New Jazz Fusion Blood

Mascodagama wrote: ^^Will you be playing anything from this on the show?  Sounds interesting.

You bet  - earmarked two tracks already for next Thursday to illustrate some of the points I make here. As somebody who is interested in the evolution of certain forms of music, I think this album has some importance to jazz rock's early days and development

One of those lightning fast deliveries from N America has just happened and I'm happy to report I've now have a copy of the 1966 recording/originally 1967 release  by The Free Spirits Out of Sight & Sound (Sunbeam Records).

The copious liner notes should be read by anybody who still holds the delusion Bitches Brew was the first jazz rock album - this record was recorded ~3 years before. The band included some well known jazzers nowadays: Larry Coryell (this was his first recording), Jim Pepper, Bob Moses, Chip Baker & Chris Hills. Their intention was to make music in way they imagined "George Harrison would play John Coltrane" (although Roger McGuinn of the Byrds might be cited as somebody who was visiting that territory). However, they were constrained by pop single market sensibilities as their original label, ABC Records, insisted that The Free Spirits limit the songs recorded to about 3 minutes. In the meanwhile the band would be playing much of the set heard here,  as extended free jazz jams live. And perhaps another surprise is the use of vocals - the weakest element of the record - again in part to satisfy the pop singles market demands. Note: The Free Spirits  worked with Hendrix and Velvet Underground - but alas only in a small way from the CD, do you get  a sense of what they might have sounded live.

As was ABC Records want, this was another one of those albums that got limited promotion in 1967 and just about sinking without trace; (I think of the first Soft Machine Bitches brew album on ABC Probe being treated similarly). On listening to Bitches Brew anybody new to jazz rock might fairly ask why  the label "jazz rock", when  the rock elements are  not immediately obvious, with Out Of Sight & Sound  the use of this latterday tag is  much clearer as soon as you hear the first track. The most marked observation to be made comparing the music and the recording quality of these two albums, is how much more sophisticated the Miles Davis record is: this is what happened when the jazz establishment embraced jazz rock. Out Of Sight & Sound is an album of relevance in the history of jazz rock fusion, but because of the associated recording restrictions, it is a seminal recording made less memorable than it might have been.




Edited by Dick Heath - March 03 2007 at 06:11

almc2242 wrote: Dan Bobrowski wrote: Dick Heath wrote: Something of interest, (thanks goes to Helmut at Fusenet for the info):   Anyone here remember NOVA, the mid 1970s Italian fusion group? Their guitar player Corrado Rustici just released a new studio album entitled "deconstruction of a postmodern musician", feat ures a great performance by Allan Holdsworth on one track. http://sugarnet. webmediastrategy .net/artisti/ rustici/audio/ 30sec/06. wma http://www.sugarmus ic.com/corradoru stici/ Helmut    "Tantrum to Blind" is the name of the tune. Allan smokes on that track too! It can be downloaded from iTunes.   The Alan and Allan: Tribute to Tony Williams, Live at Yoshi's 2006 DVD will be out in March. I've already pre-ordered a copy.   This is the true leader of fusion, a true warrior. I have all of his CDs.

Dick Heath wrote: Something of interest, (thanks goes to Helmut at Fusenet for the info):   Anyone here remember NOVA, the mid 1970s Italian fusion group? Their guitar player Corrado Rustici just released a new studio album entitled "deconstruction of a postmodern musician", feat ures a great performance by Allan Holdsworth on one track. http://sugarnet. webmediastrategy .net/artisti/ rustici/audio/ 30sec/06. wma http://www.sugarmus ic.com/corradoru stici/ Helmut

Can any of these musicians be classified as a "Must Have for a Serious Collection"

almc2242 wrote: I ran into this new list. Some of them we already know but some I've never heard before, any advice. Carla Bley: Lead member of Jazz Composers, made >20 solo albums, with anglo-american line -up. New jazz, some jazz fusion (e.g. the classic Escalator Over The Hill). Bunny Brunel: LA based jazz fusionist, member of CAB Donald Byrd Alain Caron, Fr Canadain electric bass master, formerly with Uzeb <!--[if !supLineBreakNewLine]-->Cassiopea {Japanes?} Centipede, one off avant/free jazz band with ~50 members from Krimson, Machine, Julie Driscoll, Keith Tippett, etc. early 70's Chase, band wagon jumping brass rock group lead by former Maynard Ferguson sideman the eponymous Mr Chase - their first self-titled album has some moments, but lacks the consistency of BST, early Chicago or If. Caldera Dubble Stuff Don Ellis, great band leader and composer, who seemed from 1965 to 1975 won the  Playboy Poll for big band  each year - died far too prematurely in the 70's. At last his albums are coming out of CD, Fillmore is the start point, then Electric Bath, etc. (Check out Wounded Bird Records) Galactic Greg Howe, guitar shred master, who has moved into jazz fusion, good album out with Dennis Chambers Bobbi Humphery Kitty Hawk -  a minor American jazz rock group of late 70's , with a personal favourite  hit single  Race To The Oasis. 3 LPs issued. LardFree Manteca Nucleus - major UK jazz rock group lead by the currently ailing Ian Carr (wrote also wrote the definitive Miles Davis biog) Physical Therapy Terje Rypdal, top Norwegian jazz guitarist, who has experimented in a variety of jazz styles - jazz rock can be of the very best, e.g. Chaser The Shuffle Demons Skywalk Jeremy Steig, only know of his 70's recordings as session player Michal Urbaniak, Polish jazz rock violinist, more recently moved into listenable jazz dance/funk with his band Urbanator Uzeb - Fr Canadian jazz rock group - see Alain Caron above Uncle Festive Stomu Yamash'Ta & Go, Japanese classicallly trained percussionist who moved to Europe in early 70's, France and then England, and produced some excellent fusion albums with a Japanese flavour, e.g. Red Buddah Theatre, Freedom Is Frightening, (the latter with former Machinist Hugh Hopper) many of  which are still to see the light on CD. Members of both Isotope and Brand X started out in Yamash'Ta's bands. Go was a late 70's project with Yamash'Ta, Stevie Winwood, Al DiMeola, Mike Shrieve, Klaus Schultz, etc. The three Go albums are now reissued on a pair of CDs by the Australian Raven Records label.

Edited by Dick Heath - February 27 2007 at 10:52

Like I posted, 'Akimba!' is quite good fusion with Afro-Cuban percussion and some great lead guitar from leader Pablo Menendez.

Listening to Ozone Quartet: right now. Like Jean Luc-Ponty

Cool, lets keep with the fusion then. I like fusion since I was 14.

superprog , from the list you've posted I'm already on the hunt. Downloading quite a bit of albums from the net like Emusic, Tunes, etc and from amazon among others. Collection going about 1,840 Cd's.    I've came across some other bands. here is the list. Any opinions?

• Slint
• Trans Am
• Cul de Sac
• Bowery Electric
• Pluramon
• Mogwai
• Tarwater
• Kreidler
• Ganger
• 5ive Style
• The High Llamas
• Pell Mell
• June of 44
• Gastr del Sol
• Jim O'Rourke
• Stereolab
• Ui
• Gaunt
• A Minor Forest
• To Rococo Rot
• Flying Saucer Attack

 

 

Edited by almc2242 - February 23 2007 at 23:02