Santiago Bosch, Galactic Warrior (Independent/Self-Released)
Venezuelan keyboardist Santiago Bosch’s second album as a leader is a soundtrack to a nonexistent video game. The music is entirely composed, though it has the freedom of improvisation at times. The ensemble includes Bosch on piano, Fender Rhodes, and synths; Tucker Antell and George Garzone on tenor saxes; Darren Barrett on trumpet; Tim Miller on electric guitar; Dany Anka on electric bass; Jared Henderson on upright bass; Juan Ale Saenz on drums; and Vasilis Kostas on laouto (a Greek lute). Some of the pieces are overtly soundtrack-y, but “Living In The Past” is a hard-driving prog-fusion jam that showcases some seriously high-tech, Allan Holdsworth-ish guitar from Miller and Bosch going full Return To Forever on the keyboards.