Any Jazz Rock fusion fans here?

[Jhail83]

You know...Great stuff like Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather report, Return to Forever, Al Di Meola , etc. I happen to love the aforementioned artists, especially Al Di Meola and Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Here is some Al Di Meola for those who don't know!
Race with the devil on a Spanish highway
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Atz9vzTAUh0&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Atz9vzTAUh0&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Flight over Rio
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ok235UBu6R8&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ok235UBu6R8&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

here is some Mahavishnu Orchestra

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GXcMk6OG1Xc&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GXcMk6OG1Xc&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[DethBoxx]

Great stuff. Check out Electric Masada if you haven't heard them...wicked!!!!

[OldFogey]

You bet!!

Before Mahavishnu there was Miles -- *****es Brew major highlight. And Tony Williams Lifetime, which featured John McLaughlin. Jack Bruce played in one edition. Lifetime is a must check out.

Even before Dimeola joined it, Chick Corea's Return to Forever was a great group -- a little more traditional jazz before Al, but wonderful nonetheless.

Fusion kind of went downhill in the late 70's and 80's -- became famous for endless noodling over simple changes. A bit of a re-emergence happens in the 80's and 90's. Couple of later highlights: Yellowjackets, particularly their first recordings which featured Robben Ford. Larry Carlton was in a group called Fourplay that got a lot of praise, but was a little too LA Express-like for me. Of course, Larry also played with the Crusaders which was a great band.

Eric Johnson actually started in a fusion outfit, the Electromagnets. They were actually an example of where Fusion started to get a little cheesy, to be honest. But you can still here glimpses of what EJ would become.

Steve Morse was in a band called the Dixie Dregs that probably counts as fusion. This was before he joined Deep Purple.

Larry Carlton and Robben Ford have been playing some dates together. Here's a sample of what they've been doing.
<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lwt9eKDxbbM&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Lwt9eKDxbbM&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Mike Stern is completely awesome. His "Play" album stays in heavy rotation on my iPod. He plays with Bill Frisell and John Schofield on it.

In a more purely jazz vein, John Schofield is awesome. Some of his recordings are kind of jazz funk -- kind of fusiony but more really pure jazz with a funk feel.

Glad to post whatever clips I can find on any of these people are interested in.

[OldFogey]

a separate post for Mike Landau. Rapidly becoming one of my all time favorites. Most samples of his playing on YouTube have pretty crummy sound, so I'm reposting this clip I had posted before, because it's about the best I can find for vid and sound with him playing in a fusion style. Like most of the greats nowadays he plays in a variety of styles.

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/w3l7UZc2bJI&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/w3l7UZc2bJI&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[OldFogey]

Hey Fusion fans,

How about this lineup. Goes by name of Karizma. Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Mike Landau (guitar), Dave Garfield (keyboards), and Neil Stubenhaus (bass)

First, I'm Buzzed

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/03RaFxxT-g4&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/03RaFxxT-g4&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

Then "I'm Tweaked"

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-JpPKj2Da7M&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-JpPKj2Da7M&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[fighting69th]

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OMTPQVOWCiU&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OMTPQVOWCiU&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

[OldFogey]

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/OMTPQVOWCiU&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OMTPQVOWCiU&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

I forgot about that scene! Classic!!

Sad thing is, one of my favorite bands (Little Feat), went through a period where the keyboardist and the second guitar seemed to think they were the second coming of Weather Report. Of course, they weren't. And what was a great little rock and roll band started taking itself too seriously and going off on "adventurous" jams they really couldn't sustain. Not quite as bad as the Tap, but sad all the same. Thank goodness they got back to reality for the "Let It Roll' album.

Fusion has almost become a bad word both in rock and jazz camps. And that's too bad because there really were some great groups and some nice music. But there was a lot of mechanical, soulless, out for the sake of being out stuff. No wonder there was such a resurgence of classic jazz players in the 80's and 90's.

[fighting69th]

This guy I work with played me some Frank Gambale and I couldn't believe this guy! Jazzy but playing arpeggio sweeps and such.

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/I0dlN_o7QxQ&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/I0dlN_o7QxQ&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>