Official Jazz Fusion Thread

[WhiffleBallTony]

Okay, I don't know much jazz fusion, but I love what I've heard. Billy Cobham's Spectrum is one of my most prized vinyl records and I love Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cynic, Herbie Han****, and everything else I've heard.

However, I want to listen to more (mainly stuff similar to Cobham). You guys never seem to fail me, so who's got some suggestions?

Edit: Maybe someone could make a jazz fusion mix and add it to the blog.

[afterstasis]

weather report
stanley clark
john mclaughlin
return to forever
brand x
jean-luc ponty
allan holdsworth
soft machine
pat metheny group

and a few that may not be strictly defined as jazz fusion, but are worth checking out...

morphine
charles mingus
embryo
beanfield
emergency
magma
tortoise

and of course make sure you're familiar with stuff like miles davis, coltrane, etc.

[Gowienczyk]

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

[WhiffleBallTony]

weather report
stanley clark
john mclaughlin
jean-luc ponty
pat metheny group

I know all of these, but have never really considered them jazz fusion. I actually saw Jean-Luc Ponty with a few other musicians (don't remember who) live a few years ago. He was very good.

Also, just a little fun fact, my uncle is Pat Metheny's mixer. Go take a look at the liner notes on his albums. It should say that Rob Eaton mixed it.

and of course make sure you're familiar with stuff like miles davis, coltrane, etc.

Definitely. I consider Davis and Coltrane to be straight up jazz, however. The same goes for Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong, and any guys like that.

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

Another group I know but consider them more along the lines of bluegrass. I saw them live a long time ago, as well. I remember going backstage and meeting the band. Future man put on a magic show for us which was awesome. The part I remember best was him taking a dollar bill, putting a pencil in it and moving it around, but not leaving any holes. I don't know how the hell he did it...

[a21schizoidman]

Return to Forever
Chick Corea
The Eleventh House
Al Di Meola
Larry Coryell
Dixie Dregs
Carlos Santana (with McLaughlin "Love Devotion Surrender")
Jan Hammer
Jeff Beck
Area
Ginger Baker's Air Force
Hatfield & the North
Henry Cow
Matching Mole
Marcus Miller
National Health


ive also heard good things about Planet X

[Rev0lver]

Check out Ephel Duath. Their new stuff isn't that great, but their 2002 album Painter's Palette is a must-have, if you can find it.

[afterstasis]

jazz fusion's a very sticky genre. i typically have to go by others' classifications (unless the sound is just glaringly obvious), and bands like weather report are usually placed in the genre.
a lot of it depends on the album you're listening to, as well.

i was throwing davis and coltrane at the end to make sure you'd heard them, not to insinuate they're fusion. i didn't know you were already familiar with much jazz.

it's very cool to hear your uncle works with metheny!

[a21schizoidman]

soft machine

i love u, lol

Third ftw

[OldFogey]

I do recognize the name Rob Eaton

I'm a Metheny fan back to when he played as the second guitarist in Gary Burton's group (Mick Goodrich was the main guitarist).

I tend to agree with the comments about some groups not really being fusion. I also think Afterstasis and Schiz hit most of the highlights. A few they missed:

After Miles' *****es Brew and Live/Evil among others kind of got the ball rolling, I think the big breakthrough was Tony Williams Lifetime with Tony, John McLaughlin, Larry Young and occasionally Jack Bruce. "Turn it Over" and "Emergency" are musts.

Eric Johnson started in a fusion band called the Electromagnets.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXD2sK25BdU&fmt=18

I'm not a huge Electromagnets fan - pretty standard fusion fare. But it's fun to see where EJ started.

Nowadays a favorite of mine is Karizma with Michael Landau and VInnie Colaiuta

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JpPKj2Da7M&fmt=18

The Yellowjackets with Robben Ford are fantastic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1_90wWDxns&fmt=18

Lifetime, Karizma and Yellowjackets are all standouts for me in the fusion field.

Not really Jazz Fusion but if you like these guys you'll probably like John Scofield and Mike Stern.

To be honest, though, fusion doesn't do that much for me. I tend to go with more or less straight jazz. For example I tend to like early Return to Forever more than when DiMeola joined. Nothing against Al - just not a big fan of the sound as compared to say Weather Report.

Bela Fleck and the FLecktones are a jazz outfit in my mind. Bela does do bluegrass work but not typically with the Flecktones.

[OldFogey]

Found a cool clip of the Lifetime with Jack Bruce -- this is what Jack was up to immediately after leaving Cream.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhmfOh5a9MI&fmt=18

This is a song Jack later recorded for his Harmony Row album. It then segues into Dance of Maya which McLaughlin later recorded with Mahavishnu. Dance of Maya kicks in about the 6:30 mark. Larry Young's organ work was always the standout of that outfit for me, of course in addition to Tony Williams drum work. My favorite drummer. Much as I like Mahavishnu, this combo kicks Mahavishnu bu77.

The recording quality sucks sad to say.

Emergency was '69 and Turn it Over was '70. I think these are definitely landmarks in the early history of fusion. Mahavishnu was '72 as I recall. Saw that band a lot. Love 'em. They did 2 sets a night for 5 nights after Inner Mounting Flame came out in LA and we saw every set.