Jeff Berlin - Crossroads

Release date: 1998

Jeff Berlin writes in the liner notes about Crossroads, "Back in the '70s, fusion was hot. I had the good fortune to be in the middle of this era when it was at its peak, and I also had the great honor of playing with its most famous alumni. By recording and touring with these highly respected players, my reputation as a bass player spread and ultimately led to his being signed as a solo artist. "Champion" and "Pump It!" were the first two results of that signing; this CD includes most of the tunes from those records. Scott Henderson, Neal Schon, Frank Gambale and Paul Gilbert each contributed stunning guitar work, "Champion" being Henderson's first recording session, and "Pump It!" being Gambale's first session as well. All in all, these tunes capture the attitude and feeling I had about music over ten years ago. There's some really exciting historical and musical elements going on here."

To most listeners, Jeff Berlin is utterly unknown as a musician and composer; to progressive rock enthusiasts, however, Berlin is a god, ranked alongside Jaco Pastorious and Victor Wooten as one of the most exciting virtuoso bassists ever. Crossroads compiles his first two albums, Pump It! and Champion, into a single-disc greatest hits of sorts, although neither album had much impact beyond jazz-rock circles. Splashy keyboards and '80s slickness date the recordings considerably, but the new track order plays well, with Buddy Miles, Neil Peart, Ronnie Montrose, and Neal Schon being a few of the musicians contributing master chops. The set also features the first recordings of guitarist extraordinaire Scott Henderson and presents Berlin, surprisingly, in more of a supporting than a starring role, although Manos De Piedra, Dixie, and the incredibly melodic Bach show off some of his fantastic virtuosic soloing. ~ Jim Smith, All Music Guide