[.ca] Paris: Jonas Hellborg, Shawn Lane & the Vinayakram Brothers

Hellborg's first DVD is a must own.:
If you are a musician (who else reads Hellborg reviews), then this DVD is a must own. The best plectrum guitar player ever, especially in a jazz/rock/Indian style music setting (Shawn Lane) plays solos you have to see to believe (hearing isn't enough on some of these). But he is not the end of this. I only found Shawn's music because of my love for Hellborg's style of composition, which is amazing. No one has ever used the Locrian mode to an asthetically apealling end until he came along. And his bass lines make me jealous. This DVD gives you an excellent Hellborg bass solo where he trades lines with the two percussionists (end of set one), and many other great bass solo's. Hellborg has been the next Jaco for many years now and carries the bass torch even higher (really, between him and Edgar Meyer the bass as become an important compositional tool). This DVD also has Lane's most adventurous solo to date at the beggining of set two. His work with the sampler is quite insightfull and may just inspire guitar players to go pick one up and see what the possibilities are. And for those people out there who are sick of the endless percussion vocal solo's on Hellborgs last two studio releases check them out on here. It is the best vocal work I have ever heard from an Indian Percussionist. They trade lines and have fake conversations, really playing the crowd and obviously having a ball doing it. It is musical and funny. A great disc that I can't reccomend highly enough. If you are not a genreist then this is the disc for you. It is also a pleasure to hear Umamahesh sing. He has some great vocal solo's on here that demonstrate his ability to be a funtional part of an imporvisational band, and a singer who is an actual musician, not just a songwriter of lyric deliverer. Hellborg never ceases to amaze and if you liked Icon, or Godd People in Times of Evil then this is definitely worth owning. Not quite as good as Icon musically speaking but what a visceral pleasure it is to see these virutosos perform. Sheer willpower. Now if only they would come and play in Vancouver, even without Shanw Lane (R.I.P. Sep/26/03).