Best fusion album ever?

[KirkP]

I never quite connected with Larry Coryell's fusion albums the way I did with Weather Report and Chick Corea's & John Mclaughlin's bands in that era. I was much happier with Coryell when he formed an acoustic duo with Philip Catherine. I played these albums a lot.

[Dana]

I also prefer pre Jaco WR. Miroslav Vitouš era especially.

[Dana]

I have many of the albums mentioned in this thread but realized I unfortunately do not own any Weather Report. Any opinions on which one I should get first? I would prefer to have Jaco on the first one I get and then later dig deeper for pre- Jaco. Thank you!!

Personally I prefer Black Market over Heavy Weather, but YMMV.

[Doctor Jeff]

A thread on fusion and you all missed Larry Coryell, the father of Fusion guitar? My vote would be Larry's album "Spaces"

Actually, there was another thread on best fusion albums that discussed Coryell quite a bit. I listened to a couple of his early albums with Alphonse Johnson recently--great stuff.

However, my point with this thread was to point out how unbelievably awesome the Weather Report legendary live album is. The talent level is off the charts, and those guys are playing their butts off.

If you haven't heard it, give it a listen, and tell me it's not the best album ever.

[Doctor Jeff]

A thread on fusion and you all missed Larry Coryell, the father of Fusion guitar? My vote would be Larry's album "Spaces"

Actually, there was another thread on best fusion albums that discussed Coryell quite a bit. I listened to a couple of his early albums with Alphonse Johnson recently--great stuff.

However, my point with this thread was to point out how unbelievably awesome the Weather Report legendary live album is. The talent level is off the charts, and those guys are playing their butts off.

If you haven't heard it, give it a listen, and tell me it's not the best album ever.

[339 in june]

I just want to mention Stanley Clarke's School Days album which is the one that got me into fusion at that time.Maybe not the best, but particular taste for me.And some good guitar tones in it, despite the ENORMOUS bass !

[pkirk]

I doubt Tim Berne is too popular with the jazzguitar.be crowd, but it can certainly be considered as post-fusion, in that there are lots of intricately composed moments interspersed with some of the most ass-kicking improvising around, with a certain distant Rock element.

This

is a monster group and definitely has a fusion vibe, due to the great Marc Ducret on guitar and the amazing Craig Taborn on fender Rhodes.

another great track from that group

I also like to think of some of Chris Potter's groups as (post) fusion, listen to the incredible solo Adam Rogers plays on this track:

[neatomic]

Actually, there was another thread on best fusion albums that discussed Coryell quite a bit. I listened to a couple of his early albums with Alphonse Johnson recently--great stuff.

that'd be alphonse mouzon who passed away recently (on christmas 2016!)..props due...weather reports original drummer as well




...& not the best, but a fairly obscure good one... david sancious & tone..transformation (speed of love)...original era fusion..sancious played both keyboards and guitar equally well...his guitar like tones, lines and bends with a keyboard synth rival jan hammer as some of the finest ever..and his guitar and piano playing are incredible too...

cheers

[snailspace]

I don't know if I'd call it my choice for "best fusion album ever," but it's pretty good, in my opinion. It's also the first time I ever heard the work of Kenny Gorelick, the playing of whom on this album I've kept in mind anytime I've heard him ridiculed here and elsewhere.

[AndyV]

[snailspace]

That's a good 'un, all right. There and Back was the first Jeff Beck I ever heard -- since it came out right around the time I started playing -- and it made want to hear what had come before.

[snailspace]

That's a good 'un, all right. There and Back was the first Jeff Beck I ever heard -- since it came out right around the time I started playing -- and it made want to hear what had come before.

[Doctor Jeff]

The quintessential Jeff Beck album is Blow by Blow.

I relistened to some David Sancious today--had True Stories back in the day on vinyl. It is a luscious album very similar to what Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock were doing at the time. What might have put some people off is the vocals, including by Alex Ligterwood--my less favorite Santana vocalist but here doing a good job. A lot of synth string neoclassical stuff here as well.

I had never heard Transformation before--you are not kidding, he is an unbelievable guitarist. In fact, he rivals Jeff Beck in his facility with the fretboard. He reminds me of Prince but is a much, much better keyboardist, in fact one of the best of his day.

He has had a very successful career as a sideman but for some reason (apparently the old contractual issues) did not make the big time as a solo artist. He was a little bit in between funk and rock and fusion, which was an odd place to be and not as marketable as Herbie or Stevie.

As I'm sure you know, he started out with Bruce Springsteen and still plays with the East Street Band on occasion--was inducted into the RNR Hall of Fame a year or 2 ago.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I've got a bootleg from the There and Back tour, done in LA in 1980, that is just amazing -- the only disappointment for me is that it lacks both "Sophie" and "Play with Me", my two favorite tracks from m'boy.

Wired is fantastic stuff -- great call.