RIK WRIGHT’S FUNDAMENTAL FORCES

FOOL’S FATE

HipSnc Records

Rik Wright, guitar; James Dejoie, alto saxophone; Geoff Harper, bass; Greg Campbell, drums/percussion.

A Seattle-based guitarist and composer, Rik Wright and his “Fundamental Forces” band, blend world music with rock & roll, then tie the package together with a ribbon of jazz. You can plainly hear this blend on their opening tune and the title of this new album, “Fool’s Fate”

The first thing I noticed about this unique musical group is Rik Wright’s guitar mastery. He embraces the days of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix one moment, but also the contemporary fusion era, reflecting players like John Scofield and pianist Robert Glasper. Rik Wright braids genres together, making a style and type of jazz that is uniquely his own.

On top of being a seasoned guitarist, Wright is also a gifted and creative composer. Every song on this album is Wright’s original composition. Just listen to tunes like “Freezer Jam” or “Mixing Glass” to hear the melodic way he blends electronic jazz with fusion and rock.

“Luminescence” begins as a solo guitar ballad.  The Fundamental Forces band members join him about a third of the way into this arrangement. The alto sax mimics Wright’s melody, sometimes playing along with the guitar in unison.

Wright has decades of history in the Seattle underground music arena, including his determination to present early avant-garde showcases.  After recovering from a serious physical injury, one that sidelined his performances for a period, Wright refocused his high-velocity bop and aggressive rock tendencies toward genre blending with jazz as the common denominator. Consequently, these new compositions feature restructured music. He founded Fundamental Forces around 2011 as an exploratory quartet.  They continue to rebirth themselves and their music, like a wild butterfly that bursts from the caterpillar’s cocoon. These songs take wing, bright, colorful, and uniquely creative. I enjoy his solo guitar work on a song he calls, “Something Sad and Sweet.”

On “Glitter Bomb” bassist Geoff Harper sets the tempo and tone with his electric bass.  There is a feeling of esoteric bliss in this arrangement. However, it soon settles into a contemporary jazz groove, with Harper’s bass walking beneath the Greg Campbell drum licks. Dejoie’s alto sax dances the melody atop the rhythm section, like placing a structured house carefully atop the basement. The group builds the structure and momentum.

Each of Wright’s original compositions unfold like a new chapter in a mystery book. Some songs prime the reader with clues and contemporary excitement. Like any mystery novel, the composer repurposes his jazzy/rock arrangements in a way that keeps the listener attentive.

Reviewed by Dee Dee McNeil

Subscribe to Our Newsletter