Lords of jazz fusion.
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Printed Date: April 19 2024 at 13:39
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Topic: Lords of jazz fusion.
Posted By: gr8dane
Subject: Lords of jazz fusion.
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 18:34
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I would think these guys were the giants, when this genre took off. Filling arenas and bigger concert halls.Sooo ,who is it gonna be. Return To Forever for me.More consistant.More songs I like. The other 2 ,more hit and miss,yet with some brilliant stuff . ------------- Shake & bake. |
Replies:
Posted By: twosteves
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 18:43
| of the 3 I still listen to Return to Forever more than the others----but all of them are great |
Posted By: Kepler62
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 18:47
| Mahavishnu Orchestra but I can think of others. |
Posted By: Larkstongue41
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 18:53
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The Mahavishnu Orchestra is one my favourite bands. I consider Billy Cobham to be among the greatest drummers ever (most impressive to me at least) and the same goes for McLaughlin on guitar. Return To Forever is pretty awesome too. ------------- "Larks' tongues. Wrens' livers. Chaffinch brains. Jaguars' earlobes. Wolf nipple chips. Get 'em while they're hot. They're lovely. Dromedary pretzels, only half a denar." |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 18:58
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Weather Report particularly for I Sing the Body Electric which I think pretty magnificent, but I also like the debut a lot. My second choice would be Return to Forever. I wasn't a fan of Romantic Warrior, but then I discovered Hymn to the Seventh Galaxy and the debut and appreciated the band far more. As for Mahavishnu Orchestra, I used to like the band a lot, but went off the band to a large extent. I would say that those are the big guns of prog jazz-rock fusion bands (for me the biggest artist guns of jazz-fusion include Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock). ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: LearsFool
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 19:53
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Mahavishnu -------------  
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Posted By: Magnum Vaeltaja
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 20:16
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All superb, but I think I'll go with Return To Forever. ------------- when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents |
Posted By: aglasshouse
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 22:02
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I don't know man, I f**king love Chick Corea but I've known Mahavishnu since forever (no pun intended). If there was a both option I'd choose that in a heartbeat. ------------- http://fryingpanmedia.com |
Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: April 19 2017 at 23:01
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I love all of 'em but voted for RTF because they were the most consistent. Hard to beat their talent level as well. Brand X deserves a shout-out as well, there are many good options.
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Posted By: octopus-4
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 02:04
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I go for Mahavishnu ------------- Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half. My poor home recorded stuff at https://yellingxoanon.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: Flight123
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 02:35
| Return to Forever went downhill after the first album, as did Mahavishnu - so it has to be Weather Report!! |
Posted By: maryes
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 05:17
| Return to Forever "Romantic Warior" is my top jazz-rock álbum ! |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 06:35
| Maybe the hardest choice I've ever had to make on this forum. I love all three very much, and my choice would be influenced by the mood I'm in than the superb quality music these bands have given us. Mahavishnu Orchestra gets my vote today, but it will certainly change tomorrow. |
Posted By: ALotOfBottle
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 07:03
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Weather Report by a country mile. One of the most exciting and innovative bands to come out of the Miles Davis school of fusion, along with Tony Williams Lifetime. For me, at least. ------------- Categories strain, crack and sometimes break, under their burden - step out of the space provided. |
Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 07:19
I'm with you on this one Greg. I Sing The Body Electric is one of the finest fusion albums I have ever heard. The debut is killer too. Mahavishnu made one tune I dig (Naked Sword) whilst the remainder of their discography reeks of the ol fusion downslope 'all chops and no sauce makes Jack a dull boy'. I dig the RTF debut and a few tracks off Romantic Warrior. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Logan wrote:Posted By: Sean Trane
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 08:09
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Strictly on %-age of albums I really like, I think MO wins MO - 6/8 (if you include the Lost Trident session) RTF - 6/10 (including the two from this century) WR - it is also 6 albums, but out of many more releases... Basically, it's the first 6 (incl Live at Tokyo, which was released in Japan only) out of a total of 16 releases |
Posted By: hellogoodbye
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 08:44
| I love the first albums of Weather Report and Return to Forever (the debut is a desert island record). From Mahavishnu, I keep Birds. |
Posted By: digdug
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 08:58
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RTF for me ------------- Prog On! |
Posted By: progmatic
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 08:58
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Return to Forever followed by Mahavishnu followed a long ways behind by Weather Report. If Brand X was on the list, they'd be tops. Passport should be in there as well. ------------- PROGMATIC |
Posted By: Evolver
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 09:06
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Return To Forever easily. If Brand X was included, the choice would be more difficult. Mahavishnu slightly behind. Weather Report was good, but far too conventional for my tastes. ------------- Trust me. I know what I'm doing. |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 10:00
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MO or WR. MO today. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: JediJoker7169
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 12:59
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Wayne Shorter has never written a bad tune. Joe Zawinul wrote some great stuff, too. And they surrounded themselves with other outstanding performers and composers like Jaco Pastorius. Heavy Weather was one of my earliest exposures to Fusion and remains a favorite. Weather Report for me. |
Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 14:35
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Too hard. Each of these groups is an absolute monster, no debate. On this day, I may vote for WR for Mysterious Traveller, Black Market and Heavy Weather. But tomorrow I could vote for RTF for Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery and Romantic Warrior. The next day, MO for...and so on. (The Tony Williams Lifetime should also be on this list.) Just too hard.
------------- https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay |
Posted By: Rednight
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 15:27
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This thread title sounds like "Heroes of Heavy Metal." Watch out, Paris. ------------- "It just has none of the qualities of your work that I find interesting. Abandon [?] it." - Eno |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 16:52
| There will never again be another band like The Mahavishnu Orchestra. |
Posted By: DeadSouls
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 17:12
| Return to Forever. |
Posted By: The Dark Elf
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 18:29
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The RTF version with Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola, Lenny White and Chick Corea. ------------- ...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology... |
Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 19:36
------------- |
Posted By: hieronymous
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 20:40
I can't choose. I won't choose!  Each one was my favorite band at various times in my life. As soon as I start thinking maybe Mahavishnu Orchestra - I think back to hearing Vital Transformation for the first time - what time is that?!! - but RTF's Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy was a revelation - this is jazz metal - this is music I've only dared to imagine! - various incarnations of Weather Report - Jaco Pastorius, but also Alphonso Johnson, Victor Bailey, Miroslav Vitous... OK, maybe I wouldn't put Weather Report at the top. MO blew me away, but RTF touched me more deeply so I'll choose RTF. I honestly didn't think I would be able to choose but I did!
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Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: April 20 2017 at 21:47
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I guess they are usually considered the big three of fusion. But what about Passport, Brand X, Dixie Dregs, Soft Machine, Herbie Hancock, Jean Luc Ponty, Bruford, Kraan, Iceberg, Area, Secret Oyster, Kenso, One Shot, Pat Metheny, Tribal Tech, Helmet of Gnats and on and on and on.
Anyway, I voted for Mahavishnu Orchestra.
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Posted By: b_olariu
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 01:41
Weather Report
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Posted By: gr8dane
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 06:45
All great bands you mention(or the 80% I know of those),but I picked the 3 I did,because I think they sold the most records,and sold more concert tickets than any of those you mention.I could be wrong of course,but that was why I picked them.Not because of the ones I like better. ------------- Shake & bake. |
Posted By: Mormegil
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 07:06
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Going with Weather Report this time. ------------- Welcome to the middle of the film. |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 08:15
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these bands certainly were giants of fusion. I would include a fourth band, though their approach was totally different: Oregon -------------  A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Norbert
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 09:09
| All great bands, but I voted for Mahvishnu Orchestra. |
Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 12:19
I thought these three bands appropriate for their early contribution to pioneering the subgenre. I think Colosseum, Nucleus, Herbie Hancock/Eddie Henderson Mwandishi era, Larry Coryell, early 1970s Santana and the Softs might also be deserving of inclusion but, as you said, in terms of sales and world-wide following and impact these are probably the three. Still, a shame more people haven't heard Coryell, Eddie Henderson or Nucleus. Then we have to open a whole new thread RE Demetrios Stratos' AREA! ------------- Drew Fisher https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/ |
Posted By: hieronymous
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 12:41
| The only other groups that I can think of that reached the levels of popularity are Miles Davis's Bitches Brew & Herbie Hancock's Headhunters. |
Posted By: tdfloyd
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 14:49
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(MO=WR)>RTF. Today I voted for MO but tomorrow I might have voted for WR. RTF for me is a step below.
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Posted By: Upbeat Tango Monday
Date Posted: April 21 2017 at 17:43
I voted for the guys from New York  Ok, let's get serious for a little bit. I went with Return to Forever, but I might change my mind tomorrow. The three bands are quite good. These days I'm really into Brand X, though. ------------- Two random guys agreed to shake hands. Just Because. They felt like it, you know. It was an agreement of sorts...a random agreement. |
Posted By: Machinemessiah
Date Posted: April 26 2017 at 13:06
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It's funny I am listening to Mahavishnu right now!  (Birds of Fire, track ~3)However I would go with Return to Forever without much thinking... for me Mahavishnu, being absolutely awesome, is somewhat more mystical and darker and sometimes, on some songs, has these long insulse solo passages (perhaps I was thinking on Birds of Fire but for me Inner Mounting Flame is a masterpiece!). On the other hand, RTF's Stanley Clarke superb bass lines come to my mind on my favorite album, Hymn of the Seven Galaxy, and my nowadays favorite track, Theme to the Mothership. When we talk of Jazz Fusion, I'm definitely more inclined to that more sober, scifi (in the case of RTF), sophisticated, jazz oriented mood and cohesion that show bands like RTF, Brand X, Bruford (One of a Kind), Allan Holdsworth (RIP) (Blues for Tony), Gong's Gazeuse!, Jean-Luc Ponty (Cosmic Messenger), some Zappa magnificent jazz fusion passages/songs/albums (Inca Roads, Waka Jawaka, Grand Wazoo) I'm definitely going to take a look at some bands mentioned here, being this perhaps my favorite sub-genre. On my part, I would like to recommend to all a very accomplished Chilean jazz fusion band, Congreso, with a long discography and beautiful urban-folk southamerican touches. By the way I just switched to listen to Holdsworth, Looking Glass on Blues for Tony  |
Posted By: omphaloskepsis
Date Posted: April 26 2017 at 18:01
| Return to Forever |
Posted By: hieronymous
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 00:32
| It might be interesting to see if people who play various instruments prefer this or that band - a bassist might be more likely to like WR or RTF since the MO basslines are relatively "simple" compared to the other groups. How many guitarists love Weather Report? I'm a bassist but outgrew my Jaco stage - Stan the Man will always be huge for me, I even got him to sign one of my basses! - but I also appreciate the virtuosity of the non-bass instruments in Mahavishnu Orchestra. Or I could be totally off... |
Posted By: Triceratopsoil
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 00:43
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Of those, Weather Report |
Posted By: beeebon
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 05:39
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Mahavishnu Orchestra for me, although I need to hear more by the other two |
Posted By: Rushman
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 06:16
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Speaking of Fusion; I tuned into my local heavy metal station the other day (WSOU, out of Seton Hall University), and I heard this fusion song coming out of my speakers, I thought they changed formats! Turns out it is a band called Nova Collective, with members of Between The Buried and Me, and Haken. It is quite good: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhdRA85MPic" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhdRA85MPic |
Posted By: TeleStrat
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 08:16
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Probably every J/R/F fan has these three bands somewhere on their top ten list. My list has Return To Forever closer to the top than the other two.
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Posted By: Kepler62
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 10:32
This was definitely the first fusion album.  |
Posted By: Magnum Vaeltaja
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 12:36
Definitely one of the best albums I've heard this year so far. These guys are phenomenal! ------------- when i was a kid a doller was worth ten dollers - now a doller couldnt even buy you fifty cents |
Posted By: Pekka
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 13:36
Agreed! Also check out Trioscapes if you haven't. Another fusion project by Dan Briggs (bass, drums, sax mainly), bought their second album at a BTBAM show and that led me to discover Nova Collective as well. https://trioscapes.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - https://trioscapes.bandcamp.com/ And well, I've been listening to tons of Weather Report lately, but Mahavishnu might still be my favourite with their rawer edge. Romantic Warrior is all I've heard from Return to Forever, I suppose I should give it another go.
------------- http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=42652" rel="nofollow - It's on PA! 
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Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 16:35
urrrggg...... examples 1, 2, and 3 of why I think fusion sucks.. throw some notes in a blender and see how fast you can play it and call it fusion   voting 'other' on this one... real jazz-rock fusion... |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 17:06
Yeah, this shouldn't have been called "Crystal Silence", it should have been Crystal Meth Shred Attack: And "Crystal" off I Sing the Body Electric should have been called "Crystal Meth" too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myEyFtImuYk" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myEyFtImuYk That said, here's a more energetic song off I Sing the Body Electric since it's one of my favourites: Seriously, I wouldn't say that is true of early Weather Report or Return to Forever. If you haven't listened to Weather Report's first two albums or Return to Forever's first in a while, it might be time to try them again, even if they are not quite so relaxed as various Camel and Genesis numbers. ------------- Just a fanboy passin' through. |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 17:10
touché my friend.. well played  |
Posted By: hieronymous
Date Posted: April 27 2017 at 20:48
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This is my personal favorite Weather Report footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5DnRlwGBto" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5DnRlwGBto Especially the first thing they do - Miroslav Vitous playing electric Fender through an Orange amp - sounds so good - they are grooving so hard but it's like an alien transmission... Speaking of alien transmissions, the Bill Connors-era RTF stuff is super heavy, almost jazz-metal - plus Stanley Clarke playing a Rickenbacker, and a single-pickup Jetglo 4000 at that! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFP-alYNq5I" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFP-alYNq5I
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Posted By: Guldbamsen
Date Posted: April 28 2017 at 03:03
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Hadn't seen that WR clip before, thanks for posting Felt like a putting a mic to a whirlwind. ------------- “The Guide says there is an art to flying or rather a knack. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss.” - Douglas Adams |
Posted By: crimhead
Date Posted: May 01 2017 at 19:18
| Hard to go wrong with any of those bands. So much talent between them. One massive supergroup of talent. McLaughlin, Jaco,Clarke,Zawinul,Cobham,Corea,DiMeola,Shorter,etc,etc,etc |
Posted By: irrelevant
Date Posted: May 02 2017 at 07:51
------------- https://gabebuller.bandcamp.com/" rel="nofollow - New album! http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7385 |
Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: July 11 2017 at 14:21
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All are great but I would go: 1. Return to Forever 2. Mahavishnu Orchestra 3. Weather Report All three bands had some amazing musicians Think of some of the match ups you would have here. Joe Zawinul vs. Chick Corea - Jaco vs. Stanely Clark - Al DiMeola vs. John Mclaughlin Crazy! |
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: July 11 2017 at 15:50
| Where is Soft Machine, Brand X, Bruford or the Dixie Dregs? |
Posted By: The.Crimson.King
Date Posted: July 11 2017 at 15:59
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Not a huge fusion fan but I love some of Mahavishnu's "Birds of Fire" and "The Inner Mounting Flame"...but if Bruford had been a choice that would've gotten the vote...One of a Kind is perfect ------------- https://wytchcrypt.wixsite.com/mutiny-in-jonestown" rel="nofollow - Mutiny in Jonestown : Progressive Rock Since 1987 |
Posted By: siLLy puPPy
Date Posted: July 11 2017 at 18:17
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Frank Zappa and Miles Davis did it first (at least well) but Mahavishnu Orchestra took it all the way. So MahaOrch for me -------------  https://rateyourmusic.com/~siLLy_puPPy |
Posted By: ForestFriend
Date Posted: July 11 2017 at 18:52
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Can't say I've listened to any of those bands extensively, but judging by some of their more well-known albums (Birds of Fire, Romantic Warrior and Heavy Weather), Return To Forever appeals to me the most because their arrangements are a lot more exciting and interesting. I guess it's not really a fair comparison because Romantic Warrior feels like a straight up prog album with some jazz elements rather than vice versa to me. That being said, I love Light As A Feather too. |
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: February 27 2018 at 02:24
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Mahavishnu is a tad overrated IMHO. Cobham is the real star of that band. I prefer John's playing with Miles Davis. Weather Report all the way. ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: February 27 2018 at 03:10
I am just of the opposite opinion; Weather Report were the most unconventional of the three when it comes to jazz-rock/fusion. just think of an album like "Black Market" (my favorite one of them) ------------- A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta |
Posted By: Tom Ozric
Date Posted: February 27 2018 at 04:06
| How could Tale Spinnin’ (Weather Report) be ‘conventional’ ?? |
Posted By: Mortte
Date Posted: February 27 2018 at 05:17
| Not big jazz fusion guy at all, but listening sometimes some Mahavishnu. Birds of Fire is great! |
Posted By: Argo2112
Date Posted: February 27 2018 at 08:42
| All were great , but I went with Return to Forever. That line up is tough to beat. |
Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: February 27 2018 at 08:46
I giggled when I read "Weather Report too conventional". Right...
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