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This is the second of Magna Carta's one-time-only groupings and the second to feature bassist Tony Levin. Fortunately for all concerned, it's light years beyond Black Light Syndrome, which paired Levin with guitarist Steve Stevens and drummer Terry Bozzio in an ill-conceived and poorly executed set of improvisations. There is one such impromptu excursion here, the concluding 28-minute "Three Minute Warning," but even it holds up favorably by comparison. But it's the rest of the tunes here that showcase the versatility of Dream Theater members John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy and Dregs keyboardist Jordan Rudess. They fit the fusion/prog rock tag, with plenty of chopsmanship on display, but also with some allegiance to melody and restraint. Not likely to get any radio play, but then that wasn't the point of the session. © Ross Boissoneau /TiVo

After the 2008 Return to Forever reunion, Chick Corea formed an electric band with John McLaughlin, and Stanley Clarke put together this well heeled acoustic trio with Lenny White and Hiromi Uehara. The result was spectacular on both ends, but here Clarke and friends really get to the heart of contemporary jazz with a program of standards, originals from the bandmembers, and a focus on Clarke with his full, upright bass that had not heretofore been so pronounced since his early days. The trio sounds great and play to their strengths no matter what modern style they tackle. Uehara is very much into this music emotionally, and White does his usual yeoman job of creating taut rhythmic structures without getting in the way or grandstanding. Clarke's fingerpopping electric bass guitar work is put aside for a slight vibrato style that sets him apart, and keeps his estimable virtuoso reputation intact. Clarke and Uehara contribute compositions that exude not even a hint of nostalgia for the old, good days of jazz-rock fusion, but instead are seated firmly in new, soulful, contemporary ideas that flow and are not all that concerned with pyrotechnics. Their tribute to President Barack Obama on "Paradigm Shift (Election Day 2008)" musically reflects a long campaign with a quirky, bouncy, ultra rhythmic prologue leading to a modal, peaceful, and satisfying outcome. "3 Wrong Notes" strikes an accord with Chick Corea like cool turnarounds in a straight bop framework. "Global Tweak" streams Clarke's bass and Uehara's piano into laid-back sounds merging into playful highway cruising. Where lessons learned via Thelonious Monk crop up during the spiky, impish "Brain Training" and Joe Henderson's "Isotope," they settle into a comfort zone, especially the pianist, who continues to surprise with her mainstream jazz literacy on the straitlaced, no-frills version of "Solar." They are perfectly capable of effectively melding their cultures on the beautifully rendered "Sakura Sakura," mixing and matching traditional Japanese folk music and art with low-key drama in a progressive 6/8 mode. The key to this music is not only their collective ability to set up a theme and develop it on every selection, but to completely avoid clichés and identifiers that pigeonhole their personalized sounds. A collective and democratic group in every sense, they also go beyond what most seasoned piano-bass-drums trios accomplish playing standards, instead inventing their own language with fresh, original new music no matter the source. They do pull out old chestnuts like the aforementioned standards, but when you hear Clarke's lead lines and extrapolations during "Take the Coltrane" or his updated "Bass Folk Song No. 5 & 6," you understand these are musicians not resting on laurels or past glories. When high caliber players -- in the truest sense -- convene and transcend the styles they were associated with in the past, that is the basis for making great music. In this regard, Clarke, Uehara, and White have collectively succeeded on all creative levels, and deserve every ounce of your attention on this recording that is extraordinary from start to finish.© Michael G. Nastos /TiVo

While their last album, the dubstep-drenched Path of Totality, felt like a real change in the way Korn did things, The Paradigm Shift finds the nu-metal pioneers once again changing things up on their 11th studio album. Returning to a more traditional sound, the record finds the band pushing the electronics back to a supporting role while putting the guitars up in the spotlight. Most notably, though, is the return of former guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, whose last appearance on a Korn record was a decade ago on Take a Look in the Mirror. The renewed partnership between Head and Munky is one that pays off, but not in the way longtime fans might expect. Rather than making a full-on return to the sort of guttural, shuddering sound the band made famous in the '90s, The Paradigm Shift is a much more driving and direct album. Replacing the sort of creeping, churning aggression that emanated from their earlier work is a newfound vigor. This makes for a refreshing change of pace from the group, who have been on a real hot streak when it comes to experimenting with their sound. And even though The Paradigm Shift might not be the album that listeners might expect after a reunion with Head, it shows the kind of creativity and inventiveness that, love them or hate them, helped to make them an influential force in heavy music. This capacity for change is what has helped Korn to make it this far, and it's a quality that will probably see them continue to flourish as time goes on.© Gregory Heaney /TiVo

While their last album, the dubstep-drenched Path of Totality, felt like a real change in the way Korn did things, The Paradigm Shift finds the nu-metal pioneers once again changing things up on their 11th studio album. Returning to a more traditional sound, the record finds the band pushing the electronics back to a supporting role while putting the guitars up in the spotlight. Most notably, though, is the return of former guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, whose last appearance on a Korn record was a decade ago on Take a Look in the Mirror. The renewed partnership between Head and Munky is one that pays off, but not in the way longtime fans might expect. Rather than making a full-on return to the sort of guttural, shuddering sound the band made famous in the '90s, The Paradigm Shift is a much more driving and direct album. Replacing the sort of creeping, churning aggression that emanated from their earlier work is a newfound vigor. This makes for a refreshing change of pace from the group, who have been on a real hot streak when it comes to experimenting with their sound. And even though The Paradigm Shift might not be the album that listeners might expect after a reunion with Head, it shows the kind of creativity and inventiveness that, love them or hate them, helped to make them an influential force in heavy music. This capacity for change is what has helped Korn to make it this far, and it's a quality that will probably see them continue to flourish as time goes on.© Gregory Heaney /TiVo

While their last album, the dubstep-drenched Path of Totality, felt like a real change in the way Korn did things, The Paradigm Shift finds the nu-metal pioneers once again changing things up on their 11th studio album. Returning to a more traditional sound, the record finds the band pushing the electronics back to a supporting role while putting the guitars up in the spotlight. Most notably, though, is the return of former guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, whose last appearance on a Korn record was a decade ago on Take a Look in the Mirror. The renewed partnership between Head and Munky is one that pays off, but not in the way longtime fans might expect. Rather than making a full-on return to the sort of guttural, shuddering sound the band made famous in the '90s, The Paradigm Shift is a much more driving and direct album. Replacing the sort of creeping, churning aggression that emanated from their earlier work is a newfound vigor. This makes for a refreshing change of pace from the group, who have been on a real hot streak when it comes to experimenting with their sound. And even though The Paradigm Shift might not be the album that listeners might expect after a reunion with Head, it shows the kind of creativity and inventiveness that, love them or hate them, helped to make them an influential force in heavy music. This capacity for change is what has helped Korn to make it this far, and it's a quality that will probably see them continue to flourish as time goes on.© Gregory Heaney /TiVo

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