WORTH A LISTEN
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When I came across Something Else in the used record bins, it was irresistable to me: I had never heard of flautist Jeremy Steig, but I most definitely was familiar with the work of keyboardist Jan Hammer, bassists Gene Perla and Eddie Gomez, and percussionist Don Alias.
Jan Hammer and Gene Perla had […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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I’m not generally a big fan of jazz compilations. Nine times out of ten, the people who are compiling the set have their taste in their ass. The problem is compounded when you try to whittle down a major jazz artist’s oevre to one CD. It’s practically impossible.
The Essential Larry Coryell […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Drum Ode (released on the ECM label) isn’t really Lookout Farm, Dave Liebman’s fantastic fusion outfit from the 70s, but it might as well be. With the exception of bassist Frank Tusa, here replaced by Gene Perla, the core of the band is there. They’re augmented by a dizzying plethora of […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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When Bill Connors starting putting out releases like Step It and Double Up, legendary guitarist Allan Holdsworth was appalled. Holdsworth objected to Connors aping Holdsworth’s Road Games era style in lieu of Connor’s own style, which was unique and interesting.
You see, Bill Connors wasn’t just some punk who decided to forgo […]

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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The Killer Bees project was born as a result of legendary percussionist Airto Moreira’s desire to revisit the days back in the early 70s when the cream of Manhattan’s musicians used to gather in lofts to jam with each other. Such luminaries as Chick Corea, Dave Liebman, Jan Hammer, Dave Holland, […]

JAZZBO NOTES HIGHLY RECOMMENDED RECORDING
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Why do I like Barefoot Boy so much? It sure isn’t because of the complexity of the tunes. Gypsy Queen and The Great Escape are basically both one-chord wonders, and Call To The Higher Consciousness has a big three chords. You would think with the length […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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The Breckers were often dismissed as shallow R&B fusion at the time these recordings were waxed, which is understandable given the music’s rock star swagger and Michael Brecker’s propensity to play as many notes as humanly possible.
However, that doesn’t take into account Randy Brecker’s innovative horn […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Probably the single greatest jazz/fusion release of the 70s, Wired combines the talents of Jeff Beck’s band from his previous album, Blow By Blow, with two members of the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jan Hammer and Narada Michael Walden. The result is magic.
Jeff Beck’s brute power and mastery of […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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Fascinatingly eclectic, Sweet Hands finds Dave Liebman’s band Lookout Farm exploring different styles such as funk, free jazz, Indian music, song forms, and even a surprisingly successful reharmonization of George Harrison’s Within You Without You from The Beatles’ 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Listening to Sweet Hands makes you […]

JAZZBO NOTES ESSENTIAL RECORDING
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I know that there are four musicians listed as playing on Believe It!, but really, it’s a two man show. There’s Tony Williams, who has all but abandoned his beloved ride cymbal and the polyrhythmic subtleties of the Miles Davis years and just bashes away on the […]