Category Archives: Jazz Fusion

IKARUS-IKARUS.

IKARUS-IKARUS. In Greek mythology, Icarus, the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, who created the Labyrinth, met a tragic ending. Icarus and Daedalus were desperate to escape from Crete. So Daedalus constructed wings made of feathers and wax. As Icarus prepared to make his escape, Daedalus warned his son of complacency and hubris.  Icarus shouldn’t …

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KOLLECTIV-KOLLECTIV.

KOLLECTIV-KOLLECTIV. Musical history is littered with bands who only ever released one album. Often, that album fails to find the audience it deserves. This can come as a bitter blow, and sometimes, can lead to the band breaking up. By then, the rock star dream is over. The only option left, is to return to …

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SUNBIRDS-SUNBIRDS

SUNBIRDS-SUNBIRDS. Back in the seventies, the only German band most British people had heard of was Kraftwerk. A few more knowledgeable music lovers have heard of Can, and maybe, Neu!, Cluster or Harmonia. That however, was the extent of their knowledge of German music. That was a great shame, as Germany in the seventies, had …

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THE 33 BEST BOX SETS OF 2105-PART TWO.

THE 33 BEST BOX SETS OF 2105-PART TWO. HAWKWIND-THIS IS YOUR CAPTAIN SPEAKING…YOUR CAPTAIN IS DEAD. Since 1969, the various lineups of Hawkwind have released twenty-seven studio albums, ten live albums and fifteen compilations. That’s not forgetting the recently released eleven disc box set, This Is Your Captain Speaking…Your Captain Is Dead. It was recently …

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THE 33 BEST BOX SETS OF 2105-PART THREE.

THE 33 BEST BOX SETS OF 2105-PART THREE. MILES DAVIS-BITCHES BREW 40TH ANNIVERSARY COLLECTORS EDITION. Miles Davis’ recording career began in 1951, when he released his debut album The New Sounds. Soon, Miles Davis was establishing a reputation as a prolific, and innovative musician. He released a further forty-three albums between 1951 and 1969. This …

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MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975-THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 4-VINYL EDITION

MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975-THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 4-VINYL EDITION. It was in 1954, that Elaine Lorillard and her husband Louis founded the Newport Jazz Festival. Elaine’s love affair with jazz began in 1943.  She was twenty-nine, single and was living in New York when she first heard jazz music. This was very different to …

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LEON THOMAS-FULL CIRCLE.

LEON THOMAS-FULL CIRCLE. For Leon Thomas, Full Circle represented the end of an era. It was the last album Leon Thomas released on Flying Dutchman Productions, and marked the end of his “classic period.” It had started four years earlier in 1969, when Leon Thomas released his debut album Spirits Known and Unknown. Since then, …

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MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975-THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 4.

MILES DAVIS AT NEWPORT 1955-1975-THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 4. It was in 1954, that Elaine Lorillard and her husband Louis founded the Newport Jazz Festival. Elaine’s love affair with jazz began in 1943.  She was twenty-nine, single and was living in New York when she first heard jazz music. This was very different to her …

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STOMU YAMASHTA-GO TOO.

STOMU YAMASHTA-GO TOO. By the late sixties, jazz was at a crossroads. It was no longer as popular as it had once been. Its popularly had plummeted. Comparisons were being drawn with blues music.  Although there had been a brief resurgence in the blues popularity earlier in the sixties, many of its biggest names were …

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GEORGE DUKE-A BRAZILIAN LOVE AFFAIR-VINYL EDITION.

GEORGE DUKE-A BRAZILIAN LOVE AFFAIR-VINYL EDITION. By 1979, when George Duke released A Brazilian Love Affair, he was one of the hardest working men in music. Not only had he released fifteen solo albums, but had moved into production. Then there was George’s work as a sideman. The list of musicians George has played with …

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THE FIFTY BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2014-PART 2.

THE FIFTY BEST NEW ALBUMS OF 2014-PART 2. DJ VADIM-DUBCATCHER. For Dubcatcher, the followup to DJ Vadim’s critically acclaimed tenth album, Don’t Be Scared, he dawned the role of hip hop’s first DJ superhero. That’s apparent from the Dubcatcher’s album cover. Looking like a cross between Robin, Bananaman and Goldfinger, a vinyl wielding DJ Vadim’s …

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DAVID SANCIOUS AND TONE-TRANSFORMATION (THE SPEED OF LOVE).

DAVID SANCIOUS AND TONE-TRANSFORMATION (THE SPEED OF LOVE). Although David Sancious was a self-taught guitarist, the New Jersey born multi-instrumentalist was a classically trained pianist. David, who was born on November 30th 1953, first started playing piano aged seven. That was the start of David Sancious’ long and illustrious career. David went on to play …

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THE ESOTERIC CIRCLE-GEORGE RUSSELL PRESENTS THE ESOTERIC CIRCLE.

THE ESOTERIC CIRCLE-GEORGE RUSSELL PRESENTS THE ESOTERIC CIRCLE. With Norwegian music going through something of a renaissance, it’s fitting that George Russell Presents The Esoteric Circle has reissued by BGP Records, a subsidiary of Ace Records. George Russell Presents The Esoteric Circle was one of the most important albums in Norwegian musical history. Released in …

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ROY HAYNES-HIP ENSEMBLE.

ROY HAYNES-HIP ENSEMBLE. In the history of jazz music, Roy Haynes’ name looms large. He is one of the most recorded drummers in jazz history. During a career that spanned sixty years, Roy Haynes worked with the great and good of jazz music. This included Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Wardell Grey, Stan Getz and Sarah …

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KEV BEADLE PRESENTS PRIVATE COLLECTION VOLUME 2.

KEV BEADLE PRESENTS PRIVATE COLLECTION VOLUME 2. Back in the seventies and eighties, major record labels were reducing the money the were spending on jazz.  No longer was jazz seen as a priority. In the eyes of many record label executives, it was yesterday’s music. So, they weren’t willing to risk scarce resources on new …

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LARRY CORYELL-BAREFOOT BOY.

LARRY CORYELL-BAREFOOT BOY. Larry Coryell, it seemed, was destined to become a musician. Born in Galveston, Texas, Larry was playing in local bands throughout his time at Richland High School. He was a member of The Flames, The Rumblers, The Royals, The Jailers and even, the Yakima based Checkers. For a group looking for a …

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BACKBEATS: IN THE POCKET-70S JAZZ FUNK.

BACKBEATS: IN THE POCKET-70S JAZZ FUNK. Ever since the birth of jazz, the music has never stood still. Instead, it’s been constantly evolving. That was the case in the early seventies. By the early seventies, jazz had to evolve to survive. Jazz’s popularity had been surpassed by soul music. Even soul jazz which had proved …

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WEATHER REPORT-THE COLUMBIA ALBUMS 1971-1975.

WEATHER REPORT-THE COLUMBIA ALBUMS 1971-1975. Recently Columbia Records have been delving into their archives and releasing a series of lavish box sets. So far, there’s been box sets to suit all musical tastes. Whether it’s jazz legends like Duke Ellington or Louis Armstrong or seventies rock there’s something for everyone. Fans of jazz-fusion haven’t been …

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