Fusion

Jazz music community with discographies, reviews and forums

Rock and RnB came from jazz in the 1940s via the jump blues genre. Needless to say, over the years jazz, rock and RnB have enjoyed a close relationship and have cross-influenced each other from the beginning. In the mid to late 60s, rock and RnB under went major changes with rock becoming much louder and more experimental under the influence of artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Cream, while RnB became more syncopated and abstract with the new funk sound created by James Brown, Bootsy Collins, Sly Stone and Larry Graham. Meanwhile, Latin jazz was undergoing similar experimental changes under the guidance of artists such as Hermato Pascoal and Flora Purim.

At this point in the mid to late 60s, any intersection between jazz, rock, funk and Latin became a radically different form of music that eventually came to be called fusion. Pioneers in the world of fusion include Larry Coryell, Jermy Steig, Gary Burton, Don Ellis, Chico Hamilton, Charles Lloyd, Jack DeJohnette, John McLaughlin, Tony Williams, Soft Machine, Brian Auger, Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea and Dreams (Billy Cobham and the Brecker Brothers)

fusion top albums

Showing only albums and live's | Based on members ratings & JMA custom algorithm | 24 hours caching

MILES DAVIS In a Silent Way Album Cover In a Silent Way
MILES DAVIS
4.64 | 117 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
MILES DAVIS Live at the Fillmore East (March 7, 1970): It's About That Time Album Cover Live at the Fillmore East (March 7, 1970): It's About That Time
MILES DAVIS
4.80 | 13 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
HERBIE HANCOCK Crossings Album Cover Crossings
HERBIE HANCOCK
4.59 | 64 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA The Inner Mounting Flame Album Cover The Inner Mounting Flame
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA
4.57 | 83 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
MILES DAVIS Bitches Brew Album Cover Bitches Brew
MILES DAVIS
4.56 | 107 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
MILES DAVIS Dark Magus: Live at Carnegie Hall Album Cover Dark Magus: Live at Carnegie Hall
MILES DAVIS
4.60 | 32 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA Birds of Fire Album Cover Birds of Fire
MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA
4.52 | 84 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
EDDIE HENDERSON Realization Album Cover Realization
EDDIE HENDERSON
4.56 | 18 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
MICHAL URBANIAK Fusion III Album Cover Fusion III
MICHAL URBANIAK
4.95 | 4 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
CHRIS POTTER Circuits Album Cover Circuits
CHRIS POTTER
4.92 | 4 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
PAT METHENY Pat Metheny Group : The Way Up Album Cover Pat Metheny Group : The Way Up
PAT METHENY
4.47 | 31 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
MILES DAVIS Get Up With It Album Cover Get Up With It
MILES DAVIS
4.45 | 40 ratings
Buy this album from MMA partners
This list is in progress since the site is new. We invite all logged in members to use the "quick rating" widget (stars bellow album covers) or post full reviews to increase the weight of your rating in the global average value (see FAQ for more details). Enjoy JMA!

fusion online videos

fusion New Releases

.. Album Cover
Nitty Gritty
Album
RUSS SPIEGEL
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
Rain Sultanov Syndicate : Mr. Joe
Live album
RAIN SULTANOV
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
Native Son
Album
MICHAEL WALDROP
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
Poetry Legroom
Album
ZOO TOO TRIO (MICHAEL CAIN - KEITH PRICE - PHEEROAN AKLAFF)
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
Spellbound
Album
SHEZ RAJA
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
What Happens Next
Album
RAY SUHY & LEWIS PORTER
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
Then and Now
Album
TERJE GEWELT
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
Reach
EP
KNEEBODY
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
SEMA4
Live album
ALISON RAYNER
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
East by Midwest
Album
CHARLIE BALLANTINE
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
The Eternal
Album
BILLY MOHLER
Buy this album from MMA partners
.. Album Cover
Fasten Up
Album
YELLOWJACKETS
Buy this album from MMA partners

fusion Music Reviews

PUMPKIN Pumpkin

Album · 1975 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
FunkFreak75
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.

EX OVO PRO European Spassvogel

Album · 1976 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
FunkFreak75
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.

EX OVO PRO Dance Lunatic

Album · 1978 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
FunkFreak75
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.

EXTRA BALL Birthday (aka Narodziny)

Album · 1976 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
FunkFreak75
The debut album from Cracow's leading Jazz-Rock Fusion band.

1. "Narodziny" (10:05) beautiful, lush keys, bass, and cymbal play open this almost like a NOVA Vimana song. Soprano sax joins in to lead us down the country garden path. At the two-minute mark the band reshapes the Deodato-like electric piano lushness into something that sounds more like Klaus Doldinger's PASSPORT. I am in love with the mutually-respectful spaciousness of each individual musician's play: it's as if everyone is so in-tune with the others that they are all playing this game of turn-taking. While I am impressed and enjoying each and every band member's skill and prowess on their respective instruments (as well as the engineering choices to put the bass and electric piano far forward and the drums, sax, and electric guitar [mostly] back) I find myself really attracted to the Elio D'Anna-like melodic choices (and sounds) of Andrzej Olejniczak on his soprano sax (which is very odd as I'm usually quite nauseated by the sound and play of saxophones). (19/20)

2. "Taniec Maryny" (3:30) two bouncy electric piano chords open this one, repeated until guitar, bass, and drums join in after about ten seconds. The production is very warm and inviting while the style is jazzy over a "Smooth Jazz" rock 'n' roll two chord vamp with regular deviations into a bar or two of "chorus" chords. The melodies are often shared, presented by the guitar, sax, and Władysław Sedecki right hand. It's simple and mathematical--like an étude--and yet offered with admirable precision and clarity. (8.875/10)

3. "Bez Powrotu" (2:40) this one is much more aligned with traditional jazz stylings: walking bass, nuanced syncopated drum play, whole-group presentations of melodies in harmonic weaves with electric piano chords bridging the middle ground. (8.75/10)

4. "Podróż w Góry" (3:50) very quiet and delicate electric guitar with rich electric piano support opens this one for the first minute before the guitar, sax, and synthesizer jump out front with a very high-speed motif which gattling gun bass and frenzied drums try to keep up with. The overall sound is quite modern--like the music to an early video game or pinball machine. Impressively disciplined synchrony from the lead instruments with the poor capture of the drum sound making it sound as if Benedykt is having trouble keeping up. (8.875/10)

5. "Siódemka" (6:55) more impressive machine gun whole-group spitting and spraying of harmonically-composed melodies over another rhythm track that sounds and feels very much like the uptempo hard bop jazz of late 1960s. The musicians are each quite impressive with their skill and dexterity, and the melodies are quite clear and, I'm sure, impressive from a jazz and classical music perspective, but this is exactly the kind of pre-fusion jazz that I find myself unable to follow, understand, much less enjoy. The Bob James-like electric piano and jazz guitar solos in the third and fourth minutes, respectively are my favorite part of the song after the impenetrable music of the first two minutes. Then, at 4:31, a fast-tempo Mahavishnu-like motif ensues that is much more funky, spaced and broken up, with short burst solos that are much more accessible and digestible to my puny little brain. This part I love, so I'll not let the first two-and-half minutes spoil what turns out to be quite a great song. (13.625/15)

6. "Szczęśliwy Nieszczęśliwiec" (4:05) built over a very comforting rhythm and harmonically-rich jazz-rock base with more humanely-paced bass, drums, and melodically-sensible this one My favorite song on the album because it is both beautiful but also cuz it allows my the time and space to get inside (and feel comforted by) the music. My favorite song on the album. (9.25/10)

7. "Blues For Everybody" (5:45) piano and jazz guitar open this one with some truly blues-based music as the two dance around and within each other's melodies and chords. The one-minute intro is awesome and then the two lock into a more uptempo and more structured blues motif so that they can each solo off of one another. The two musicians sound very mature, relaxed, and confident--as if they're really enjoying playing off one another. A master class in two-person blues-based jazz very much akin to the stuff Scott Joplin and Django and Stéphane Grappelli did together. (9/10)

8. "Hengalo, Almelo, Deventer" (3:20) what a weird sound the engineer-production team have given to the drums! And they've pretty much isolated the bass from everybody else in the mix as well. As a matter of fact, all of the instruments sound and feel boxed/cordoned off from one another--as if they were each in their own little sound room while the recording was going on. Weird! Makes me wonder if this was a preview of modern music in which the musicians do not even play along side one another, recording their "parts" for their own separate tracks, in the studio while the rest of the band is not even present--all from charts! The musicianship is impressive, as usual, but the overall effect of such separation in the final mix makes me feel as if this is just a presentation of someone's composition as rendered by hired studio musicians--compiled over, perhaps, weeks or months! Me no like! (8.75/10)

A lot of this album feels like a lot of jazz to me: harmonically and confusing, overwhelming, and coming from extremely-highly skilled musicians whose brains live and work in an universe that is totally foreign to me. Obviously, bandleader-guitarist Jarosław Śmietana and his keyboard counterpart Władysław Sedecki have a very special relationship--one that is founded much more in the esoteric domains inhabited by the great jazz musicians--but their impressive play does not always translate into enjoyable music for me.

Total time: 40:10

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of diverse, highly-skilled, but-more jazz-oriented jazz-rock fusion.

DEN ZA DEN Den Za Den

Album · 1980 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
FunkFreak75
High quality power J-R Fuse from Yugoslavia. Like a cross between RETURN To FOREVER and FOCUS after Jan Akkerman left.



1. "Svadba" (4:08) intricate multi-motif weave full of surprising shifts and turns and a lot of tension (coming from contrasting scales and melody lines). Very interesting and creative! (9.33333/10)

2. "Galeb" (3:56) a little smoother and more straightforward than the previous song--like a BRAND X song for the first minute, then there is a shift for the piano to lead. Excellent! (9.75/10)

3. "Ciganka" (3:03) perhaps the only weak, schlocky song on the album. (8.66667/10)

4. "Zedj" (3:30) ending with Dimitar Cokorovski's solo: one of his shining moments of glory. (9.25/10)

5. "Fatamorgana" (4:02) syrupy lush music in the vein of Focus Con Proby. (8.875/10)

6. "Cokor ritam" (0:59) a drum solo: A good one. Another shining moment for Dimitar. (4.5/5)

7. "A bila je tako draga" (4:06) Guitarist Arian Dema's electric guitar tone reminds me of Eef Elbers' on Focus Con Proby. Dragisa Sodatovic's keyboard work is definitely smooth and melodic and bass player Vladimir Jankulovski is very adventurous: covering a lot of the fretboard with ease and excellent melodic sense. (8.87510)

8. "Letnja ljubav" (3:25) jumping out to a Sunday drive in the countryside with the top down, Dragisa, Arian, and Valdimir do a remarkable job of holding the melody lines tightly together, each one pulling their weight harmonically and rhythmically--which makes it an absolutely delightful song to listen to. An alternative to the disco beat might have been preferred, but, here we are. (9.25/10)

9. "Vodopad" (2:41) heavy distorted guitars with weird synthesizer bubbles opens this before the band rockets out of the muck with a high speed journey of fire and abandon. Great rock guitar with thick support from Dragisa's multiple keyboards. Vlad and Dimitar are pretty tight, too. (9.25/10)

10. "Jutro i noc" (3:55) Smooth Jazz with a Chick Corea-like Latin foundation and stop-and-go rhythm track. Why Dragisa is mixed so far forward and Arian so far into the back I don't know: to give it that Chick Corea feel? RTF and FOCUS are again strongly felt throughout this wonderful composition. (9.25/10)

11. "Tako treba" (5:50) opening with Mr. Rogers-like electric piano play is not usually a good sign, but the way the band bursts out of the malaise with power and force helps to erase all worries and doubt. At the same time this song more than any other truly feels as if it's Dragisa's--at least until Arian comes out with his high-clipping machine gun in the fourth minute. Dimitar's weakest song. (9/10)

Total Time: 39:35

As John Davies has pointed out, the drummer (and recording of such) is, for me, the weak link cuz the guitarist, bassist, and keyboard operator all deserve superlatives. Dimitar Cokorovski is not bad he's just not up to speed with the others--though, again, part of my dissatisfaction could very well be coming from the way his drums (and particularly his snare) sound/are recorded.

A/five stars; a masterpiece of high-energy virtuosic performances of very interesting and creative compositions.

fusion movie reviews

WEATHER REPORT Live At Montreux 1976

Movie · 2006 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Maxsmusic
The mid 70's was the pinnacle for jazz fusion and this concert captures the energy and excitement of the era. The artists were playing in front of large crowds and making money. This band evolved from the post bop of the 60's and was super talented. The leader was a keyboard virtuoso and he wanted to create a new sound fusing jazz with rock. Weather Report actually had hits played on the radio, which was unheard of for a jazz band. This is not traditional jazz, as this was the electronic era and the musicians wanted to crank it up and play with synths and feedback. The 70's was the decade of experimentation in all forms of music and they took the jazz format to its limit. On bass the incredible artist of Jaco Pastorius, who had only recently joined the band, makes his mark with a vengeance. He plays as a true great bassist with feel and funkiness. This music is a direct offshoot of the Miles Davis school of music. It is highly recommended for the art it conveys. 5 stars.

WEATHER REPORT Live in Germany 1971

Movie · 2010 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Sean Trane
Well if the world still has to find some live recording from the very first studio all-star line-up (not likely, though), at least we've got now something very close to and we can even see the quintet at work with this just-as-famous version in the form of a German TV show called the Beat Club. With only Airto Moreira gone, replaced by Brazilian countryman Um Romao, the other four being Vitous, Shorter, Mouzon and Zawinul, Weather Report embarked on this TV show adventure not knowing that Alphonse Mouzon would leave the band in a while.

As you'd expect this broadcast consisted mainly of tracks from the debut album, but some are fairly different as WR always made improvisation their force. So you'll recognize 'Umbrellas generic structure, but drafted fairly differently, not just because of Romao's constant change of percussions instruments - he's one of the visual focus of the group, who otherwise remains fairly static and even blows a flute (and later some whistles) for a short while. One of the big difference between the studio album and this broadcast is that Miroslav has taken up the electric bass (his contrabass is still very present but mainly played with a bow), thus allowing even more energy to invade the quintet's shared space. The group's steaming-hot improvised fusion is simply awesome and flows naturally from your speakers like a river of fresh lave spewing out from your volcanic woofers.

Clearly the gravitational centre of the band is Zawinul's Rhodes, but it is clear that it is the group's tightness its main force. Morning Lake is much needed breathing space, starting out slowly with Shorter's sax signalling the dawn for Romao's birdsongs. Just past that Dom pulls an Brazilian berimbau . Drummer Alphonse sings funkilly (rather well, too) a rare sung track in the closing medley, but it's will veer into the Dr Honoris Causa - later on the Body Electric album.

A while later, Mouzon would leave the band and be replaced by drummer Erik Gravatt and this line-up would go on to record Body Electric and the Tokyo concert (released in 77, but part of it in the ISTBE album) and in the process become the definitive line-up of the Vitous- era Weather Report But for now, this German TV broadcast is an inestimable witness of the group's almost original line-up, and is just as essential as their debut album, the Tokyo concert or Body Electric.Too bad it's relatively short, though. Run for this baby...

DIXIE DREGS Live At The Montreaux Jazz Festival

Movie · 2005 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Slartibartfast
This was the Dixie Dregs lineup that I first come to know live and otherwise. The Montreaux Jazz Festival performance was used for side two of the LP Night of the Living Dregs. I had no idea the concert was filmed. This represents the band at their prime. Keyboardist Mark Parrish, would soon be replaced by T Lavitz, who is a better keyboard player, but this as this performance testifies, he was no slouch either. Oddly enough, the back cover of this DVD shows a band picture with the original keyboardist from Freefall, Steve Davidowski (guess there was only room for one Steve in this band). Steve Morse was at his most inspired around this time, even though he has certainly grown in skill over the years.

The set list is a little disappointing as it lacks some of the prime cuts from What If (Night Meets Light, Odyssey, Travel Tunes, What If), but I'm not complaining. Now I have something more than just memories of the many Dregs shows I saw back then. It is more of a forward looking set which includes Attila The Hun, that didn't show up on an album until three years later. Also of note, but of less interest to progressive rock fans, is the bluegrass style ditty, Kathreen, never released on a regular album, but only showed up on their demo album, The Great Spectacular, from 1975. If you have a copy of that album, you have something rare, indeed.

Thrown in for bonus are two live TV appearances, one on American Can'tstand (Bandstand) and one on Don Kirschner's Rock Concert. On the former, you get to see them both try out a vocalist, in an attempt to appeal to a more mainstream audience, and with Mark O'Connor, who only played with them for one album, but a few great live shows before the band disbanded for a few years.

As great as the band studio albums were, the live shows took things to an even higher level. Now you can see what you missed, unless you didn't.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN Abstract Logix Live! / The New Universe Music Festival 2010

Movie · 2011 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
js
Abstract Logix’s New Universe Festival of 2010 was probably one of the more significant fusion concerts in recent history, and it is all captured in excellent form on this concert video. Many of the top names in current fusion are here and what a great varied and colorful approach they all bring to this music that will always be associated with its 70s roots. Ranjit Barot fuses fusion with Indian flavors and orchestral music, Human Element bring back the beautiful noise and chaos that has been absent since the early days of jazz-rock, Wayne Krantz takes on the modern NYC flavor with his harsh jarring free funk, Jimmy Herring plays sentimental, sometimes delicate, progressive rock flavored fusion, and of course the great John McLaughlin rounds it all up with high speed post bop mixed with funk and contemporary fusion. Every single performance is top notch and very convincing in letting us know that there is still plenty of life left in this sometimes maligned genre.

The music on here is great, but the video itself is even better. Its amazing how far concert videos have come over the years. This one is clear as a bell and features lots of accurate close-ups of the musicians as they display their virtuoso skills. They say that fusion is a musician’s music, if that is the case, then this video is a great learning tool for the aspiring player. Much of the footage on here goes right to the source and features the musician’s hands as they work their scales and fret boards. Any aspiring fusionist can pick up a lifetime of high speed licks and extended technique by studying this video and even stop-starting it it frame by frame. Long gone are the days of vague camera angles from way far away and pointless shots of musicians grimacing while they play, this video is all about accuracy and showing you exactly how this music goes down. This is a spirited and enthusiastic concert and highly recommended for fans of modern fusion.

MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA Live At Montreux 74/84

Movie · 2007 · Fusion
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Slartibartfast
The 1984 appearance of the MO was a lineup that didn't have any of the previous MO lineup of musicians except for John. Still there was a pretty impressive roster. Jonas Hellborg, on bass, steals the show. I suspect he's been rather influenced by Jaco at this point. Also, we also have Bill Evans, fairly fresh out of his stint saxing with Miles Davis. There's also a fine drummer, Danny Gottlieb, who'd played with Pat Metheny prior. Don't know much about Mitchell Forman. With John experimenting with the Synclavier Guitar so much, the keyboards are almost redundant in this ensemble. I had a hard time sitting through this at first. It definitely has that '80's taint, if you know what I mean. But I've warmed up to it. It's a bit like an attempt to return to the magic of the original lineup that doesn't quite get there. Still, if you judge it in the context of the time, it's not too bad.

I got this for one reason and one reason only, it was the two video bits from the Apocalypse lineup of Mahavishu Orchestra. Actually calling them bits isn't quite accurate. Wings of Karma and Hymn to Him are actually decently long pieces. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had some actual orchestra musicians with them there at Montreaux. The first inkling I got that there was some live footage from this MO lineup was a poor quality video of Smile of the Beyond on a certain video clip web site many of us know of. It's very disappointing that we only get two clips from the show with video and the rest are audio only. I'm guessing the rest of the original footage has been lost. One can only hope that it will resurface. The performance is a bit more structured than the more compact MO's could be live, but that's to be expected due to the larger number of musician's involved. Still the core band does get to work in some improvisation, McLaughlin in particular.

This release is all in all a pleasant surprise for 2007, but there's more video out there from the older Mahavishu Orchestras, and I hope to see that material surface soon. It gets a four on the round up.

Artists with Fusion release(s)

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

For These Streets 21st Century Modern
ADAM O'FARRILL
Buy this album from MMA partners
Best Of Berlin Hard Bop
PETER AND WILL ANDERSON
Buy this album from MMA partners
This We Know Jazz Related Rock
DATADYR
Buy this album from MMA partners
Tim Daisy & Chris Corsano : Natural Clatter Jazz Related Improv/Composition
TIM DAISY
Buy this album from MMA partners
Solace Of The Mind Avant-Garde Jazz
AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Royalty For Real
SUSANNE ALT
js· 15 hours ago
Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio Dream a Dream
SATOKO FUJII
js· 3 days ago
Nitty Gritty
RUSS SPIEGEL
js· 6 days ago
Never in a 100.000.000 Dreams
SUPERSISTER
js· 7 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us