Favorite Jazz /Jazz Fusion

[Scud49]

Thanks BigB - and I agree, Cantaloupe Island is very, very, smooth indeed. Now I'll have to go through your entries either later tonight or tomorrow.

Here's one I've always loved- the band is Sea Level, they got a good amount of air play back in the late 70's or so.

A couple guys from the Allman Brothers were with them - Chuck Leavell was one. This tune, Grand Larceny was always a big favorite:

 

[VAMike23]

An all-star ensemble from the 90’s does their thing under pianist Billy Childs; his take on an old tune —

 

[VAMike23]

Mind boggling ....!

 

[Sifaka]

A different kind of fusion. Jazz meets Greece.

 

[Sifaka]

No fusion here, just some jazz that grabs the heart.

 

[Scud49]

I think this one could be a Webster's dictionary example of mellow and beautiful:

 

[Scud49]

Joe Jackson doing Tuxedo Junction:

 

[Frodo]

The most influential pianist today. Such beauty. Such harmonies. Such space. Such touch. The very night after these sessions his great young bassist died in a car crash. He never found another comparable voice. Thankfully we still have this document.

Not just today, but the most influential pianist of the last 30 years. LoFaro was an outstanding member of the trio, but I’ve always felt that Israels and Gomez were every bit as good or better. The tragedy of LoFaro was that he was so young...how good might he have become had he lived another 40 years?

P.S. I just signed up for a course offered at JazzPianoSchool.com on playing in the Bill Evans style. My meager skills won’t do it justice, but I thought it would be interesting to dig into it a little.

 

[Pinhead]

When I hear Jazz Fusion, this sexagenarian thinks of these artists and this era, in no particular order... Weather Report, Return To Forever (and their individual's work), Stanley Clarke, Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Jaco Pastorius... Here's Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="Expand Your Mind by Lonnie Liston Smith - YouTube" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[Scud49]

When I hear Jazz Fusion, this sexagenarian thinks of these artists and this era, in no particular order... Weather Report, Return To Forever (and their individual's work), Stanley Clarke, Herbie Hancock, Billy Cobham, Jaco Pastorius... Here's Lonnie Liston Smith and the Cosmic Echoes...

You beat me to it - I was thinking earlier today about posting "Expansions" by Lonnie Liston Smith - great tune, wonderful selection.

 

[SVCBeercats]

 

[SVCBeercats]

 

[SVCBeercats]

 

[weyuo]

Joni , Pat Metheny, and the late great, Jaco Pastorius doing "Coyote" live from the Shadows and Light Tour back in 1979:

Probably my favorite joni Mitchell tune.

 

[weyuo]

Three drummers in front? Only Fripp would come up with that.

 

[JordyG]

Not just today, but the most influential pianist of the last 30 years. LoFaro was an outstanding member of the trio, but I’ve always felt that Israels and Gomez were every bit as good or better. The tragedy of LoFaro was that he was so young...how good might he have become had he lived another 40 years?

P.S. I just signed up for a course offered at JazzPianoSchool.com on playing in the Bill Evans style. My meager skills won’t do it justice, but I thought it would be interesting to dig into it a little.

I agree mostly. I think Ahmad Jamal is also greatly copied over the last 25 years, though not nearly as much as Bill. As for Scott, well, yeah. Chuck and Eddie were very good indeed. But with Scott, Bill laid the foundation and let Scott fill in the rooms. With the other two it seemed Bill had to play more, fill in some of the rooms so to say. Eddie and Chuck were also fairly mature players when they joined Bill, although neither were exactly old. Scott was just a baby though, and his technique was so mature and prodigious for his age. Guess we'll never know.

 

[JordyG]

Thanks for some Duke.

 

[weyuo]

Senri is quickly becoming one of my all time favorite drummers.

 

[weyuo]

This one isn't as much jazzy but still a good tune and very good drumming

 

[SVCBeercats]

x

Vinnie Colaiuta and Tal Wilkenfeld also teamed with Jeff Beck.

 

[Scud49]

Some gorgeous Pat Metheny to start off a Saturday morning:

 

[Scud49]

I'd say this one is aptly named, it feels like you are:

 

[Scud49]

I think this is one rather unique, special, piece of music:

 

[wire chief]

Not a jazz fan, except what George does with Jefferson Airplane.

 

[Scud49]

One really melodic and progressive fusion tune from a pretty obscure group: