Harriet Tubman

The standard line on Harriet Tubman is that it is a jazz power trio who plays fusion that cranks up the rock component and embrace krautrock style grooves with some dark funk and a generous sprinkling of free jazz in between. Sonically, they float around the orbit of the electric era Miles Davis and Jeff Parker's sonic adventures with bands like Isotope 217, but with a much harsher edge. Theirs is not some gentle melding of forms: the music pounds, throbs, and rips, and the band stays completely in the jazz lane while all that is going on. Each player is masterful on their instrument: Drummer JT Lewis and bassist Melvin Gibbs have developed a hard rock meets funk spin on their playing while the guitarist Brandon Ross seems to be channeling John McLaughlin and Allan Holdsworth simultaneously. This is a band especially for folks who like their fusion with almost a metallic sheen.