Atlantic Bridge [Remastered & Expanded Edition]

Atlantic Bridge's sole, self-titled LP is respectable but somewhat middling early fusion, though as a 1970 release, it's more cutting-edge than it would have been had it come out a few years later, when their brand of fusion was pretty common. Jim Philip's sax playing is certainly the most striking and fiery aspect of their approach, owing a good deal to the free jazz of John Coltrane and the like. Daryl Runswick also creates some interesting passages with bowed bass. The covers of "MacArthur Park," "Something," and "Dear Prudence" stretch those songs into considerably different shapes, but the record's six pieces do meander sometimes. ~ Richie Unterberger