The Jelly Jam - The Jelly Jam



1. I Can't Help You (3:01) 2. No Remedy (4:05) 3. Nature (0:59) 4. Nature's Girl (5:12) 5. Feeling (5:22) 6. Reliving (4:12) 7. The Jelly Jam (5:50) 8. I Am the King (4:38) 9. The King's Dance (2:11) 10. Under the Tree (9:37)

Total Running Time: 45:07

Platypus is no more, and in its place now stands The Jelly Jam. It's the same band, except Derek Sherinian is no longer part of it. Yeah, whatever, that's old news…give us something that we actually care about. Well dear readers, don't even worry about this supergroup of sorts being impaired by the lack of keyboards, because Ty Tabor, Rod Morgenstein, and John Myung are back with one hell of an album, attitude to spare, and a lesson or two to teach the kids.

Spearheaded by Tabor's unmistakable guitar work and beautiful Beatlesque vocal harmonies, The Jelly Jam is an effort that sometimes seems to hark back to the early days of King's X, and is quite closer to the sound of that band than Platypus ever was. Yet there is a freshness to be found in the alternating mean bite of headlong riffs and moody arpeggios that places this trio on its very own golden throne, particularly with Tabor diving into some of the most visceral soloing that he's done in quite a while and the songwriting being right up to par with what one would expect from a band that features members from King's X, Dream Theater, and the Dixie Dregs. You got it right boys and girls…this is the moment you've been waiting for.

And you are not about to walk away disappointed. Morgenstein's drumming sounds wonderfully raw, Myung's bass hits exactly the right note at exactly the right moment every time, and Tabor…well, the man's a sheer genius whose ability to come up with uplifting melodies that lie far from absurdity and kitsch is simply astounding. Some of the very elements that made an album like Gretchen Goes to Nebraska such a gem have somehow found their way into this jam, been processed with an earthiness that shakes the ground with sheer sonic strength, and been immersed into an attitude of willingness to sometimes mix jamming experimentation with crafty songwriting, forming an end result that has left yours truly with a smile that will last for weeks.

And the same effect will doubtlessly sneak into every King's X fan out there as soon as one listens to The Jelly Jam, as the uplifting musical mood than once pervaded that wonderful band's efforts seems to sneak its way back to modern times at some points during the record while being accompanied by more reflective moments that dig deep into one's psyche and burn their essence into it. In the meantime, those whose cognitive sphere does not include the names Jerry Gaskill and Doug Pinnick apart from that of Tabor's might have a slightly harder time finding an apt point of reference for The Jelly Jam aside from Platypus, but truth be told, this is a good a place to start as any. Be sure to get into this jam as soon as possible.

-by Marcelo Silveyra

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