ROBBY KRIEGER: The Ritual Begins At Sundown (JAZZ): review / opinion to read on Music Waves

Legends never die. At 74 years old, Robby Krieger is still around. He could quietly carry on the legacy of the Doors. He could rest on his laurels as a composer of timeless hits. 'Light My Fire', 'Love Me Two Times', 'Love Her Madly', that's him. But Robby is a full-time artist. And even though he has made rock history for eternity, he continues to record, experiment, create, paint - the artwork on this new album is one of his paintings - and make music. "The Ritual Begins At Sundown" is his seventh solo effort. It comes out exactly ten years after the previous one, "Singularity", and shows once again how Robby Krieger is not only a great guitarist but above all a great musician.

"The Ritual Begins At Sundown" is a great instrumental jazz album, generous and mastered from the first to the last note, an album of crazy class that exudes the pleasure of playing and avoids all the classic pitfalls of this demanding music. Here, no sterile improvisation, no misplaced dissonance, no extended titles, just musicians at the top of their art. Robby Krieger has surrounded himself with many greats who have played with Frank Zappa or Arthur Barrow. And the result is as good as the master, to whom the band pays a vibrant tribute with the magnificent cover of 'Chunga's Revenge'.

The album is impressively rich. Robby Krieger's precise playing shines through with its fluid phrasing and delicate touch, through solos whose slightly saturated sound highlights the psychedelic spirit that has always permeated the guitarist's work ('What Was That?', 'Hot Head'). With the instrumental cover of the Doors' 'Yes, The River Knows', his inspired playing alone makes us forget Jim Morrison's voice, unintentionally demonstrating that a singer, however charismatic, is nothing without excellent compositions.

Krieger gives each musician the opportunity to express himself, which gives rise to real moments of grace (the guitar/keyboard duos of 'Bianca's Dream' and guitar/saxophone duos of 'Screen Junkie') and virtuosity (the magnificent keyboard solos of 'Hot Head' and 'The Drift'). However, beyond technique, it is the groove that dominates the album and makes all the salt, the groove we find in the funky bass of 'The Drift', the riffs of 'Hot Head' and 'The Hitch', the percussion ('Bianca's Dream') and the brass on almost all tracks, except for the melancholic 'Slide Home' on which Robby Krieger makes his guitar sing thanks to a magnificent solo in slide.

It's difficult to make an exhaustive review of such a rich album. But for all jazz and jazz rock fans, "The Ritual Begins At Sundown" is a great moment of creativity, balance and know-how where everything works to perfection. Great class. - Official website

ROBBY KRIEGER

THE RITUAL BEGINS AT SUNDOWN

MASCOT LABEL GROUP

JAZZ