Date: 19-Dec-1998 03:27:56
From: Reid ( rtt5@gte.net )
I second Scott's recommendation of John Mclaughlin's Extrapolation. The music is really hard to classify, but it swings hard, and the tunes flow nicely together. This is one of my all-time favorites, and I'm not a big Mclaughlin fan.

I also second Bern Nix's Alarms and Excursions. Nix was Ornette's guitarist in the Prime Time band, but don't let the title mislead you. We're not talking distorted guitar here. The album how melodic and grooving "free jazz" can be.

Here are some albums that show how good mainstream jazz can be when it's mixed wiht fusion influences:

Michael Brecker's self-titled for Impulse!
Rick Margitza's Hope
Steve Masakowski What It Was

Some favorite post-70's fusion:

Wayne Shorter's stuff: Atlantis, Phantom Navigator and High Life. He's still writing great tunes.

Wayne Krantz—Two Drink Minimum. A guitarist who eschews distortion, but combines rock power with story-telling approach to solos

For a more straight-ahead approach:
Bobby Watson and Horizon- on bluenote or his live album for Columbia, Midwest Shuffle
Andrew Hill—he takes what Monk did, and does his own thing with it

Date: 19-Dec-1998 03:30:39
From: Reid ( rtt5@gte.net )
I second Scott's recommendation of John Mclaughlin's Extrapolation. The music is really hard to classify, but it swings hard, and the tunes flow nicely together. This is one of my all-time favorites, and I'm not a big Mclaughlin fan.

I also second Bern Nix's Alarms and Excursions. Nix was Ornette's guitarist in the Prime Time band, but don't let the title mislead you. We're not talking distorted guitar here. The album how melodic and grooving "free jazz" can be.

Here are some albums that show how good mainstream jazz can be when it's mixed wiht fusion influences:

Michael Brecker's self-titled for Impulse!
Rick Margitza's Hope
Steve Masakowski What It Was

Some favorite post-70's fusion:

Wayne Shorter's stuff: Atlantis, Phantom Navigator and High Life. He's still writing great tunes.

Wayne Krantz—Two Drink Minimum. A guitarist who eschews distortion, but combines rock power with story-telling approach to solos

For a more straight-ahead approach:
Bobby Watson and Horizon- on bluenote or his live album for Columbia, Midwest Shuffle
Andrew Hill—he takes what Monk did, and does his own thing with it

Date: 19-Dec-1998 08:51:52
From: Peter S. ( soks823@aol.com )
Wayne Krantz "2 Drink Minimum" is a phenomenal album! I'm glad somebody out there recognized it and wrote in. And while we're on the subject of John McLaughlin, what about "Birds of Fire" by the Mahavishnu Orchestra? This is tops as far as jazz-fusion, and where else do you get to hear songs in 15/16 time?

Date: 22-Dec-1998 02:06:41
From: Peter Kenyon ( kenyonp@cbs.curtin.edu.au )
Hmm, difficult, but here goes. These end often up in my CD player, but they are not household albums:
Blue Mitchell: Down With It
Donald Byrd: Mustang
Lee Morgan: Cornbread, Search for the New Land, Candy;
Herbie Hancock: The Prisoner
Jackie McLean, New Soil, Destination Out;
Joe Henderson: Page One
Manhattan Jazz Quartet: Funk Strut
... gosh there are lots, not the least a lot of local Aussie jazz which is released on small or independent labels, but which never get to the major markets. Any one want to hear about some of this?
Peter

Date: 22-Dec-1998 21:00:59
From: fred stark
I wanted to add to the discussion. No one has mentioned
three albums that are truly great.

"Members Don't Get Weary" by Max Roach on Atlantic
(currently out of print)
"Live at Slugs" by Music Inc. (Charles Tolliver and Stanley
Cowell) on Strata East
"Song for Biko" by the late, great bassist Johnny Dyani
on SteepleChase

Date: 26-Dec-1998 12:40:17
From: rob d steel ( captain.aspirin@virgin.net )
Here's one that haunts me from 40 years ago.Odds against tomorrow by M.J.Q.I only have it on video soundtrack-poor quality and incomplete.Can anyone help me locate a copy cd or vinyl new or used,I'm in the U.K.and all doors seem to be closed.Help, I really have to get this album,you know how it is,don't you?Thanks Rob.

Date: 29-Dec-1998 07:34:27
From: Wolfgang Kuhnle ( wkuhnle@hotmail.com )
Kenny Wheeler: Angel Music is the top choice, and Charlie Haden & Keny Barron: Night and the City is in the same vein, smooth jazz, but you never get the feeling that you have wasted your money buying these specific records.
For more comments, go to my web site
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/Delta/3254
and then click on the link "Recent Acquisitions."

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