Jazz Fusion

[acousticlady]

Re: Jazz Fusion

Two of my all time faves!

Possibly I don't know the correct definition of "jazz fusion"? Someone please enlighten me.

A fairly well known fusion artist I know once explained it this way - if you play two tunes back to back and you can't tell the difference between them, then it's smooth jazz.......

Fusion took a lot of its instrumentation and sonic structure from the rock world and placed the musical structure of jazz into it, using modern recording and playing techniques, but leaving wide room for improvisation. Smooth jazz is more of an instrumental pop, with a pop song's melodic framework overall.

Excellent description! Can I quote you?

[Jim75]

Re: Jazz Fusion

"Bitches Brew" by Miles Davis is flat-out brilliant. His trumpet vocalizations hit you and stay with you like the flash of a bright light, but it's a very strange space they were exploring. If you listen to it, you'll be drawn in. Fascinating, but it may not make you feel all sunshiny.

[Pomai]

Re: Jazz Fusion

There is a classic joke in the jazz world, about a musician who dies and goes to heaven. St. Peter meets him and gives him a tour of the place, finishing up with heaven's jazz club, featuring all the great players of the past - Duke Ellington's at the piano, Gene Krupa's playing drums, etc. The recently-deceased player is ecstatic, but asks St. Peter about the old, bearded trumpet player with his back to them, a guy he doesn't recognize. St. Peter responds: "Oh, that's just God; he thinks he's Miles Davis.

I love it. I wonder how "Heaven's Great Hawaiian Band" is doing upstairs with Uncle Gabby, Atta, Sonny and Ray strummin' the slack, Auntie Genoa belting out a 3-hour long high C, and everyone else not mentioned jumping in on a song or 1 million.

Speaking of local talent from the past (and present), I must say, Kalapana certainly had the chops to do Jazz Fusion work, as was evident with the song, Black Sands. In fact, I just saw DJ Pratt the other day at the mall. He's a great Jazz guitarist.

To me, what makes a great Jazz Fusion composition is progressive, melodic, highly complex runs that build to explosive, synchronized climaxes, along with trick work done by the drummer and super funky bass lines. I really look for FUNK>ROCK>JAZZ, in that order. As you can tell by my avatar, I tend to focus my ear on the guitarist, which is why I'm a fan of RTF (Di Meola), Weather Report (McLaughlin) and Dregs (Steve Morse).

I was first "turned on" to the genre way back when I was in the 8th grade in school, when my friend's older brother was a bassist in a local Jazz Fusion band in Phoenix (I can't remember their name). He came back home, put on Al Di Meola's Land of the Midnight Sun, and from the then on, I immediately ran to Tower Records, bought the album and replayed it until the vinyl grooves wore out.

Speaking of smooth Jazz, did you know KORL 101.1FM (Honolulu) is now playing that format? Yep! My car radio dial doesn't go anywhere else now.

At home and at work, I keep my iTunes dial fixed on Attention Span Radio. They play all the greats mentioned throughout this thread.

[Pomai]

Re: Jazz Fusion

Weather Report (McLaughlin).

Oops. I meant to say Mahavishnu! Ack!

[tutusue]

Re: Jazz Fusion

Wow. I was surfing around YouTube for stuff, and stumbled upon this classic video (VIDEO!) of Return to Forever playing the Sorceress (circa 1976). Awesome!
[...]

Wow indeed! Love it so downloaded it to my iPod. Pomai...sorry I missed your initial link to Wikipedia. Today is a brain burp day! I'm befuddled over how, 'til now, I missed anything to do with RTF.

Is anyone reading this familiar with Lovegypsies? If so, how do you classify their music? To me it's jazz-funk but I could be so wrong! Luv 'em and have given them their own playlist on my iPod.

[Leo Lakio]

Re: Jazz Fusion

As I mentioned above in a poorly constructed sentence () I am familiar with both Benoit and Corea. Both reside on my iPod.

Ah, gotcha. May I recommend (in the smooth jazz vein): Tom Grant, Jeff Lorber, Deems Tsutakawa? (I'm a little biased towards keyboard players.)

Excellent description! Can I quote you?

If'n you gots ta.

The important thing has been said already - if you like it, listen to it, and never worry about anyone telling you whether or not it's really "jazz." (Well - except for Pat Metheny's famous anti-Kenny G rant.)

[Jim75]

Re: Jazz Fusion

The important thing has been said already - if you like it, listen to it, and never worry about anyone telling you whether or not it's really "jazz." (Well - except for Pat Metheny's famous anti-Kenny G rant.)

I once read an interesting bit of trivia about a woman who experienced the rare condition called synesthesia. It's where the senses get jumbled up in the brain. You might taste sound or hear color, etc. She said when she listened to Pat Metheny golden orbs would appear in the air before her.

It's getting away from the fusion focus of the thread, but in 2005 I was lucky enough to be at the opening night of the 30th anniversary of the North Sea Jazz Festival in the Hague, Netherlands. Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, and Gary Peacock. It was kind of like a dream. One minute you're sitting in the concert hall. The next minute you're saying 'Wow'. The minute after that it's over and the lights are coming up.

[tutusue]

Re: Jazz Fusion

Ah, gotcha. May I recommend (in the smooth jazz vein): Tom Grant, Jeff Lorber, Deems Tsutakawa? (I'm a little biased towards keyboard players.)If'n you gots ta. [...]

Ooh La La...love Jeff Lorber but am not familiar with the other 2! I've bookmarked this thread 'cuz I have a lotta listening to do!

[scrivener]

Re: Jazz Fusion

When I did college radio in the early nineties, I would often be a substitute when the jazz djs couldn't do a shift (I would take any opportunity to get in front of the mic). There was a period where I was subbing often enough that I decided to give myself a theme and a show title and think of it as an irregular but frequent program with a roving time slot. I called it Mitchell's Elektric City and focused entirely on fusion-type artists.

Since I was pretty new to jazz in any of its forms, I'd spend an hour before the show going through the record stacks and pulling stuff I hadn't heard. It was interesting: You could tell from the album covers and the names of the ensembles which records were fusiony, most of the time. So I'd pull a few records, read the liner notes and band lineups, and get enough info there to pull other records I'd missed. It was a GREAT education.

Other artists I favored and forgot to name: Shakatak, Herbie Hancock (for a couple of albums), Pat Matheny (a guitar god), Allan Holdsworth, Al DiMeola, Joe Jackson (when I thought I could get away with it; I really did want to be doing a rock show), Sadao Watanabe, Stanley Jordan, and Manteca. Yes, I know I mentioned Manteca before, but I like them so much I thought they warranted another shout-out.

I was very good about recording all of my radio shows, so I have them all in a large box in my closet. Unfortunately, I was terrible about labeling and indexing them. Ugh.

[mel]

Re: Jazz Fusion

While I am more of a rock and pop music listener, I do own and have listened to a few artists in this genre.

I am not very sure whether or not they are "jazz fusion" or "smooth jazz".... nevertheless...

Herbie Hancock, Bob James, Hiroshima and a few others mentioned previously in this thread.

Long long ago I remember seeing in concert Eumir Deodato and his band, a Hilo band called Justin Thyme and one from Honolulu called Nueva Vida. Those were good concerts.

When I want to listen to something different, I'll occasionally switch to a jazz music stream online. And yes, I have noticed KORL FM does play jazz, mostly at nights and on weekends I think. Some of their broadcast day is fragmented with "ethnic" music programs (Japanese, Filipino).

[Pomai]

Re: Jazz Fusion

And yes, I have noticed KORL FM does play jazz, mostly at nights and on weekends I think. Some of their broadcast day is fragmented with "ethnic" music programs (Japanese, Filipino).

Nope. It's ALL smooth Jazz now. No "ethnic" programming whatsoever anymore.

The only break that I know of is from 6-7pm when they broadcast a radio-edited version of KHNL news. After that, it's back to the smooth jazz, all day and night.

Scriv', you mentioned Alan Holdsworth. Just like Di Meola, when the 80's "sound" came around, he kinda' "sold himself out" by over-synthesizing and "electronifying" his electric guitar effects.

I'll take a gritty, raw, overdriven tube amp-driven Les Paul over pedal and rack effects any day.

[Ron Whitfield]

Ouch!

Dang Leo, the truth hurts! Thanx for the correction. I wasn't that into either band, but liked the rythym sections, and have always gotten them mixed up. Seeing Jaco was a real experience. Saw him again w/Joni Mitchell, at The Greek (I think!?!)

I saw both of the Miles Davis gigs at The Shell, up front, and they were terrific.
You can find some live Brew era Miles on www.wolfgangsvault.com that will have you smiling, or running away!

The Shakti shows McLaughlin did long ago at the Blaisdell Concert Hall were hot, and while not classic 'fusion' Oscar Peterson w/Joe Pass was quite remarkable.

Anybody see Fred Frith at The Hawaii Theater? Now THAT, was a show.
After intermission, the remaining handful of audience were invited to sit on the historic but pre-renovation hole pocked stage with Fred and his percussionist for the remainder of one of the most interesting performances I ever witnessed.

My long time favorite band these day's is www.mermen.net This adventurous trio combine Dick Dale and Hendrix with an emphisis on free form in thier tunes, all glorious instrumentals. Lot's of thier history 'in concert' can be found at www.archive.org and youtube has stuff. I miss Jennifer, but it's all good.

[tutusue]

Re: Jazz Fusion

I'm seeing mentioned other artists who get prominent play on my iPod...Bob James, Sadao Watanabe, Herbie Hancock, Pat Matheny and even Nueva Vida. Oh wait, don't think I have any of their recordings and there's nothing in iTunes. Still, a great group. They have different band monikers for the different styles of music they play, depending on the event. Such a versatile group.

Another Hawaii fave group? Seawind.

Let's not forget Joe Sample. And, yet another one...Larry Carlton.

Then there's The Crusaders (aka Jazz Crusaders) which included, among others, Bob James and Joe Sample. Eventually that group disbanded and James formed "Fourplay". Catchy name! Luv both groups.

[Ron Whitfield]

Re: Jazz Fusion

Lemuria seemed like a promising band as well. Too bad they didn't have a longer life.

[gchun]

Re: Jazz Fusion

Glad to see groups like Seawind, Lemuria and Nueva Vida mentioned. Seawind was once mentioned in downBeat Magazine as part of the "second or next generation" of fusion. Jerry Hey, Larry Williams and others went on to such greatness in the music business.

Nueva Vida did some great fusion music in the eighties. Unfortunately, they stopped playing the fusion stuff a while back. They still are one of the best groups out there. The band always had some of Hawaii's best musicians.

Lemuria, also had fine musicians. The group seemed very short lived.

Garry