Benjamin Croft - We Are Here To Help - New Release Review

 I just had the opportunity to review the most recent release, We Are Here To Help, from Benjamin Croft and it's a cool progressive rocker. Opening with The Age of Magrathea, a driving track with Benjamin Croft on keys, Greg Howe on lead guitar, Carter Arrington on guitars, Stuart Hamm on bass and Marco Minnemann on drums, this is a powerful opener. You Made Me Miss has a great drum line by Simon Phillips that really makes it move. Hamm on bass is solid as a rock and Mike Stern contributes excellent lead guitar work. Adventurous, Lower Moat Manor, has an odd time signature before breaking into 4/4 for the chorus. Croft leads the way on melody with a prime guitar solo by Frank Gamble on guitar and excellent support from Phillips on drums and Flo Moore on bass. Wrapping the release is dramatic, She Flies Softly On featuring Jeff Scott Soto on lead vocal. With Croft on really creating on keys, Per Nilsson laying in a strong solo on guitar, Dave Marks on bass and guitars, and Phillips on drums, this is a strong closer. 

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One of my favorite fusion songs - Stratus (Billy Cobham) Joe Bonamassa, Tommy Bolin, Frank Gamble, Jeff Beck, Chris Duarte

I remember the first time I heard this song. Before I played guitar I played drums and was really blown away by guys like Ginger Baker and john Bonham... but then there was Tony Williams .. and Billy Cobham! I was still living with mom and dad...well, I think I was home from college and I had like the best full blown stereo system that a kid could imagine... i won't go into all of my obsessions... but anyway I had all of my gear in the 2nd story of a two story house and the pool table of course was in the basement. I rigged wire to the basement and would put LP's on and then go down and play pool for 20 minutes to play pool with my pal Blues Ace. I would buy lp's by the armloads and play them all day while we played pool (I had a reel deck for parties). Anyway I would buy stuff I never heard (who'd a thunk it) and put it on and then go down to play pool. Spectrum comes on and and I about drop my pool cue. I had to find out who was playing guitar...I mean I bought a drum album.

It was Tommy Bolin. If you've never had the pleasure... woah.
Sorry no real video...but you can get the feel. If you like this at all, you should check out some of the Miles Davis (Amandela), Mahavishnu (Birds of Fire), Billy Cobham (Spectrum)...well, If you like it, and you want to know more,,,please comment. I have a lot of worthless knowledge up in my head and I am willing to share it.... conversly if you know someone that I should hear... stop holding out on me!! Enjoy!!


Of course I was blown away to find that my favorite contemporary player does it a few years ago...listen here:


Chris Duarte does a version of it... and a nice job!

Even Joe Bonamassa does it!


I love all of these guitar players... and Jeff beck almost always has the best guitar players on the planet.... but for all my drummer friends... here's Billy Cobham!! (He's one of the most articulate drummers to walk the universe!)

You name it ...they're here!
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Hope you enjoyed this as much as i did!!