by Scott Yanow
The fusion trio Niacin, comprised of keyboardist John Novello, bassist Billy Sheehan, and drummer Dennis Chambers, perform originals (mostly from Novello and Sheehan) plus Frank Zappa's "King Kong." Their playing frequently falls between improvised rock and soul-jazz, with Novello's organ and keyboards leading the dense and crowded ensembles through some avant funk grooves. While it is doubtful that any of the individual originals will catch on, fans of the rock side of fusion will find Niacin's music to be stimulating and fairly original within the genre.