Hey guys,

Just saw this in Guitar Edge magazine's CD review section:



"Whereas many guitarists think the drum solo is a great time to fetch a beverage, Austrian-born jazz-fusion monster Alex Machacek instead decided to compose his entire new album based on a 51-minute one-take skin-bashing session by drummer Marco Minnermann. The result is a stunning display of composition and virtuosity, and a '70s-style fusion vibe in the best tradition of Return to Forever, Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Allan Holdsworth.

Throughout 24 Tales, Machacek seamlessly alternates between clean-toned staccato machine-gun attacks, soaring overdriven long tones, and gymastic intervallic play- and all over some of the craziest rhythms and time signatures a guitarist will ever encounter, including: 15/16, 9/16, and superimposed parts to create brain-melting polyrhythms. If this all sounds scary, it is. Which is why even though he is a jazzbo at heart, Machacek engaged in very little improvisation on this record, instead carefully composing nearly all of the parts for this adventure in controlled chaos.

Still, the guitarist somehow achieves a witty spontaneity that complements the oeuvre, and that's the grand achievement of 24 Tales. Its 51 minutes seemingly fly by, much like a great book. The material on this album is not easy listening, but as a whole, it sure is an easy read. Best of all, it's so complex that you're sure to find something new and exciting on each listen." -Michael Mueller

Highlights: "On Your Marks..."Sweet Torture," "At the Club," "Eau de Conlon"

If you want to listen to it, to see how it sounds, sign up for a free Rhapsody account, you get 25 free plays a month, so you can listen to the entire album for free, then if you like, buy it! :)