MAP (2014)
This collaboration brings together Patrick Moraz, a prestigious progressive rock keyboardist who played with Yes and the Moody Blues, and American drummer Greg Alban, a skillful drummer and financial adviser.
Patrick Moraz performed some of Yes’ most spectacular keyboard work in the album “Relayer”. You’d think that this album would be loaded with state of the art progressive rock. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. MAP is a mixed bag, with a few outstanding pieces that will please the progressive music fans and then some forgettable smooth jazz and cheesy tracks that should have been left in the drawing board.
The best cuts are the opening jazz-rock piece “Jungle Aliens” where Moraz delivers an avalanche of fabulous keyboard solos, set to a heavy jazz beat; the fusion piece “Jazz in the Night” where Greg Alban demonstrates his admirable drum technique; the self-explanatory “The Drums also Solo”; the best cut on the album, a progressive rock composition with Indian influences titled “Mumbai-Antra” where Moraz’s keyboards and Alban’s drums are joined by Patrick Perrier’s creative bass lines; and the spacey, dreamy final track, “Alien Species.”