Often, when a jazz artist goes old-school, the style emulates some traditional mode, be it big band, swing or piano-led trio. However, old-school can also apply to fusion. That's where bassist Richie Goods & Nuclear Fusion come in.

Goods has the distinction of being the youngest person ever inducted into the Pittsburgh Jazz Hall of Fame. His associations include the Cannonball Adderley Legacy Band, Mulgrew Miller, Russell Malone, The Manhattan Transfer, Stanley Turrentine and pop acts like DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera. Nuclear Fusion is comprised of Goods on bass, Helen Sung on keyboards, Mike Clark on drums and Jeff Lockhart on guitar. Live at the Zinc Bar features the unit in Goods' first recording as a leader, recorded in New York.

After a free-spirited introduction, a familiar melody emerges. Wayne Shorter's "Elegant People" is given a balanced treatment; while performed in similar style to the Weather Report version, the delivery is different. The highlight is Sung's keyboards play—a touch of Joe Zawinul meets Hiromi Uehara. Throughout, Goods, Lockhart and Clark jam with intensity and the band is tight. Sung enjoys an extended solo that's all her own, while the background rhythm maintains the beat that identifies the song.

Goods solos on the ethereal "Desert Song intro," leading into "Desert Song," one of only two original songs (a longer version ends the set). Sung is out front, but Goods and Clark are very strong, with Lockhart's presence also felt, but more subtly. Sung's intense solo is on par with classic fusion efforts by the likes of Joe Sample, Chick Corea and Zawinul.

"King Jaffe Joffer," the other original, begins with Clark performing a march. When the other instruments come in, the song takes on an adventurous feel. Though Sung carries the melody, Goods seems to be as dominant. As is often the case with fusion, each musician seems to be in a different zone, yet still connected with one another. During a soft passage, Goods leads; Lockhart also solos.

In addition to "Elegant People," the group also covers songs by Lenny White, Antonio Newman and two by Herbie Hancock. Still, it doesn't sound like a covers album. That makes the difference between simply performing songs they love and doing something interesting with them. Live at the Zinc Bar is a powerful debut for Goods.

When listening to Richie Goods & Nuclear Fusion terms like hip, groovy, far-out, cat and chick come to mind. In fact, the music brings the 'beat' out so much that I felt like I should be wearing a black turtle-neck, a beret with dark sunglasses, and have a handrolled cigarette hanging from my mouth. Live at the Zinc Bar, the latest venture from Richie Goods & Nuclear Fusion, is a 2009 release that features Richie Goods on bass, Mike Clark on drums, Helen Sung on keyboards and Jeff Lockhart on guitar playing jazz fusion.

What is jazz fusion? It is a musical genre that merges jazz with elements of other styles of music, particularly funk, rock, R&B, ska, electronic and a whole ride range of musical styles. Jazz enthusiasts credit the late, great Miles Davis as developing jazz fusion. The music is usually instrumental and features complex time signatures, rhythmic patterns and extended track lengths and improvisations. Live at the Zinc Bar fits that mold to the tee.

The shortest track on the nine-piece effort is 1:29, and that's just an intro. Other than that one piece all the songs are more than six minutes long. The longest track is the long version of Desert Song, which is 13:25. Jazz isn't for everyone but if you are into it then this CD is a must.

The songs are just a pleasure to listen to. There is no doubt that this foursome that play on this record are talented musicians. Not only can they play great music, but they can write it as well. This is witnessed on songs such as King Jaffe Joffer and Desert Song. These two tracks were penned by Goods and Sung. The band also covers artists like Herbie Hancock, Lenny White and Antonio Newton.

The rendition of Newton's Snake Oil is mesmerizing. This is a great effort by Richie Goods & Nuclear Fusion and it is made even greater by the fact that the recording is live. This is one of those CDs that is great for just about any
occasion, whether it be a cozy evening for two, a party or a long drive.

“Live at the Zinc,” Richie Goods &
Nuclear Fusion (RichMan) Few modern jazz musicians are willing to attempt a live recording, except for some living legends. But Pittsburgh Jazz Hall of Fame bassist Richie Goods is up to the task with a disc from New York City’s Zinc Bar.

It helps that Good picked out a selection of songs from greats such as Wayne Shorter,“Elegant People,” and Herbie Hancock, “Sly” and “Palm Grease.” And like all great fusion albums, “Live atthe Zinc” has the right amount of funk yet keeps things loose enough for improvisation, as on Lenny White’s “Sorceress.”

But Goods own songs really shine, such as the hypnotic “Desert Song” and the drum-roll-sprinkled “King Jaffe Joffer.” No wonder he was selected as the new bassist for the Hancock-founded band The Headhunters.