Now - The Codetalkers

The Codetalkers list Southern rock maverick Col. Bruce Hampton as a member, but, as has been true of Hampton's previous band associations, he has been less involved with the group as time has gone on. Here, he provides the childlike drawings on the cover and elsewhere, turns in a guitar solo on the closing track, "Sound Sister," does some singing, and gets credits on a couple of group-written tunes. But the dominant force in the Codetalkers is former Berklee School of Music teacher Bobby Lee Rodgers, who is, as might be expected, an accomplished guitarist. The rhythm section of Ted Pecchio and Tyler Greenwell provides propulsive grooves for Rodgers' songs, which are mostly in a jazzy, jam band style. None of the album's 12 tracks crosses the five-minute mark, but it's clear that the soloing could go on much longer if it were allowed to; probably, a live show of this material would run twice as long. Rodgers is a strong addition to the Southern music tradition of which the mercurial Hampton is a guiding spirit. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide