We all know that Dominic Miller is a good guitar player. That has been an established fact for a while now. Sting doesn’t hire any old schlub to play in his band, especially when you have old Police songs to consider for the live sets. But is Dominic Miller good at creating music on his own? If Ad Hoc were the only piece of evidence, then the answer would be yes. But Miller has struck out on his own many times, garnering some dubious assessment along the way. If an album like Ad Hoc doesn’t put these criticisms to rest, then it will at least quiet them for the time being.
Miller and his compatriots have made an album that rolls off the proverbial log so easily yet with musicianship safely intact. The music itself is not overshadowed by everyone’s professionalism, nor is this the most memorable instrumental stuff you’ll ever come across. Call it light fusion. But Ad Hoc has musical integrity, enough to keep you coming back if not for melodies than for mood. Additional musicians include Lars Danielsson on cello, Sebastian Studnitzky on harmonium, piano and trumpet, Eda Zari on vocals, Peter Tickell on violin, Dylan Fowler on lap steel guitar and Rhani Krija on drums and percussion.