Shawn Lane - Powers of Ten

Few musicians would be as ingenious or adroit, and yet be relatively unheard of as Shawn Lane. People who weren’t well versed with Shawn’s works would often categorize Shawn as a shredder, overlooking his well rounded abilities. Yes, he did have the ability to clock inhuman speeds, but that was just one of the many aspects of his playing. The thrill of his speed often overshadowed his ability as a composer. Powers of Ten, out in 1992 was Shawn’s debut solo album.

Largely categorized as a Jazz fusion album, Powers of Ten comprises a container load of slick legato lines marked by Shawn’s unusual and unmatched command of the guitar. The master of the guitar has not only white washed the album with his guitar skills, but has also played the keyboard, drum and bass parts for the album. The high-speed runs on Not Again, one of Lane’s more familiar, are executed effortlessly and are nailed to the dot. Illusions and Get you back shows of his complete control and uses his whammy bar as tool for expression rather than wild squeals.

Though the rest of the album is characterized by subtle and flowy music tracks such as West side boogie and Esperanto are more hard natured with more in your face music than the other tracks with the former drawing to a close with a monsterous attack of notes. Tracks such as Rules of the game incline towards to the blue arena with its expressive bends but is still kept in the fusion zone with its piano base. Paris, takes things to a more old jazz setting with it’s walking bass lines and jazz rolls. Shawn keeps the guitar licks to short bursts replicating the sound of a saxophone.

Powers of Ten: Suite and Piano Concertino: Transformation of Themes, are both lengthy tracks, both of which do not feature any guitar playing. The tracks sum up to roughly a third of the album in length, and are dominated by airy synthesizers and classical piano tit bits. The pieces showcase Shawn’s well nurtured study of the piano, his first instrument, but work adversely in that they provide a break between the guitar driven fusion drive that was in process. The two tracks, more strategically placed would have turned up better on the album that the resulting case.

Let’s face it, Shawn’s music is not one that is going to stick to one’s head and go ringing on right through the drive home. Nor is it going to be played at cover clubs around the world. His music appeals to a certain section of the music society and in many ways it’s better that way. Powers of Ten, though lacking in continuity and the raw energy that comes along with having individual musicians, coming together at a time and producing great music, is still symbolic of the man’s ingenious command over instruments and music in general. May be if Shawn roped in musicians friends to record for him the result might have been even greater. All said and done, Powers of Ten is an album which shall remain a found memory of one of the most loved and fondly remembered musicians to pick up a guitar.