The 7-Day (Jazz-Rock) Fusion Challenge

by John Montagna, Culture Sonar: http://www.culturesonar.com/jazz-fusion-challenge/

Weather Report

In the late 1960s rock and funk surpassed jazz as the dominant force in popular music, and many top jazz musicians knew better than to resist this sea change. They embraced the sounds and high energy of rock and funk, but maintained the musical vocabulary and improvisational spirit of jazz. The resulting sound came to be called “fusion,” and it served artists and audiences alike who were seeking a deeper and richer musical experience. Fusion was immediately controversial, and ultimately morphed into clumsy “formats” attempting to marry jazz and pop. But at its peak, fusion incorporated the best elements of multiple genres into something completely new. It didn’t pander to its audience, but it didn’t alienate them either. As a musician living in the internet age of endless choices, I’ve recently found myself seeking inspiration from something both familiar and adventurous. So I embarked on a “7 Day Fusion Challenge,” listening to a different fusion LP in full every day for a week and writing down my first thoughts.

I established some ground rules. First: no Miles Davis, which ruled out the too-obvious choices like Bitches Brew (1970) and In A Silent Way (1969), both considered fusion’s “origin story” LPs. Instead I focused on the “first-generation fusion” cats from the mid-‘70s (although one title from 1981 squeaked onto the list). No “pop” records with “jazz/fusion” players on them (Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell), or “rock” groups with improvisational tendencies (Soft Machine, early Chicago). And I stuck to albums that I already owned, rather than purchasing and/or streaming anything new. This is all music that I’ve heard many times, but to which I hadn’t devoted my full attention for a while. The experience was transformative, and a wonderful exercise in time and energy management that was good for my soul.

Monday: Stanley Clarke’s Journey to Love (1975)
Bass legend Stanley Clarke made his bones with jazz luminaries like Horace Silver and Art Blakey, and he co-founded Return to Forever with keyboardist Chick Corea in 1972. His solo albums effortlessly blend a variety of styles and textures, and Journey To Love is an exciting ride through Stanley’s expansive musical mind. Of course there’s plenty of stunning bass playing, from the percolating electric funk of “Silly Putty” to the masterful acoustic work on “Song to John.” But the true “fusion” happens on “Concerto for Jazz/Rock Orchestra, Parts I-IV” as a hot studio band of Clarke, keyboardist George Duke, drummer Steve Gadd and guitarist David Sancious commingles with majestic strings and dramatic brass stabs. This was the perfect start to my challenge, one of the best LPs from one of the best musicians of the 20th century.

Tuesday: John McLaughlin’s Electric Guitarist (1978)
The English guitarist was a key player on Miles Davis’ landmark In A Silent Way LP, and his sharp improvisational instincts made him Miles’ trusted musical comrade for decades after. On Electric Guitarist, McLaughlin abandoned the eastern-flavored explorations of both his Mahavishnu Orchestra and the acoustic-based Shakti, and surrounded himself with some of the baddest cats in both NYC and LA for some powerhouse jamming. I bought this album as a Berklee student in the ‘90s for one reason: Jack Bruce is on it, fueling an unpredictable and funky trio jam with drummer Tony Williams called “Are You The One? Are You The One?” I’m glad I kept it in the collection: With the electric guitar back in his hands and luminaries like Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and drummer Billy Cobham egging him on, McLaughlin burns through Electric Guitarist with a fresh intensity. A stunner.

Wednesday: Weather Report’s Black Market (1976)
Saxophonist Wayne Shorter and keyboardist Joe Zawinul founded Weather Report in 1970. Black Market, their sixth album, was made during a transitional period for the band. Both the drum and bass chairs were in flux, and there is great tension and excitement as multiple rhythm sections mark their territory. But Shorter and Zawinul somehow hold it together for a stunningly cohesive LP, with the band’s rich musical and sonic palette “fusing” elements of African music, funk, bebop and electronic sounds. Black Market also heralds the seismic arrival of bassist Jaco Pastorius on two standout tracks: “Cannonball,” Zawinul’s emotional tribute to his late jazz mentor Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, and the ridiculously funky “Barbary Coast” that comes near the end of the album as a release to the tension.

Thursday: Jaco Pastorius’ Word of Mouth (1981)

This is my favorite Jaco album. He may have reinvented the bass guitar, but bass was the tip of the musical iceberg for John Francis Pastorius III. His muse was a conduit for anything and everything — jazz, funk, R&B, rock, Afro-Cuban, classical — and it all comes out on Word of Mouth, his second solo album (and his first for Warner Brothers after a lucrative and high-stakes record deal). I could talk about the stellar performances from cohorts like Michael Brecker, Herbie Hancock and a prominently-featured Toots Thielemans, the daring and expansive orchestral writing, and of course the primo bass work. But it’s been well-documented that Word of Mouth was an intensely personal musical statement for Jaco, and he was hurt by the album’s lukewarm reception at Warner Brothers (as well as Joe Zawinul’s tough-guy dismissal of Jaco’s writing as “typical high school big band bullshit”). With all due respect, screw Warner Brothers and Joe Zawinul. If only Jaco had conquered his personal demons and not the other way around, he could have become his generation’s Duke Ellington. As a masterful glimpse of what might have been, Word of Mouth is an emotional listen.

Friday: Billy Cobham’s Spectrum (1973)
Billy Cobham’s “fusion” credentials are rock-solid: top of the NYC jazz and session scene of the late 60s and early 70s, played on Bitches Brew and in the first incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. His solo debut Spectrum might just be the quintessential fusion LP: the jazz is world-class, the rock is merciless, the funk is 100% stank, and keyboardist Jan Hammer’s synthesizers still sound like visitors from the future 44 years later! Hammer and Deep Purple guitarist Tommy Bolin breathe fire, alternating between blazing solos and simmering support. Cobham’s drumming is an exercise in tension and release with furious fills that always land dead in the pocket, and bass ace Lee Sklar glues it all together. Along with two “jazzier” tracks featuring bassist Ron Carter and saxist Joe Farrell, Spectrum radiates with the fierce energy of 1970s NYC.

Saturday: The Tony Williams Lifetime’s Turn It Over (1970)
Tony Williams was pissed. After jet-propelling Miles Davis’ “second great quintet” with his revolutionary drumming, he formed The Tony Williams Lifetime with John McLaughlin and organist Larry Young in 1969 and doubled down on his former boss’s excursions into rock/funk/avant garde turf. But Williams was frustrated when the “jazz establishment” rejected Lifetime’s “heavy” sound. He lashed out by doubling down again, adding Cream bass guitarist Jack Bruce to the band and recording the brilliant, belligerent, white-hot Turn It Over. From the back cover notes printed in a spiral that can only be read by rotating the cover (featuring the instructions “PLAY IT VERY LOUD”) to Tony’s ill-advised attempts to sing on three tracks, everything about this LP is meant to not make it easy for you. But make the effort: This is some of the most explosive, face-melting music ever made by anyone. The four musicians are thinking and playing with one mind, recklessly pushing the music to its limits but maintaining laser-focus and precision. With Turn It Over, Lifetime hit the “jazz establishment” like the Barzini Family hit Sonny Corleone on the Long Beach Causeway.

Sunday: Herbie Hancock’s Thrust (1974)
If Herbie Hancock’s multi-platinum Headhunters LP is the Thriller of fusion, then Thrust is its Bad: The under-appreciated follow-up that’s leaner and tougher. Funky from the first note, Thrust boils over with thick syncopation from the rhythm section, rich harmonic motion and juicy riffs that hit you from every direction. Herbie’s patented layered synths are otherworldly, but on tracks like “Actual Proof” there’s also death-defying group improvisation that recalls Herbie’s daring work with Miles on Filles De Kilimanjaro(1968). Busier isn’t always better, but getting busy with Thrust (especially with headphones, as I did) is a good idea. The perfect closer to a week of fusion.

So what did I learn? In a recent interview, bassist and producer Marcus Miller pointed out that the best fusion originated from musicians who were already considered the top players in their respective fields, whether jazz (Miles Davis) or rock (Jeff Beck), and were absorbing other influences to create something new. Having immersed myself in “classic” fusion with fresh ears for a week, I agree 100 percent. I’ll even take it a step further. These seven albums contained musicians of every color and ethnicity, incorporating instruments and sounds from around the globe, and evoke the full range of human emotions. Nothing sounded out of place. If we accept Marcus’ definition of this music as the greatest players striving to achieve their fullest potential, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that fusion also demonstrates humanity’s potential for unity and harmony.

– John Montagna

PS. Jaco Pastorius features in our post The Best Archival Albums of 2017 (So Far). Plus, you may also enjoy our post In Celebration of Prince’s Multiple Personalities.

Photo: Weather Report, live at Shinjuku Kosei-nenkin Hall, June 11, 1981 (by Jun Tendo courtesy Wikimedia)

VIDEO: What Miles Davis Taught Herbie Hancock: In Music, as in Life, There Are No Mistakes, Just Chances to Improvise

by Ted Mills, Open Culture: http://www.openculture.com/2016/04/what-miles-davis-taught-herbie-hancock-about-mistakes-and-improvising.html

One of my favorite Brian Eno quotes, or rather one that became an Oblique Strategy, is “Honor Your Mistake as a Hidden Intention.” (Or to be pedantic, the original version was “Honor Thy Error...”).

As a teenager growing up and trying to make art (at that time music and comics) there was no advice more freeing. It was the opposite of what I thought I knew: mistakes were shameful, the sign of an amateur or of the lack of practice. But the more art I made, the more I referenced Eno’s idea, and the more I read and listened, the more I realized it wasn’t just Eno. The Beatles left in an alarm clock meant for the musicians on “A Day in the Life” and the sound of empty booze bottles vibrating on a speaker was left in at the end of “Long Long Long” (along with tons more). The Beastie Boys left in a jumping needle intended for a smooth scratch on “The Sounds of Science.” Radiohead left in Jonny Greenwood’s warm-up chord that became essential to “Creep.” (There’s a whole Reddit thread devoted to these mistakes if you choose to go down the rabbit hole.)

But those examples relate to the recording process of rock music. What about jazz? Surely there’s “wrong” notes when it comes to playing, especially if you’re not the soloist.

In this very short video based around an interview with pianist Herbie Hancock, the master improvisor Miles Davis honored Hancock’s mistake as a hidden intention by playing along with it. It’s both a surprising look into the arcane world of jazz improvisation and a revealing anecdote of Davis, usually known as a difficult collaborator.

“It taught me a very big lesson not only about music,” says Hancock, “but about life.”

h/t Jason W-R

The Top 3 Best Miles Davis Albums From the 60's and 70's - And Why

Cover of Bitches Brew

by Donald L Malloy Jr

There is no question that Miles Davis is one of greatest artists to walk the face of the earth.

He has recorded many albums with Charlie Parker which lead to him having an extensive career as a leader where he was always at the forefront of the music.

Miles Davis was always the one to change jazz music to the next sound.

By the 1960's and 70's Miles had gone to so many different places in the world and receiving inspiration from everywhere.

Also this is my favorite time period for him.

In my opinion, these are the 3 best Miles Davis albums from the 60's and 70's.

1. The Sorcerer

The Sorcerer was recorded in May of 1967 and released in December that same year. This entire album is full of hits, and was mostly written by saxophonist Wayne Shorter and pianist Herbie Hancock.

The track Sorcerer was written by Herbie and a fast modal swing tune where drummer Tony Williams is pushing that beat hard with his polyrhythms and strong grooving beat.

Also it is different in the fact that Miles and Wayne don't take individual solos, but they trade the entire time. It is just amazing how they respond to each other and keep the energy moving.

2. Miles in the Sky

Miles in the Sky was recorded in January and May of 1968 and was released in September that same year. This was such a great recording for several reasons.

The music is great, he begins to change members in his band, and this was Miles' introduction to using electric instruments in his band. You hear George Benson doing his thing.

My favorite song on the album is Black Comedy. The melody is so simple, but the feel of it is so complex in terms of placement. Although all the songs are great Miles only performed one of them in live settings. That would be Paraphernalia.

3. Bitches Brew

Bitches Brew was recorded in August 1969 and was released January 1970. Now I don't know if this is the first album to do this but it is an inventive concept, the album plays like a seamless playlist.

The songs interweave together where you don't necessarily just know when one song ends and the next begins. This album is all about interaction, and it is all electric. Even Miles has his trumpet electrified.

He use effects like delay and distortion in various points. My favorite song is Pharaoh's Dance. The melody that Miles plays is just the perfect thing to play.

Whether you like these albums that I have chosen as the 3 best Miles Davis Albums in the 60's and 70's as much as I do, we all should agree that the man was great, and his influence on music will be felt for many years to come.

If you like Miles Davis check out New York City based trumpeter Donald Malloy.
Click here to download 4 free songs from him.

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VIDEO: Frank Zappa - Stink-Foot

Ok people,

This is not 1960s, it's not particularly hippie, but it is kind of psychedelic - but most of all - it is an absolute classic! Stink-Foot from the FZ album Apostrophe' (1974). Turn it up!!!!!


Uploaded to YouTube by KERAKAO

The Top 5 Greatest Cuts From (Maybe) the Greatest Year in the History of Jazz: 1959

Cover via Amazon

By Jamie Dubberly

While jazz still continues to evolve today, it seems hard to imagine any other year, past, present, or future producing so many divergent new styles at once.

From the introspective, modal musings of Miles Davis on Kind of Blue, to the intense, relentless search for new harmonies and sonorities from John Coltrane on Giant Steps, a wealth of very diverse music was being imagined, created, and recorded by several different jazz artists in 1959.

This list of tracks offers but a small taste of the aural treasures that fascinated, soothed, excited, surprised (and even outraged some) listeners in the post Korean War-era United States. In addition to showing such a diverse range of jazz styles, the music discussed here offers (at least to this author's ears) a set of songs that ranges greatly in mood, tempo, and emotion.

From the cool swing of Dave Brubeck (in 5/4 time, no less), to the somber, gut wrenching, blues-drenched tribute to a former tenor saxophone giant by Charles Mingus, to the frenetic, awe-inspiring collaborative efforts of Ornette Coleman's quartet, pushing the boundaries of jazz in every way, and introducing a style called "free jazz" that has been the topic of lively discussions for decades (which still continue), regarding exactly what jazz is and isn't.

1. So What (Miles Davis) 9:22 - from Miles Davis, Kind of Blue (Columbia)

We begin with a track from, arguably, the greatest jazz record of all time. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue introduces a sound that is in direct contrast to much of the hard, aggressive bop that was popular at the time. Indeed, some of the "hard bop" school's most well known practitioners are on this Davis date, but here the focus is on an entirely different aesthetic.

Davis had begun to stray away from the bop practices, that he had helped to innovate on sessions with Charlie Parker in the mid 1940s, most notably on a series of sessions for the Prestige label. These sessions, Cookin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, Relaxin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, Workin' with the Miles Davis Quintet, and Steamin' with the Miles Davis Quintet show a Davis that is progressively turning more inward in his approach, and creating solos that have a more subdued and relaxed feel than many of his hard bop contemporaries.

The collaborations with Gil Evans, beginning in 1957, likewise highlight a Davis sound that is stark, poignant, vulnerable and decidedly romantic, in sessions such as Miles Ahead with Columbia (after his contract with Prestige had ended).

In Kind of Blue, Davis, for the first time, began to experiment with an approach that emphasized a modal-based improvisation, instead of the functional bop harmonies that were ubiquitous in the jazz world at the time. These modal harmonies, in which often a single chord would support the melody for several bars, were a perfect fit with Miles' concept of understated, and almost minimalist improvisations.

This is evident in our opening track, "So What," right from the start. A freely played piano/bass intro, by Chambers and Evans, featuring modal-based harmonies, leads into a Paul Chambers riff that is answered by Davis, Coltrane, and Adderley, and Evans with a simple 2 note rhythmic figure. The tune harmonically is based on only 2 modes, or chords, for the entire track!

Brilliant soloing by another pioneer in search of his own musical identity (and finding it), John Coltrane, and an alto saxophonist mostly identified with the hard bop movement, Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, two master saxophonists with equally creative approaches to Davis' material.

Yet it is Davis' solo, that sets the tone, not only for this opening track of Kind of Blue, but indeed for the entire album. A mature, supremely confident, intentionally reserved and beautifully paced solo that offers a wildly different approach to not only the trumpet, but on any instrument. One that favors economy over excess, offering a musical parallel to the phrase "less is more".

2. Take Five (Paul Desmond) 5:24 - from Dave Brubeck Quartet,Time Out (Columbia)

Continuing with an approach that offers a "cool" concept (as opposed to the fiery, and aggressive bop and hard bop) is our 2nd cut.

Dave Brubeck, being inspired from travels to Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East, wanted to record an entire album of music that explored different time signatures than the standard 4/4 that identified most American music, and especially jazz and popular music.

What resulted was the album Time Out, which went on to become one of the top selling jazz albums of all time (3rd only to Davis' Kind of Blue, and Coltrane's A Love Supreme). We offer here the most famous track from that album: "Take Five".

The title is, of course, a play on words, offering us a clue into the time signature of the tune, which is in 5/4 time. A swinging groove starts the track from drummer Morello, joined by Brubeck on piano, and finally bassist Wright. Desmond states the melody and embarks on a swinging solo, over the A "section" of the tune (which is essentially the opening vamp) followed by a heated drum solo from Morello, and then Desmond returns us to the head of the tune, closing on a repeated vamp that opened the track.

A personal anecdote/story from Brubeck (from Ken Burns film: Jazz) sheds light into the compositional/arranging process of this tune. Paul Desmond, Brubeck's alto saxophonist, had written the tune and brought it in for rehearsal. The song was in ABA form, and when he heard it, Brubeck suggested that he Desmond switch the "A" and "B" sections, as originally Desmond had the tune beginning with what we now know as the bridge or "B" section.

Brubeck's instincts regarding this appear to have been "on the money" as the tune subsequently became one of the most beloved jazz standards of all time!

3. Giant Steps (John Coltrane) 4:43 - John Coltrane, Giant Steps (Atlantic)

The next cut also became a jazz standard, but of a completely different sort.

From John Coltrane's landmark album Giant Steps, this is the title track. Again, as was the case with "Take Five", the title is somewhat of a play on words. Coltrane had begun experimenting with finding new ways to approach harmonic progression, even as a sideman, substituting chords in his improvisations over standard tunes.

He found a new way to approach harmonic progression, by using the interval of a minor third, combined with the motion of the 5th, into a sequence that forever changed jazz harmony, and has been often considered the "benchmark" by which jazz musicians today are judged.

The title,"Giant Steps", many have written, could refer to these unorthodox chord changes ( the interval of the minor third, which contain three steps, being a "giant step", as a normal "step" in musical terminology, is a major 2nd, containing two steps).

Along with this revolutionary idea of harmonic progression is an absolutely blisteringly fast tempo, which makes the harmonic progression even more of a challenge for the musicians on the date (except for Coltrane, of course, who had been living, and breathing these particular chord changes).

Indeed, on this date, the pianist Tommy Flanagan appears at times to simply give up during his solo, and who can blame him, really? Coltrane was known for bringing new, unrehearsed material often to recording sessions, and in this case, his new ideas of harmonic progression are not easily mastered "on the spot", even by musicians as brilliant as Flanagan!

In any case, the track remains an iconic song that has befuddled, and inspired many a jazz student. Coltrane's solo here exemplifies his forward thinking approach, as he seemingly flies through the chord changes effortlessly, arpeggiating them, and offering a solo that has become studied and a model of modern tenor saxophone playing that is marveled by musicians, fans, and jazz enthusiasts everywhere.

4. Goodbye Pork Pie Hat (Charles Mingus) 5:44 - Charles Mingus, Mingus Ah Um (Columbia)

Following Giant Steps is yet another beloved jazz standard, this time coming from bassist/composer Charles Mingus.

Mingus had been at the forefront of innovation in jazz for some time, having played with bop pioneers Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Bud Powell, and Max Roach during the early 1950s, and had established himself as one of the premier bassists in jazz.

Mingus had, by the mid 50s, also formed an ensemble that was, in size, between a big band and a typical combo - usually 8-10 pieces. Dubbed "The Jazz Workshop", Mingus wrote many pieces for various permutations of this ensemble.

The music was not bop, per se, but also didn't fit neatly into other categories that were concurrent ("cool jazz", "modal jazz", "hard bop"). Mingus' music was strikingly original in concept and form.

Like Ellington, Mingus knew his musicians well, and liked to write for specific musical personalities in the group, and also encouraged them to improvise parts of his music on the spot, together - taking an almost collective approach to improvisation that was similar to the approach Ornette Coleman had been working on.

In 1959, after having recorded many albums as a leader, Mingus recorded his most well known album, Mingus Ah Um which featured the musicians from his "jazz workshop", including saxophonists John Handy, Booker Ervin, pianist Horace Parlan, and drummer Dannie Richmond.

The track we selected for this album, "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" was written as tribute to the great tenor saxophonist Lester Young, who had passed earlier in the year. It is one of Mingus' most well known tunes, and is a poignant ballad that features an unusual front line horn combination of 3 tenor saxophones (Handy, Ervin, and Shafi Hadi) who play the melody mostly in unison (occasionally harmonized briefly).

It's blues drenched melody, and melancholy feeling are powerfully striking. John Handy plays a mournful solo, in which, at one point employs a flutter-tongue sound, which is echoed by Mingus on bass - imitating Handy's effect. Handy's solo is a highlight, although the overall haunting sound and vibe of this track is just astonishing.


5. Lonely Woman (Ornette Coleman) 5:02 - Ornette Coleman, The Shape of Jazz to Come (Atlantic)

Somewhat similar in direction and concept to Mingus,was the path alto saxophonist Ornette Coleman and his colleagues were embarking on, although Coleman's approach was more radical, severe, and revolutionary perhaps than Mingus'.

Coleman was interested in collective approaches to improvisation, as was Mingus, but in a much more liberated manner. Coleman rejected the standard practice of improvising over a set of chord changes, rejected even improvising over a constant tempo at times, and rejected even having a pre-set key in which to improvise over (or having a "key" at all!).

The album, The Shape of Jazz to Come, is an early example of Coleman's radical new concept, which became known as "free jazz". Coleman's collaborators on the album include cornetist Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer, Billy Higgins.

The music from this album sparked a debate, and controversy that still rages on, even today, regarding what jazz is. Compared to a lot of "free jazz" that followed in later years, the music from this record could be considered fairly conservative!

In "Lonely Woman", there is, for the most part, a steady tempo being provided from drummer Higgins (a fairly fast one), and there is a melody that is stated at the beginning and end of the performance, which had been a standard practice in jazz for many years by this point.

The melody itself, stated by Coleman and Cherry, is a bluesy statement that floats rather freely over a frenetic beat from Higgins, while Haden provides a grounding double-stopped pedal point, repeated throughout much of it.

Coleman's following solo draws heavily on blues melodic language, while Haden holds down the pedal point. This is followed by another statement of the melody from Cherry and Coleman, and Higgins and Haden close the track, vamping on the opening material. The stark, and radical sound of Coleman's quartet in these recordings truly announces "The shape of jazz to come" for many.

Jamie Dubberly teaches jazz history, jazz combos, and low brass at CSU Stanislaus, and also works as trombonist in many of the top bay area (CA) jazz and Latin bands. He has also recently released his first album as a leader - "Road Warrior". If you enjoy jazz and Latin jazz, you will probably dig his debut album.For more information, visit http://orquestadharmamusic.com

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VIDEO: "Scatterbrain" by Jeff Beck with the Jan Hammer Group

Hi all,

Here's one of my favourites of the jazz fusion era. This is Jeff Beck Live with the Jan Hammer group from 1977. This is recorded and remixed in London, about 2 months after I saw the same great line-up in Adelaide, which is still (possibly) the best concert I've ever seen. For those Adelaideans out there - it was at Memorial Drive, a great live outdoor venue. The band line-up is below the video. Enjoy!



Jeff Beck - Guitars & special effects

The Jan Hammer Group comprising:

Tony Smith - Drums & lead vocal on "Full Moon Boogie"
Fernando Saunders - Bass, rhythm guitar on "She's A Woman" and vocal harmony
Steve Kindler - Violin, string synthesizer on "Darkness" and rhythm guitar on "Blue Wind"
Jan Hammer - Moog & Oberheim synthesizer; Freeman/Moog, string synthesizer, electric piano, timbales, and lead vocal on "Earth (Still Our Only Home)

The stereo spectrum of this album duplicates the stage set-up with guitar positioned center right, keyboards center left, violin right, & drums and bass center.

VIDEO: Enigmatic Ocean, Parts 1 to 4

Hi all,

Continuing on with our jazz-rock, jazz-fusion theme, Here's a great title track from an album by Jean-Luc Ponty entitled "Enigmatic Ocean", released in 1977. It reached #1 on the Billboard Jazz album chart in 1977. The line-up is below the video, enjoy!



Jean-Luc Ponty - electric violin, five-string electric violin, violectra, bells
Allan Holdsworth - lead electric guitar
Daryl Stuermer - lead and rhythm electric guitar
Allan Zavod - organ, synthesizer, electric piano, grand piano, clavinet
Ralphe Armstrong - electric basses, fretless bass
Steve Smith - drums and percussion

VIDEO: Al Di Meola - "Suite: Golden Dawn" from "Land of the Midnight Sun" (1976)

Hi all,

If you want to hear some great guitar work from the jazz-fusion master himself, Al Di Meola, this is the track - "Suite: Golden Dawn" from the great 1976 album "Land of the Midnight Sun". I highly recommend the entire album - enjoy! The monstrous line-up is included under the video for your pleasure!



Album Personnel:

Al Di Meola - Guitars, synthesizer, percussion, vocals
Stanley Clarke - Bass guitar, vocals (track 4)
Anthony Jackson - Bass guitar (tracks 1, 2)
Jaco Pastorius - Bass guitar (track 5)
Chick Corea - Piano, marimba (track 6)
Barry Miles - Keyboards, synthesizer (tracks 2, 5)
James Mingo Lewis - Keyboards, percussion (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5)
Steve Gadd - Drums (track 1)
Alphonse Mouzon - Drums (track 5)
Lenny White - Drums (track 2)
Patty Buyukas - Backing vocals (track 4)

VIDEO: Bill Bruford With Gong - Master Builder

Hi everyone,

Here's another track from the Jazz Rock/Jazz Fusion explosion of the mid- to late 1970s. This is brilliant, it's Bill Bruford With Gong (interesting Australian connections), in Oslo Norway on December 15, 1974.

The line-up is: Daevid Allen, Didier Malherbe, Tim Blake, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Miquette Giraudy and Bill Bruford. Enjoy!

VIDEO: Back to the Beginning by Bruford

Hi everyone,

Here's another great track from the jazz fusion/jazz rock explosion of the mid to late 1970s. This is "Back to the Beginning" by Bruford from their debut album, Feels Good to Me, released in 1978. This track features the unique vocal style of Annette Peacock. You can read more about the album and the band below the video. Again, feedback and opinions are welcome!



The following information on the album Feels good to me by Bruford is from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feels_Good_to_Me

Feels Good to Me is the debut solo album by the British drummer Bill Bruford (ex- King Crimson and Yes). The band Bruford grew out of the line-up assembled for this album, which was released in August 1978.

Led by drummer Bill Bruford, the album also features guitarist Allan Holdsworth and John Goodsall, bassist Jeff Berlin, keyboardist Dave Stewart, and ECM flügelhorn stalwart Kenny Wheeler. He also enlisted singer and songwriter Annette Peacock.

Musically, the album is an extremely electronic affair that does not sound anything at all like the early Canterbury sound. In an attempt to merge new wave and progressive rock into a new genre, the record actually pioneers the sort of sound that would later be picked up by acts like Missing Persons. The album is also considered a "vanguard of progressive jazz improvised music".

VIDEO: Deadly Nightshade by Brand X

Hi everyone,

Here is one of my favourites from 1978 - yes a bit later than usual on this blog. I'll be featuring more of the jazz-fusion, jazz-rock genre this year as it was a highly significant movement in the 1970s.

This track by Brand X, entitled Deadly Nightshade, features the great John Goodsall on lead. Here he demonstrates what I think is one of the greatest lead solos of any genre. Let me know your opinion - I'd love to hear it!

Under the video, you'll find the blurb on Brand X from Youtube. Enjoy!



Brand X - Deadly Nightshade - Masques (1978).

BRAND X is, no doubt about it, one the most original and well-known British groups of the seventies jazz/rock fusion scene. Made of musicians that are technicians at their respective instruments and that are as inspired as talented.

There are really 2 BRAND X formations ... the one from the mid 70s and the 1992 BRAND X.

The original line-up of the band was formed by drummer Phil COLLINS of GENESIS with John GOODSALL (former ATOMIC ROOSTER) on guitar, Robin LUMLEY (a David BOWIE collaborator) on keyboards and Percy JONES (ex-LIVERPOOL SCENE) on bass.

For them, the joy of playing and writing together was the main motivation. With various personnel permutations, they made typical progressive rock albums ... all worth hearing!

The 1992 BRAND X is GOODSALL, JONES and drummer Frank KATZ.

The band's discography starts in 1976 with "Unorthodox Behaviour" and goes on a year later with "Morrocan Roll", probably one of their best. "Is There Anything About" is the last release from this legendary jazz-rock band.

After almost ten years of absence during the Eighties, "Xcommunication" is the return of BRAND X under the economical format of a trio (GOODSALL, JONES, and KATZ). They released a CD that is almost as good as previous releases.

"The X-Files" is a disc of live recordings and a disc of unreleased material. What else can be said, apart from the fact that it is another masterpiece in the Legend's discography.