White Brass-Rock, Early Jazz-rock. Jazz rock groups: greetings from America Groups playing jazz rock

English word Fusion (alloy) best defines the name of the jazz movement, combining elements of funk, metal, folk, jazz, hip-hop, R&B, reggae and other styles. One jazz fusion album can contain music from all of the above directions, which makes it interesting for those who are looking for their own style and experimenting with jazz.

Performers

Jazz fusion is an “alloy” of jazz with elements of a variety of styles: metal, electronics, reggae, folk, pop, rock, hip-hop, ethnic, etc. Often, even in one artist’s album, you will find an explosive mixture of the above. Fusion originated in the late 60s of the last century, when jazzmen began experimenting with electronic music, rock, and rhythm and blues. At the same time, rock musicians were not alien to jazz elements and, with their help, diversified their compositions. In the 70s, fusion reached its peak, but in subsequent decades it enjoyed stable popularity among performers and listeners. This style can be called systematized; experts consider it as an approach or musical tradition, which is why, for example, progressive rock is considered fusion.

The most prominent representatives of fusion were musicians performing jazz-rock, for example, the groups “Eleventh House”, “Lifetime”. The origins of fusion were associated with such orchestras as the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report, which performed bright, interesting and varied music, often successfully experimenting with directions. Among the individual fusion musicians, drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson, guitarists Pat Metheny, John Scofield, John Abercrombie and James "Blood" Ulmer, and saxophonist and trumpeter Ornette Coleman stand out.

Fusion is distinguished by instrumentality, complex bars, meter, long compositions with inclusions of improvisations. Most of the musicians performing this music are easily recognizable due to a high level of technique, which is rare in such forms. In the USA, fusion does not receive much airtime due to its complexity and lack of vocal component. However, in Japan, Europe, and South America there are entire radio stations broadcasting to a large number of fans of the style.

Miles Davis “In A Silent Way” (1969)

Connoisseurs can still argue about the roots and origins of jazz-rock (fusion). However, the moment when jazz rock became famous is not up for debate. Musical genius Mile Davis was the first to edit complex instrumental tracks from various sessions. And, most importantly, he encouraged his colleagues to explore a new path in music. This and Davis’s next album, “Bitches Brew,” are absolute classics of the genre.

Mahavishnu Orchestra “The Inner Mounting Flame” (1971)

Guitarist John McLaughlin, who took part in the recording of the two above-mentioned Miles Davis albums, assembled a group of outstanding instrumentalists - drummer Billy Cobham and violinist Jean-Luc Ponty. The Inner Mounting Flame album taught a lesson in masterful performance to many rock stars from Deep Purple to Metallica and Dream Theater. Listen to what McLaughlin does with his guitar.

Herbie Hancock “Mwandishi” (1971)

The famous keyboardist and composer Herbie Hancock was also greatly influenced by his collaboration with Miles Davis. By the early 70s, the musician left the Blue Note label and began collecting new electronic instruments. Mwandishi was Hancock's own name in Swahili, and he pioneered the integration of synthesizers into the jazz fabric. Those who find the sound of “Mwandishi” too avant-garde and improvisational should turn to Hancock’s funk project “Head Hunters” (1973), which received a wide response from the public.

Return to Forever: Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy (1973)

Another pianist, Chick Corea, after collaborating with Miles in the 70s, changed his focus of interest from the avant-garde to jazz-rock. On the project's Return To Forever album, Corea features guitarist Bill Conors, Stanley Clarke on bass and Lenny White on drums. Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy is no longer jazz-rock, but rock-jazz. Virtuoso performers create a real hard rock mix. A hitherto unheard of fusion of electro, jazz, funk and hard rock, i.e. real fusion (fusion - alloy).

Jazz rock(English) jazz rock) - a direction of music whose name speaks for itself. This unique mixture of jazz and rock appeared relatively recently - in the 60s of the twentieth century, when some progressive-minded jazzmen found the scope of their extensive style too narrow. Traditionally, the emergence of jazz rock is geographically attributed to the United States, but in the Old World there were also enough nuggets who, independently of their colleagues from overseas, mastered the new sound.

Already in the early 60s in the UK there were groups such as Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames and the Graham Bond Organization, whose musicians tried to combine jazz and rhythm and blues in their work. Echoes of jazz rock can also be heard in the 1964 album “The Five Faces of Manfred Mann” by Manfred Mann. However, venerable music critics are inclined to consider the first work in jazz rock to be the record of American jazz vibraphonist Gary Burton (Gary Burton) “Duster”, which went on sale in 1967. This disc featured young Texas musician Larry Coryell as guitarist. It is he who stands at the origins of the style that is commonly called jazz-rock.

A year before working with the great Gary Burton, Larry managed to make his mark in the group The Free Spirits, which also tried to mix jazz with rock in its experiments. When it became clear that the two independent genres of music were quite compatible, Miles Davis' "Miles in the Sky" appeared on the charts. From that moment on, jazz-rock began to gain momentum. Groups playing in a new vein arose independently of each other on both sides of the ocean and sounded very diverse. And this diversity was determined by the broad framework of both genres. Comparing, for example, the Americans Blood, Sweat and Tears with the British The Soft Machine is a completely different approach to music, but both groups at certain moments of their creativity can be completely attributed to this direction.

Jazz-rock is characterized by a significant duration of compositions, improvisation, its jazz basis with all the ensuing consequences and the use of rock instruments. During the heyday of this movement in the 70s, groups such as The Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather Report, Brand X, Chicago, Return to Forever appeared - groups that are still considered classics of the genre. Subsequent years somewhat expanded the boundaries of jazz rock, adding world, funk and elements of pop music, including electronics. Many subgenres have appeared, but their basis is the same unchanged jazz.

Jazz rock is also sometimes referred to by the term "fusion" ( English fusion), the emergence of which is associated with the arrival of black musicians in jazz-rock who did not want to associate themselves with white rock culture. Characteristic feature fusion is a leaning towards funk. But, to a greater extent, the term “fusion” contains not a musical, but a social connotation, marking the implementation of “fusion” not only at the level of musical cultures, but also between different ethnic groups of performers and listeners. A striking example of such social fusion was the performance of the black Miles Davis at concerts at Fillmore West in 1970 in front of an audience of white hippies in a lineup with white and black performers.

History knows many examples when the ideas of innovators were not accepted by the public, sometimes even persecuted, but ultimately these pioneers were recognized as geniuses, and their achievements were used by the whole world. This happened in jazz too - musicians went beyond the traditional style and were often not misunderstood. Representatives of new trends, for example, Miles Davis, Tony Williams, or the groups Weather Report and Return to Forever, created their best jazz-rock albums without thinking that they would become world hits. But nevertheless, this is exactly what happened...

Best Jazz Rock Albums

Miles Davis – album Bitches Brew

The American jazz trumpeter's double album was released in early 1970 by Columbia Records. This album reflects experiments with the use of electronic instruments - guitar and synthesizer.

This album is considered the progenitor of the jazz-rock direction. Traditional jazz standards are replaced by viscous, unexpectedly exploding improvisation. The musicians rehearsed immediately before recording, which forced them to become more immersed in the music they were performing. From the instructions they received only the time signature, the basic chords and a small segment of the melody, from which improvisation later grew. By the way, the compositions “Pharaoh’s Dance” and the ballad “Sanctuary” are not authored by Davis.

After the album was released, opinions about it were divided. The very fact that Columbia Records released an album called Bitch Brew was scandalous.

The content did not lag behind the name - a stylistic direction close to jazz fusion or jazz rock, experiments with sound and special effects, electronic instruments - all this made it possible not only to split society into two parts - for and against, but also to bring the album wild popularity. The album quickly became the first gold in Davis' career, and a little later won a Grammy.

Return to Forever – album Romantic Warrior

Return to Forever was an American jazz fusion group from the 1970s. The album "Romantic Warrior", released in 1976, became the sixth and most famous in the history of the group. The music of the album, stylized in the Middle Ages, is varied, starting from the cover. The album opens with “Medieval Overture,” which is entirely acoustic.

“The Sorceress”, on the one hand, seems to be prepared by an overture, on the other, it is the opposite in style and a synthesizer appears among the instrumental composition. The composition “Majestic Dance” relies entirely on rock riffs and distorted “lead” guitar sound, which is supported by fast harpsichord-like passages.

Some critics confirmed that the record was worthy of being included in the best jazz-rock albums in history, while others argued that all the compositions were too classical and pompous, and the album itself was almost the worst in history.

Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters album

Head Hunters is the 12th studio album, which was released in 1973 on the same Columbia Records. The album has been added to the National Register of the Library of Congress.

It is quite difficult to unequivocally classify the album “Headhunters” as jazz-rock. This record is rather a clear indicator of how RNB rhythms, emphasized by African-American drums, can be extremely successfully combined with relaxed funk rhythms.

The album's eclectic sound didn't just continue to pave the way for a completely electronic music, but also significantly influenced others musical genres, becoming yet another winner in the battle for the title of best jazz-rock albums of all time.

Weather Report – album Heavy Weather

Once again a Californian album released by Columbia Records in 1977, this time from the band Weather Report.

Once again we are dealing with one of the best albums in the history of jazz, which was released when the jazz-rock phenomenon "began to spin out of control," as critic Richard Ginell commented.

One of the most striking compositions of the album is Birdland. It's absolutely amazing because it's entirely instrumental. Instantly becoming a jazz standard and greatly contributing to the album's popularity, Birdland represents the pinnacle of the group's creativity.

It is curious that, although the composition itself did not receive a Grammy, subsequently the song not only entered the repertoire of many famous performers, but its versions were awarded a Grammy three times.

Tony Williams – album Believe It

The jazz-rock album Believe It (1975) by Tony Williams and his band The Tony Williams Lifetime is again recorded by Columbia Records. This is the group's first album. The first one, not the most famous, but extremely interesting at the same time.

It’s worth noting - the first only in Williams’ new stage, the first for the new line-up of the group. Up to this point, by 1974, as many as four albums had already been released from the constantly disintegrating Williams trio.

John Swanson writes that the album Believe it is like “a crazy fusion tasting.” The new British guitarist Allan Holdsworth became almost a sensation, memorable both for his expressive musical language - soft, harmonious and very lyrical, and for his masterful use of the instrument. However, we owe the fusion of jazz and rock, and they also owe it to Williams, with his concept of rhythmic freedom and incredible ingenuity.

Such a direction in music as jazz-rock or fusion, as it later became known, became known in the 70s of the last century, when groups such as Mahavishnu Orshestra, Weather Report, Return To Forever, Larry Coryell Eleventh House, New Lifetime appeared , as well as Al Di Meola, Jean Luc Ponty, Billy Cobham, Stanley Clarke in the USA; Brand X, Soft Machine, Gong, National Health, Colosseum II, Bill Bruford, Steve Hillage in the UK. There were jazz-rock groups in other European countries: Edition Speciale, Transit Express, Volkor, Coincidience, Spheroe in France; Iceberg, Iman, Guadalquivir, Musica Urbana, Borne, Pegasus in Spain; Perigeo, Barichentro, Nova in Italy, Sloche in Canada.
This was the golden age of jazz rock.

In the 1980s, there was a natural decline. There have never been so many musical masterpieces. Few new groups appeared, but they were there. First of all, it is necessary to say about the Canadian Uzeb, the most interesting new jazz-rock group of the 80s, in which the famous bass guitarist Alain Caron played.
In the 80s, many bands appeared playing jazz-rock in Japan: Ain Soph, Kenso, Prism, Keep, Space Circus, GAOS. In the USSR there were Arsenal, Quadro, Kaseke, Radar, Gunesh. In France, Didier Lockwood Group. In the USA Drama, Ken Watson, Scott Lindemuth, Woodenhead, Karizma.

In 1984, John Mclaughlin recreated the Mahavishnu Orshestra, Chick Corea created a new project Electric Band, Joe Zawinul 2 groups: Weather Update and Syndicate, Billy Cobham assembled new group. They began recording their solo albums
guitarists Allan Holdsworth, John Scofield,
Kazumi Watanabe,
Bill Connors
bassists Jeff Berlin, Bunny Brunel, keyboardist T Lavitz.

In the 90s The main jazz-rock projects were such groups as Tribal Tech and the Mark Varney Project. Frank Gambale has recorded several solo albums.
As well as guitarist Jeff Richman, bass players Adam Nitti and Victor Bailey. Keyboardist Adam Holzman created his own band. Another keyboardist, Mitch Forman, formed the band Metro. Bass guitarist Uzeb Alain Caron created a new group LeBand. Several new bands have appeared in the USA: Gongzilla
guitarist of Bon Lozaga, Stratus, Gamalon, Jam Camp.
In Canada The Code, 5 After 4.
In Germany Matalex, 7For4, Jazz Pistols, Susan Weinert, Leni Stern. In Japan Side Steps, Fragile, Group Therapy, Kehell, Wisywyg, WINS.
In the UK Persy Jones Tunnels, Network, Sphere3.

In 2000 Many bands playing jazz-rock have appeared: in Japan Exhivision, IzgitNine, Trix; several projects from France - Fugu, Jac La Greca, Fusion Project, Quidam; Italy - Virtual Dream, Zaq, Periferia Del Mondo; Spain - Planeta Imaginario, Onza, Gurth. In the Netherlands Richard Hallebeek Project. In the USA Garaj Mahal, Helmet Of Gnats, Bad Dog U, Kick The Cat, Code3, Whoopgnash, Savant Guard, Facing West, Rare Blend, Ecstazy In Number, Redshift.
Drummer Dennis Chambers, who has played in some of the best bands modern jazz rock: Cab, Niacin, Uncle Moe's Space Ranch, "Boston T Party" with T Lavitz and Jeff Berlin, "Extraction" with Greg Howe and Victor Wooten, "Gentle Hearts" with Greg Howe and Tetsui Sakurai.

The Tone Center Records label, created by Mark Varney and Steve Smith in 1998, plays a special role in the revival of jazz rock.
For this label, Steve Smith created several projects: Vital Tech Tones with guitarist Scott Henderson and bassist Victor Wooten; GHS with guitarist Frank Gambale and bassist Stuart Hamm), CD "Strangers Hand" with famous violinist Jerry Goodmen, bassist for Oteil Burbridge; "Cause and Effect" with guitarist Larry Corryel and keyboardist Tom Coster; "Count Jam Band Reunion" with guitarist Larry Corryel, bassist Kai Eckhardt.

This label also released 2 discs by the Tribal Tech group, 99 and 2000. Two discs of the famous early 90s band Mark Varney Project have been reissued.
The most best groups modern jazz-rock released by Tone Center Records: Cab, Uncle Moe's Space Ranch, "Boston T Party" with T Lavitz and Jeff Berlin, "Extraction" with Greg Howe and Victor Wooten, all of these projects featured drummer Dennis Chambers.

Also released were recordings by such groups as Bass Extremes of bass guitarists Steve Bailey and Victor Wooten; Jing Chi featuring guitarist Robben Ford, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, solo discs by bassist Bunny Brunel "La Zoo", guitarists Greg Howe and Scott Henderson, Steve Khan, Bill Connors.
Albums "Cosmic Farm" featuring Wasserman, Erickson, Lavitz, Sipe; "Endangered Species" featuring Herring, Lavitz, Harvard, Gradney.

Since the mid-2000s Abstract Logix Label becomes the leading label in the field of jazz-rock. Thus, Abstract Logix released new albums by such musicians as John Mclaughlin, Lenny White, Jimmy Herring, Anthony Jackson, Gary Husband, Project Z, Sebastiaan Cornelissen, Alex Machacek, Scott Kinsey. In addition, Abstract Logix distributes CDs of jazz-rock groups from all over the world.