Jazz Archives

KBB's musical genius remained intact, and even more, got enhanced and perfected as their splendid sophomore masterpiece "Four Corner's Sky" patently reveals.
Following in the path of their excellent debut album "Lost and Found", the quartet shows a major interest in increasing the jazzy essence of their music while adding some exciting refreshment and variation to their sound. The main compositions bear the usual strong feel. The opener 'Discontinuous Spiral' is a typical KBB refashion of the combined heritages of Jean-Luc Ponty's vintage stylish melodic fusion and di Meola-era Return to Forever's energetic sophistication. A strong opener, indeed. For the second meal of this feast, 'Kraken's Brain is Blasting', the band goes for a more somber ambience: for the first time, KBB ventures into neurotic territory, sorting out a well-balanced mixture of Mahavishnu's mystic side and King Crimson's exulting uneasiness.
Bassist Dani provides some excellent guitar leads that portray a big enough dose of fire as to serve an explosive challenge to violinist Tsuboy, a challenge assumed and responded with immaculate grace and convincing muscle. Definitely, track 2 is one solid peak in the album. After this display of power, comes a proper counterpoint, the beautiful ballad 'Horobi no Kawa'. It starts with a series of laconic piano chords, soon joined by the full band, which delivers a refined exercise on ethereal, melancholic moods worked on a simple yet effective basic melody. Just listening to these first three tracks in a row gives you that anticipation of a full masterpiece. The following two numbers are well constructed under the prototypical patterns of KBB jazz-prog. 'Back Side Edge' returns to the Ponty thing, marked by an initial catchy bass line set on a dynamic 7/8 tempo. 'Slave Nature', whose main motif is also constructed on a 7/8 tempo, preserves the same energy albeit a bit more restrained. The almost-Emersonian organ solo and guitar leads during the harder sections give an effective pompous adornment to the track, while the funky-based interlude softens things for a while. In many ways, you can describe 'Slave Nature' as a recapitulation of the recurrent moods of tracks 1 and 6. Then comes 'I Am not Here'. a mysterious title for the most inscrutable KBB composition ever. The band lets go momentarily of their melodic candor and splendorous vision in order to submerge itself into the realms of RIO. Yes, RIO. Assuming the lead role at its most compelling, Tsuboy's violin leads the band into a journey of sinister atmospheres, pretty much similar to early 80s Univers Zero. The interventions of Takahashi on piano and synth textures don't exactly help to make things brighter: the whole track seems to have been inspired by the dark side of the mind.
Very unusual for KBB standards, yet very revealing of how well can the band integrate diversity and unexpected ideas into the album as a whole. After the darkness comes the light again. The 10 minute closer 'Shironji' lifts off from when tracks 6 and 7 had left, leading to a gradually climatic display of progressive brightness. The successive guitar and violin leads help the track move from a more muscular mood into a more ethereal vibe, always energetic.
"Four Corner's Sky" is a good reason to keep infinite faith in the current Japanese prog scene. KBB has created a prog masterpiece for the new millennium - I wish I had gotten acquainted with this band's discography earlier since it's a genuine catalogue of wonders.

:::Review by Cesar Inca:::

KBB - Four Corner's Sky (2003)

1. Discontinuous Spiral (7:16)
2. Kraken's Brain is Blasting (9:34)
3. Horobi no Kawa (6:51)
4. Back Side Edge (6:48)
5. Slave Nature (6:37)
6. I am not here (9:08)
7. Shironiji (10:10)

Credits
- Akihisa Tsuboy / violins, cellolin (7), guitars (5)
- Toshimitsu Takahashi / keyboards
- Dani / bass, guitars (2,7)
- Shirou Sugano / drums

Somehow, FRANK ZAPPA found a way on "Overnite Sensation" to package his oddball humor and complex arrangements into a commercially palatable package. It was the first ZAPPA album to go gold, and contained songs (like "Montana") that could actually be played on FM radio without frightening away listeners. For this reason, AMG rightly refers to this as a "watershed album." It marked a clear and conscious departure from the complex, often orchestral jazz rock of earlier efforts like "Hot Rats" and "The Grand Wazoo", succinctly summing up the traits that made ZAPPA so special: the brilliant guitar leads, luminous contributions from fellow artists (Jean-Luc Ponty, George Duke, Ruth Underwood), and the perverse sense of humor. Because folks who might not ordinarily buy this album did, some were shocked to hear lyrics about bestiality ("Dirty Love"), orgasms ("Dinah Moe Humm"), and a Mexican witch who just happens to be breeding a dwarf ("Camarillo Brillo"). However, longtime listeners were used to this sort of thing; after all, is anything on here less tasteful than "Magdalena" or "The Mud Shark?" If the material is a little off color, Frank delivers it in a good-humored growl more mischievous than menacing. What's most impressive about "Overnite Sensation" is that so much music finds its way into these six-minute tunes without bursting the confines of the standard lyric rock song. The band's ability to start a track like "Zomby Woof" in a relatively straightforward manner, veer off into extracurricular melodies and solos, and then bounce back to find the original structure still intact is amazing. Some might argue that Underwood, Duke and Ponty are given limited roles in these arrangements, but all the better to hear Frank's guitar burn up the place on "Dirty Love" and "I'm The Slime." "Overnite Sensation" is probably the most accessible entry point for adventurous rock fans to approach the work of FRANK ZAPPA. The guitarist himself was obviously pleased with his newfound ability to write in a more concise format, and continued in this idiom for the remainder of the decade, relegating his experimental side to his unreleased leviathan, Lather (which escaped in drips and drabs over the '70s and '80s).

:::Review by daveconn:::

Frank Zappa - Over-nite Sensation (1973)

1. Camarillo Brillo (3:59)
2. I'm The Slime (3:34)
3. Dirty Love (2:58)
4. Fifty-Fifty (6:09)
5. Zomby Woof (5:10)
6. Dinah-Moe Humm (6:01)
7. Montana (6:35)

Credits
- Frank Zappa / guitar, keyboards, vocals
- Tom Fowler /bass
- Bruce Fowler / trombone
- Ralph Humphrey / drums
- Sal Marquez / trumpet & vocals
- Ruth Underwood / percussion
- Ian Underwood / flute, clarinet, alto & tenor saxophone
- George Duke / keyboards, synthesizer
- Jean-Luc Ponty / violin & baritone violin

Recorded in 1973 as a foray away from the Modern Jazz Quartet, Milt Jackson's second entry on the CTI label is also one of its highlights. This is one of Creed Taylor's finest productions both in terms of material and sidemen. Drummer Steve Gadd, flutist Hubert Laws, bassist Ron Carter, and pianist Cedar Walton accompany Jackson on the majority of the album. Indeed, Jackson's ability to swing funky is evidenced to delightful extremes on "Old Devil Moon," with a rolling cymbal shakeout from Gadd, whose rim shots and tempo-pushing musculature are a sharp contrast to those of the MJQ's Connie Kay. Likewise, Laws, whose playing is usually over the top, stays inside melodic nuances here and provides Jackson with an essential harmonic foil. And Ron Carter is playing throughout with a popping edge he never had before or since. On Jackson's own SKJ, recorded in December of 1972, Don Sebesky conducted a jazz orchestra for Taylor that included Herbie Hancock, Freddie Hubbard, Billy Cobham, Carter, a string section, a reed and woodwind and brass section, and a harp. Sounds sticky, eh? Hardly, Jackson is pure Bags here, playing it blue-black and rolling out around the ends of the turnarounds into deep, funky, post-bop terrain.
The orchestra is mixed way down and is added for texture so the sextet is what one hears most -- along with a burning Freddie Hubbard solo. The other number of real note here is a ripping rendition of Horace Silver's "Opus de Funk," which sprawls the slim harmonic edge, rolls it out on a carpet, and turns it inside on itself, before rolling through the blues to move the intervals into a sequence Silver might not have considered when he wrote it, but which Jackson reveals was in there all the time.

:::Review by Thom Jurek:::

Milt Jackson - Goodbye (1973)

1. Detour Ahead
2. Goodbye
3. Old Devil Moon
4. SKJ
5. Opus De Funk

Credits
Drums - Billy Cobham, Steve Gadd
Flute - Hubert Laws
Piano - Cedar Walton, Herbie Hancock
Vibraphone - Milt Jackson

Chindon is one of the stranger musical combinations in the world. It comes from both the street music and avant garde jazz scenes in Japan, defying the conformity of tradition and yet reveling in the connections to it. This brass/woodwinds based music merges jazz, klezmer, brass band, Japanese folk (and anything else it can get its hands on), into a wonderfully twisted and always surprising hybrid, unique unto itself. Cicala Mvta includes tuba, drum, percussion, cello, fiddle and electric guitar players, led by clarinetist/composer Wataru Ohkama. Ohkama was a member of the seminal Masami Shinoda bands, who took the chindon off the streets and into the edgy world of hard jazz and rock. This band follows that same tradition, with a vengeance. The melodies move from sublime Japanese folk tunes to insanely outside rock fusions, and it never lets up. They can dig into an original tune that comes out as eastern European klezmer one second, a Turkish time signature the next, and then spirals out of control as Ohkama's clarinet spins melodies from outer space. A bluesy slide guitar introduces a Brecht song that still somehow sounds very Japanese. Kabuki theater becomes Jewish jazz. Cicala Mvta carries on the great legacy of the late Shinoda and the band Compostela, spawning a new music that is full of twists and turns, and still has plenty of room to grow.

The British magazine "FolkRoots" about "Ching Dong":
“The stirring debut album by Cicala Mvta, Wataru Ohkuma's own band, produces complex, challenging and powerful music.”

Cicala Mvta - Ching Dong: The Return Of Japanese Street Music (1999)

1. Ohfuku Jinta 1:09
2. Punku Mancha No Odori 4:45
3. Rajamati Kumati 3:42
4. Michikusa No Tameni 6:27
5. Azuma Hakkei 5:26
6. Fratanisation Song 3:06 
7. Okuni Tsujiru Tobira 4:08
8. Turkish Dance 7:17
9. Nekomushi Ga Hairu Kara 5:52
10. Aohige No Yu-utsu 5:26
11. Shi Chome 3:52
12. Punku Mancha Reprise 1:10

Credits
Wataru Okuma (clarinet, bass clarinet, vocals),
Yoshiyuki Kawaguchi (saxophone),
Yoshiki Sakurai (guitar),
Takero Sakijima (tuba, recorder),
Tatsuya Yoshida (drums, vocals),
Keisuke Ota (violin, vocals),
Yoshiaki Sato (accordion),
Yoichiro Kita (trumpet),
Akiko Watanabe (trombone),
Miwazo Kogure (ching-dong, gorosu)

L'OS (as they are frequently known) is a group that has roots into such ancient bands as Lasting Weep (early 70's and where Maneige also originated) but for some reason never managed to secure a recording deal. So sick of this situation that they decided to produce their own album themselves by organizing a concert where the entrance fee gave you the right to a copy of the album once it was released. Their contempt for the recording industry is well shown by depicting the Grammophon label and the famous His Master's Voice spoof cover. And on the inside sleeve was marked all of the co- producers of the album, most namely the name of everyone that attended the concerts (4 in all)>> this was certainly an original way to get their album done.
And what an album this baby is!!! Clearly this debut album certainly rivals with Maneige's best works both in their early style of les porches and the later style of Libre Service. Citronnade (lemonade) is an amazing showcase for François Ricard's flute talents and Vanasse's superb Vibe playing. Houmalaya is the first part of their fabled Tibetan philosopher (you get plenty of far-eastern influences) and this track alone was worth the price of admission to the concert: grandiose!! Even the obligatory drum solo is good and certainly not overstaying its welcome. Their jazz-rock is always on the verge of classical, ethnic, jazz and rock music >> true fusion if I ever heard it.
The second wax slice side is more of that superb same and is a feast for your ears. Lacs is a corching beauty, with Vanasse's vibes taking the cake with Richard's flute being the icing. Stolow's funky-jazz bass is also at the forefront on this track. At the halfway mark of the track, they suddenly drop a stunningly quiet interlude sounding like the Swiss quartet Circus on Movin' On's Dawn, before suddenly picking up again: awesome is the word. Vanasse's playing is reminiscent of Circus Fritz Hauser. Perpetual Balouba is a very moody track traveling up and down the chilled-out spine - this track will get a much harder treatment in their following album. The album is closing on the absolutely delightful Biplane.
Certainly one of the more stunning debut album in jazz-rock around that tilme, this album is simply a must, especially if you love Maneige's best works. This album got a recent released by the excellent label ProgQuebec and strongly deserves encouragement by you buying this incredible album.

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

L’Orchestre Sympathique - En Concert À La Grande Passe (1979)

1. Citronade (7:59)
2. Houmalaya (10:10)
3. Des lacs, des rivières, des ruisseaux (5 :53)
4. Perpétuel balouba (8:30)
5. Biplane (7:32)

Credits
- Mathieu Léger / drums
- Jean Vanasse / vibraphone, percussions
- François Richard / keyboards, flute
- Warren Stolow / bass

The second LEB I SOL album repeats the formula from the debut. The same line-up, the same instrumentation, the same producer (J.Bocek) and similar ratio between instrumentals and songs with lyrics (one less in this case ). Preconditions for the "second album trap"? No, this time we are talking about genuine masterpiece of ex-Yugo fusion! Production is better, all instruments sound better, compositions are better, and all musicians expressed their ideas more bravely. Stefanovski is not much of a vocalist - indeed, LEB I SOL are first and foremost the instrumentalists - the vocals are often moved to the second front, much like Andy Latimer did with CAMEL. But even his rare voice is better here on the second album. Side A of the original vinyl (first 4 tracks) are simply stunning: "Akupunktura", "Kako ti drago", a great crescendo of another traditional "Aber dojde Donke" and vocal hit "Talasna duzina" are worth the price alone. But the rest must not be overlooked: the most furious guitar solo I ever heard in "Marija" and a closing short acoustic song "Bonus" which was to become a sort of LEB I SOL anthem during their live performances when it was usually pretty extended. All members of the team are giving their best, especially Dimusevski's piano and synths shine. LEB I SOL music was always more melodic and skillfully played than avant-garde or explorative, so if you are looking for a tasty and technically superb rework of traditional Macedonian folk melodies with odd time signatures done in a vein of Allan Holdsworth playing guitar with RETURN TO FOREVER, search no more! It is available on a "2LP on1CD" reissue coupled with "Leb i sol" (T.Pics/PGP RTS, CD 2036, 2000) so you better go and get it!

:::Review by Seyo:::

Leb i sol - Leb i sol 2 (1978)

1. Akupunktura (4:08)
2. Kako ti drago (3:58)
3. Aber dojde donke (4:49)
4. Talasna duzina (4:09)
5. Dikijeva igra (4:09)
6. Uzvodno od tuge (4:10)
7. Marija (6:30)
8. Bonus (1:34)

Credits
- Vlatko Stefanovski / guitars, vocals
- Garo Tavitijan / drums
- Bodan Arsovski / bass
- Koki Dimusevski / keyboards

Finland's premier saxophonist Koivistoinen ventured to New York City for this CD and employed some of the finest jazz players, including trombonist Conrad Herwig, trumpeter Randy Brecker, pianist David Kikoski, bassist Ron McClure, drummer Jack DeJohnette, and guitarist John Scofield (on four cuts). Bugge Wesseltoft plays rather innocent, unobtrusive sythesizer on three other pieces. The horn charts are smartly arranged by the tenor and soprano saxophonist, and played to perfection. The music is contemporary, bop-based, modernistic, and well-swung by DeJohnette's personalized chatty signature rhythms. At their hippest and most basic, the band grooves on "Everblue," one of eight tracks Koivistionen penned. Brecker, Herwig, and Eero's tenor are united in a Horace Silver-type head nod. The easier swing of "Magreb" has a different Euro-soul, an ultra bright chart based on Kikoski pedal point piano. A similar vehicle from Kikoski informs Seppo Kantonen's "Kabuki," another cool chart with Scofield's electric guitar darting and searching for prismatic colors. McClure's piece "Inspiration" is a good swinger with tenor, trumpet, and trombone debating in point-counterpoint one-upmanship fashion. "Van Gogh" is a tenor-led tango with pining background horns, while the seascape beauty of "Clear Dream" -- with soprano and piano only -- gives a lush hint at the leader's soft side.
Koivistoinen displays a nice combination of Wayne Shorter's harmonic sense and Michael Brecker's lyricism. This is highly recommended.

:::Review by Michael G. Nastos:::

Eero Koivistoinen - Altered Things (1992)

01. Kabuki (Seppo Kantonen) 05:25   
02. Altered Things (Eero Koivistoinen) 06:40
03. Film Noir (Eero Koivistoinen) 07:48
04. Everblue (Eero Koivistoinen) 07:01
05. Van Gogh (Eero Koivistoinen) 07:52
06. Palapeli (Eero Koivistoinen) 05:77
07. Clear Dream (Eero Koivistoinen) 04:00
08. Inspiration (Ron McClure) 05:02
09. Maghreb (Eero Koivistoinen) 08:35
10. BLT (Eero Koivistoinen) 05:07

Credits
Eero Koivistoinen: soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone
Randy Brecker: trumpet
Conrad Herwig: trombone
Dave Kikoski: piano
Bugge Wesseltoft: synthesizer [3, 5, 6]
John Scofield: guitar
Ron McClure: bass
Jack Dejohnette: drums

Donald Byrd's transitional sessions from 1969-1971 are actually some of the trumpeter's most intriguing work, balancing accessible, funky, Davis-style fusion with legitimate jazz improvisation. Electric Byrd, from 1970, is the best of the bunch, as Byrd absorbs the innovations of Bitches Brew and comes up with one of his most consistent fusion sets of any flavor. Byrd leads his largest fusion group yet (ten to 11 pieces), featuring many of his cohorts of the time (including Jerry Dodgion, Lew Tabackin, and Frank Foster on various woodwinds). Most important are electric pianist Duke Pearson, who once again dominates the arrangements, and percussionist Airto Moreira, who in places lends a strong Brazilian feel that predates Return to Forever. Moreira also contributes one of the four compositions, "Xibaba," which starts out as an airy Brazilian tune but morphs into a free-form effects extravaganza; the rest are Byrd originals that prove equally imaginative and diverse. The Brazilian-tinged opener "Estavanico" has a gentle, drifting quality that's often disrupted by jarring dissonances. There's also the shifting -- and sometimes even disappearing -- slow groove of "Essence," and the hard-edged, bop-based funk of "The Dude." Much of the album has a spacy, floating feel indebted to the psychedelic fusion of Bitches Brew; it's full of open-ended solo improvisations, loads of amplification effects, and striking sonic textures. The arrangements are continually surprising, and the band never works the same groove too long, switching or completely dropping the underlying rhythms. So even if it wears its influences on its sleeve, Electric Byrd is indisputably challenging, high-quality fusion. It's also the end of the line for jazz purists as far as Donald Byrd is concerned, which is perhaps part of the reason the album has yet to receive its proper due.

:::Review by Steve Huey:::

Donald Byrd - Electric Byrd (1970)

1. Estavanico 11:00
2. Essence 10:30
3. Xibaba 13:35
4. The Dude 8:00

Credits
Bass - Ron Carter
Drums - Mickey Roker
Electric Piano - Duke Pearson
Flute - Hermeto Pascoal (tracks: 1)
Guitar - Wally Richardson
Percussion - Airto Moreira
Saxophone [Alto, Soprano], Flute - Jerry Dodgion
Saxophone [Baritone], Clarinet - Pepper Adams
Saxophone [Tenor], Clarinet [Alto] - Frank Foster
Saxophone [Tenor], Flute - Lew Tabackin
Trombone - Bill Campbell
Trumpet - Donald Byrd

Andrew Hill's Blue Black was one of a series of recordings that he made during the 1970s for the Japanese label East Wind. This 1975 session consists of five challenging originals; joining the pianist are saxophonist Jimmy Vass, bassist Chris White, and drummer Leroy Williams. "Golden Spook" is a dense, moody composition full of twists. The somewhat delicate "Mist Flower" showcases Vass on flute, contrasting with the furious "Remnants," a post-bop vehicle leaning toward free jazz. "Blue Black," with Vass playing soprano sax, has a Caribbean rhythm but with wild solos by both Hill and Vass. The final track, "One For," is easily the most conventional post-bop song of the session, though it is no less demanding upon Hill's musicians. Long out of print, Test of Time finally reissued this desirable recording session as a CD in 2005.

:::Review by Ken Dryden:::

Andrew Hill - Blue Black (1975)

1. Golden Spook 10:29
2. Mist Flower 7:25
3. Remnants 5:55
4. Blue Black 7:15
5. One For 5:42

Credits
Andrew Hill - piano
Jimmy Vass – saxophone, flute
Chris White- bass
Leroy Williams - drums

Finnish guitarist Jukka Tolonen's fourth solo album is a great jazz rock album in the same vein as the three previous. This is fairly simple, well arranged music where the melody lines are more in focus than the solos, although we get to hear quite a lot of Tolonen's distinct and somewhat bluesy guitar, as well as a sax sometimes. Musically it reminds me of Chick Corea's Return to Forever albums but the music is not that sparkling, rather cooking. The musicians are not trying to make the music scream or cry, but rather swing and flow. There's an overall relaxed and unpretentious feeling over it although they play rather fast from time to time, and yet with a typical Scandinavian melancholy trademark.
Four bright shinig stars!

:::Review by Borje Lund:::

Jukka Tolonen - Hysterica (1975)

1. Jimi (9:30)
2. Django (2:34)
3. Hysterica (6:33)
4. Tiger (7:02)
5. Silva The Cat (4:50)
6. Windermere Avenue (7:15)

Credits
- Jukka Tolonen/ Guitars, Piano
- Heikki Virtanen/ Bass
- Esko Rosnell/ Drums, Percussion
- Esa Kotilainen/ Moog, Clavinet, Accordian, Organ, Synthesizers
- Pekka Poyry/ Alto Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
- Seppo Paakkunainen/ Baritone Sax
- Jan Kling/ Tenor Sax
- Bertil Lofgren/ Trumpet
- Torgny Nilsson/ Trombone
- Sakari Kukko/ Soprano Sax, Flute
- Pekka Pohjola/ Bass

My rating of four stars is based on the assumption that the listener considers the confluence of jazz-rock fusion, disco and almost Zeuhl-like Magma-ish material, from a pioneer Miles Davis Alumni, of interest to a progarchives denizen. Admittedly, it's hard for me to imagine how this album might come across to a modern listener who didn't live through the disco age, the Miles late 70's electric period, and the Prog heyday of the mid-late 70's. The closest modern reference I can think of (minus the disco era vocals) is Squarepusher's "Music is Rotted One Note". I was notorious for toting the vinyl of this album with me circa 1977, and subjecting my friends to it. I found it's mix of booty shaking grooves, funky Weather Report and Miles-like textures, and spaced out background vocals to be a stand out of the era, and still enjoy listening to it today. If your taste in prog encompasses the jazz-rock and funk experiments of the mid 70's, Magma, or even the Japanese Zeuhl expressions of Koenjihyakkei and Bondage Fruit, I'd recommend giving this album a listen. Miroslav Vitous may not be a prog icon, but he certainly is a major figure in jazz and fusion history, and this particular entry should interest those with a broader interest and definition of what constitutes *prog*.

:::Review by G. Hogweed:::

Miroslav Vitous - Magical Shepherd (1976)

1. Basic Laws 11:46
2. New York City 9:32
3. Synthesizers Dance 5:09
4. Magical Shepherd 6:09
5. From Far Away 2:30
6. Aim Your Eye 6:57

Credits
Bass - Miroslav Vitous
Drums - Jack DeJohnette , James Gadson
Guitar - Miroslav Vitous
Keyboards - Herbie Hancock
Percussion - Airto Moreira
Vocals - Cheryl Grainger

At the beginning of the 1970s, a bunch of Jewish guys from New York (they're Jewish because they have names like Andy Dershin, Jay Dorfman, Steve Rosenstein, and Marvin Kaminowitz) moved to Germany (you can add SWEET SMOKE with The BLUES PROJECT and the J. GEILS BAND as another all or almost-all Jewish rock band).
The music they played was jazzy prog/psych, and was not like what most other American bands of the time were doing. What they played seemed to have been better received in Germany than their native America. I am also reminded of NEKTAR (except they were British), because they too had to move to Germany because they were better received there.
"Just A Poke" was released on EMI/Columbia over in Germany. This album consists of only two side length cuts with Andy Dershin on bass, Jay Dorfman on drums and percussion, Marvin Kaminowitz on vocals and guitar, Michael Paris on saxes, flute, vocals, and percussion, and Steve Rosenstein on guitar on vocals. The two cuts are "Baby Night" (side one) and "Silly Sally" (side two), although side one was really "Silly Sally" and side two was really "Baby Night".
Apparently the record company had it all messed up when they printed up the LP (and that problem was apparently not fixed when it was reissued on CD).
Anyways, "Silly Sally" starts off almost medieval sounding, with recorder and acoustic guitar. Once the vocals kick in (by Kaminowitz), you can tell his voice does sound quite American. Eventually the song turns to electric guitar (without fuzz) and the get to some extended jams. As the jam ends, they go in to an uncredited version of the DOORS' "Soft Parade" (I guess they did not make any mention or give them credit, since they probably didn't ask for permission, and didn't want to get in trouble). Then at the end, the go back to a variation of the beginning theme, but with a different rhythm. "Baby Night" is a more bluesy piece, more relying on groves, before they go in to an extensive drum solo that reminds me of "In-a-Gadda- da-Vida", as well as all sorts of percussion.
Often SWEET SMOKE gets lumped in the Krautrock bunch, which is a bit weird, given these guys were actually New Yorkers, and they hardly sound like CAN, FAUST, ASH RA TEMPEL, AMON DÜÜ: II, etc., and more stick in the traditional prog/psych vein. And because of lack of keyboards, it's basically the guitar and wind instruments that dominate. But strangely, another album from SWEET SMOKE wouldn't surface until 1973, and that album would be "Darkness to Light" and they were recording for Harvest Records by that time (and a lineup change). They also released a live album the following year, but since disappeared (I heard the guys from SWEET SMOKE had since returned to America, usually to some white-collar job). Well, anyways "Just a Poke" might fall short of being essential in my book, it's still a nice album to have in your collection.

:::Review by Proghead:::

Sweet Smoke - Just A Poke (1970)

1. Baby night (16:24)
2. Silly Sally (16:22)

Credits
- Andrew Dershin / bass
- Jay Dorfman / drums, percussion
- Marvin Kaminowitz / lead guitar, vocals
- Michael Paris / tenor saxophone, alto recorder, vocals, percussion
- Steve Rosenstein / rhythm guitar, vocals

I intended to cut a record with pop music played by jazz musicians. It was done easy, and it should be listened to easy as well; it may come through one ear and flow away through another. And if, incidentally, it brings the listener some pleasure - we may say that is mission is filled.

:::Review from Last.fm:::

Wojciech Karolak - Easy! (1974)

1. A Day In The City 5:28
2. (DACP 796) Endless Transit 4:17
3. Instant Groove 7:09
4. Strzez Sie Szczezui (Jan Wroblewski) 3:58
5. Easy 5:57
6. Why Not Samba 4:16
7. Seven Shades of Blue 4:04
8. Goodbye 6:27

Credits
Wojciech Karolak (Hammond Organ and Fender Piano)
Zbigniew Namysłowski (Alto Saxophone)
Janusz Muniak (Tenor Saxophone)
Tomasz Szukalski (Tenor Saxophone)
Włodzimierz Kurpinski (Baritone Saxophone)
Tomasz Stańko (Trumpet)
Józef Debek (Trumpet)
Tadeusz Sosztak (Trumpet)
Andrzej Piela (Trombone)
Stanisław Cieślak (Trombone)
Jan Jarczyk (Trombone)
Pawel Dabrowski (Fender Bass) - 7,8
Czesław Bartkowski (Drums)
Wojciech Kowalewski (Percussion)
Ewa Wanat (Vocals)
Waldemar Parzynski (Vocals)
Janusz Mych (Vocals)

As one might guess from the album's title, this Joe Farrell date is a bit rock-oriented in places. Guitarist Joe Beck is the co-star, and Farrell (who switches between tenor, soprano and flute) is also joined by bassist Herb Bushler and drummer Jim Madison; "I Won't Be Back" has Farrell, Beck and Bushler joined by keyboardist Herbie Hancock, drummer Steve Gadd and the conga of Don Alias. Good music, but not as essential as Farrell's first three CTI dates.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Joe Farrell - Upon This Rock (1973)

A1. Weathervane 8:00
Drums - Jim Madison
Written-By - Joe Farrell
A2. I Won't Be Back 10:05
Congas [Conga] - Don Alias
Drums - Steve Gadd
Piano - Herbie Hancock
Written-By - Joe Beck

B1. Upon This Rock 11:54
Drums - Jim Madison
Written-By - Joe Farrell
B2. Seven Seas 6:50
Drums - Jim Madison
Written-By - Joe Beck

Credits
Bass - Herb Bushler
Engineer - Rudy Van Gelder
Flute - Joe Farrell
Guitar - Joe Beck
Producer - Creed Taylor
Saxophone [Tenor, Soprano] - Joe Farrell

Trumpeter, born 10 June 1964 in Wrocław.
Piotr Wojtasik is a graduate of The Karol Szymanowski Academy of Music in Katowice at the faculty of Jazz and Entertainment Music and lecturer at this Academy, he also teaches in Karol Lipiński Academy of Music in Wrocław.
He worked with the band New Presentation with which in 1988 he performed at Jazz Jamboree Festival. At the same time, he started collaborating with the Young Power which revolutionized jazz scene in Poland. At the beginning of the 90's he joined Quintessence and Krzysztof Popek Quartet whose CD "Lonely Town" was appreciated as the best album of the year 1995 by the reader's poll of Jazz Forum Magazine and was nominated to the Fryderyk Prize'95 (called "Polish Grammy"). In 1996 he recorded the album "Quest" in international line-up with Billy Harper, Ben Riley, Buster Williams and Leszek Możdżer.
His record "Hope" with David Liebman, Ronnie Burrage, Clarence Seay and Leszek Możdżer received the Fryderyk in 2003 for the best jazz album in Poland (he also received this prize in 2003 for the best jazz musician in Poland). In 2005 the record "Colors" was recorded with such musicians as Francois Theberge, Nicolas Simion, Michael Donato and John Betsch. In 2006 The Piotr Wojtasik Sextet with excellent international line-up recorded new record "We Want To Give Thanks", including exclusively his author's compositions. In 2008 he received the Fryderyk for the jazzman of the year and author of the best jazz record for the album "Circle".

:::Review by Marek Romański:::

Piotr Wojtasik - Colors (2005)

1.Up's And
2.Journey to Kafarnahum
3.Time of Life on the Earth
4.Yosakoy Love Song
5.Tambour Minor
6.Sweets

Credits
Piotr Wojtasik - trumpet
Francois Theberge - c melody saxophone, soprano saxophone (5)
Nicolas Simion - bass clarinet, soprano saxophone (1, 3), taragot (4)
Michel Donato - double bass
John Betsch - drums

With song structures similar to Mahavishnu Orchestra and electric-era Return to Forever, Michal Urbaniak's Fusion III appealed to the same fusion-buying clientele. What most distinguishes this music from that of its contemporaries was the unique vocalizing of Urbaniak's wife, Ursula Dudziak. She could sound at times like a Polish Flora Purim, at other times like a synthesized presence from another world. On this recording, Urbaniak's playing is fresh and engaging, and his compositions occasionally sound like Frank Zappa's instrumental work from this same era. John Abercrombie and Larry Coryell turn in blistering guitar passages, and bassist Anthony Jackson and drummer Steve Gadd provide a funkified rhythmic foundation.

:::Review by Jim Newsom:::

Michał Urbaniak - Fusion III (1975)

A1. Chinatown (Part I) 5:24
A2. Kuyaviak Goes Funky 6:12
A3. Roksana 5:42
Drums - Gerald Brown
Guitar - Joe Caro
A4. Crazy Kid 2:35
A5. Prehistoric Bird 5:19

B1. Bloody Kishka 4:21
Drums - Gerald Brown
Guitar - Larry Coryell
B2. Cameo 4:41
B3. Stretch 6:20
Voice - Bernard Kafka
B4. Metroliner 4:44
B5. Chinatown (Part II) 3:56

Credits
Bass - Anthony Jackson
Composed By - Michał Urbaniak
Drums - Steve Gadd
Electric Piano, Organ [Electric] - Wlodek Gulgowski

Guitar - John Abercrombie

Violin [Electric], Producer - Michał Urbaniak
Vocals, Percussion, Percussion [Electric], Synthesizer - Urszula Dudziak

Hal Galper was on a tear during the 1970s, writing a number of adventurous post-bop compositions and getting regular opportunities to record them. This 1976 studio session for Steeplechase features the pianist with trumpeter Randy Brecker, tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker, bassist Wayne Dockery, and drummer Billy Hart. The turbulent opener, "Reach Out," must have been incredible to hear in a live setting; this studio version features an intense, constantly searching solo by the leader, as well as impassioned solos by the Brecker Brothers. Michael switches to flute for the brisk "Spidit," which blends post-bop and elements of Latin jazz. Galper, a former sideman for Chet Baker, penned the multi-faceted "Waiting for Chet," possibly to represent the tumultuous life of the troubled trumpeter; in this song, Michael starts on flute but switches to tenor sax. The leader arranged terrific interpretations of two Gershwin standards. Ending the CD is the extended composition "Children of the Night," in which everyone solos, though everyone drops out as Wayne Dockery delivers a stunning performance. This is easily one of Hal Galper's best recordings.

:::Review by Ken Dryden:::

Hal Galper - Reach Out! (1977)

1. Reach Out
2. I'll Never Stop Loving You
3. Spidit
4. My Man's Gone Now
5. Waiting For Chet
6. I Can't Get Started
7. Children of the Night

Credits
- Hal Galper (piano)

- Michael Brecker (tenor saxophone)
- Randy Brecker (trumpet)
- Wayne Dockery (bass)
- Billy Hart (drums)

A warmly sustained and lightly distorted guitar dances fluidly over a modally-inflected, jazzy, piano-bass-drums rhythm section. On the surface, for a few moments, it seems a familiar sound, common to the last 3 decades of electric jazz. Something is truly different here, though. The notes and intervals are somehow different - flying by in patterns that don't seem to equate with any of the normal guitar fingering patterns and the rhythm breathes in some different way that is beyond swinging. Clouds and torrents of lightening-fast notes are just slightly slurred or bent to odd, microtonal intervals that are both different and somehow exactly right for the heavenly musical continuum that they inhabit. The longer you listen - the more you realize that this is something unique; both so familiar and so different at the same time, that you know you had better take some time to figure out what's going on.
There are, perhaps, a handful of guitarists who have particularly taken both musical and spiritual inspiration from the work of the great jazz saxophonist John Coltrane to create their own truly unique musical expressions. The better-known among these are Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharrock, Allan Holdsworth and Sonny Greenwich. All of these players are known for their individuality, strong personal tone, vibrant improvisational style, technical mastery, and music of spiritual depth. A lesser-known figure, Tisziji Munoz, certainly stands shoulder to shoulder on all these levels with his more famous colleagues. Certainly he sounds like a "Coltrane Guitarist," but he's taken the approach to some new and unprecedented level: both "in" and "out" of the tradition at the same time..
Tisziji's music, as documented on 6 CDs and several cassette releases from his own Anami Music label (P.O. Box 712, Schenectady, NY 12301), is a fiery and multi-colored testimony of unique personal expression. Tisziji's electric guitar navigates through many jazz standards and originals to explore spaces outside the usual confines of the jazz idiom. With such collaborators as Pharoah Sanders, Rashid Ali, Bob Moses, Paul Shaffer, Dave Liebman, Nick Brignola, Bernie Senesky and Don Pate, he has produced some of the most striking and original electric jazz of the past fifteen years. The question is: how can such a great player be virtually unknown? The answers to this question lie in the story of Tisziji's life, which is as surprising and unique as the music it has produced.
Although I suspect that Tisziji considers his life to be one seamless whole, an outsider might note that in addition to his musical career he is also fully occupied as a spiritual teacher-guide and author with over fifty published books of metaphysical-esoteric knowledge to his credit. Over the years he has seriously studied all the major world religions and has been a practitioner of several forms of Yoga and Tibetan Buddhism He has developed his own system of astrology which he calls Time-Mastery. These life experiences, as much as his musical history, have lead Tisziji to his unique approaches to music and guitar.
Tisziji was born in Brooklyn, New York on July 15, 1946. At age 3 he received his first set of drums and began to master the traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms.
In 1968, serving as drummer in the 440th U.S. Army band, he began to teach himself to play guitar studying jazz and jazz harmony. After Tisziji left the army in 1969 he lived in Canada and New York City. In the latter 70's he met and began to work with Pharoah Sanders, in whose band he played for six years. Soon he stopped listening to other guitar players and music in general and continued to develop his own personal style. In 1978 he recorded his first album for the India Navigation label: RENDEZVOUS WITH NOW. Moving to Schenectady in 1984, he settled in relative seclusion and rarely performs. Still, he continues to record and release many fine albums.
As a totally self-taught player he depends on feeling, intuition, freedom and capability to guide his musical choices. Make no mistake- despite severing the artery in his left wrist, resulting in a lifelong painful ordeal with chronic nerve damage - he operates at very high technical level - it's just that it's
his own level and not so much based on technical models as most players to produce music of great melodic and harmonic richness. His non-musical activities allow little time for practice and he rarely gets a chance to play. But when he does he makes every note count in a process of continual musical discovery.
The equipment favored by Munoz on his newly released, DEATH IS A FRIEND OF MINE is a Fender D'Aquisto Jazz Guitar strung with D'Addario half-wound, light jazz strings; played through a Mesa Boogie Mark II or Peavey Bandit amps. He picks with a metal pick and despite eschewing outboard effects pedals and devices he produces a vocal, singing tone that many great players, even with refrigerator-sized racks, fall far short of. Perhaps, since the foundation of Tisziji's music rests, as he says, "upon the freedom to explore the many levels of human spirituality and reality for each musician in their own individual way," he somehow transcends the simple technical facts of guitar technique and equipment to create music which is beyond the experience of limits of conventional musical education and technique.

Guitar Player Magazine, 1998.

:::Review by Henry Kaiser:::

Tisziji Muñoz - Rendezvous With Now (1978)

A1. The Shepherds Chant 21:51
B1. Blessings 4:06
B2. The Word Of God Chant 5:37
B3. Waiting For Now To Be Forever 6:36

Credits
Bass - Cecil McBee
Drums - Claude Ranger
Guitar, Percussion, Vocals - Muñoz
Piano - Bernie Senensky

The Billy Cobham's FUNK-BRASS Album
Right from the start, Billy Cobham's jazz fusion take was mainly funk inflected, so it's no surprise that with time he would play even funkier stuff than before. Now Billy is accompanied with a whole set of brass players, among them there's the famous saxophonist Michael Brecker, so the keyboards and guitar that were in his debut an important part of the music, now they're simply another part of the big picture.
The music is rather accessible, but not yet mainstream jazz funk as you would have thought. The brass players support the main melodies and various solos throughout, and the tempo throughout is rather rapid, unlike the more tranquil and jazzier Crosswinds.
The first five tunes are all excellent straight-forward jazz funk tunes with all the aspects I mentioned before. The sixth track however, entitled wrongly 'A Funky Kind of Thing', is a 9 minute drum performance, ultra-boring if you're not fond of out-of-place drum soloing. The last track though, called 'Moody Modes', introducing itself with Milcho Leviev's elegant keyboards, is by all means the best composition in this album, lasting 12 minutes, the trumpet playing is simply gorgeous and how the composition develops, it's incredible, probably one of Cobham's greatest arrangements.
Despite the last grandiose composition, the album overall is simply good brass-led jazz funk that is fun and all, but not the most rewarding of Cobham releases neither of fusion in general, actually, any of Cobham's previous efforts are better than this and so is the following one, Life & Times.
3 stars: solid album, still not repeating ol' formulas, but yet not quite there as some of Billy's other works. Get this after you've listened to the four previous albums, including the live Shabazz. If you're fond of jazz funk though, I highly recommend you this.

:::Review by The Quiet One:::

Billy Cobham - A Funky Thide Of Sings (1975)

1.1. Solo 0:16
1.2. Panhandler 3:50
Written-By - Billy Cobham
2. Sorcery 2:26
Written-By - Keith Jarrett
3.1. Solo 0:17
3.2. A Funky Thide Of Sings 3:23
Written-By - Billy Cobham
4.1. Solo 0:11
4.2. Thinking Of You 4:12
Written-By - Alex Blake
5. Some Skunk Funk 5:07
Written-By - Randy Brecker
6. Light At The End Of The Tunnel 3:37
Written-By - Billy Cobham
7. A Funky Kind Of Thing 9:24
Written-By - Billy Cobham
8. Moody Modes 12:16
Written-By - Milcho Leviev

Credits
Arranged By - Alex Blake (tracks: 4.2) , Billy Cobham (tracks: 1.2, 3.2, 5 to 7) , Milcho Leviev (tracks: 2, 8) , Randy Brecker (tracks: 5)
Bass - Alex Blake
Congas - "Rebop" Kwaku Baah (tracks: 1.2, 3.2)
Guitar - John Scofield
Keyboards - Milcho Leviev
Percussion, Synthesizer - Billy Cobham
Saxophone - Larry Schneider (tracks: 3.2) , Michael Brecker (tracks: 1.2, 2, 4.2 to 8)
Trombone - Glenn Ferris (tracks: 3.2)
Trombone [Piccolo] - Glenn Ferris (tracks: 1.2, 2, 4.2 to 8)
Trumpet - Randy Brecker (tracks: 1.2, 2, 4.2 to 8) , Walt Fowler (tracks: 3.2)

This excellent LP (which has been reissued by Rhino on CD) was one of bassist Charles Mingus's finest of his later period. His working quintet was particularly strong and versatile (tenor-saxophonist George Adams, trumpeter Jack Walrath, pianist Don Pullen and drummer Dannie Richmond) and Mingus's creativity was undergoing a bit of a renaissance after several years of inactivity. The four selections are all originals by the bassist with "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" and "Sue's Changes" being most memorable.

:::Review by Scott Yanow:::

Charles Mingus - Changes One (1974)

1. Remember Rockefeller At Attica 5:58
2. Sue's Changes 17:07
3. Devil Blues 9:27
Written-By - Gate Mouth Brown
Written-By, Vocals - George Adams
4. Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love 12:11

Credits
Bass, Written-By - Charles Mingus
Drums - Dannie Richmond
Piano - Don Pullen
Saxophone [Tenor] - George Adams
Trumpet - Jack Walrath

Great record of excellent and rare progressive jazzrock album that was a PL-only release in 1981 on  MUZA and comes in a thin full colour paper sleeve (swoc) - fantastic instrumental fusion album including six tracks  by flute wizzard KRZYSZTOF ZGRAJA who has a very individual sound and style...sounds like early-70s hippie psychfusion with dreamy parts as well as heavy outbursts...listen to that fantastic drum solo!!!

Krzysztof Zgraja - Laokoon (1981)

1. Luz-blues 03:30
2. Alex – funky 01:00
3. La concha 11:20
4. W oczekiwaniu na../WAITING FOR... 03:05
5. Laokoon 10:25
6. Fin de siècle 09:45

Credits
- Krzysztof Zgraja - flute
- Jacek Bednarek - bass
- Krzysztof Ścieranski - bass guitar
- Marek Stach - drums
- Wojciech Kamiński - piano, Fender piano
- Zbigniew Namysłowski - alto sax (3)
- Reto Weber - drums (4)

Before changing label, Hancock had to record one more album with Mwandishi, and it came in early 73, when he did the soundtrack music of the very confidential film The Spook Who Sat By The Door, for which both Hancock and Rubinson (his producer) added funds to finish it. Someday maybe, this soundtrack will get an official release. The third and last album of the Mwandishi trilogy is the first album Hancock recorded for his new label Columbia (home of all the electric jazz rock stars) in the spring 73 and the least we can say is that the closing tier of the said-trilogy is definitely no easier on the ears than its precessors. Going through Hancock's discography in the racks of the record store, the proghead's attention can only be drawn and stop his eyes on this album's stupendous artwork, courtesy of Stringett (already responsible for Crossings), and the proghead will immediately know that this is Herbie's most progressive album (along with Crossings). Indeed Herbie was still following Miles' Bitches Brew's footsteps and that album's awesome artwork proves it. So the potential Hancock investigators will normally head towards Sextant and Crossings, the Mwandishi albums closest to Miles' Bitches.
With an unchanged line-up, the sextet attacks Sextant as if they were in the middle of a song from the previous album Crossings. And the least we can say is that Rain Dance is probably one of Hancock's most hermetic tracks he ever wrote. Completely experimental with electronic sounds that could've escaped from Isao Tomita's soundscape albums, the song is close to nightmarish and presents some Krautrock reminiscence ala Can or early TD. Somehow, this track is also reminiscent of Genesis' Waiting Room on the Lamb album. Indeed these gloomy sounds from outer space come from their seventh member Patrick Gleason and he's never been so present than on Rain Dance. He's also fairly present in the following Hidden Shadows, busy with a mellotron (among others), while Maupin pulls out some superb sounds from his wide array of horns. Outstanding stuff, making you forget the previous track's obtuse stand on in/excluding the listener.
The flipside is again taken by a sidelong track, the almost 20-mins Hornets, one of his funkiest so far (wait 'till HH, to see/hear funk), but the tracks has moments that evoke indeed a flight of hornets. Musically it's halfway between Rain Dance and Shadows, but it's overstaying its welcome by at least 5 minutes.
Hancock himself has turned towards the synths and with Gleeson, they started using loops
Again faced with public incomprehension, Sextant failed to sell anymore than the other two Mwandishi albums on WB. But this time it was clear that HH's troupes were now struggling to find further grounds to explore and were starting to repeat themselves. With albums selling too few, an irregular public presence and questionable gigs (even finding The Pointer Sister as openers), stolen tapes in front of the Vanguard Village and the usual road fatigue, the group So Herbie folded Mwandishi and his next project would be bringing him exactly what lacked this one: commercial success. In the meantime, Sextant is probably the least "accessible" Mwandishi album, but it's no less worthy and maybe my preferred one.

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Herbie Hancock – Sextant (1972)

1. Rain Dance (9:18)
2. Hidden Shadows (10:12)
3. Hornets (19:31)

Credits
- Herbie Hancock - piano, Fender Rhodes, Hohner D-6 clavinet, mellotron
- Bennie Maupin - soprano sax, bass clarinet, piccolo, afuche, hum-a-zoo
- Dr. Eddie Henderson - trumpet, flugelhorn
- Julian Priester - bass trombone, tenor trombone, alto trombone, cowbell
- Buster Williams - electric bass, acoustic bass
- Billy Hart - drums
- Dr. Patrick Gleeson - ARP 2600 and soloist
- Buck Clarke - percussion

There is absolutely no one playing tenor (or any other saxophone) coming close to making the kind of music created by Charles Gayle. While it's reminiscent of Albert Ayler's energetic, twisting 1960s free dates, Gayle's saxophone acrobatics and stamina are astonishing. This two-song CD was recorded live and features one number that runs 23 minutes; it's the short tune. "Jesus Christ and Scripture," the second piece, proceeds for over 50 minutes, much of that featuring Gayle's honks, bleats, turnarounds, moans, and anguished cries on tenor. After listening closely to this disc, its lack of repetition and gimmickry is commendable. It's certainly not for all (or even most tastes), but those who listen fairly and intently to Charles Gayle will be rewarded.

:::Review by Ron Wynn:::

Charles Gayle - Repent (1992)

1. Repent 23:4
2. Jesus Christ And Scripture 50:35

Credits
Bass - F. Vattel Cherry (tracks: 2) , Hilliard Greene (tracks: 1)
Drums - David Pleasant
Tenor Saxophone, Artwork By [Inside Art] - Charles Gayle

Of all the fusion albums I own, there are three albums that really changed my opinion on the genre itself. The first was Bill Bruford's second album One of a Kind, which really opened my eyes to the zany and highly syncopated side of fusion. The second was Al Di Meola's Elegant Gypsy, which opened my eyes to the guitar-dominated fusion sound (and being a guitarist I could definitely see a new inspiration in my playing). And the third is this album, Jean Luc Ponty's 1977 album Enigmatic Ocean. His style of fusion ranges on a tight groove and some dynamic unison runs and motifs with the keyboard, guitar, and of course his signature violin (which utilizes a lot of different guitar effects on this album, such as wah and phasers). The lineup for this album couldn't have been any better, too, featuring guitarist extraordinaire Allan Holdsworth (who was on One of Kind, ironically). Future Zappa alumni Allan Zavod also gets a good go on this album (Ponty was himself a Zappa alumni so the connection to Zappa is extended a bit more) on the keyboards. And Daryl Stuermer (of future Genesis fame) gives a nice performance overall alongside Holdsworth on the guitar.
The album opens with a short but sweet Overture, which sort of sets the mood in a way to what the album would sound like. The Trans-Love Express starts off the journey with a fantastic bass performance from Ralph Armstrong (who is superb throughout the entire album). The tight groove in the rhythm section is further augmented by various runs and melody lines from Ponty and Holdsworth. Mirage begins with guitar arpeggios and some underlying mixed percussion (as well as well-timed bass harmonics). Ponty's violin utilizes a phased effect on this track and his budding experimentation with effects proves to be most effective. Zavod's keyboard solo make good use of the keyboard and has a sensational floating feel to it. The first of two suites on the album is the title track of Enigmatic Ocean (which is spread out over four parts), which clocks in at a bit over 12 minutes. It begins with an atmospheric keyboard laden introduction that turns into an arpeggio based keyboard motif. This song is also the first to feature some lead guitar work from Holdsworth, who exchanges licks with Ponty at many points of the song itself. Holdsworth's signature style of very noodly and fluid runs comes through with flying colors on this piece as well. It's a fantastic piece in the end, with every musician giving their best and coming through successfully as well.
Nostalgic Lady and the second suite The Struggle of the Turtle to the Sea round out the album with more fantastic instrumental performances. Nostalgic Lady has one of the most addictive bass lines I've ever heard, especially when put as a counter melody with the stellar unison guitar/violin work. It's probably my favorite non-suite track of the album and it really is a perfect blend of melody and cohesiveness. The Struggle of the Turtle to the Sea is the second suite of the album, this one running a bit over 13 minutes. It begins with a tight groove from the rhythm unit, an underlying unison guitar theme and a violin lead on top of it all. The second part opens with a brilliant piano motif from Allan Zavod and some superb guitar from Stuermer and Holdsworth. The song ends with a fantastic bass groove (man Armstrong can really play the bass). Armstrong puts on the distortion in the middle of the song and offers a solid bass solo. The song reaches a fantastic climax when from what I can grasp Stuermer gets a chance in the spotlight and offers up a mean guitar solo (you can actually tell it's Stuermer as he and Holdsworth have terribly different soloing styles). In the end, this piece finishes off the album in epic fashion and is one of best fusion pieces I've ever heard.
Overall, I'd rank Enigmatic Ocean amongst my top three fusion albums ever. Everything about this album is perfect, from the stellar overall mix and sound, to the fantastic musicianship (fantastic is actually an understatement). If you're looking for high energy and melodic fusion, then you'll find a lot to like about this album. If you're a fan of the violin, then this album also comes with a high recommendation. Actually, I'd recommend this album for anybody who is just getting into fusion and for those who are into fusion but don't know who Jean-Luc Ponty is. Masterliness. 5/5.

:::Review by Cygnus X-2:::

Jean Luc Ponty - Enigmatic Ocean (1977)

1. Overture 0:47
2. The Trans-Love Express 3:56
3. Mirage 4:51

4. Enigmatic Ocean 

Part I 2:20
Part II 3:35
Part III 3:43
Part IV 2:24
5. Nostalgic Lady 5:20
Bass [Fretless] - Ralphe Armstrong
Grand Piano - Jean-Luc Ponty

6. The Struggle Of The Turtle To The Sea
Part I 3:32
Part II 3:33
Part III 6:05

Credits
- Ralph Armstrong / Bass
- Steve Smith / Drums
- Allan Zavod / Clavinet, Piano (Electric), Synthesizer, Piano, Keyboards, Organ
- Ralphe Armstrong / Bass (Electric)
- Allan Holdsworth / Guitar, Guitar (Electric)
- Jean-Luc Ponty / Bells, Conductor, Main Performer, Producer, Piano, Orchestration, Keyboards, Violectra, Vocals, Violone
- Daryl Stuermer / Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Guitar (Electric)

Switching over to Blue Note, which was then reaping a fortune with Donald Byrd's R&B outfit, Eddie Henderson pursued a harder, earthier, more structured, funk-driven sound on his first album, while maintaining some of his marvelously spacier instincts for spice. Henderson continued to keep several components of the Herbie Hancock Septet together, for drummer Billy Hart, bassist Buster Williams, reedman Bennie Maupin, and now trombonist Julian Priester are back. But this time, Hancock is replaced by George Duke, and fusionaire bassist Alphonso Johnson and drummer Harvey Mason (late of the Headhunters) are added -- and these switches make much of the difference. Duke is as much of an techie as Herbie was; he delights in flaunting his Echoplex and burbling, shooting, twinkling synthesizer effects. Henderson himself is more into electronic echo and wah-wah effects than before, definitely pursuing the current Miles Davis line but in a brighter, more tonally brilliant manner, and Maupin has many impassioned and creepy (on bass clarinet) moments. The title track, a ruminative Henderson tune with a leaping funk beat, and Mason's archetypical funk workout "Hop Scotch" are the best cuts.

:::Review by Richard S. Ginell:::

Eddie Henderson - Sunburst (1975)

1. Explodition (6:34)
2. The Kumquat Kids (4:30)
3. Sunburst (5:46)
4. Involuntary Bliss (6:49)
5. Hop Scotch (3:52)
6. Galaxy (6:35)
7. We End In A Dream (3:10)

Credits
- Buster Williams / acoustic bass
- Alphonso Johnson / electric bass, effects
- Billy Hart / drums
- Harvey Mason / drums
- George Duke / electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer
- Bobby Hutcherson / marimba
- Bennie Maupin / saxophone, bass clarinet, tenor saxophone, saxcello, bass clarinet
- Julian Priester / trombone, post horn
- Eddie Henderson / trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet

Other personnel
- Fred Catero / recording and remix engineer
- George Horn / mastering
-Skip Drinkwater / producer

Notes
1975 Vinyl LP, Sunburst, United States , Blue Note BN-LA464-G
2002 CD, Sunburst [Rare Groove Series] [Remastered], United States, Blue Note 7243 5 38698 2 3
Recorded and mixed at Wally Heider Recording Studios in San Francisco in March and April 1975

Adam Makowicz made a strong impression when he first came to the U.S. and at the time, he was often compared to Art Tatum. Although his technique is nearly on Tatum's level, Makowicz has long had his own style, mixing together different aspects of jazz, ranging from swing to hard bop. He started playing jazz in the late '50s and with Tomasz Stanko formed one of the first European free jazz groups, the Jazz Darings. He led his own groups in Warsaw from 1965 on and in 1970 played electric piano in Michal Urbaniak's band. Makowicz also worked with Urszula Dudziak and recorded several albums in Poland before coming to the United States in 1977. Although the initial publicity (when he was championed by John Hammond) has long since died down, Makowicz has, if anything, continued to improve as a pianist. He has recorded many records as a leader for such labels as Columbia, Stash, Choice, Sheffield Lab, Novus, and Concord.

Recorded in 1973 while Makowicz was a member of the Michal Urbaniak Constellation, this beautiful album is a daring vista to record in an intimate setting of keyboards and drums only. The other member of the duo is also a Constellation member, the veteran Polish drummer Czeslaw Bartkowski. All the music is original and Makowicz really shines on his Fender piano, similar to the parallel efforts by Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. This memorable album gets better with time!
Polish Jazz Vol. 35

During the past several years of my career as a jazz pianist, I've had a steady and direct contact with my listeners at concerts and clubs. Their reaction, emotions and appreciation mean everything to me and give me a great satisfaction. They also give me the drive to search and create something new. The result of this search is an LP made with Czeslaw Bartkowski. A Definite drawback in making this record was the absence of the audience. I had to imagine them and the club atmosphere so the music would be authentic and spontaneous, alive and very personal. If, and to what extent I have succeeded - my listeners will decide.

Adam Makowicz - Unit (1973)

1. Piesn z dolin / Song from the valleys (A.Makowicz)
2. Piesn wojenna / War song (A.Makowicz)
3. Piesn ze wzgórz / Song from the hills (A.Makowicz)
4. Piesn pijacka / Drinking song (A.Makowicz)
5. Piesn religijna / Sacred song (A.Makowicz)
6. Seven for five (W.Karolak)
7. Propozycja / Suggestion (Cz.Bartkowski)
8. Blues (A.Makowicz, Cz.Bartkowski)
9. Nie jest zle / It\’s not bad (K.Komeda)
10. Cherokee (Ray Noble)

Credits
Adam Makowicz - Fender piano, Fender bass & piano
Czesław Bartkowski - drums & percussion

Notes
Recorded March 1973, at Polskie Nagrania Studio, Warsaw, Poland

Mixing metallic guitar heroics with funk, hip-hop, electronica, and a cinematic soundtrack feel, Buckethead's Monsters and Robots is yet another eclectic opus inspired in large part by low-budget monster/horror, martial arts, and science fiction movies, especially those of Japan. Like any Buckethead album, the music does meander in spots, but this outing does improve on its predecessor Colma by employing a variety of guest bassists; Primus' Les Claypool (as well as drummer Brain), Bootsy Collins, and Bill Laswell all enliven the music's rhythmic underpinnings in ways that Buckethead's own bass playing on Colma didn't.
Plus, the contributions of guest DJs Phonosycograph Disk, DJ Eddie Def, and Xtrakd are inventive and stimulating, complementing rather than confusing the musical mix. It may not be completely consistent, but Monsters and Robots offers more than enough musical derangement to satisfy.

:::Review by Steve Huey:::

Buckethead - Monsters & Robots (1999)

1. Jump Man 4:20

Vocals - Bootsy Collins
Written-By - Buckethead , Pete Scaturro
2. Stick Pit 3:38
Written-By - B. Mantia , Buckethead , Les Claypool
3. The Ballad Of Buckethead 3:38
Backing Vocals - The Chicken Scratch Choir,
Vocals - Les Claypool
Written-By - B. Mantia , Buckethead , Les Claypool
4. Sow Thistle 4:28
Vocals - Bootsy Collins
Written-By - Bootsy Collins , Buckethead , Steve Freeman
5. Revenge Of The Double Man 3:34
Written-By - B. Mantia , Buckethead , Phonosycographdisk , Les Claypool
6. Night Of The Slunk 5:43
Written-By - Buckethead
7. Who Me ? 2:08
Written-By - Buckethead
8. Jowls 4:25
Written-By - Bootsy Collins , Buckethead , Pete Scaturro
9. The Shape Versus Buckethead 5:40
Rap - Oui-Wey
Vocals - Bootsy Collins
Written-By - Bootsy Collins , Buckethead , Steve Freeman
10. Stun Operator 4:15
Written-By - B. Mantia , Buckethead , Les Claypool
11. Scapula 4:04
Vocals - Max Robertson
Written-By - B. Mantia , Buckethead , Pete Scaturro
12. Nun Chuka Kata 4:28
Written-By - B. Mantia, Buckethead , Phonosycographdisk , Les Claypool

Credits
Bass - Buckethead (tracks: 1, 8, 11), Les Claypool (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 10, 12)
Drums - Brain (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 10, 12)
Guitar - Buckethead
Producer - Bill Laswell (tracks: 6), Extrakd (tracks: 4, 9) , Les Claypool (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 13) , Pete Scaturro (tracks: 1, 8, 11), Rob Beaton (tracks: 1, 8, 11)
Turntables - Eddie Def (tracks: 4, 9), Phonosycographdisk (tracks: 3, 5, 8, 10, 12)

On Hear No Evil, Bill Laswell attempts to fuse his love of Eastern musical forms and textures with the tonality and sensibility of the Western world. The result is a harmonious though rather benign combination, with much of the trappings of new age music. The album title can be taken at face value; there is no danger in sight. Mostly, the instrumentalists mesh perfectly in a pastoral blend that never drifts far from its harmonic center. Percussionists Zakir Hussain (tabla) and Aiyb Dieng (talking drums) produce the bulk of the rhythm and guitarist Nick Skopelitis and violinist Shankar weave pleasant, droning melodies around Laswell's rubbery bass playing. The only discord comes with "Assassin," an ineffective attempt at dark, throbbing funk. Still, the track serves as a good model for Laswell's approach. In this case, the West wins. Skopelitis delivers some banal rock licks over a beat that's not nearly as heavy as it might aspire to be. A mixture of tabla and talking drums makes its way into the music's pauses, providing an Eastern undercurrent, and Shankar lends a wordless vocal to the texture. The most successful track is the closing "Kingdom Come." The introduction highlights the group's percussion trio; Hussain is even allowed a captivating tabla solo, approaching his instrument like a drum kit. For once, the musicians are allowed some room to roam, and they delve into the beginnings of an engaging, improvised dialogue. While the fusion elements present on Hear No Evil may have seemed groundbreaking during the late '80s, the passing of time has not been so kind. Laswell's compositions take few risks, requiring the instrumentalists to pull more of the weight but, unfortunately, they remain too subdued.

:::Review by Nathan Bush:::

Bill Laswell - Hear No Evil (1988)

1. Lost Roads 7:26
2. Bullet Hole Memory 7:13
3. Illinois Central 6:59
4. Assassin 6:24
5. Stations Of The Cross 7:13
6. Kingdom Come 7:33

Credits
Bass, Written-By, Producer - Bill Laswell
Guitar - Nicky Skopelitis
Percussion - Aiyb Dieng , Daniel Ponce , Zakir Hussain
Violin - Shankar

Hi Jazzlovers!

For next couple of weeks, hopely months, I am going to treat you with albums presented with a key which will be an instrument played by certain vitruoso.
We start with drums and will be adding instruments towards building a big band.
Hope you will enjoy it and will not restrain yourselfs from comming and commenting.
Peace!
jazzlover

First unusual thing is waiting listener at the very beginning - there is no vocalist on this album, but there is narrator ( speaking voice). But the music is far not a down tempo saga for such vocals! Album's opener "Introduction" is heavy rock guitar filled organ passages based energetic composition with speaking vocals on English and Japanese! Heavy psychedelic version of early Deep Purple or Uriah Heep.
"The Death Of Janis", dedicated to Janis Joplin, is spacey down tempo aerial composition, mostly based on synth sounds (with some speaking vocals in Japanese as well)."Go For Nothing" is jazz composition with sax soloing. Still spacey and slightly psychedelic. At the end of it there most strangest screaming voices are added. Absolutely weird atmosphere!
"Child And I " is brass-rock composition flavoured with sax and guitar soloing, electric keyboards and speaking vocals. "Blue " is blues rock with soloing flute. "Alone" sounds as Miles Davis influenced complex free jazz with post-bop elements and soloing sax.
"Epilog", the last album's composition opens with sea waves noise and contains very optimistic melodic pop tune. So - now you can imagine all these different genres with freaky vocals (voices?), placed on one album? But most important - all this eclectic mix is very professionally played, and sound very attractive!
Great and unusual album, somewhere between psyche, avantgarde and jazz. Recommended!

:::Review by snobb:::

Inomata Takeshi & Sound L.T.D. - Innocent Canon (1971)

1. Introduction (5:57)
2. The Death Of Janis (4:00)
3. Go For Nothing (7:28)
4. Child And I (4:03)
5. Blue (5:11)
6. Alone (7:15)
7. Epilog (2:19)

Credits
Bass [Electric, Fender], Whistling [Solo], Melodica [Pianica] - 鈴木淳
Drums - 猪俣猛
Electric Piano, Organ [Hammond], Piano - 大原繁仁
Flute [Bass, Alto, Block], Piccolo Flute - 横田年昭
Guitar [Electric], Acoustic Guitar [Folk], Sitar - 水谷公生
Narrator, Photography - 加納典明
Percussion - 中島御
Saxophone [Soprano, Alto, Tenor], Flute - Jake F. Concepcion
Trombone, Vibraphone - 堂本重道
Trumpet, Flugelhorn - 大野俊三
Trumpet, Trumpet [Piccolo], Flugelhorn - 鈴木武久

Releases information
re-released on CD in 2007 by King Records KICS-2534,Japan