HI TORQUE is an album that has the emotion of the Big Apple with embellishments of Afro - Cuban rhythms along with classical overtones.  The compositions are carefully arranged consisting of guitars, saxophones, lyricon keyboard synthesizers, bass drums and hand drum percussion.

The arrangement arouse your imagination. They are at times hypnotic and at other

times very soothing and soulful. The seasoned balance between guitar and saxophone

is quite dramatic, sonically defining the intricacies between the two instruments.

An introduction to a new instrument in the field of jazz, The Saxette, is depicted on the

front cover.  The saxette is played in two compositions, Barrio, and Massawa Road.  It

has an unusual trumpeted saxophone appearance which can play two tones simultaneously.  It has a combined trumpet, saxophone timbre which is quite unusual, yet outstanding, adding a definite plus to the CD.  Other instruments such as the coral electric sitar has added an Eastern touch to some of the compositions.  The balance of the coral electric sitar and lyricon helps to intensify the overall harmonic dynamics of the unusual blends.

Many Years of hard work has gone into these twelve compositions.  Both chords and melodies are made up of chamber music mixed with some soulful jazz, uprooting the old jazz greats with the ideas of the modern  jazz composer.  I feel we have met that challenge with the creation of this CD.

LOU MASSA: 35 years in the music industry, touring, studio engineering and producer, founder of Pyramid Recording, multi reed instrumentalist consisting of soprano, alto, tenor, baritone sax, lyricon and multi synthesizers, and inventor of the double sax referred to as Saxette.

DENNIS HAKLAR: 15 years in the music business, multi guitarist consisting of electric, accoustic, sitar and classical guitars, sequencer programmer and chief engineer at Pyramid Recording. Co-produced Hi Torque.

All songs recorded and mixed at Pyramid Recording Studio

Orange, New Jersey by Lou Massa and Dennis Haklar

Assistant engineers: Stefanie DeSilva, Paul Skaff, Steve Porada, Joe Kunis, Dan Markovich

Special Thanks to Andy Lucibello for technical assistance in midi and computers and to all our friends at Pyramid.  Also a very special thank you to Maria Wolf for making this whole CD possible.

Artwork by Steve Miller - Inside photographs by Dave Fenelon & Dennis Haklar