret” anywhere outside the rainbow-colored art rock palettes that blend the influences of numerous different genres. In individual tracks you can mostly pick up the influences of all of Berry’s and Gardner’s past and present prog rock projects, but there’s also plenty of room for the odd pastoral acoustic guitar passage. The excellent production is backed up by pleasantly silky motifs that flow nicely into one another, plus vivid symphonic and jazzy arrangements whose melodic sweetness quickly finds its way into the ears of even less demanding listeners.
Unlike the vast majority of newer, modern prog rock projects, this promising trio, apart from a few neo-classical guitar passages, doesn’t wear you out with any out-of-place, rapid-fire prog metal runs, which is more than welcome, since they wouldn’t really fit well within their sound. Many who know Robert Berry’s vocal abilities may be disappointed that he only plays a supporting role here, but it has to be said that Foster has a really pleasant voice too, and its melancholy kindness easily wins over a wider audience.
As for the quality of the lyrics, there’s no point wasting too many words. In them, Mr. Foster lives up to his status as the typical, good-natured American boy, always ready to help old ladies safely across the street and to fill the burrows of chilly squirrels with fresh peanuts every morning. With his almost stereotypically American, pathetically positivist, preachy rhetoric about social problems that will be solved overnight with the right willpower, he follows dutifully in the footsteps of Neal Morse (ex-Spock’s Beard). Still, at least for now there’s no fear of him turning into a meek, God-fearing servant, since he presents his philosophical views on the world in an unobtrusive way.
First and foremost, “Jazzraptor’s Secret” shows how far the trio has come over five years of working together. It has to be said that some of the results are thrilling, though far from any earth-shattering surprises. If you’re hoping for great innovation, you’d better look elsewhere. With their colorful blend of progressive rock, jazz, melodic rock, ethno and folk, the three have managed to give their sound a slowly emerging, recognizable identity. Numerous sophisticated sonic palettes, outstanding fluidity between individual motifs, and a complete absence of competition (read: showing off) between the members in the “who’s got the bigger technical chops” style are the main strengths of this release.
“Jazzraptor’s Secret” is a very likable record and definitely the next step forward in the evolution of this project, even though it brings nothing revolutionary when it comes to discovering new worlds within the well-established forms of progressive rock music. If you like the softer side of an art rock-style sophisticated crossing of many different musical elements, this one is definitely worth a listen. Jack and his buddies have made an album that’s very pleasant on first listen, while still offering enough adventurous substance that you’ll find something new every time you spin it again. So Mr. Foster has once again proven he’s a musician with his own vision, who creates mainly for his own kicks and doesn’t lose any sleep over the lack of possible commercial success.
Lineup
Jack Foster III – vocals, guitar
Trent Gardner – keyboards, trombone, backing vocals
Robert Berry – guitar, bass guitar, bobni
Production
Trent Gardner and Robert Berry
Tracklist
1. Jazzraptor’s Secret
2. The Corner
3. To Have And To Hold
4. Outbreak Monkey
5. Dreaming Not Sleeping
6. Mandelbrot World
7. God And War
8. The New American
9. Inspiration
10. Sometimes When You Win
