Posts Tagged Fusion
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January 31, 2021 by Simon Sweetman
Billy Cobham: Live in Montreux (Live 1987)
Billy Cobham Live in Montreux (Live 1987) Lo-Light Records / Billy Cobham Billy Cobham – what a fucking player. He spun my head right around – that single disc greatest hits of his solo records, man. What a life-changer. When it comes down to it, so much of fusion leaves me cool but I could […]Archive
June 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Brad Mehldau: Finding Gabriel
Brad Mehldau Finding Gabriel Nonesuch I was so hooked on the early Meldhau work – mostly trio jazz and sometimes some solo piano. And then he toured NZ with his trio and it was…I dunno…it was just boring. It was just exactly as it was meant to be I suppose and yet I somehow wanted more. He won me back over with his extrapolations […]Archive
February 3, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Peter Erskine & The Dr. Um Band: On Call
Peter Erskine & The Dr. Um Band On Call Fuzzy Music LLC Master drummer Peter Erskine – always with the measure of taste whether playing small combo, big band or break-neck fusion – here serves up a double-disc of delights; the first disc is a studio set of brand new tunes, the second is a live workout of Dr. […]Archive
June 1, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The 1001 Albums Challenge # 64: Weather Report – “Heavy Weather”
Even if I had never heard of Weather Report (I have, I’ve owned a few of their albums – just never this, had never heard this one, their seventh) I’d sign up once I knew who was in the band. It was the launching pad for some great players and a home to several legends, […]Archive
April 16, 2017 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth has died. He was 70. A great guitarist and composer and if he wasn’t your favourite guitar player there’s every chance that many of your favourite guitarists looked to Holdsworth or took something from his sound and approach. A wizard. A hero to the shredders, a guy who took jazz in new directions […]Archive
December 29, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
R.I.P. Alphonse Mouzon
Alphonse Mouzon has died. He was 68. He was one of my favourite drummers. I discovered his work in that new and exciting way – 25 years ago or so – on a compilation. I’d been gifted this CD proclaiming to showcase the Best Jazz Drummers. And it pretty much did. Put me onto a […]Archive
October 21, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
Reconnecting With Billy Cobham: His Best Solo Works
Autobiographies are often 500 or 600 pages long – sometimes more than that. Greatest hits albums are double-discs or stretch to 19 or 20 tracks. You can’t help but get the feeling that the artist is most definitely their own biggest fan. Not many are prepared to write a 150 or 200-page memoir but when […]Archive
September 25, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 627
Billy Cobham, The Best of Billy Cobham (1979) Maybe I had heard some of his pre-solo stuff first – I’m sure I had, even if maybe I didn’t even know that it was him but certainly hearing this Billy Cobham compilation was one of the formative experiences for me in the beginning of my CD-buying […]Archive
September 1, 2016 by Simon Sweetman
The Vinyl Countdown # 640
Tony Williams, The Joy of Flying (1979) I love Tony Williams – one of the best and most influential drummers around, right? Every drummer and most musicians know the name. I knew a little of his work as a leader, but mostly it’s his sideman stuff – hearing him drive the beat for others, and […]Archive
May 27, 2014 by Simon Sweetman