Roforofo Fight - Fela Kuti [1972]

Afro-Funk-Jazz tour de force. Needs y brawd say more.


Oddi wrth y brawd
oforofor

Mwandishi - Herbie Hancock [1974]

Electro gadgeteer Herbie manipulates reverb unit, stereo tremelo and echoplex, taking us in directions spacey. Our man's 5 year tenure as keyboard factotum and accomplice in Miles Davis' post-bop electric experimentation very much to the fore. A worthy extension of "Silent Way" philosophy and pinnacle in early 70s afro-rock-electro-jazz-funk fusion.


Heavy on groove and  low on wankery withal. Nice.

Oddi wrth y brawd

play fewer notes

Out There - The Heliocentrics [2007]

Arkestra space jazz stylings anchored in infectious funk break beats all lined up for supping at the cosmic teat. Malcolm Catto leads nine-piece band through incense-burning funk suite workouts. Sun Ra takes inner break dancing trip.

Oddi wrth y brawd
decorate decorate

A Tribute to Jack Johnson - Miles Davis [1970]

If not quite fulfilling his boast about delivering "the greatest rock band you ever heard," Miles certainly got to exorcise his Hendrix hard on with driving, hard-edged panache. Same modus operandi as established on ground breaking In A Silent Way i.e. assemble top notch muso-acolytes - Messrs McLaughlin, Hancock, Corea, Cobham, Henderson and Grossman - conduct / freak them into extemporised mathematical riffing, jam all over it like a brassy-eyed jammy daemon, and then cut, paste n reassemble as studio composition with uber-mucker Teo Macero.  


Two mega cuts.First track the ice-cool killer. McLaughlin shaking some serious funk rock booty n showing exactly what he's capable of outside prissy pyrotechnic Mahavishnu confines. Hancock's brutal organ from around 16:00mins: world shifts on its axis...   


Oddi wrth y brawd
our friend electric

My Favorite Things - John Coltrane [1960]

Coltrane's alto-sax pre into the mystic blow out. Classic. Simple and pure.

Oddi wrth y brawd

trane

Head Hunters - Herbie Hancock [1973]

In which Herbie tracks down and slays his funk, soul, R&B mojo. Deeply funky grooves, gritty rhythms in abject abeyance to Mr H.'s Fender Rhodes piano, clavinet, synthesizer soloing.

Continuing y brawd's presentation of jazz for people who dinnae like jazz.

Oddi wrth y brawd

trophy

A Night in Tunisia - Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers [1960]

Occasional thrills for people who don't like jazz. Possibly the most exciting version of Dizzy Gillespie's A Night in Tunisia commited to vinyl. Vinyl? This is the remastered 2004 CD edition. Scorching Jazz Messenger line-up boasts Wayne Shorter on tenor sax and Lee Morgan on trumpet (listen for spontaneous "damn" call out during Morgan's title track solo.) Fun, vigor and immaculate Art Blakey beat. Other tracks pretty classy too.

(Y brawd sends out Mabrouk to Tunisian friends and colleagues. The thugs have had their day.)


Oddi wrth y brawd
carthage hannibal

Black Byrd - Donald Byrd [1972]

Prepare to enter funk and soul jazz heaven. Stratospheric mellow grooves. And without over-pimping the mothership, all necessary blaxploitation tropes deployed: thwak-a-waka guitar, flutes, hand-held percussion, big meaty bass and driving rhythm. Over and above all the inspired trumpet of Mr. Byrd.

If the collocation of the words "jazz" and "fusion" sends a cold chill down your spine, then start here. It may well be the beginning of a beautiful journey.

 

Oddi wrth y brawd
sky high