Jazz Archives

With two WR members emanating from Miles' Bitches Brew line-up (Zawinul and Shorter), it was obvious that their first album would be heavily influenced by it. But to everyone's surprise, WR's debut only took BB as a starting point and expanded on it, pushing the musical adventure a notch further and improvising so well and inspired, that you'd swear the whole thing is written. The duo enrolled the Czech-born Miroslav Vitous, (which will become an indispensable early WR's pillar) than secured Brazilian-born percussionist Airto Moreira and drummer Alphonse Mouzon, thus creating a real supergroup or an all-star line-up as the jazz circles prefer it. Released in 71 on the Columbia banner with a strange abstract artwork, WR's debut would take the JR scene by storm.
Right from the first twitches of Milky Way, we just know we're in for a long strange trip, as the music flirts with atonalities, then reaching a strange metamorphosed Miles jazz-funk (Umbrellas) that takes away the pleasantness and replacing it with cold hard improvising. On Seventh Arrow (a Vitous track), Zawinul's Fender Rhodes takes us sky-bound with Shorter's sax hovering like a mosquito around our ears until Zawinul derails the train into cosmic heights with his weird synths layers. The album's highlight is the Zawinul-penned Orange Lady, starting out lazily under the noontime sun, and then simply roasting under the scorching sun.
The flipside opens on the magical Morning Lake, with zawinul's Rhodes layering the track as to allow vitous to soar with his bass, while Shorter's sax is the cool breeze setting the mist apart to let the sunrays grace our ears. Waterfall, as you'd guess, is definitely more rapid than the Morning Lake, but obviously the cool Shorter breeze is not yet shaking the night's torpor. Shorter was being short-changed in terms of songwriting credits up to now, but he gets to close the album with two tracks, first the again-slow (but brooding and menacing) Tears (astounding track with celestial voices) and the funkier Eurydice, which is much closer to conventional jazz than the Z-S duo had done in quite a while.
An impeccable album, but not likely suited for everyone as it is much slower than you'd expect a WR album, especially for those more familiar with the Pastorius days. Personally, I always preferred the Vitous-era as they were truly groundbreaking and along with its successor, this album is clearly teir most progressive.

:::Review by Sean Trane:::

Weather Report - Weather Report (1971)

1. Milky Way (2:33)
2. Umbrellas (3:27)
3. Seventh Arrow (5:22)
4. Orange Lady (8:43)
5. Morning Lake (4:25)
6. Waterfall (6:20)
7. Tears (3:25)
8. Eurydice (5:45)

Credits
- Airto Moreira / percussion.
- Alphonze Mouzon / drums, voice
- Wayne Shorter / soprano & tenor saxophones
- Miroslav Vitous / acoustic & electric basses
- Joe Zawinul / acoustic & electric pianos

Additional musicians
- Don Alias / percussion
- Barbara Burton / percussion

Earthquake Island was Hassell's first project supported by a traditional lineup -- two guitarists, a bassist, and several percussionists. Rhythms from Latin American and the Caribbean appear for the only time (so far) in this world citizen's recordings, and on a couple of tracks there's even a guest vocalist named Clarice Taylor. Earthquake Island is also the artist's least discussed album. Okay, make that undiscussed -- even on websites devoted to Hassell's music, it only gets a sentence or two. In hindsight, this album seemed like a backward step compared to the electronic drones and hand percussion of Vernal Equinox, and was perhaps taken as a thin example of the late-'70s jazz fusion taste for Latin percussion and horn arrangements (cf. Santana; the 1979 debut by Irakere). Certainly the participation of Weather Report vets like bassist Miroslav Vitous and percussionist Dom Um Romeo promised a bit of that band's shine with jazz reviewers and fans. This is too bad, because a nice, unusually direct collection of tunes has gone overlooked. Certainly, the Moog and Arp synthesizers date the music. They provide nice harmonic guidelines without getting slippery, but are a little slick; Vitous' bass and the guitars of Claudio Ferreira and Ricardo Silviera don't use electronic effects, so they don't match Hassell's brass textures. But they all, Um Romeo, Nana Vasconcelos, and Pakistan tabla master Badal Roy, create a bottom far earthier than the experimental percussion textures of Dream Theory in Malaysia or the overworked, undermelodic funk rock of City: Works of Fiction, especially the touches of samba. Where Hassell's trumpet effects and stylings tend to swell up and even loom over his keyboards and rhythm sections on his finest albums, this time the melodies keep him playing closer to the treetops.
The fun parts catch Hassell using his horn to make sounds that, in other hands, would drive high school band directors to chain-smoke. Under the string synthesizer of "Tribal Secrets," he creates a two-note riff by inhaling through the trumpet; sucks a kissing tone on "Voodoo Wind," and everywhere he leans close to the microphone for a solo and relaxes his embouchure so air can stream around the mouthpiece. The closer, "Adios Saturn," is a particularly gratifying slice of cheese. Hassell cops from easy listening icon Ray Conniff and plays a snake-like melody in unison with Taylor over modulations taken from the opening track.

:::Review by John Young:::


01. Voodoo Wind [09:29]
02. Cobra Moon [04:49]
03. Sundown Dance [04:43]
04. Earthquake Island I, II, III [10:07]
05. Tribal Secret [03:44]
06. Baliá [04:32]
07. Adiòs, Saturn [01:52]


Credits
Jon Hassell, trumpet, Arpstrings, Arp, Polymoog
Nana Vasconçelos, drums, tabla, percussion, voice, cuica, congas, berimbau, handclaps
Miroslav Vitous, bass
Claudio Faereira, guitars, bass, handclaps
Ricardo Silveira, guitar
Badal Roy, tabla
Dom Um Romao, percussion
Clarice Taylor, vocals
Erasto Vasconçelos, Haroldo Mauro Jr, handclaps

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

Like the weather itself, this band would assume a new shape with virtually every release - and this album, half recorded in the studio and half live in Tokyo, set the pattern of change. Exit Airto Moreira and Alphonse Mouzon; enter percussionist Dom Um Romao, drummer Eric Gravatt, and a slew of cameo guests like guitarist Ralph Towner, flutist Hubert Laws, and others. The studio tracks are more biting, more ethnically diverse in influence, and more laden with electronic effects and grandiose structural complexities than before. The live material (heard in full on the import Live in Tokyo) is even fiercer and showcases for the first time some of the tremendous drive WR was capable of, though it doesn't give you much of an idea of its stream of consciousness nature.

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

Weather Report - I Sing the Body Electric (1972)

1. Unknown Soldier 7:57
2. The Moors 4:40
3. Crystal 7:16
4. Second Day In August 4:09
5. Medley: Vertical Invader, T.H., Dr. Honoris Causa 10:10
6. Surucucú 7:42
7. Directions 4:37

Credits
Bass - Miroslav Vitous
Drums - Eric Gravátt
Flute - Hubert Laws  Jr.
Guitar [12-string] - Ralph Towner (tracks: 2)
Keyboards [Electric & Acoustic] - Josef Zawinul
Percussion - Dom Um Romao (tracks: 2)
Reeds - Wayne Shorter
Trumpet [D And Piccolo] - Wilmer Wise
Vocals - Chapman Roberts , Joshie Armstrong , Yolande Bavan

Coryell had no problems attracting interest for this new project and recruited four exceptional musicians who all, at on time or another, had played with maestro Miles. Guitarist John McLaughlin was a perfect sparring partner. McLaughlin, who had just arrived from Europe, was playing with the newly formed jazz-rock outfit Tony Williams`Lifetime and had also played on the " Bitches Brew " sessions and, like Coryell, he had jammed with Hendrix and shared Coryell`s interest in certain aspects of rock music. Drummer Billy Cobham had already made his mark and in addition to playing briefly with Miles he had apprenticed in US Army bands and played on recordings by Horace Silver and George Benson. Bassist Miroslav Vitious had played with Miles while keyboardist Chick Corea had just joined Miles`band.
While "Spaces" has been frequently referred to as the purveyer of `70 fusion ( and this may be true to a point ) it is more of a jazz record than anything. It didn`t sound like any jazz record up to that point but has probably been referred to as the forerunner of fusion because the individual musicians went on to form or become part of the heavyweight fusion groups of the `70s, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, Return To Forever and Coryell`s own fusion group The Eleventh House. Nonetheless, unquestionably " Spaces " was certainly the embryo from which fusion blossomed.
The album, in it`s short 36 minutes and 42 seconds covers many points on the jazz spectrum. An ominous bowed bass passage from Vitous introduces the title track, " Spaces ( infinite ) " which develops into an atonal guitar exchange between Coryell and McLaughlin and certainly the high point of the work. Subtle psychedelic undertones can be heard but there`s no overkill and it is by far the " rockiest " piece on the album with some use of distortion. " Rene`s Theme" while exluding the rythmn section is more than adequately compensated for with the frenzied bop-like rythmn patterns on behalf of both guitarists on this acoustic track which blends elements of Coltrane and Django who were big influences on both guitarists. To those unfamiliar with the guitarists` playing at the time ( and both had found their distinctive voices by 1969 ) it might be hard to discern who is playing what but not to worry the liner notes solve this problem. In General, Coryell does most of the soloing ( hey he`s allowed, it`s his record OK ) while McLaughlin provides well timed rythmn inserts. An example of Coryell`s insane soloing can be found on " Wrong Is Right" where he let`s loose with a lightning speed silent barrage which would defy any guitar player`s immagination. Two of the more pensive pieces on the album also feature some interesting experimentations. " Gloria`s Step " is introduced by another bowed bass passage from vitous and at first on might think it`s a cello playing. " Chris ", which is obviously a Bill Evans inspired piece, features Chick Corea on electric piano. His playing here is both poetic and enticing and imerses the listener into an almost surealistic pleasurable dream which complement Coryell`s rising and falling guitar ideas. A mention also should be made of Cobham who pulses his way along with the group and fits in so perfectly sometimes you forget he`s there because of some of the grooves he gets into.
Nothing really peaks on " Spaces " and while lacking the razzle dazzle of the fusion bands it inspired, it relies on raw in-your-face sincere playing on behalf of all the musicians with only minimilistic use of volume & distortion. No studio tricks or wah wah pedals here folks. If you`re expecting an amps turned to eleven last man standing guitar battle royale then you`l have to look to other avenues. What you get here is two young virtuoso guitarists interacting beautifully who obviously have respect for each other`s respective talents. By a long shot one of the more challenging jazz albums ever recorded and even if it runs a mere 36 minutes+ it seems like an eternity. Perhaps not the best starting point for one wishing to explore the musical mind of Larry Coryell but if you`re looking for something adventurous you`ve come to the right place with " Spaces". Fusion before fusion. Precious. 5 stars what else.

:::Review by Ian Gledhill:::

Larry Coryell – Spaces (1969)

1. Spaces ( Infinite ) ( 9:16 )
2. Rene`s Theme ( 4:06 )
3. Gloria`s Step ( 4:29 )
4. Wrong Is Right ( 9:00 )
5. Chris ( 9:31 )
6. New Year`s Day In LA, 1968 ( 0:20 )

Credits
Larry Coryell / guitars
John McLaughlin / guitars
Chick Corea / electric piano
Miroslav Vitous / double bass
Billy Cobham / drums