Gary Burton's Duster May Be The First Jazz Rock Album: Is it Any Good?

Many believe Duster is the beginning of jazz rock, it certainly fuses rock and jazz styles, but I must confess, I was disappointed at first listen about 10 years ago.

 It doesn't sound all that groundbreaking to me, it actually sounds dated a bit to my ears, Just a quartet session with Burton on Vibes, Larry Coryell on Guitar, Roy Haynes on Drums, and Steve Swallow on Bass.

 Though an impeccably played chamber jazz of sorts, with Coryell playing in a rock style, but he sure isn't riffing it up like on many of his own early 70's albums; Barefoot Boy for instance. However the track included below "Ballet" has some tasty guitar from Coryell.

 Burton's Vibes are traditional and safe in the jazz zone, I don't feel much of a rock vibe here at all. I was expecting this otherworldly masterpiece of fusion, But in the end, it was just oh hum. I do find it hard not to like "General Mojo's Well Laid Plan" with a lilting lite rock fusion.

The ground breaking fusion music wouldn't happen until Miles Davis Got the electric instrument bug, and Tony Williams, Larry Young, and John McLaughlin formed Lifetime at about the same time, those 3 were all a part of some of the early Davis experiments.

So, was Duster really the first jazz rock album? well, maybe technically it could be considered that, but it doesn't feel like it to me. I think the coming together of jazz and rock was a spontaneous happening, younger rock and jazz musicians like these on Duster, intermingling their styles together.

I still happen to think those Davis albums like Bitches Brew and before that In a Silent Way feel more like what I was hoping for. Tony Williams' Lifetime band is what I think of, they aren't the first jazz rock albums proper, but which sounds better?

Over the years my stance on Duster has mellowed a bit, realizing that I was putting the album and the music in a box that made it not live up the expectations I had for it. In fact, it is a fine chamber jazz lite rock fusion,  mellower than you might expect, but it really is a lovely album.

Photo credit: Gary Burton Duster CD, used with permission via Amazon.com .

Miles Davis at the Fillmore: Vinyl and Now New 4 Disc Bootleg Box Set

Exciting news for March 25th 2014, the Miles Davis Bootleg series releases it's third volume. This time recordings live from the Fillmore East in New York City circa June 1970.

This music was originally released 8 months after Bitches Brew hit the streets, and these live shows featured bands like the Grateful Dead and Santana sharing the bill.

When  I first heard about this release, I immediately thought about Saxophonist Steve Grossman and how he was virtually edited out of the original release, I will be very interested in hearing his tenor sax contribution on these restored sessions.

The title track for Bitches Brew is the glue that holds these sessions together, fact is, it can get a tad monotonous, but it's hard not to enjoy it as rock solid pallet on this double album. I like the twin piano attack of Chick Corea and Kieth Jarret, lets be honest, both of them on the same record, crazy is it not?

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Corea and Jarrett do a lot of noodling for sure, but they always have something to say, and Miles is really playing well to my ear, in a cocky brash tone. Miles sure has a muscular style from 1969-1971.  After On the Corner, I think the tone becomes more brittle, yet more nuanced.

I think about those solos on A Tribute to Jack Johnson, and the Miles Runs the Voodoo Down, I get that same vibe here, just real good confident Miles in my opinion.

I see a lot of mixed reviews on this Fillmore show, mostly complaints about Corea and Jarrett meandering on and on, but hey I like the searching stuff.

 For me, sometimes the searching for that place to go "is" the place for me music wise. I feel this way about long winded progressive rock too, Yes and Van Der Graaf Generator come to mind, I love the stuff. So when I discovered Miles' electric music years ago it was like a religious experience.

I really am not over analytical about music I listen to, not in a music theory sort of way, I could care less. I am into analyzing moods, textures, and feelings. I am more about what type of emotion is stirred up inside me.

The pictured Vinyl copy still sounds great, and actually I prefer it over the CD reissue. But I will tell you this: With 2 hours of music not heard from the show, and some unreleased Fillmore West stuff thrown in as bonus tracks, I will be there to nab it up.

I also see that the Bootleg Series Vol. 3 has 2 lengthy essays, this time in booklet form, and not the horrid folded poster back notes of Vol. 2. Also the sound quality should be a considerably better than Vol.2. as the original source sound so much better.
 

Return to Forever Romantic Warrior: Irresistible 70's Jazz Rock Fusion Vinyl

Romantic Warrior is the album I believe that turned many a progressive rock artist into jazz fusioners.

Of course I like the style and don't have a problem with that, but fans of prog groups like PFM and Iceberg probably would disagree with me.

Even  Phil Collins had a side project away from Genesis called Brand X that reminds one of this album in spots.

Chick Corea is quite simply one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time and he owns the genre of jazz fusion in the 70's in my opinion.

All due respect to Weather Report, but anything they did after Jaco Joined the band is too light weight for my tastes,  not that it is bad music or anything. I just happen to think RTF was the pinnacle of 70's fusion.

A few bands like Caldera went unsung that rivaled RTF, then RTF guitarist Al Di Meola produced his own classic albums, drummer Lenny White and bassist Stanley Clarke also added to the style with their own classics from the genre.

Romantic Warrior is the pinnacle of the genre in my opinion, with crystal clear production. This pictured vinyl sounds incredible, the CD doesn't even come close to the warmth and
heavy natural bass sound.

It really is amazing looking at the back of this cover, talk about a super group! This group was actually just a working band at the time, but in hindsight it is obvious how great this music and band was.

Romantic Warrior is so complex in spots, you wonder how this band could ever pull it off live, but they did and still do with various reunions.

I know some will undoubtedly point to Mahavishnu Orchestra and some of their complex fusion albums, but even they I don't believe topped this Romantic Warrior.

It's hard to argue how guitarist Di Meola is the star of the show here, this guy was a schred guitarist before the term was even coined, as much as I marvel at Eddie Van Halen, I always thought Di Meola was more interesting to listen to.

Don Cherry Brown Rice: A World Fusion Masterpiece

Don Cherry made his bones with the pocket trumpet while in the quartets of Ornette Coleman in the 1960's.

Cherry also released 3 albums on Blue Note, Symphony for Improvisors, Complete Communion, and Where is Brooklyn.

 Those albums were very avant garde and full of free elements, Gato Barbieri and Pharoah Sanders appeared at one time or another on these mid 60's recordings.

Brown Rice on the other hand, doesn't remotely sound like these other albums, the style is an amalgam of jazz, r&b and world music.

The music has an other worldly feel to it, I get this feeling I am listening to a music not yet classified. Brown Rice is indeed a fulfilling and engaging listen.

I believe people who enjoy some of Pat Metheny's work could get into this, yet serious post bop free jazz fans can too, it's both high brow and contemporary at the same time. Brown Rice does have an enigmatic quality throughout the music.

Don Cherry also adds some vocals on the album, I think they work rather well, adding a space cadet vibe of mystery. Make no mistake about it, Brown Rice is a fusion album, just not in the Return to Forever sense.

The title track has long been a favorite of the beat doctors and fans of funk fusion. The rest of the album would really have an appeal to world fusion fans no doubt.

"Maulkens" and "Chenrezig" are lengthy 12 plus minute tracks that really highlight a echo trumpet sound that seems to have reverb drenched into the tapes own properties.

Don Cherry was not universally loved as a trumpeter. Critics and fellow musicians remarked how Don played out of tune and missed notes and played too primitive at times.

 Miles Davis didn't care for him in the 50's, but by 1964, in a Downbeat Blind Fold Test, mentioned how much he respected Don. "Perhaps this speaks volumes", I am not aware of too many musicians Miles didn't Like, then ended up liking?

Of course the harshest critics tend to not like anything that strays to far from the jazz tradition. Many times to them, music theory and perfect pitch are the be all end all, and innovation and experimentation are out the window.

I like Don Cherry, whether with Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, or his fusion albums like Brown Rice.

Caldera: The Best Fusion Band you Never Hear About.

The best way to describe Caldera is to Take equal parts of Weather Report and Return to Forever, and then add a heavy dose of authentic Latin funk.

 In Fact, next to Caldera, Weather Report seems overrated, especially the more commercial oriented late 70's early 80's version of that band.

I also thought that Weather Report's "funk" could be dry and lifeless, even with Jaco Pastorious' chops on bass. For some reason the later WR just seemed like lite jazz to me.

Caldera only had 4 albums from 76'to 79', the self titled debut, Sky Islands, Time and Chance and Dreamer, but nothing light weight about the Latin fire that melds with the Return to Forever like chops.

I think Santana mixed with RTF would be another apt description of Caldera, just a touch of Earth Wind and Fire shows up now and then as well.

All four of the albums are worth owning, each building on the last, and never watering down the latin jazz funk fusion.

Unfortunately in their day, Caldera never hit the big time, even today most of the catalog is is unreleased on CD, and only a few imports show up in the secondary market at extreme prices on Amazon.com

Return to Forever: Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)

Return to Forever's Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy just might be the quintessential "fusion" album. Hymn was certainly one of the best of the early 70's, is it their best? well it is certainly the equal of Romantic Warrior.

 Though Hymn is rougher around the edges and less produced, the music also seems less composed and more improvised on the spot.

Guitarist Bill Connors who only appeared on Hymn, then left for an acoustic solo career.

He was replaced by the Firebrand Al Di Meola. I love Di Meola believe me, but Bill Connors has a sound that is more in line with say the style of John McLaughlin, more Jazz and less rock if you will. But oh can Bill Connors play some electric guitar, I mean he is killing it on this album, his heavy fuzz sound is perfect for the raw under produced sound.

 Don't get me wrong. the production doesn't sound bad, but the mix IS a little thin, I have The U.S. and German issues on vinyl ( pictured), as well the CD. All 3 recordings have that same sound, I don't know if this album can be remastered any better, but it would be an interesting listen.

Hymn is one of those albums where no weak link is evident, "Captain Senor Mouse" is a perfect driving around with the top down song,

"After the Cosmic Rain" has fantastic slithery intro, "Theme to the Mothership" also has a driving around quality. This is a track where you notice a few spots where things just about break apart, but pick back up in fine fashion.

Stanley Clarke on Bass, Lenny White on Drums, Chick Corea on Piano, and Bill Connors on Guitar, I do think this is the best RTF album. Did you ever wonder what it would have sounded like if Saxophonist Joe Farrell would have stayed on board after Flora Purim and Airto left?