JAZZ : ALBUM REVIEWS : *** HANK ROBERTS : “Birds of Prey” : <i> JMT</i>

Cellist Roberts’ Birds of Prey quintet is just your everyday chamber-folk-funk-fusion-avant-rock-blues improvising ensemble. This CD could easily be a mutant mess if not for female vocalist D.K. Dyson, a shining beacon. Roberts doesn’t hog the spotlight and his compositions ably negotiate juxtapositions which are often jarring but rarely forced. “Seven Generations” is all avant-atmosphere over Jerome Harris’ deadly funk bass riff while “Angels and Mud” jumps between cello-voice chamber interludes and a hard-rocking fusion riff. It’s a unique amalgam and probably better suited for experimental rockers than tradition-minded jazz fans.