Andy Milne

An extremely talented young pianist and electric keyboardist, Milne is adept at twisting, knuckle-popping improvisations and quirky groove construction. His playing is rhythmically excited -- at times to the point of pleasant instability -- and he flows through jazzy chords and dark, acidic Funk with a balance of space that's well beyond that of his peers. Milne began as a member of Steve Coleman's M-Base collective, with a style that expanded the free Funk experiments of Ornette Coleman. His albums New Age of Aquarius and Forward to Get Back stretch all kinds of boundaries: politically conscious poetry, hip-hop, hard-grooving Fusion and top-level jazz improvisation are bound together by Milne and his collaborators' astounding playing, including Mark Prince's deft drumming. The music ultimately owes a debt to Herbie Hancock's Headhunters at their best (in the '70s), though Milne certainly exhibits enough originality to prove himself a talent to watch for.