(Mark Prince – drums; Michael Bowie – acoustic and electric bass; Federico Gonzalez Pena – piano, keyboards; David J. White – tenor sax, flute; with others)
This is just about my favorite kind of music—melodically and rhythmically sophisticated, wonderful ensemble playing and intelligent soloing, and smart, accessible compositions. Leader Prince, who has played with such diverse artists as Andy Milne, Carlos Ward, and Bobby Lyle, has crafted quite a disc on his first outing. Highlights include the dancing opener, “Rite of Passage,” featuring a mesmeric soundscape marked by some very attractive flute playing from David J. White. “Abena’s Last Stand,” an uncommonly attractive post-bop number, which could have been written by Bobby Watson, bubbles and percolates driven by Pena’s piano and guest Alvin White’s searing electric guitar. “Quiet Thoroughfare,” a pretty ballad, effectively conjures still country lanes in autumn.
Indeed, all the numbers have much to commend them in terms of composition (all by Prince, except for the Sym. No 5, by Prokofiev), arranging, and playing, save three: “The Grind,” a short funk throwaway, “The Healing,” a dreamy, sappily romantic piece of fluff, and the main offender, the vocal version of the slow waltz, “August” (there is also an instrumental version). Here’s a case of a song obviously of deep significance to the artist, but probably better left off, especially from an instrumental debut disc. Simply put, the mood is broken. So no matter how engaging the performance—and Geno Young’s guest vocal actually works quite well—the damage is done. Apart from these minor slips, there is much to enjoy on Fraction of Infinity, and a very bright future seems assured for Mark Prince.
Tracklist: Rite of Passage, Abena’s Last Stand, August [vocal version, for Karen], The Grind, Gnosis, Friendly Fire, The Healing, Quiet Thoroughfare, Symph. No. 5/Dance of the Enchanted, August [instrumental version], Gratitude
— Jan Dennis
