Bill Watrous - The Tiger of San Pedro (1975)

The second and final big band album that Watrous recorded for Columbia is very similar to the first in style and quality. Tiger of San Pedro opens with "Dirty Dan" a rock chart that is one of the weaker on the album but still showcases Watrous' ability to solo within a variety of styles. "Quiet Lady," is a personal favorite and is a medium tempo bossa nova. This track exemplifies the sensitivity with which Watrous plays in the upper register of his instrument. The band accompaniment is scarce throughout a lot of the track. The accompaniment is mostly chordal building to suspensions. The title track "The Tiger of San Pedro" is an uptempo Latin chart showcasing the tightness of the ensemble. Danny Stiles, Watrous' long time lead trumpet gives a dazzling scale based solo into the upper register and Watrous himself shows off another one of his strengths, fast tonguing. "Somewhere Along the Way" is a gorgeous ballad and definitely one of the highlights of the album. Watrous can play fast, but it is on ballads where his tone is really brought to the fore. "T.S., T.S." is another rock chart. It's not that the rock charts are terrible, they just aren't as strong as a lot of the other material on the album. "Passion at Three O'Clock" is a good example of how a soprano sax (played here by Ed Xiques) can really add a lot to a big band, not only in sax solis but as a solo instrument. This track is probably one of the most nuanced tracks on the album and the one that develops the most. The album closes with "Sweet Georgia Upside Down," is a sort of "reworked" version of "Sweet Georgia Brown," and is a great uptempo close to the album. It's a shame that this album can be so hard to find as it wasn't released in a digital format until 2007 and then only stayed in print for a short period of time.

Stan Kenton - A Merry Christmas! (2003)

The original release of the material found on this album

This may have been released in 2003, but it is actually a composite album of a 1970 album Kenton's Christmas and a Roulette 45 of Maynard Ferguson's Birdland Dream Band playing "Christmas for Moderns." Changing the packaging for essentially one bonus track is a bit strange, but it is a welcome addition as the only other digital version that has been released is in the Mosaic The Complete Roulette Recording of the Maynard Ferguson Orchestra, which with prices now exceeding $1,500, it is a bit pricey. The conception of the Kenton part of the album is unusual for a big band, but not so much for Kenton. The instrumentation does not include saxophones, but rather adds mellophones for a brass band with rhythm section. Kenton wanted to only cover traditional Christmas songs, so there is no Kenton version of "Frosty the Snowman" or anything like that. Most all of the songs are well-conceived and have a chorale-like sound my favorites being "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Once in Royal David's City." There are sparse jazz elements interspersed with the chorale sound on tracks like "God Rest Ye Gentleman," but this is an album that shouldn't be evaluated on the terms of the standard big band, as it is more of a Third Stream effort. The bonus track, "Christmas for Moderns" is in stark contrast to the rest of the album. While, it has some of the same chorale style writing, the Willie Maiden chart has popular Christmas songs of the day mixed with traditional numbers, as well as having much more of a driving swing feeling. This is a great album for its classical sensibilities and its showcasing of the warm brass sonorities that remind many of us of past holiday seasons.

Maynard Ferguson - Conquistador (1977)

Definitely Maynard's most successful album even if critically it falls short. Maynard was not immune to Columbia's wishes to relinquish quite a bit of artistic control and "cross over" in order to sell more records. Conquistador has quite the star-studded cast from the studio players from people like George Benson and Bob James. Conquistador has a sound that was pretty synonymous with CTI Records in the early 70s and then duplicated by nearly every label by the middle of the decade. The album opens with Maynard's #28 hit "Gonna Fly Now," a high note excursion into the Rocky theme. The track showcases Maynard's command of the upper register, but in this reviewer's opinion it's not really tasteful. "Mister Mellow" is a track that showcases George Benson and is one of the stronger tracks on the album. Once you get past the background vocals, the track is a great solo vehicle for Benson and Maynard within a laidback funk groove. Interestingly enough, Maynard's solo utilizes much more of the lower register than most of the other album and consequently while it is on of the most "studio" tracks on the album, it's definitely one of the more genuine tracks. "Theme from Star Trek," is another attempt by Maynard to capitalize on the pop culture on his time. That being said, this track showcases Maynard's control of his instrument much more so than "Gonna Fly Now," due to the fact that he plays the entirely melody not just a solo. This is especially apparent when he plays "whistle tones" at the close of the song when the track is fading out. "Conquistador," the title track of the album is a collaboration between Maynard and Jay Chattaway. This track is not as Spanish sounding as Sketches of Spain or even some tracks on Maynard's Carnival album, but it is an interesting mixing of the aria style of trumpet playing Maynard is associated with at this point in his career and funk elements. It's hard not to get past the period sound of this particular track, maybe even more so than some of the novelty material on the album. "Soar Like an Eagle" is a Bob James tune that features the author and Maynard. I have similar opinions on this track as I did "Mister Mellow." It may have elements indicative of the period such as heavy electronics and studio orchestra accompaniment, but it is one of the more jazz oriented tracks. I for one think that the color of the synthesizer mixed with the flute is very interesting. James takes a memorable solo on the Fender Rhodes after Maynard's foray into the high register, which breaks up the solos on the track. "The Fly" is really the only uptempo track on the whole album and is a great close the album. The accented unison sax melody over the funky bass groove is picked up by the ensemble and then leads into an "aria-like" solo by Maynard. This track gets its name most likely from the "fly-like" synthesizer sound which was most likely the work of Bob James. This album is interesting for its melding of the big band with some of the electronic and studio sounds of the day, but I wouldn't say it was the highlight of Maynard's career. Sure, it was his most financially successful period, but critically speaking his Roulette material from the 1950s is far superior as jazz music.

Various Artists - The Atlantic Family Live at Montreux (1978)

This album is a real oddity, but that's part of what makes the session really interesting and worthwhile. Originally released as a double LP, this album was never rereleased, so consequently this is an album rip. Recorded at the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival, this album is a session of all the artists at the festival that were signed to Atlantic Records at the time. It's essentially a funk jam session with the horn players playing backgrounds and contributing extended solos over classic and original charts. The album notes refer to this idea as "the universal rhythm section," an idea that ascribes the rhythm section as the foundation of the band in jazz and blues. The album opens with "Bahia (Na Baixa Do Sapateiro)" (credited on other albums as Baía), a tune penned by Brazilian composer Ary Barroso in the 1930s famous for other tunes like "Brazil." "Bahia" is a great showcase for the horns, which present a very rhythmic interpretation of the melody, and for the guitars, which interject soloistic lines at the ends of phrases. Randy and Michael Brecker currently signed to Atlantic with their funk outfit The Brecker Brother play extended solos over the heavily funky interpretation of a Brazilian classic. "Jadoo" is an original penned by German saxophonist Klaus Doldinger, who at the time was leader of Passport, a German fusion group. "Jadoo" relies on heavily accented unison lines in the woodwinds with the Doldinger showing off his command of the altissimo range of his horn. Herbie Mann delivers a memorable solo on flute as does guitarist Jim Mullen. My personal favorite on the album is "Everything Must Change," the only vocal track on the album. The track is a slow ballad with lead vocals being traded between Average White Band vocalist Hamish Stuart and Ben E. King. "Everything Must Change" is a great example of how suspensions and extended harmony can create the perfect balance of tension and release in a song. This track captures the conception of the album most of any track, as the rhythm section is really the driving rhythmic, harmonic force upon which everything is based exemplified by the rock solid bass line and the sweeping lines on the Fender Rhodes. "McEwan's Export" is a track written by Average White Band guitarist Alan Gorrie and recalls the aesthetic quality of their album Soul Searching released the previous year in 1976. This track is the kind of jam tune that made Average White Band famous. "One to One" is a very slimmed-down track with Average White Band only accompanied with a few soloists. The tune is a solo vehicle for tune author David Newman and fellow saxophonist Klaus Doldinger. "Pick Up the Pieces" closes the album and is probably the biggest highlight of the album showcasing not only the conception of the album, but also giving the horn players a great vehicle for some incredible solos. While the tune is well-known by most people, the arranged horn sections that are inserted between solos give the tune a new vitality and a sense of identity. "Pick Up the Pieces" has the most strictly "jazz" solos presented by Don Ellis, Herbie Mann, and the Breckers. This album is a testament to the stark contrast of records released in the late 70s to the current times. The environment of that time period ripe for jazz-funk crossovers and artists willing to take the leap create an interesting albeit odd product that should be rereleased in a digital format.

Chase - Pure Music (1974)

The last album before his death in a tragic plane accident, Pure Music shows the band moving in a very different direction than previous albums with an emphasis on instrumental rather than vocal material. The only two vocals on the album are "Run Back to Mama" and "Love is on the Way," and frankly this is some of the weaker material on the album. While Chase had used a lot of outside writers on past albums, the instrumental material on Pure Music is penned entirely by its leader. The album opens with "Weird Song #1," a tune based on a groove in 9/4 with various superimpositions. By 1974 Chase had more fully embraced electronic aspects in his music, which "Weird Song #1" is a great example. In addition to featuring a Chase "electric trumpet" solo (that's how it's credited on the album), the track also has an other-wordly synth solo by new band member Wally Yohn. "Run Back to Mama" was written by Chase and Jim Peterik, the vocalist of Ides of March fame ("Vehicle") brought in by the label who was never a full-time member of the group. This track is a very straight-ahead tune with a driving bass line and the cascading trumpet lines Chase was known for. "Twinkles" is an unusual track on the album, as it was not common that Chase had ballads on his albums, let alone those that were acoustic. "Twinkles" shows Chase's ability on the flugelhorn and the sensitivity to lyricism that the listener wouldn't get from his typical forays in the stratosphere of the upper register of the trumpet. What's interesting about this track compared to the rest of his repertoire is that the opening of the tune features a bass ostinato upon which everything is layered; this is not so different as having a groove be the basis for a tune. "Bochawa" is a great full energy tune that is named for the soloists it features. "Bo stands for "BoReebie," a nickname for Jerry Van Blair, one of the strongest jazz soloists in the band. "Cha" stands for Chase, and "Wa" stands for Wally Yohn. What's interesting is that while this tune was used in tour before the recording of this album, its new band trumpeter Jay Sollenberger that is featured, not Jerry Van Blair. "Bochawa" has a great 12/8 funk groove that is a perfect showcase for Chase's lead playing and high note work as well as Wally Yohn's virtuosity on the organ. At the close of the tune, the listener will also hear a short solo by John Emma, a young guitarist from Illinois that showed a lot of promise as a jazz player before his life was tragically cut short by the plane crash that also killed Bill Chase, Wally Yohn, and Walter Clark. "Love Is on the Way" is another one of the commercially-oriented tunes on the band, but is the stronger one compared to "Run Back to Mama." The track starts out with a groove in the electric piano and a rhythmic accompaniment on guiro that builds to include the harmonized vocals and the famous Chase horn lines. "Close Up Tight," my personal favorite, closes the album and is a tour de force of the Chase sound and concept. This track begins with a motif that is stated in the synth and is transferred to the trumpets as it climbs two octaves to rest on Chase's high G (Concert F). However, after this motif the drums enter playing a swing rhythm on the hi-hat. This beat is slower than what might be present in a bebop tune, but what's important is that this is not a rock beat. Chase always sought to play music that was both the best of jazz and the best of rock, and "Close Up Tight" is a perfect example of this conception. In the original liner notes it reads, "'This is 1974. The music I make must be today. . . . It's got to be a reflection of the times and the world we live in, or to me it just doesn't make it.'" While it's no longer 1974, Chase's music is still in my opinion a pinnacle of the genre of jazz-rock.

Deodato - Prelude (1972)

Eumir Deodato started out as an arranger using bossa nova material from his native Brazil. After the military dictatorship took power there, Deodato moved to New York and eventually became known to Creed Taylor through mutual acquaintances. Prelude is most known for the opening track "Also Sprach Zarathustra," an crossover jazz adaptation of the classical piece penned by Richard Strauss and famous at the time of Prelude for its incorporation in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. This track has a lengthy Rhodes introduction that leads to almost transcription of the orchestral piece over a funk groove. Once the orchestral namesake has been covered, the tune goes into a funk breakdown full of solos until the tune comes back to the classical material to close to tune. "Spirit of Summer" is a fairly laidback tune dominated by strings characteristic of the 1970s. Deodato takes a solo on the Fender Rhodes and guitarist Jay Berliner takes a memorable flamenco-tinged solo, which leads into an orchestral outplay. "Carly & Carole" is actually my favorite on the album, probably because it's the most similar to latin jazz music in the same vein. "Carly & Carole" has a lot of influences of bossa nova with the funky Rhodes groove and the melody in the flute. This track also has an extended Rhodes solo by Deodato which really shows off his Latin roots; something not as clear on the other tracks. "Baubles, Bangles and Beads" is an arrangement of a tune from the 1953 music Kismet which is itself borrowed from the second movement of Borodin's String Quartet in D. It is essentially a riff tune with extended solo breaks for guitarist John Tropea, a musician noted for his studio work. "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" is an adaptation of Debussy's symphonic tone poem of the same name. As far as the classical adaptations go on this album, this is probably the strongest and most developed arrangement (CTI must have thought so to, as it is the track to give its title to the album). This track has marvelous transitions and features trumpeter Marvin Stamm and flutist Hubert Laws during various sections. As far as incorporation of all the musicians, this track is probably the finest because it has the most expansive scope. The album closes with "September 13," another riff based tune which opens up to feature John Tropea. The end tune opens up to include the trumpet and flute sections repeating the groove that underlays the whole tune. This is one of the most successful albums CTI ever had, and it shows the key to CTI's success and demise. While some of the original material and classical adaptations are fine spectacles of musicianship and musical conception, some fall short or are just based on simple riff tunes that don't really develop. 

Kool & the Gang - Kool & the Gang (1969)

Kool & the Gang's debut sounds nothing like much of the material the general public know by them. Formed in Jersey City, NJ in 1964, the band was originally called the Jazziacs until they were mis-billed as Kool & the Gang during a gig and just stuck with the name. Despite, their penchant for funk tunes later in their career, Kool & the Gang is much jazzier on this album. Call it soul jazz. Call it jazz-funk, but whatever genre you label it under, it's much more jazz than anything. The title track of the album opens the album to a great start; a funky guitar riff and a tambourine build to introduce the horn line of saxes and trumpet. This track, "Kool & the Gang," was a surprise hit and reached #59 on the Billboard Top 100. This track is a great indication of what the album will be like; there are lots of funky grooves that create a great vehicle for the three horns. "Breeze & Soul" is a personal favorite of mine and opens with a relaxed electric piano solo that transitions into a harmonized melody carried by the horns. This track is different than most Kool & the Gang material in that the piano is the primary source of harmony rather than the guitar; the guitar typically ornaments what the piano is doing for most of the track. "Chocolate Buttermilk" is another highlight to a great album. This track some really great unison horn writing with great transitions. Towards the end of the track the alto plays extensions of the chord that makes for a harmonically close to the track. "Sea of Tranquility" moves to a laidback feel and adds vibes to create "moon sounds." I call them "moon sounds" because the Sea of Tranquility is on the moon. "Give it Up" is an medium tempo funk marked by tremolos on a bluesy-sound piano and horn lines that build up to a solo by tenor sax player Khalis Bayyan. "Kool's Back Again" recalls the first track as the opening guitar shares close similarities to the one that opens the first track albeit much slower. "Let the Music Take Your Mind" is a great close to the album, and is the only track that has extended vocals. The lack of vocals on the majority of this album is really what sets it apart from the rest of the Kool & the Gang discography and aligns the album much more definitively in the realm of jazz. There's not much variation in how the horns are orchestrated, but that's not really what funk music is about. It's about the groove, and this album experiments with a variety of them. "Breeze & Soul" and "Sea of Tranqulity" incorporate instruments like the electronic piano and vibes that are uncommon in funk, but the majority of these tunes are straight-ahead funk with a jazz sensibility.

Bread - Manna (1971)

Bread's third album Manna unknowingly highlights what eventually would drive the band to fall apart. Despite having a rock songwriter in James Griffin and having a talented pop rock songwriter with a tendency to write ballads in David Gates, it was David Gates' songs that gained the most popularity and consequently drove the band's financial success. This rift in the acceptance of their music grew into the lives of the two men, eventually causing the band to split in early 1973. Bread is a fundamental part of the genre of soft rock that flowered in the early 70s with bands like America. The first song "Let Your Love Go" is a Gates penned tune which is unusual given its driving rock feeling. The opening track showcases the vocal harmony which is very typical of Bread. In fact, Bread was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2006. "Take Comfort" is an interesting for the juxtaposition of the driving rock sections against the halftime ballad sections. Don't let my introduction mislead you, Griffin could write a good song, his songs were just financially outshone by Gates' material. "Too Much Love" is a great song that blends the sounds of electric and acoustic guitars and shows Bread's partial roots in country music. "Too Much Love" has a bass line that sounds like it is right out of a country song, but it is the bluesy guitar and the rhythm of the hi-hat on the drums that makes this song sound much more than a country song. "If" is the highlight of the album and personally one of my favorite Bread songs of all time. Harmonically, "If" is a very interesting pop tune. While "If" is primarily based on A(I), D(IV) and E(V) chords, Gates frequently uses borrowed chords (mostly the minor iv) from the parallel minor to create a fantastic ballad. When all of the elements of the wah-wah effect on electric guitar, the arpeggios on the acoustic guitar, and Gates' falsetto are mixed together "If" becomes a terrific example of great songcraft. "He's a Good Lad" is another personal favorite and stylistically very similar to much singer/songwriter material of its time. The layering effect created as instruments slowly enter the song, orchestrated strings, and the piano maintaining the pulse are all pretty common in music of the time. "I Say It Again" highlights many of the elements that made Bread famous; its mixing of electric/acoustic, vocal harmony, and Gates' falsetto are all at the fore of this song.  "Come Again" combine a lot of influences into an interesting track. The track starts in a ballad feel with the piano playing in unison with Gates. The track then moves into a semi-jazz feel with brushes on the drums. This juxtaposition continues with the ballad progressively becoming more orchestrated and the "response" section becoming stylistically varied. "Come Again" reiterates a lot of the elements that make Bread an interesting band. Harmonized vocals, a mixture of electric/acoustic, orchestrated strings, and an embrace of other genres are the primary elements of Bread's music and why I continue to listen to their music year after year.

Badfinger - Straight Up (1971)

Furthering the exploration of a singer/songwriter "kick," Straight Up is notable when compared to previous posts as it was produced by Todd Rundgren. Released in December 1971, Straight Up is one of the finest albums by Badfinger, one of those groups you didn't know you knew. Developing out of a group The Iveys, Badfinger got its name from the working title of Lennon-McCartney's "With a Little Help from My Friends" and is known for such hits as "Baby Blue," "Day After Day," and "No Matter What." Unfortunately, as is the case with many bands, the tragedy of the suicides in the band often overshadow a serious look at the music. Music critics will refer to Badfinger as "power pop," but as was the case in my review of Egg and Canterbury scene I'm hesitant to embrace the term as the musicians themselves didn't use it. (The term originated from an interview with Pete Townshend of The Who, but in its context it's unclear if he is actually labeling himself as such). Straight Up opens with the medium-tempo ballad "Take It All" penned by Pete Ham. This track is a fantastic opener because of the gradual entrances in the beginning of the track; the track starts with piano, voice, and harmonics on the guitar and builds to include organ, drums, and bass. "Baby Blue" is the next track on the album and one of my personal favorites. "Baby Blue" is a good example of why Badfinger is considered "power pop" because of the liberal use of power chords in the guitar. Yet, it seems senseless to base a genre around the frequent use of one type of chord. "Baby Blue" is an interesting track because despite tending toward the major key (the exception being the bridge) the words of the song are very melancholy. This creates a great tension in the listener which is resolved in the minor bridge and the outro. "Flying" is a quaint piece because of the word-painting it uses along the concept of flying. The long notes in the verse and especially the suspended held notes later in the track give a sense of gliding. "I'd Die Babe" is a great track with a notable driving bass line, and syncopated comping in the keyboard synced with the crash cymbals. This track is also testament to the tasteful use of vocal harmony that is key to a number of Badfinger songs. "Name of the Game" is a great ballad noteworthy for the sporadic harmonized vocal backgrounds and Ham's work on piano. The bass primarily outlines the roots of the chords and isn't very busy until the choruses. Despite making some good solo vehicles on guitar, the piano seems to be just as integral to the Badfinger sound. "Day After Day" is indefinitely one of Badfinger's most well-known singles and one of my favorites. "Day After Day" uses a lot of the elements of its other songs such as prominent piano, vocal harmony, and driving bass lines in an excellent execution. This track is also noteworthy for George Harrison's slide guitar solo, who was the record's producer until he left to produce The Concert for Bangladesh. The closing track "It's Over" seems to be a bit tongue-in-cheek when its subject matter is compared to its place on the album. "It's Over" is a great feature for the vocals of the group as well as one more taste of Ham's piano and Molland's guitar.

The Brothers Johnson - Right on Time (1977)

The second release for the duo of George "Lightnin' Licks" and Louis "Thunder Thumbs" Johnson more commonly referred to as The Brothers Johnson. Louis Johnson is primarily credited along with Larry Graham for developing the "slapping" technique for the electric bass. Both would go on to work on a variety of studio albums for such well-known acts as Michael Jackson due to their connection with producer Quincy Jones. The album opens up with "Runnin' for Your Lovin'," a track that is a great introduction to the style of the band; laidback funk tunes with driving bass lines, harmonized and background vocals, and ample use of horns in the backgrounds. What sets the style of the band apart from other funk outfits is that the vocals have a songlike quality rather than the shout-like style of James Brown or Parliament and the band uses a synthesizer in their background accompaniment on nearly every track. "Be Yourself, Free Yourself" is the kind of tune you would expect to come out of 1977; there's the octave jumps in the bass that exemplifies disco and the builds brought on by layered horns that build to a climax in the tune. The next track, the instrumental tune "Q," indefinitely named after producer Quincy Jones, won a Grammy in 1978 for best R&B Instrumental Performance and is a feature for the guitar of George Johnson and the synthesizer work of Dave Grusin, who consequently is more famous for his work as a jazz pianist and a film scorer. The title track "Right on Time" is in a moderate tempo which features the synthesizer predominately in the chorus when the synthesizer "trades twos" with the repeated vocal. The big highlight of this tune is the breakdown with the alternated horn entrances which go to the end of the tune. "Strawberry Letter 23," a Shuggie Otis tune, is probably one of the most well-known tracks by the group. The prime differences from the original are that the bass line is more driving and funky, the vocals of George Johnson are smoother and more rubato, and most importantly the prominence of the drums. However, most of the song even down to the guitar lines and the chimes are verbatim from the original by Otis. "Brother Man" is another instrumental jam tune, but funkier than "Q." Overall, it's a lot less interesting than "Q" because of the musical form. There are really only two sections to the tune, the synth melody and the funk response. These two ideas combine at the end with the synth (and later the guitar) soloing over the funk jam. "Never Leave You Lonely" starts out as a laidback vocal tune dominated by the texture of synth, triangle, and a relaxed bass line which is juxtaposed to a funk section with a double time feel where the bass and the guitar pull out all the stops. The final track, "Love Is," is in a drastically different style in that it features acoustic guitar and vocals. It's a pretty cheesy track in my own opinion, but the album as a whole shouldn't be judged by the shortcomings of one track.