It is not my habit to discuss live albums on a regular basis, as I feel that, though some are quite good (yet often retouched in a studio), most add little to the studio originals. But this is an album I do like to feature here. Not only because it pays tribute to the late Jeff Porcaro (Toto and a zillion of studio albums), but also to his brother Mike (also Toto and a bucket load of other albums). Third brother Steve is also present on this disc. And father Joe shows up with a track dedicated to his son Jeff.
Jeff is of course the master of the groove. His drumming in tracks like Rosanna, Africa or Mushanga is nothing short of legendary. Here drummers like Steve Gadd and Gregg Bissonette play those parts. Mike is the silent one, but his bass playing is as always very tasteful and full of soul. Too bad he is no longer able to handle his instrument! Together with guest like for instance David Paich, Bobby Kimball, Joseph Williams (all with a Toto history), Glenn Hughes, David Garfield, Alex Lighterwood and Lenny Castro this double disc was performed live in Germany in 2002.
The album sound is crystal clear, and you can´t help but wish you would have been there. A variety of tracks on offer. Not only from Toto (Rosanna, Georgy Porgy, English Eyes, etc) but also Jimi Hendrix (Manic Depression) and Michael Jackson (Human Nature) are present. As are more fusion like tracks, with trumpet or sax, besides the obvious guitar and keyboard solos. So if any of the artists or names strikes a chord, go try to pick this one up. Very classy with stellar performances! Only one missing is Steve Lukather, but as he tours the world regularly, he was probably busy doing other things at the time…
