Nine Improvs
Artist: Swung Trio
Label: unsigned
Time: 9 tracks / 51:20
 
As genre-defying acts go, Focus was one of the most eclectically elusive bands of the Classic Rock era. The legendary Dutch pop/jazz/classical/prog/fusion band that gave us the mega-hit, “Hocus Pocus,” (and a string of lesser-known follow-up singles in the early '70s) has returned to recording and touring in recent years. The inimitable songwriter/flutist/vocalist (and, yes – whistler Thijs van Leer is still at the helm of the musical ship, supported by original drummer Pierre van der Linden, bass player Bobby Jacobs, and guitarist Niels van der Steenhoven. 
 
Those who followed the band through the years know that Focus always produced music that was one step apart from the mainstream, concentrating on strong melodies set in a pop/classical framework and ornamented by strong jazz chops. If you ever wondered what it would sound like to hear these guys really take off and jam, Nine Improvs will satisfy your speculation. Recorded in one take, Nine Improvs is bare-bones jamming at its best as ‘Papa Thijs’ sits this one out and lets the kids take over: this one’s a real delight, especially for anyone who plays bass, drums or guitar. 
 
Titled simply by number (“Adventure 1,” “Adventure 2,” and so-on), each track is an opportunity to listen to what three musicians at the top of their perspective games do during the sound-check while ‘the boss’ isn’t there. Essentially jazz musicians, the three band-mates show ample rock and roll chops as they thunder, jam, and roar through nine improvised tracks, throwing in a good dose of blues-based funk along the way. Jacobs’ bass work provides a solid bottom-end to the music and holds things nicely together while guitarist Niels uses a plethora of guitar techniques including articulate volume swells, screaming dissonance and lightning-fast riffing. Pierre van der Linden’s drumming hasn’t lost a beat since the days of “Sylvia” and “Hocus Pocus,” skillfully combining jazz and rock styles about as seamlessly as any popular musician ever has.
 
Like Zappa’s Shut Up and Play Your Guitar albums, Nine Improvs is less about compositions than about playing. Even the legendary Zappa ‘Guitar’ sets were blatantly described as collections of solos, and not advertised as albums of songs, per se. Even though Focus is known for tightly structured, melodic compositions, Nine Improvs is an unstructured musical playground of guitar, drum and bass playing – a primer of jazz/rock/blues technique for the aspiring musician or the classic rock fan that misses the days of extended Cream-style jams.  
 
Nine Improvs features the core of the excellent band, Focus, and lets the listener discover just why that band is able to do what it does so very well. Like the similarly under-appreciated Procol Harum, Focus rocks with class and proves that there’s a powerful rock ‘n roll engine powering up those great songs. Nine Improvs (available by contacting the band through their MySpace page) gives you the chance to look under the hood and hear the engine crank on three powerful cylinders… 
 
Bert Saraco
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