The Jazz-Rock/Fusion Appreciation Thread

Just received HR Big Band and Jack Bruce Live In Concert album - inevitably the post Cream /Jack Bruce solo songs work very well with a big jazz band - but pleasantly surprised to report: so do the Cream classics.

Edited by Dick Heath - April 09 2008 at 06:04

Nightfly wrote: On the subject of Jack Bruce i see he's just released an album with Robin Trower with Gary Husband on Drums which sounds pretty interesting. Anyone heard it yet and is it worth getting?

Edited by Dick Heath - April 10 2008 at 05:26

Andrea Cortese wrote: Jazz-rock is really interesting. There are tons of excellent stuff. These are the latest purchases for me:   - Return to Forever / Where Have I known You Before? - Jean Luc Ponty / Cosmic Messenger - Stanley Clarke / School Days - Iceberg / Sentiments - Iceberg / Arc en Ciel - Al Di Meola / Splendido Hotel     What do you think of these records?

Pretty good.

Can't comment on Iceberg - I only have one of their  albums, but it isn't  any one listed here.

I hear the DiMeola album as a blossoming out - it was a double vinyl release which gave  Al  a chance to express himself  with more than the usual Latin jazz rock,  however, my CD version doesn't have all the original LP's tracks.

Clarke's 4th album Schooldays was seen as the height of Clarke's early solo career, but has dropped back from being my favourite, in part because some tracks now seem  overstretched  - mind you the live version of the title track Schooldays is really overblown,  (i.e. on I Wanna Play For You.). I've gone back to preferring the eponymous second Stanley Clarke album, with  with its superstar cast of players: Jan Hammer, Bill Connors (the original RTF guitarist) and Tony Williams. Talking of which, I strongly recommend RTF with Bill Connors' Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy - which has always been my favourite RTF album.

The J-L Ponty I have (i.e. it ain't bad) but I'm afraid it is one of those albums I can confuse with several of his others from that period - personally I prefer Ponty with guests to create some musical tension and so on. I would go for Enigmatic Ocean - Allan Holdsworth shines, Daryl Stuermer  also plays lead,and it is also Steve Smith's (now a very reputable fusion drummer e.g. Vital Information, Vital Tech Tones) first recording. Coincidentally a colleague bought Enigmatic Ocean this week, and I 'm surprised to discover the CD still hasn't been remastered; I've had my copy for over 15 years - we agreed that the treble end of the recording (e.g. cymbals) is right in your face (cf. the LP version) and can be distracting.


Edited by Dick Heath - April 12 2008 at 06:20

i think there is a very fine line between some fusion and prog. i would still consider return to forever prog. i mean, it is fusion, yet has elements of rock in it.

Edited by Dick Heath - July 01 2008 at 04:50

Has anybody listened to this?

?

For fans of Tony Williams (original ) Lifetime, checkout Elephant9's Dodovoodoo - ignore the reviews suggesting similarities to  Soft Machine or Mahavishnu Orchestra

Hey Micky! I see you might be interested in Polish fusion band LABORATORIUM. Martin (Alucard) compared them to Area especially in terms of singing. Here's what he said:

I just LOVE this band!!! Has Marek Stryszowski released any records of his own? He is together with Demetreos Strato the Area singer one of the most interesting vocalists in the Prog Jazz field.

Cheers!

hey Tuz... if or when a sample gets posted with the artist.. give me a head's up so I can check it out.  Interested to hear them.. and him. A new addtion?

hi