Jazz Rock & Fusion

[Guybrush]

Hey there, compadre!

What are some of your favorite jazz rock or fusion tracks? I think we're gonna be generous rather than strict with genre definition, so if you feel something's jazzy enough, feel free to mention.

I always also enjoy a tiny bit of background or context, but that's entirely up to you 🙂

Here's the opening track from the album The Rite of Strings by Al Di Meola on guitar, Stanley Clarke on bass and Jean Luc-Ponty on violin.

[Lexi Darling]

I like a lot of Japanese fusion/jazz stuff.

Jun Fukamachi is a favorite of mine. He has a lot of albums, some stuff is more synthy, some leans on the proggier side, there's some solo piano work, anime soundtracks, and even a full-album cover of Sgt. Pepper. This album is one of my faves, lots of 90s sounding digital synths and lovely piano playing. May stretch the definition of jazz a little bit but it's a great album so whatevs.

[grindy]

Seconding the Japanese scene here. One of the most famous bands are Casiopea. At first they sound a bit like elevator music (which isn't bad in my eyes anyway) but the compositions are lovely and memorable and the instrumental abilities of all members are outstanding.

[grindy]

There's some cool stuff from 70s Germany, some of it usually labelled as Krautrock, that is actually banger fusion.

[Saulaac]

There are so many great elements to jazz rock and fusion, it's really diverse yet sometimes contains very specific sounds which make one scream out "that's fusion!". It could be type of sax which sounds like a foghorn on octaves, or phrases which begin in a way that may cause a jazz purist to nod inquisitively but then end like a TV theme tune.

I really like the Ponty, Japanese and German posts above and I think this thread might be a hell of a ride. I also like to discover modern fusion artists, some of whom blend their music further in other directions such as electronic, hip-hop etc.

A couple of favourites, including the band members like Daryl Struemer, Ndugu Chancler, Tom Fowler, Allan Holdsworth..:

George Duke - That's What She Said - 1975

Tony Williams - Fred

[Guybrush]

Been listening to some of the music posted here while working the other day 🙂 Great stuff!

Of the three big fusion bands, I love Return to Forever the most. My favorite tracks from them are probably these two acoustic title tracks:

Especially No Mystery is a song I've listened to for years and years. I never tire of it.

[Saulaac]

Been listening to some of the music posted here while working the other day 🙂 Great stuff!

Of the three big fusion bands, I love Return to Forever the most. My favorite tracks from them are probably these two acoustic title tracks:

Especially No Mystery is a song I've listened to for years and years. I never tire of it.

@Guybrush, when you say the "three" big fusion bands, were Mahavishnu and Weather Report the other two you were thinking of?

Growing up, before learning who was who in the zoo, I thought this below was the most fusiony type of fusion, including the breakdown and hip gesture by Sanborn around 1:40    But perhaps it was because I was listening to 80s fusion as opposed to 70s fusion.

Jean-Luc Ponty & David Sanborn at BEST NIGHT MUSIC

And reading about whale cries in @ribbons post yesterday, this reminded me of the beginning of John Klemmer's "Blood of the Sun".
JOHN KLEMMER SAX "BLOOD OF THE SUN"

[Guybrush]

@Guybrush, when you say the "three" big fusion bands, were Mahavishnu and Weather Report the other two you were thinking of?

Growing up, before learning who was who in the zoo, I thought this below was the most fusiony type of fusion, including the breakdown and hip gesture by Sanborn around 1:40    But perhaps it was because I was listening to 80s fusion as opposed to 70s fusion.

Jean-Luc Ponty & David Sanborn at BEST NIGHT MUSIC

Hey, more Night Music! Such a cool program 🙂

Yes, I was thinking of Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report as the other two. I probably prefer Weather Report to Mahavishnu too, even if the latter had Ponty in it.

I like Black Market a lot:

Also saw you post a track from Ponty's Enigmatic Ocean earlier. I always thought of that album as a potential entry point for young fusioneers 🙂

[ribbons]

And reading about whale cries in @ribbons post yesterday, this reminded me of the beginning of John Klemmer's "Blood of the Sun".
JOHN KLEMMER SAX "BLOOD OF THE SUN"

@Saulaac that's a lovely association with the whale cries and "Blood Of The Sun" is an absolutely gorgeous Klemmer track.  Thank you for posting it!

Many thanks to everyone for posting such great recs in this thread.  I have huge gaps in my jazz fusion knowledge and inventory, so this is really helping!  (I'm more of a free jazz, proggy jazz and straight jazz listener.)

As far as fusion goes, I'm a big fan of Pierre Moerlen-era Gong.  Moerlen was an incredible drummer technically but also an imaginative percussionist and musical colorist and composer.  I'm especially fond of his work on Gong's Expresso II.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxl22TAk79M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls3VUWinAho

[Guybrush]

Hey, @ribbons ! I really like Moerlen-era Gong as well, though my favorite is the preceding Gazeuse!

A couple of interesting tracks 🙂

Of course Gong went through more changes and David Allen coming back etc. but Moerlen and Holdsworth etc. got back together under the name Gongzilla.

I've briefly listened to a couple of those albums, but didn't do a proper plunge so.. another item on my musical to-do list 🙂

[ribbons]

Hey, @ribbons ! I really like Moerlen-era Gong as well, though my favorite is the preceding Gazeuse!

A couple of interesting tracks 🙂

Of course Gong went through more changes and David Allen coming back etc. but Moerlen and Holdsworth etc. got back together under the name Gongzilla.

I've briefly listened to a couple of those albums, but didn't do a proper plunge so.. another item on my musical to-do list 🙂

@Guybrush I love Gazeuse! as well!  It's more playful and angular than Expresso II and the musicianship is absolutely ALIVE (living up to its effervescent title!).  There is something a bit warmer in Expresso II that appeals to me, but that's a personal quirk - I'd agree that Gazeuse! is more challenging and fun.   

Unfortunately I'd only heard Gongzilla's Suffer back in the '90s but - whoa! - Holdsworth is killer on that record!  Ditto for Bon and the always amazing Hansford Rowe on bass, and Benoit on vibes.  Monster fusion!   

[Guybrush]

@Guybrush I love Gazeuse! as well!  It's more playful and angular than Expresso II and the musicianship is absolutely ALIVE (living up to its effervescent title!).  There is something a bit warmer in Expresso II that appeals to me, but that's a personal quirk - I'd agree that Gazeuse! is more challenging and fun.   

Unfortunately I'd only heard Gongzilla's Suffer back in the '90s but - whoa! - Holdsworth is killer on that record!  Ditto for Bon and the always amazing Hansford Rowe on bass, and Benoit on vibes.  Monster fusion!   

Yes! Monster fusion is a good description 🙂 I feel they had a similar vibe as King Crimson - a little more intimidating than they were in their Gazeuse! days 🙂 might be the most aggressive playing by Holdsworth? Might have to do a proper revisit. Not many seem to know about it, though.

@grindy you mentioned German bands, do you like Passport?

Years ago, I listened a bit to their 1975 album Cross-Collateral which seemed like the one to get.

I may prefer their newer material, though, this one from 2020's Motherhood.

And there's of course Barbara Dennerlein.

She's of course known for her virtuosity with the organ bass foot pedals. She's actually amazing with them, so that's worth looking up.

[grindy]

Yes! Monster fusion is a good description 🙂 I feel they had a similar vibe as King Crimson - a little more intimidating than they were in their Gazeuse! days 🙂 might be the most aggressive playing by Holdsworth? Might have to do a proper revisit. Not many seem to know about it, though.

@grindy you mentioned German bands, do you like Passport?

Years ago, I listened a bit to their 1975 album Cross-Collateral which seemed like the one to get.

I may prefer their newer material, though, this one from 2020's Motherhood.

And there's of course Barbara Dennerlein.

She's of course known for her virtuosity with the organ bass foot pedals. She's actually amazing with them, so that's worth looking up.

I know Passport and Dennerlein and I've enjoyed some albums here and there but they aren't among my favourites.

[Lisnaholic]

Some great material here, with some names I'm familiar with, but Mrs. Waffles's and grindy's recs are all new to me, so I have some listening to do.

With Jean-Luc Ponty, I liked his Imaginary Voyage album, but for some reason found Enigmatic Ocean disappointing: perhaps it's just that feeling we probably all get with some artists: "One album by this guy is sufficient for me"

I like fusion with a decent dose of rock, and here's an album I bought pretty much on a hunch when it came out in 1973. The hunch paid off, in terms of listening pleasure, from first groove to last:-

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Now, 50 years later, I just last night came across the Welsh band Gnidrolog, which were really a prog band, but this great track has a nice fusion intro, so anyone who can swallow a little prog along with their fusion might like it:

[larsvsnapster]

My favourite fusion track is Miles Davis "Ife", the version that's part of "Gondwana."  I don't actually hear "Ife" in what I'm talking about so I consider it a different piece of music.  The flute solo that starts it up is one of the most wondrous things I've ever heard.