LENNY WHITE — Venusian Summer (review)

LENNY WHITE — Venusian Summer album cover

Album · 1975 · Fusion

5/5 · 2024-10-11
FunkFreak75

An album offering quite a diverse palette of what Jazz-Rock Fusion was offering at the time of its making, the truly surprising element of these songs is how well they were composed and how amazingly well each song's multitude of tracks were recorded and mixed (not to mention performed).

A1. "Chicken-Fried Steak" (4:33) credited to New York City homeboys Doug Rauch and Doug Rodrigues, this is tight and funky music but not really great prog or jazz-rock. (8.75/10)

A2. "Away Go Troubles (Down The Drain)" (3:21) another song Lenny credits to the two NYC Dougs (and himself), this one is more sophisticated funk: there are several highly-demanding tracks woven together here in absolute vacuum-sealed tightness. The bass play alone seems near impossible! (8.875/10)

"The Venusian Summer Suite: - A3. Part 1. "Sirenes" (4:28) lots of ethereal/heavenly synth and fluegelhorn play from keyboard triumvirate of Patrick Gleeson (Mwandishi synth master), Pete(r) Robinson (the same dude from QUARTERMASS, Swedish band ABLUTION, and BRAND X), and trumpeter Tom Harrell (the song's orchestrator). It's long and kind of dull but very space-cinematic and probably experimental song for 1975--kind of similar to the work Klaus Schulze was doing at the same time. A Lenny White composition! (8.75/10)

- A4. Part 2. "Venusian Summer" (6:38) the suite kicks into full form with a very engaging/infectious DEODATO-kind of cinematic funkness. The synth players (Gleeson and Robinson), clavinet (Robinson) and rhythm guitarists (uncredited), and, later, Hubert Laws' flute, David Sancious' MiniMoog, and Onaje Allan Gumbs' piano soloists are so locked in it's crazy! But it's free-flowing Doug Rauch that really drives this bus! (9.5/10)

B1. "Prelude To Rainbow Delta" (1:10) Patrick Gleeson doing some synthesizer magic as an intro-prelude to the next song (which it bleeds into). (4.5/5)

B2. "Mating Drive" (7:40) between the "support" work of organist Larry Young, clavinet player Onaje Allan Gumbs, and hyper-speed bass player Doug Rauch this Lenny White composition would suffice as an incredible song but then put over the top one of the greatest electric guitar performances of all-time from a relative newcomer in one Raymond Gomez (with a very strong Doug Rodrigues in close support/assistance) and this one qualifies as one of those Golden Tickets into Prog's Hall of Valhalla. And that's not even mentioning the dreamy final 90-seconds beneath which Lenny gets to really show off his chops (for once). Amazing amazing song! One of my favorite songs of all-time! Such creative vision! (16/15)

B3. "Prince Of The Sea" (11:37) a great song (and Lenny White composition) over which two of jazz-rock fusion's greatest/most influential guitarists go head to head. Opened slowly, almost like a pastoral float down a lazy, gentle stream, is the distant plaintive calls of a bird over some piano and flugelhorn work. The acoustic piano beneath it all is quite lovely. In the second half of the fourth minute one of the electric guitar gods (Larry Coryell) shows up to give his demo of his powers. Onaje Allan Gumbs' shows up with piano, electric piano and organ ofr a bit as some really fine rhythm guitar (DiMeola) seethes in the background. At the seven-minute mark he is finally let loose--and man does he let you know who the new kid on the block is! All other pretenders are now demoted to demi-god status! Organ notes the transition to the axe-to-axe cmbat at 9:00, with Larry in the Right channell and Al in the Left. Lenny and Doug Rauch are, all this time, observing from their sentinel posts, but even their own performances can't help but ramp up from the carry-over effect from the raging warriors. A minute later the two guitar gods agree to team up and, for a brief 40 seconds they are united, but then their independent energies can't help but take them into soaring heights before crashing down into the sea Definitely one of the fiercest one-on-one guitar battles you'll ever hear--and a great, great moment in the history of prog rock and jazz-rock fusion. (20/20)

I cannot fathom how anyone hearing this album could not be blown away by the musicianship here. Doug Rauch on bass, Lenny White on drums, along with a veritable who's who of jazz fusion all-stars guesting throughout, all playing as if their life depended on it. The song "Mating Drive" alone has got to be one of the greatest achievements in music performance with peak Lenny, Doug, Onaje Allan Gumbs, Doug Rodrigues, organist extraordinaire Larry Young, and the most under-recognized super guitarist of all-time, Ray Gomez, shredding the vinyl grooves with nothing but fire and brimstone! This album has it all: cinematic themes, four-keyboard electronica, funky fun, frenetic screams, players taxing their fingers and brains at break-neck speeds (check out Larry Coryell trying to keep up with Al Di Meola on "Prince of the Sea"). Another of my "closet favorites" from the 70s, this one has stood the test of time and remains one of my go-to albums for joy and exuberance. If you've never heard it, don't miss out! Venusian Summer has got some of the most amazing moments of virtuosity, passion, and beauty ever put to vinyl!

As a post script I have to add, again, for the sake of attracting attention, the number of INCREDIBLE individual performances here are so high caliber, so stunning, that this alone should make this a must listen--an album for study. As I said in my opening statement, I cannot fathom how anyone hearing this album--really listening with their fully-present self--could not be blown away by the musicianship here. There are very few albums that I've heard in my lifetime that achieve this level and number of "WOW! What the f¥¢∑ did I just hear?" responses. Plus, this may be the recorded peak of supernova bass player Doug Rauch's career! That alone, makes this a "can't be missed" listen.

A/five stars; a high-flyin' masterpiece of jazz-rock infused progressive rock music (this despite the funk of the first two songs). Definitely one of my Top 10 Favorite Jazz-Rock Fusion Albums of the "Classic Era."