January

DEODATO Prelude (released in January)

Another addition to my list that may surprise many readers but take pause to read that list of musicians contributing to this album: it's a practical Who's Who of Jazz-Rock All-Stars! Plus, the album produced an anomaly in the world-wide Top 5 hit single, "Also Sprach Zarathustra"--a phenomenon that may have changed the course of Jazz music forever!

Prelude was recorded in September of 1972 at Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, produced by Creed Taylor, and then released to the general public by CTI Records in January of 1973.

Lineup / Musicians:
- Eumir Deodato / piano, electric piano
With:
- Ron Carter / electric bass, double bass
- Stanley Clarke / electric bass
- Billy Cobham / drums
- John Tropea / electric guitar
- Jay Berliner / guitar
- Airto Moreira / percussion
- Ray Barretto / congas
- Hubert Laws / flute
Horn Section:
- Trumpets: John Frosk, Marky Markowitz, Joe Shepley, Marvin Stamm
- Trombones: Wayne Andre, Garnett Brown, Paul Faulise, George Strakey / trombone
- French horns: Jim Buffington, Peter Gordon
- Flutes: Phil Bodner, George Marge, Romeo Penque

Strings:
- Violins: Paul Gershman, Emanuel Green, Harry Lookofsky, David Nadien, Gene Orloff, Eliot Rosoff
- Violas: Emanuel Vardi, Al Brown
- Cellos: Harvey Shapiro, Seymore Barab, Charles McKracken

Side A:
1. "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (9:00) a song that changed the course and direction of Jazz music: letting record companies know that a certain kind of jazz could make them money! Listening to the album version of the song lets you know why this album belongs in this Compendium. (20/20)

2. "Spirit of Summer" (4:04) a heavily-cinematic Burt BACHARACH-like display of orchestral magic out of which emerges several very brief individual performances: Eumir's BOB JAMES-like Fender Rhodes, Jay Berliner's classical guitar (which is, in my opinion, a little over the top), and Hubert Laws' tasteful flute. The highlight, however, is truly the orchestra. (8.875/10)

3. "Carly & Carole" (3:38) an obviously-sexist homage to two of the era's premier female singer-songwriters. (8.75/10)

Side B:
4. "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" (5:20) so fitting with all of the Latin jazz-rock that had been flowing through the American airwaves during the previous ten years. Great lead guitar work from John Tropea. (8.875/10)

5. "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" (5:13) despite Billy and Airto's contributions, this is really more of a duet between Stanley and Eumir. The smooth transition into Latin-jazz for the second half is so cool: Ray Barretto's congas and Jay Berliner's rhythm guitar providing so much for Eumir and trumpeter Marvin Stamm to fly over. Another chaotic dismantling to get back to the bass and Fender simplicity of the opening in order for Marvin to complete the cover of Debussey's timeless piece. (9/10)

6. "September 13" (5:24) back to the funk. Love those wah-wahed rhythm guitars. Great melody line from the horn bank 90 seconds in. I love it when Stanley and Billy are in sync and the playful flourishes are flowing. (8.875/10)

Total time: 32:39

91.96 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion and one of my top 25 Favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums from Jazz-Rock Fusion's "Classic Era."

FREDDIE HUBBARD Sky Dive (released in January)

Though Freddie had been collaborating for a couple of years with a group of musicians who dabbled with/ circulated on the fringes of the burgeoning Jazz-Rock "Fusion" scene--including Airto Moreira, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Jack DeJohnette, Hubert Laws, and, to a lesser degree, George Benson. Freddie's attempts at allowing more rock and electric elements into his stage and studio performances seemed hindered by his own allegiance to (and enjoyment of) more recent trends in jazz--like "hard bop" and "cool jazz." One problem was his relative aversion/avoidance to Latin influences like Afro-Cuban rumba and Brazilian bassa nova--two forms of popular jazz that had had huge influence in American music in the 1960s.Well, this album sees Freddie finally getting his foot in the door--thanks in no small part to his employment of Billy Cobham, Airto Moreira, and Ray Barretto--the former two of whom had been students/musicians with Miles and Carlos Santana and Joe Zawinul's Weather Report (Airto), the latter who had crossed over with the likes of Herbie Mann and Edgar Winter. This is the first album of Freddie's that I feel he has finally figured out how to fuse some of rock 'n' roll's innovations into his jazz music. Recorded by Creed Taylor on October 4 & 5, 1972, CTI released the album in January of 1973.

Lineup / Musicians:

- Freddie Hubbard / trumpet

- Ron Carter / bass

- Billy Cobham / drums

- Kieth Jarrett / piano, electric piano

- Airto Moreira / percussion

- Ray Barretto / percussion

- Hubert Laws / flutes [C-flute, alto, bass], all solos

- Wally Kane / bass clarinet, piccolo

- Don Sebesky / conductor, arranger

With:

- Trumpets & Flugelhorns: Alan Rubin, Marvin Stamm

- Trombones: Garnett Brown, Wayne Andre, Paul Faulise [bass trombone]

- Tuba: Tony Price

- Winds: Phil Bodner [alto flute, bass clarinet, piccolo]; George Marge [alto flute, clarinet, bass clarinet]; Romeo Penque [alto flute, clarinet, oboe, English horn]

1. "Povo" (12:33) after an introductory extract from some man's speech the band enters, settling immediately into a somewhat funky laid-back groove for the solos of George Benson, Freddie, Hubert Laws, and Keith Jarrett (electric piano). A very pretty, engaging, and well-constructed grooving piece that I enjoy from start to finish despite its standard format of turn-taking alternating singular solos over the rhythm section. It's a good thing the basic rhythm track is so good. (22.75/25)

2. "In a Mist" (7:04) sounds like an old-time classic jazz piece with small acoustic combo and some side action big band horns. No infusion of rock (or anything else) here. Keith Jarrett's piano sounds to me like Thelonius Monk. I'm really not interested in old-time jazz, just Jazz-Rock Fusion. (12.75/15)

"Naturally" (5:53) (only available on the CD release) opens up sounding like the late-night musings of a band playing for the thinning crowd of mellowing lounge drinkers. Freddie steps it up a notch with the second verse--the rest of the all-acoustic band keeping up. Hubert Laws gets the second solo on one of his flutes, during which the horn section begins to show itself with gentle accents. Guitarist George Benson is next with his jazz guitar (sans vocal mirroring)--for which the horns and winds combine to provide some dreamy, gentle support. I'm not really into this song cuz I'm looking for Jazz-Rock Fusion, not jazz.(8.5/10)

3. "The Godfather (from the Paramount Motion Picture The Godfather)" (7:21) solo trumpet opens this one with a jazzy rendering of the well-known movie theme. Bassist Ron Carter gets the next shot--also tout seul--then pianist Keith Jarrett joins in and Ron steps into the support role as Billy Cobham's soft jazz drums (mostly brush and cymbal work) joins. Freddie returns to the lead as a bank clarinets add their support from the wings, later the horn banks. Keith Jarrett gets a nice solo in the sixth minute. Finishes off with a repeat of the solo trumpet opening. (8.5/10)

4. "Sky Dive" (7:40) a return to the world of electricity with a smooth, Latin-flavored song. Nice solos from Freddie (a really long one!), George Benson, Hubert Laws, and Keith Jarrett (again on electric piano) as well as really nice work from all of the support staff--especially Billy Cobham as well as some really smooth arrangements for horns and winds from Don Sebesky. (13.5/15)

Total time: 34:38

88.46 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very nice jazz album with a couple of fine Jazz-Rock Fusion songs (one funk-lite, the other Latin-lite).

JAZZ Q Pozorovatelna (The Watchtower) (released in 1973, probably in the Spring or Summer)

Pretty unusual and, at times, awesome jazz-rock, jazz-fusion, and sometimes even proggy music from the Czechoslovakian scene in the early 1970s. Pozorovatelna was recorded in Prague at Studio Břevnov on January 29, 1973 and then probably released to the public by Panton Records sometime in the Spring or Summer.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Martin Kratochvíl / organ, piano
- Lubos Andrst / guitar
- Vladimír Padrunek / bass
- Michal Vrbovec / drums
With:
- Joan Duggan / vocals (3)
- Rudolf Chalupský / violin (5)

HERBIE HANCOCK Sextant (released on March 30)

Recorded early in 1973 in San Francisco, Sextant formed under the supervision of David Rubison and Fred Catero et al. at Wally Heider Studios and Patrick Gleeson at Different Fur Studio before being released by Columbia Records on March 30.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Herbie Hancock / Steinway piano, Fender Rhodes, Mellotron, Hohner D6 clavinet, handclaps
With:
- Bennie Maupin / soprano sax, bass clarinet, piccolo, cabasa, kazoo
- Eddie Henderson / trumpet, flugelhorn
- Julian Priester / bass, tenor & alto trombones, cowbell
- Patrick Gleeson / ARP 2600 & Soloist synths
- Buster Williams / electric (with wah-wah & fuzz) & acoustic basses
- Billy Hart / drums
- Buck Clarke / congas, bongos

- Billy Bonner / Fx

February

THE SOFT MACHINE Sixth

Featuring the contributions of yet a third defection from Ian Carr's Nucleus in the personhood of uber-talented Karl Kenkins, the band is now rocking as a quartet with absolutely no vocals. Released in February of 1973, the album's material was recorded in the UK in October, November, and December of 1972 (some of it live in concert settings) for CBS Records. It is the studio material, of course, that I am interested in.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Karl Jenkins / oboe, baritone & soprano saxes, electric & grand piano, celesta
- Mike Ratledge / organ, electric & grand piano, celesta
- Hugh Hopper / bass, sound effects (15)
- John Marshall / drums, percussion

LP 1 - Live Album (41:45)
1. "Fanfare" (0:42)
2. "All white" (4:46)
3. "Between" (2:24)
4. "Riff" (4:36)
5. "37 1/2" (6:51)
6. "Gesolreut" (6:17)
7. "E.P.V." (2:47)
8. "Lefty" (4:56)
9. "Stumble" (1:42)
10. "5 from 13 (for Phil Seamen with love & thanks)" (5:15)
11. "Riff II" (1:20)

LP 2 - Studio Album (34:40)
12. "The soft weed factor "(11:18) Mike Ratledge and Karl Jenkin's minimalist motif on multiple tracks of electric pianos. Nice weave but it's no Phillip Glass or Steve Reich. Bass and drums kick in during the fourth minute, then soprano sax and organ doubling up the melody line over the top. Seems there are nice multiple contributions from each of the band members but the song never really amounts to much besides a jazz-rock weave with the original minimalist tracks--which alone cover the final two minutes. (17.5/20)

13. "Stanley stamps Gibbon album (for B.O.)" (5:58) a more aggressive and sinister motif based once again on a minimalist piano arpeggio turns a little funkier in the second half of the first minute and yet Ratledge's left hand of his piano continues to maintain a short, two-part arpeggi as the song's foundation for the whole of time that Karl Jenkins solos with an heavily-treated/effected soprano sax (three plus minutes)--or is it a celesta keyboard? (8.75/10)

14. "Chloe and the pirates" (9:30) a mild sonic landscape that definitely perpetuates a Canterbury sound and sound over the spacious three minute opening. Karl Jenkins' treated oboe is the lead instrument on this one while Mike maintains a free and frisky support from his seat at the electric piano. John Marshall's drumming is simple but nuanced and supplemented by some conga and other percussion additions while Hugh Hopper's bass is rolling and deep as if perhaps fretless or using extra thick strings. At 6:46 there is a glitch leading into what feels like a loop/repeat of two note electric keyboard riff while the organ rises and performs just beneath the oboe. A "Tomorrow Never Knows"-like reverse track of some instrument also rises to the top, actually ending the song as the lead and only forward sound. Interesting. (17.5/20)

15. "1983" (7:54) nefarious and slightly-bombastic dual pianos and bass play a cinematic motif of suspense while John's heavy ride cymbal play and Hugh's weird "speeded up" bottle-metallophone riff gets repeated to death on top. (13/15)

Total Time: 76:25

With my distrust and aversion to live recordings, I make it a habit to not review live albums, so only LP 2, the studio recordings, earn my attention here.

87.31 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a fairly good though consistently experimental Still, the studio LP of this release feels as if the boys were very curious and somehow satisfied with releasing to the public the results of their curiosities and experimentations with little regard for any kind of "finished song" product.

WEATHER REPORT Sweetnighter (released in April)

Line-up / Musicians:
- Joe Zawinul / piano, electric piano, synth
- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxes
- Miroslav Vitous / electric (3,5) & acoustic (1,2,4) basses
- Eric Gravatt / drums (2,4,6)
- Dom Um Romão / percussion (1,4-6)
With:
- Andrew White / electric bass (1,4,6), English horn (3,5)
- Herschel Dwellingham / drums (1,2,4,6)
- Steve "Muruga" Booker / Moroccan clay drums (1), timpani (2), Israeli jar drum (4)

EDDIE HENDERSON Realization (released in July)

Recorded in the Winter of 1973 (February 27 & 28) a Pat Gleeson's Different Fur studios, this was recorded with Herbie Hancock's sitting Mwandishi Septet before its disbandment. The album was produced by Skip Drinkwater for Capricorn Records and released on July 7, 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Eddie Henderson / trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn
With:
- Bennie Maupin / flutes, saxes, bass clarinet
- Herbie Hancock / Fender Rhodes & Univox electric pianos
- Patrick Gleeson / ARP & Moog synthesizers, organ, producer
- Buster Williams / bass
- Lenny White / drums
- Billy Hart / drums, percussion

March

MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA Birds of Fire

The nearly-universally acclaimed peak of Jazz-Rock Fusion, the Orchestra's second studio album. The band was still fresh, still inspired, not yet road-weary and spiritually exhausted by Mahavishnu John's uncompromising rule and order. The album was recorded in August of 1972 in sessions at CBS Studios in New York City and Trident Studios in London, England, and then released by Columbia Records on March 26, 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:
- John McLaughlin / guitars
- Jan Hammer / piano, Fender Rhodes, Moog synthesizer
- Jerry Goodman / violin
- Rick Laird / bass
- Billy Cobham / drums, cymbals, percussion

1. "Birds of Fire" (5:41) gongs and tightly fingered guitar and keyboard arpeggi open this, a two-chord major/minor flow, over which the virtuosi take turns expressing their pent-up energies with pyroclastic displays--John McLaughlin taking up more of that solo time than the others. Sometimes it's the instrumental play of the artists on "standby" that impress as much as the front-and-center man, but it's always the multi-player mirrored solos, like the fifth minute here, that impress the most. (9.25/10)

2. "Miles Beyond" (Miles Davis) (4:39) bluesy-jazz from Jan Hammer's keys open this one before the funk bass and drums join in. Jerry Goodman and the Mahavishnu take the first turn at expressing (Mile's) melody line before a stripped-down gap of Fender Rhodes support allows Goodman an odd pizzicato violin solo. Ramping back up into full-band repetition of the six-chord progression, John and Jerry take turns unleashing their demons--performing at the end in tandem. Not my favorite song melodically but the musicianship cannot help but impress. (8.75/10)

3. "Celestial Terrestrial Commuters" (2:53) The drumming and keys are so tight but this is one of Rick Laird's more impressive displays. It is remarkable that Jan Hammer can maintain the rhythmic support on the Fender Rhodes while also joining in on the triple-enunciation runs of such fast, fluid lines with the guitar and violin. (9/10)

4. "Sapphire Bullets of Pure Love" (0:22) a sudden cacophony of electric sounds produced by all of the musicians flailing away at once.

5. "Thousand Island Park" (3:19) opening with a Baroque-classical feeling--played on all-acoustic instruments! Rick's loud double bass being the only offset to the tight weave between piano, steel-string acoustic guitar, and violin. Feels very much like the inspiration for RTF's "Medieval Overture." Nice! (9.25/10)

6. "Hope" (1:55) a cool, tension-filled piece that is brief but very powerful; like an antithesis to the album's final song, "Resolution." This song could/should have been expanded into something bigger. (5/5)

7. "One Word" (9:54) Billy Cobham's amazing drumming open this one before the band join in with a couple ominous deep chord progressions. Things quiet down at the end of the first minute, but then what sounds like a freight train barreling out from behind a desert mountain comes speeding at us before arriving to settle into a DEODATO/WHO-like funk rhythm pattern within which Rick Laird gets the first solo. I love the way the rest of the virtuosi support with wild flourishes of their pent up energy, all the while Billy (and amazing rhythm guitar) just keeps the train rolling along at top open-road speed. When Rick falls back into the rhythm flow, his lines are as flawlessly impressive as Billy's. In the meantime Jan, Jerry, and John take turns spitting out quick licks from their instruments until at 5:50 they can no longer abide by the turn-taking rule. But then Billy jumps in to stop them as he launches into a solo that just gets jaw-droppingly more and more complex as it goes on. After two minutes Jan and the others try to push back into the mix but only after the third minute is over does Billy finally lets the others back in. From there it is four person sprint to the end. Who won this one? I have to give it to Billy. (19.5/20)

8. "Sanctuary" (5:01) a serene yet surprisingly-disturbing song to follow the frantic pace of the previous ten minutes. Great slow-developing melodies over Billy's punctuating drumming and a some awesome Minimoog play from Jan Hammer. Feels unresolved at the end: remitting and surrendering. (9.5/10)

9. "Open Country Joy" (3:52) opens like some happy-go-lucky song coming out of a Grateful Dead jam--from one of their good trips. Violinist Jerry Goodman is particularly central to the "country" melody in the opening minute, but then there is this terribly confusing, long pause, out of which the full band bursts with unbound passion and energy, flying through their solos (and collective bridges) with unheard-of speeds. At 2:40 we slow down and once again fall into that devil-may-care "Afternoon Delight" space. Very interesting song. (9/10)

10. "Resolution" (2:08) One of my all-time favorite Mahavishnu songs, I know it's just a continuous chord progression over which John, Jerry, and Jan climb chord by chord to the top of their scales, but it's so beautiful: an étude we would all love to have recorded. (5/5)

Total Time 39:44

It took me a long time to really like the funk-oriented or screaming guitar work of early jazz fusion artist John McLaughlin. His sound, his speed and emotion awed me, but I never found myself really liking it--until the sound smoothed out in the collaboration with Carlos Santana, when Stanley and Al joined RTF, when Jean-Luc and Narada Michael Walden came to join the later incarnation of Mahavishnu Orchestra. Again, I attribute this phenomenon to my untrained ears--I was too young and inexperience to be able to take in all of the notes--"too many notes" the Emperor says in Amadeus. Well, as a thirteen and fourteen year old, I definitely had the mushy, malleable brain and sensibilities of Emperor Joseph II. "There are just so many notes that the human ear can tolerate in the course of one sitting" (paraphrased and adapted to this particular situation). Now as I listen to this music I am awed but at the same time I am enjoying the music, the collaborative, instinctual journeys each musician is prodded and provoked to explore due to their companions' virtuosic daring. At the same time, there are some songs on the album that are not up to the standards of quality sound recording that I've come accustomed to--especially with regards to the keyboards and guitar (or perhaps it's just over use of distortion). The highlights for me are not when the individual musicians are trading machine gun insults but when the whole band are working a melody/riff together. As Inner Mounting Flame announced the arrival of a new form of music, Birds of Fire showed resoundingly that this music was real, was not going away, while also perfecting it, thus making it a masterpiece of jazz fusion and one of its shining representatives to the world of progressive rock music.

93.61111 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a shining masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion--one that fully expresses the many variables and influences available to J-R Fuse artists. Not only a landmark album for the sub-genre but probably one of THE most influential albums of any genre on future music and musicians. For me this is definitely a Top 20 Jazz-Rock Fusion from the "Classic Era," however, it is not an album that earns a place in my list of "Top 20 Favorites.

CARLOS SANTANA and MAHAVISHNU JOHN McLAUGHLIN Love Devotion Surrender

In 1973 received this album in the mail as the Columbia Record Club's "Record of the Month." I'd heard Santana's hits--even the long versions on our local album-oriented FM station, WABX--and I was already a big fan of Latin rhythms due to my dad's joyful obsession with Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass and Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66. but I was not, by any means, prepared for what Love Devotion Surrender unleashed. (At this point in my life [in 1973 I was turning 15] I'd never even heard of John Coltrane much less heard any of his music.) Even when I saw John McLaughlin with his Mahavishnu Orchestra on Don Kirshner's late night television show, Rock Concert, doing things on his double-neck electric guitar that I didn't understand I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. I think this is why this album didn't quite click with me for a while. I listened to it--a lot. (I didn't own many albums at this time--though I had what I thought was a pretty impressive collection of Soul/R&B 45s). I always thought that I was listening to two guitarists of two completely different levels of competency. I didn't know Coltrane or his works and had only begun to know some jazz and fusion but had found an implicit love for the guitar, guitarists, and their solos (Jeff Beck mostly). So I stuck with it.

After the 70s, the album pretty much fell off my radar. Until a few years ago, I don't think I'd heard it in over 30 years. Now I listen to it with a sense of awe and wonder that makes me feel young again. I feel so fortunate that we have this testament to the genius and inspiration of all of these masters in their peak years. Larry Young. Dougie Rauch. (Both taken from us far too soon--and both among my very favorite instrumentalists from the 1970s.) Billy Cobham. Don Alias. Michael Shrieve. Mingo Lewis. Jan Hammer.
Now I find myself listening to it multiple times per month. It is, to my mind, to my heart, one of the peak achievements in jazz-rock fusion collaborations. Yes, I wish I had more control of the sound mix (I want so badly to listen to JUST Dougie Rauch and JUST Larry Young and JUST Billy Cobham), but I just feel so fortunate to have it all that I won't complain. For people in the know, Larry Young's organ play magically provided a bridge between the two guitarists and their individual styles (as he'd done so magically between Tony Williams and John McLaughlin on the landmark 1969 Emergency! album) with Larry's two hands somehow representing each one of the leaders. But this is difficult for the unschooled, ignorant listener to pick up due partly to the often poor mix of the individual instrumentalists.

In response to the criticism of the album's music selection, regurgitation of already been done songs and themes, one- and two-chord song structures, and "faux" or "fad" spiritualism, I can only say that there is definitely something so much bigger being expressed here than composition and : there is virtuosity feeding virtuosity to higher heights, there is what feels to me like genuine expression of genuine feeling, genuinely ecstatic joy, whether its origin be of spiritual nature, drug or alcohol use, or sleep deprivation, interpersonal respect, I don't care: I cannot help but repeat how fortunate we are to have these sessions documented and preserved. It is proof of the historic meeting and melding of two tsunamic forces of nature in the forms of Santana's Caravanserai lineup and the near-to-break up first Incarnation of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. The boys are having so much fun!

As a final aside, I recall that this album--and my admiration for both John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana--even prompted a visit to Sri Chimnoy's vegan restaurant in Haight Ashbury the first time I ever visited San Francisco. Call that a ripple effect!

The material that ended up making the album was reputedly recorded in two sessions, occurring six months apart, in October of 1972 and March of 1973. I've yet to uncover any reasoning for this possibilty; was one of the sessions to put together the stripped down, acoustic songs as filler to complete a 36-minute long album? Or did John and Carlos have occasion for an intimate mano-à-mano session for the two of them that produced a song or two? Or were ideas explored in October that were then tested and re-formulated on the road and then realized in the March session(s)? Or was the March session for overdubs? It is well recorded that the discordant Mahavishnu Orchestra was more-or-less going through the motions from their Spring sessions at Trident Studios until their final concert performance on December 30; perhaps that would explain the absence of violinist Jerry Goodman and bassist Rick Laird in the Love Devotion Surrender sessions (this inferred from the "two bands combined" references from explanations and reviews of the lineup of musicians on this album). Interesting that Santana was also going through a rather dramatic lineup shift at this time: with organist/singer Gregg Rollie and guitarist Neal Schon peeling off to form a studio sessions band in the Bay Area (which very shortly became Journey). And how did Larry Young get involved? (He was part of neither band, prior or subsequent to the making of LDS.)

HERBIE HANCOCK Sextant (released on March 30)

Recorded early in 1973 in San Francisco, Sextant formed under the supervision of David Rubison and Fred Catero et al. at Wally Heider Studios and Patrick Gleeson at Different Fur Studio before being released by Columbia Records on March 30.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Billy Bonner / Fx

1. "Rain Dance" (9:18) lots of experimental sounds here (mostly synthesizer generated). Drums and bass are probably the two most prominent and loyal to their acoustic origins than any other instrument here. As a matter of fact, there is very little input from the horn players on this one. Interesting for the fact that it previews the later world of computer sounds and sequencers but not really a song that I enjoy or wish to hear repeatedly. On the outlying edges of what I'd call music. (17/20)

2. "Hidden Shadows" (10:12) funky with quite a variety of keyboards under Herbie's hand (including Mellotron!), there is quite a bit more dynamic range in this sonic presentation of this song than that of the previous Mwandishi albums. (18/20)

3. Hornets (19:31) I wouldn't doubt that this song was the inspiration for the famous SNL "Killer Bees" sketches a year or two later, as trumpet, clavinet, kazoo, ARP, percussion, and other crazed sounds coming from Bennie Maupin all contribute to a serious attempt to reproduce the chaotic busy-ness of the eusocial wasps known as "hornets." Crazy yet brilliant, chaotic yet so disciplined and focused. Just like hornets. Though Herbie and Billy Hart make a strong play for the title, Bennie Maupin, however, is by far the craziest hornet of them all. Entertaining and fun/funny, historically important, but not really a song that draws me back. (I wonder if the band were able to replicate this song live, in concert.) (34.5/40)

Total Time 39:02

The band is loose and funked up, maybe having more fun now that they're all so comfortable with each other, and with Herbie really going out there with his experimentations into electronic keyboards and sounds but, on the other end, there seems to be less attention to quality sound engineering on this album than on Mwandishi and Crossings.

86.875 on the Fishscales = B; four star; a solid piece of progressive rock music from the domain of experimental jazz-rock fusion--where it may be deserving of more acclaim and accolades.

April

LONNIE LISTON SMITH & The Cosmic Echoes Astral Traveling (released in July)

Fresh out of his rotating apprenticeships with Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri, and Stanley Turrentine (after cutting his milk teeth with Betty Carter, Roland Kirk, and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers), when Lonnie expressed his desire to create his own band and project, Bob Thiele was quick to pick him up for his own Flying Dutchman Record company. On this July 1973 release the keyboard master Lonnie Liston Smith nominates himself as one of the all-time kings of serious jazz-musicians who turned almost exclusively toward the creation of absolutely beautiful, positive, stress-reducing mood music. The album was recorded on April 24 of 1973--in one day--at Bob Thiele's own studios in New York City.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Lonnie Liston Smith / piano, electric piano [Fender Rhodes]

- Cecil McBee / bass

- James Mtume / congas, percussion

- Sonny Morgan / congas, percussion

- David Lee, Jr. / drums

- Joe Beck / guitar

- George Barron / saxophones [alto & tenor]

- Badal Roy / tabla

- Geeta Vashi / tambura

WEATHER REPORT Sweetnighter

Joe and Wayne's third outing as "Weather Report" may be my favorite album of theirs as I really enjoy the textural approach to song-building over which the soloists are then given expansive room to experiment. This one was recorded at Connecticut Recording Studios on February 3-7, 1973 and then released by Columbia Records on April 27.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Joe Zawinul / piano, electric piano, synth
- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxes
- Miroslav Vitous / electric (3, 5) & acoustic (1, 2, 4) basses
- Eric Gravatt / drums (2, 4, 6)
- Dom Um Romão / percussion (1, 4-6)
With:
- Andrew White / electric bass (1, 4, 6), English horn (3, 5)
- Herschel Dwellingham / drums (1, 2, 4, 6)
- Steve "Muruga" Booker / Moroccan clay drums (1), timpani (2), Israeli jar drum (4)

1. "Boogie Woogie Waltz" (13:03) R&B infusing Afto-Caribbean rhythm. I like the loose, airy feel of this: a "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone"-like song that feels as if the musicians are adding their contributions in small doses, not constantly or into an already-established weave (other than the percussion play). Also, I see/feel this as a response to Deodato's "Also Sprach Zarathustra." Amazing how consistent is the restraint shown by the four core members: bassist Miroslav Vitous, keyboardist Joe Zawinul, soprano sax player Wayne Shorter, as well as Andrew White's electric bass guitar. Might be a stretch too long, but . . . (23/25)

2. "Manolete" (5:55) a very pleasant Wayne-Shorter soprano sax-led song that shows off some wonderful experimental wah-volume-controlled electric piano play by Joe Zawinul along with some great double bass and percussion play from supplemental percussionists Herschel Dwellingham on drums and Steve "Muruga" Booker on timpani. (9.25/10)

3. "Adios" (2:59) wind-chime-like hand percussives and serene keyboard washes provide the backdrop for Joe and Wayne to issue some very relaxing waves of their own. Nice tune. (9/10)

4. "125th Street Congress" (12:13) based on a free-form funk bass "line" that, for me, seems to preview all of the rap and hip-hop for the next 15 years. Another weave from the percussion section (and two drummers) is surprisingly open and spacious, creating the perfect groove for Miroslav and Wayne to create their magic while at the same time allowing for lots of room for meditation--at least until the fifth minute when Joe chimes in with some rather abrasive and aggressive keyboard "noise." This soon disappears, leaving the groovy percussive groove for Miroslav and Wayne to feed off. Joe's next reentries are a little less alarming and usually a little more reflective of the work that Wayne is doing though for a time becoming part of (or bouncing off of) the "percussion" weave. A very engaging and eminently entertaining song. (22.5/25)

5. "Will" (6:20) a textural weave of percussives, both hand and cymbal play, coupled with Joe Zawinul's steady chord arpeggi of wah-effected electric piano provide the steady foundation for Miroslav and Wayne to play with the presentation of their own inputs: one short bursts of creative bass chords, the other long-held sedating breaths of soprano saxophone. Very hypnotic. (9/10)

6. "Non-stop Home" (3:52) another amorphous exploration of texture built with experimental sounds over the tight drumming of Eric Gravatt. After 80 seconds, Andrew White's deep electric bass, a second drummer, and an uncredited organ accompany the main melody as delivered through Wayne's sonorous (background) soprano sax notes and Joe's electric piano. Interesting. I like it. It's like a sort of étude. (9.25/10)

Total time 44:22

As I gert to know the world and music of Joe Zawinul and Wayne Shorter I'm coming to believe that their vision is to explore textures more than form--to see how many permutations and combinations of textures they can come up with that will calm and/or soothe the audience/listener into contentment.

91.111 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion--one that explores the gentler, more hypnotic groovin' side of said fusion. This may, in fact, be my favorite Weather Report album!

May

BILLY COBHAM Spectrum (released in October)

The Panama-born drumming phenom's first foray as a solo artist/bandleader. Impressive albeit dense jazz fusion by an extremely gifted, energetic drummer and his studio hires, I never heard this album in its heyday but had to wait till seeing all of the acclaim here on ProgArchives to discover it. Again, the performances are impressive--and polished--much moreso than the Mahavishnu stuff that came before it--BUT there is not a lot of engaging meat or melody here--not a lot of "fat" to this meaty collection of songs. The few songs I return to are more as a reminder of how much growth Billy Cobham did from his 1970 stint with his original band, New York, to here. The dude must have worked his fat off! The subtleties and nuances expressed herein by Mr. Cobham's virtuosic playing are truly astonishing, I just like a little more melody to keep me engaged. Plus, I'm not really much of a fan of Mr. Hammer's style or sound palette. (Also, I think I was always a bit turned off by his one-handed approach--something he may have perfected in order to promote his mobile keyboard play; left hand/bass clef play is often what really draws me into a keyboard player's style.) nor of Mr. Bolin or Mr. Tropea's guitar tone selections and styles. With horn, keys, and some guitar soli trying to attract and keep the listeners attention, it seems that I always fall into listening to the mesmerizing playing of Mr. C. Plus, his drums are recorded so well: every sound and nuance captured so clearly and balanced. Recorded in New York City at Electric Lady Studios on May 14-16 of 1973, the album was produced by Billy, himself, and then released by Atlantic Records on October 1.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Billy Cobham / percussion, Moog synth drum (4, 6b), producer
With
- Tommy Bolin / guitar
- John Tropea / guitar (5b)
- Jan Hammer / electric & acoustic piano, Moog synthesizer
- Joe Farrell / flute (2b), soprano (2b) & alto (5b) saxophones
- Jimmy Owens / flugelhorn (2b, 5b), trumpet (5b)
- Lee Sklar / Fender bass
- Ron Carter / acoustic bass (2b, 5b)

- Ray Barretto / congas (2b, 5b)

June

SANTANA Welcome (released in November)

After Buddy Miles Live! After Caravanserai. After Love Devotion Surrender (with John McLaughlin and the remnants his now-fractured first lineup of The Mahavishnu Orchestra). This album came before Illuminations (with Alice Coltrane), and before the three-disc live album, Lotus. This is Santana mid-jazz-rock fusion, the fusion lineup at its very best, but trying to orient themselves a little more toward radio-friendly songs. I'm shocked that this album did not spawn three or four radio hits. Recorded during several sessions in 1973 (from April to June) in CBS studios, it was released by Columbia Records on November 9, 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Leon Thomas / vocals (2, 4, 7), whistling (5)
- Carlos Santana / electric & acoustic (2) guitars, bass & kalimba (6), percussion (1, 7), vocals (2)
- Tom Coster / Hammond (2, 4, 5) & Yamaha (1, 4, 6, 8) organs, electric (3, 7) & acoustic (6, 8, 9) pianos, percussion (3), marimba (6), string co-arranger (7)
- Richard Kermode / Hammond (1, 3, 8), electric (2, 4-7, 9) & acoustic (5) pianos, Mellotron (1), percussion (3), marimba (4), shekere (4, 6)
- Doug Rauch / bass
- Michael Shrieve / drums
- Jose 'Chepito' Areas / timbales (2, 3, 6, 7), congas (3), percussion (3, 9)
- Armando Peraza / percussion (1, 3, 9), congas (2, 4-8), bongos (4), cabasa (5)
With:
- Flora Purim / lead vocals (5)
- Wendy Haas / vocals (2, 4)
- John McLaughlin / guitar (8)
- Douglas Rodriguez / rhythm guitar (4)
- Joe Farrell / flute solo (4)
- Bob Yance / flute (4, 5)
- Mel Martin / flute (4, 5)
- Jules Broussard / soprano saxophone (6)
- Tony Smith / drums (3)
- Alice Coltrane / arranger (1)
- Greg Adams / strings co-arranger, orchestrator & conductor (7)

JAZZ Q Pozorovatelna (The Watchtower)

Pretty unusual and, at times, awesome jazz-rock, jazz-fusion, and sometimes even proggy music from the Czechoslovakian scene in the early 1970s. Pozorovatelna was recorded in Prague at Studio Břevnov on January 29, 1973 and then probably released to the public by Panton Records sometime in the Spring or Summer.

A1. "Pori 72" (13:00) a four-part suite of mostly slow, spacious, tension-filled KING CRIMSON-like bass and drum interplay with pensive electric piano and electric guitar intermittently adding some chords or notes. I really love the creativity of bass player Vladimír Padrunek. Just after the start of the third movement, one that is much more active and dynamic, if rock-oriented--around the five minute mark--Lubos Andrst begins a guitar solo that is right in league with any of the wildest eruptions that John McLaughlin ever did in the previous three years! Martin Krtochvíl even gets into the frenzy with his Fender Rhodes while the rhythm section creates a kind of SANTANA "Waves Within" (from Caravanserai)-like foundation beneath. And then in the second half of the fourth movement he does it again, this time with some more latest-greatest effects on his electric guitar--this time the sound that Robert Fripp on "Book of Saturdays." Outstanding: both of Lubos' solos. Overall, this is a very unusual, intriguing, and definitely interesting song--one that I like very much. (24.5/25)

A2. "Pozorovatelna (The Watch-Tower)" (6:45) the first half is jazz-fusion of the bluesy type, Martin Kratochvíl's Fender Rhodes often bending the sound toward the contemporary J-RF direction but then riffing off some bluesy runs to make one question that commitment. Guitarist Lubos Andrst's guitar play (and tone) on this one is definitely all blues-rock/blues. I like the chunky bass: it reminds me of someone playing underwater. (13.125/15)

B1. "Trifid" (9:20) an intriguing start that seems to offer tons of potential, but then the bluesy solos begin and with it the rather simple foundational play continues, making me sad for the missed opportunity. The long electric guitar solo sixth and seventh minutes sounds a lot like the work BUDDY GUY (which is not a bad thing, just not your usual J-R Fuse finding). Then, out of the blue, at the 7:11 mark, the singing voice of a woman comes into the picture telling us that she loves [somebody] so in a very polished, seasoned alto voice. Wow! Weird! Especially when she starts to go into her own Clare Torey "Great Gig in the Sky" vocalese. Not a bad song just an odd mish-mash of seemingly disparate parts and missed opportunities. (17.5/20)

B2. "Klobásové Hody (Sausage Feast)" (5:38) opens as a slow, plodding MILES/HERBIE-like spacious adventure into space with chunky bass and spacey reverb-treated Fender Rhodes being the most conspicuous instruments in the field. Midway through the song (at 2:35) the music turns raunchy raw R&Blues rock just like JEFF BECK's with rolling bass line, two-step drum beat, and loud, in-your-face blues-rock guitar play--sounding like a reworking of "Freeway Jam" (a song that wouldn't be coming out to the public for another couple of years. (8.75/10)

B3. "Kartágo (Carthage)" (4:28) the presence of plaintive violin in the background of this slow, background cinematic music is pretty cool as I keep expecting the appearance of a Max Schrek-like vampire from behind the shadows. Martin's Fender Rhodes takes over the lead in the second half of the song, feeling as if channeling his own improvisational internal world, playing as if almost introspectively. Very cool song. My second favorite song on the album. (9.25/10)

Total Time 39:11

Very nice rendering of the individual instruments (though, admittedly, the field is rather sparse with usually only four or five tracks being occupied) though I am not always a fan of the sounds the band and its musicians (and producer and engineers) have chosen for the instruments. The first and last songs are huge winners (I am choosing, as usual, to review only the songs that were released on the 1973 vinyl album release

91.41 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of what amounts, at times, to creative, adventurous Jazz-Rock Fusion, at others more Blues-Rock or R&Blues-Rock music. Definitely a wonderfully intriguing listening experience!

Michał URBANIAK Fusion
(released in February of 1974)

Polish expat Michał Urbaniak and his wife Urszula Dudziak immigrated to New York in September of 1973, three months after their Constellations band recorded their first album under their new contract with CBS. In more recent interviews, Michał and Ulla both recall their decision to come to the United States as a permanent move--saying that they fully intended on becoming US citizens from the start. The release of this album, Fusion, in February of 1974, may have been Columbia Records' way of celebrating the arrival and commitment made by their new-found power couple as the album is for all intents and purposes, a veritable re-packaging and re-release of that same studio LP from the previous year. Same songs (same exact recordings extracted from the same master tapes made in Germany). Same song order. Same everything.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Michał Urbaniak / electric violin, violectra, soprano sax
- Urszula Dudziak / voice, percussion
- Adam Makowicz / keyboards
- Wojciech Karolak / Hammond organ, Farfisa
- Czesław Bartkowski / drums, Paiste cymbals

JOHN LEE & GERRY BROWN Infinite Jones

Release by Keytone Records either late in 1973 or very early in 1974, the Chris Hinze-produced album was recorded at Dureco Studio in Weesp, Netherlands, on June 23 & 24 in 1973 and then later re-released as Bamboo Madness in 1994.

Lineup / Musicians:

- John Lee / electric bass

- Gerry Brown / drums

- Gary Bartz / saxophones [alto & soprano], slide whistle, percussion

- Chris Hinze / flutes [alto, bass, piccolo, bamboo], producer

- Howard King / percussion

- Henny Vonk / vocals, percussion

With:

- Jasper Van't Hof / electric piano, organ (1, 2)

- Rob Van Den Broeck / piano, electric piano (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7)

- Hubert Eaves / percussion, piano, electric piano (1, 2. 4. 5, 7)

- Wim Stolwijk / piano, voice (6)

CARLOS SANTANA and MAHAVISHNU JOHN McLAUGHLIN Love Devotion Surrender

Released on June 22, 1973, I received this album in the mail as the Columbia Record Club's "Record of the Month." I'd heard Santana's hits--even the long versions on our local album-oriented FM station, WABX--and I was already a big fan of Latin rhythms due to my dad's joyful obsession with Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass and Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66. but I was not, by any means, prepared for what Love Devotion Surrender unleashed. (At this point in my life [in 1973 I was turning 15] I'd never even heard of John Coltrane much less heard any of his music.) Even when I saw John McLaughlin with his Mahavishnu Orchestra on Don Kirshner's late night television show, Rock Concert, doing things on his double-neck electric guitar that I didn't understand I couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. I think this is why this album didn't quite click with me for a while. I listened to it--a lot. (I didn't own many albums at this time--though I had what I thought was a pretty impressive collection of Soul/R&B 45s). I always thought that I was listening to two guitarists of two completely different levels of competency. I didn't know Coltrane or his works and had only begun to know some jazz and fusion but had found an implicit love for the guitar, guitarists, and their solos (Jeff Beck mostly). So I stuck with it.

The album was reputedly recorded in two sessions, occurring six months apart, in October of 1972 and March of 1973. I've yet to uncover any reasoning for this possibilty; was one of the sessions to put together the stripped down, acoustic songs as filler to complete a 36-minute long album? Or did John and Carlos have occasion for an intimate mano-à-mano session for the two of them that produced a song or two? Or were ideas explored in October that were then tested and re-formulated on the road and then realized in the March session(s)? Or was the March session for overdubs? It is well recorded that the discordant Mahavishnu Orchestra was more-or-less going through the motions from their Spring sessions at Trident Studios until their final concert performance on December 30; perhaps that would explain the absence of violinist Jerry Goodman and bassist Rick Laird in the Love Devotion Surrender sessions (this inferred from the "two bands combined" references from explanations and reviews of the lineup of musicians on this album). Interesting that Santana was also going through a rather dramatic lineup shift at this time: with organist/singer Gregg Rollie and guitarist Neal Schon peeling off to form a studio sessions band in the Bay Area (which very shortly became Journey). And how did Larry Young get involved? (He was part of neither band, prior or subsequent to the making of LDS.)

Line-up / Musicians:
- Carlos Santana / acoustic & electric guitars
- John McLaughlin / acoustic & electric guitars, piano
With:
- Khalid Yasim (Larry Young) / organ
- Doug Rauch / bass
- Billy Cobham / drums
- Don Alias / drums, percussion
- Jan Hammer / drums
- Michael Shrieve / drums
- Armando Peraza / congas
- James Mingo Lewis / percussion (unconfirmed)

1. "A Love Supreme" (7:48) a masterful condensed rendition of the Coltrane classic that does a great job of capturing the essence of the original while being elevated and celebrated by these two spiritually-infused guitarists. The opening alone does an amazing job of announcing what the listener is in for: not your typical Santana album! Organist Khalid Yasim (formerly known as "Larry Young") gets the honor of playing a little while the expanded band takes their time gelling and grooving. Then it's off to the races as John and Carlos take turns of about 10-to-20 seconds each in a noncompetitive duel of ascendent transcendence. The choral chant of the title begins in the sixth minute while Khalid gets another chance to show off his amazing skills. (14/15)

2. "Naima" (3:09) acoustic guitar duets don't get much more beautiful than this. Beautiful respite between the two bookends of Side One. (9.25/10)

3. "The Life Devine" (9:30) the drumming and percussion play on this one is alone worth the price of admission, but then you get John and Carlos--and Larry! and Armando and Mingo--and "the note"! (at the end of the fourth minute). The best engineered (though still lacking) and most fully-invested feeling song of the album. The band was obviously warmed up by this point--and the soloists on firing on all cylinders. (19.5/20)

4. "Let Us Go into the House of the Lord" (15:45) John's domination of the song's first four-minutes is a bit excessive (and selfish?) but he was probably just in "the zone." After this, the song just really kicks in with everybody just smooth-groovin' beneath and with Carlos--until the second half of the sixth minute when Khalid, Billy, Shrieve, and the percussionists start to play. When John re-takes the lead at the end of the seventh minute it is tasteful and only to open the way for Khalid to take off. What a solo! (Too bad his volume is mixed beneath that of the percussion and guitarists playing rhythm chords.) With all that Afro-Latin rhythm around him he probably couldn't help being inspired. It's not until well into the 12th minute that the two guitarists start "duelling" i.e. playing off one another--both displaying incredible moments of tenderness and melodic beauty in their still-fiery play. I really like the extended/prolonged ending. Not the best song on the album--nor the best sound engineering--but still a treasure for capturing these two at this particularly numinous point in both of their lives. (28/30)

5. "Meditation" (2:45) John on gentle piano chord play while Carlos expresses his profound inspiration and gratitude with a steel-string acoustic guitar. I simply can't find a flaw with this one--nor a reason to devalue it as less than a full, completed song composition. (10/10)

Total Time 38:57

I love the beautiful two acoustic pieces--especially John's "Meditation"--and "Let Us Go Into The House of The Lord" may just be my favorite jazz-fusion jam of all-time. And give me those Santana conga and bass lines all day long! I feed off of them!

95.0 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; I have absolutely no reservations about proclaiming this album, flawed as it may be (one-and two-chord based jams), a masterpiece of progressive rock music and a pinnacle and landmark of the jazz-rock fusion "movement."

LARRY YOUNG Lawrence of Newark

Larry's first album as a band leader since he went off to work with Tony Williams and John McLaughlin--and his first album away from Blue Note!--and it's good one: he obviously had a lot of ideas to get out of his system. The album was recorded at Manhattan's Blue Rock Studio sometime in 1973 and then released by Perception Records in June of 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Larry Young / Hammond organ, bongos, vocals, composer & producer
With:
- James Blood Ulmer / guitar
- Art Gore / drums, electric piano
- Cedric Lawson / electric piano
- Dennis Mourouse / saxophone
- Pharoah Sanders / saxophone, vocals
- Charles Magee / electric trumpet
- Diedre Johnson / cello
- Don Pate / bass
- Juini Booth / bass
- Abdoul Hakim / bongos
- Stacey Edwards / congas
- Umar Abdul Muizz / congas
- Abdul Shahid / drums
- Howard King / drums
- James Flores / drums
- Armen Halburian / congas, bells, percussion
- Jumma Santos / congas, bell, tom tom, tambourine, hi-hat, whistle
- Poppy La Boy / percussion

1. "Saudia" (4:30) a song that opens up with shadows of the music Larry heard and participated in while working with Tony Williams and John McLaughlin for the 1969 album, Emergency! There's some real regal beauty in this rather simple, laid-back arrangement (even though Larry's initial Hammond work sounds a bit like the Sunday church organist). Still, there are at least two drummers operating (rather quietly) as well as any number of percussionists. It's the saxophones that are missing. (James Blood Ulmer's guitar work is very odd: mixed high but fairly inactive). The bass line is rather simple. (9/10)

2. "Alive" (2:00) two (or three) drummers and multiple percussionists lay down some vicious rhythm over which Larry issues forth some fairly-sedate, nearly-church organ. (4.5/5)

3. "Hello Your Quietness (Islands)" (10:17) is this where Freddie Hubbard got "Little Sunflower"? There's definitely a lot of the SANTANA effect going on on this album. The craziness of the multiple woodwinds, cello, and, of course, Hammond organ, are matched and balanced out by the calm serenity offered from the expansive rhythm section. Amazing balance! And there's even tons of melody! (18.75/20)

4. "Sunshine Fly Away" (8:50) a very solid and well-balanced opening groove immediately established from the drums, percussionists, and bass. The woodwinds and cello here are surprisingly supportive, laying back in the background, so Larry can have the spotlight all to himself. Starting around 2:00 a tenor sax starts to wiggle his way to the front. The melodies are fairly consistent--even when Larry is expressing a new one beneath Dennis Mourouse's lead. The two leads get a little crazy with their play while everybody beneath just remains calm and in control. This seems as if it would be quite a feat! The crazy sounds Larry is getting out of his Hammond are at times quite abrasive and spacey. All the while the sax settles down, occasionally going off on some tangent, until the rhythmatists back off and leave the bass and cello player quite on their own. The song fades out while Diedre is finishing her solo. (18/20)

5. "Khalid of Space, Part Two (Welcome)" (12:41) a complicated multi-themed rhythm track tries to establish itself straight out of the blocks, but the cacophony of 30 infantile monkeys all screaming for attention at once rather distracts (detracts?) from the rhythm fusing into something whole and "finished." The ensuing solos are all great--even over the rather annoying downbeat honks in eighth minute; it just feels as if all of these guys--especially those working out of or above the rhythm section--are having a great time. Too bad that rhythm track never got tweaked into perfection: it's as if they were trying to be funky but were side-tracked by their bass player(s) obsession with two note bursts. Man, Dierdre Johnson can play a mean cello! (22.5/25)

Total Time 38:18

Obviously, Larry hung around with a different crowd of musicians than his NewYork City compatriots with whom he worked in the late 60s. Other than James Blood Ulmer and Pharoah Sanders, I'd never heard of any of these collaborators, but I appreciate how easily and willingly they seem to work together. A great album that would be very fun to have watched live. Also, has anyone played a more dynamic Hammond than Larry? If so, I'd love to have the reference.

90.9375 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion--one that mixes the rhythmic flow of Santana with the crazed experimentation of Sun Ra and Ornette Coleman.

July

EDDIE HENDERSON Realization

Recorded in the Winter of 1973 (February 27 & 28) a Pat Gleeson's Different Fur studios, this was recorded with Herbie Hancock's sitting Mwandishi Septet before its disbandment. The album was produced by Skip Drinkwater for Capricorn Records and released on July 7, 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Eddie Henderson / trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn
With:
- Bennie Maupin / flutes, saxes, bass clarinet
- Herbie Hancock / Fender Rhodes & Univox electric pianos
- Patrick Gleeson / ARP & Moog synthesizers, organ, producer
- Buster Williams / bass
- Lenny White / drums
- Billy Hart / drums, percussion

1. "Scorpio-Libra" (11:12) opens immediately with a funky Isaac Hayes "Shaft"/Bitches Brew pretentiousness that is immediately winning due to its cocky arrogance. It's spacey yet still jazzy, free form but mapped out, and full of musicians sounding like they're really having fun. Patrick Gleeson's play on synths and organ sounds so loose and liberating and I LOVE the two drummers! Billy and Lenny both bringing their best, playing with and off of one another. Herbie, of course, is so solid on the Fender Rhodes but he's mixed a little too far into the background (until his solo in the seventh minute). And Bennie Maupin and Eddie just playing their hearts out. Great stuff! (18.5/20)

2. "Mars in Libra" (8:40) sounds very much like the same foundation as the previous song with much wilder performances from the soloists, more dynamic and independent energy from the drummers. Space music in which the pioneers are exploring deep dimensions of the universe. I can tell the boys are having their fun but I personally find that I'm kind of done with Buster Williams' bass line that's holding it all together. Then it all just kind of ends: no ceremony or gravitas just ... done! Weird. (17.5/20)

3. "Anua" (8:30) opens with bass and drums, long-sustained flue and keyboard notes with crazy-wind synth sounds flying around just beneath the surface. Eddie's muted and unmuted horn joins in, takes the lead as the band solidifies its support beneath. It's a beautiful weave of full whole-band chords with incredible leadership from Buster Williams' double bass. The dreaminess of the foundational music reminds me of Freddy Henderson's Love Connection a few years down the road as well as many of the Crusader's Joe Sample's and Huber Laws' solo albums from the time. Beautiful stuff that could easily exist without the soloists on top--thought there are some dreamy solos in the seventh and eighth minutes. (despite the drums getting a bit drowned out by the cymbal play). (19/20)

4. "Spiritual Awakening" (2:33) synth-generated "water"/"bird" noises over which Eddie ejaculates his horn and riffs while the rest of the band just floats and flit in and out of the sonic field. (4.375/5)

5. "Revelation Realization" (8:00) really smooth night groove from the bass with double horn tracks on top and the two drums and keys pushed way down in the mix. I know this gives the listener much greater access to the fine bass and horn play, but then we have to listen that much harder to pick up the nuances of the two amazing drummers. Fender Rhodes and Bennie Maupin's bass clarinet get brought forward somewhere in the third minute. Everybody (except Pat Gleeson's continued synth play with constantly panning water and wind sounds) is contributing some truly beautiful melodies. So nice. The dénouement is long (almost 2:30) and a bit too drawn out for my tastes. A weird but, at the same time, wonderful song. (13.75/15)

Total Time: 38:55

I know that one of the reasons I like this album and its successor, Inside Out--as well as the last two of the Mawndishi albums, Crossings and Sextet--is due to the presence and influence of synthesizer expert Patrick Gleeson. Patrick's contributions to Lenny White's Venusian Summer--making that five out of the the 30 albums in "Classic Era" Jazz-Rock Fusion--make me think that his genius plays no small factor in my coming over to Jazz-Rock Fusion 1972-75.

91.34 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of spacey jazz-rock from the Mwandishi lineup.

LONNIE LISTON SMITH & The Cosmic Echoes Astral Traveling

Fresh out of his rotating apprenticeships with Pharoah Sanders, Gato Barbieri, and Stanley Turrentine (after cutting his milk teeth with Betty Carter, Roland Kirk, and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers), when Lonnie expressed his desire to create his own band and project, Bob Thiele was quick to pick him up for his own Flying Dutchman Record company. On this July 1973 release the keyboard master Lonnie Liston Smith nominates himself as one of the all-time kings of serious jazz-musicians who turned almost exclusively toward the creation of absolutely beautiful, positive, stress-reducing mood music. The album was recorded on April 24 of 1973--in one day--at Bob Thiele's own studios in New York City.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Lonnie Liston Smith / piano, electric piano [Fender Rhodes]

- Cecil McBee / bass

- James Mtume / congas, percussion

- Sonny Morgan / congas, percussion

- David Lee, Jr. / drums

- Joe Beck / guitar

- George Barron / saxophones [soprano & tenor]

- Badal Roy / tabla

- Geeta Vashi / tambura

A1. "Astral Traveling" (5:30) an awesomely soothing bass and percussion groove (using several classical Indian instruments) over which Lonnie plays an incredibly spacious echoing Fender Rhodes. The interplay of tabla, tambura, two congas, and drums is sublime! George Barron is invited in to introduce an absolutely to-the-core soothing melody on his soprano saxophone--and then he provides the finishing recapitulation in the final minute. But the most amazing sorcerer in this magical song is bass player Cecil McBee. What an amazing song! What vision! Sheer perfection or beyond! (11/10)

A2. "Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord" (6:30) a veritable shower of exotic percussion and electric piano within which George Barron soothes and woos us with his sublime saxophone play. (9.25/10)

A3. "Rejuvenation" (5:50) with piano and a more-traditional jazz combo core, this song sounds a lot like a joyful, whimsical Latinized take on some Vince Guaraldi Peanuts music. So eminently enjoyable and good-feeling! This is the kind of music you want playing in your kids environment: skating on the outdoor rink, playing nighttime basketball on the driveway beneath the floodlights, receiving them when they return from school each day. There's also quite a little borrowed in Lonnie's piano chord play from McCoy Tyner's piano play on John Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things." How do you go better than that? (9.5/10)

B1. "I Mani (Faith)" (6:10) with its long, lingering opening intro, this one sounds very much like something from the John Coltrane/Pharoah Sanders/Alice Coltrane school of improvisational jazz. George really gets to stretch out on this one--entering some kind of free-jazz transcendental "zone" in the third minute--which he sustains over the next two minutes as the wind-on-the-lake cacophony of the introductory barrage continues. In the fifth minute, then, the surface of the lake begins to smooth and George follows suit, drifting inexorably back down to Earth like an autumn leaf. (9/10)

B2. "In Search Of Truth" (7:04) another soothing groove that conjures up cosmic connections even more than anything I've ever heard from Germany's Kosmische Musik musicians and songs. Once again the employment of Indian instruments (the droning tambura and tabla mixed in with the congas) secures the hypnotic portal required for pure transcendence. (15/15)

B3. "Aspirations" (4:20) an exploration of beauty through the pulsations of Lonnie's chorused electric piano, tout seul. Perhaps this was music that inspired VANGELIS for some of his beautiful soundtrack music for Blade Runner et al. Perhaps it even inspired Fred Rogers (or, more accurately, Fred's virtuoso pianist music director, Johnny Costa) to bring a Fender Rhodes (or Fender Rhodes-like sound) into his studio for his episodes of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Lonnie's song here definitely conveys the life-affirming that seems to have become his adoptive message and raison d'être. (9/10)

Total time: 35:24

96.54 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; an absolute masterpiece of genre-expanding Jazz-Rock Fusion--one that proclaimed the fact that there is plenty of room in the Jazz and Jazz-Rock Fusion worlds for music that strives to effectively raise spiritual consciousness not just express the player(s)' cosmic ecstasy. Highly recommended to all music lovers--and especially to those who like to use music to reach higher states of spiritual receptivity.

August

Michał URBANIAK GROUP Inactin

Recorded in 1972 for Germany's Spiegelei label (at Stuttgart's Horst Jankowski Studios), this is another album of 100% Michał Urbaniak compositions as performed by his loyal band of virtuoso collaborators--though, in truth, it sounds and feels a lot like a collection of scraps and outtakes from the Paratyphus B sessions. The album was released in 1973 after the band had already started touring Germany and Poland with a new lineup (now calling themselves "Michał Urbaniak Constellation"), had already recorded a live album in May for Polskie Niagrania Muza/Pronit/PolJazz Records (released as Podróż na południe [Moving South]), and then signed a new contract with CBS for whom they recorded the material for Super Constellation at Walldorf Studios in June (which was released in Europe late in 1973 and would then be re-released in America six months later, in 1974, as Fusion).

Line-up / Musicians:
- Michał Urbaniak / electric violin, violectra, soprano sax

- Urszula Dudziak / vocal, Dynacord, Echocord, percussion
- Adam Makowicz / Fender piano, Hohner clavinet
- Roman Dylag /

- Barcus Berry / bass and electric bass
- Czesław Bartkowski / drums, Paiste cymbals

- Branislav Kovacev / conga-drums

1. "Inactin" (6:58) a funky groove that feels like a slow summertime cruise through the 'hood in a convertible with lots of banter being engaged by sidewalk passers-by. At 3:30 the music cuts out, making way for some very idiosyncratic a cappella electronically-effected scatting (sounding to my imagination like the scurrying of mice around the house under the cover of darkness). The happy-go-lucky music returns at 5:45 and gradually re-establishes the neighborhood groove from the first half, only with Urszula still scatting above. (13.375/15)

2. "Alu" (3:58) with this gentle, spacious song we've re-entered the realm that will be explored more next year by HATFIELD AND THE NORTH. Roman Dylag is given quite a bit of time and room in the spotlight to solo his double bass. Ula's melliflous vocalese are gorgeous. (8.875/10)

3. "Ekim" (5:49) solo experimental electric violin opens this one before Roman's now-Barcus Berry-miked (and thus electronically treated and processed) bass enters and joins in. The combination of Michał's screeching and wining violin paired with Ula's equally feline vocalese and Adam Makowicz's obnoxious clavinet work is a bit disturbing--not unlike some of the work Herbie Hancock experiemented with in his electronic-dominated phase of operations. I understand and appreciate the skill involved to create this stuff, but using an historical perspective, it was kind of a waste of time and vinyl. (8.6667/10)

4. "Silence" (3:31) bowed violin and electrified bass perform a slowly-evolving space-atmospheric duet that is supported by some loosely--almost-randomly--played Fender Rhodes and percussion. Another song that is so predictive of some of the musics that are to come (including some of the great intros to Lenny White songs on Venusian Summer.) (8.75/10)

5. "Fall" (7:42) even more experimental sound production of the avant garde/free jazz sort. It gets even crazier when Ula's IRENE PAPPAS/GILLI SMYTH-like orgiastic scatting and Adam's frantic clavinet play double up in the fifth minute. Wild! (Yes, even wilder than anything published by GONG). Not even the somewhat-coalescent coming together of the band in the final minute can save it from future skips. (13/15)

6. "Groovy Desert" (5:01) faded in as if an excerpt from an extant jam, the groove devolves (while drummer retools or takes a little beer break) into an Adam Makowitz, Czesław Bartkowski, and Branislav Kovacev tuning and brief exploration of two separate themes joined together. Was this album just material grabbed from the cutting floor of the previous album--scraps and discards that the record label pasted together in order to try to make a few Marks from this band of now expats? (8.25/10)

7. "Lato" (8:06) the music of this song reminds me of the very first post-Bitches Brew recordings that Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Herbie Hancock, and Chick Corea did with their new bands (many members of whom were also in situ during Miles' seminal sessions). that they would eventually be calling WEATHER REPORT, "Mwandishi," and RETURN TO FOREVER, respectively. Nice stuff, a liitle rough in organization--feeling a lot like exploratory jam-like session play--but, unfortunately, not my favorite direction that J-R Fusion took. (13.25/15)

Total time: 41:04

An album filled with such renegade experimentation, so much so that it seems to beg the question from us 21st Centurians, "What was going on here?" It's not that it's not admirable and skillful, it's just that it offers very little audio pleasure. I stand by my deduction that this is probably an effort by Spiegelei Records to eke out some more money from their now lost (moved to New York City) commodity. I feel that the album's lack of a citation/credit for a producer only lends to this theory.

87.25 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; a very interesting (and perhaps historically significant) collection of "songs" from the end of Michał and Urszula's time in Europe. Recommended for all those curious about the roots and unusual experiments of infant Jazz-Rock Fusion.

RETURN TO FOREVER Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (released in October)

For Chick Corea's third album using the Return to Forever moniker the bandleader must have felt the need to make some major changes. (It seems obvious that he felt the need to response.compete with the first incarnation of his Bitches Brew band mate John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra.) Gone are the Brazilian husband-wife team of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim--and, thus, the Santana-like Latin flavor and energy--and gone are the horns; what we have here is now a power fusion band--the most rock 'n' roll like form of all: bass, drums, guitar, and keyboards. The album was recorded at the Record Plant in New York City in August of 1973 and released by Polydor Records in October.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Chick Corea / electric piano, acoustic piano, organ, harpsichord, gongs
- Stanley Clarke / electric bass, bell tree
- Lenny White / drums, percussion
- Bill Connors / electric guitar, acoustic guitar

September

JULIAN PRIESTER aka "PEPE MTOTO" Love, Love (released in January of 1974)

Known more as Herbie Hancock's trombonist during the Mwandishi-era sex- and septets, this was Julian's first release after the formal disbanding of Herbe's Septet--here released and recorded under Manfred Eicher's new ECM label (as was Bennie Maupin's solo release of the same year, The Jewel in The Lotus). Working under his alter ego name, "Pepe Mtoto," a name Julian here is exploring the "cosmic music" that he found himself attracted to in the 1960s while working with Sun Ra and his Archestra, he recorded the album on June 28 and September 12, 1973 at Pat Gleeson's Different Fur Music studio in San Francisco, almost realizing the complete album as a one-man solo project, playing the roles of Bass Trombone, Tenor Trombone, Trombone [Alto], Baritone Horn, Horn [Post], Flute, Cowbell, Percussion [Small], Synthesizer [Arp 2600, Prototype Arp String Synthesizer], Producer, Mixer, and Composer on all songs with only synthesizer expert Patrick Gleeson (the seventh and final addition to Herbie's Septet) and drummer Ndugu Leon Chancler from his former band.

LIneup / Musicians:
- Julian Priester ("Pepo Mtoto") / trombone, horns, whistle, flute, percussion, synthesizers
- Patrick Gleeson / synthesizers
- Hadley Caliman / flute, saxophone, clarinet
- Mguanda David Johnson / flute, saxophone
- Bill Connors / electric guitars
- Bayete Umbra Zindiko (Todd Cochran) / piano, clavinet
- Ron McClure / electric bass (1)
- Nyimbo Henry Franklin / electric bass (2)
- Ndugu Leon Chancler / drums
- Kamau Eric Gravatt / drums, congas

HERBIE HANCOCK Head Hunters (released October 26)

Herbie's first studio album since decommissioning his Mwandishi project. Produced by David Rubinson it was recorded on the West Coast in September of 1973 at both Wally Heider and Different Fur studios and then released on October 26 by Columbia Records. Herbie is stated to have said that he was tired of the spacey, high-end stuff and just wanted to bring it back down to Earth with some funk. It is important when listening to this album to remember how influential it was: both to other artists as well as on the tastes of the popular ear; this was, after all, at the time (until the 1976 phenomenon of George Benson's Brezzin'), the highest selling jazz album of all-time!

PERIGEO Abbiamo Tutti un Blues da Piangere

Italian band Perigeo's sophomore studio album, it was produced for RCA records in Roma by Gianni Grandis and then released in September of 1973. It's nice to see the band's lineup stay the same from their debut album as I am curious to watch their development both as a band as well as virtuoso musicians.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Bruno Biriaco / drums, percussion
- Franco D'Andrea / acoustic & electric pianos
- Claudio Fasoli / alto & soprano saxophone
- Tony Sidney / guitar
- Giovanni Tommaso / vocals, basses

1. "Non c'é Tempo da Perdere" (8:48) vocal-led up-tempo jazz-rock that starts out with a long intro of instrumental roaming as piano and cymbals are busy feeling around beneath the ethereal male vocals. It reminds me of some of Tony Williams' compositions. I like Franco D'Andrea's Fender Rhodes style, but drummer Bruno Biriaco grabs most of my attention throughout this one. (18/20)

2. "Déjà Vu" (4:58) I know that I'm hearing an uncredited violin in the lead during the intro to this sax-led song (or is it Giovanni Tommaso bowing his double bass?). So who was it? Piano and guitar arpeggi provide the initial support for the sax (and continued violin) I really like the unconventional melody lines throughout this one--more jazz like than rock: more like a Coltrane or Magma composition. (9.5/10)

3. "Rituale" (7:31) great jam that just sucks the listener in deeper as it builds and builds. Kind of like a classic Traffic (Stevie Winwood), Allman Brothers or Joe Cocker jam. I just love this! It's so fun--and so funky! (15/15)

4. "Abbiamo Tutti un Blues da Piangere" (6:08) acoustic guitars (two tracks) on display for the first minute before bass takes the lead over some very gently-picked steel-string guitar. Keys first make a mark at the two-minute mark (with cymbals) but only a couple chords for the first 30-seconds, then full complement of toms and Fender Rhodes join in as the full band kicks into sync. Soprano sax takes the lead from the three-minute mark over some awesome bluesy-jazz groovin'. So solid! Too bad I'm not more of a fan of the saxophone family. (8.875/10)

5. "Country" (3:03) more keyboard-centred DEODATO-and DONALD FAGEN-like music. Quite brief. (9.125/10)

6. "Nadir" (3:46) gentle Fender Rhodes with equally gentle saxophone over the top. Switch in the second minute to fiery electric guitar teaming up with the sax to carry the melody forward. I really like American-born guitarist Tony Sidney's fire! (9.5/10)

7. "Vento, Pioggia e Sole" (9:40) It feels obvious to me that American-born guitarist Tony Sidney had been hearing either John McLaughlin or Cervello's Corrado Rustici because his guitar playing has progressed in directions reflecting this style of pyrotechnical flourishing. Such solid drum and bass play throughout. Great jazz piano solo in the last quarter of the song. (18/20)

Total time 43:48

I don't get why some reviewers have rated this album lower than their debut as I see no flaws or weaknesses in this album. Keyboard artist Franco D'Andrea's playing is far more supportive, serving in a mostly accompanying fashion than flashy noodling, which is fine, but, knowing that he develops into such a virtuosic solo jazz piano artist makes one wonder what was going on with him during the composition and recording of this session. Tony Sidney's guitar and Claudio Fasoli's sax seem to take far more of the lead/front stage on this album--which is fine since both are very good and have grown so much since the year before--while the rhythm section has just gotten tighter and more mature.

92.5 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of jazz-rock fusion--even better, in my opinion, than its predecessor--the band's highly-regarded Azimut. One of my Top 20 Favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums from prog's "Classic Era."

CERVELLO Melos

The debut--and only studio album release--by Napolitano natives Cervello is eclectic, exotic, unusual, and interesting. Introducing to the world 17-year old guitar phenom, Corrado Rustici. This album is one of the best recorded and mixed albums from this classical Rock Progressivo Italiano scene--especially in the drums department. Also, all chord presentations coming from the guitars are so harmonically unusual when thrown into the rest of the melodic key structure. Truly an innovative and experimental adventure in music making. Recorded in 1973 in Napoli and released by Dischi Ricordi S.p.A., on September 23, 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Antonio Spagnolo / 6 & 12 string acoustic guitar, bass, pedal, recorder, vocals
- Giulio D'Ambrosio / electric sax (contralto & tenor), flute, vocals
- Corrado Rustici / guitar, recorder, flute, vibraphone, vocals
- Gianluigi Di Franco / lead vocals, flute, small percussion
- Remigio Esposito / drums, vibraphone

1. "Canto del Capro" (6:29) opens with three minutes of weird, creepy psychedelia before establishing a fairly fast-paced psych rock song. The musicians are performing very tightly, at a very high level of competency. The dissonant flutes, guitar plucks, and reverse electric guitar over long, steady Mellotron chord progression are so fresh and creative. An odd but brilliantly inventive song. Brave youths! (9.5/10)

2. "Trittico" (7:19) opens with strong vocal sung over electric guitar arpeggi, trading the lead with flutes and vibes. Again, such an unusual and inventive foundational sound and construct! Guitar harmonics takes the lead in the third minute before vocal effects project the singers' voices to be in several places in the sound. Then, suddenly, at 3:06 the band kicks into high gear with rapid fire lead guitar licks, drum flourishes, sax, bass, and vocal stepping into the oddly-timed pace. Everything drops back into pastoral pace at 4:20--though lead guitar is playing his arpeggi at a much faster (William Tell Overture) speed. These guitarists are so talented--moving in and out of time signatures, in and out of acoustic and electric sections, in and out of strumming and picking. The song has a very odd fade-in and fade out closing of "la-la-la" drunk men's vocal chorus. Amazing song! (14/15)

3. "Euterpe" (4:32) opens with acoustic guitars and recorders before vocalist. I love the vocals of Gianluigi di Franco because they feel so common and relaxed, not forced or operatic or melodramatic. This song is John McLaughlin-inspired Corrado Rustici's breakout song--the one that lets us know just how fiery his lead style is. And yet, the fact that he has held back (or been held back) over the first 14-minutes of this very adventurous, very experimental album, just let's me know how band-oriented and non-ego driven this young man was. (9.5/10)

4. "Scinsione (T.R.M.)" (5:43) Probably the weakest song on the album, but still exploratory and innovative, not straightforward at all, it just doesn't have the beauty, surprise- or wow-factors of the previous songs. The sustained, almost-droning synth occupying the background throughout (and then climbing to the fore in the final minute) is absolutely brilliant--as is the multi-tracks of Corrado dueling with himself at the end. (9/10)

5. "Melos" (4:58) Vibes, slow acoustic guitar picking, gentle voice is soon joined by Pete Giles-like drumming, flutes to make for a gorgeous if slightly King Crimson-like song. The interplay of multiple vocalists in the second minute is cool. The two-guitar interplay that follows with singing over the top is a little awkward, but the cacophonous buildup that follows with Corrado's blistering, bluesy guitar soloing over thick mix of saxes and Mellotrons is awesome. (9.5/10)

6. "Galassia" (5:48) opens with cymbal play soon joined by distant flutes, guitar picking and voices. By the time the one minute mark arrives the soundscape had moved more forward--except for the vocals that soon ensue--which remain in the far background. Drums, guitars, flutes, even Mellotron are all forward of the voice. Vibes and electric guitar take turns soloing over the acoustic guitar pretty picking--until voice and Mellotron jump in to declare their messages. At 3:25 everything drops out for a brief vocal section before a heavy, frenetically paced instrumental section comes crashing in. This insistent, crazed weave seems to creep steadily forward even till the end. (9/10)

7. "Affresco (1:11) is an adventure into space and effects with vocal, flutes, and picked guitars weaving together over the top--the most forward presentation of sound on the album! Surprise and flawless. (4.5/5)

92.86 on the Fishscales = five stars; A; a true masterpiece of progressive rock music and one of my favorite albums from the classic period of Rock Progressivo Italiano.

October

BILLY COBHAM Spectrum

The Panama-born drumming phenom's first foray as a solo artist/bandleader. Impressive albeit dense jazz fusion by an extremely gifted, energetic drummer and his studio hires, I never heard this album in its heyday but had to wait till seeing all of the acclaim here on ProgArchives to discover it. Again, the performances are impressive--and polished--much moreso than the Mahavishnu stuff that came before it--BUT there is not a lot of engaging meat or melody here--not a lot of "fat" to this meaty collection of songs. The few songs I return to are more as a reminder of how much growth Billy Cobham did from his 1970 stint with his original band, New York, to here. The dude must have worked his fat off! The subtleties and nuances expressed herein by Mr. Cobham's virtuosic playing are truly astonishing, I just like a little more melody to keep me engaged. Plus, I'm not really much of a fan of Mr. Hammer's style or sound palette. (Also, I think I was always a bit turned off by his one-handed approach--something he may have perfected in order to promote his mobile keyboard play; left hand/bass clef play is often what really draws me into a keyboard player's style.) nor of Mr. Bolin or Mr. Tropea's guitar tone selections and styles. With horn, keys, and some guitar soli trying to attract and keep the listeners attention, it seems that I always fall into listening to the mesmerizing playing of Mr. C. Plus, his drums are recorded so well: every sound and nuance captured so clearly and balanced. Recorded in New York City at Electric Lady Studios on May 14-16 of 1973, the album was produced by Billy, himself, and then released by Atlantic Records on October 1.

- Ray Barretto / congas (2b, 5b)

1. "Quadrant 4" (4:20) this must be a song that Jan Hammer and Billy Cobham had left over from their last Mahavishnu Orchestra sessions--the ones that left them frustrated for the lack of input allowed/honored/valued from bandleader John McLaughlin. Jan and guitarist Tommy Bolin get most of the spotlight as Lee Sklar and Tony run a pretty tight ship beneath--neither too flashy but so competent in their tight hold of the speedy rhythm track. Impressive performances but not my favorite kind of music. (8.75/10)

2. "Searching For The Right Door / Spectrum" (6:33) Bandleader Billy Cobham starts this one off as a drum solo right from the get go: just him playing as if a one man band with his expanded drum kit. The "Spectrum" second half is a horn-supported funk jazz-rock piece with one awesome Ron Carter double bass performance (and ear worm riff). Horns and keys get the first mini solos before Joe Farrell is pushed out front with his soprano sax. Billy and Ron are just chewing up that underside! Jimmy Owens gets the next solo on his flugelhorn. Jan Hammer's support on Fender Rhodes is exquisite. The horns team up for the bridge into Jan's solo as Joe Farrell switches to flute for support. Good solid jazz-rock. (8.875/10)

- a. Searching For The Right Door (1:24)
- b. Spectrum (5:09)

3. "Anxiety / Taurian Matador" (4:44) more Cobham showmanship to open this one before the rest of the band are allowed to join in. When they do it's once more at break-neck speed--as if everybody's swarming down a country road on motorcycles, weaving rather recklessly among one another, with Jan and Tommy Bolin exchanging friendly and unfriendly shouts at one another as they go while Lee Sklar and Billy hold down the sane, steady pace. Impressive; I'm just not a fan of this type of speed jazz. (8.75/10)
- a. Anxiety (1:41)
- b. Taurian Matador (3:03)

4. "Stratus" (9:50) is like hearing music from the future as Billy Cobham's partner in the opening 3-minute duet is a computer-sounding keyboard. But then everything bursts out of the cosmic soup into a celestial form that is quite similar in form and sound to something from the Mahavishnu project. The rolling bass line is undoubtedly that which prog lovers are drawn to (as well as the masterful drumming display) while the Fender Rhodes holds the song to a key and the fiery guitar of Tommy Bolin burns through the space-time continuum. Jan Hammer is the next artist to get a solo and it's a great one--despite my brain's insistence and listening to the rhythm guitar work of Mr. Bolin. All the while Billy Cobham moves around his kit as if he only has to think it in order for it to happen--it is at times unbelievable how little space is allowed to exist between his stick hits. Though not a great tune, it is catchy (especially that iconic bass line) and very impressive in the instrumental departments. (18.25/20)

5. "To The Women In My Life / Le Lis" (4:11) now for a little of the future music that we'll soon be calling "Smooth Jazz." The stellar solos are still there (Jan Hammer's Moog) and the contributions of the clavinet and horns definitely add a dimension, but the smooth Latin melody and Latin bass and drum & percussion lines are quite simple and melodic in a way that previous jazz-fusion artists were often loathe to supply. (9/10)
- a. To The Women In My Life (0:51)
- b. Le Lis (3:20)

6. "Snoopy's Search / Red Baron" (7:39) a simplified funk piece of funk that harkens back to music like Herbie Hancock's for Bill Cosby Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids show as well as to other Southern Rock-funk R&B blues fusions. A solid song but nothing with plenty of nuanced performances that is nothing that I really feel compelled to sing, hum, or dance to. (13.375/15)
- a. Snoopy's Search (1:02)
- b. Red Baron (6:37)

Total Time: 37:17

A prog lover is want to compare this classic album to the one from the other great jazz-rock fusion drummer of the period, Tony Williams' New Lifetime's Believe It!, but they're really two very different beasts. Believe It! (which I just happened to review immediately before Spectrum) is the very clear and concise work of a jazz quartet whereas Spectrum shows a drummer with a more broad and very subtle-swift brushing of many more sounds with the sweeping motions of his sticks; Tony's mastery is shown through a tremendous variety of dynamics employed to his hits within very precise rhythms coming from a much smaller, more traditional jazz kit while Billy's drum kit seems to be a much more expanded Carl Palmer-like kit within which he tries to hit as many items with as fluid and fast a display as if to sound like a wind storm sweeping through a variety of landscapes, both natural and man-modified.

89.33333 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a collection of solid songs from virtuoso musicians whose overall impression is one of a "near-masterpiece" instead of a true masterpiece. There is a difference between "masterful performances resulting in songs that are very interesting to listen to" and "great songs that I'm drawn back to for repeated listens over and over because I love the music so much." For an album that is a masterpiece because it has eminently enjoyable music on it, go to Billy's three Drum 'n' Voice albums issued between 2000 and 2011.

EDDIE HENDERSON Inside Out (released in January of 1974)

The end of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi-era team lineup is officially an Eddie Henderson album due to Eddie's leadership (initiative, funding, and role as principle composer), and it's another great one. (The next of Eddie's album's, 1975's Sunburst, again has a great lineup of young and seasoned jazz musicians--including Bennie Maupin and George Duke--but there is a radical shift in musical styles toward a more radio- and sales-friendly "smooth" or "funky/disco" jazz fusion that became popular in the mid-70s.) Produced by Skip Drinkwater for Capricorn Records, Inside Out was recorded in San Francisco in October of 1973 at Pat Gleeson's Different Fur studio. The album wasn't mastered and released until January of 1974--long after Herbie had called it quits on the head-in-the-clouds, atmosphere-exploring Mwandishi septet. How the recording sessions for Inside Out happened after Herbie had dismantled the Mwandishi septet and after he had already recorded his new pop-oriented album is a mystery to me. If any one out there knows how this happened, please let me know! (Herbie recorded his first album with a new funk/R&B quartet in September, 1973. The album, Head Hunters, was released on October 13 or October 26 [depending on sources] to become the biggest selling jazz album of all-time--until George Benson's Breezin' laid claim to that title in 1976.)

Line-up / Musicians:
- Eddie Henderson / trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn
With:
- Herbie Hancock / Fender Rhodes, clavinet, organ
- Patrick Gleeson / synthesizer
- Bennie Maupin / clarinet, bass clarinet, flute, alto flute, piccolo, tenor saxophone
- Buster Williams / acoustic & electric basses
- Eric Gravatt / drums
- Billy Hart / drums
- Bill Summers / congas

AREA Arbeit Macht Frei

The first album released by Milan's Cramps Record label, it was recorded early in 1973 and released sometime within the same year.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Demetrio Stratos / lead vocals, organ, steel drums
- Gianpaolo Tofani / lead guitar, VCS-3 synth
- Patrizio Fariselli / piano, electric piano
- Victor Edouard ('Eddie') Busnello / sax, bass clarinet, flute
- Patrick Djivas / bass, double bass
- Giulio Capiozzo / drums, percussion

1. "Luglio, agosto, settembre (nero)" (4:27) an obviously-ethnic music-based song, (9/10)

2. "Arbeit Macht Frei" (7:56) (13.5/15)

3. "Consapevolezza " (6:06) The grooves laid down in "Consapevolezza" at the 1:25 and 2:15 marks are among the prettiest I've ever heard. (10/10)

4. "Le Labbra del tempo" (6:00), and the ever-so smooth (9.5/10)

5. "240 chilometri da Smirne" (5:10) deposit, IMHO, some of the tightest, most enjoyable jazz/ jazz-rock grooves of the 60s or 70s. All performers test the creative boundaries of their respective means of expressivity--the LEON THOMAS-like voice experimentations of Demetrio Stratos, the guitar play of Gianpaolo Tofani, woodwinds, keys, the jaw-dropping bass play of Patrick Djivas, and, especially, drumming of Giulio Capiozzo, are all "out there." (10/10),

6. "L'abbattimento dello Zeppelin" (6:45) leans heavily toward the avante garde, the center four songs. I absolutely LOVE the lore around this song: that the band was asked during a live performance in some pub bar to play some Led Zeppelin. Knowing no Led Zeppelin songs, the band launched into an improvisation based loosely on what they'd heard of "Whole Lotta Love," it got recorded, and then tagged onto the end of this album! (9/10)

The mixing and recording of this album are amazingly clear and balanced for a 70s record.

Having loved the vocal talents and stylings of Leon Thomas for many years, I was immediately into Demetrio Stratus's singing. Such emotion and passion! As if his soul is on fire! Without question a masterpiece of progressive music if ever there was one! The only direction of improvement needed is in the area of sound recording and reproduction (and that will come).

93.08 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a landmark album for Italian, European, and world music as well as for Jazz-Rock Fusion; Definitely a Top 20 Favorite Album from J-R Fuse's "Classic Era."

RETURN TO FOREVER Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy

For Chick Corea's third album using the Return to Forever moniker the bandleader must have felt the need to make some major changes. (It seems obvious that he felt the need to response.compete with the first incarnation of his Bitches Brew band mate John McLaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra.) Gone are the Brazilian husband-wife team of Airto Moreira and Flora Purim--and, thus, the Santana-like Latin flavor and energy--and gone are the horns; what we have here is now a power fusion band--the most rock 'n' roll like form of all: bass, drums, guitar, and keyboards. The album was recorded at the Record Plant in New York City in August of 1973 and released by Polydor Records in October.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Chick Corea / electric piano, acoustic piano, organ, harpsichord, gongs
- Stanley Clarke / electric bass, bell tree
- Lenny White / drums, percussion
- Bill Connors / electric guitar, acoustic guitar

A1 "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy" (3:25) here the band opens with a dynamic display of the new member more rock 'n' roll-oriented skills and volume. The way Bill and Stanley play off one another is very cool. (8.75/10)

A2 "After The Cosmic Rain" (8:33) using a form that enlists two or three different speeds, we get a nice view of the skills of Chick, Lenny, and Bill Connors with Stanley showing off a lead-guitarist kind of mentality with his fuzz-bass. Stanley's dextrous use of full chords on his electric bass is also quite unusual and ground-breaking. Chick on the electric piano is more demonstrative than melodic in his showmanship and I find Lenny's drums to be mixed a little too loud (as well as come across as a little too rock 'n' roll). Nice but not really anything very engaging or memorable--except for Stanley's bass solo. (17.5/20)

A3 "Captain Señor Mouse" (8:56) the hard driving rhythm track of this one could've easily come from a rock band like The Allman Brothers Band or Think Lizzy. This is the first song on which I am certain that the band used multiple tracks to accomplish the full soundscape here as the percussion, multiple keyboards, and even guitars have too much reinforcement to be done in one take. I like the occasional shifts into the Latin motifs while Chick's electric piano patterns and solos finally sound more like the signature style that he would become known for: with lots more slurs as if he were bending notes (which he later masters on his MiniMoog). The drum and bass play beneath Chick is nothing short of miraculous: tight and yet jaw-dropping in speed and dexterity. No wonder this song became a standard in Chick's concert repertoire. I even like the drop back into harpsichord at the end of his extended solo (and, of course, his signature bounce accents beneath his bandmates' solos). Bill Connors' first truly extended solo in seventh and eight minutes is truly remarkable, marred only by his over-obsession with John McLaughlin-like long-held note bending. When he does his runs and quick changes in direction it's impressive. (19/20)

B1 "Theme To The Mothership" (8:22) It is obvious to me that the band is gelling and heading toward the sounds and styles that we will come to know and recognize as distinctly their own the further we get into this album--this song being yet another step in this process from "Captain Señor Mouse." The one variable is Bill Connors' style (which obviously affected the style of incoming star Al Di Meola in that he had to learn these songs in Bill's style for auditions and live replications). At the same time, it is often remarkable how similar the styles of the two guitarists are. The more rock-steady (almost sedate) bass play (when he's not soloing) of Stanley Clarke is surprising over the first five minutes, but then, as Chick starts his multi-instrument solo in the fifth minute you can finally hear the bass begin to introduce some of those lightning flashes of flurries and riffs between or in response to some of Chick's pauses between phrases--just like the blues and R&B-trained guitarists do between their own vocal phrases. The band still hasn't mastered the art of unforgettable solo blasts with unforgettable melody lines, but they are very much on their way. (18/20)

B2a "Space Circus (Part I)" (1:28) gentle, hypnotic Fender Rhodes arpeggi from Chick's left hand over which his right hand spits out melodic riffs. Quite lovely. An obvious influence on Ronnie Laws. (4.75/5)

B2b "Space Circus (Part II)" (4:08) a pause after Chick finishes the intro, then Stanley and Chick jump forward with Lenny and Bill quick to join in. I love the sound Bill is using on this one. Stanley is back in lead-predatory mode here, but Bill may be up to his challenge. Lenny elbows his way into the spotlight in the fourth minute and then, finally, Bill lets loose. It's good--more Larry Coryell-like than Mahavishnu Di Meola in that there is a "nasty filth" to his sound that Al or John rarely aspire to. (9.25/10)

B3 "The Game Maker" (6:49) contemplative electric piano play to open, some gentle metallic percussion, too (cymbal and triangle hits). At 1:50, when the full band kicks in, Bill's twangy guitar is first to jump to the lead with Lenny and a dreamy Stanley in solid support. Even Chick, with his rotating two chords of fast arpeggi is in full support. In the fourth minute Chick breaks in with a solo that gets Stanley's adrenaline pumping and to which Bill sees a need to compete and fire back. This duel between Chick and Bill goes on for some time as Lenny and Stanley--especially Stanley--impress from beneath. A great song that fully illustrates the cohesive whole-band skill and comradery that this band will master. The Mahavishnu Orchestra may have broken the J-R Fuse genre wide open, but it is RTF that perfected it! (14.25/15)

Total Time: 42:16

This album is quite a favorite with a lot of critics and fans, but I think the band is still undergoing growth and self-discovery and have not yet fully-defined their everlasting sound.

91.50 on the Fishscales = A/five stars; a minor masterpiece of genre-advancing Jazz-Rock Fusion. Again, that which Mahavishnu started, RTF perfected.

HERBIE HANCOCK Head Hunters

Herbie's first studio album since decommissioning his Mwandishi project. Produced by David Rubinson it was recorded on the West Coast in September of 1973 at both Wally Heider and Different Fur studios and then released on October 26 by Columbia Records. Herbie is stated to have said that he was tired of the spacey, high-end stuff and just wanted to bring it back down to Earth with some funk. It is important when listening to this album to remember how influential it was: both to other artists as well as on the tastes of the popular ear; this was, after all, at the time (until the 1976 phenomenon of George Benson's Brezzin'), the highest selling jazz album of all-time!

Line-up / Musicians:
- Herbie Hancock / ARP Odyssey & Soloist synths, Fender Rhodes, Hohner D6 clavinet, pipes, co-producer
- Bennie Maupin / soprano & tenor saxophones, saxello, bass clarinet, alto flute
- Paul Jackson / electric bass, marimbula
- Harvey Mason / drums
- Bill Summers / percussion (congas, shekere, balafon, agogo, cabasa, hindewho, tambourine, log drum, surdo, gankogui, beer bottle)

1. "Chameleon" (15:41) the opening funk bass sound and line lets us know right off the bat what's going to be different about this music compared to the famous "Mwandishi sound" of Herbie's previous three years of work: Funk is paramount here. The problem here is how long Herbie stays affixed to a particular pattern and motif: it's as if it takes him 30 measures to get the feel of a pattern enough to be able to play within much less diverge or solo above it. I don't know if the rhythm section (or engineer) realized that they were speeding up in the sixth minute, beneath Herbie's funky ARP Soloist solo, but it's awkward for a bit until they all return to the pocket. At 7:40 there is a reset to let Paul Jackson and Harvey Mason reset their rhythm pattern. Now we're in Fender Rhodes territory--the soundscape that will become BOB JAMES' standard/go-to palette. Paul and percussionist Bill Summers start playing off one another, which is highly entertaining despite Herbie supposedly being in the lead up top. Harvey's innovative use of the hi-hat here might also have served to influence all future Disco drummers. I prefer this middle section to the opening one. At the 12-minute mark there is a reset bridge with those rich ARP strings and panning Fender Rhodes play. J-R Fuse Heaven! Now this is where Smooth Jazz came from! At 13:15 there is another reset bridge that allows the band to restart the opening motif. Here Bennie Maupin finally gets some front-time on his tenor sax. Nice. A song that contains so much innovation I can't justify down-rating it despite my not really liking the majority of it. (27/30)

2. "Watermelon Man" (6:29) a very popular song that is denigrated by the fact that to me it is a very thinly-veiled revisitation on Dobie Gray's big hit from 1964 (a Billy Page compostion), "The 'In' Crowd." Then there is the presence at the opening and ending of the odd breath and voice percussion (what would probably inspire a whole generation of Bobby McFerrins. (8.875/10)

3. "Sly" (10:18) a reference to the "Sly" of the Family Stone? What starts out deceptively in some disarray becomes, quite suddenly, at the two-minute mark, a meteoric flight through high altitude with bass, drums, percussion, and clavinet all rushing wildly along in a very loose weave beneath Bennie Maupin's wild soprano saxophone play. Then Herbie gets a turn on his Fender electric piano. The man is so smooth! Paul Jackson's low end bass play paired up with Harvey Mason's hi-hat and cymbal work is pure genius! Somebody (Bennie Maupin) must be playing the clavinet beneath/alongside Herbie's two-handed Fender Rhodes exposition. I have to admit that I'd never really appreciated the drumming of Harvey Mason before this--cuz I'd never heard anything quite like this before. High marks for the extraordinary work of that dynamic middle section. (19/20)

4. "Vein Melter" (9:10) It would seem here that Harvey's semi-automatic militaristic snare and hi-hat riff would run contrary to the somber, etheric world being created by the rest of the band, but somehow it all works (except the ARP sounds: they sound so dated!) My favorite part is hearing Bennie Maupin playing with such feeling and emotion without having to blast it or even raise his "voice." Also, you can hear here the reverberating Fender Rhodes electric piano sound that everybody will be using over the next ten years: KOOL AND THE GANG "Summer Madness," Donald Fagen/STEELY DAN, BOZ SCAGGS Silk Degrees and so many more. (17.5/20)

Total Time 41:38

Thrust is my favorite Herbie album.

90.78 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor-masterpiece (and landmark album) of Jazz-Rock Fusion.

AXIS Axis

The response to the Anglo-Italian progressive rock phenomenon from a very competent Greek band. It was recorded at Studio Hérouville (inside the Chateua d'Hérouville) in June (Side One) and April (Side Two) ("Pa Bu Ga Di" was recorded at Église Évangelique Allemenande in Paris) and then released by Riviera Records in the Autumn of 1973. This was the band's third and final studio album release.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Dimitris Katakouzinos / bass
- Demis Visvikis / keyboards, vocals, percussion
- Chris Stassinopoulos / drums
- George Hadjiathanassiou / drums & percussion

1. "Waiting a Long Time" (4:26) more like across between URIAH HEEP and BLACK SABBATH. I like it but this is not Jazz-Rock Fusion. Really nice work on the keyboards.(8.875/10)

2. "Sewers Down Inside" (6:19) moody atmospheric music trying to be both Jazz-Rock Fusion and Space Music at the same time--like Stomu Yamash'ta's Go project. The vocals at the end sound like familiar. (9.125/10)

3. "Materializing the Unlimited" (5:03) Where the benefit of two drummers shows. Again, I love the creativity of keyboard maestro Demis Visvikis. Kind of long and drawn out with the raunchy, dirty imitation guitar two chords played over and over. (8.75/10)

4. "Asymphonia I" (5:05) piano, double bass, and percussion in an old-fashioned jazz style. Goes Don Pullen and Stanley Clarke in the third minute with its pounded piano chords and bowed bass. Nice drumming as well. (8.875/10)

5. "Suspended Precipice" (1:48) a jazzy composition that at times seems more advanced on the J-R Fuze evolutionary scale, but also slips into older blues-rock forms at times, and then bleeds into/becomes the next song. (4.5/5)

6. "Roads" (5:05) slowed down and bluesy while also projecting from the bass a little "Lucky Man" 'tude, then goes more jazz-rogue as the Demis launches into his solo. The drums and bass sound so good! I wish the electric piano solo were a little more creative or proggy. There's an interesting drum solo in an extended section of the second half with a kazoo-sounding Canterbury Hammond organ solo to follow. They're obviously giving a little nod to The Softs as well. Rated up purely for the awesome groove and sound presented by the rhythm section. (9/10)

7. "Asymphonia II" (2:50) bleeding over from "Roads," we slide back into the near free-for-all of Don Pullen/Ornette Coleman-like free jazz: for the first 90 seconds everybody is just going Animal wild, and then they try to incorporate space and pauses into their performances as if to try to trick one another! Interesting! Excellent skills on display; it's just not the most satisfying music to listen to. (8.75/10)

8. "Dancing Percussion" (2:38) another display of atmospheric keyboard work over which the band creates of a percussion-generated wall of sound. (4.375/5)

9. "Pa Vu Ga Di" (3:44) organ and choir sounding like Mellotron but it's real church music (from a real church setting?) Percussion starts getting a little loose and then, at 2:35, the drums, bass, and organ go full rock beneath the church choir. Interesting! I've rarely considered bringing prog into the church service! It's more common to try to bring church sounds and stylings into the prog studio. (8.75/10)

10. "The Planet Vavoura" (4:05) back to hard-drivin' rock-infused jazz-rock. The bass and drums are motoring while Demis tries to capture that Canterbury sax-saw-organ sound for a pseudo-sax solo over the top. Mellotron enters and slows everybody down for a bit before the band reconvenes for a dramatic finish. (8.875/10)

Total Time 41:03

Weird to see and hear a prog band that has no guitarists. The album starts off with absolutely no connection to the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement, but then, rather surprisingly, turns jazzy in the middle--a commitment that the band then maintains over the course of the rest of the album.

88.75 on the Fishscales = B+/four stars; a very good exhibition of prog rock from some very fine, very talented musicians. The songs just needed a little more polish and refinement.

November

THE ELEVENTH HOUSE Introducing The Eleventh House with Larry Coryell (released in February of 1974)

With 1969's Spaces (released, mysteriously, some 19 months after it was recorded), it felt as if guitarist Larry Coryell might have been a little reluctant to jump fully on board the Power Rock infusion of the Jazz-Rock Fusion movement, but then I'm sure he could see the commercial, critical, and financial success his band mates from that album were having: John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miroslav Vitous with Weather Report, and Chick Corea with his Return To Forever project. Tapping into some of his more adventurous New York City-based friends, this was what he came up with. Though recorded in 1973 at Vanguard's 23rd Street Studio in New York City, Larry's loyal label did not release

Introducing The Eleventh House with Larry Coryell until February of 1974.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Larry Coryell / guitar
- Randy Brecker / trumpet
- Mike Mandel / piano, ARP synth
- Danny Trifan / bass
- Alphonse Mouzon / percussion

SANTANA Welcome

After Buddy Miles Live! After Caravanserai. After Love Devotion Surrender (with John McLaughlin and the remnants his now-fractured first lineup of The Mahavishnu Orchestra). This album came before Illuminations (with Alice Coltrane), and before the three-disc live album, Lotus. This is Santana mid-jazz-rock fusion, the fusion lineup at its very best, but trying to orient themselves a little more toward radio-friendly songs. I'm shocked that this album did not spawn three or four radio hits. Recorded during several sessions in 1973 (from April to June) in CBS studios, it was released by Columbia Records on November 9, 1973.

2. "Love Devotion And Surrender" (3:36) a mellow, almost relaxing opening to a song Carlos created in reference to (and reverence of) his sessions of the previous months that culminated in the creation of the Love Devotion Surrender album with John McLaughlin and half of his fractured Mahavishnu Orchestra. put on their collaborative album of earlier in the year. Great vocals from Carlos, Leon Thomas, and especially, Wendy Haas (who sounds a lot like Anneke Van Giersbergen). (8.875/10)

3. "Samba De Sausalito" (3:10) an awesome Latin percussion-and-bass-driven jam in the tradition that Carlos and his band had been extablishing since the opening number of their debut album, now five years before. Keyboards present the melodies above the hard work of the rhythm section. (8.875/10)

4. "When I Look Into Your Eyes" (5:50) opening up sounding like a MOTOWN classic from the FOUR TOPS or THE TEMPTATIONS, the mood changes as everybody steps in line to support singer Leon Thomas' classic soul performance. The flutes and percussionists are wonderful as is Doug Rauch on bass (of course). Leon's "underwater" vocalese alongside Wendy Haas' Motown b vox are weird but awesome--and Michael Shrieve is great, too. (9/10)

5. "Yours Is The Light" (5:45) Latin Canterbury?!! The female "Northettes"-like group vocals from Flora Purim Also, great piano, bass, and Latin percussion interplay holding down the fort while Carlos delivers one of his best solos ever--followed by some endearing reverb-vocalese scatting from Flora over the last minute or more of the song. An absolutely delightful and amazing song. I love Richard Kermode's Chick Corea-like piano work. My favorite song on the album. (10/10)

6. "Mother Africa" (5:54) a Herbie Mann composition on which Carlos' bass and kalimba working within the weave of multiple percussionists including Chepito Areas on timbales, Armando Peraza on congas, Richard Kermode on shekere, Tom Coster on marimba as well as Jules Broussard on soprano sax. Sounds like a song that could very well have inspired GINO VANNELLI's title song from his upcoming album, Storm at Sunup. Coster's piano in the second half and electric piano work are awesome. Kermode's Yamaha organ lead is the only weird/out-of-place thing. (9/10)

7. "Light Of Life" (3:48) Greg Adams orchestral support is absolutely brilliant--almost Barry White-ish--before funk rhythm section and Leon Thomas set themselves up and fly along. Great Fender Rhodes and guitar work but listen to Doug Rauch's bass! Leon and the keyboardists are awesome, but that presence of orchestra is, for me, incredible. Another top three song. (10/10)

8. "Flame-Sky" (11:32) a song whose composition is credited to Doug Rauch, Carlos Santana, and guest guitarist Mahavishnu John McLaughlin, it follows a typical (for Carlos and John) two-chord foundation over which many of the Santana band members solo in response to their inspiration from the presence and fire of the Mahavishnu. I have to admit: John is quite impressive, but, then, so are Carlos, Doug Rauch, the Hammond and Yamaha organists (Kermode and Coster, respectively) as well as conga player Armando Peraza. Definitely another showpiece for the skills of these two extraordinary guitarists, but also for the Santana rhythm section. (18/20)

9. "Welcome" (6:30) wild free-form, lightning-fast, single-note piano play with crescendoing, wave-like cymbal work provide background for Carlos' dreamy, pensive lead guitar melody exploration. Kermode's electric piano and Doug Rauch's respectful bass are also key in the support mode for Carlos' poetic expression. (8.875/10)

91.375 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars.

Bonus track on 2003 Legacy remaster:
10. "Mantra" (6:00) opening with an incredible rhythm interplay between Doug Rauch and Michael Shrieve, the song proceeds to build with organ, percussion, and group background chant vocals about "love" and, later, in a more forceful narrator's voice, "joy." Great jam that I'm sure could have been drawn out over many minutes with wild dancing and percussion and keyboard play on stage in the "live" format. I am happy for the inclusion of this awesome song--another tribute to one of those great artists whom we lost far too young to the vicissitudes of drug addiction. (9/10)

This is, in my opinion, a sadly under-appreciated album. It's different from the early Santana (Santana, Abraxas, and Borboletta). It's different from the dive into J-R fusion that Caravanserai and his collaborations with Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Alice Coltrane were. It's poppy and pretty and funky and melodic--hummable and danceable and joyful and, at times, almost laid back. People miss Greg Rollie (I don't.) People miss Neal Schon. (Me, too!) People miss the up-front dominance of Carlos' guitar (he's humbler: he's a devadip!) But this is great music with some very focused, present performances. And there's still the great Santana rhythm section of Maitreya Michael Shrieve, Latin percussionists Armando Peraza and Jose "Chepito" Areas, amazing bass wunderkind, Doug Rauch, as well as the rock on keys, Tom Coster. There are some rather amazing, spirited performances by guest collaborators Flora Purim, Wendy Haas, Joe Ferrell, and, of course, the Mahavishnu himself, John McLaughlin. Plus, this is early Leon Thomas, before he got so deep into the voice modulation that he would explore in fullness with Pharoah Sanders.

There are some beautiful songs here--songs that deserve radio play (albeit, perhaps Soul/R&B or Adult Contemporary radio stations). I love the beauty of "Light of Life," "Yours Is the Light," "When I Look Into your Eyes," and "Love, Devotion & Surrender." The intended jewel, Doug Rauch's "Flame-Sky" falls short for a lack of development, but clearly shows the young bass player's reverence and respect for the Mahavishnu--especially having just come from the Love Devotion Surrender sessions in which he was, no doubt, put in a place of awe with the likes of Billy Cobham, Larry Young, and the Mahavishnu letting their pyrotechnical flak and machine gun fire fly around him. (And, yes, I agree: neither Richard Kermode nor Tom Coster can hold a candle to the amazing Larry Young [Khalid Yasin].) The finale is a bit drawn out and near-monotonous, and Alice Coltrane's opening number is a bit one-dimensional, but otherwise, I thoroughly enjoy the music and, more, the performances on this album: they're just not the Santana performances one had grown to expect!

For those of you in the dark, the incandescent light of one of the smoothest, most melodically gifted bass players I've ever heard is shining bright here in the play of Doug Rauch--a light that burned out far too early (due to the trappings of drug addiction). Check out his playing here on "Light of Life" and "Yours Is the Light" and "When I Look into Your Eyes" as well as throughout Caravanserai and on Lenny White's Venusian Summer--particularly with Ray Gomez on "Mating Drive." Also, there is some fine, fine work by Mr. Shrieve here, if one were only open to listening for it. Give it a chance; open your hearts; welcome the love; embrace Carlos' purest of intentions. You won't be sorry.

CORONARIAS DANS Visitor (released in November of 1975)

Danish band with 4/5ths of the membership of SECRET OYSTER. This SteepleChase album release, recorded at Rosenberg Studios in Cøpenhagen, Denmark, in February, July, and November of 1973, did not reach the public until November of 1975.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Peter Friis Nielsen / bass, double bass [electric double bass]
- Ole Streenberg / drums
- Claus Bøhling / electric guitar
- Kenneth Knudsen / electric piano, piano

1. "Se Det" (5:15) a song that opens as a kind of dreamy bass and Fender Rhodes duet with both musicians wandering rather aimlessly around their instruments for 90 seconds before settling into a pattern that the drummer and guitarist can join. Then it's keyboardist Kenneth Knudsen leading the way with his electric piano while the bass and drums gather momentum from beneath. The foundational pattern (especially the repeated bass riff) gets rather monotonous and, eventually, annoying. I wish Peter Friis Nielsen would change it up or at least embellish--at least a little bit! Ends with a Eumir Deodato-like dreamy chord overlay. (8.75/10)

2. "Morning" (8:13) thoughtful bass play over an open space which is soon permeated by equally gentle, almost wind-chime-sounding electric piano play. Bassist Peter Friis Neilsen sounds very much like Eberhard Weber: mysteriously floating over his long-neck fretboard, producing notes that seem to say so much more than that of a single pitch. Around the four-minute mark drummer Ole Streenberg's contributions (on mostly cymbals) begin to become more noticeable--as do those of Kenneth Knudsen's electric piano, with the keyboard eventually, slowly, supplanting the bass as the lead instrument. A not-unpleasant song that sounds nearer to free jazz but also has some of the palette of Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi-era music. (13.25/15)

3. "Esrom" (1:47) Peter Friis Nielsen's solo bass sounding like any bass solo ever despite his use of near-Eberhard Weber effects. Cool when it gets doubled up near the end. (4.375/5)

4. "Don't Know" (5:10) high-speed Jazz-Rock of the Mahavishnu/RTF nature with sound quality that reminds me more of CERVELLO's Melos: the effects used to process the lead guitar are already dated while the rhythmatists beneath the soloing electric guitar (including a track dedicated to wah-wahed rhythm guitar) have a bare Mwandishi-like sonic field. Nice discipline and skills on display. The foundational groove gets a little monotonous after … a minute or two--more like numbing. (8.875/10)

5. "Visitor" (3:23) more skills exhibitionism from the bass and drum players while Kenneth Knudsen wanders around his treated (wah-wah) Fender Rhodes and guitarist Claus Bøhling occupies the spotlight up top. Again Claus is using that odd combination of effects on his axe making him sound similar to some of Larry Coryell's sound incarnations. (8.75/10)

6. "Tied Waves" (5:24) gentle waves of sustained electric piano chords and fills spaciously (and melodically) open this one sounding like a pensive Herbie Hancock while Ole and Claus feel their way around from beneath (the latter sounding a bit like Eberhard Weber). There's actually something profoundly engaging about this--especially in the combination and interplay of the aqueous sounds coming from Peter's bass and Kenneth's keyboard. For some reason I have to give this unusual song a top three song commendation. (9/10)

7. "Sagittarius" (1:10) bumpin' electric piano over fully-formed "Latin" rhythm track. I respect Peter, Ole, and Kenneth for their attempt at infiltrating Chick Corea territory. (4.375/5)

8. "Which Witch" (8:48) opening with some angsty aggression, this one kind of awkwardly straddles a pseudo-funky rock style that sounds like some of the fusionary experiments of early Larry Coryell. The guitar is once again in the lead position while everybody else (including a track of wah-wah rhythm guitar) tries to keep the train running a top speed (without derailing). Definitely representative of an earlier, more formative stage of Jazz-Rock Fusion (like three or four years earlier). It's pretty good if you like to hear long soloing by a single instrument over some disciplined and nicely coordinated rhythmatists working hard beneath. In the final minute the straight-running train is given the signal to slow down, something the band does in an interesting, very cool way. (17.75/20)

Total time 39:10

Interestingly, there are several songs in which I can barely notice the presence of a guitar, which makes me wonder if this was really a trio with only occasional sessions using the credited guitarist.

88.38 on the Fishscales = B/four stars; an excellent display of creative, textural early-Seventies Jazz-Rock Fusion from some pretty talented and disciplined musicians.

December

DEDALUS Dedalus

Recorded and released in Italy by Trident Records in 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:
- Marco Di Castri / guitar, tenor saxophone, percussion
- Fiorenzo Bonansone / electric cello, Fender Rhodes, synth (3)
- Furio Di Castri / bass, percussion
- Enrico Grosso / drums, percussion
- René Mantegna / African percussion

1. "Santiago" (9:13) driven by a great bass line and some solid rhythmic support from keys and drums, the sax and electric cello get most of the solos on this long, very well produced jam. The spacey electric cello begins a solo in the middle of the song, allowing Fiorenzo Bonansone the chance to display the experimental use of the echo and sustain effects he's plugged into. This solo plays out for the remainder of the song--about five minutes worth. Reminiscent of some of the electronic sound experiments released on albums by CHICAGO, PINK FLOYD, or JEAN-LUC PONTY. (17.75/20)

2. "Leda" (4:30) an unexceptional first half yields to an amazing second half with simply stunning work from the Fender Rhodes. (8.75/10)

3. "Conn" (3:48) an oddly discontiguous intro opens this one for the first minute before a fully formed jazz tune is spliced in and played out for the next two-and-a-half minutes. (8.5/10)

4. "C.T.6" (14:02) the truest jazz song on the album, this one could have come straight from an RTF or Freddy Hubbard album. There are several sections, each with their own groove, pacing, melodic structure, and familiarity, from flourishes of John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, Deodato, and Herbie Hancock. Nice Jerry Goodman-like play from the electric cello in the tenth minute. Not a prog song, this is an excellent jazz song, filled totally with jazz solos, jazz scales, and jazz drumming. (28/30)

5. "Brilla" (5:39) drums, bass, and beautiful Fender Rhodes play support to a gorgeous and sensitive solo saxophone in the lead . . . for the first 1:23. Then things stop, change directions, pick up speed, and shift into electric cello and fast-walking bass mode. Lead instrument switches to electric guitar and then back and forth, sometimes together, until 4:45 when we turn back onto a Coltrane-like sax-led "easy street," familiar to us from the opening section. (9/10)

Total Time: 37:12

For now I'll give it four stars--especially as I'm not sure how "proggy" this is--despite the avant use of space, electrified strings, and diverse keyboard sounds. Maybe further familiarity will cause it to climb to masterpiece status. I will add that it has incredible engineering/production for its time!

It is quite remarkable how narrow the window of productivity was for the artists of this amazing nation and yet how bright these stars shine. Also of interest to me is how these artists most typically produced only one, maybe two, album forays into the "experimental" fad that was progressive rock--again, a testament to how small the window of "popularity" this musical movement had. As a matter of fact, only five of the bands recognized in this list of masterpieces from the "classic" RPI period of 1971-1975 had more than two albums under consideration (PFM, Le Orme, Banco, Area, and Oliver/Cherry Five/Goblin).

A great, amazingly well-produced Canterbury-oriented jazz album. (from my 9/22/13 review on PA:) Presdoug is right: This is an album that deserves much more attention and recognition than it has (thus far) received. The other reviewers aptly cover the comparable bands though some of the uses of electronics reminds me of a less-avant DEODATO, too. Everyone seems to want to give Soft Machine or Weather Report credit for the style and sound of this band, but I think this group has far superior planning and less jamming, plus the instrumentation sounds are often quite different (the keys' sounds are much more diverse than Ratledge, more strings-oriented than Zawinal & Co.) Also, the guitarist sounds much more "straightforward" jazz, not at all like John McLaughlin (to me). I love the combination of the Coltrane, Freddy Hubbard/Chick Corea and Eumir Deodato feel of "C.T. 6" and the beautiful "Leda" and "Brilla." Side 2 definitely feels more jazz-oriented than Canterbury or Avant/RIO to me.

90.0 on the Fishscales = B+/4.5 stars; a of jazz-rock fusion.

Other Significant 1973 Album Releases:

HORACEE ARNOLD Tribe (1973)

Master drummer Horacee Arnold's first album release as a band leader after taking time off from his career as a jazz drummer to go back to school to study composition (the second time Horacee has done so in his 35 years). The album was recorded and released by Columbia Records some time in 1973.

Line-up / Musicians:

- Horacee Arnold / drums, composer

- George Mraz / bass

- Ralph MacDonald / congas, percussion

- Joe Farrell / flute, flute [alto], soprano saxophone

- Ralph Towner / guitars

- David Friedman / vibraphone, marimba, xylophone, percussion

A1. "Tribe" (10:15) the presence of Ralph Towner's electrified guitar is notable--a component that helps bring in the feel of Jazz-Rock Fusion. (/20)

A2. "Banyan Dance" (7:33) more standard jazz bass 'n' drum based with active weaving from Joe Farrell's soprano sax and David Friedman's xylophone. This is Jazz. Good Jazz, but it's Jazz. Nice drum solo in the fifth minute. (13.25/15)

A3. "Forest Games" (2:26)
B1. "Orchards Of Engedi" (10:43)
B2. "The Actor" (6:55)
B3. "Professor Moriarty" (0:41)
B4. "500 Miles High" (9:13)

About this releaseColumbia ‎– KC 32150 (US)

JOHN LEE & GERRY BROWN Infinite Jones

Release by Keytone Records either late in 1973 or very early in 1974, the Chris Hinze-produced album was recorded at Dureco Studio in Weesp, Netherlands, on June 23 & 24 in 1973 and then later re-released as Bamboo Madness in 1994.

Lineup / Musicians:

- John Lee / electric bass

- Gerry Brown / drums

- Gary Bartz / saxophones [alto, soprano], slide whistle, percussion

- Chris Hinze / flutes, [alto, bass, piccolo, bamboo], producer

- Howard King / percussion

- Henny Vonk / vocals, percussion

With:

- Jasper Van't Hof / electric piano, organ (1, 2)

- Rob Van Den Broeck / piano, electric piano (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7)

- Hubert Eaves / percussion, piano, electric piano (1, 2, 4, 5, 7)

- Wim Stolwijk / piano, voice (6)

A1. "Infinite Jones" (6:42) opening with some careful, pensive notes and play from Gerry Brown's cymbals (and, soon, snare) and John Lee's bass--sounding as if they're starting up the engine of a lawn mower or chain saw with the pull string--but soon the rest of the band begin to enter, all at first slowly, as if just joining the party, but then congealing into a wonderfully flowing jazz-rock fusion--one in which John Lee's front and center bass is very active along 100% of his fretboard while multiple electric pianos and piano's create a rich filler in the background and bluesy lead instrument over the top. Soprano saxophonist Gary Bartz gets plenty of lead and support time as well as does percussionist Henny Wonk's wordless vocalese at the end (previewing a tactic Pat Metheny will employ quite liberally over the course of his career). Great performances from all but especially impressive is John Lee. (8.875/10)

A2. "Deliverance" (13:43) opening with a 25-second fireworks display from drummer Gerry Brown before he stops to allow John Lee, Gary Bartz, and the three keyboards players to step in and start building ther weave. Amazing speed coming from Gary Bartz' fingering of his soprano saxophone. Quite the RTF/GINO VANNELLI Jerome Richardson-like sound and melodies expressed over some very virtuosic performances from all of the contributors, especially Gerry, John, Gary, flutist Chris Hinze, and the three keyboard players. A top-notch J-R Fuze epic from some top notch musicians. High powered and eminently impressive! (28/30)

B1. "Jua" (7:04) another slow, scattered start in which the players seem to gather themselves in the effort to gradually create a jazz jam in the vein of MILES DAVIS' seminal In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew albums, this each individual instrumentalist seemingly soloing non-stop while holding together a complex weave over which individuals can step forward to solo. Saxophonist Gary Bartz is particularly powerful in this latter capacity while the pianist(s) provide a strong presence in support just beneath the soloist(s). Again, Henny Wonk provides matching vocalese to take the song's melody out at the end. Great pacing, weave intricacies, and melodies. (13.75/15)

B2. "Absolute Posolutely" (2:57) drums with slide whistle for the song's entirety. Unusual song. Nice crisp drum playing. (4.375/5)

B3. "Rise On" (3:17) piano, double bass, and drums open this one, establishing a straight-line motif over which flutes and saxes create and carry the melodies. Gerry Brown's embellishments and fills are great as is Hubert Eaves' piano support. (Hubert was apparently a very busy man on this one: aslo playing percussion and electric piano.) Rollicking fun and perfectly measured. (9/10)

B4. "Who Can See the Shadow of the Moon" (5:17) long, slow MAGMA-esque intro and build into a plodding pretentious piece of "Black Orpheus"-like mood music. Chris Hinze's flute playing is finally given its due with the support of Rob Van Den Broeck on piano and electric piano as well as Wim Stolwijk's piano and heavenly vocalese. Interesting and pretty but nothing to get too excited about despite John Lee's nice double bass play. (8.75/10)

B5. "Bamboo Madness" (2:30) Chris Hinze blowing hard on his bamboo flute while John Lee accompanies with some very funky bass play and Howard King and, eventually, Gerry Brown provide some awesome percussion and drum support, respectively. I love how John doubles up Chris' melody line in the final minute. (4.5/5)

Total time: 41:28

90.88 on the Fishscales = A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Second Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion from an ensemble of virtuosi. Highly recommended for all J-R F fans and fans of great, creative ensemble work.

A Compendium of "Classic Era" Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums

Tuesday, December 30, 2025

1973

Michał URBANIAK Fusion
(released in February of 1974)

Michał URBANIAK GROUP Inactin

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1977

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Tuesday, December 30, 2025

1973

Michał URBANIAK Fusion (released in February of 1974)

Michał URBANIAK GROUP Inactin

No comments:

Post a Comment

1977

Michał URBANIAK Fusion
(released in February of 1974)