Jane Getter established herself on the rock music scene as a solo artist before forming the Jane Getter Premonition band to challenge her writing skills and to provide a wider range of sonic textures for developing her style of fusion music, that balances rock and jazz elements, leaning noticeably more towards a heavier sound than your traditional jazz fusion.
Jane is now in the upper echelons when it comes to rock guitarist rankings, gaining recognition from non-other than Prog magazine, voted 8th best guitarist in the 2021 poll following the release of Anomalia. She now also has a busy schedule of teaching commitments in addition to running the band she has assembled, that contains renowned players from a diverse range of musical backgrounds. Make no mistake, this is not a band assembled just to provide backing to Jane Getter while she shreds, the quality of the musicianship is pretty stratospheric across the board and the range of electric and acoustic rhythms and tones are extensive. Nevertheless, these are all Jane’s songs so it is clear who is the driving force.
Still Dreaming is a family affair providing a rocking start to the set although the 15/8 time signature (my best guess) gives away the jazz inspiration behind the rhythm. Gospel, soul, and jazz singer Chanda Rule guests on lead vocals. The husband-and-wife team of Jane and Adam Holzman trade licks on top of son Russell Holzman’s drums, with Jane also covering the bass lines. This is a group effort that also allows the musicians time and space to make individual contributions whilst maintaining the smooth ebb and flow of the track, a crowd-pleaser to set the listener up for the rest of the album.
Title track Transmogrify appears early in the set but this 9-minute epic is really the centrepiece. The 4-minute instrumental opening has a ‘dark-mode’ Steven Wison vibe to it, with Adam Holzman, not surprisingly, channelling that energy via a minor key piano motif. Jane Getter uses a lighter guitar tone to lift this sequence ahead of the beginning of her vocal lines. The song meanders, moodily and ominously through three verses before the closing section where Jane unleashes some of this albums most original and virtuoso electric guitar work.
This is a highly promising beginning and is followed by a couple of more accessible rock songs. Turned Around is basically acoustic (guitar and piano) with some exotic synth soundscapes providing background. It’s a much more straightforward pop/rock song, with an appropriately melodic guitar solo providing the bridge. Tasteful and engaging, it provides a pleasant contrast in the mix of the set so far. There is a similar melodic feel to track 4, He’s Gone Away, but this time it is arranged for the band to rock out to, and the guitar/keyboard duelling that takes up the second half of the track is punchy and borderline heavy.
Side One is an excellent and rewarding listen with an unexpected blending of jazz, rock and metal. Or should I say Side A, because Side B that follows is artistic in its own way but it feels like a separate piece of work, with a different dynamic, and, with just three tracks lasting 12 minutes in total, it feels under-cooked.
So, track five is Blinded, and it doesn’t ever settle into a particular pattern, although a recurring circular rhythm forms the basis of the song. A melodic guitar solo is followed by a jazzy piano section before the song closes with soaring rock guitar. The penultimate track is a solo acoustic guitar song written in tribute to Ralph Towner, the US jazz guitarist and pianist who died in January this year. It’s a subtle and serene song, taking a measured approach to the exploration of the original melody, and not veering too far off that path.
The final track Just Run was originally released as a Jane Getter solo single in 2022. It has been re-mastered, but seemingly not re-recorded, and not re-arranged for this band. It has to be said that lyrically the subject matter of frustration about the state of the world around us remains and, for most of us, has become even more relevant today. Although the song is fine and contains some more terrific guitar work, placing it at the end of an album that is crying out for an intense and uplifting finale feels like a mis-step.
The album as a whole lacks a bit of balance due to the dynamism on display on side 1 and the sheer exuberant mastery displayed in the title track, that is not replicated in the rest of the set. A bit more showmanship, maybe an improvised piece, to support the downbeat dynamics of the second half of the album, and edge the running time up, may have been the answer?
It is, nevertheless, an intriguing addition to the jazz/fusion genre, the heavier rock elements providing a different soundscape to normal, and a potential new gateway for metal fans to experience fusion in this form.
TRACK LISTING
01. Still Dreaming (4:51)
02. Transmogrify (9:20)
03. Turned Around (6:22)
04. He’s Gone Away (Won’t Stay) (5:00)
05. Blinded (3:53)
06. Little Steps (3:21)
07. Just Run (Remastered) (4:58)
Total Time – 37:45
MUSICIANS
Jane Getter – Guitars, Lead Vocals (2–7), Bass (1), Background Vocals (1)
Adam Holzman – Keyboards
Paul Frazier – Bass, Background Vocals (3)
Gene Lake – Drums (2,4,5 & 7)
Russell Holzman – Drums (1 & 3)
Chanda Rule – Lead Vocals (1)
Alex Skolnick – 1st Guitar Solo (2)
Mark Egan – Bass (7)
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: 7D Media
Country of Origin: US
Date of Release: 10th July 2026
LINKS
Jane Getter Premonition – Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | Instagram
