Jeff Berlin - 1986 "Pump It"

Like Stuart Hamm, Jeff Berlin finds himself to be neither a fusion player or a rock player, but rather somewhere uncomfortably in between. His chops are unmatched; however, like Al Di Meola, this has always presented the issue of musical integrity. His importance to aspiring bass players cannot be overstated; however, to the casual listener this session will sound too uneven. The opening track, "Pump It!," featuring Buddy Miles on lead vocals, sounds stiff and contrived. He does redeem himself though on "Joe Frasier (Round 2)," an expansion of a song he wrote while with Bill Bruford. His tribute to Rush "All The Greats" and to J.S. Bach "Bach" contain impressive playing, but are far too repetitive to sustain any interest beyond his solos. Buddy Miles does a better job of leading the band on "Crossroads," although it sounds silly compared to Mr. Clapton's version. The disappointment here is that guitar shredder Paul Gilbert is not given any significant space. Frank Gambale, on the other hand, does get a fair amount of space to showcase his sweep picking technique in one of his first recorded appearances. The highlight of this inconsistent recording is "Manos De Piedra" on which Berlin plays a blistering solo that surely padded his already established legend in the bass playing community.

Track listing:

1  Pump It! (Jeff Berlin ) 05:57

2  Joe Frazier (Jeff Berlin ) 06:12

3  All The Greats (Jeff Berlin ) 06:43

4  Bach (Jeff Berlin ) 04:47

5  Crossroads (Robert Johnson ) 05:46

6  Freight Train Shuffle (Jeff Berlin ) 04:52

7  Manos De Piedra (Jeff Berlin; Ron Reinhardt ) 04:43

Personnel:

Bass - Jeff Berlin

Drums - Tris Imboden

Guitar - Frank Gambale

Keyboards - Ron Reinhardt, Claire Fischer

Percussion - Brad Dutz

Vocals - Buddy Miles

Tom Tom - Jeffrey Porcaro

Return To Forever - 1973 [1991] "Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy"

Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy is the third studio album by American jazz fusion band Return to Forever. It was released in October 1973 by Polydor. Flora Purim, Joe Farrell, and Airto Moreira were replaced by drummer Lenny White and guitarist Bill Connors. It would be the only album with Bill Connors as guitarist; he left after its release and was replaced by Al Di Meola.

The second incarnation of Chick Corea's influential fusion group released only a single record, the magnificent Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy. Featuring a more rock-oriented approach than the Flora Purim-Joe Farrell band that was responsible for both Return to Forever and Light as a Feather, Corea and old standby Stanley Clarke join forces here with propulsive drummer Lenny White and electric guitarist Bill Connors. Although Connors lacks the sophistication of Al Di Meola, the young guitarist who replaced him, he possesses a deliciously raw sound that keeps Corea's heady compositions firmly grounded. White introduces a funk aspect to the music, replacing Airto's Latin grooves from the first two records. Clarke is as good, wrenching some truly frightening sounds out of his electric basses. This increased emphasis on electric instrumentation, also displayed in Corea's heavy use of synthesizers, is another thing that separates this record from the previous Return to Forever releases. And as good as the band performances are, it is the quality of the compositions that marks Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy as an indispensable disc of '70s fusion. "Captain Senor Mouse," one of Corea's finest fusion compositions, receives an excellent treatment here. Likewise, the two-part "Space Circus" is a fantastic mix of haunting and grooving elements, with some simply incredible solos thrown into the mix. With Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy, Corea continues his streak of simply timeless fusion albums. The best of the electric RTF albums.

For the third release of this seminal band, Chick Corea abandons the earlier Brazilian influences and puts together a new outfit for unapologetic fusion. Indeed, maestro Corea had found his sound with this one and lifted the band to legendary status, one that was to be reinforced with ensuing releases. The previous two albums were good, but are nothing compared to this. Stanley Clarke had already graced Return to Forever (listed as a Chick Corea album) and Light as a Feather. Now, Lenny White is brought into the fold as well as guitarist Bill Connors. After a brief and quiet intro, the band kicks into high gear with the title track and does not let go of the pace for the next forty minutes. No relaxing smooth jazz here. High energy, good melodies, intricate interplay of all the instruments, and great musicianship are what makes this album what it is. Many compare Connors to Al di Meola unfavorably, but although I prefer Big Al, Connors has some mighty impressive chops that augments the music quite well. In fact, his distorted tone adds much of the rock to the fusion here. Captain Senor Mouse may be the best known track, but all the others are great as well. I particularly like the opener and the closing track, The Game Maker. Return to Forever is a band that stands proudly alongside the great Mahavishnu Orchestra but has a much less cacophonous sound. Even when all four members are wailing at top speed, there remains a sense of unity and melodiousness not often found in other bands of the same genre. The various members of the band never forget they are playing alongside others. This is what makes Return to Forever a great band. Absolutely necessary for fans of Jazz/Rock Fusion, and for those who have not tasted the fiery nectar of this genre and want to know what the hubbub is all about, they could not do any better than start with this one. A masterpiece through and through.

Track listing:

1. Hymn Of The Seventh Galaxy 3:25

2. After The Cosmic Rain 8:33

3. Captain Senor Mouse 8:56

4. Theme To The Mothership 8:22

5. Space Circus

   Part I 1:28

   Part II 4:08

6. The Game Maker 6:49

Personnel:

Chick Corea – acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes electric piano, harpsichord, Yamaha electric organ, gongs

Bill Connors – electric guitar, acoustic guitar

Stanley Clarke – electric bass, bell tree

Lenny White – drums, percussion, congas, bongos

Elvin Jones - 1975 [2019] "On the Mountain"

On the Mountain is a jazz album by drummer Elvin Jones with keyboardist Jan Hammer and bassist Gene Perla recorded in 1975 and originally released on Perla's PM label.

This 1975 date for the brilliant drummer, with Jan Hammer on keyboards and bassist Gene Perla, is a minor, if somewhat overlooked, classic from the tail-end of the early '70s to the mid-70s' run of great jazz fusion releases. Both Perla and Hammer worked with Elvin Jones between 1971 and 1973, in bands featuring saxophonists Frank Foster, Joe Farrell, Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman. Here, the smaller format allows for a tight group sound with openings for strong solos and fluid interplay throughout. Jones is well up in the mix, giving fans a front-row opportunity to enjoy the drummer, both in all-over-the-kit, rolling-thunder mode and in the subtler moments of his peerless brushwork. The trio perform a half-dozen originals by Perla and Hammer. The impressive writing has a definite jazz sensibility, but Hammer's Moog and electric piano work, Perla's alternating between electric and acoustic basses, and Jones' own fierce eruptions provide a satisfying, rock wallop in several spots.

A great Fusion Cd with the special Elvin Jones touch, for sure. Great power by the man himself and excellent playing by Jan Hammer too. The tunes are high energy and feature great laid back Fusion. A must have for all Elvin Jones and Jan Hammer fans!

First of all, let me caution any Elvin fans--this is not REALLY an Elvin Jones album. Half of the tunes are written by Hammer and half of them are written by Gene Perla, the bassist. And pretty much all the solos are taken by Hammer. The style is not jazz, but rather jazz fusion. Not the ridiculous variety that consists of everybody playing as fast and as loud as possible, but rather thoughtful, understated and sophisticated. That said, the tunes are gorgeous, the solos are lovely, and the rhythm section rocks. The sound of the recording is beautiful too. Basically, the album is flawless. If you care at all about Jan Hammer's playing in the jazz style, you MUST own this album.

Track listing:

1. "Thorn of a White Rose" (Jan Hammer) - 5:07

2. "Namuh" (Gene Perla) - 7:47

3. "On the Mountain" (Perla) - 4:37

4. "Smoke in the Sun" (Hammer) - 4:00

5. "London Air" (Hammer) - 5:29

6. "Destiny" (Perla) - 7:28

Personnel:

Elvin Jones - drums

Jan Hammer - piano, electric piano, synthesizer

Gene Perla - bass, electric bass