FAT ALBERT ROTUNDA

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.

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