Various Artists - 2009 "This Is Fusion Guitar"

Over the last ten years Tone Center has become the leader of the jazz/fusion guitar genre and is known for it's recordings of players who possess the highest quality of musicianship. This significant compilation of the BEST OF TONE CENTER is a proud moment for Tone Center and it's faithful followers.

Track listing / Artist:

01 Becks Bolero - Eric Johnson
02 Oye Como Va - Mike Stern
03 Extraction - Greg Howe
04 Funhouse - Chris Poland
05 Freeway Jam - Steve Morse
06 Dr. Hee - Scott Henderson
07 All In Your Head - Frank Gambale
08 Colliding Chimps - TJ Helmrich , Brett Garsed
09 Pickled Hearing - Jimmy Herring
10 Plankton - Larry Coryell
11 D'Funk'D - Dave Fiuczynski
12 Terrabill Blues - Bill Connors

Contributing Artists:

Larry Coryell, Eric Johnson, Frank Gambale, Steve Morse, Mike Stern, Chris Poland, Scott Henderson, Greg Howe, Bill Connors, Jimmy Herring, TJ Helmerich, Dave Ficuzynski

Producer:

Larry Coryell, Victor Wooten, Frank Gambale, Steve Smith, Tom Coster, Mike Varney, Jeff Richman, T Lavitz, Robert M. Biles, Ricky Keller, Stuart Hamm, Greg Howe, Pat Thrall, Brett Garsed, Kim Plainfield

Brian Bromberg - 1993 "Brian Bromberg"

Brian Bromberg (born December 5, 1960) is an American jazz bassist and record producer who performs on both electric and acoustic instruments. Though he tends to gravitate towards the genre of smooth jazz, Bromberg has released some straight-ahead jazz records in which he performs with a trio, and has even ventured into more rock-oriented jazz fusion territory as of late. His innovative and technically demanding style of playing extends to both electric and upright bass. On his acoustic bass albums, Bromberg performs jazzy interpretations of various pop and rock staples from the 1960s and '70s completely solo. Regarding his work with electric bass, Bromberg, among other bassists, helped popularize the piccolo bass, or bass with each string tuned an octave up, by releasing several albums in which he plays both the bass line and melody. For instance, upon first listen many will be surprised to learn that, although soaring guitar can be heard throughout the album, Bromberg's 2005 release Metal contains only Bromberg on two overdubbed basses, one of which is heavily effects-laden to make it sound like an electric guitar.

A very versatile acoustic and electric bassist capable of playing straight-ahead jazz, funk, and fusion, Brian Bromberg is also one of the few bassists to master the tapping technique made famous by Stanley Jordan, sometimes sounding like three bassists at once during his often-thunderous solos. Although he was a drummer at the age of 13, the following year Bromberg started classical lessons on bass. He developed quickly and by the time he was 19, he was part of Stan Getz's group. Bromberg has been a valuable sidemen with many bands since including those led by Horace Silver, Monty Alexander, Dizzy Gillespie, Richie Cole, Lee Ritenour, Dave Grusin, and Freddie Hubbard.

He recorded his first album as a leader in 1986 (A New Day for the Black Hawk label) and has since led sessions for Intima and Nova. Into the next century, Brian Bromberg remained one of the most underrated bassists in jazz. That would change. Bromberg's initial albums as a leader were smooth jazz affairs, including 1986's A New Day, 1988's Basses Loaded, and 1989's Magic Rain, but he switched gears for 1991's It's About Time: The Acoustic Project, a more mainstream acoustic jazz record. The next release, though, 1993's self-titled Brian Bromberg, saw him return again to the smooth jazz feel of his earlier albums. Signing with Zebra Records, Bromberg released 1998's You Know That Feeling, which featured Rick Braun, Joe Sample, Jeff Lorber, Everette Harp, and other notables from the smooth jazz genre.
WoodBromberg next went back to straight jazz for 2002's Wood, followed by a tribute to bassist Jaco Pastorius -- simply titled Jaco -- a short time later in 2003. A sequel to Wood, Wood II, appeared in 2005, and Bromberg had clearly moved out of the box of his smooth jazz phase, particularly with the rapid-fire, amazing bass solos that made up Metal, which appeared later in 2005. He also became a highly sought after record producer, with several charting projects in his résumé.
It Is What It Is Continually stretching himself on bass, Bromberg moved farther outside of the box with 2009's It Is What It Is. The following year, he paid tribute to guitar legend Jimi Hendrix with Bromberg Plays Hendrix. He then gathered an all-star cast of musicians, including Alex Acuña, Randy Brecker, George Duke, Béla Fleck for 2012's Compared to That.
Full Circle Taking time out from his solo work, Bromberg appeared on albums by Till Brönner, Andrea Bocelli, Andreas Varady, and others. In 2016, he returned with Full Circle, which included guest appearances from Arturo Sandoval, Kirk Whalum, and others.

On his self-titled album for Nova, bassist Brian Bromberg employs a who's who of smooth jazz and fusion talent for a varied outing that runs the gamut. Kenny Rankin appears on the vocal version of the hit "Her Eyes, Her Heart," -- its instrumental is also included -- while guitarist Lee Ritenour, keyboard and programming whiz Jeff Lorber, and Kirk Whalum trade places with the likes of jazz harmonica boss Toots Thielemans and saxophone master Ernie Watts, who get in the groove too. Ivan Lins lends his vocal talents to a few numbers as well. In some ways, this is a very schizophrenic recording, though it works well. There are groovers like the opener "Summer Afternoon," which walks the jazz-funk tightrope, smooth cuts like the aforementioned, "My Brother," and "Intimadagé," and knotty fusion workouts such as "Tunnel Vision," and "Sedona," and even big groovers like "Yo!," with Thielemans, and Bob Boykin's "Bern City." What makes the album hold together so beautifully is sequencing. It's a big, glossy production handled by Bromberg's brother David (no relation to the American roots music master), but gives listeners a bit of everything.

Track listing:

01 Summer Afternoon 4:50
02 Bass Face 5:12
03 Her Eyes, Her Heart 4:59
04 My Brother 4:56
05 Tunnel Vision (For Miles) 4:59
06 I'll Be Around This Time 4:58
07 Intimadagé 4:50
08 Yo! 4:03
09 Bern City 4:03
10 Sedona 6:51
11 The Blessing 5:55
12 Her Eyes, Her Heart (Vocal Version) 4:59
13 My Bass 3:42

Personnel:

Brian Bromberg - Bass [Nylon String Piccolo Bass, 4-String Contra Bass, Stereo Panning String Bass, 4-String Bass, Tenor Bass, Nylon String Fretless Bass, Piccolo Bass, Fretless Bass, Stereo Panning String Piccolo Bass, Signature Peavey 4-String Bass]
Lee Ritenour - Acoustic Guitar
Jeff Lorber - Keyboards, Drum Programming
Joel Taylor - Drums
Paul Jackson Jr. - Rhythm Guitar
Toots Theilemans - Harmonica
Kirk Whalum - Tenor Saxophone
Everette Harp - Tenor Saxophone
Doug Webb - Tenor Saxophone
Michael Shapiro - Percussion
Marc Hugenberger - Piano, Programmed By [Keyboard Programming]
Bob Boykin - Rhythm Guitar
Mitchel Forman, Tom Zink - Keyboards
Bill Cantos,  Ivan Lins, Kenny Rankin - Voice
Tony Guerrero, Gary Grant - Trumpet
Ernie Watts - Saxophone
Bill Reichenbach  - Trombone

Lavitz, Weckl, Gambale, Goodman, Patitucci & Morse - 2007 "School Of The Arts"

School Of The Arts: The brainchild of keyboardist extraordinaire T Lavitz (Dixie Dregs, Jazz Is Dead), SOTA culls the supreme talents of such fusion and progressive instrumental music heavyweights as drummer Dave Weckl (Chick Corea) bassist John Patitucci (Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter), guitarist Frank Gambale (Corea, Vital Information), electric violinist Jerry Goodman of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Shadowfax, and Dixie Dregs fame, and T's longtime friend, Dregs mastermind, and Magna Carta label mate, monster axeman Steve Morse. “School of the Arts is different from every album I've ever done as a leader," says Lavitz.

Keyboardist T Lavitz’s fusion credits include the Dixie Dregs and Jazz Is Dead, but he gets extra points for craftiness in putting together this collective. Lavitz seemed to realize that an electric fusion outing by this cast would be deemed predictable, so outside of the occasional electric violin by Jerry Goodman and bass by John Patitucci, he went all acoustic. That element of surprise, and musical chemistry (Lavitz, Goodman and guitarist Steve Morse play together with the Dregs; Patitucci, drummer Dave Weckl and guitarist Frank Gambale with Chick Corea), make for inspired playing. Goodman sounds better than ever, including during his 1970s stint with the Mahavishnu Orchestra. His unison lines with Lavitz’s piano, along with Weckl’s intricate drums and percussion, energize “No Time Flat.” The guest appearances by Goodman and Morse (on the Dregs-like “On Fire” and neo-classical “Portrait”) create highlights throughout.

Lavitz was never a major composer in either the Dregs or Jazz Is Dead (a highly intricate Grateful Dead cover band), yet he wrote nine of the 11 pieces here. The results are mixed, ranging from the off-timed, Goodman-enhanced “Like This” to his predictable “High Falutin’ Blues.” Gambale’s “Gambashwari” and “Teaser” seem designed, as do most of his solos, to showcase more technique than soul. More problematic is the fact that Lavitz recorded his piano in Massachusetts, Weckl recorded his drums in California, and some of Patitucci’s bass lines were captured in New York. It’s a system of convenience that never works as well as recording collectively in the same room. Weckl is a wonder on the percussive showcase “A Little Mouse Music,” but elsewhere his free-rein tracks occasionally cross the overplaying line. For School of the Arts, Lavitz and company get a passing grade, but don’t always show their expected A-worthy work.

Cutting-edge compositions, beautiful sinuous melodies, and massive chops make School of the Arts (SOTA) a truly rare confluence of influences and musical styles, pushing jazz and jazz-fusion into another dimension.

With SOTA, Lavitz (with four decades experience in the music biz - having played with such wide-ranging musicians as Widespread Panic, Bill Bruford, Billy Cobham, Nils Lofgren, Pat Benatar, Jefferson Starship, Mother's Finest, Dave Fiuczynski, Peter Himmelman, Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin, and Scott Henderson) is top dog, playing acoustic piano (an instrument close to his heart), and composing most of the material for the band's debut.

Underscoring Lavitz's empathy and musical instincts, is the keyboardist's ability to spearhead and hold together the SOTA project, despite each member's busy schedule: Morse is constantly touring with Deep Purple (occasionally with the Dregs); Jerry Goodman is an in-demand electric violin trailblazer; Patitucci and Weckl crisscross the globe with various artists and solo work; and likewise for Gambale, who recently finished a tour with Billy Cobham.

“The music is definitely interactive," Lavitz says. “When I take a solo, there's Frank Gambale answering me, like something you'd hear on a gig."

Case in point: the Afro-Latin acoustic jazz tune “Gambashwari." Sinewy guitar and piano chords/notes weave around one another in syncopated patterns, stating main, contra and counterpoint melodies. It's breezy, not cheesy, jazz -- the kind that possesses sophistication without being elitist, boring or unlistenable. It's utterly infectious jazz-fusion with aspirations toward chamber or classical music, with rock's reckless abandon simmering just under the surface.

Other tracks include, “High Falutin' Blues" (an appropriate title for a song that crosses the boundaries of country, blues, and jazz), “Like This" (listen as Weckl locks into Patitucci's sparse bass line all the while commenting on Goodman's and T's jazzy/bluegrass-esque soloing acrobatics), and “Teaser" (a Chick Corea-style acoustic rocker, complete with trill-filled piano performances, blanketed by Weckl's silky stream of beats). “Dave Weckl laid down some of the best drum tracks I've heard in a while," Lavitz says.

Despite the obvious -and some might say inevitable--chops heard on this record, the high level of musicianship never detracts from the overall flow of the compositions. In fact, the record has a ring of newfound freedom; of a songwriter allowed to spread his compositional wings, which recalls the artistic creativity and motivation that drove Lavitz to create his 1986 solo debut, Storytime - an album produced in the wake of a Dregs' breakup. “I am very excited about this, because not only did I get to write the bulk of the music, but I produced, played and played only acoustic," says Lavitz. “While it has elements from other recordings I've done, it seems, at least to me, to stand out as being very different."

Track listing:

01 Fairweather Green 5:29
02 No Time Flat 4:49
03 On Fire 4:54
04 Portrait 6:19
05 Like This 4:55
06 High Falutin' Blues 5:10
07 Gambashwari 5:01
08 Dinosaur Dance 6:09
09 Teaser 5:09
10 A Little Mouse Music 7:41
11 Maybe Next Time 3:58

Personnel:

• T Lavitz: Piano
• Dave Weckl: Drums & Percussion
• Frank Gambale: Acoustic Guitar
• Jerry Goodman: Violin (Tracks 2, 5, 8)
• John Patitucci: Acoustic & Electric Bass
• Steve Morse: Acoustic Guitar (Tracks 3, 4)

Deep Purple - 1972 [1990] "Machine Head"

Machine Head is the sixth studio album released by the English rock band Deep Purple. It was recorded through December 1971 in Montreux, Switzerland, and released in March 1972.

Machine Head is often cited as a major influence in the early development of the heavy metal music genre. Commercially, it is Deep Purple's most successful album, topping the charts in several countries following its release. The album reached number 1 in the United Kingdom and stayed in the top 40 for 20 weeks. It reached number 7 in the United States, remaining on the Billboard 200 for 118 weeks.

Deep Purple initially planned to record Machine Head in December 1971, at Montreux Casino in Switzerland. A mobile recording studio owned by the Rolling Stones had been booked and hotel reservations made, but lead singer Ian Gillan contracted hepatitis. Cancelling a forthcoming tour of America, the band placed all their plans on hold, and Gillan was advised by his doctor to spend the next few months recuperating. Nevertheless, enthused by the new project, the band travelled to Switzerland to begin recording. The Casino was a large arena built in a complex of casinos, restaurants and other entertainment facilities. The band had performed there in May 1971 and enjoyed both the location and Claude Nobs, founder and general manager of the famous Montreux Jazz Festival. Amongst others, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath had all performed there. The Casino closed for refurbishments each winter, and so the band arrived there on 3 December. One last concert date remained, following which they were to have the location to themselves.

Frank Zappa's concert of 4 December at the Casino was made infamous when a member of the audience fired a flare into the building's roof. Although there were no fatalities, the resultant fire ruined Deep Purple's plans. Nobs relocated the band to a nearby theatre called the Pavilion, where they recorded the basic tracks for a song provisionally named "Title No. 1". Bass player Roger Glover said he woke up one morning saying the title "Smoke on the Water" out loud. Later Gillan, based on the title, wrote the lyrics describing the band's experience in Montreux, recording the Machine Head album. A photograph of the burning Montreux Casino would ultimately be included in the gatefold of Machine Head's album cover.

Led Zeppelin's fourth album, Black Sabbath's Paranoid, and Deep Purple's Machine Head have stood the test of time as the Holy Trinity of English hard rock and heavy metal, serving as the fundamental blueprints followed by virtually every heavy rock & roll band since the early '70s. And, though it is probably the least celebrated of the three, Machine Head contains the "mother of all guitar riffs" -- and one of the first learned by every beginning guitarist -- in "Smoke on the Water." Inspired by real-life events in Montreux, Switzerland, where Deep Purple were recording the album when the Montreux Casino was burned to the ground during a Frank Zappa concert, neither the song, nor its timeless riff, should need any further description. However, Machine Head was anything but a one-trick pony, introducing the bona fide classic opener "Highway Star," which epitomized all of Deep Purple's intensity and versatility while featuring perhaps the greatest soloing duel ever between guitarist Ritchie Blackmore and organist Jon Lord. Also in top form was singer Ian Gillan, who crooned and exploded with amazing power and range throughout to establish himself once and for all as one of the finest voices of his generation, bar none. Yes, the plodding shuffle of "Maybe I'm a Leo" shows some signs of age, but punchy singles "Pictures of Home" and "Never Before" remain as vital as ever, displaying Purple at their melodic best. And finally, the spectacular "Space Truckin'" drove Machine Head home with yet another tremendous Blackmore riff, providing a fitting conclusion to one of the essential hard rock albums of all time.

Released in 1972, Machine Head become the benchmark against which everything that followed would be judged against. In the canon of heavy rock this is an album replete with classic tracks. Concise in nature, killer punches are only ever a minute away no matter which song you play. Vocalist Ian Gillan excels himself on “Highway Star,” and “Never Before”, the latter an excellent single, released ahead of the album covering both pop, rock and some righteously funky turn-arounds. Blackmore dominates the album turning in some of his most understated and reflective playing on “When A Blind Man Cries” (the b-side to the single and not included on the original album) and of course, “Smoke On The Water.”

Its devastating simplicity is the foundation stone of the whole record and one of rock’s most archetypal riffs. Not only heavy as hell, it was insanely catchy and the long-haired denim-wearing world grasped it to their bosom without a moment’s hesitation. Detailing the burning of the casino near Lake Geneva (which caused yer actual smoke on the water), the lyrical content perhaps presaged the internal fires that would consume the group.

Released in May it went straight to number one but by August Gillan had resigned. Though he would stay on to record the live Made In Japan and the lack-lustre, Who Do We Think We Are, the mark II line-up was all over bar the shouting – and there was going to be plenty of that. Machine Head however remains their finest hour.

Tracks Listing:

1. Highway Star (6:05)
2. Maybe I'm A Leo (4:51)
3. Pictures Of Home (5:03)
4. Never Before (3:56)
5. Smoke On The Water (5:40)
6. Lazy (7:19)
7. Space Truckin' (4:31)

Line-up / Musicians:

- Ian Gillan / lead vocals, harmonica
- Ritchie Blackmore / guitars
- Jon Lord / keyboards
- Roger Glover / bass
- Ian Paice / drums, percussion

Kevin Eubanks Group - 2001 "Live"

Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957 in Philadelphia) is an American jazz and fusion guitarist and composer who was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led the Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show.

Eubanks was born into a musical family. His mother, Vera Eubanks, is a gospel and classical pianist and organist. His uncle, Ray Bryant, was a jazz pianist. His older brother, Robin Eubanks, is a trombonist, and his younger brother Duane Eubanks is a trumpeter. Two cousins are also musicians, the late bassist David Eubanks and the pianist Charles Eubanks. Kevin studied violin and trumpet before settling on the guitar.

As an elementary school student, Eubanks was trained in violin, trumpet, and piano at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. He later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and then moved to New York to begin his professional career.

After Eubanks moved to New York, he began performing with noted jazzmen such as Art Blakey (1980–81), Roy Haynes, Slide Hampton and Sam Rivers. Like his brother Robin, he has played on record with double bassist Dave Holland. In 1983, while continuing to perform with others, he formed his own quartet, playing gigs in Jordan, Pakistan, and India on a tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department.

His first recording as a leader, Guitarist, was released on the Elektra label when Eubanks was 25 years old. It led to a seven-album contract with the GRP label and four albums for Blue Note. In total, Eubanks has appeared on over 100 albums. In 2001, he founded the label Insoul Music on which he has released six albums.

Eubanks has taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada, at Rutgers University, and at the Charlie Parker School in Perugia, Italy. In 2005, Eubanks received an honorary doctorate degree from his alma mater, Berklee College of Music. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and has served as an active member of the Artistic Advisory Panel of the BMI Foundation since 1999.

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/search?q=kevin+eubanks

Track listing:

1 Red Ant (Live) 14:21
2 Spider Dance (Live) 5:25
3 Prelude to Spider Monkeys (Live) 2:55
4 Spider Monkeys (Live) 10:34
5 Embryo (Live) 7:58
6 Jungle Blood (Live) 14:05

Personnel:

Kevin Eubanks - Guitar
Marvin "Smitty: Smith - Drums
Charnett Moffett - Bass
Bill Pierce - Horns

Steps Ahead - 1989 "N.Y.C."

Steps Ahead is a jazz fusion group formed by vibraphonist Mike Mainieri in the 1970s. The lineup consisted of Mainieri, Michael Brecker, Don Grolnick, Eddie Gómez, and Steve Gadd and would change often over the years. Steps Ahead fused elements of rock, funk, jazz, and rhythm and blues.

The group arose out of spontaneous sessions at Seventh Avenue South, a jazz club in New York City owned by saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter brother Randy Brecker. The first three albums were released under the name Steps, later changed to Steps Ahead, on Nippon Columbia in Japan, starting with the debut live album Smokin' in the Pit (1979), followed by Step By Step (1979) and Paradox (1981).

The shifting roster has included saxophonists Bob Berg, Bendik Hofseth, Bill Evans, Ernie Watts, and Donny McCaslin; pianists Eliane Elias and Rachel Z; guitarists Mike Stern, Chuck Loeb, and Steve Khan; bassists Darryl Jones, Tony Levin, Victor Bailey, and Marc Johnson; and drummers Peter Erskine, Steve Smith, and Dennis Chambers.

Steps Ahead was active during the 1970s and '80s, intermittently during the 1990s, reunited for concerts in the mid-2000s, and released a new album in 2016.

In 1989, Steps Ahead consisted of Mike Mainieri on MIDI vibraharp, synclavier and acoustic piano, the young saxophonist Bendik doubling on keyboards, guitarist Steve Kahn, Tony Levin on electric bass and Chapman stick, and drummer Steve Smith. The powerful band did not have a great deal of subtlety by this era, but it helped to keep the much-maligned genre of fusion alive, mixing the sound of rock with jazz improvising. The 11 selections on this obscure effort were all written or co-composed by Mainieri and Bendik and make up in intensity for their lack of dynamics. Rock listeners will most enjoy this decent, if not too substantial release.

I have just about all the albums by steps/ahead and I think I would probably give them all five stars although some I haven't listened to a great deal yet. One song I particularly liked was lust for life. If you check the NYC web site you find a review of this album that indicates that the saxophonist composed four songs on this album including that one I particularly liked. Besides that, I like his playing. The guy has earned my respect. That review I mentioned indicated that mainieri felt the compositions were an even greater virtue than the instrumental prowess of the steps/ahead group. I would say at the very least, listeners should give due credit for composing excellence. I consider mainieri a first tier jazz composer, and bendik has shown he can compose at that level as well.

There appears to be an overwhelming "old camp" fan base of Steps, regarding other reviewer's opinions. While having enjoyed several of the older recordings and different lineups of players, this recording (NYC)was my first introduction to the group, and understandably my favorite. I cannot understate the deep, soulful emotion being poured out on several of these tracks. I must address the reference to Michael Brecker's absense as noted by another reviewer. Yes, he is to be revered, and I respect him. However, In spirit of a true step forward, this album's sax player, Bendik, is unbelievable. I cannot sit back and watch him be discredited for not being the previous player. Get real! I cannot recall a player who can conjure such emotion while coaxing the strange, twisted sounds he produces. Some of you may understand that a piece of music can touch you so deeply as to bring tears to your eyes. This album truely touches my soul. Not to mention, I am a bassist / Chapman Stick player, inspired by the legendary Tony Levin, who is not normally seen in this genre. His playing naturally is a departure from the standard/bop sound in some ways, but he also does perform some selections on upright, and does them a great justice. If you appreciate not just what was done on previous recordings, but welcome an embracing of new techniques / technology, this album is a perfect, natural transition to the future. Mike Manieri did a fine job of tipping his hat to his original sound and fan base, while enthusiastically embracing new directions. In the true spirit of Steps Ahead, you must open your mind and give this a try. If you simply enjoy the fulfilment of honest, inventive, fresh, inspired music, you need this recording.

World class musicians playing great music!

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/2015/07/steps-1979-1999-smokin-in-pit-nyc.html

http://jazz-rock-fusion-guitar.blogspot.com/2016/01/steps-ahead-1992-yin-yang.html

Track listing:

01 Well, In That Case 5:08
02 Lust For Life 4:16
03 Senegal Calling 4:58
04 Red Neon, Go Or Give 2:48
05 Charanga 5:02
06 Get It 3:15
07 N.Y.C. 5:08
08 Stick Jam 4:54
09 Absolutely Maybe 3:51
10 Festival 5:08
11 Paradiso 3:01

Personnel:

Mike Mainieri - Synthesizer [Midi Vibraharp, Synclavier], Piano [Acoustic], Percussion
Steve Kahn* - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar (tracks: 2 to 9, 11)
Tony Levin - Electric Bass, Chapman Stick
Steve Smith  - Drums (5)
Bendik* - Saxophone, Keyboards
Bruce Martin - Keyboards [Additional], Programmed By [Synclavier], Percussion
Magatte Fall - Percussion [M'beung-m'beung - Rythmic Drum], Talking Drum [Tama]
Abdoulaye Diop - Percussion [Lamb - Bass Drum]

The Doors - 1972 [2014] "Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine"

Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine is The Doors' second compilation album (following 13) and first to be released after the death of Jim Morrison, in January 1972. The album's title is a lyric from the song "The End". The album was released on compact disc for the first time on 19 May 2014 (almost exactly a year after keyboardist Ray Manzarek died). The album was certified Gold by the RIAA. The album cover was designed by Bill Hoffman, with inside band shots by Joel Brodsky.

Two of the songs on the compilation, "Who Scared You" and "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further," were originally released as B-sides to 1969's "Wishful Sinful" and 1971's "Love Her Madly," respectively. They were not available again until "Who Scared You" appeared in The Doors: Box Set in 1997 and "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further" appeared in the 2006 Perception box set.

The version of "Who Scared You" that was released on The Doors: Box Set is an edited version, as part of the last verse is omitted. The full length song was released in 1999 on Essential Rarities and later on the 2006 remastered release of The Soft Parade as a bonus track.

The Doors now make their legendary, long out-of-print compilation Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine available for the first time as a 2-CD set. Originally released in 1972, this gold-certified double album was the first compilation to be released after Jim Morrison's death in 1971.

The 22 songs that appear on the collection provide a wide-ranging introduction to the music recorded between 1967-71 by the original quartet, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, Ray Manzarek and Jim Morrison. The band's longtime engineer Bruce Botnick remastered the music heard on this reissue, which takes its title from a lyric in "The End. "

Mixing familiar cuts and deep tracks from six studio albums, Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine touches on everything from hits like "Break On Through" and "Love Her Madly" to unexpected delights like "The Spy" from Morrison Hotel and "Running Blue" from The Soft Parade.

Adding yet another dimension to the album's track list is the inclusion of two stellar b-sides: "Who Scared You" which appeared in March 1969 as the flipside to "Wishful Sinful, " and a cover of Willie Dixon's " (You Need Meat) Don t Go No Further" which was paired with the smash "Love Her Madly" in 1971.

One of my all time favorite Doors compilations..... "The End" brings back memories. It's a look back but it was a beginning for many of us to look at the world differently. If you liked Jim Morrison & the Doors, then you will like this album.
It did not come out on CD until May 2014, it sure took a while & could have been improved with remastering but it is what it is.
Cheers.

Originally released in 1972, Weird Scenes Inside the Gold Mine was one of the earliest "best-of" Doors collections, compiling 22 tracks from the band not just limited to their many ubiquitous hits but including some more experimental tunes and a few obscure B-sides. This strange and sprawling playlist is heavy on material from L.A. Woman, and seems particularly invested in the darker, more sinister side of the band. Lesser-known songs here include "Who Scared You" and the goofy, awkward blues run "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further" sung by keyboardist Ray Manzarek. With the exception of a few pop moments, this lengthy collection sets a heavy and sometimes menacing mood, highlighting the Doors' most depraved, shamanistic moments in tracks like the brooding "The End," "Maggie McGill," and the absolutely evil groove of "When the Music's Over."

The Legendary Band Reissues Its Rare 1972 Compilation "Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mine" As Two-CD Set And Digitally Following Limited Edition Record Store Day Vinyl Release.

After releasing a now sold out, limited edition vinyl pressing for Record Store Day 2014, The Doors now make their legendary, long out-of-print compilation WEIRD SCENES INSIDE THE GOLD MINE available for the first time as a 2-CD set and digitally. Originally released in 1972, this gold-certified double album was the first compilation to be released after Jim Morrison's death in 1971.

Track Listing

Disc One
1. "Break On Through"
2. "Strange Days"
3. "Shaman's Blues"
4. "Love Street"
5. "Peace Frog/Blue Sunday"
6. "The Wasp (Texas Radio & The Big Beat)"
7. "End Of The Night"
8. "Love Her Madly"
9. "Spanish Caravan"
10. "Ship Of Fools"
11. "The Spy"
12. "The End"

Disc Two
1. "Take It As It Comes"
2. "Running Blue"
3. "L.A. Woman"
4. "Five To One"
5. "Who Scared You"
6. "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further"
7. "Riders On The Storm"
8. "Maggie McGill"
9. "Horse Latitudes"
10. "When The Music's Over"

Personnel:

Jim Morrison – vocals
Robby Krieger – guitar
Ray Manzarek – piano, organ, marimba, bass, vocals on "(You Need Meat) Don't Go No Further"
John Densmore – drums

Additional Personnel:

Paul A. Rothchild – producer of all the tracks except the ones from L.A. Woman
Bruce Botnick – co-producer of the L.A. Woman tracks and engineer of all the tracks including the former mentioned
Douglass Lubahn – bass on tracks 2, 4, 9, 16, & 21
Harvey Brooks – bass on tracks 3 & 14
Jerry Scheff – bass on all the L.A. Woman tracks
Ray Neapolitan – bass on tracks 4 & 10-11
Leroy Vinnegar – acoustic bass on track 9
Paul Harris – orchestral arrangements on track 17
George Bohanon – trombone on tracks 14 & 17
Champ Webb – English horn on tracks 14 & 17
Jesse McReynolds – mandolin on tracks 14 & 17
James Buchanan – fiddle on track 14
Marc Benno – rhythm guitar on track 15
Lonnie Mack – acoustic bass on track 20

Pat Metheny - 1977 "Watercolors"

Watercolors is Pat Metheny's second album, released in 1977.

The AllMusic review by Richard S. Ginell awards the album 4 stars and states: "Metheny's softly focused, asymmetrical guitar style, with echoes of apparent influences as disparate as Jim Hall, George Benson, Jerry Garcia, and various country guitarists, is quite distinctive even at this early juncture. Metheny's long-running partnership with keyboardist Lyle Mays also begins here, with Mays mostly on acoustic piano but also providing a few mild synthesizer washes."

“Pat Metheny was virtually defining a new musical form on this 1977 date, blending folk, country, and pop elements with jazz and creating a gentler, more intimate idiom than fusion had been. His distinctively chorused electric guitar often floats over the smooth textures created by his own acoustic six-stringer, Lyle Mays’ piano, and Danny Gottlieb’s discreet drumming, while Eberhard Weber’s electric and acoustic bass lines rise to ricochet with the guitar leads. The song titles abound with watery images, and they’re perfectly in keeping with this flowing music, which tends to a pale, even pastel, palette and an ethereal lightness. “River Quay,” particularly, suggests the sound of the Pat Metheny Group that would come later.”

From the opening strains of Pat Metheny’s second album, we immediately know that we have a calming yet powerful journey ahead of us. The present company—among which keyboardist Lyle Mays, a Pet Metheny Group fixture, makes his first appearance—renders his characteristic combination of form and style into an instinctive wash of comfort. Mays’s pianism proves the perfect complement to the guitarist’s untainted sound. Just listen to the way he buoys the music in the opening title track, and his fluent solo in “River Quay,” and you will hardly be able to imagine the music without him. We get a lingering look at Metheny’s own abilities in “Icefire,” in which he solos on a cleverly tuned 12-string that lobs between solid chords and higher callings. Midway through, the music melts into its second titular half, flowering in a cluster of Ralph Towner-esque harmonics. “Oasis” introduces the harp guitar, a sympathetically strung instrument that shines in Metheny’s hands like the charango in Gustavo Santaolalla’s. A mournful electric sings at its center, ever shielded by an unrequited embrace of acoustics. Varied rhythms and bold chord changes animate its otherwise stagnant beauty. After these quiet submersions, we come up into air, and into light, with the beautiful “Lakes,” which positively glows with quiet ecstasies. Again, Mays broadens the edges to new waterlines, cresting like a wave that never crashes upon its thematic shores. A two-part suite proves a complex call and response with the self before the 10-minute “Sea Song” reprises the harp guitar for its swan song. The music here is beyond aquatic, and could easily have seeded a Ketil Bjørnstad project. Eberhard Weber’s smooth bass introduces the morning’s regular activities with the first rays of sunrise in countless awakening eyes, before rolling out once again, drawn back into the depths like the tide that gives them life.

Metheny’s precision dives and soars, a most selfless bird, his fingers running together like the colors of the album’s title. His supporting crew is in tune at every moment (and one mustn’t fail to praise Dan Gottlieb’s drumming in this regard), protecting every melody with passionate detail. This is perfect music for travel, for the music travels itself. It’s a plane ride above a shimmering landscape, a hang-glide over open valleys, a dive into crystal waters—and yet, our feet never leave the ground. One might call it otherworldly, were it not so firmly rooted in the earth in all its glory. Pure magic from start to finish.

Pat Metheny emerges on his second album, Watercolors, as an ECM impressionist, generally conforming to the label's overall sound while still asserting his own personality. As the title suggests, there are several mood pieces here that are suspended in the air without rhythmic underpinning, a harbinger for the new age invasion still in the future. Metheny's softly focused, asymmetrical guitar style, with echoes of apparent influences as disparate as Jim Hall, George Benson, and various country guitarists, is quite distinctive even at this early juncture. Metheny's long-running partnership with keyboardist Lyle Mays also begins here, with Mays mostly on acoustic piano but also providing a few mild synthesizer washes. Danny Gottlieb is on drums, and ECM regular Eberhard Weber handles the bass. This is essentially the first album by the Pat Metheny Group per se, although the band had yet to find its direction in this somewhat diffuse showing.

Track listing:

1 Watercolors 6:28
2 Icefire 6:07
3 Oasis 4:02
4 Lakes 4:43
5 River Quay 4:56
6       Suite- I. Florida Greeting Song 2:30
7       Suite- II. Legend Of The Fountain 2:28
8 Sea Song 10:16

Personnel:

Pat Metheny – 6-and 12-string electric guitar, 15 string harp guitar
Lyle Mays – piano
Eberhard Weber – double bass
Danny Gottlieb – drums

King Crimson - 1974 [2006] "Red"

Red is the seventh studio album by English progressive rock group King Crimson, released in 1974 by Island Records in the United Kingdom and by Atlantic Records in the United States. It was their last studio recording of the 1970s and the last before the lead member Robert Fripp temporarily disbanded the group. Though their lowest-charting album at the time, spending only one week in the UK charts, Red has received critical acclaim.

Tours in 1974 had seen King Crimson's musical approach becoming louder and more brutal, an approach primarily driven by bass player John Wetton and drummer Bill Bruford (guitarist and group leader Robert Fripp once compared their powerful playing to "a flying brick wall"). This had the effect of drowning out the band's fourth member, violinist and occasional keyboard player David Cross, and led to tension within the band. Deemed not strong enough as a musical personality, Cross was ejected from King Crimson after the end of its tour in summer 1974, reducing the group to the trio of Fripp, Wetton and Bruford. Having already begun to record Red with Cross, King Crimson finished the album with the help of former band-members Ian McDonald and Mel Collins.

While musically similar to its predecessor Starless and Bible Black, Red was produced very differently from previous King Crimson albums. For instance, while the acoustic guitar features prominently in previous releases, on Red it is heard only for a few bars in "Fallen Angel". Also, unlike previous King Crimson albums, Red features extensive use of guitar overdubs. Later albums lacked acoustic guitar entirely and reverted to a minimum of overdubs (perhaps partly because every lineup of the band after this included two guitarists).

During the recording process, Fripp decided to take a "backseat" from the sessions' decision making. Although plans were considered to add McDonald to the lineup again for the next tour, Fripp abruptly disbanded King Crimson on 24 September 1974, and the album was released the following month with no accompanying tour.

The last hurrah of a group in its death throes, King Crimson's Red is perhaps the ill-fated 1972-74 lineup's masterpiece: a document of the band as they really were. Pressed for time and at the climax of growing tension amongst the members, Red is the flare of brilliance before collapsing into the void, a group that would not play together again for seven years and were forever changed.

The five-man arsenal that comprised the group heard on Larks' Tongues In Aspic had dwindled down to the core of vocalist/bassist John Wetton, drummer Bill Bruford, and lead guitarist/ringleader Robert Fripp - mad percussionist Jamie Muir had left after that album to join a Buddhist monastery, and strings virtuoso David Cross officially departed before the recording of the album but agreed to contribute what he could to the sessions. Stricken with five tunes to commit to tape and an entire LP to fill, the members of KC besieged alumni, old friends, and session musicians with requests of aid. Several excellent musicians make guest appearances on Red, although the lineup is not consistent: consequentially, the album has an unfinished, thrown-together feel. Still, this is the culmination of the first era of Crimson: well-written song structures, free jams, and instrumental virtuosity all play a role here.

Tracks Listing:

1. Red (6:20)
2. Fallen Angel (6:00)
3. One More Red Nightmare (7:04)
4. Providence (8:08) *
5. Starless (12:18)

Personnel:

Robert Fripp – guitar, mellotron
John Wetton – bass, vocals, lyrics on "One More Red Nightmare" and "Starless"
Bill Bruford – drums, percussion

Former King Crimson personnel:

David Cross – violin on "Providence”
Mel Collins – soprano saxophone on "Starless"
Ian McDonald – alto saxophone on "One More Red Nightmare" and "Starless"

Additional personnel:

Mark Charig – cornet on "Fallen Angel",
Robin Miller – oboe on "Fallen Angel"
Uncredited musician – cello on "Red"[15]
Uncredited musician – cello on "Starless"
Richard Palmer-James – lyrics on "Fallen Angel" and "Starless"

John Scofield - 1981 [2010] "Out Like A Light"

Out Like a Light is a live album by jazz guitarist John Scofield that was released in 1981. Out Like a Light is the sister album to Shinola as both recordings contain material from the Munich concerts of December 1981.

Fine trio date from '81, with guitarist John Scofield stretching out in multiple directions and showing his facility with the swing style, mainstream, and jazz-rock genres. Besides his fluid, inventive solos, Scofield works well with bassist Steve Swallow, who approaches his instrument like a second guitar, and drummer Adam Nussbaum.

OUT LIKE A LIGHT is the best illustration yet Scofield’s prismatic talent. His solo on ‘Holidays’ displays the colours of all his influences refracted into the natural and coherent single shaft of light that is Scofield’s distinctive sound.

This set, along with "Shinola" was recorded live in 1981 in Germany, at Club Vielharmonie. This music is taken from the second night of the group's stand, and is as wonderful as it's predecessor. In a trio setting Scofield's guitar is allowed to roam at will, without the inclusion of any keyboards. His band, Steve Swallow-electric bass, Adam Nussbaum-drums, are arguably the best rhythm section he ever played with. Swallow has played with many jazz greats, especially with vibist Gary Burton. Nussbaum, too, has played with many fine jazz artists, and together they lay down a sympathetic, almost intuitive foundation for Scofield. Both these sets were recorded just prior to Scofield joining Miles Davis' band in 1982.

The trio are just about evenly mixed on this recording, which gives listeners a good chance to hear three musicians at the top of their game. Four of the five tracks are by Scofield, with the fifth ("Melinda") by Allen Lerner. The music is energetic without sounding rushed, which sometimes happens in a live setting. Scofield has his guitar under restraint here, leaving space for Swallow to shine through with some wonderful bass playing, with Nussbaum filling in any holes with his light touch on the cymbals and snare drum. All the tracks are long, 7-8 minutes, with "Melinda" clocking in at a bit over 3 minutes. But the star is Scofield, who plays with intelligence and forethought-sometimes leaving spaces between the notes and other times filling up his solos with a flurry of notes.

This music ebbs and flows and is over before you know it. The trio is continually playing off one another as only musicians of this caliber can. This early look at Scofield is some of his finest playing-just his guitar and rhythm section, and is very satisfying. If you've been waiting (like I have) for this to hopefully be re-released, well, here it is. I only wish more from this trio would be made available-it's out there, along with more of his live quartet music (hear "Live")from roughly the same era. A fine studio set is "Rough House" for those unfamiliar with Scofield. Another good live set is "Live-En Route", from 2003, recorded at the Blue Note Club, with Bill Stewart on drums, and Scofield's old pal Steve Swallow on bass. But if you like jazz guitar trios in a live setting, this is something (along with "Shinola") that is well worth investigating.

I've listened to a lot of John Scofield records over the years; this is a favorite, as are Still Warm and Blue Matter. Holidays, the opening track on Out Like a Light, is a tour de force; it sounds extremely fresh and new. Scofield, Swallow, and Nussbaum play together with great sensitivity, playing at the edges of the jazz idiom to build tension and play some amazing solos. Since it's a live recording, one would expect some looseness in solo construction and some clams, but there are very few of either - just playing by three very talented musicians interacting with great musical empathy.

It bears repeated listening very well, and compares favorably to much more well-known albums, in my opinion. All three players bring a lot to the music....

This is one of Scofield's two or three best records, in some ways, still my favorite to this day (it was the second one that I heard, after "Still Warm). I truly believe that, though Sco has grown as a player over the years, he's never quite surpassed, on record, the tune "Holidays" from this album. Simply put, I've never heard anything quite like it in jazz, rock, fusion, or from the jam band scene (something about it's loping feel suggests some Grateful Dead material, though it's light years beyond them in every way). Also, Steve Swallow's bass solo on that tune is probably my favorite ever; it's incredibly beautiful, and operates like a mini composition within a composition.
Though the album never again achieves the same staggering level of achievement, that's really no insult to the other songs, which are all terrific. It simply means that "Holidays" is, for me, up there with things like Sonny Rollins' "St. Thomas," Coltrane's "A Love Supreme," or Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come" - a rare, perfect musical achievement that feels as though not a single detail could be any different, much less any better.

Cover picture from the original artwork. (I didn't like the new cover.) Alternate scans included.

Track listing:

1. "Holidays" (8:45)
2. "Last Week" (8:41)
3. "Miss Directions" (7:53)
4. "Out Like a Light" (7:01)
5. "Melinda" (3:18)

Personnel:

John Scofield – electric guitar
Steve Swallow – bass
Adam Nussbaum – drums

Jimmy Bruno - 1994 "Burnin'"

Burnin' is a most appropriate title for Jimmy Bruno's second album because much of the time, the guitarist is doing exactly that. A hard bopper with superb chops, Bruno loves to swing hard and fast, and he takes no prisoners on bop standards like Sonny Stitt's "Eternal Triangle" and John Coltrane's "Giant Steps." Known for its insanely difficult chord changes, the latter has long been considered a test piece for jazz musicians; Bruno sails right through the tune at maximum speed without even blinking an eye. But while his technique is impressive, it wouldn't mean as much if Bruno (who forms a trio with bassist Craig Thomas and drummer Steve Holloway) didn't have so much soul to go with his massive chops. As intensely as he plays on the fast numbers, Bruno has no problem turning around and showing his lyrical side on Trane's "Central Park West" and the standard "That's All." Burnin' was recorded at Philly's legendary Sigma Sound, where so many great R&B sessions were done in the '70s.

Guitarists, take your seats! The first track on this collection "The Eternal Triangle" will blow you away! The things Mr. Bruno does here cannot be done. It seems that he has a few extra fingers on the left hand (maybe on the right, too)! His precision is incredible. I love the way he combines single-note soloing with chord riffs. You don't hear it done his way anywhere else. The music is bop at its best, in my opinion. The title track, "Burnin" is exactly that and the final extended cut, "That's All" leaves nothing on the table. The slower numbers are tastefully done, making this a satisfying meal all the way around. I highly recommend his "Polarity" album as well for the same reasons. Enjoy!

Just a killer cd from a deadly talented jazz guitarist. Jimmy turns up the heat on this one and his playing is always tasteful and creative. This is one must have desert island cd. Buy it, you won't be sorry.

Coltrane's "Giant Steps" is the best known cut here, but we get a few solo pieces and his great backing band on the rest. It's worthy of the best of the hard bop greats, like Wes Montgomery and Kenny Burrell, but one thing that catches my ear is his similarity without being derivative of the late great Danny Gatton when that legend was playing jazz, such as his last studio album "Relentless" with Hammond B-3 extraordinaire Joey Francesco trading off mind blowing licks. Sadly, Gatton committed suicide in October 1994, and it's a bit eerie that Bruno recorded just a few years later "Like That", also playing alongside Defrancesco, who can also play a mean trumpet.
I don't know if Jimmy Bruno delves much into straight blues, but jazz is very very closely related, so it wouldn't be too difficult. Nor do I know if he digs the old rock and roll and touches of country that Gatton molded into his own unique style. But as far as jazz, Bruno may be the one player who shares the astonishing versatility Gatton possessed, and that's a very high compliment.
"Burnin" is a jazz guitarists' wet dream, and for those who value fast playing but need primers in how to do so with care and precision, and not just blow and rely on special effects, like delay, this shows us how it's done. His chord comping is second to none, too, as he plays lead figures in and out of complex chording as smoothly as anybody I've ever heard. It's truly great music that anybody can dig whether they play an instrument or not.

If you read the liner notes in this album there is a line that says something like "If you ever wondered how good jazz guitar can get, this is it". Nothing could be closer to the truth. Jimmy Bruno is not only the greatest living bebop guitarist, he ranks at the top of the all time list, along with Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Pat Martino, and George Benson. And for sheer technical ability, he is above all of them.
His playing on this album at times is so overwhelming, it will have you questioning how any human being can play with such technique and precision. "Eternal Triangle" smolders all the way through. "One for Amos" and "Burnin" show how he can get down in the blues alley one moment and then just blow your mind in the next. Coltrane's "Giant Steps" is a challenge for any jazz musician, and few guitarists even attempt it. Bruno's version will just leave you speechless. And the albums final tune "That's All", says it all. Bruno's diatonic explorations at the speed of light are nothing short of jaw dropping. The thing that is so amazing about him is that he plays with such incredible speed and precision,and yet his playing drips with beautiful melodicism and pure soul. Can I give this 10 stars?

If you are a serious jazz fan, you've probably heard this many times. If you are a casual jazz fan, new to jazz, or god forbid, not familiar with the genre (especially guitar trio) or even burnt out on it, then this (or any Bruno recording) could very well change your life. *No Joke*. Rarely a day goes by that I haven't played some or all of this CD since I bought it over a year ago, and many of my previous favorite guitar CDs are now covered in dust. This is a fun recording, swingin' and boppin' with Jimmy's unmistakable restless energy and staggering precision, speed, and above all, melody. A mixture of standards, originals, and ripping hard-bop, there is even a high-voltage version of Coltrane's Giant Steps, which on any other CD might be the showcase - on "Burnin", it's just one of a dozen "Wow!"-inducing tunes. Do yourself a favor and buy this one now !

Jimmy Bruno's playing on this album is the most impressive I think I have ever heard. His technique and speed are remarkable. When I heard the first track for the first time, I sat in awe with my mouth open. The overall group is a little shaky at times, but Bruno's many melodic and rythmic ideas keep this album interesting. Great Buy. Especially if you like people who play fast AND melodic!

Track listing:

01 Eternal Triangle 5:41
02 Pastel 5:08
03 One For Amos 4:45
04 Love Is Here To Stay 5:00
05 Burnin' 4:33
06 Moonlight In Vermont 8:11
07 Central Park West 1:56
08 Giant Steps 5:37
09 Witchcraft 4:33
10 On The Sunny Side Of The Street 4:58
11 A Rose For Peg 4:34
12 That's All 7:18

Personnel:

Guitar – Jimmy Bruno
Bass – Craig Thomas
Drums – Steve Holloway

Rare Bird - 1976 [1990] "Sympathy"

Rare Bird were an English progressive rock band, formed in 1969. They had more success in other European countries. They released five studio albums between 1969 and 1974. In the UK, they never charted with an album but charted with one single, the organ-based track "Sympathy", which peaked at number 27. It sold one million copies globally.

This Rare Bird CD contains a wealth of artistically wonderful music! It includes all the songs from their especially creative and engaging first album and the best songs from their second album. I was prompted to reply by the incomprehensible Emap review provided above. Sound samples are unlikely to do the music justice. Listen to all of Beautiful Scarlet and then decide. Other gems await. The first Rare Bird is one of those "rare" albums from the late 60's that haven't lost any of their ability to enchant.

This first Rare Bird album is simply exceptional. It is enchanting, inventive and melodic. It ranges from heavy to almost jazzy-blues soft at points. The vocals of Steve Gould are captivating, and the keyboards of Graham Field and David Kaffinetti are virtuoso. Mark Ashton turned in some unique percussion work on this one as well. This group was simply incredible in their musicianship and songwriting abilities, and it is unfortunate this lineup lasted but two albums. If you buy this one, you will want them all. As Your Mind Flies By and Epic Forest (with a new lineup) are fantastic. Epic Forest is an overlooked gem--simply incomparable. You will be hooked by the depth of the music.

This album contains Rare Bird's finest works on one reasonably priced cd. "As Your Mind Flies By", "Sympathy", "Beautiful Scarlet", "Nature's Fruit" and "What You Want to Know" are their best works. Hopefully this cd will never be out of print for Rare Bird fans !

Tracks Listing:

1. Sympathy (2:47)
2. You Went Away (4:41)
3. Nature's Fruit (2:36)
4. Bird on a Wing (4:19)
5. What You Want to Know (5:59)
6. Beautiful Scarlet (5:43)
7. Hammerhead (3:32)
8. I'm Thinking (5:37)
9. As Your Mind Flies By (5:50)

Total Time: 41:07

Line-up / Musicians:

- Mark Ashton / drums, vocals
- Kevin Lamb / organ, vocals
- Graham Field / organ, keyboards
- Steve Gould / bass, guitar, guitar (bass), saxophone, vocals
- Dave Kaffinetti / synthesizer, keyboards, piano (electric)

Pat Metheny Group - 1984 "First Circle"

First Circle is a Grammy Award–winning jazz album by the Pat Metheny Group released in 1984. Metheny is joined by Lyle Mays on keyboards, Steve Rodby on bass, Paul Wertico on drums, and Pedro Aznar on vocals, percussion, and guitar. First Circle won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Fusion Performance.

Two personnel changes occurred. Drummer Danny Gottlieb was replaced by Paul Wertico, and the Group was joined by multi-instrumentalist Pedro Aznar, who had already established himself with the band Serú Girán in his native Argentina.

On First Circle, the Group used instruments it hadn't recorded with before, including the sitar ("Yolanda, You Learn"), trumpet ("Forward March"), and agogo bells ("Tell It All"). The first song, "Forward March", with Lyle Mays on trumpet, uses dissonant, out-of-tune chords and shifting time signatures. On puttiing the song first, Metheny remarked that it "seemed like a good idea at the time."

This was the first Group album to feature a song with written lyrics, "Más Allá," by Aznar.

First Circle expanded the scope of the Group's music. In a podcast retrospective, Metheny remarked that the album brought the Group to a creative high that he had been seeking since its foundation. "With the record, First Circle, I finally felt like the Group was what I hoped it might be someday...there was this feeling of, 'Okay, we've done it. We can go anywhere now.'" He stated that First Circle, Still Life (Talking), and Letter from Home, among the Group's most popular albums, were part of a trilogy connected by their musical explorations and accessibly melodic personalities.

In First Circle, the Pat Metheny Group settled into a lineup that lasted for quite a while -- with Metheny, keyboardist Lyle Mays, bassist Steve Rodby, and new drummer Paul Wertico forming the core quartet. The ever-restless Metheny also mixes up the music, not quite leaving the Brazilian glide behind but coming up with some fascinating permutations always affixed with his personal stamp. "Forward March," the album opener, is a bizarre parody full of detuned instruments and half-cocked trumpet from Mays; one wonders if this was directed at a few silly skirmishes of the day (Grenada? the Falklands?). "The First Circle" has Brazilian elements, but now in the service of a grander architectural context, while nothing could be simpler and yet more sophisticated than the delicate ballad "If I Could." "End of the Game" might be the best track on the record, equipped with a beautiful pop-flavored set of tunes and harmonies, with a rock beat fused to the floating ambience of South America as personified by the new Argentine percussionist/vocalist Pedro Aznar. "Praise," the closer, is an out-and-out rock tune, an affirmative flip side of "Forward March" and the last of a series of delightful surprises.

I listened to this cassette quite a bit back in 1985 and then left it for quite a while. Last year (2003), I was amazed to find myself humming "Yolanda, You Learn" and ordered the CD from Amazon. Discovering this music all over again was a joy. To me, this is a CD of uplifting, joyous music made by fantastic musicians offering up some incredible performances.

While I have listened to other Metheny releases, nothing has touched me like this one. I would loved to have given this five stars, but the decision to include "Forward March" was a mistake. Fortunately, modern CD players can be programmed to skip tracks. My favorite tracks are "Yolanda, You Learn," "The First Circle," and "Praise." "If I Could" is so beautiful in its simplicity as to bring you to goosebumps and tears.
If you are a guitarist or lover of Brazilian music, this CD is a must-have. This release is totally accessible to all lovers of quality music. Highly recommended.

With "Phase Dance" and, "Are You Going With Me?" the album's title track, "The First Circle", became one of the Group's most popular songs.

Track listing:

1. "Forward March" (Metheny) 2:47
2. "Yolanda, You Learn" 4:43
3. "The First Circle" 9:10
4. "If I Could" (Metheny) 6:54
5. "Tell It All" 7:55
6. "End of the Game" 7:57
7. "Más Allá (Beyond)" (Metheny/Pedro Aznar) 5:37
8. "Praise" 4:19

Personnel:

Pat Metheny – guitar, Synclavier guitar, sitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar
Lyle Mays – piano, synthesizers, Oberheim, agogô bells, organ, trumpet
Steve Rodby – bass guitar, acoustic bass, bass drum
Pedro Aznar – glockenspiel, voice, bells, acoustic guitar, percussion, whistle, guitar, acoustic 12-string guitar
Paul Wertico – drums, field drum, cymbal