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Stratus: Hyperbole (CD, 47:24); independent release, SWP-945, 1990 Contact info: Bill Sukhun, Guild Records, P.O. 7569 Houston, TX 77 Telephone (official): 713-880-1262 Telephone (best): 281-565-8070 Fax: 281-565-8222 Availability: Guild Records or thru Syn-Phonic Music Stratus is indeed an "undiscovered gem" in the jazz fusion world. I diverge now for some background info. Finding out about this group is one of the fringe benefits of being a music reviewer. I'm waiting for a Texas progressive rock group to send their promo stuff and when it arrives -- Bam! -- they include the Stratus CD as a favor to the band. These "mystery" guys blew my "fusion" doors off their hinges. What a nice surprise! Soon I was posting to the Houston area jazz BBS to hook up direct with Stratus. Got 'em! By 1998, much had changed for them. Sadly, the bass player, Dave Nichols, had recently fallen victim to cancer. Oh man, that crushed me, but Stratus, wounded in heart, carried on, playing and recording in his memory. Paul Chester, the guitarist, sent me more Stratus releases. (Their respective reviews follow this one.) And now the review . . . With Chester on guitars, Nichols on bass, Ted Wenglinski on keys and Brian Hull on drums I was transported into silky, smooth jazz fusion ecstasy. These guys are on nearly equal standing with anything Chick Corea's Electrick Band, Scott Henderson's Tribal Tech, or Aussie Frank Gambale have delivered over the years. I'm talking quality, professional, creative compositions and high-energy, precision delivery. I also heard a great deal of that inspiring Pekka Pohjola atmosphere but jazzier. Chester and Wenglinski in their guitar/keys interactions grab you, soothe you, and fast pitch you into extreme aural satisfaction. Nichols reminded me of Pattitucci or Willis and even pulled out some Levin on one track. I am one picky reviewer, so hear me now, listen up. There's not a weak track on this baby nor a "loose" or "filler" bar anywhere -- hear a ton of killer guitar work, wallow in absolutely wonderful keyboard synths, groove on tight, upfront, jazzy, "funked up" bass, and just right drums. All the ten compositions by Chester, Wenglinski, and Nichols are polished, intelligent, and just darn good stuff. It may be tricky finding their CDs but definitely worth all the trouble. Highly, highly recommended to jazz fusion heads out there! -- John W. Patterson
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Stratus: Iconoclast (CD, 67:41); SVR-9486, 1995 Contact info: Bill Sukhun, Guild Records, P.O. 7569 Houston, TX 77 Telephone (official): 713-880-1262 Telephone (best): 281-565-8070 Fax: 281-565-8222 Availability: Guild Records or thru Syn-Phonic Music Paul Chester, Ted Wenglinski, and Dave Nichols continue from an earlier Stratus lineup. They add David Caceres on saxes and Todd Harrison on drums. Well this is a jazzier, less fusion feel Stratus but by no means any less enjoyment. There's still that wonderful Chester guitar tone and style. Think Scott Henderson, Frank Gambale, and Mike Stern. Look out guys, this Chester guy, he's hot! Wenglinski is keyed up in a great way. Nichols' basswork is easy in the top 100 in the U.S., IMHO. Caceres' saxwork is straight up jazz and faultless. Harrison can hang tight on the drums in every flow the piece needs. Gone is that Pekka Pohjola feel to this CD. What you have here is more that Steps Ahead thing with no vibes or predominant saxwork but Chester is pulling it all towards that Mike "Sterno" Stern or Scott Henderson bluesy-jazz sound. Nine of the fourteen tracks are written by Chester. This release leans towards the mainstream, commercially accessible fusion. However, the title track, "Iconoclast", is more that hard-edged, driving, Henderson or Adam Holzman kind of in-your-face-knocking-you-down, jazz-rockin' fusion I enjoy the most. Nichols slows things down stretchin' some in a Gary Willis moment before the finale detonates. Track one "Halfway to Heaven" by Nichols was a great opening piece reminding of their Hyperbole release. "Hurricane", "Party Every Sunday", and "Labor Day" each sounded almost exactly like Tribal Tech pieces. This is great jazz fusion happening here. Again Stratus delivers sharp-edged, slick, fired-up tunes. Houston, you're a lucky little town to have this talent on your doorstep. -- John W. Patterson
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Stratus: Anabolic/ Live at the Ale House (CD, 70:00); GRI-1000, 1997 Contact info: Bill Sukhun, Guild Records, P.O. 7569 Houston, TX 77 Telephone (official): 713-880-1262 Telephone (best): 281-565-8070 Fax: 281-565-8222 Availability: Guild Records This CD was recorded live at the Ale House in Houston, Texas over two nights in September of 1995. It was released after Stratus' bass player and songwriter, Dave Nichols, had passed away in August of 1997, after bravely battling cancer. Nichols had played with, and been friend to guitarist, Paul Chester and keyboardist, for 14 years. The jazz world has been robbed of one of its finest. For a live recording, this certainly sounds studio quality. Only the applause 'tween tracks or after a fine solo clues you in. Things open up with a Scofield tune, "Wabash" that is a funky thang with Lost Tribesque wild sax by David Caceres and the usual Stratus superb execution. Track two, "Jail Bait" is a fine crunchy-jazz rockin' Tribal Tech-ish piece. "Guardian Angels" mellows you in that Weather Report way. Next up, "Just Add Water", a Chick Corea Electrick Band sounding song is room for Caceres to stretch in a very Brecker/Steps Ahead-ish mood with Paul Chester doin' that Stern/Henderson/Gambale soloing. "Preacher's Daughter" took me back to a bluesy-rock jazz band playin' for a Saturday Nite Live gig if you know what I mean. Keys were organically blue for a holy rollin' Belushi gospel hour donation. Sax solo was oh so soulful and then the bass solo tugged at your heartstrings as you walked the aisle to confess to da man. "Anabolic" was a Jaco P's "Weather Report-8:30" joy to boogie to and get your jerky jive funky chicken shuffle thang a'goin'. Ooh yeah, gimme dat ice-rink/baseball park organ backup whilst axeman Chester tears it up. Up jumps Wenglinski on wild, phat keys, gettin' right cosmic. Nichols drops down the tempo soze Harrison, my man, can slay some drum. This is what live music is all about. Lotsa applause on that one -- why, of course! "Mudbug Meditations" relaxes things on down and Wenglinski does a very Rob Mullins meets Peanuts swingin' extended solo in the baby grand/Fender Rhodes voice. Chester, as expected pulls out the stops in his signature style screamin' tone, "Blues, jazz, no, fusion, no blues, oh forget it -- it's soul food on 120 volts AC". Caceres sax rounds it all out crossin' Brecker with a touch of Courtney Pine cool. Nichols again is his heartfelt best calling to mind Gary Willis. Jazz is this -- room to stretch. "Seeing Red" intro'ed a tad like Lost Tribe's early works but with a Steps Ahead flow eventually dominating until the very Dave Binney sax tempo break. Chester rips away the veil of Maya and propels things into Hendersonic pyrotechnincs and things get flyin'. Caceres' sax flow pulls it back a bit into a Brecker/Shorter excursion. All the while Nichols and Harrison are jazz automatons, time signature precise. Oh, I forgot this is live. Incredible. Why haven't these guys made it into the big time scene. It never ceases to amaze me how much talent is out there with so little exposure. Stratus encores and finishes with their previous CD's title track, "Iconoclast" and simply explodes. "Good golly Miss Molly!" Chester wails and generates that spine- tinglin', goosebumps attack for this reviewer. Turn this up for maximum effect. Wenglinski is flat-out cosmic-creepy in his synth solo with a ton of whole tonal oddities. Think Brain Salad Surgery meets Godzilla and Wenglinski wins. Caceres lets it all fly and -- yeah, Coltrane. Nuff said. Nichols does Pastorius, machine-gun burst, bass burps throughout, right into the wolf whistle finale. This band deserves hearing by more jazz listeners and for a live recording it reveals their raw strengths to deliver quality and spirit in the music they offer. Find Stratus' releases, buy 'em, and be satisfied. Strongly recommended. -- John W. Patterson
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