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Quotes for "Progressivity":
To call this the second coming of Brand X really does a disservice to the talents of this trlo comprising Marc Wagnon, Percy Jones and Frank Katz...
Wagnon performs on midi-vibes, which means his mallets are more than malleable when it comes to producing sonic tomfoolery of every sort imaginable. Jones really percolates on bass (good to the last bop!) and Katz is a whirling dervish on his drum kit.
"7,584,333,440 Miles Away," a 2O-minute track contained here, is definitely the most wild, whacked-out piece of jazz fusion that will blister your ears this year. "Syzygy Incident" and "orfeo's Dream" are other cuts that absolutely rip.
If you're a fan of the no-holds-barred fusion that distingulshed the best work of Mahavishnu orchestra, Weather Report, Stanley Clarke or Tony Williams' Lifetime, you're going to like Progressivity and you're going to dig Tunnels - Mark Newman, Progression Magazine
As a reviewer, some cds you just live for, and this is one of them.
Prog masters which crash and spin at a high volume rate, like something you'd expect Terry Bozzio to be involved in. This purely instrumental set sounds like infinitely more than 3 people, and is more than ordinary prog. Want to call it jazz rock, or acid jazz for a synth combo? Go ahead. But the fact that 2 of these 3 people come straight from legendary prog rock group Brand X better make you sure of your ground
...there is a seeming method to all the madness inherent in this music which takes melody and - like the best of jazz - speeds it away from tight scales and simple recognizability. It's the genre that has rightly before been called thinking man's music for the rock crowd. Leave it on for an hour and feel the IQ rise. - Ben Ohmart, MusicDish.com
Fusion fans will rejoice at the release of the third Tunnels album as it features former Brand x bassist Percy Jones reunited (on three of the ten tracks) with his former partner in crime, John Goodsall.
...what can one say about Percy Jones? How many musicians (let alone bassists) have a unique, immediately identifiable sound? Percyâs fluid,, harmonic-filled fretless approach underlies the album without stealing the show from his band mates
The band evokes Brand X or Mahavishnu at times with the high energy level, but there is also a looser, jazzier feel due to the improvisational nature of the playing.
Overall this is strong effort with a spirit of excitement and adventure that all too often has been lacking in modern fusion albums. Review by David Ashcraft Expose Magazine
The thing about trying to describe the band Tunnels is that there doesn't seem to be any single Tunnels sound. Even on an individual song, the band can change gears to radically that what starts out as a straight-ahead if muscular bit of fusion can soon delightfully degrade into a wonderful stew of free-form ensemble improvisation.
They have the kind of relaxed intensity that comes only from playing together often and over along period of time; that familiarity allows them to attempt stuff other outfits can't even dream about
On "Wall to Wall Sunshine," the band lets Feldman and Goodsall have the spotlight - and they wring every bit out of their time out front.
this album is full of those kinds of surprises - little musical gems that continue to delight as the CD is played over and over again ... as it will be. Jim Trageser The American Reporter
Wagnon demonstrates time and times again just how versatile and interesting MIDI vibes are. He turns in a head-turning solo on "Syzygy Incident" in the voice of an electric guitar, while on the fantastic title track he lays sheets of ambient sound, only to augment them with ebullient dancing melody lines
Disciples of Stanley Crouch, as well as anyone else who still feels that fusion is a dirty word, are advised to avoid "Progressivity." For the rest of us, however, it's an exhilarating listen. By James Bickers Special to The Courier-Journal
Tunnels is a raw fusion band in the spirit of the original form, circa 1970's. That is the combination of driving rock with lots of creativity and improvisation. The core of the band is Percy Jones (b), Marc Wagnon (vibes) and Frank Katz (d), together since 1992. Their approach is fearless resulting in music with enough energy to give you a lift and to stimulate your mind and soul! D. Oscar Groomes O's Place Jazz Newsletter
For those who tired of fusionxs predictable formula in the 80xs, this CD would still find a way into your heart if you are a fan of jazz, creativity and experimentalism. Because the one thing this CD is NOT is predictable. Erik Feder Aquarian Magazine
listeners should focus on celebrating a musical world where great musicians doing such things can actually get a deal and sell records. These types of things are nicely balanced by truly melodic and enjoyable mainstream numbers like "Some Things Must Last." Ironically, that's probably something these guys don't want to hear about their music.
Jonathan Widran All Music Guide
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