Originally from Puerto Rico, this San Francisco-based outfit takes fusion to the outer limits. There are plenty of traditional jazz elements, but Torres obviously spent many hours absorbing Frank Zappa, prog rock and other sounds that were percolating around when the original rock-jazz fusion found commercial acceptance.

Joan Torres' All Is Fused Revolution (self-released)

The construction of each piece is largely jazz-based, but the instrumentation of the band is much more rock: electric guitars (two!), bass and keyboards roll along with sax and percussion. The more I listened to this album, the more I realized I'd never given Zappa the credit he was due as a jazz musician. Not that he called his music jazz (Jazz from Hell more proves than disproves that belief), but he conducted his group like a big band, and his innovative use of key and time signatures was definitely jazz-like.

Torres does the same, incorporating a lot more funk and Latin rhythms than Zappa ever did. And this band plays the jazz pass-the-solo game much more freely. Still, if I had to name an obvious influence. . .

An enjoyable set that challenges. Torres is a solid composer (he wrote all the pieces here), and this band has been together long enough to really cook. The energy on these songs is impressive. The old notion of fusion had nothing on this burbling concoction. Next-level, with room to move.

Jon Worley