The ninth release for this keyboardist from France finds Bugnon united once again with producer Phil Davis. After working together on the successful Southern Living, the two pick right up with the same exotic melodies and funky riffs for this October release.

Free begins with the title track and haunting melodies of both keyboard and Vincent Henry’s soprano sax. Davis lays the keyboard tracks which serve as a background for Bugnon’s piano. The three of them are combined on the chorus for a nice beginning. “Fingertips” is a little funkier with Rick Watford’s opening guitar riffs giving way to piano once again. Bugnon steps lightly or should we say “fingertips” lightly through this one that is sure to be a crowd favorite. I enjoyed the melody of “Carrera” as it seems to stay with you long after you’ve finished listening to it. It has that signature syncopated “riff and roll” that keeps your foot tapping or head bopping. This is one of my favorites so far.

“In Your Eyes” slows the pace down somewhat and is mostly the piano of Bugnon. There is some good jazz movement that makes this one a good club number. “Sierra Leone” is somewhat like the second number with Bugnon’s light touch of piano. Davis is more involved with the background keyboard. This will be another favorite as Alex leads with a catchy melody and some solo work that has not been heard thus far. “Downtime” is heavy on chords which serve as a base for piano work and accents of muted trumpet. There’s a nice piano solo on this one that takes in the range of the whole keyboard before coming back to the chord action once more. “Tomorrow (Better You, Better Me)” is themed right from the start and continues to revisit that melody throughout the number. There’s a nice finish from Alex. “Pillow Talk” finds Bugnon on keyboards for a slower paced number that accompanied by Davis.

There is a different sound to the opening of “Don’t Go” as in gives way to the light piano of Bugnon. Rick Watford has a nice guitar solo, and there are some nice riffs from the piano. “Out There” finishes up the disc with a funk beat laid down for a keyboard overlay. There’s even a little harmonica added in that spices things up and gives it a down home flavor. I’m thinking about swamps in Louisiana while I’m listening.

Overall, I believe you'll like this release from Alex Bugnon. There’s a lot of the funky keyboard/piano that has made him a favorite for years. The addition of musicians throughout the mix keeps it blended well enough to make you wonder what’s around the next bend while staying close to the core of his craft. Pick up a copy of Free today and listen for yourself.

- Harvey Cline