Was jazz-fusion a dead end music genre?

slim jenkins

El Hombre Invisible
Most jazz Fusion I hear doesn't do it for me...neither the smooth CTI sound nor the 'prog' muso Mahavishnu side of things...often it's not funky enough to my ears and the rigid technical proficiency leaves me cold. Hancock's Mwandishi band are an exception, as is Miles's work, especially the Jack Johnson sessions, which blow most other efforts away. Later, Defunkt showed how it could be done from another angle, which was fierce, tight, funky and imbued with some of that ol' Punk attitude.
 

STN

sou'wester
I really want to like Mahavishnu Orchestra but have yet to hear anything by them that isn't utter, utter bollocks. I used to wonder why they were so limp when the guitar playing on Jack Johnson is so fierce and chunky, until I discovered (on here, I believe) that it was Sonny Sharrock playing uncredited.
 

slim jenkins

El Hombre Invisible
Sharrock's playing on some tracks is amazing - Echoplex! I've never been a fan of the original album but the sessions throw a whole new light on what they were doing at the time. Great bass-playing from Holland and Henderson too. Although Miles 'schooled' a lot of those players they didn't really 'learn' as far as I'm concerned. Again, it's a matter of technique over attitude. You have to take into consideration the weird Macero cut'n'paste ethos too.
 

mms

sometimes
some amazing amazing stuff thats kinda fusion like electric miles herbie hancock sextant era, alice coltrane, john mclaughlin my goals beyond, etc and a trough full of shit like al di meola etc, thats the way the cookie crumbles. i still like stuff like donald bird etc, in parts cos it's sweet and sounds so lovely.
 

Client Eastwood

Well-known member
some amazing amazing stuff thats kinda fusion like electric miles herbie hancock sextant era, alice coltrane, john mclaughlin my goals beyond, etc and a trough full of shit like al di meola etc, thats the way the cookie crumbles. i still like stuff like donald bird etc, in parts cos it's sweet and sounds so lovely.

Id lke to add to mms's list with Chick Corea/Return To Forever - Light as a Feather its more on a latin tip tho' There's a track on there called Spain which is awesome.
 

STN

sou'wester
Sharrock's playing on some tracks is amazing - Echoplex! I've never been a fan of the original album but the sessions throw a whole new light on what they were doing at the time. Great bass-playing from Holland and Henderson too. Although Miles 'schooled' a lot of those players they didn't really 'learn' as far as I'm concerned. Again, it's a matter of technique over attitude. You have to take into consideration the weird Macero cut'n'paste ethos too.

I have the sessions box, which is really good, though I am a fan of the original LP (it's a bit too chunky and driving in a very few places, to the point where it becomes corny, I guess), am I right in thinking two 'sessions' boxsets were released?
 

massrock

Well-known member
Never got along with Mahavishnu much either, or Santana, but I love McLaughlin & Santana's 'Love, Devotion, Surrender'. More psychedelic jazz-rock than fusion I suppose. Versions of A Love Supreme, Let Us Go Into The House Of The Lord, Naima and this.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value=""></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

It's Larry Young on Hammond. This isn't fusion either.

<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value=""></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
 

slim jenkins

El Hombre Invisible
I have the sessions box, which is really good, though I am a fan of the original LP (it's a bit too chunky and driving in a very few places, to the point where it becomes corny, I guess), am I right in thinking two 'sessions' boxsets were released?

I've not heard about that. The original was just too proto-heavy metal rockin for me...I was shocked and disgusted first time I heard it. I thought he'd let the side down.
 

mms

sometimes
Id lke to add to mms's list with Chick Corea/Return To Forever - Light as a Feather its more on a latin tip tho' There's a track on there called Spain which is awesome.

if we're going down the return to forever direction, may i add children of forever, cos it's really good.
 

luka

Well-known member
this is the worst music in the world but great thread. weird emotional tags though lol
 

luka

Well-known member
no. they make it nauseating. so much record collector knowledge on here ten years ago though.
 

thirdform

pass the sick bucket
this is the worst music in the world but great thread. weird emotional tags though lol

you're wrong, the worst music genre in the world is university prog metal, stuff like dream theater, tool etc.

+that anti-fusion area of free jazz meets noise is always interesting.
 

thirdform

pass the sick bucket
i like suave sophistication because I'm always in that interzone between prole and bourgeois. you don't get any of that with middle class metal.
 

thirdform

pass the sick bucket
this is the worst music in the world but great thread. weird emotional tags though lol

no, i revise my statement, the wworst music in the world is post rock, especially explosions in the sky how did i like this as a teenager, or, chems might have been involved.

the earth is not a cold dead place. seriously so depressing i want this scientist academic girl i sometimes talk to online come and hold me its so bad i thought i couldn't listen to minie riperton anymore cos its too 60s optimistic but this is so tortuous it's like indie soul i can't describe how bad that would sound to you if you hadn't heard it. this is truly joyless music and i didn't think something like that could exist.

that first tortoise album is good but that doesn't make a genre good.

this stuff makes mahavishnu orchestra sound like 80s ice-t or 00s lil jon. seriously so damn pretentious this band is unreal.
 
Last edited:
Top