Fusion rock - need help

dropForge wrote: Speaking of Hammer, anybody who's anybody should own The First Seven Days and the Beck/Hammer live album. And the Hammer albums with David Earle Johnson. Nobody lays down a monophonic synth/Moog solo like Jan. Not even the prog greats like Keith, Rick, Eddie and Patrick. You readin' me loud & clear, Linda?

Good recommendations - but why are so many of Hammer's back catalogue not reissued on CD  or worse for us never made it across to this side of the Atlantic?

Not released in the UK: Melodies, the David Earle Johnson/J Hammer album, the album after Black Sheep  (I guess Jan Hammer was proving a point playing Hendrix's Manic Depression on mini-moog here - but why was Fender bass master Colin Hodgkinson only employed to do the vocals on this record............................).

Not on CD: Oh Yeah! (one of my favourites from the mid 70's - made stranger with Melodies has been issued on CD, although the Early Years CD has a couple of tracks from Oh Yeah!), Like Children (with Jerry Goodman). I've imported the Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer Group from the USA - as I did Melodies. Somebody in the USA  made me a burn of the DEJ/JH album  from a vinyl source and tucked on a 30 minute promo of the Jan Hammer Group live playing tunes from Melodies and Oh Yeah, as an end -filler (worth finding)! 

Perhaps you are aware that Jeff Beck and Jan Hammer toured the UK early this summer - rumours of an album together - publicity was minimal but I'm told the Coventry (?) gig was excellent. And the last bit of Hammer playing some form of jazz rock on disc I've come across: check out the British heavy jazz rock band  (Steve Clarke's) Network website for the compilation album. Hammer is playing keys on one track, a strange hybrid of thrash death metal and jazz rock - mde in the late 90's.


And Hammer's keyboard "voice" is unique and pretty obvious as soon as you hear it  - when Jens Johansson getting away from mediocre metal prog, then he too reveals his distinctive "voice".

I also like WR. Very cool band, but yes, I like Heavy Weather a lot, and also the others you mentioned.

dropForge wrote: I also like WR. Very cool band, but yes, I like Heavy Weather a lot, and also the others you mentioned.

I'm a HUGE fan of Weather Report. Jaco Pastorius is one of my biggest influences ever. And he IS the BEST bass player to ever walk the earth. He is THE MASTER.

MY favorite album is Mr. Gone.

I also really like Chick Corea Electric Band and Return To Forever.

I'm in an instrumental Prog/Fusion band called Jetavana Groove, mabye sometime when we get a recording of one of our sets or something I will upload it somewhere and post em on here:)

Edited by Prog_Bassist

Does your keyboardist play a Clavinet? If not, get him one!

 

   UZEB FROM MONTREAL, QUEBEC

IS PERHAPS ONE OF THE GREATEST FUSION BANDS EVER! I WILL EVEN SEND YOU SOME CDs IF THEY ARE NOT AVAILABLE WHERE YOU LIVE ! ALAIN CARON IS THE RIEGNING GOD OF THE BASS GUITAR! THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER MONTREAL BAND SIMPLY CALLED LE BAND WITH ALAIN ON BASS

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Edited by Vibrationbaby

try
Billy Cobham - Spectrum    US
Focus - 3           ;           ;           ;  Dutch
Clearlight - Visions          ;      French
Jean-Luc Ponty - Best of      French
Il Volo - Essere, no essere Italian