Proggy Jazz-Fusion

John Gargo wrote: I used some of my Christmas money to buy Miles Davis' BITCHES-BREW and I love it!  What are some other proggy jazz-fusion albums that I should check out?

Heh, dude, John, what's up? It's Conner from DVD Maniacs...

I'd recommend Weather Report's early stuff. It's basically the logical extension of the whole Bitches Brew concept. Alot of the rhythm stuff (esp. the bass) foreshadows King Crimson's Wetton-era funk improvs damn closely... I think you'd enjoy it.

Picchio Dal Pozzo's self titled

the polish band sbb
gamalon a band from buffalo new york
tasavallan presidentii lambertland

I might be going out on a limb, but Magma's (the group) early stuff, maybe?

meurglysIII wrote: No one is talking about how influential Davis was for Carr, the trumpet player in Nucleus (and band leader, although Jenkins wrote more stuff on the first and second albums). Carr has even collaborated and written books about Davis, so Nucleus is a must!!!

Well I have to admit Nucleus are outside my experience but sounds interesting.....

John, agree with you about Bitches Brew, you might also want to try In A Silent Way by Miles, its predecessor.

Just look at the players on Bitches Brew...John McLaughlin; I endorse kenmeyerjr's view, try the first two Mahavishnu Orchestra albums, Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire; also Weather Report (Joe Zawinul & Wayne Shorter), e.g. Black Market, Heavy Weather (also sometimes featuring Jaco Pastorius, who took electric bass playing to new heights). Also Chick Corea and Herboie Hancock featured on Miles' work though I don't know enough about them to recommend specific albums. Keith Jarrett too but he's definitely stayed in the jazz field though his "Survivors Suite" is experimental and includes, in between the free-form (or tuneless if you're being cynical) jazz, some of the most haunting melodies you'll hear.

Moving away from the Miles Davis theme, worth trying some of Bill Bruford's stuff, especially jazzy is his first album, Feels Good To Me.

Another seminal album that has jazz influences but in truth is hard to categorise is Frank Zappa's Hot Rats, mostly instrumental and thereby allowing FZ to concentrate on the music rather than his humorous if often tasteless lyrics!

As I have mentioned before, don't forget to get the Go live album, as it has Dimeola, Winwood, Klaus Schultz (Tangerine Dream), drummer Michael Shrieve and leader Stomu Yamashta (I think there is also a multi disc that has the two studio albums the live is based on).

I also highly recommend the Mahavishnu Orchestra cds if you like that Miles, as John Mclaughlin (guitarist/leader of MO) plays on many of Miles' fusion cds. Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire are two that come to mind. When I put the Miles I have (and I have a bunch) on with Mahvishnu, they work together seamlessly.

Return to Forever and Weather Report made good albums, but they seem more mainstream to me, and a little more trendy.

In addition to what everyone else has already recommended:

Billy Cobham - Spectrum

Bruford - Feels Good to Me

Bruford - One of a Kind

Gong - Gazeuse

Gong - Expresso II

Al Di Meola - Elegant Gypsy

Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucia - Friday Night in San Francisco

Jerry Goodman & Jan Hammer - Like Children (very rare, but excellent)

Neil Ardley-Kaleidoscope of Rainbows

Get this album, you will not regret it!!! It is one of the best albums I have ever heard, period.

Also, you might want to try the first Nucleus album, Elastic Rock, an excellent release and the best place to start exploring their discography.

Get

Return to Forever- Romantic Warrior

It's amazing. My favorite jazz-fusion album. It's very proggy.