All the Way Live

Recalling the glory days of R&B-based jazz-rock fusioneers like the Blackbyrds or '70s-vintage Mongo Santamaria, Vinyl aren't just another jam band. With its deliberately Roger Dean-inspired cover art (featuring some fever-dream cross between a pterodactyl and a Victrola) and double-disc setup, All the Way Live is an unapologetic throwback to the heady days of the 1970s, when an instrumental band could fearlessly slide back and forth between Latin, jazz, funk, and rock while showing off all the tasty licks and heavy chops it could muster. Though the average song length on the 20-track All the Way Live is up around the six- or seven-minute range, there is very little aimless jamming here and the solos are admirably concise. Guests include Funkadelic's Bernie Worrell, adding his familiar clavinet and organ, bassist Rob Wasserman taking the lead on the African-tinged bass-and-percussion showcase "Wildebeest," and, of all people, Huey Lewis blowing some impressive harp on the bouncy New Orleans-style shuffle "Skumbo." Recorded live during a two-night stand at the Great American Music Hall in Vinyl's hometown of San Francisco, All the Way Live is that rarity, a two-disc live album with very little filler.