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.

Woody Herman - Big New Herd at the Monterey Jazz Festival (1960)

This album, recorded at the 1959 Monterey Jazz Festival, features Herman's standard band studded with alumni such as trumpeters Conte Candoli and Al Porcino, tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, guitarist Charlie Byrd, trombonist Urbie Green, and vibraphonist Vic Feldman. It is also important to note that this album is one of the first Herman albums to feature a young Bill Chase on lead trumpet; a player that would have quite a history with the band through the 1960s. The set opens with the famous Jimmy Giuffe sax section feature "Four Brothers" which really put Herman on the map in 1947. It's important to note that when this tune came out, big bands weren't really playing bop influenced material. The exceptions to this were the bands of Billy Eckstine, Claude Thorhill, and Woody Herman. Eckstine was notable for having Dizzy and Bird in his band for a time and Thornhill's arranger Gil Evans arranged tunes such as "Donna Lee" and "Anthropology" for the band. Herman's band, however, endured the financial hardships of the late 1940s and was the last remaining figure of these early big band voyeurs into the bop style. The second track "Like Some Blues Man" is one of my personal favorites on the album and features solos by Vic Feldman, Conte Candoli, and Charlie Byrd. The real energy in this tune comes from the star-studded trumpet section which really gets to shine in between the solos and at the very end of the chart. "Skoobeedoobee" is a great tour-de-force by the whole band alternating sax and brass section soli and featuring solos by Zoot Sims, Urbie Green, and Woody Herman. The band shows a real tightness of rhythm throughout the whole track; the sort of thing that only happens when its a mature ensemble with great lead players. "Monterey Apple Tree" is a reworked version of Herman's "Apple Honey" and is quite a treat for the extended solos by a large number of players throughout the entire band. The next track "Skylark" is a wonderful for trombonist Urbie Green (a personal favorite of mine) and an earlier example of a chart that he would record on The Persuasive Trombone of Urbie Green, Vol. 2 in 1961. "Skylark" shows the ensemble's variety of dynamics from the soft backgrounds of the saxes and muted brass to the boisterous runs and "pops" where the brass takes out all the stops. Urbie's warm, dark tone makes "Skylark" a great break on an album that has mostly uptempo charts. The album closes with "Magpie" a great swinging chart with solo breaks and a magnificent close with the clarinet of the leader. This album is a real harbinger to the success that the 1960s Thundering Herd would experience.

Carole King - Tapestry (1971)

Tapestry was a critical and popular success that catapulted Carole King into the spotlight. This album is the next subject of the singer/songwriter trend in popular music I started with Laura Nyro's Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. This album could be viewed as one of the peaks in the commercial success of singer/songwriter music which is why is it the next installment. Many people are familiar with the tracks "I Feel the Earth Move," "It's Too Late," or "You've Got a Friend" which is not really true with the singer/songwriter material I covered earlier. Stylistically, King does many of the same things that both Nyro and Rundgren did before her such as embracing a variety of styles and overdubbing her own voice to create lush harmonizations. The early 1970s, specifically 1970-1972, seem to be the real golden age for singer/songwriter music as the style began to enjoy a lot of critical and financial success. The album opens with the classic track " I Feel the Earth Move" which is most interesting for the rhythmic transition in the bridge from a very uptempo song to a more laidback feel. This is one track where you can really see King's influence of jazz music such as the solo exchange between the piano and the guitar which seem to have a jazz feel. The rest of the album is really in strict stylistic contrast to the first track as the majority of the album is ballads. One of my personal favorites is "So Far Away" because it has such a marvelous development. The track begins with little instrumentation (piano, voice) and slowly builds to have a wide instrumentation including even congas and flute. Yet, in the same way that it builds, it fades with only flute, guitar, and drums. I also enjoy how the piano outlines the beat allowing the bass to act like a countermelody. "It's Too Late" shows again how King is the master of the transition. The song starts out in such a laidback feel, that's it is a bit of surprise when the chorus approaches and the tone of the track changes entirely. The transition is carried out by the piano and the guitar that syncopates the accompaniment rhythm right before the chorus. Part of the success of this album is not only the melodies, but the lyrics provided by King's songwriting partner Gerry Goffin. It's lyrics like these that give the empowering quality to a song like "Beautiful." After listening to "You've Got a Friend," you may question why the James Taylor cover has become the quintessential version of this tune. The vocal tones of King combined with the orchestrated strings provide an infinitely more complex emotional delivery than the very under-orchestrated version by Taylor. The piano is definitely the driving force behind this album. It is the key to nearly every transition and the perfect compliment to Goffin's lyrics sang by King. I only highlighted the well-known songs or personal favorites on the album, but there really isn't a bad track on the album.

Chick Corea & Return to Forever - Light as a Feather (1972)

Chick Corea & Return to Forever's second album is a fine example of fusion with a variety of Latin influences. The album starts out with the track "You're Everything" which Corea has noted is his favorite vocal track that he has ever released. The track begins with Corea ornamenting the head chart in a slow tempo utilizing mostly block chords with vocalist Flora Purim coming in with the words. What's great about this opening section, is the sensitivity by with Corea and Purim present the original theme. The rest of the band then enters when Corea moves into double-time and takes on a very syncopated Latin feel throughout the rest of the track. When analyzing the form of the piece, it is relatively simplistic, but it is the transitions engineered by Corea and the backgrounds on the flute by Joe Farrell that really make for a great track. The second track "Light as a Feather" starts out with vocals, but it is much more of a display of the instrumental soloists when considering the entirety of the track. Corea's work on the Fender Rhodes on this track is quite remarkable; his improvisational interpretations against the rhythmic pulse of the track show a very mature soloist when you consider how well he develops the motives and transitions to new ideas. Joe Farrell and bassist Stanley Clarke get to showcase their ability on their respective instruments and Farrell also displays his ability in the altissimo range of his horn. "Captain Marvel" is definitely the most uptempo chart on the album and primarily showcases Chick Corea's technical ability whether it be his fast runs or his ability to comp Farrell's flute with syncopated chords. The real masterpiece of the album is Corea's chart "Spain," which along with "La Fiesta" on Return to Forever make up his most well-known compositions. The beginning of "Spain" is a direct quotation from the Adagio (second) movement Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez a guitar concerto famously performed by such guitarists as Paco de Lucia. Interestingly enough, "Spain" comes twelve years after Miles Davis released Gil Evans' rendition on Sketches of Spain in 1960. "Spain" is an upbeat chart that melded jazz fusion with flamenco elements. Not only is Spain groundbreaking in its use of flamenco harmony, it is also groundbreaking in its use of syncopated rhythmic material. Light as a Feather is one of the finest records released by Return to Forever and is a perfect showcase of Corea's playing after he "went electric."

Egg - Egg (1970)

Before digging into Egg's eponymous debut, it's important to discuss the journalistic sub-genre known as Canterbury scene. Canterbury scene is one of those genres that journalists have created in order to have a shorthand for a particular sound. Really Canterbury scene seems to be an attempt to classify those bands that follow in the musical or historical traditions forged by the Canterbury band Soft Machine. Egg has the whimsical nature that many progressive rock bands around the Canterbury area had at the same time, so they are often incorporated into this sub-genre. However, this was not a term used by musicians at the time and due to the fact that the London-based Egg had no real geographical connection to Canterbury, it could be very difficult to substantiate this claim that Egg is indefinitely a Canterbury scene band. In saying that, I will review it as a progressive rock album while making allusions to the "Canterbury scene bands." My personal favorite and the track that screams high progressive rock is a treatment of Bach's Fugue in D Minor. "Fugue in D Minor" is executed magnificently by keyboardist Dave Stewart, whose playing is consequently the highlight of the album in general. "Fugue in D Minor" is a perfect example of Stewart's classical training, as you can hear that he is indefinitely using the correct fingering. Interpretations of classical pieces were not uncommon in the 1970s in general, but "Fugue in D Minor" is an excellent example of a modern interpretation that does not take too much artistic liberty with the original. The drums are simply outlining the beat without complicating or making the rhythm sounds muddy. The bass is also simply outlining a sort of figured bass albeit incorporating modern elements. "They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano" starts out with long, sweeping piano runs that can't help but make the listener think of Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive." Yes, this track predates that one, but it's true and quite funny. Along with "Bulb" and "Boilk," these tracks make up the atonal "noise rock" part of the album. It's for tracks like "I Will Be Absorbed," "The Song of McGillicudie the Pusillanimous," and "Seven Is a Jolly Good Time" that Egg gets the Canterbury scene moniker. The strange lyrical subjects combined with unexpected musical transitions combine to create the whimsical nature that is known as Canterbury scene. For instance, "Seven Is a Jolly Good Time" uses the lyrics to anticipate the rhythmic changes to come up. However, in general they are in strange time signatures. "I Will Be Absorbed" begins in 9/4 with a transitional section in 7/4 grouped in two bar phrases. "The Song of McGillicudie the Pusillanimous" is primarily in 5/8 while "Seven Is a Jolly Good Time" begins in 4/4, progresses to 5/4 with the chorus arriving in 7/4. Later in the track there is also a section in 11/4. A good portion of the album is Symphony No. 2 making good use of classical themes from such material as Grieg's Peer Gynt (specifically "In the Hall of the Mountain King"). In fact, the Third Movement was not originally included due to copyright issues with the Stravinsky estate. Overall, this album has a lot of overlying trends in progressive rock throughout it, and while I'm hesitant to call it Canterbury scene, that term can be helpful in explicating the album. Typically in music history when we use a term such as Canterbury scene or the Viennese school, we are talking about a particular group of musicians confined to a geographic location. However, Canterbury scene does not fit this fold and rather tries to use the term despite geography. This can be quite problematic as it is possible that similar trends develop independently. Perhaps Egg's sound is derived from the sound of Canterbury band Soft Machine, but doing more than speculating is problematic.

Rick James - Come Get It! (1978)

Rick James is known colloquially for his appearance on Chapelle's Show and musically for his single "Super Freak," and James's auspicious debut in the late 1970s comes on strong with all of that. With tracks entitled "Sexy Lady," "Dream Maker," and "Mary Jane" it's easy to see that the whole sex and drugs routine was there from the very beginning. Musically Come Get It! is a great album which opens and closes with live footage of James and the Stone City Band. In the studio, the band is really just James on most of the instruments and in fact it wasn't until later in his career that the band existed in any other form other than live.  The two big singles from the album are "You and I" and "Mary Jane" which really started his career off. "Mary Jane," an obvious ode to marijuana is great for its laidback guitar accompaniment and especially the effect on James's voice in the chorus on the words "Do You." One of the great things about this album in general is James's willingness to embrace a variety of electronic effects and instruments without them compromising the integrity of the intimate feel of his music. My favorite tune on the album is probably "Be My Lady" because it uses layered vocal harmony well in addition to having interesting horn parts and breakdowns. "Be My Lady" also has James paying homage to his origins in Buffalo. In conjunction with "Hollywood," James seems to be coming to terms with being a musician in the spotlight Rick James once famously declared himself the "King of Punk Funk" at the Stanley Theatre in Pittsburgh, but surprisingly it is hard not to notice the influence of disco on the album. The vocal parts, the guitar parts in "You and I" and "Sexy Lady,"and the open hi-hat are all very characteristic of disco throughout the album. The album showcases James's signature bass lines, which really made James the figure he was. However, tunes like "Hollywood" show how well James had control of the tenor range of his voice. James was really a fantastic writer and arranger, it's just a shame that he had personal and legal problems in his later career that really inhibited musical growth in his later career.

George Benson - Breezin' (1976)

Famous for the tune "This Masquerade," Benson's 1976 release Breezin' catapulted Benson into the pop spotlight. Despite this album being released it's hard to not notice a connection to Benson's long-time label CTI Records. Keeping in mind Creed Taylor's seeming philosophy of mixing the artistic with the commercial seems to really apply to this album to a degree. In many ways Breezin' is a softer side to his work with CTI and Benson definitely "crossed over" more to achieve his pop success. The title track was written by Bobby Womack and the arrangement of Breezin' closely resembles an earlier version by Gábor Szabó, who disdained Benson's commercial success with his work. However, "This Masquerade" is the real commercial success of the album featuring vocals by Benson and his impressive ability to sing in unison with his guitar while soloing. An arrangement of José Feliciano's "Affirmation" is a personal favorite of mine because compared to the rest of the album it is a more intimate track without the massive instrumentation on the majority of the album. This track also meshes well with Benson's cool, lyrical approach to guitar and probably is the best example of the extremes of his technique. Breezin' really is an album of its time with orchestral accompaniment, electric piano, and a cool, laidback feel that is so intimately tied with the mid-1970s in music. However, the album is some of Benson's finest commercial work without compromising his identity as a jazz guitarist. Breezin' was the harbinger of Benson's real pop success to come like  "On Broadway" and "Give Me the Night."

Todd Rundgren - Runt: The Ballad of Todd Rundgren (1971)

I've been looking to upload this album for awhile, but I like the variety my blog has so I try to space out posts that have the same artists. The Ballad of Todd Rundgren builds off what was established in Runt. The "Runt" persona built around a quirky and dark humor turns to a slower side with an album primarily composed of ballads. As far as early Todd Rundgren albums go, this is the most dominated by Rundgren's piano playing. Even Something/Anything? doesn't have the myriad  of ballads or relaxed tunes like this album does. "Long Flowing Robe" starts out at the album and is ironically the one really uptempo, upbeat track on the album. From its opening seconds with the electric harpsichord and the ironic lyrics "Long Flowing Robe" has a witty sense of humor about a lustful man and excellent use of overdubbed vocal harmony by Rundgren. After the opening track, the album goes to a depressing side as the album artwork would suggest. "Wailing Wall" is the next standout track whose lyrics suggest an elaborate personification of his own depression which reveals itself throughout the progression of the track. The lyrics match well with the sparse treble piano chords accompanied by a low bass line and Rundgren's soft falsetto that show real emotion. "The Range War" is noteworthy because of the typical Rundgren quirky humor which is evident throughout his career. "Chain Letter" starts out with Rundgren's falsetto voice accompanied by guitar and builds to an rhythmically upbeat section. That being said, the intro recalls an old love and the following section comments on the disillusioned voice of the intro. The next highlight and my favorite track of the album is "Be Nice to Me." The handbells really add a great layering effect to a track full of Rundgren's treble piano full of treble chords and a driving bass line." As usual, this track owes a lot to Rundgren's soft falsetto and the numerous instances of vocal harmony being overdubbed. If you liked my post of Runt or like the hits like "Hello It's Me" or "I Saw the Light," The Ballad of Todd Rundgren is definitely worth a listen.

Maynard Ferguson - Chameleon (1974)

This album has a lot of personal history for me as it was the first jazz album (even though it's crossover jazz) I ever listened to. Consequently it's also the album I listened to when I realized I wanted to pursue music as a career. I would never say that Maynard's 70s material is his finest work, but it is accessible. This album is really the last before Maynard totally embraced disco and in turn commercialism in the late 70s with Conquistador. The opening title track "Chameleon" is a great take on the Herbie Hancock classic that came out earlier that year on Head Hunters. One of the highlights of the album is the following track "Gospel John," a Jeff Steinberg tune famous for its intro that reminds the listener of a preacher. "Gospel John" is also noteworthy for showcasing Maynard as a multi-instrumentalist as he plays the melody following the intro on baritone. The Randy Purcell arranged "The Way We Were" features his fine lyrical trombone work, but also shows his ability as an arranger incorporating a variety of textures and colors in his backgrounds. "La Fiesta" is a track Maynard borrowed from band alumnus Chick Corea is also one of the highlights of the album. The Rhodes piano and the horn lines sound like jazzed-up mariachis, but through the rhythmic shifts the band changes its feel to a more straight-forward jazz feel. "La Fiesta" is truly a great arrangement for its incorporation of Latin elements while maintaining a big band rhythmic feel. The last two tracks are noteworthy because Ferguson typically incorporated at least one tune into his albums that was from an earlier time or sounds like it should be. The Gershwin/Duke tune "I Can't Get Started" was made famous by Bunny Berigan in 1937 and Maynard like so many other trumpet players feels the need to record the song. Ferguson's version is different in that many of the words are altered. For instance, "Stan Kenton made me a star" shows personal history, but there's just the plain humorous lines like "I was invited to tea by the queen/Linda Lovelace." The final track and final highlight of the album is "Superbone Meets the Bad Man" an uptempo bop tune that gets its name from the instrument Maynard is playing and baritone saxophonist Bruce Johnstone's nickname. The Superbone is a combination slide/valve trombone designed by Maynard and played by himself and Don Ellis in the mid-to-late 1970s. While Maynard definitely sticks more to the valves than the slide, he and Johnstone produce some magnificent solos and a great close to an album.

My Philosophy

I know it's been awhile since I last posted and reviewed an album. One thing you might not consider is that when you start a blog the material you have in your "immediate consciousness" will soon dwindle until the point where you have "digest" new albums. I could review albums as I listen to them, but I don't think the product would be quite as good. I like to have an "intimate relationship" with an album; I will listen to it intently for a few weeks. This way I know more than the songs that stand out. I can actually dissect the musical elements of the piece, rather than talk about the album in poetic terms reinforced by my own emotional aestheticism. The month of August has been so spotty due to my need to listen to more material at a rate that I was posting, which really isn't possible. I do have posts planned month in advance, but there's a reason I'm not posting them now. I try to have a decent mixture, so I won't post two albums by the same artist a week apart from each other. All this being said, you should expect another album by the end of the week and at least two by Thursday next week.

Paul Desmond - Summertime (1969)

Paul Desmond is a name even the casual jazz fan should be familiar with, but that may not be the case. His composition "Take Five" is probably more famous than the man that wrote it to the general public. His tenure with the Brubeck quartet enabled his sound to be familiar, but until he embarked on a solo career his name was always secondary to Brubeck's which is really quite unfortunate. Consequently, Summertime was recorded a little over a year after the Brubeck quartet broke up, officially taking Desmond out of "retirement." Summertime is a bossa nova album that fits Desmond's sound so well whether the tune is a ballad or an uptempo samba. Desmond is really one of the few altoists in the mid-20th century that was able to create a sound independent of Charlie Parker. The opening track "Samba with Some Barbecue" is a personal favorite and is a bossa nova treatment of the Louis Armstrong chart "Struttin' with Some Barbecue." Even though "Autumn Leaves" seems to be played by every jazz artist on the planet, Desmond's version is definitely worth giving a listen. "Autumn Leaves" and much of the album owes a lot to arranger Don Sebesky, who after his stints with figures like Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson in the 1950s turned to conducting and arranging in the 1960s. In my opinion, you can hear a lot of influence of Gil Evans in the way Sebesky arranges, but also in the album as a whole. The lush brass augmented by the presence of French horns and the way he writes around the solo voice reminds me of Gil Evans' work with Miles Davis. Through this collaboration tracks like "Autumn Leaves" and "Summertime" seem fresh, original, and practically like they were always supposed to be bossa nova charts.

Chase - Ennea (1972)

I was going to wait a bit longer to post this, but as some may have noticed if you visited yesterday my other post was deleted. Chase is a favorite of mine, and while their final album is undoubtedly my favorite, Ennea is much more like Pure Music than their first album. The Greek translation of "nine," Ennea is named for the nine members of Chase and the Greek Suite which would have originally been on one side of the LP. Ennea sees Bill Chase and his band breakaway from the norms of jazz-rock and move into a more original sound incorporating elements of funk and even Middle Eastern music. Addressing the music aside from the suite, "So Many People" is the standout track and was the single when the album was released in 1972. Unfortunately, it did not chart as well as expected, so Chase wasn't in the limelight as much as when his first album took off. "I Can Feel It" and "It Won't Be Long" are also memorable tracks that primarily feature G.G. Shinn, the vocalist of the band at the time, along with solo breaks reminding the listener how much command of the upper register Bill Chase had. "Swanee River" is a real oddity of a track. Apparently, Bill Chase was working on an original composition when G.G. Shinn noted that it had the same chord changes as "Swanee River," so the original tune was scrapped and this was the result. However, the real treasure of the album is definitely the suite. Part of the reason this album didn't sell well is because of the suite, because it isn't that accessible to the untrained listener. The Greek Suite is hands down the least commercial music Chase ever released. Even though there are vocals, it's pretty obvious from the opening cadenza of "Cronus" that the real focus is Bill Chase and the trumpet section. There are a variety of influences across the suite from rock, jazz, and even Middle Eastern music. In many parts of "Zeus" the track sounds more like an uptempo jazz chart than anything rock related. My personal favorite of the suite is "Aphrodite Part II" which is actually in a double harmonic scale (Bayati if you use the Middle Eastern name). Roughly, it is a major scale with lowered second and sixth degrees. Bill Chase was a critically well received arranger even before Chase when he was lead trumpet for Woody Herman, and it is the Greek suite which really exemplified this reputation. Unfortunately, it is probably one of the most skimmed-over part of his discography. I own the entire Chase discography on vinyl, and this album in particular makes me lament the end of the LP. It's not that I hate new formats, but the liner artwork in the album is particularly intriguing and it is the little things like that that you lose in the plastic cases they use today.

Stan Getz & João Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto (1963)

Even if it wasn't the album that started the bossa nova craze, Getz/Gilberto was definitely one of its crowning achievements. As far as bossa nova is concerned, this was the album that brought Brazil and America together. While Jazz Samba was primarily American musicians playing Brazilian music, Getz/Gilberto was the album that brought both worlds together. It brought Brazil's greatest performer of bossa in João Gilberto and its greatest composer in Antônio Carlos Jobim. While the majority of the album is penned by Jobim and contains such well-known classics as "The Girl from Ipanema" and "Desafinado," the roots of bossa nova are celebrated as well in the track "Para Machucar Meu Coração," penned by Ary Barroso who most famously wrote "Brazil." The same could be said for the track "Doralice" penned by Laurindo Almeida, a Brazilian guitarist whose career began in the late 1940s with Stan Kenton. When many people talk about bossa nova, they often don't realize that it comes from this great Brazilian tradition that goes back to samba at Carnaval to classical composers like Villa-Lobos. While this album celebrates the roots of bossa nova, it also premieres some of its finest material. "Desafinado" is a personal favorite that which translates as "off-key" and speaks of a young man who can't please the ears of a woman he loves because his voice is often off key. "Desafinado" is one of Jobim's most well-known songs, but hands-down "The Girl from Ipanema" is the most well-known song of Jobim or bossa nova. "Vivo Sonhando" is a personal favorite for the way that it hops around chords while the melody repeats an F# and resolves to a D. If you analyze "Vivo Sonhando" or other bossa nova charts, you will realize that the harmony is very forward thinking. Gmaj7 to Ebmaj7 is a strange resolution when the song is in G. However, when you realize bossa nova is really chromatic and you factor in chromaticism to your chordal analysis it doesn't seem so strange. It's hard to say if this album is the best album of all the people involved, but it surely is at the highpoint of their careers and commercial success.

Todd Rundgren - Runt (1970)

Known primarily for the hits off of his 1972 album Something/Anything? including "Hello It's Me" and "I Saw the Light," Todd Rundgren was heavily influenced early on by Laura Nyro. When Rundgren was in his original group the Nazz he was even approached by Nyro to head her band. What's most interesting is how Rundgren adopts Nyro's eclecticism and applies it to his roots in the rock idiom. In case you are doubtful about the connection, the track "Baby Let's Swing" refers to Laura Nyro by name. On Runt, Rundgren is deep into the "Runt persona" which one could interpret as both his departure from the Nazz in spirit as well as his first foray into writing a whole album. As far as the content is concerned, the album's subject matter is practically the antithesis of Eli and the Thirteenth Confession. While Nyro concentrated on what it meant to be a woman in "Lonely Women," poor in "Poverty Train," or dealing with lustful men in "Eli's Coming," Rundgren concentrates on distrustful women and  being heartbroken. Contrasting the two albums track-for-track, it seems as if Rundgren sought to make his own album out of Nyro's model. The best single of the album is "We Gotta Get You a Woman," which consequently was Rundgren's first hit and past its chauvinist lyrics is really a great song for its excellent use of layering voices. It also showcases how well Rundgren lays a foundation for the song with the piano and bass, using the guitar as a solo voice and for texture. As for eclecticism, Rundgren occasionally uses unfamiliar instruments to the pop idiom. For instance on the aforementioned song you will hear a triangle part integral to the texture of the piece. Similarly, Rundgren will utilize handbells or chimes. The real magnum opus of the album in my opinion is "Birthday Carol." It's the most unusual to be present on a pop-rock album, but it's "Birthday Carol" that shows Rundgren is more than a rock star. He displays real talent in songwriting and arranging. Transitioning from such varied sections as a string quartet, a straight-ahead rock section, and a pop ballad, "Birthday Carol" shows that Rundgren really knows what he's doing. This particular version of the album is a personal assemblage of three or so versions of the album. It mixes vinyl and electronic copies, but I kept the songs with the best audio quality. Some of the vinyl rips had too much record noise and the electronic copies had bad hiss in parts.

Laura Nyro - Eli and the Thirteenth Confession (1968)

Taking a break from posting the music of summer, I've decided to do a short section on some fine songwriters of the 60s and 70s. Typically considered singer/songwriter Laura Nyro's finest album, it's amazing to note that she was only twenty-one years old when Eli and the Thirteenth Confession was released in 1968. The immense amount of influences from a variety of genres is what makes Nyro's album timeless. Even if Nyro's music fits in a pop sensibility, it's difficult not to notice the influence of various forms of jazz. Tracks like "Sweet Blindness" harken back to the roots of jazz with a Dixieland-esque sound with the way the various vocal parts contain melodic and counter-melodic parts. The entrance of the horns only further cements this "reading" of this track. Furthermore, tracks like the famous "Eli's Coming" fit right into the world of jazz-rock with its fast paced tempo and backups with the horns. This song was covered by many people in its day with jazz-rock interpretations by names such as Don Ellis on Don Ellis Goes Underground and Maynard Ferguson on M.F. Horn I. Covers of Nyro's song are very common as the track "Stoned Soul Picnic" was famously covered by The Fifth Dimension. In this way, Nyro is a great example of an important, influential figure that is relatively unknown by the general public. In many ways, you could also say Nyro paved the way for artists with eclectic styles that would come in the near future.

Ramsey Lewis - Sun Goddess (1974)

Staying in with the theme of summer recordings, here's an album I discovered from an AM radio station on the way back from the beach. Not only does it have sun in the title, it's full of laidback grooves perfect for relaxing in the shade from the afternoon sun. Many may not be familiar with the name Ramsey Lewis, but it's doubtful that the same thing could be said about Earth, Wind & Fire. Both groups have huge ties to Chicago, which is where this album really begins. Ramsey Lewis was born in Chicago and Maurice White, founder of Earth, Wind & Fire, worked as a session player for Chess Records which was based there. Subsequently, after White's stint as a session player he moved on to be drummer of the Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1966. This album is in many ways a sort of reunion between Ramsey and White's band Earth, Wind & Fire. It also important to note how often this album is referred to as an Earth, Wind & Fire record, but with the two biggest singles from the album ("Sun Goddess" and "Hot Dawgit") being penned by White, it's not hard to see why this is a common mistake. As it compares to earlier Ramsey Lewis recordings, it's vastly different and it's not hard to see why. Lewis is much more at home doing straight-ahead acoustic jazz and this marks his foray into the world of Rhodes pianos and ARP synths.

Quincy Jones - Big Band Bossa Nova (1964)

For the next few albums, I'm trying to post things that remind me of summer. There's something about bossa nova and its Brazilian origin that remind me of summer and some great memories. This album is undoubtedly a product of its time, released in the height of the bossa nova craze. However, that's not to say that it's bad at all. It is a mixture of well-known bossa nova classics such as "Desafinado," "Manha de Carnaval" from the film Black Orpheus, and "One Note Samba." Yet, there are some bossa nova originals such as "Soul Bossa Nova," famous for its use in the Austin Powers films and "Lalo Bossa Nova" from composer/arranger Lalo Schifrin. In fact, this whole album is arranged by Lalo, so the arrangements are of a very high quality. Anyone who is the musical director for Dizzy Gillespie knows what they are doing when they arrange. The strangest aspect of this album are the tracks "On the Street Where You Live" from the musical My Fair Lady and "Boogie Stop Shuffle" from the 1959 Mingus album Mingus Ah Um which are arranged in a bossa nova style. This album was released in the same year Jones was promoted to vice president of Mercury Records so he obviously had a lot of control over this record. His position in the company probably explains the high quality of the personnel on the record including such greats as Phil Woods, Clark Terry, Lalo Schifrin, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk who plays the famous flute part on "Soul Bossa Nova." In some ways this is an album that is a novelty, but when you review the music and the minds behind it, it's worth giving a listen. This particular version has two bonus tracks including "Chega de Saudade (No More Blues)" and "A Taste of Honey."

Sammy Nestico - Dark Orchid (1982)

Not to say this album is bad, but it is a strange album for a variety of reasons. This album defies time period. Despite being released in 1982, this seems like an album much more at home in the mid to late 70s with its funky beats and Rhodes piano. Yes, there is original material, but Nestico brings back reworked versions of Basie classics. It is important to note that even if you don't know the name Sammy Nestico, you probably know Count Basie. Nestico arranged a fair amount of material for Basie and some of his most well-known charts at that. Still, the Basie material is in vast contrast with the rest of the album as well as time period. This album defies typical big band instrumentation to some degree. Sure, most of the sections are very typical, but the harmonized flute sections and the melodic synthesizer is something pretty atypical for a big band record. What may be most strange is that this album is funk in some sections, yet even in funk it still swings. This may very well be the only album in a theoretical sub-genre of funk swing, when you consider the funk feel in the rhythm section with swing feel in the orchestrated parts of the horns. Yet, despite the bizarre nature of some parts of this album, it still has some great moments. Track highlights include "This Is Love" and "Shoreline Drive" showing off the soloistic virtuosity of trombonist Bill Watrous and tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb respectively. On "This Is Love" Watrous' trombone is in unison with  his own overdubbed whistling. This is worth a listen if only for the first four tracks which represent the "funk swing." This album is also very difficult to find, even on vinyl.

Renaissance - Scheherazade and Other Stories (1975)

Another gem in the sub-genre of symphonic progressive rock, this album is most notable for the suite "Song of Scheherazade." The suite is definitely the magnum opus of the album and one of the highlights of the Renaissance discography. Backed up by the London Symphony Orchestra, it seems appropriate to draw parallels between this album and the Moody Blues' Days of Future Passed. The orchestra is not at the forefront of the suite, as it sticks to mostly background material, but it does add a lot of character to the song. In the beginning where the brass seems to harken the beginning of an epic story to the climax at the end of the suite, the orchestra covers various styles from a variety of influences. A personal favorite is in one of the opening sections where the listener heres the male vocalist for the first time. Interestingly it is in an Arab maqam (mode) called the Bayati, or what in the Western world we would refer to as the double harmonic scale. Scheherazade is the storyteller in the literary work Arabian Nights and it was guitarist Michael Dunford's obsession with the work that led to the suite. Thus, it is not surprising of the lyrical mention of sultans and the use of non-Western scales. Besides "Song of Scheherazade," which is hands-down the most ambitious part of the album, tracks like "Trip to the Fair" are interesting for their use of unusual instruments such as a music box. I once heard that the music box was made solely for this song, but I don't have a definitive source to back up this statement. Even if this album doesn't necessarily use the orchestra to its full potential, it is hard to be disappointed with the core group. Annie Haslam's soprano is always impressive especially in the upper register parts in "Song of Scheherazade." Where I may view Days of Future Passed as a great concept album bringing together rock and classical, I tend to view this album as the group Renaissance playing separately from the London Symphony Orchestra. That is to say that the orchestra is creating a mood that the group is playing within. Simply for the concept of "Song of Scheherazade" and the product embracing both Middle Eastern and Western concepts this is album is worth a listen.

Maynard Ferguson - A Message from Birdland (1960)

From the first thirty seconds of the album where Maynard's unmistakable voice can be heard counting off an arrangement of Sonny Rollin's "Oleo" to the first notes of the unison melody, the listener can be sure that this a fantastic album. About half of this album is original material, while the other material is stuff of the day in addition to charts from Maynard's past. One such chart "Stella by Starlight" was probably introduced to Maynard during his days with Stan Kenton. Fans of the 70s "Disco Maynard" may have a hard time enjoying this, but nonetheless this is the period of his best material. Normally I would preface this statement with "in my own opinion," but this is undoubtedly his best material. This is the era of Maynard playing beautiful melodies in the high register with actual taste. Sure it didn't give chart toppers or commercial appeal, but it doesn't rely solely on his ability to play high notes with "kiss-offs." It is also important to mention that Maynard's tradition of having great musical arrangers that he referred to as musical directors began. Willie Maiden is a relatively unknown person in jazz history, yet his arrangements and original material on "Back in the Satellite Again" and "Three More Foxes" is of the highest quality. It is a shame that Maiden is not a more well known figure or that he died at the early age of 48 in 1976 and did not have a chance to make a bigger name for himself. There's also a fantastic arranger and performer in Slide Hampton whose contribution "The Mark of Jazz" is definitely one of the highlights of the album showing off the virtuosity of both himself and Maynard. Even with the high quality of the album, its hard to believe its live. To the nearly inaudible note in "Blue Birdland," this album almost sounds too good to be live.

Gino Vannelli - Crazy Life (1973)

This may be one of the most random, out-there posts I ever make. Gino Vannelli is definitely a pop figure, but there is a jazz sensibility on some of material that he releases. It may surprise many that are familiar with Gino Vannelli that he actually attended McGill for composition. In that regard, the harmonic and rhythmic content of his songs indicate that he is a trained composer and musician. Strangely enough, Vannelli's heavy use of chromatic harmony and the rhythmic basis for some of the tracks of this album actually remind me a lot of Jobim. This is his first release after Herb Alpert at A&M Records gave Vannelli and his brothers a contract. Tracks like "There's No Time" and "Crazy Life" anticipate Vannelli's later commercial success with his genius composition of ballads. It is important to note that Joe Vannelli, the group's keyboardist, arranged all the material and the good tracks on this album owe a lot to his arranging skills. As is true with many of Vannelli's early albums, the lyrics are either absurd or just plain bad on some of the tracks. This is one of those albums that I listen to the memorable melodies, rather than immersing myself in the lyrics. Even though this is a bizarre album to post, in my own opinion makes some fine crossover pop music, and this is where it all began. The single most amazing thing about this album may be the fact that it really is ahead of its time. Much of the instrumentation and electronic sound of this album is a few years ahead of its heyday.

Don Ellis - Tears of Joy (1971)

In many regards, Tears of Joy may be Don Ellis' magnum opus of his entire career. The incorporation of string instruments adds a lot to his vast exploration of styles, tones, and colors that make this album a real treat to listen to.  John Hammond at Columbia wondered why Ellis would forsake a successful lineup that began with 1967's Electric Bath. Simply, it seems that Ellis just wanted to experiment and continue to innovate as he had in his early years. Tears of Joy backs off a little on the use of unusual time signatures and some of the heavy use of electronics that was present in previous albums, but continue to amaze the listener of how he can write for an ensemble as well as delving further into quarter tonal improvisation. However, "Tears of Joy" still has Ellis using a ring modulator to layer frequencies and "Bulgarian Bulge" in 33/16 and 35/16, shows that he never intended on abandoning what made his music. There are great "tongue-in-cheek" laughs to be had listening to the track "Blues in Elf" an 11/8 (3 3 3 2) blues that opens with a transposed Moonlight Sonata by Milcho Leviev. A personal favorite on the album is the track "Quiet Longing" due to its exploration into light orchestration as it opens and the tone colors that present an intensely emotional piece. "Quiet Longing" is a perfect example of how the string quartet really opened possibilities for Ellis as a writer. Another personal favorite, "Loss" seems to have a similar sound quality to some Asian music in the string parts. The sound quality remind me a lot of the sound of the kokyu, a Japanese bowed instrument. The real masterpiece of the album and Ellis' career is undoubtedly the track "Strawberry Soup." The track opens with the strings and winds improvising. It's important to note that they are improvising, because to the listener it will sound like it is what is written. The rhythmic superimposition of 9 is quite remarkable; 9/2, 9/4, and 9/8 are overlapping rhythmic ideas that often interlock so well, one might not realize this feat. The sheer amount of moods and voicings used in this track in unbelievable. There is the interplay of strings and woodwinds in the beginnings, the transition to the full ensemble aided by a French Horn, and the numerous solos in the seventeen and a half minute piece that show how mature of a writer Don Ellis was for his time. I often think this is the furthest that "big band" jazz has come in its entire history. Sure, there are many writers of today that are experimenting and writing good original material, but they don't have the worldly view and the vast concept of music that Don Ellis had.

Electric Flag - A Long Time Comin' (1968)

For being a debut album, A Long Time Comin' is both remarkable for the ambition put into a first release, but also for the quality of its material. Original tracks such as "Over-Lovin' You," "Texas," and "Mystery" are quality songs, but the strength in the album really lies in the instrumental aspects. For example, the instrumental sections in "Sunny" are unexpected but show an understanding of musical transition. The album features a small backing group of horns on the majority of the album, a rarity for the time, which really add a lot to the backgrounds of the tracks as well as presenting some great solos.  It is hard to classify this album solely as blues rock as  there are some aspects of psychedelia such as the opening of "Over-Lovin' You" on electric harpsichord as well the influence of jazz. In some respects it is surprising that the Electric Flag was not more successful or is not more well known. The material is decent, the ideas and concept of the group are original, and Mike Bloomfield can play guitar. In all seriousness, Mike Bloomfield introducing you to the unforgettable sounds of Chicago blues is enough to justify listening to this album. In many ways, this album is a product of its time being released during the waning years of the psychedelia and the beginning of the jazz rock and blues rock crazes. The Electric Flag seems to try to embrace a variety of influences of its time and create an entirely original product. They definitely succeed, but the acceptance of this music is based on the dominating trends of their time.

Antônio Carlos Jobim - Stone Flower (1970)

While not the most well known Jobim album per se, Stone Flower definitely takes many more risks than previous efforts like 1967's Wave. While it has the same laid back feel with close harmonies, Stone Flower often entertains the ear by taking chord progressions and lush orchestrations that Wave had to the next level. One chief reason for the change in sound and conception is that the orchestrations are done by Eumir Deodato, rather than Claus Ogerman in Wave. Tracks like "Amparo " or "God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun" have unusual instrumentations and rhythmic content that proves that the album is more than just simply latin, or specifically bossa nova. With this album, Jobim was no longer "riding off of the coattails" of the bossa nova craze of the early-to-mid 1960s. While many consider write Jobim off and classify him as a "Brazilian" or "Latin" composer, Jobim's embrace of jazz is practically second to no one in Latin music. Some music critics today may argue that Jobim's music is not jazz. It doesn't swing, but just listen to "Tereza My Love" or "Sabia" and deny jazz as an influence to Jobim's music. Many times, critics like to attach genres to labels in order to easily classify and create a sort of technical jargon. Often times, though, there is the problematic artist that just doesn't "fit" in a genre. Sure there are Latin elements in Jobim's music like the eternal presence of the danzon rhythm, but I don't think many Latin artists have the talented personnel nor mature conception of jazz that Jobim utilizes on his albums. Like many Jobim albums, he is often behind the keys and lends his voice to the tracks "Sabia" and "Brazil." A rarity for a Jobim album, there is a cover of the Ary Barroso's famous tune "Brazil." On this reissued version, there is a alternate take of Brazil which is much more staccato and includes some orchestration, in which regard the original take is the complete opposite.

Blood, Sweat & Tears - Child is Father to the Man (1968)

The title of the first Blood, Sweat & Tears album is taking from a Gerard Manley Hopkins and tells a lot about the album in a few words. Like the origin of the title, the album is literary and artistic. Many of the critics of this album state that there is no single. That many be true, but it might just be that there is no track that stands out from the rest. That being said, this album doesn't have a dull moment or a bad song. The album is literary in the sense that you need to listen to the album from "Overture" to "Underture" like you would read a book for cover to cover. Typical of a lot of Al Kooper's albums of the time period, there is a sort of classical outlook in the frame of the album starting from a thematic display of the album from the overture performed by a string quartet. This is really the album that Kooper came into his own as a songwriter and a performer. There are a lot of great Kooper originals such as "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" or "House in the Country," but there is also some great covered material in a bossa nova arrangement of Nilsson's "Without Her"(a personal favorite) and Randy Newman's "Just One Smile." There were aspects of a maturing musician in The Blues Project's 1967 release Projections, but this is the first time Kooper is the main driving force behind an album. "Meagan's Gypsy Eyes" incorporates a lot of the driving characteristics of Kooper's ondioline work on Projections "Steve's Song." Those familiar with Blood, Sweat & Tears might have heard of this album, but many fans of jazz rock know the material of their self-titled second album, which is really an entirely different band. After some disagreement in the band, Kooper left shortly after this album and the band went into its familiar David Clayton-Thomas format. Besides Kooper, some of the other musicians such as trumpeter Randy Brecker leave the band altogether pointing out how different this album is from the subsequent material of Blood, Sweat & Tears. This is the album that really launched the jazz-rock movement despite being overshadowed by a great deal of other albums. It is also one of the few examples of jazz-rock that wasn't conceived of to be a commercial endeavor; any element of the counterculture that Kooper brought with his ties to Bob Dylan were totally severed with his departure. Still, BS&T played during the infamous Woodstock festival and was a successful organization until the mid-1970s.