Reviews

Offering up his second outing of solo material, the Saga keyboardist shows his skills on the ivories without any bounds. Instead of going in the full-blown symphonic composition route, Gilmour creates a record that has just as much significance as one by Jordan Rudess or Derek Sherinian. There are elements of ‘Images & Words/Awake’ era Dream Theater as well as his band of note, so the envelope is pushed for more technical boundaries, not to mention that the record is fairly heavy and busy at times...
www.ytsejam.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=871

...Jim runs the gamut of keyboard textures and sounds on this one, like the majestic piano, raging Hammond, and breezy synths that permeate the driving rocker that opens the CD, "No Sign". What's striking though is how competent he is as a vocalist. Sure, he's sung plenty of back-up and ocassional lead in Saga over the years, but here he's all on his own behind the microphone, and there's plenty of vocal pieces for him to shine on. Tunes like the dreamy "Wasteland", or the melodic "Lost Along the Way", brings to mind Saga as well as the Alan Parson Project, and "The Northwind" sees Gilmour add in plenty of gorgeous piano and synth arrangements to go along with his smooth vocals...
www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=3252

Interview with Jim
www.ytsejam.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=3204

There are some unavoidable resemblances to Saga, Jim is, after all, a major songwriter in the band, but at the same time it’s also different from his band. Also of note, you don’t get assaulted with keyboards, which might be what one would expect. The other instruments are also quite present, including acoustic guitar! Certainly a great album to… escape… A nice break in a turbulent world, I highly recommend it!
www.webcandesign.com/ajmusicmedia/Without_FL/iframes/iframe_artists/reviews/original/artists_reviews_jim_gilmour.asp

This is very powerful progressive rock where the keyboards have a fundamental role. The music here reminds me to Rick Wakeman but with a much more modern sound, as the one that have for example the keyboards of masters like Jordan Ruddess or Kevin Moore. The guitars sound powerful which approaches Gilmour´s band more towards metal than towards progressive rock. The drummer is a killer one and powerful, with a lot of technical skills and creating good rhythms that support the phrases of the keyboards. The singer uses a middle range without abusing of high pitches creating good melodies that are one of the essential points of these compositions. There is a lot of virtuosism here and that is evident in the experimentation and the multiple changes that have the compositions. Also there are good direct and memorable tracks with melodies and good choirs. Killer tunes that will stick into your mind with virtuosism.
www.musicextreme.com/cd0605b.htm#JIM_GILMOUR_-_GREAT_ESCAPE_

Norweigian review
www.lordsofmetal.nl/showreview.php?id=7112

German review
www.idioglossia.de/review.php?id=311

Interview with Jim
www.canadianbands.com/Jim%20Gilmour.html

Vocalist/Keyboardplayer JIM GILMOUR is best known as one of the main members of SAGA, with whom he has released many successful records since 1980. In 1997 the Canadian musician also released a solo record, which now almost 10 years later has been followed up by the 2nd solo CD titled ‘Great escape’. Indeed this is an escape, because it is slightly different than SAGA. Where SAGA delivers hi-tech Symphonic Poprock, this new solo-CD of Jim focuses on the Progressive Rock side of life. The CD contains 5 instrumental and 5 vocal songs, all showing Jim’s capabilities of making high quality Progressive Rock, yet with elements of Jazz and Folk as well in songs like “Killarney Sunrise”. Jim sings and plays keys, while the guitarwork comes from John Bianchini and the drums are played by Christian Simpson and Roger Banks. Best songs among the 10 included are “Lost along the way” (very relaxing AORish Sympho/Prog a la 90s ASIA), “Algonquin” (instrumental progressive rock with spacey keys) and the 13 minutes counting epic “Last portage”. Not necessarily a must-have for SAGA fans, but more one for the real progrockfan.
www.angelfire.com/zine2/gk/HOTNEWREVIEWS.htm

Belgium review
www.musicinbelgium.net/pl/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1245

...Closing the album is one of the finest progressive rock songs in this age, "Last Portage". It has all the makings of a great progressive rock song and it clocks in at over 13-minutes, so Jim and the others are able to flex their musical muscles so to speak more. This seems to be one of those albums that snuck in and out of the public eye in 2005 but it deserves much more attention that especially for loyal Saga fans. I can’t recommend this album enough. It’s surely become one of my favorites of the new millennium.
www.geocities.com/prognaut/reviews/jim-gilmour.html

German review
www.blooddawn.de/reviews.php3?showID=2307

Interview with Jim
www.seaoftranquility.org/article.php?sid=630

Jim Gilmour has been a member of Canadian group Saga since 1980, playing the keyboards as well as singing and writing songs. So saying that he is an established musician is somewhat of an understatement. Great Escape is his second solo album; released late in 2005. If you play the piano and/or the keyboard yourself, then stop reading this review. Head over to Jim Gilmour's homepage and listen to samples of the songs. I'm quite certain that as a musician, you'll hear lots of stuff of interest; and that you'll put this album on your list of must buys in the near future...
www.prog4you.com/cd-reviews-01-07/Jim_Gilmour.htm

...Frankly I didn't know that Jim had it in him. I've always known him to be a really tasteful player along the lines of Geoff Downes(ASIA) or Billy Currie(ULTRAVOX), but I didn't figure him to be a mad prog-rockin' monster. He's covered a lot of ground on this disc. Hopefully there's more to come from Gilmour. And looking at the recent years of activity with new Saga albums, DVDs and solo projects, it looks like this is a definate possibility.
www.dvdivas.net/movies/reviews/g/gilmourjim-great.html

Spanish review
manticornio.com/rock-progresivo/G/GILMOUR-Jim/great-escape.html

German review
www.sonny1968.de/reviews/2007/reviews0307.03.htm#Jim%20Gilmour

Italian Review
www.hardsounds.it/PUBLIC/recensione.php?id=2186

...So what we have here are a few tracks in the three, four and five minute range as well as one that’s a little over seven and a final track that clocks in at thirteen and a half minutes, but is actually seven minutes of song and 5 minutes of improvisation. The musical styles range from symphonic progressive to jazzy-fusion and there are even a couple of tracks where he seems to simply improvise on piano. But while the keyboards are front and center Gilmour has recruited some great support players who mesh perfectly with his style. They include John Bianchini (guitars), Christian Simpson and Roger Banks (drums) and Corrina Tofani (vocals). Gilmour handles all the bass through his keyboard work. The obvious question some will have is, does the CD sound like Saga, and the answer is not at all. The musicianship here is somewhat more intense and because each of these players brings their own musical pallet the Great Escape sounds nothing like Saga. This is all Gilmour’s sound...
www.progressiveears.com/asp/reviews.asp?albumID=3556&bhcp=1