This week new playlist is now available at Spotify for you.
In a similar way to the last week one, the groove starts with some Fusion classics as Miles Davis, Return To Forever, Dave Grusin or Pat Metheny. The thing gets acid with Incognito and Jamiroquai, to finally fall in funkier tunes from Gil-Scott Heron, Barry White and Level 42.
The Crossing,
Deodato's last work has been recorded with the collaboration of great artists:
Al Jarreau, Billy Cobham, John Tropea, the Italian Novecento, Londonbeat, Airto
Moreira and Paco Sery.
The album tracks
are combination of funk and smooth Latin bossa. In my opinion, even that
Deodato has surrounded itself by Jazz Fusion geniuses like Cobham, Airto or
Tropea; the result has been a compilation of maybe too Smooth tunes, but also very lively and some of great quality.
"Double face" is the star track, the one released first as a single. The
melody is opened with Jarreau’s usual vocal jams. The chorus (“Double
feature/Double creature/That will teach ya… Double do ya/ Double fool
ya/Hallelujah”) has been strongly criticized for its simplicity; although it
has to be said that it's pretty catchy. Eumir, for its part, dazzles us with his
two piano solos, both very rhythmic. It reminds me to that kind of 80’s disco
tunes; a song obviously composed to be danced.
Much better is
the collaboration with Jarreau and Novecento: “I want you more”. Here, Dora
Nicolosi sings with a seductive and warm voice. A perfect
melody for driving at night under the street lights...
Another good piece
to pay attention in this album is “Summertime” (versioned from the one composed by George Gershwin for
the opera Porgy and Bess), where Tropea finally really shows off his guitar
skills in a pure Santana style.
Note: Pay
attention to the blog tomorrow because I’ll upload this week playlist! Sorry
for this six-day gap without posting anything, it has been a busy week.
Thanks to the requests from some followers I have uploaded a new playlist. I hope to do so every week.
In Jazz Moods 1 I have included classic tunes as "Moanin' " of Art Blakey, or "Half and Half" of The Jazz Crusaders (before they went Fusion). As the playlist develops you will find songs by Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and other Jazz Fusion geniuses. The conclusion is reached with Al Jarreau, Incognito and Jamiroquai, to finally come back again to the early Jazz Crusaders.
As you may know, this month of November takes place the 70th anniversary celebration of Chick "the chameleon" Corea in the Blue Note Club (NY). He will perform from the 1st to the 27th with its different bands (Return To Forever, the Elektric Band, a tribute to his Miles Davis days with Jack DeJohnette, in duo with Bobby McFerrin, and more).
Chick is well known for his work during the 70's developing the genre of jazz fusion with its band Return To Forever. In the 1960's, he participated in the birth of this movement as a member of Miles Davis's band (along with other pianists like Herbie Hancock).
Since the 80s he has continued his collaborations with other musicians such as Gary Burton, Herbie Hancock and Keith Jarret. In fact, his playing is in some ways similar to Hancock, but Chick has his own and distinctive style.
For this special occasion I want you to listen to probably my Chick's favorite piece: "Sometime Ago/ La Fiesta".
Return To Forever actual members are Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White, Frank Gambale and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. But when they created "Sometime Ago/ La Fiesta" (in 1972) the band was made up by Corea, Clarke, Flora Purim, Joe Farrell and Airto Moreira.
This is one of the best Jazz Fusion compositions; where Flora's sweet and smooth voice fits perfectly with Corea's piano in a kind of telepathic connection. On its part, Farrell is particularly inspired on flute and soprano sax in this hypnotic 23-minute travel. Corea, Clarke and Farrel test their skills responding to one another for long passages. About Airto, besides he is a very talented percussionist, he stays in a more secondary level in this song.
Have a good enjoyment. I am sure my friend Bernard the enjoyer will do so.
"I made six studio dates with this group in four years," he says. "And there were some live recordings that I guess Columbia will release when they think they can make the most money; probably after I'm dead." - Miles Davis.
The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions collects all tracks Davis recorded between August 19, 1969 and February 6, 1970. They are many pieces that have anything to do with the original double album Bitches Brew of 1970 because they were not part of the same sessions of the album recording. Bob Belden, the re-issue producer, said that according to him these songs had similar line-ups to Bitches Brew ones and the same emphasis on keyboards. But it is obvious that it is just another release of the original album plus more songs with the unique aim of selling it once again.
Even after the release of this four-disc box set, Columbia records re-released other two editions of Bitches Brew (both with live sessions and one with a DVD live at Copenhagen). Why all this importance is given to the album?
The reason is that it is one of the jazz history greatest albums. This is because it marked a before and an after in jazz music; a turning point in modern jazz. The compilation not only is the progenitor of the jazz-rock genre, but it was the launch pad for the jazz fusion (which would come nine months later with In a Silent Way).
Perhaps the biggest innovation is in the rhythm. Miles makes the design of the rhythm section as if it were a rock group; he gives them a central role in the joint activities, offering them time enough for their solos.
At the same time that he developed his trumpet echo, Davis started working with electric keyboards and electric guitar and added new percussion ingredients. All of these changes where also influence by the artists which he started to listen to and become fan of, that were Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Sly Stone.
Lastly but not least, another spirit added to the cocktail of innovation that is Bitches Brew was the idea of stitching together pieces into a new whole. A radical practice that had never been made before in a genre that was characterized by the art of improvising. This is the case of the tracks "Pharaoh’s Dance" and "Bitches Brew" that were not single lengthy jams or compositions, but fragments of them that Teo Macero (producer) and Miles assembled and edited together.
