Bruce Fowler - 1990 - Ants Can Count

Bruce Fowler

1990 

Ants Can Count

01. Mountain Mist 8:57

02. Ants Can Count 10:18

03. 3 M0D2=1 2:57

04. Ode To Stravinsky And The American Indians 4:29

05. Winter In Maine 5:45

06. One Man One Bone 4:57

07. Something Big 4:24

08. Duet For Flute And Trombone 6:27

09. Duet For French Horn And Trombone 4:00

10. Downriver 10:16

11. Let's Hope 2:20

Bass – Tom Fowler

Bass Trombone – Phil Teele

Drums – Billy Mintz, Chester Thompson, Clark Woodard

Flute, Alto Saxophone – Steve Fowler

French Horn – Suzette Moriarty

Percussion – Ed Mann

Piano, Bass – Ed Fowler

Trombone – Bruce Fowler

Trumpet – Walt Fowler

Although trombonist Bruce Fowler and his many brothers all have a strong sense of humor, this set is actually fairly somber much of the time. Fowler utilizes different instrumentation on each of his originals and some of the pieces are almost completely written out, while a couple others are more freely improvised. The music falls between jazz and modern classical music, with a wide variety of intriguing tone colors and unusual combinations of instruments. For example, "Mountain Mist" and "Something Big" have four brass instruments, flute, drums, and percussion. Fowler overdubbed himself on a few trombones for "Ode to Stravinsky and the American Indians" and is heard all alone on "One Man One Bone." There are duets by Fowler with flute and French horn, a feature for a brass quartet on "Let's Hope," and a few numbers with more conventional instrumentations. This set would have been uplifted if it had utilized more of Fowler's wit, but what is here does hold one's interest.

Tom Fowler - 1992 - Heartscapes

Tom Fowler

1992

Heartscapes

01. Coffee Shop 5:36

02. Merely To Love You 4:30

03. Arigato Daijobu 4:10

04. Jimmy 4:56

05. She Looks Like A Girl 5:09

06. Angel Face 3:58

07. Burn You With Cold 4:17

08. Languished On The Line 5:03

Alto Saxophone – Steve Fowler (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8)

Backing Vocals – Alec Milstein (tracks: 8)

Backing Vocals – Amy Keyes (tracks: 7)

Backing Vocals – Bob Fernandez (tracks: 7)

Backing Vocals – Cathy Wyatt (tracks: 7)

Backing Vocals – Jaime Troy (tracks: 7)

Backing Vocals – Joy Fowler (tracks: 7)

Backing Vocals – Margie Balter (tracks: 7)

Bass Trombone – Phil Teele (tracks: 1, 5, 8)

Double Bass – Tom Fowler (tracks: 1, 6)

Drums – Chester Thompson (tracks: 2)

Drums – Gary Novak (tracks: 1)

Drums – Ralph Humphrey (tracks: 4)

Drums – Ray Brinker (tracks: 3, 5 to 7)

Drums – Vinnie Colaiuta (tracks: 8)

Effects – Alex Wurman (tracks: 7)

Electric Bass – Tom Fowler (tracks: 2 to 5, 7, 8)

Flute – Steve Fowler (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 8)

Guitar – Michael O'Neill (tracks: 1, 2, 8)

Guitar – Mike Miller (tracks: 2 to 7)

Keyboards – Walt Fowler (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8)

Percussion – Ricky Cosentino (tracks: 1)

Tenor Saxophone – Albert Wing (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 8)

Trombone – Bruce Fowle (tracks: 1, 2, 5, 8)

Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Walt Fowler (tracks: 1, 2, 4 to 6, 8)

Violin – Tom Fowler (tracks: 4)

Vocals – Aimee Chalfant (tracks: 5)

Vocals – Lynn Fiddmont (tracks: 8)

Vocals – Ricky Cosentino (tracks: 1 to 7)

Words By – Ricky Cosentino (tracks: 6)

This is a really brilliant album if one has the de-conditioned ears to listen closely. It is very accessible but also very Zappaesque and modern, as it should be, coming from Zappa's old bass player from the early 1970s, during the time George Duke and Jean Luc Ponty were in the band (Fowler also played on the stone-cold classic early JLP albums "Aurora" and "Imaginary Voyage"). Some of the songs have a "smooth-jazz" feel to it on the surface but make no mistake about it, they are still quite progressive in their own little ways. Fowler, following the example of Zappa, has tweaked the tunes and the lyrics and every bit of detail in just the right way to turn it into a real artistic statement full of humor and discovery and not just another cynical attempt to get radio play and achieve "commercial potential" through watering things down. The singers Fowler uses are not famous names to me but they are amazing. I really hate bad singers (or singers who may have at one time been great but lost it) who can't carry a tune but are given a pass because they're famous personalities from well-known groups,etc.

As far as appearances from other famous Zappa alumni go besides Tom and the rest of the Fowler brothers, Vinnie Colaiuta plays drums on track 8, Chester Thompson on track 2 and Ralph Humphrey on track 4. Chick Corea, Allan Holdsworth and Alanis Morissette drummer Gary Novak plays drums on track 1.

Fowler Brothers - 1988 - Breakfast For Dinosaurs

Fowler Brothers 

1988 

Breakfast For Dinosaurs

01. Call Waiting (6:10)

02. Languished On The Line (5:01)

03. Queue (6:43)

04. Breakfast For Dinosaurs (4:26)

05. Mr. Butterfly (4:26)

06. She's Not Symmetrical (4:56)

07. Kaiparowitz High (6:48)

08. No More Mr. Nice Girl (5:19)

Bruce Fowler / trombone, background vocals

Steve Fowler / alto sax, flute

Tom Fowler / bass

Walt Fowler / trumpet, flugelhorn, keyboards

Ed Fowler / bass, keyboards

Albert Wing / tenor sax

Mike O'Neill / Electric Guitar, background vocals

Lynn Fiddmont / lead & background vocals

Chester Thompson / drums

Alex Acuna / drums, percussion

Vinny Colaiuta / drums

Phil Teele / bass trombone

Ike Willis / lead vocal

Mike Miller / acoustic guitar

Luis Conte / percussion

Mona Lisa Young / background vocals

Alec Milstein / background vocal

The title track is the most interesting cut on the album, and it's no surprise it was penned by Bruce Fowler. Most of the rest of the album sounds like it's from a 1980s movie soundtrack (for some reason I keep picturing Eddie Murphy). Even the final cut would fit right in being played during a film's credit roll at the end of the movie. Better I think for most people to seek out Bruce's solo efforts first.

Bruce Fowler & Phil Teele - 1984 - Synthetic Division

Bruce Fowler & Phil Teele

1984

Synthetic Division

01. Didjeriblues

02. Godel's Proof

03. For Frank (Rosolino)

04. Painim

05. Club Cindy

06. No Apparent Structural Hazard

07. Estimados Cesar and Chico

08. Synthetic Division

09. Deply Those Bases

10. Crippled Truth

11. Synthetic Division (Reprise)

12. A Flea Circus With Lorena, The Bare-back Rider

Bass Trombone, Trombone [Contrabass], Sousaphone [Bells], Didgeridoo, Shaker, Conch, Sounds [Bull Roar, Petrified Whale Bones, Lips], Bells [Japanese Temple Bells], Synthesizer – Phil

Tenor Trombone, Didgeridoo, Shaker, Conch, Rattle, Sousaphone [Bells], Sounds [Lips, Organ Pipes], Vocals – Bruce

Absolutely wonderful record. You would not think so by looking at the cd cover (which doesn't show he array of instruments used). Of course, Zappa fans and others interested in jazz and fusion might know Fowler. In any case, both artist are known as 'trombone players'. So one would think 'oh, a duo trombone album'. But it actually is a lot more as the guys play other 'blow through' instruments, and synths, MANY percussions, Pipe Organ, etc. What's the music like? inventive, avant, prog, but above all, highly entertaining. Not a lot of cacophony but instead, very melodic without the saccharine. Zappa fans, Albert Mangelsdorff/Paul Rutherford/Conrad Bauer fans and fusion / jazz lovers searching for new territories should DEFINITELY check this one out.