Jazz Rock/Fusion: Which albums are essential? |
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dwill123
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 19 2006 Status: Offline Points: 4460 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 18:19 | ||
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PrognosticMind
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 02 2014 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 1195 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 17:01 | ||
This post is full of all sorts of win .
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"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"
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schizoidman
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 25 2006 Location: Los Angeles Status: Offline Points: 460 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 16:34 | ||
Santana "Caravanserai"
Edited by schizoidman - September 17 2014 at 16:34 |
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Svetonio
Forum Senior Member Joined: September 20 2010 Location: Serbia Status: Offline Points: 10213 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 16:20 | ||
I'd like to mention The Tony Williams Lifetime's Emergency! (1969), Herbie Hancock's Fat Albert Rotunda (1969) and Nat Adderley's Calling Out Loud (1968) as some of essential albums of the genre.
Review by
Atavachron
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
When we are witness to a new kind of art, it should be noted. And
though the first glimpses of an unproven form are sometimes raw, the
impact is
usually undeniable. This is the case with 'Emergency!'. Sometimes
ugly but always real, this little record is very likely the first true
and fully blended mix
of modern jazz with electric rock in all its manic glory. There had
been hints at it, experiments and false starts that often lacked total
vision, like
Cannonball Adderly's use of pop stylings in jazz. As well, Miles Davis
is most often credited with being the 'father' of jazz-rock but on
closer inspection,
Davis is, at best, its grandfather whose 'In a Silent Way' (1969) was
more a flirtation between styles than an infusion of musics. There were
superior and
better-realized fusion projects to come, such as John McLaughlin's
Mahavishnu and the later symphonic aspirations of Chick Corea and Al Di
Meola. But in
hindsight, this rough, tainted and trance-induced set, deeply intuitive
on a level not before heard, is the first recording of jazz artists
doing what the
heavy blues and psych scenes had been doing for years. And while there
had been those who progressed jazz itself, such as Jimmy Giuffre, Dave
Brubeck
or Gunther Schuller, no one had brought together the hot bop of Coltrane
with the howling rock spirit of Jimi Hendrix in the same room at the
same time.
Finally... Fusion with a capital 'F' had arrived, kicking and screaming
but alive and well. This session, not to be confused with Williams' first album as leader in 1964 titled 'Lifetime', had all the makings for explosive creativity and boundary- wrecking; John McLaughlin's guitar sounding more urgent and other-worldly than ever, Larry Young's irrepressible organ, and Williams' ridiculously confident charge on drums. If one didn't know better, the nine-minute title cut could just be the sound of another crazy jazz band bopping their way into the 1970's with drug-induced abandon. But the unmistakable sounds of riff rock can be heard fighting to break on through, Larry Young's insistent organ- grind, McLaughlin's lead, and the whole thing coming alive with Williams' crashes and acrobatic backbeat. Some acid mud follows, as well as passages of sheer spontaneity. 'Beyond Games' is hideous and nervous freeform featuring Williams' bizarre vocals and the 12-minute 'Where' is a troubled dervish of a jam, dizzying and sweaty with odd rhythms, sudden changes of mood and semi-classical lines running between guitar and organ. But it's the fourth, 'Vashkar', where we begin to hear the first clearly-cut form of jazz rock with all of its facets, finally gelling in the way we would become familiar with in later years showing intelligent melodics, tight dynamics, and plenty of fire. 'Via the Spectrum Road' is the requisite weird pop-psych tune, but luckily the firecracking jam 'Spectrum' wakes things up again with pure hot jazz and wild soloing from everyone. It would be the highlight of the set if not for the 13- minute 'Sangria For Three', a beautifully messy explosion of jazz rock at its most pure. 'Something Special' finishes with unsettled dissonance and closes out a musical statement so bold and irreverent that it was, in the truest sense, revolutionary. A mad experiment gone out of control and one of the most important records you will ever hear. Review by
snobb
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
First after-Miles Herbie Hancock solo album. Hancock turned jazz-funk
for a first time and released perfect album.
Musicians team is almost all-stars ( still jazz-stars), Hancock is
playing vintage 60-s funk jazz with Fender piano rich inclusions. All
musicians are high level professionals, and you can hear it! Originally
the album is based on soundtrack for the Bill Cosby TV show Fat Albert
and the Cosby Kids.
Still not his heavy, complex and in moments monotonous funk fusion of
later works, there is melodic, light and groovy mix of funk and brassy
be-bop.
Still as very early fusion example, it is perfect be-bop and fusion mix,
demonstrating great Hancock musical abilities. And very pleasant
listening as well. Review by Richard S. Ginell [-]For his second and alas, last album for A&M, Nat Adderley reunites with Joe Zawinul and the greatly underrated arranger Bill Fischer, this time with a tight, often surprisingly progressive concept in mind. All the tunes are by the above three, all are linked by classical arrangements for winds to form a suite, yet both Adderley and Zawinul are given plenty of room to burn. Nat's "Biafra," clearly written with the then-raging Nigerian civil war in mind, sets the thoughtful mood, contrasting a moving dirge with buoyant extended solos by Adderley and Zawinul. Adderley plays both acoustic and electric Varitone cornet; it's amazing how the latter alters his boppish personality into something more sensitive and soulful. Fischer's charts are always intriguing, brooding even when the music is joyous, and already Zawinul is displaying some of the freedom on electric piano that would soon emerge with Miles Davis and Weather Report. Indeed, Zawinul's "Grey Moss" and Fischer's "Nobody Knows" sound like cautious prototypes for portions of Miles' Bitches Brew. A fascinating album, beautifully produced, with mordant cover art (firecrackers). http://www.allmusic.com/album/calling-out-loud-mw0000870790
Edited by Svetonio - September 17 2014 at 18:22 |
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schizoidman
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 25 2006 Location: Los Angeles Status: Offline Points: 460 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 13:29 | ||
and, of course,.......
Steely Dan "Aja" |
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timothy leary
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 29 2005 Location: Lilliwaup, Wa. Status: Offline Points: 5319 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 13:26 | ||
Al Di Meola............Elegant Gypsy
Pat Metheny Group.....The Way Up Dixie Dregs.......What If Fermata......Huascaran Oregon......Out Of The Woods Billy Cobham.....Spectrum Kraan.....Let It Out
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schizoidman
Forum Senior Member Joined: March 25 2006 Location: Los Angeles Status: Offline Points: 460 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 12:59 | ||
Mahavishnu Orchestra "Birds of Fire" Stanley Clarke "Schooldays" Weather Report "Night Passage" Jeff Beck "Wired" Al Di Meola "Elegant Gypsy" The Carla Bley Band "Music Mecanique" Edited by schizoidman - September 17 2014 at 12:59 |
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presdoug
Forum Senior Member Joined: January 24 2010 Location: Canada Status: Offline Points: 8154 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 12:37 | ||
Anything by Passport from the seventies.
The first three If albums. The Dedalus debut. The classic Colosseum period, their first four albums. |
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Saperlipopette!
Forum Senior Member Joined: December 20 2010 Location: Tomorrowland Status: Offline Points: 10069 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 11:35 | ||
My superlong list is slightly flawed as it's based on a 60's and a 70-75 jazz list I've made elsewhere and just removed all the non-fusion releases. 69-75 are my favorite jazzrock years but I obviously still dig plenty of jazzrock made after.
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darkshade
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 10964 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 11:18 | ||
I do too. I think it's one of the best modern jazz-rock albums, but I'd put plenty of 70s jazz-rock albums above it in an all-time list. |
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Padraic
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31165 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 11:12 | ||
That is a bit funny. I really do enjoy that album, but, yeah. |
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darkshade
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: November 19 2005 Location: New Jersey Status: Offline Points: 10964 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 11:07 | ||
Wow, I haven't looked at that in a long time. That list of albums has changed, though some have managed to stay in the top spots since I joined this site. Hiromi's "Time Control" is considered the best jazz-fusion album on this site. Interesting. |
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PrognosticMind
Forum Senior Member Joined: August 02 2014 Location: New Hampshire Status: Offline Points: 1195 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 10:48 | ||
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior / Where Have I Known You Before? Weather Report - Heavy Weather Now THIS is my kind of thread!
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"A squid eating dough in a polyethylene bag is fast and bulbous. Got me?"
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SteveG
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20531 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 10:38 | ||
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SteveG
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20531 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 10:33 | ||
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CosmicVibration
Forum Senior Member Joined: February 26 2014 Location: Milky Way Status: Offline Points: 1344 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 10:26 | ||
Brand X – Unorthodox Behavior |
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Padraic
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31165 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 10:24 | ||
Ah, I thought you were asking for recommendations.
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SteveG
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20531 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 10:22 | ||
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Padraic
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator Joined: February 16 2006 Location: Pennsylvania Status: Offline Points: 31165 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 10:20 | ||
Well you've probably already got enough to get started. Saperlipopette's list in particular should keep you occupied.
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SteveG
Forum Senior Member Joined: April 11 2014 Location: Kyiv In Spirit Status: Offline Points: 20531 |
Posted: September 17 2014 at 10:15 | ||
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