The Jazz Thread

Frank Zappa - "Hot Rats" (1969)

Frank Zappa's debut solo album & I have had a rocky relationship over the years & that's still largely the case today. I'm not a fan of half of the six songs on offer however the record is saved by the fact that the other three are much lengthier & more substantial than the shorter pieces. The sound of "Hot Rats" sees Frank combining jazz & rock for a result that straddles both jazz fusion & jazz rock very nicely but the dial is certainly directed further towards the jazz side of the equation than it is the rock one in my opinion. Zappa's guitar improvisation is my personal highlight so I tend to go for the more expansive arrangements where he gets to really open up. It's not a bad listen but I can't say that it fares all that well alongside other jazz fusion records of the time, at least not for me personally.

For fans of Soft Machine, Mahavishnu Orchestra & Allan Holdsworth.

3.5/5

Soft Machine - "Third" (1970)

After quite liking 1968's "The Soft Machine" debut album from this Canterbury scene icon recently, I thought I'd better check out their most highly regarded release in 1970's "Third". It sees them fully embracing their jazz side in a double album format that includes four lengthy full-side pieces, each breaching the eighteen-minute mark. Of the four tracks, I'd suggest that only one (the disappointing "Moon in June") is actually prog rock based with the other three all sitting far more comfortably under a jazz fusion tag. The musicianship is astounding, as is the scope of the compositional work for the time, although there has been a lot of splicing between different performances which makes the producer seem like another band member with a release like this one. Surprisingly, I think I prefer the psychedelic rock sound of the debut over "Third" but there's not a lot between them & I've experienced a similar level of enjoyment with their third full-length.

For fans of Gong, Caravan & Henry Cow.

3.5/5

Didn't think Takanaka was gonna do a country fusion track, but it's pretty bitchin'.

I suppose I'll end my Hiromi study with this year's release, Out There, and then likely move onto Hermeto Pascoal for the next couple days.

My jazz fusion studies will conclude with just a couple more albums by the following artists: Casiopea, Bela Fleck and Henry Threadgill.  Just when I think I'm done with the jazz fusion studies, I find a couple extra details I need to get done.  After that's all done, I'll head onto post-bop.  But first!  I'm at the point to where I can safely binge another metal band for the list challenges.  I only have four bands to get through.  This time, it'll likely be Destruction.

Right now I'm on UFO Tofu by Bela Fleck.  So far, it's pretty good, but nowhere near the heights of the debut.

Miroslav Vitous - "Infinite Search" (1970)

The second solo album from Weather Report bassist Vitous has been a stellar find this week. I had no idea who the supporting cast were going into the record but was easily able to identify some of them as soon as their music hit my ears as their signature styles are so familiar to me:

Miroslav Vitouš: – bass

Joe Henderson: – tenor saxophone

John McLaughlin: – electric guitar

Herbie Hancock: – electric piano

Jack DeJohnette: – drums

Joe Chambers: – drums (on track #6, "Epilogue")

Wow! That's an unbelievable lineup, particularly given the inclusion of McLaughlin who is my all-time favourite jazz guitarist. The material sounds very similar to the classic Miles material from the period too & has clearly been inspired by those classics while also being a little more avant-garde with Vitous' bass being the main protagonist most of the time which isn't all that common. This record comes highly recommended for jazz fusion fans.

For fans of Miles Davis, Joe Zawinul & Jaco Pastorius.

4/5

Here's my new jazz fusion top 100.  Ratings go from 100-89.

Today is a Roland Kirk day.  I just finished I Talk With the Spirits.  I like its childlike approach, almost like a bedtime story told through music.  The jingles of the first half greatly outweigh the second half.  83.  Now I'm starting Volunteered Slavery and it's starting off great.

Taking a small break from post-bop to re0-evaluate a couple of avant-garde jazz albums.  I'm going back on Tauhid right now, and if things continue to go the way they do, it might become my new #1 avant-garde jazz album.  It has some of the wild behavior of Black Saint but with a much more spiritual presence, and plenty of room for soft meditation as opposed to filling it with catchy hyperactivity, which is either charming and meditative or dark and surreal depending on how the flow goes.  There's a much more astral presence to it, and I'll even consider this a healthier album than Karma if the second half is just as good as the first.  Hell, three minutes in, the guitar tricks sound almost exactly like a proto-Merzbow piece or something.  So I think this'll make it.

New addition to my top 100 albums of all-time, not just jazz.

Charles Mingus - Town Hall Concert 1964

Genres: Post-Bop, Avant-Garde Jazz

I struggle with finding post-bop albums that really amaze me.  This has the same evershifting consistency and wide-ranging delivery of Black Saint and the Sinner Lady and almost all of the melodic prowess.  But of course, when you put Mingus with Eric Dolphy, amazing things are likely to happen.  I mean, So Long Eric is flawless jazz on its own, but Playing With Eric is just otherworldly.  I felt lifted into space with this one, especially during the first nine minute section.  There wasn't anything like this before.  This basically did the same favor for jazz that Shpongle would do for EDM with their debut.  Currently, Town Hall Concert 1964 is my number 1 post-bop album, and a much needed addition to my top 10 jazz albums considering the plethora of jazz fusion and spiritual jazz that rules it.

Art Pepper - The Trip

Genres: Post-Bop

It appears that Art pepper isn't very popular on Jazz Music Archives. That feels a little awkward since I've seen some darn good praise for his works on other websites. This album in particular, The Trip, is part of what looks to be a comeback period after a ten-year hiatus from 1963 - 1973. But I've heard quite a few Art Pepper albums before this one, and I have to say, I'm not terribly impressed. Out of the seven I've heard, this is the second worst.

And why? Now the moods are alright, nothing that hasn't been done before but nothing that doesn't at least get to the back of your neck. But the real issue is that only half of the six tracks have any engaging melodies or sax solos, so it's only really enjoyable half the time. Three tracks are pretty boring, two are only pretty good, and the only track worth bobbing your head to is Sweet Love of Mine due to its slight Latin flair. So suffice it to say, even though some people seem to love this one, I really can't see myself going back to this anytime soon. It's got some finely-tuned aspects, but the melodies can get quite dull. 

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