The standard line on Harriet Tubman is that it is a jazz power trio, which is perhaps the best three word description of the band out that is there. They are a fusion band 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 channelling John McLaughlin and Allan Holdsworth simultaneously. This is a band especially for folks who like their fusion with almost a metallic sheen.
Brandon Ross' solo work, 1980s Marcus Miller/Al Foster period work of Miles Davis, Allan Holdsworth, Isotope 217 and Jeff Parker's post-rock/fusion work, Ronald Shannon Jackson & The Decoding Society