PACKED HOUSE

“To have the ability to improvise, you have to be a good listener and pay attention to others”

There are supergroups, and then there is PAKT, named after fretless bassist Percy Jones, guitarists Alex Skolnick and Tim Motzer, and drummer Kenny Grohowski. It’s a unique line-up, and fortunately their new, self-titled album lives up to its promise.

Jones, a long-time member of fusion band Brand X—famously, once the home of drummer Phil Collins (see pic below)—until his departure in 2020, is on stunning form: As a reminder of why he’s been in demand with Suzanne Vega, Brian Eno, and many other musicians over the years, the new album serves an important purpose.

We asked him about the genesis, no pun intended, of the two-hour, improvised recording session, as well as for an update on the situation with Brand X.

How has the pandemic treated you, Percy?

I was in the same boat as almost everybody else: Tours and gigs were cancelled or