05-12-2018 # JAZZ:MiX # 33 jazz tracks on the the JAZZ_line 1974-1985

05-12-2018 # JAZZ:MiX # 33 jazz tracks on the the JAZZ_line 1974-1985 # Al Di Meola, Orquestra Mirasol, Mulatu Astatke, Flora Purim, Pat Metheny Group, Flora Purim, Gil Scott-Heron, Steve Khan, Dewey Redman Quartet, Wynton Marsalis, Bill Frisell, Lyle Mays

J A Z Z   M U S I C

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1974-1985

Spellbinding jazz guitarist who is revered for his blazing, complex fretwork in the vein of jazz fusion, Latin fusion, and acoustic styles. Guitarist Al Di Meola first rose to prominence as a blazing jazz fusion artist before his playing matured and he began to conquer other styles, such as acoustic Latin music.
Al Di Meola
Land of the Midnight Sun (Al Di Meola) 9:10
The Wizard (Mingo Lewis) 6:46
Love Theme from "Pictures of the Sea" (Al Di Meola) 2:24
from Land of the Midnight Sun 1976
One of the guitar heroes of fusion, Al di Meola was just 22-years-old at the time of his debut as a leader but already a veteran of Chick Corea's Return to Forever...  With assistance from such top players as bassists Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke, keyboardist Barry Miles, and drummers Lenny White and Steve Gadd, this was a very impressive beginning to di Meola's solo career.

Short-lived yet very interesting Jazz/Fusion band from Barcelona, Orquestra Mirasol were among the groups blending US Jazz/Fusion with Spanish music during the 70's.The line-up of their first album included Xavier Batlés on bass, Victor Ammann on piano, Ricard Roda on synthesizers, Pedrito Diaz on percussion and Miquel Lizandra on drums.This was entitled ''Salsa Catalana'', released in 1974 on the Catalan label Zeleste.
Orquestra Mirasol
Molt Trist 7:13
No Juguis Amb Set Miralls 7:00
from Salsa Catalana 1974
...The style of Orquestra Mirasol was heavily influenced by the approach of RETURN TO FOREVER and WEATHER REPORT, mixing energetic pleasant grooves with jazzy jams and interplays in a very succesful way.Their arrangements, both short and long, featured impressive piano lines, extremely nice bass workouts and some really beautiful clarinet solos.Orquestra Mirasol change their smooth passages into more bombastic material, full of intensity and interplays, and throughout the release there is evident some admiration for Classical Music, at moments they sound a lot like a Chamber Rock band.Another reason for this approach is the addition of string instruments in a couple of tracks and some symphonic-inclined instrumental sections with a very dramatic edge.Still Fusion remains the starting point of the band and the more powerful moments can be easily compared with WEATHER REPORT's music, driven by the piano, bass and percussion work...

An influential Ethiopian musician, composer, and arranger who is known as the father of Ethio-jazz. Ethiopian musician (piano, organ, vibraphone, and percussion), composer, and arranger Mulatu Astatke (the name is spelled Astatqé on his French releases) is a household name in his native country, where he is known as the father of Ethio-jazz, a unique blend of pop, modern jazz, traditional Ethiopian music, Latin rhythms, Caribbean reggae, and Afro-funk. 
Mulatu Astatke
Yèkèrmo Sèw (Mulatu Astatke) 4:13
Shagu (Mulatu Astatke) 3:05
Wubit with Muluken Melesse (Mulatu Astatke) 5:31
from New York - Addis - London: The Story of Ethio Jazz 1965-1975 (2009)
...Ethio jazz was never a commercial success in Ethiopia. That Ahma and Philips Ethiopia even saw fit to release any of it is a credit to their commitment to art over commerce, and even today it remains little-heard in its homeland. But Mulatu was a master craftsman and one of the most supremely inventive composers of a time when an awful lot of creative music was being made around the world...

Influenced by both traditional Brazilian singers and the improvisations of American jazz divas like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, Flora Purim was one of the most adventurous singers of the 1970s.
Flora Purim
Look into His Eyes (George Duke) 4:34
What Can I Say? (George Duke) 5:03
That's What She Said (George Duke) 3:39
from That's What She Said 1977
Toward the close of her Milestone years, Flora Purim teamed up with producer/keyboardist George Duke -- and the imprint of Duke, then entering his funkified "Dukey Stick" period, is heavy enough to dominate the record. Very often, Duke uses his then rhythm section of bassist Byron Miller (alternating with Alphonso Johnson) and drummer Ndugu Chandler to give the grooves a definite '70s funk feel -- and percussionist Airto adapts his talents seamlessly to this way of life. Duke's electronic keyboard arsenal is all over the record, occasionally going gonzo on the Moog synthesizer, draping a then-still-fashionable ARP string synthesizer over the landscape, comping on the Rhodes electric piano or Yamaha electric grand. Joe Henderson turns up with a funk-bop tenor solo on the Brazilian/funk groove on "What Can I Say?" (what could he say?), part of a first-call L.A. studio horn section that includes trumpet Oscar Brashear, trombonist George Bohanon, and Ernie Watts on flute...

Guitar virtuoso whose accessible, original style and extraordinary sense of technique bridged the gap between jazz and rock. One of the most original guitarists from the '80s onward (he is instantly recognizable), Pat Metheny is a chance-taking player who has gained great popularity but also taken some wild left turns. His records with the Pat Metheny Group are difficult to describe (folk-jazz? mood music?) but manage to be both accessible and original, stretching the boundaries of jazz and making Metheny famous enough that he could perform whatever type of music he wanted without losing his audience.
Pat Metheny Group
San Lorenzo (Lyle Mays / Pat Metheny) 10:13
Jaco (Pat Metheny) 5:36
from Pat Metheny Group 1978
The first recording by the Pat Metheny Group features the innovative guitarist along with keyboardist Lyle Mays, bassist Mark Egan, and drummer Dan Gottlieb. The music is quite distinctive, floating rather than swinging, electric but not rockish, and full of folkish melodies. The best known of these six Metheny-Mays originals are "Phase Dance" and "Jaco." This music grows in interest with each listen.

The Pat Metheny Group, 1977 with Lyle Mays, Mark Egan and Dan Gottlieb

Influenced by both traditional Brazilian singers and the improvisations of American jazz divas like Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, Flora Purim was one of the most adventurous singers of the 1970s...
Flora Purim
Sarara (Gilberto Gil) 4:06
Carry On (George Duke) 5:15
Corine (George Duke / Airto Moreira / Flora Purim) 4:52
from Carry On 1979
In 1979, jazz was no longer George Duke's primary focus; his albums were emphasizing soul/funk, and many of the R&B fans who knew him for late '70s hits, like "Dukey Stick," "I Want You for Myself," and "Reach for It," knew little or nothing about his work with Cannonball Adderley, Billy Cobham, or Jean-Luc Ponty. But Duke was still producing some jazz albums here and there, although they weren't necessarily straight ahead. Even though Flora Purim's Carry On, which Duke produced, is primarily a Brazilian jazz album, it isn't for jazz purists -- rather, Purim provides an eclectic blend of jazz, samba, R&B/funk, rock, and pop...

Politically charged poet and singer of enrapturing 1970s jazz/R&B polemics, and a huge influence on countless hip-hop incendiaries. 
Gil Scott-Heron
You Can't Depend on the Train from Washington (Gil Scott-Heron) 4:49
Waiting for the Axe to Fall (Gil Scott-Heron) 4:48
The Klan (R. Havens) 4:50
from Real Eyes 1980
In 1980, Gil Scott-Heron had a nice opportunity to promote his Real Eyes album when he became the opening act on Stevie Wonder's Hotter Than July tour. On his own, Scott-Heron usually played small clubs, but opening for Wonder gave him the chance to perform in front of thousands of Wonder fans in major stadiums and sports arenas. Many of Wonder's white fans seemed to be unfamiliar with Scott-Heron (who had never had a major pop hit), while a lot of Wonder's black fans at least knew him for "The Bottle" and "Angel Dust" even if they hadn't bought a lot of his albums. Opening for all those Wonder fans certainly didn't hurt Scott-Heron's career, but it didn't make him a superstar either. While it's possible that some Wonder fans enjoyed Scott-Heron's opening sets enough to go out and purchase Real Eyes, most of the people who acquired this LP were already confirmed Scott-Heron fans...

Session guitarist for the likes of Lou Rawls, Steely Dan, and Michael Franks, among others; also recorded as a leader, starting with 1977's Tightrope. Guitarist Steve Khan is a gifted jazz-based performer whose adept skills have found him working with his own groups and as an in-demand session artist.
Steve Khan
Where's Mumphrey? (Manolo Badrena / Anthony Jackson / Steven "Steven J." Jordan / Steve Khan) 7:23
Auxiliary Police (Manolo Badrena / Anthony Jackson / Steven "Steven J." Jordan / Steve Khan) 5:25
Eyewitness (For Folon) (Steve Khan) 7:16
from Eyewitness 1981
This release marked a new era for Steve Khan. Eyewitness was essentially birthed of earlier jam session/improv ideas, and the chemistry between each musician, plus polished-up ideas readied for final studio recording. Khan had returned to his college-days Gibson guitar purity of tone and a touch of reverb, laying aside his Fender Telecaster and big band mindset to groove with friends over eclectic rhythms of Manolo Badrena, Steve Jordan, and exotic bass grooves only the creative genius of Anthony Jackson could lay down...

An eclectic jazz tenor saxophonist who seamlessly linked the blues with free-form music over a hard bop base. One of the great avant-garde tenors, Dewey Redman has never received anywhere near the acclaim that his son Joshua Redman gained in the 1990s, but ironically Dewey is much more of an innovative player...
Dewey Redman Quartet
Thren (Dewey Redman) 7:53
Turn Over Baby (Dewey Redman) 4:27
Dewey Square (Charlie Parker) 8:01
from The Struggle Continues 1982
When ECM released Dewey Redman's The Struggle Continues in January 1982, he was busier than he had been in years. He'd spent three years recording and touring with Old and New Dreams (and a few more after). This date has Redman fronting a standard rhythm trio comprised of bassist Mark Helias, pianist Charles Eubanks, and drummer Ed Blackwell (a bandmate from the time they spent with Ornette Coleman through to Old and New Dreams, and with other Coleman alumni Cherry and Charlie Haden). Redman was versatile, as comfortable playing inside as outside, and here he does a bit of both, straying in and out of free and hard bop mode. It is one of the saxophonists most consistent and "melodic" recordings, but that doesn't mean he's any less adventurous. On his five compositions and an excellent eight-plus-minute workout on Charlie Parker's "Dewey Square," Redman is at the top of his game as an improviser and as a bandleader...

An esteemed trumpeter who worked tirelessly to ensure jazz's status as a respected American art form into the 21st century. The most famous jazz musician since 1980, Wynton Marsalis had a major impact on jazz almost from the start. In the early '80s, it was major news that a young and very talented black musician would choose to make a living playing acoustic jazz rather than fusion, funk, or R&B...
Wynton Marsalis
Knozz-Moe-King (Wynton Marsalis) 6:00
My Ideal (Newell Chase / Leo Robin / Richard A. Whiting) 6:17
from Think of One 1983
In his early years after leaving Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Wynton Marsalis strode forth with this excellent recording, his second as a leader, done in tandem with brother Branford, also out of Blakey's herd. The combination of the two siblings created quite a buzz in the music community, and this recording, which may stand the test of time as his finest, is one of the more solid mainstream jazz statements from the Young Lions movement of the early '80s. Top to bottom, this music sings, swings, simmers, and cooks with a cool verve that, in retrospect, would turn more overtly intellectual over time...

A stunning, eclectic guitarist who blends the best elements of rock energy with jazz harmonic sophistication and melodic interpretation. Guitarist Bill Frisell is widely known as one of the most versatile players in jazz history, despite possessing an always instantly recognizeable warm, bell-like tone on his instrument, no matter what he happens to be playing. Whether playing avant jazz with his own bands (Lookout for Hope), exploring Americana (Nashville), pop (All We Are Saying...), or composing film scores, Frisell's focus on timbral clarity and elegance shines through...
Bill Frisell
Tone (Bill Frisell) 8:00
Rambler (Bill Frisell) 8:12
Resistor (Bill Frisell) 5:44
from Rambler 1984
This relatively early set from Bill Frisell is a fine showcase for the utterly unique guitarist. Frisell has the ability to play nearly any extroverted style of music and his humor (check out the date's "Music I Heard") is rarely far below the surface. This particular quintet (with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, tuba player Bob Stewart, electric bassist Jerome Harris and drummer Paul Motian) is not exactly short of original personalities and their outing (featuring seven Frisell compositions) is one of the most lively of all the ones in the ECM catalog

Lyle Mays' style is difficult to describe, more atmospheric (with plenty of unique colors) than swinging and an invaluable part of the sound of the Pat Metheny Group.
Lyle Mays
Highland Aire (Lyle Mays) 7:04
Slink (Lyle Mays) 8:18
from Lyle Mays 1985
Lyle Mays waited a long, long time before straying from the Pat Metheny Group to issue his first solo album, but when he did, the results were at once removed but not totally untethered to the Metheny sound and feeling. On his own, Mays' synthesizer solos and textures are close in sound to what he was doing in the Metheny group, but the turns of phrases in his acoustic piano solos reflect the heavy shadow of Keith Jarrett...  Bill Frisell gives Mays a different yet no less musical and enterprising guitar foil; drummer Alex Acuna and Metheny group percussionist Nana Vasconcelos are as flexible a team as Mays could want. Marc Johnson is on bass and Billy Drewes is on alto and soprano sax. A very pleasing, thoroughly musical solo debut.