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Spectrum
by Dean Nardi
Was it jazz or rock? This was (is) the eternal question about fusion. Back in the 1970s when the Mahavishnu Orchestra pioneered the genre, the electric and chaotic unpredictability of the John McLaughlin-led outfit cut across what was thought to be basic jazz concepts by displaying loud electric guitar riffing over what could stand for prog rock organ, bass and drum. And shockingly, none of the original players blew into their instruments. But Mahavishnu McLaughlin was as cruel ...
Continue ReadingJan Hammer, Mark Lettieri, Jeff Berlin, Paolo Vinaccia and Aurora Clara
by Len Davis
Jan Hammer, Mark Lettieri, bassist Jeff Berlin, and Hungarian guitarist Mike Gotthard. The late drummer Paolo Vinaccia, Indonesian drummer Dimas Pradipta, and Scottish drummer Graham Costello. Italian band Electric Arc with violinist Carlo Cantini and Spanish band Aurora Clara. Playlist Jan Hammer “April" from Seasons PT 1 (Red Gate) 00:00 Mark Lettieri “Magnetar" from Deep: The Baritone Sessions Vol 2 (Leopard) Time Marker Jeff Berlin “Joe Frazier Round 3" from Joe Frazier Round 3 (JBMGl) Time Marker Mike ...
Continue ReadingLive recordings from John McLaughlin, Jeff Beck-Jan Hammer and Threeo with Gerald Gradwohl
by Len Davis
Part 1 of today's show is all live music, from John McLaughlin & 4th Dimension, Jeff Beck-Jan Hammer Group, El Grupo with Steve Lukather and Steve Weingart and Threeo with Gerald Gradwohl and the late Bob Berg. Playlist John McLaughlin & 4th Dimension “Mother Tongues" from The New Universe Music Festival (Abstract Logix) 00:00 Jeff Beck-Jan Hammer Group “Scatterbrain" from Live (Epicx) 12:24 El Grupo “Dismemberment" from El Grupo-Live (Self Produced) 24:48 Threeo “Take That" from There Live ...
Continue ReadingAl Di Meola, Return To Forever, Stanley Clarke, Deodato and Jean-Luc Ponty
by Len Davis
A nostalgic look at the '70s with Return To Forever, Al Di Meola, Stanley Clarke, Eumir Deodato, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Jan Hammer. Playlist Eddie Henderson “Sunburst" from Sunburst (Blue Note) 00:00 Al di Meola “Suite—Golden Dawn" from Land Of The Midnight Sun (CBS) 07:33 Return to Forever “Theme to the Mothership" from Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy (Polydor) 15:04 Stanley Clarke “Hello Jeff" from Journey to Love (Nemperor) 22:28 Milt Jackson “The Steel Bender" from Olinga (CTI) 29:59 ...
Continue ReadingCharles Mingus & Joni Mitchell: Jivin' with Joni: The Lost Recordings 1978-1979
by Mike Jurkovic
Looks like a bumper month of archival releases awaits the ever ready Mingus aficionado. First, in late April, 2022, Resonance Records unleashes The Lost Album from Ronnie Scott's. Just in time for Record Store Day (April 23) Candid Records releases a sweetly remastered Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus. Now, in a joint announcement from Jazz Workshop Inc. and Rhino Records to celebrate the big man's centennial (April 22) comes Jivin' with Joni: The Lost Recordings, 1978-1979. Recorded just ...
Continue ReadingLive, Eclectic, And Electrifying
by Mike Jacobs
Live albums. Love them, hate them, they are definitely a different animal from the studio album. It may be argued--especially with all of the tools available currently--that the “studio" recording is the means by which music can be crafted and honed into the most accurate representation of the artist's vision. And yes, live albums can be often characterized by poorer audio quality, crowd noise, mistakes in performance, meager facsimiles of studio material, etc. but the live album will never go ...
Continue ReadingStanley Clarke: The Complete 1970s Epic Albums Collection
by John Kelman
Legacy Recordings' recent spate of Complete Albums Collection box sets have righted a whole slew of wrongs by bringing long out-of-print recordings back in a reasonably priced and tidily collected series. They may be relatively light on production values--simple clamshell-style boxes, mini-LP cardboard sleeves, and booklets whose information, beyond detailed track and personnel listings, is largely dependent upon how much the artist has to say, if anything at all--but the opportunity to collect an entire discography from a specific period ...
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