JAZZ ROCK/FUSION

Hooffoot Phantoms from the past .

This record is a sonic expedition. A daring journey through late 1960s German experimental jazz, enriched with Canterbury nuances and hints of Zappa's eccentric brilliance from the One Size Fits All era. The band features Pär Hallgren (electric bass and effects), Jacob Hamilton (drums), Jocke Jönsson (electric guitar and effects), and Bengt Wahlgren (electric piano, organ, and synthesizers).

Hooffoot sound revolves around Wahlgren's Hammond and Fender Rhodes, which create a warm, vintage sound and are made the band's sound.

Phantom Limb opens with its eponymous 11-minute track, an ambient and cinematic piece led by a Hammond organ, layered with Rhodes, and punctuated by surf-inspired guitar tones. This opening track immediately showcases the album's thematic range: its rhythmic development, melodic depth, and tonal interplay set the stage for what follows.

At nearly 12 minutes long, When the Insane Go Marching In delves into Canterbury-style territory. Interlocking guitar motifs intertwine with driving bass grooves, while keyboards add harmonic color and playful shifts, blending jazz fusion with hints of progressive rock.

At just under 9 minutes long, Liisa (a Finnish Spectrolite) is the album's most concise piece, a groove-laden journey that fuses motorized, krautrock-inspired rhythms with the warmth of soulful jazz. Touches of flute and synthesizer add a bright and energetic touch, with the track dynamically shifting pace before closing on a reflective, subdued note.

Finally, Last Letter Home, the epic 14-minute closer, begins with a spacious jazz-rock intro and evolves through multiple shifting rhythm sections. It balances progressive ambition, improvisational spirit, and a hypnotic krautrock pulse, delivering a mature and sophisticated finale that unites the album's themes.

Phantom Limb delivers Hooffoot finest work to date, fusing the adventurous spirit of late-'60s experimental jazz with the elegance of progressive rock. It's an album that rewards close listening, unfolding its layers with every spin.

Here is the 1977 debut album from Patrick Forgas, which was only available on vinyl until it was released on CD by Musea in 2008 with an additional 13 tracks taking its running time up to 73 minutes, and now that has been picked up and reissued by Cuneiform. This is the first time I have come across any of Patrick's solo albums, but following this release there was a gap until 1990 when he released the next, and then later formed Forgas Band Phenomena, and I have reviewed a couple of theirs which also follow his heavy influence of Robert Wyatt.

If we take the original album first, excluding the additional tracks, it is something of quite a strange beast in that Side A and Side B are very different indeed. The first side contains 9 tracks, of which only three are more than two minutes long, and some sound finished while others are more like demos. Patrick is primarily a drummer and singer, although here he provides many other instruments as well, plus he is joined by guests including members of Magma and Zao. The result is something which has that very Seventies Robert Wyatt feel, but the song quality is not nearly as good as it is somewhat difficult to get into, especially with so many short songs and instrumentals. Then we have the second side of the album, which contains just one song, the 18-minute-long "My Trip" which is more solidly in Soft Machine territory and is in many ways quite at odds with what went before.

The first of the additional tracks is a demo of that song, which was originally only six minutes in length, so it was certainly expanded a great deal when it was worked on in the studio as opposed to Patrick's home. The additional tracks contain a few reworkings of sone of the songs on the original album, plus plenty others which are unreleased, and while the material is generally longer it still has that feel of the first side of the album. I don't believe this release is as good as the later FBP material I have heard, but fans of Forgas and Canterbury will certainly be pleased to know this is again available some years after it was last released. Just not quite for me.

Maneige went through a second phase starting with Ni Vent... Ni Nouvelle where they were going for a more electric approach and for shorter pieces. Even with that, I can still tell it's Maneige. Libre Service - Self Service was their second album and there was a very rare version of this album with a more cartoon gas pump on the front cover that was instantly removed, probably because they felt it people weren't going to take that cover seriously, so a new cover was in its place, the one we're all familiar with. They take on a more funky approach (that use of slap bass is quite noticeable on this album), with Latin rhythms (which will scare some people away, but it actually works quite well, but other pieces they find themselves hearkening to their older sound. What I find really interesting is how the opening part of "La Belle Et La Bête" sounds like the theme song to TV series Unsolved Mysteries, although that one was American and didn't appear until the late 1980s. I also found "Noéme" reminding me strangely of Echolyn, those piano chord progressions sounds like something off As the World. "Bagdad" unsurprisingly has a Middle Eastern feel to it. "Les Péntocles" is a great proggy piece, and a favorite of mine. The second half of the album at times hearkens back to the sounds of Ni Vent... Ni Nouvelle, if not occasionally their Harvest-era material. This is a rather accessible album, but they didn't sacrifice quality, even if the lengthy suites of their first two albums were long gone. I am a minority, but I actually prefer Self Service over Ni Vent, as I rank it up there with Les Porches as my favorite Maneige album.

3.5 stars. Miroslav Vitous should need no introduction to Jazz fans out there. He's from the Czech Republic learning his instrument at the Prague Conservatory. He won an international competition in Vienna which included a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. He moved there in 1966 and then movied to NYC after that. It was in New York that he would work with Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Chick Corea, Charlie Mariano and more. Miroslav is such a talented bass player.

Vitous released two solo albums in 1970 before joining WEATHER REPORT. "Purple" is the second of those and really it's a stepping stone to that first WEATHER REPORT album. In fact, two tracks on "Purple" would be on that WR debut. Those would be called "Water Lilie" and "Seventh Arrow". His first solo record was called "Infinite Search" and it's a much better album than "Purple". It has a pulse at least. We have John McLaughlin playing on both, but on "Purple" he's just briefly on one track and unless your listening closely you will miss it. You can't miss his playing on "Infinite Search", lets put it that way.

Also that debut had the great Joe Henderson on sax. No horns on "Purple". And it also had Herbie Hancock on keyboards. That truly was a band effort, while "Purple" is a trio for three of the songs, and a duo for the other two tracks. "Purple" is very ECM-like. Minimalistic and sparse. The only grit is the bowed bass from Vitous. I don't have the patience for this stuff. Thankfully it's just over 36 minutes. This record was only released in Japan as Vitous sold the rights to it to Sony in Japan. It was re-issued once in 1974 then crickets until 2024 and the release of this album on cd for the first time.

And what an embarrassment when you compare this re-issue to say what the MPS label has been releasing of late. MPS has done it right with detailed liner notes, taking pride in these old jazz recording, while Sony has done as little as possible. I opened the liner notes to see two blank/white pages. It reminds me of buying cds in the 90's and seeing that once in a while. So I get the original front and back cover and that's it! Two of the tracks here are covers as well. We get Ron Carter's "Mood" which is ballad-like(aren't they all) and Wayne Shorter's "Dolores". The closest artist in my opinion to what I'm hearing here is Eberhard Weber's solo music, but he did it much better.

So I can't say it was worth the wait. It wasn't. But you ECM label fans will find plenty to enjoy here.

Chops Galore

Moto Perpetuo is an instrumental fusion band from Lombardia who have been playing together since the 1990s. They've been playing live for years, and they finally released their full-length debut, Untitled, in 2023. The reason for the ambiguous album title is that they would prefer the entire experience of listening to them be in the court of the listener. They didn't want to impart any preconceived notions. "Why Untitled? Because it is an album without a real definition, just like the genre we play. Untitled, as instrumental tracks without lyrics should be." Fair enough then.

The album reminds me of many of the Italian fusion/jam albums I've come across: AIIR, Bella Band, D.F.A., Free Wave System, Kaleidon. Not being a jazz expert by any means or measure, I'll confess that fusion sometimes becomes an experience that blurs together into a similar sounding stew. I don't dislike it. On the contrary, it's pretty awesome. It's just more difficult to discuss. This is an album of technical performance prowess with a nice mix of stylistic shifts and loads of emotion coming through in the playing. For sure in the lead guitar as you'd expect, but also in every position. Some songs are more traditionally jazzy while others offer shots of chunky groove/funk or delicate classical touches. That is the part where I feel some of that lovely RPI intoxicant coming through, and that is where they win me over. There is a ton of piano playing on this album and a small bit of violin, and the beauty in these sections is undeniable. If you are into varied and impeccably performed instrumental rock, this is a release you'll not want to miss. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Recorded in two sessions at Van Gelder Recording Studios, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, in May and June of 1969, where it was engineered by Rudy Van Gelder (of course), I find it interesting that an early or proto- Jazz-Rock Fusion album could be achieved using the seasoned jazz musicians Herbie here employs (which were the same musicians he used on his previous solo album, The Prisoner). This also marks Herbie's first album produced and released by Warner Brothers Records. It was released on December 8, 1969.

A1. "Wiggle Waggle" (5:48) sounds like one of those rollicking R&B/Jazz-Lite songs that populated so many "hip" films of the late 1960s--like Peter Sellers' The Party. Great performances from trumpeter (9/10)

A2. "Fat Mama" (3:45) sounds like an inspirateur for Eumir DEODATO's future "Also Sprach Zaarathustra - 2001" international hit. I find it curious that the performances of the two electric guitarists has gone uncredited (and unrecognized) all these years. The fuzzy guitar-like sound accompanying the rhythm track start to finish could be a heavily-distorted sax but the appearance of a second guitar in the middle of the second minute is unequivocally an electric guitar--making it obvious that there are two rather distinct guitar sounds occurring throughout the song in the background within the rhythm section. I'm guessing that somehow Billy Butler and Eric Gale were somehow forgotten when compiling the credits for the album. Nice, steady work from the rhythm section and some great smooth Fender Rhodes play from Herbie with cool punctuation and enhancements from the horns here and there throughout. (9.2510)

A3. "Tell Me A Bedtime Story" (5:00) a song that bodes well for future Pop- and Smooth-Jazz/Easy Listening star (and producer) BOB JAMES, it is a lovely Fender Rhodes-dominated song with syncopated Latin-suggested rhythm and cinematic "LA Smooth" horn arrangements that definitely predict Bob's Smoth Jazz. This is the first song on which the drumming really strikes me as perfect--and it's brushwork! Johnny Coles' trumpet work and Joe Henderson's flute playing are also quite sublime. Beautiful. Definitely a top three song for me. (9.5/10)

A4. "Oh! Oh! Here He Comes" (4:05) another early-funk song with a clear influence on DEODATO's upcoming music. Amazing! Sounds like DAVID AXELROD's 1968 landmark album, Song of Innocence, which, of course, was facilitated by the core work of LA's famous session band, The Wrecking Crew. Buster Williams' electric bass line was lifted a decade later by John Entwistle for The Who's hit song, "Eminence Front." The rhythm guitar work (again: uncredited) is esssential but the bass and drumming are so great: just like the work of The Wrecking Crew (Carol Kaye, Hal Blaine, and Don Randi, specifically). My favorite song on the album. (9.75/10)

B1. "Jessica" (4:11) beautiful old time lounge piano jazz that starts out with trombone establishing the main melody over Herbie's piano. The main melody does sound familiar--as if from a classic film theme song ("Summer of '42"?) or perhaps a Bill Evans song. Joined by flute and more intricately arranged and performed horns, this kind of stuff doesn't get any better than this--even if Bill Evans were in the leadership position. Too bad the piano is not very well recorded (or just sounds crappy). My other top three song. (9.5/10)

B2. "Fat Albert Rotunda" (6:27) funky jazz-R&B with plenty of percussion and rhythm guitar flare. (The rhythm guitar is uncredited but sounds a lot like the style and work of Eric Gale.) Buster Williams' electric bass play is a little messy, but Herbie is really rockin' it with his Fender Rhodes and the horn accents and diversions provided Joe Henderson, Johnny Coles, and Garnett Brown are perfect. (9/10)

B3. "Lil' Brother" (4:25) more David Axelrod/The Wrecking Crew-like cinematic funk-R&B fare with some highly spirited performances coming from the guitarists and horn players--especially Joe Henderson and Arthur (C.) Clarke on his Space Odyssey baritone sax. In fact, the band is so animated as a whole that Herbie's electric piano is mostly drowned out by the others! (9.3333/10)

Total Time: 33:59

Nothing gives one the idea of the influence a particular artist may have had to his contemporaries until you hear a popular and acclaimed album from the era that you've never heard before, which is the case with this album for me. The music on this album shows me how much influence the L.A. scene was having on Herbie (particularly from film, television, and David Axelrod and The Wrecking Crew's influence) but it also illustrates how much a single album can influence another future star, in this case the one and only Eumir Deodato as well as fresh Berklee grad Bob James.

A/five stars; a wonderful, amazing, eminently engaging and enjoyable excursion through the late 1960s world of film and television score music making performed by one of Jazz's most adventurous and trend-following artists. Though this is early funk, and very cinematic-like, it definitely has its place in the development of that which would become Jazz-Rock Fusion--particularly influential to the nurturance and development of the funky side of J-R F. I have to say, this is one of my favorite type of Jazz-Rock Fusion styles, so it will come as no surprise to see that Fat Albert Rotunda has lept into my top 20 masterpieces of First Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion.

Advertised as a Nucleus album but, without Ian Carr's presence, I don't quite see how. Plus, it's kind if a shame that Chris never expected (or wanted) the music from these Harvest Records'-"forced" studio recording sessions to be published. (Apparently, the album's producer leaked it to a Japanese company who published it unbeknownst to Chris. In fact, Chris claims to have not found out about the existence of this publication for three or four years.)

1. "Station Song" (14:39) long John Coltrane-like opening with everybody meandering every which way like a pack of rats that have been discovered hiding under a rowboat, the trombone of Paul Rutherford is given the greatest prominence, occupying the lead position for the first two and a half minutes before giving way to John Mitchell's piano play. Roger Potter's jazzy double bass and John Marshall's drumming are also top notch as they hold everything together beneath John's DON PULLEN."Sinner Man"-like piano play. Trombone again takes the lead in this increasingly "Sinner Man"-feeling piano-based song. Chris Spedding's wewird CZ&W jazz guitar sound slowly fills the gap made by the quiescence of the rest of the band in the tenth minute and gradually becomes quite animated and reckless in its abandon. Then things slow down again, with everybody spacing out, before assuming a blues groove for the final two minutes (including a ridiculously-long finish). Not a great song. (26/30) 2. "Plain Song" (4:40) a great song on which Chris and Roger Potter jam as a duet on acoustic guitars (steel string acoustic and mandolin) and bowed double bass, respectively on something that sounds like a cover of PINK FLOYD's "Wish You Were Here" (pre-dating David Gilmour's classic by three or four years) as performed by Jimmy Page and Roy Harper for on Roy's Stormcock. An album highlight (despite its awkward sound rendering). (9/10)

3. "Song Of The Deep" (8:50) another song that feels more grounded in the Post Bop of the late Sixties with John Mitchell's piano play, Roger Potter's double bass, and John Marshall's drumming sounding much more jazz-based than rock or even Jazz-Rock. Chris's guitar is rendered rather oddly in the final mix with far more prominence and credibility being given to the centrally-located trombone of Paul Rutherford. Once again John Mitchell lays down some awesome Don Pullen-like piano play, which is, for me, the highlight of the song. (17.75/20)

4. "The Forest Of Fables" (1:12) experimental guitar and piano sounds--not conventional playing or styling. Like Don Pullen and Phil Collins running through ideas that would end up serving The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway's "The Waiting Room." (4.375/5)

5. "New Song Of Experience" (8:22) this song sounds and feels like a combo of lounge musicians giving a jazzy mash up of a DOORS pop song ("Light My Fire"). Though John Mitchell is playing electric piano on this one, he's still throwing those riffs and tactics that I'm so familiar with due to my love of Don Pullen's piano stylings. The guitar playing on this feels so infantile as to seem to express a self-sabotaging element into the music. (Did Chris want this album to fail?) Still, Paul, the two Johns, and Roger perform rather respectably despite Chris' "mood." Even the way the final sound and mix are rendered seem to indicated a half-assed attempt at polish or completion. (17.5/20)

6. "I Thought I Heard Robert Johnson Say" (3:14) a song of various sound tracks that all feel like experimentations that might end up on TALKING HEADS' Remain in Light. Cool and funky before Brian Eno's white funk was even a thing. (9.25/10)

Total time: 40:57

I'll say it again: I'm not sure why reviewers and historians want to include this within the aegis of Ian Carr's Nucleus. And, sadly, Chris hardly ever feels into it! Also, I do feel saddened as, once again, an artist's product has been undermined or even usurped by the label/production company (much as artists like Frank Zappa, John McLaughlin, John Fogerty, Nektar, Midnight Oil, Prince, and many, many others have claimed to have been taken advantage of at varioius points in their careers).

B-/3.5 stars; some great individual performances over mostly less-than-polished compositions (or, more often, what sound like practice jams) does not make for a great album. Recommended only if you must.

The debut studio album release from Ian Carr's Jazz-Rock Fusion brainchild. Recorded before MIles Davis' Bitches Brew had been released and before (Ian claims) he or his band members had even heard In a Silent Way, the spirit of fusion expressed on this album is very much ahead of its time with lots of interweaving of dynamic instrumental play coming from multiple electrified or electrically-effected instruments. There are some quite iconic riffs and grooves on this album that many Jazz, Jazz-Rock Fusion, and even Prog lovers will, no doubt, recognize.

1. "1916 " (1:11) such an epic opening! Like a signature song for some radio or television show! Great display for John Marshall's talents. (5/5)

2. "Elastic Rock" (4:05) this laid back piece sounds and feels like something from Miles Davis' Kind of Blue 2.0--at least, it starts that way: it's the feel as, obviously, Miles' original had neither electric piano, electric bass, nor any type of guitars; it's all about the feel. But then as Chris Spedding takes on his solo the music plants itself firmly into the post- Post Bop world of Jazz-Rock Fusion. Great song with great use of accenting horn "section." (9.25/10)

3. "Striation" (2:15) a really enjoyable duet of fascinating interplay between Jeff Clyne and his bowed double bass and Chris Spedding's finger-picked electric guitar. (4.75/5)

4. "Taranaki" (1:39) upper-register electric bass, gentle electric guitar and electric piano chord interplay driven by hi- hat & rimshot rhythm over which Ian and Brian also dance a beautiful duet with flugelhorn and tenor sax. Amazing! (5/5)

5. "Twisted Track" (5:15) gentle electric guitar picking carrying over from the previous song is soon joined by bass, cymbals, and breathy horns usher this into Jimmy Webb territory: if Burt Bacharach arranged Miles Davis to play a Jimmy Webb song! Pretty cool! Ian & co. were definitely creating some very sophisticated and beautifully woven tapestries! Somehow even Chris' bent C&W guitar notes work in the intricate mix of this song. (9.333/10)

6. "Crude Blues, Pt. 1" (0:54) Karl Jenkins' oboe and Chris' gentle jazz electric guitar make for strange but beautiful bedfellows as they introduce this one.? (4.5/5) 7. "Crude Blues, Pt. 2" (2:36) ? which turns into a "cool" 1960s Beatnick-turned-Hippie tune as the full band joins in. More solos from Karl as Ian, Chris, and Brian, populate the middle-ground above this groovy keyboard-less rhythm track. (4.5/5)

8. "1916 - The Battle of Boogaloo" (3:04) take the opener of Side One and then turn it into a multi-track three- and four-part rondo and you might get an idea of the feel of this one. (9.25/10)

9. "Torrid Zone" (8:40) built over a bass-and-guitar earworm riff that keeps the listener engaged (more like hypnotized!) John Marshall and Ian really get to shine on this one: Ian in a very FREDDIE HUBBARD-like sound and style, John recorded with one mic?! Karl and Chris get a little more animated (on the left and right, respectively) as Ian plays on (just as Freddie would). Great groove; great performances! (18.25/20)

10. "Stonescape" (2:39) muted trumpet opening feels like something straight off of Kind of Blue but then electric piano joins in. Double bass and brushed drums join in later. Cool little late night BILL EVANS-like song. (4.625/5)

11. "Earth Mother" (5:15) repeating some previously-explored riffs and themes that were used in the "Crude Blues" suite (including the presence of Karl Jenkins' oboe)--performing variations on them like the restatements, inversions, and modulations that occur in the recapitulations of classical music movements. Nice work from Karl. (8.875/10)

12. "Speaking for Myself, Personally, in My Own" (0:54) a skillful John Marshall drum solo that bridges "Earth Mother" and "Persephone's Jive." (4.375/5)

13. "Persephones Jive" (2:15) great little jazzy-gem to finish things off. I love this (still a continuation of Side Two's tape- jam). Ian, (distant) Brian, Chris, and the rhythm section are all firing on all cylinders on this one. (4.625/5)

Total Time 36:18

It had been a long time since I'd heard this album and I'd completely forgotten how amazing it is. Though I have not yet tried to substantiate this, I have a feeling that the music on Side One was all recorded in one straight session as was the same for Side Two--the separations and song "breaks" thereby being artificially created in the engineering room.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion and a landmark album in the history and evolution of the burgeoning melieu.

SOFT FFOG are a four piece from Norway led by guitarist Tom Hasslan. He is the composer of all the music, and some may now him from his main band KROKOFANT. We have Trond Frones on bass from the band GRAND GENERAL. That album they released is a good reference to the music here, with the guitar led jazzy music on display there. We get keyboardist Vegard Lien Bjerkan who also plays with WIZRD. Same with drummer Axel Skalstad but not only with WIZRD he also drums with KROKOFANT.

And sadly I have to say the late Axel Skalstad as he passed away due to an accident a month shy of his 33rd birthday. This just happened on June 9th and the news has sent shock waves through the Norwegien Jazz community in particular, where Axel was a staple playing with pretty much everyone. I'm not sure if this album is the last he recorded but if it is I can't praise him enough for going out like this. I used to think of him as a John Marshall type who was powerful and more rock sounding than jazz.

But Axel's performance here is nothing short of astonishing. His jazz chops were alive and well my friends on this recording. He's very active but so much touch here. It was from the first listen what stood out to me. The album ends with "Oh Jimi" and after we hear the heaviest part of the album after 9 minutes, it settles to just drums only around 10 minutes in, then silence. You couldn't script that any better. Emotion for me, just hearing Axel, then it's over. It's really over.

I feel that this album is better than their debut. It's interesting the song titles like "Camel", "Pocus", "Focus" and "Oh Jimi", because they all relate to those three artists, with Pocus giving us no doubt to who Focus is. My least favourite track is "Focus" but the keyboard led final three minutes are great. The opener Camel contrasts two themes then the electric piano takes the lead after 5 1/2 minutes with some killer drum work. What a combination! And they run this to the end.

"Pocus" is interesting with those punchy and intricate sounds. I like that the bass has the spotlight for a change. The drumming and guitar are outstanding before 5 minutes to almost the end. Insane drum work to end this song. My favourite though is "Oh Jimi" and not just for the way it ends. I really like the keyboard led parts, and again the drumming is all over this. I like how it trips along before 6 minutes. Guitar leads after 8 minutes before it turns heavy and powerful ending with drums and nothing but.

Better than the debut in my opinion, but you have to wonder if this band will continue in light of Axel's passing.

The wind curls the sea surface, sending wee waves in fine lines up to the horizon, and beyond. Then Icarus starts coming down and vertigo re-writes the whole picture. Am I delirious? No, I'm just listening to this Icaro debut album, and finding it so immersive, that I couldn't resist the image.

The synths are so textured as to send you in that kind of scene, I think, akin to the cover painting. And they do their job with dedication all the playing time, alternating that initial symphonic approach with a jazzy feel, punctuating robbed beats, and occasionally dwelling in tense harmonies.

A beautiful job, if you ask me, but by no means the only part to praise in this music. The electric guitar also does his part, contributing high doses of melodic clarity, complex flavor, and sheer energy when needed.

The drummer begins performing on the rather muscular side of percussive affairs, articulating the proceedings with tasty chops and clever fills. Nevertheless, he seems to know well that duty requires him to go varying pace in order to fit the subtlety of other compositions.

And if the bass clicks nicely round in the versatility displayed by the rythm section all along, he never forgets to deploy strategically scattered clusters of melodic fretless charm.

Being mostly instrumental, the album barely resents the not very inspiring vocal performance thrown in an otherwise enjoyable track (the number 4), and remains a high achievement overall.