Jazz Fusion

[Shadow_Ferret]

I remember when Jazz Fusion first came on the scene. Miles Davis' "Witches Brew" was hailed as innovative and an exciting new direction for jazz. That album spawned many talented groups and individuals from Mahavishnu Orchestra to Chick Corea's Return to Forever.

This genre was hottest in the mid70s as talented musicians as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Allan Holdsworth, Jack Dejohnette, Jean Luc Ponty, Jan Hammer, Al DiMeola, Billy Cobham, Stanley Clark, Larry Coryell, Weather Report, and so on put out some very good albums.

The problem is the genre became heavy in excesses, overindulgances, and pompocity. As quickly as it hit the scene is almost as quickly as it died, lasting primarily the decade of the 70s.

I enjoyed this genre, the way it melded jazz and rock together. I have never warmed up to "traditional" jazz, preferring the more high-energy electric sounds of jazz fusion.

My question is this: are there any artists currently producing any new music in this genre?

 

[20to20K]

I love fusion...

I consider myself somewhat of a fusion conneissier(sp?) and you are 100% correct...the best fusion is well behind us. Fusion peaked in the mid-seventies and died a quick but painful death. The slow emergence of smooth jazz started the demise. In the late 70's artists like Grover Washington, Spyro Gyro, and David Sanborn transcended fusion jazz into a candy coated pop jazz to gain radio airplay and mainstream appeal.

The smooth jazz messiah, Kenny G, all but sealed fusion fate. (Did you ever hear the one about Kenny G, Osama Bin Laden, and Hitler in a room and you've got a gun with two bullets...who do you let live? Osama Bin Laden and Hitler...you shoot Kenny G twice!)

Anyway, here are a few artists that are still around that still play what I consider "decent" fusion. Not as good as the 70's stuff...but not as lame as the Rick Brauns, Chris Bottis, Fourplays, and Richard Elliots of the world.

Metro (fusion quartet let by Chuck Loeb...check out "Tree People" and "Metro"

Tom Coster (any of his CD's with Dennis Chambers on drums)

Mike Stern (any CD's from '84 - 95)

Bob Berg (Cycles, Short Stories, BackRoads)

Chick Corea Electric Band (Beneath the Mask...ONLY THIS ONE!)

Dave Weckl (Masterplan...ONLY THIS ONE)

Dennis Chambers (any of his CD's)

John Scofield (Loud Jazz, Blue Matter, Pick Hits, Electric Outlet)

Steve Kahn (Public Access)

John Pattituchi (John Pattituchi, On the Corner...ONLY THESE!)

That's enough to get you started!

 

[slmcdonald7]

My question is this: are there any artists currently producing any new music in this genre?

Jimmy Chamberlin recently put out a new album that could be considered a spin-off of jazz fusion. It is called 'Life Begins Again.' It is pretty good, check it out.

 

[cornelius]

Screaming Headless Torsos are my all-time favorite fusion band, even girls like them.

"1995"
"Live"

are two great recordings. I haven't heard the new album yet ("2005").

 

[20to20K]

S.h.t.

Screaming Headless Torsos are my all-time favorite fusion band, even girls like them.

"1995"
"Live"

are two great recordings. I haven't heard the new album yet ("2005").

Cornelius,

Someone just recommended this band to me a couple months back and it kind of slipped my mind (believe it or not, I forgot their name!).

How would describe their style? My friend said it was a vocals based band so I didn't necessarily think of them as being fusion. Is all of their music vocals based? Anybody to compare them to? Phish maybe?

 

[cornelius]

Their sound has an edge to it - so it's not as "smooth" as most of today's fusion - and never cheesy. The vocals (no backgrounds) are a little "out" but beautiful. I've seen them back up MeShell so they can groove without all of the notes, but when they're doing their own thing, it's another world.

I guess I also really like them because they're an actual band.

Page down to the first two albums and listen to the samples:
http://screamingheadlesstorsos.com/Website/SHT.html

Hope you enjoy it!

 

[Mark of Cenla]

IMHO fusion is alive and well. There are many good fusion CDs coming out every year for the past several. Here are some that I like:

Vital Information -Come On In
Vital Information -Show 'Em Where You Live
Gambale/Hamm/Smith -The Light Beyond
Gambale/Hamm/Smith -GHS3 (a super CD!)
Frank Gambale -Raison D'etre
Howe/Wooten/Chambers -Extraction
CAB -CAB
CAB CAB 4 (a super CD!)
Colaiuta/Ford/Haslip -Jing Chi
Jing Chi -3D
Hellborg/Lane/Sipe -Personae (a super CD!)
Niacin -Deep
Dave Weckl Band -Live (and very plugged in)
Mike Stern -Between the Lines

I do not care for fusion that is just chord changes for musicians to romp over. I like it with melody and some real music in there. Most of the CDs above are guitar oriented. Peace.

 

[20to20K]

More fusion...

IMHO fusion is alive and well. There are many good fusion CDs coming out every year for the past several. Here are some that I like:

Vital Information -Come On In
Vital Information -Show 'Em Where You Live
Gambale/Hamm/Smith -The Light Beyond
Gambale/Hamm/Smith -GHS3 (a super CD!)
Frank Gambale -Raison D'etre
Howe/Wooten/Chambers -Extraction
CAB -CAB
CAB CAB 4 (a super CD!)
Colaiuta/Ford/Haslip -Jing Chi
Jing Chi -3D
Hellborg/Lane/Sipe -Personae (a super CD!)
Niacin -Deep
Dave Weckl Band -Live (and very plugged in)
Mike Stern -Between the Lines

I do not care for fusion that is just chord changes for musicians to romp over. I like it with melody and some real music in there. Most of the CDs above are guitar oriented. Peace.

Good call on CAB...I forgot about them. I've got CAB and CAB2...haven't heard 4 yet. Another good one you reminded of is Vital Tech Tones which is a combination of Wooten(Fleck Tones), Smith (Vital Info), and Scott Henderson (Tribal Tech). Pretty nice. That Weckl Live CD is nice...I just recently picked it up after I made my first post. Definitely his best since "Masterplan".

I've been looking for that Haslip/Ford/Coliatia CD for about 5 years now and never see it. Which artist do you think it would be listed under? I've been checkng all three.

I remember I was looking for "Parallel Realities" for about a year under the Methany section until someone told me it was actually a Dejohnette release.
Since then I've also found a live concert double CD of it that's even better. The live version is also available on DVD with killer sound.

 

[Mark of Cenla]

At amazon.com it can be found under Jing Chi now that the live album and second studio CD have come out. I have all three. The first one is listed under Vinnie Colaiuta. I just checked it. Peace.

 

[JVC]

I can't believe that Spyro Gyra wasn't mentioned.......
Outstanding fusion band. Been around a long time too. They have close to thirty albums out. Y'all check them out.......

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I've always considered Spryo Gyra as "pop" jazz fusion or jazz fusion lite. It's OK to listen to on occassion, more as background music to something else, but I've never considered them progressive or provocative or even exciting -- Just safe. I know if I pick up one of their albums I won't be upset by a lack of competence, on the other hand I won't be stunned by anything daring or experimental.

 

[20to20K]

Spyro Gyro

I mentioned Spyro Gyro in my first post as one of the assassinators of true fusion. I don't hate them...I own a few of their CD's...but they're type of candy coated pop jazz gained huge popularity and air play in the late 70's and made true fusion obsolete.

Plus Spyro Gyro isn't really a true band. It's three guys...Beckenstien and Samuels and Shuman who change rhythem sections like I change socks...well maybe not that infrequently! The did have their high points....Access All Areas, Point of View, and Freetime are my favs...

 

[cornelius]

Roger that 20to20k. Those 3 Spyro Gyra albums stand out for me too. I'm a big Eli Konikoff fan - great sounding drummer.

 

[JVC]

20to20k........
Steely Dan does the same thing..............
I re-read your first and saw them. Oops!

 

[mwheelerk]

Not Close

I can't believe that Spyro Gyra wasn't mentioned.......
Outstanding fusion band. Been around a long time too. They have close to thirty albums out. Y'all check them out.......

I personally could not put Spyro Gyra in a "fusion" class as I would see them IMO as more of a "smooth" jazz genre band.

 

[Mark of Cenla]

I recently bought three of the newer Spyro Gyra CDs (The Deep End , Road Scholars , and In Modern Times ). I would not call it fusion, but it is a far cry from elevator music. Some of it is pretty heavy and firey. I read that Beckenstein gets pissed if Spyro Gyra is refered to as fusion.

Hey, what's in a name? If you like it, who cares? Peace.