Recorded in June and July of 1967, it was the fourth studio album to come from the pioneering trumpeter's "Second Great Quintet." To be sure, this has to be one of the most talented lineups ever in jazz history and, despite Miles' young collaborators being (mostly) in their 20s and most definitely showing signs of some immaturity, the greatest innovation occurring here (in my opinion) is with 21-year old Tony Williams' drumming.

1. "Nefertiti" (7:52) a rather dull and slightly melodic lead song with Miles and Wayne up front has some rather adventurous performances from Herbie Hancock and, especially, the dynamic Tony Williams. (13.25/15)

2. "Fall" (6:39) another pleasant, melodic song in which the musicians are operating more nearly on the same wavelength--until fourth minute, that is, when Tony begins to go off into his own world, rhythmically, beneath Herbie's piano solo, but then he backs off and gets very quiet during Wayne's following solo and what follows. Interesting! (8.875/10)

3. "Hand Jive" (8:54) a much more dynamic song construct with Ron Carter walking all over his upright double bass while Tony Williams flies around his cymbals and toms. There is an odd, subtle shift in tempo in the third minute that I do not think is intentional but obviously not considered significant enough to correct or redo--and Ron Carter is not always "in the pocket" (at least not according to these amateur ears), but the song certainly displays the skills of all of the band members, with a considerable amount of time given to Wayne Shorter's solo in the middle. When Herbie is next given his turn, he seems a bit lost at first, but, after he gets warmed up, he starts to move better. Maybe everybody's just a little overwhelmed or intimidated by Tony's creativity (and Ron's hot-and-cold conformity to the "pocket"). (17.5/20)

4. "Madness "(7:31) more of the same as the previous song with Ron's fast walking and Tony's cymbal play providing the bulk of support beneath one of Miles' more dynamic and passionate solos on the album. The trio seem quite entrained. Then Wayne is given the nod to take over from Miles. He's not quite as dynamic but very impressive for his softer, breathy notes. When it comes time for Herbie's turn, everybody nearly cuts out, with only Ron and Tony remaining beneath part time, not flying around the fretboard and cymbal like they were. But then they return to their earlier form as Herbie heats up, though not quite as synched as they were with Miles--which may have something to do with Herbie's less smooth, less-melodic approach. And then they all come back together ever-so briefly before bringing the song to a quick close. (13.375/15)

5. "Riot" (3:04) Same cymbal play from Tony while Ron machine guns around the upper registers of his bass and Herbie plays a lot of chords beneath Wayne's initial lead. Then Miles is there, too. It's nice to hear the whole band working together (and Tony does get a little more active as the song develops). (8.875/10)

6. "Pinocchio" (5:08) a song that feels more like standard or old Miles bebop or hard bop. Opening with the whole rhythm section behind Wayne and Miles, Ron and Tony become more active as the song develops, something that is more noticeable during Wayne's solo (as Miles and Herbie check out). Tony really picks it up here, even when Miles and Wayne return to recapitulate the main melody. Then Herbie gets his solo. It's good, probably the best on the album, but then its over and the band pulls together to close. Very tight, "standard" jazz tune. (8.875/10)

Total Time 39:08

I think this album is most significant for confirming how much of a force drummer Tony Williams is (and is going to be). As impressive as Tony is (and Miles and Wayne, as well), I think Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter are showing how much growth they have yet to achieve--especially to be able to achieve the moment they are called upon.

B/four stars; an excellent album for prog rockers to gain insight into the genius of some of Jazz-Rock Fusion founders and all-stars--especially the phenom that was drummer Tony Williams.

Again, I cannot help but mention the unfathomable error that Columbia Records made when mistakenly switching the two album covers intended for this album and its predecessor, Sorcerer. How do such colossal blunders occur? Wasn't it obvious that "sorcerer" is a male assignation and thus deserving of a male cover photo and "Nefertiti" female and thus deserving of a female cover photo? Was Miles (and his team) not paying attention?

The debut album from this band from the former Yugoslavia. It's very melodic and ear-candy filled--not unlike the Easy Listening "Yacht Rock" that is becoming popular back in the States at this same time.

Side A: 1. "Dez" (3:55) opening with a driving jazz-rock infused palette, the song is quickly given over to some solo and group vocals rendered in a style akin to Western artists like Spencer Davis Band, Chicago, Blood, Sweat and Tears, Lighthouse, and Santana. The music is slightly simple and rudimentary, as if it might have been one of the band's early works, but it's polished and the solos (guitar) are quite refined. (8.875/10)

2. "Sprehod" (4:45) set up almost like a light, airy song carrying a little bit of mystery in it--just like something from The Zombies ("She's Not There") or The Association. This is, however, an instrumental. It contains some nice melodic electric guitar soloing from Peter Gruden, using a kind of Gregg Allman tone on his guitar, with that hypnotic "She's Not There" groove going on beneath. Nice! Not really jazz-rock or even close to Jazz-Rock Fusion, but it's nice in a Santana kind of way. (8.875/10)

3. "Razmisljanje" (4:40) melodic instrumental lounge jazz-rock (sounding very much like an instrumental cover of some more famous song or melody) with Andrej Pompe's "dirty" electric piano claiming lead position over the smooth and solid bass and drum rhythm track. At 2:45 Andrej takes a background support position behind Peter Gruden's equally-dirty electric guitar--which goes on to perform a pleasing and dextrous HIRAM BULLOCK-like guitar solo. A very pleasing song with some impressive performances (I really like the cohesive, easy-going parity and skills presented by drummer Janez Hvale and bass player Gabriejel Lah.) (9.125/10)

4. "Oaza" (4:45) sax, electric piano and bass open this before the band shifts into gear with a jazz-rock motif over which distorted and gritty saxophone and electric piano solo before Peter Gruden steps in with some pop singing. The klezmer-like chorus melody then gets picked up by the horns and guitar and repeated a few times before shifting back to the motif for the second verse. The instrumental passage after the second chorus has the dirty electric piano carrying the chorus melody forward before pausing to let Aleksander Malahovsky step in with his sonorous saxophone to play out on the top to the song's end. Like a jazzy-pop song from the live band in The Unbearable Lightness of Being film. (8.75/10)

Side B: 1. "Brez besed" (7:20) the guitar tone and sound in the opening seconds sounds more like a Dobro playing some Americana music, but then the full band shifts into gear and we have a pretty nice Jazz-Rock groove that is grounded by some excellent flamboyant funk bass and solid rock drumming. Sax, electric piano and prominent rhythm guitar fall into line with the compelling tracks put up by the rhythmatists, sax and electric piano taking the first two blues-rock solos before guitarist Peter Gruden takes over at 3:45. His John Tropea-like solo is quite nice--quite expressive--and definitely could have gone on longer, but the band feels that it has to stop at a traffic light, wait for permission to move forward, and then decide which direction it wants to go from there. (13.5/15) 2. "Svit" (5:10) long Mellotron intro with percussion incidentals for 90 seconds before rhythm guitar and rest of the band fall into a nice third-gear two-chord groove so that Peter and Andrej can express themselves in solo guitar and solo Mellotron (! Yes: I shit you not!) Electric piano solo follows in the fourth minute. Overall, the song is fairly simple: about as demanding on the rest of the band as a Zombies song. Pure ear-candy. (8.875/10)

3. "Sled sonca" (5:10) more melodic jazz-rock--here picking up a kind of hypnotic LARRY CORYELL sound playing something CHRIS REA-like that could easily be considered Yacht Rock. The main rhythm track with its own melody is like an island theme from Gilligan's Island. (8.875/10)

Total Time: 35:45

B/four stars; an excellent display of jazzy rock music founded on iconic songs and styles of the British and American hit makers of the late 1960s.

Some impressive Jazz-Rock Fusion from The Netherlands--this one containing musicians who, surprisingly, have no connection to any of the other renowned Dutch jazz, jazz-rock, fusion, or prog bands.

1. "Fretless Fret" (4:48) a loose, contemplative COLTRANE-like excursion through several slow, spacious motifs that, eventually, lead straight into the next more-developed and far more dynamic song. (8.875/10) 2. "Tiro Tiro" (4:50) there is the strong feeling/presence of Weather Report and, later, in cluding a rather loose passage in the middle that borders on "free jazz" Well composed and performed sophisticated J-RFuse. Perhaps could've used more hooks. (8.875/10)

3. "For You Too" (2:43) sounds like a fun, quirky, pop-radio-oriented attention-getting tune similar to those some of the funk bands (and Weather Report) and artists like David Sanborn, Average White Band, and Jay Beckenstein's Spyro Gyro produced around this time. Light and engaging. (8.75/10)

4. "Matthew Welname" (5:25) using synth bass, flute and synthesizers provided the main melody lines over the top of Frank Noya's synth bass and Nanning Van Der Hoop's proficient drums (which are recorded a little out of sync with the rest of the instruments). With the joinder of clavinet and jazz bass in the second half the band is trying really hard to get into the funk but kind of miss the mark a bit with performances that feel just a bit too-tight (especially the bass). There are some nice performances and ideas here but something just falls short. (8.75/10) 5. "Dune Tune" (3:35) five chord ascending progression around which is built another Weather Report funk tune. The bass synth just isn't working for me, but the drumming here is OUTSTANDING! Nanning has definitely been practicing (and, here: channeling) his Billy Cobham chops! Synthesizer tries to engage us with a solo as electric piano continues playing that five-chord sequence every so often. In the third or fourth minute we finally get some suitable leadership: some excellent saxophone play from Fred Leeflang. This has the potential to be one great Jazz-Funk tune were they to have chosen a lead instrument other than that weird saw-synth. (9/10)

6. "Depression" (7:05) more expert drumming on display as the synth bass fumbles his way over his keyboard trying to find a great melodic riff for the others to key into. So much potential here! Especially with the awesome gifts of Nanning Van Der Hoop's exquisite drumming and Fred Leeflang's disciplined and erudite sax phrases. At the end of the song I feel disappointed for having such a wonderful drum clinic go wasted like this. I am glad to see that of these musicians, Nanning Van Der Hoop managed to have a long and notable career in music. He is obviously quite gifted. (13.5/15)

7. "Go On" (4:54) the Weather Report-like jazz-funk on this one may present the audience with the most fully-formed, fully-developed, and satisfying song on the album. Even weak-link bass player Fred Noya nearly acquits himself of all previous crimes and deficiencies with his nearly-in-sync performance here! Great structure, melodies, chord progressions and key changes. I particularly enjoy the Jay Beckenstein-like performance of Fred Leeflang on the soprano sax. (9/10)

8. "Free At Last" (4:44) a two-part song that rocks, swings, and funks, giving Fred Leeflang the opportunity to show that he is, in the end, just another run-of-the-mill saxophone player: spitting out some truly despicable sounds and "melodies" with his considerable solo time. Too bad, cuz, once again, drummer Nanning Van Der Hoop shines and Fred Noya lays out another passable performance. (8.6667/10)

Total Time 38:04

A collection of very interesting songs that feel quite obviously inspired by Weather Report. It is unfortunate that the exceptional talents of drummer Nanning Van Der Hoop and wind player Fred Leeflang are brought down by the unpolished skills of composer, keyboard player (and co-producer) Peter Schon and the apparently-tone-deaf Fred Noya. There is some great talent here, unfortunately it's disproportionately allocated among the four individuals in the band.

B/four stars; an excellent attempt at some solid Jazz-Rock Fusion that is, unfortunately, marred by inconsistencies and inadequacies. I so want to like this album--due in most part to my astonishment at the skills and performance of drummer Nanning Van Der Hoop--but it's just too flawed.

The debut album of a short-live ensemble of highly-skilled musicians from Ulm released on the Amayana Label.

1. "European Spa'vogel" (4:00) a very warm and intimately recorded and imaged song of jazz musicians playing a melodic and rock-inspired song. Though the bassoon is the lead instrument, the bass and drums are mixed so that they sound like they're in your lap and so draw a lot more of my attention. In the third minute guitarist Roland Bankel is given the spotlight for his erudite jazz guitar. Nice song that has the same feel as Paul Desmond's "Take Five." (9.3333/10)

2. "Mr. & Mrs. Scrooples Lament" (3:15) a couple of warm electric piano chords are repeated to open this one while bass, and cymbals pulse and hold space from behind. Bassoon, guitar, and electric jazz guitar join in to direct the song's first full motif into something that sounds like it could come from Markus Pajakkala's UTOPIANISTI or other tongue-in-cheek song producers. The electric piano and jazz guitar do, however, coax the song into jazz territory-- something that one might hear from JOHN ZORN. Very modern/21st Century sounding. (9.125/10)

3. "What's the Deal" (4:42) a great, engaging, funky, even hypnotic jazz-rock fusion tune that Herbie himself would have been proud of. (9.25/10)

4. "It's Rainin' in My House" (4:22) slow-paced syncopated drums over and within which minimal bass play and slow- injections of synthesizer and heavily-treated deep bassoon notes lead the way. It's as if we're a crime detective slowly making our way through a heavily-wooded neighborhood in the wee-hours of the night with only a flashlight to help us see past the dark shadows. Or it could be the rendering of the creepy sounds one might hear inside one's own home when the power has been cut on a dark and stormy night. High marks for mood-making. (8.875/10)

5. "Don't Forget the Master" (4:13) such solid sound and musicianship! Though catchy and groovin' nicely, there are things about this song that feel incomplete and/or cheesy, as if the song really could have been more polished (compositionally). (8.875/10)

6. "In a Locrian Mood" (9:50) an opening that spans symphonic/classical to the jazz-pop in the same way that Deodato masterfully did for his rendition of "Also Sprach Zarathustra - 2001." At the two-minute mark the band shifts into gear with jazzy heavily-accented drum play and simple three-note bass line beneath soloing electric piano. At the end of the fourth minute every sits back to rest except drummer Harald Pompl who takes on a brief stop-and-go solo (later joined by Mandi Riedelbauch's sax and Max K'hler's bass mirroring Harald's syncopation). Then the song moves forward in a multi-tracked fashion in which it feels as if each and every musician is soloing all on his own: a little "free jazz," if you will. At the end of the seventh minute they come back together briefly before taking a seat to let Max have go on his effected, "underwater" bass. Around the eight-minute mark he's finished, Harald rejoins with some gentle cymbal syncopation, mirroring the pattern set forth by Max, as electric guitar takes off on a wild adventure. Synths and sax add a little texture around Hans' speed-a-long guitar play before rising with the rest of the band to kind of thicken and congeal behind and around Hans--right up until the quite sudden two-chord clipped hit that ends the song. Unusual, somewhat wild but at every moment feeling very defined and purposeful, even composed. I find it interesting and admirable but I'm not sure I'm really fascinated or engaged enough to say that I really like it. (17.5/20)

7. "Happy Sounds" (4:05) a song that sounds as if it were constructed as an exercise in whole-band discipline and perhaps as the working out of a rather mathematical problem--but then the wild and crazed second minute arrives with Mandi Riedelbauch's sax leading the band down a steep hill of uncontrollable speed and abandon. After that the band come together in a syncopated, almost-funky motif over which Roland and Hans take turns contributing their mood-appropriate solos. Harald and Max stay tightly bound underneath despite a challenging pattern and time signature. Interesting and mesmerizing for the musicianship and lack of predictability but not necessarily "happy" for me as there is little melody for me to hook into. Still, I can't say enough about the impressiveness of the performances. (8.875/10)

Total Time 34:27

I just LOVE the up-close and intimate rendering of these instruments! It's like they're playing right around you (or that you, yourself are playing the bass)! And the way each and every song is rooted in both jazz and rock trends and traditions. Rare! Despite the incredible sound rendering, the hard-core complex musical arrangements are not always as engaging as much as they are impressive. I guess I wish there was a little more of the former.

B+/4.5 stars; a near-masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion: the sound quality, musicianship, and compositional intelligence of these songs should qualify this album as a masterpiece but there are just not quite enough engaging melodies-- even in the rhythm section's grooves--to get it there. Too bad! This is quite an extraordinary album.

Recorded & mixed at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg September 1978 for Amayana Records, this is, unfortunately, the second and final offering from this band of talented, skilled musicians.

1. "Dance Lunatic" (8:49) setting up a Disco-ish Shaft-like jazz-rock motif from the opening notes, the band doesn't really fully serve the song up until the one-minute and then 90-second marks. Bass and hi-hat dominated drums with minimal synthesizer and guitar inputs allow for a broad spaciousness for the swirly, oscillating space synth to float around and the other instruments to add their exploratory accents. Guitarist Roland Bankel takes the first solo. At 3:48 everybody settles back into a late-nite open space motif over which saxophonist Mandi Reidelbauch solos quite beautifully as keys, bass, and guitar add their gentle but effective support accents. around the 5:25 mark the band start to increase their additions, finding a center in a groovy funky pattern while Mandi continues her solo unfazed. At the end of the seventh minute, then, everybody cuts out except for the "distant" "background" keyboard play of Hans Kraus-Hübner. Remember the gorgeous Yacht Rock classic, "Harbor Lights" from Boz Scaggs? This gently, floating keyboard sound, playing style, and mood here is reminiscent of the work of David Paich (TOTO) on "Harbor Lights." Some excellent, disciplined and understated Jazz-Rock Fusion in this song. At times it sounds like PASSPORT, at others SPYRO GYRA or even a little STEELY DAN-ish. (19/20)

2. "Burning John" (4:28) creative and inflective jazz-rock fusion that has just the right amount of funk, jazz, rock, melody, twists and turns to keep it both interesting and engaging. I find this drummer (Max Köhler) to be quite impressive with the way he achieves so much with his incredibly subtle stick play on the cymbals, hi-hat, and snare. Guitarist Roland Bankel gives one of the more impressive jazz-guitar performances I've ever heard. (I am not really much of a fan of the traditional Wes Montgomery and Charlie Christian "jazz guitar" sound or stylings.) (9/10)

3. "Drowsy Day" (4:53) this smooth, spacious, and fairly simple song exists to support the pop-jazz saxophone play of Mandi Reidelbauch--who feels, more and more as the album goes on, like the band's leader and chief composer. (He's not. Those credits go to keyboard player Hans Kraus-Hübner for all songs but the next,) Drummer Max Köhler continues to really impress with his skill for never dominating yet filling all spaces with his clever and constantly-shifting nuances. (8.875/10)

4. "Poly Whole" (3:53) a song that sounds and feels very influenced by the music of both Weather Report and Larry Coryell (among others). The tone used by guitarist Roland Bankel is quite familiar: similar to that of contemporary Larry Carlton and early Pat Metheny. Not as cohesive or accessible of a song as the previous ones. (8.75/10)

5. "Moonfever" (7:53) a two part song, the opening 90-seconds kind of wandering around on the dancefloor before the band settles into a kind of Van Morrison "Moondance" motif over and within which Roland jazz-guitar solos in some more traditional jazz-guitar tones and effects. I like Hans' piano support from beneath--which turns into a full blown solo in the fourth minute as the band turns to a completely different, more jazzy motif with fast-walking bass beneath him. Another 90-degree turn at the five-minute mark, slowing things down for a pretty awesome, if over-extended, space-saw synth solo from Hans--which takes us out to the song's end (a fadeout). Though this is not my favorite song or style exhibited by the band on this album, it is impressively composed and performed. (13.75/15)

6. "All These Nights" (5:23) very spacious, "late night" melodic and contemplative jazz opens this for the first couple minutes, then bass player Max Köhler creates a riff that draws all of the rest of the band members into a cool little "loose" groove. All the while, Mandi Reidelbauch is playing his alto sax up front and center, doing a great job of matching his mood with that of the shifting musical styles and tempos beneath him--which, at 3:36 move into a more vacuum-like spaciousness motif--one that reminds me of the structure of the famous Frank Sinatra version of Ervin Drake's "It Was a Very Good Year." Interesting and, ultimately, another impressive composition rendered with full mood effect. (9/10)

7. "Blue Time" (4:55) spaced-apart guitar and electric piano chords open this one, supported by injections of cymbal play and Vangelis-like synth sax and real flute. Eventually, the song opens up as an electric piano solo piece--one that is floating in and out of blues chords and riffs but never really going full blues. The sound palette, style, and timing of this opening three and a half minutes make me wonder if Vangelis ever heard this song (and borrowed from it) before or during his composition of the Blade Runner original soundtrack. After that it makes a meagre attempt to move into a rhythm-backed slow jazz piece but then fairly quickly disintegrates back into the spacious synth, electric piano, and bass palette and form of the opening--for its ending. Interesting but feeling less "finished" and less creative in its compositional form that the rest of the album's rather impressive displays. (8.75/10)

Total Time 40:14

Excellent sound engineering and smooth-on-the-verge-of-feeling-facile performances makes this music seem so satiny; it's just polished--by a great band of skilled professionals--a band that is on the verge of becoming a producer of Smooth Jazz, BUT they manage to deftly display their considerable jazz skills and creativity enough to keep themselves anchored in firmly in Jazz-Rock Fusion's Third Wave.

A-/five stars; I call this very much a masterpiece of late Third Wave Jazz-Rock Fusion. The skills exhibited by all of these performers feel to me similar to those of a master chef in a fine restaurant: engaging menu, great presentation, delicious, melt-in-your-mouth tastes with subtle yet very-satisfying undertones of flavor peppered with the perfect amount of never-over-done bursts of stimulation and character leaving a wonderfully-long-lasting glow of pleasure and contentedness. Highly recommended.