JAZZ ROCK/FUSION

Last year, New York-based bassist and composer Louis de Mieulle released Side$how, an instrumental, improvisation consisting of himself, a drummer, and two keyboardists. That album was one of my most pleasant surprises of 2019, given my usual leeriness about instrumental records. He deftly blended a jazzy backbone with proggy flourishes and touches of krautrock, zeuhl, and even electronic music.

On Sid?show 2, de Mieulle follows the same general template. Himself, a drummer, and two keyboardists improvise over a preconceived structure, employing the musical vocabulary of both jazz and progressive rock. Despite the similarities in how these two albums were composed and recorded, they have vastly different characters. Side$how had a bright, sunny atmosphere, but Sid?show 2 has a colder feel to it.

The opening "Dwarf Elephant" demonstrates this atmospheric shift. It's a slow-moving piece full of diminished chords, and the lead synth line has a haunting quality to it. The spare composition of "The Two-Headed Kid Variations, Pt. 1" continues this trend. The individual instruments seem to be working around one another, rather than together. This observation isn't a complaint, though, as that approach is effective at enhancing the mood.

"Giant Fly (aka Mes Choux Gras aka Metastasis)" blends the jitteriness of Side$how with the icy tones established on this record. Especially of note here is de Mieulle's bass tone. It's a crunchy, biting tone that reminds me a lot of Geddy Lee, and this tonal aggression fits the darker mood of Sid?show 2.

Returning to earlier themes, "The Two-Headed Kid Variations, Pt. 2" establishes a spacier atmosphere with watery synthesizers and massive amounts of reverb. However, this is one of the rare points on the album where the slow pace and sparse instrumentation are a detriment. This song winds up dragging on for several minutes too long.

The 12-minute "Dwarf Elephant/Bed of Snails" is my favorite song on the album. Its first half utilizes rich instrumentation, and I would once again make sonic comparisons to Rush, not only in the bass tone but also in the synthesizer selection. The composition itself is incredibly un-Rush-like in its jazz backbone and improvisation, but a similar sound palette is used. The song's second half revisits some themes from Side$how and adapts them to fit this album's overall feel.

"Revenge of the Giant Fly" is a disorienting piece, featuring a fractured bassline and reversed percussion amid the usual odd synth chords. This piece is followed by part three of "The Two-Headed Kid Variations". By this point on the record, I'd gotten somewhat exhausted by his revisitations of this idea. Any one of these three variations would have been fine as a standalone piece, and this third part is my favorite of the three, in isolation. However, this theme isn't interesting enough to warrant nearly twenty minutes of music.

"Son of Giant Fly" is another dark piece that features an especially aggressive, jumpy bassline, and many of the start-stop instrumental flourishes remind of acts like Yes or Dream Theater. The closing "Two-Headed Kid Theme" features some of the lushest textures on the album, though it does feel somewhat out of place as the album's closer.

Sid?show 2 continues in the same vein as its predecessor, with some notable changes. This record feels starker and colder than last year's Side$how. I like the continuity between these two albums. However, the sparseness of Sid?show 2 works against it at points, leading to moments which feel unnecessarily drawn out. Despite these shortcomings, I enjoy this record and would definitely recommend it to people who enjoy jazzy, instrumental rock.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2020/06/01/album-review-louis-de-mieulle-sideshow-2/

Late-Decade Larry Returns With Infectious, Fiery Groove

Coryell (1969) is the sophomore release by one of Fusion's foundational participants/minds, Larry Coryell, released during the great explosion of Jazz-Rock and Fusion in the late-1960s. The album's drummer is the all-important Bernard Purdie. Fellow Free Spirit Jim Pepper provides reeds, and the responsibility of bass falls on three performers: on acoustic double bass[???], the incredible Ron Carter and the lesser known Albert Stinson, and on electric, for the majority, Chuck Rainey. [The credits here simply don't match up exactly with what's on Wikipedia; someone with the real liner notes should help haha.] I'm unsurprised, but I'm only getting more and more warmed up to this man's work. Hope you enjoy likewise.

"Sex" launches the festivities (quite the opposite to how most affairs begin haha), and with the use of Mike Mandel's organ, I was launched into the stratosphere. Larry's more solid Rock vocals are backed by a steady beat, further fortified by Chuck Rainey's forward driving performance. The spacy effect is only built up with Larry's crunchy, Wah-laden guitar solo. Naturally sexy still, "Beautiful Woman" is next, a bluesy number with soft accompaniment, which opens and speeds up a minute in. Really delightful, and then yet another, much spicier solo from Larry. Sheesh... Give it a try; it's pretty daring and just damn cool.

Back into a solid Blues Rock, though heavier than most from said idiom, "The Jam with Albert" is next, and the longest at over 9 minutes. Coryell's knowledge of the guitar is astounding, and the band is understandably hot fire. Purdie is so badass, and it needs to be said, but I don't think Stinson is even possibly playing an upright here; it's too free-flowing and beefy. These thoughts only arose because he's killing it just much as Pretty Purdie. I'm often hard-pressed to be im-pressed by such an open jam like this, though really that's the context that would be most appropriate to show what you've got as a group (of individuals haha).

The funnily titled "Elementary Guitar Solo No. 5" follows and... I'm just not buying that, Lar [Come on, you're incredible]. After an exact minute of clean soloing, the band enters in for a well-performed Rootsy number as Mandel switches to acoustic piano. Agnostics everywhere, rejoice! "No One Really Knows"! Haha! This number keeps it low and slow, feeling and emotive. After one more 1-minute intro section, Purdie brings us back into a sweet groove. There's plenty to latch onto here (I had to work hard to unfurrow my brow). Some of his guitar solo here is just searing emotion. I'm certainly rejoicing.

"Morning Sickness", despite the name, brings us back into the light. Groovy. This track just moves! Rhythm section with Rainey at the helm is quick and feisty. The mood shifts slightly approaching minute 4 as Larry delivers some angularity and familiar dissonance. Finally, Jim Pepper joins us with sweet, sweet flute on the closer, "Ah Wuv Ooh". The guitar effect used here reminds me of... something from The Beatles. A softer tune, its composition is certainly ear-catching. The crescendo around minute 2 is something mighty powerful. Crazy amount of tension here. With "Sex", this is the best the album had to offer, for sure.

'Mwandishi'. Herbie at his most experimental. Atmospheric percussion, sorrowful horn sections, and spacey keyboards. It could've just been me expecting something competely different, but I wasn't prepared for every song to be somewhat sad and slow. 'Ostinato - Suite for Angela' is one of the better two songs on this album, although I consistently found myself getting lost in the emotion and not the instrumentation, which, as a first listen, was what I was trying to accomplish. 'You'll Know When You Get There' is just ten minutes of what seems like the same thing. 'Wandering Spirit Song' is the most intense song on this album, and gradually builds from a sad suite, much like the other two songs, to an energetic powerhouse of discordant sounds. Greatly experimental, and not the easiest listen, but a great track, which really saves this otherwise mediocre jazz album. Not Herbie's finest, but definitely not his worst.

I've been pretty open in my general hesitance toward instrumental albums. I'm not the kind of person to pay attention to lyrics, but the human voice adds so much character to music, which can be quite difficult to make up for with just instruments. I don't believe I've discussed it in any great detail on this site?though I've made a few comments about it on Reddit?but I am also not a fan of the current zeitgeist of jazzy, instrumental rock and metal epitomized by acts like Intervals, Plini, and Sithu Aye. So much of it just sounds like aimless, speedy noodling. Thank God this album avoids those pitfalls magnificently.

French-born bassist and composer Louis de Mieulle's newest album, Side$how, is a constantly-engaging blend of ambitious instrumental progressive rock with many trappings of jazz. Touches of electronic genres and krautrock crop up throughout this release's 41-minute runtime. Consisting of eight songs, titled "Bed of Nails, Part 1-8", the music was mostly improvised and recorded live by de Mieulle, a pair of keyboardists, and a drummer.

Just based off this description, I would normally be wary and worried that this would wind up being an aimless morass of electric piano tinkling, but these compositions each have a unique character and feel purposeful. Part 1 opens with a jumpy bassline topped with stuttering organ licks. This evolves into a gliding synth solo before funky clavinet comes in. What is striking is how smooth and organic the transitions feel.

Part 3 feels as if it draws inspiration from video game music while avoiding the bland sterility of chiptune. The bass part is fun, melodic, and propulsive, and the fluttery staccato synth backing only adds to this energy. Part 5, meanwhile, clocking in at over 17 minutes, is the most adventuresome piece on Side$how. Not only does it draw from jazz, but also from krautrock, electronic music, and even zeuhl. The song pulses and throbs over sequenced synthesizers, using repetition with subtle, accruing changes to great effect.

The even-numbered songs on Side$how are all relatively short interludes, ranging from 90 seconds to a bit over two minutes. Despite their short length, they display an impressive amount of diversity, with textures and atmospheres ranging from melodic to dissonant and from gentle to harsh.

Side$how is a fun, upbeat collection of music. Each song on this album has its own distinct character while at the same time feeling like it belongs with the rest. The bass and key tones are consistent across the album, but they don't become stale, thanks in large part to the musicians' skillful interplay and de Mieulle's inventive compositions.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2019/09/09/album-review-louis-de-mieulle-sidehow/

Oh, Herbie. To this day I have heard nothing like his magnum opus, 'Headhunters'. Combining many different musical elements to Herbie Hancock's composing, 'Headhunters', I find, is the divine culmination of all he can offer (while maybe not the most progressive. Using somewhat obscure instruments, Paul Jackson's insane electric bass skills, insane percussion, amazing horn solos, and perfect dabble of experimental, but extremely jammable and funky as hell composition really sells this album. And what is truly incredible about this record is that it never gets old. If I were to listen to this album every day of my life, I would maybe - just maybe - get tired after twenty years. And this may just be a bias based on the early love I had found for this album, but no album from Herbie Hancock has yet to come remotely close to topping it. But, oh boy that opening track? By the time I was four, I studied the song 'Chameleon' so avidly, I can scat it through (the whole approximate sixteen minutes). That is still my favorite Herbie Hancock suite to date. Then is 'Watermelon Man', the shortest song on the album, clocking in at about six minutes, which has one of the best intros of any jazz song ever. Instruments slowly layer on top of each other beautifully. Drastically different from Herbie's original recording, which can be found on his first album, 'Taking Off'. 'Sly' is Herbie at his funkiest, to say the least. This has always been my least favorite song on this album, but far from bad. 'Vein Melter', the somber closing track, is a nine-minute masterpiece. Some complain that this track lags on for too long, but I entirely disagree. I was never bored every single time I listened to this album. For this album, Herbie Hancock will always hold a special place in my heart. And this is why, in my opinion, he is the best jazz composer to ever live. Keep funking.

'Crossings' is genuinely one of my favorite albums from the jazz legend Herbie Hancock. The second in a stream of three consecutive experimental albums (the others are 'Mwandishi' and 'Sextant'), it is not the easiest to grasp for an unexpecting listener, but is still great, once you can fully enjoy it. The first track on the album, 'Sleeping Giant', is twenty-five minutes of tribal-esque, avant-garde jamming. It is also his longest studio track. The intro of Side A is one of the most satisfying out of any jazz albums I've ever listened to. You hear water-like percussion (once you listen to it you'll understand) which slowly builds up into an explosive introduction to Herbie's keyboard and some upright bass. This track is divided into five parts to develop cohesion in this very improvisational-sounding track. 'Quasar' on Side B is the shortest song on the record, running at about seven minutes. It was mostly composed by Bennie Maupin. It achieves a very spacey sound, something that the last track, 'Water Torture' holds as well. Funky and 'Bitches Brew'-reminiscent, it is quite slow and regularly drifts away from the base beat, but manages to keep just within reach for the trained ear. Overall, 'Crossings is an outstanding jazz fusion album. From fans of Herbie Hancock and other jazz artists, most everyone can find something to love in this album. Seriously. I would force a stranger to listen to this album just to hear their input. Totally worth the listen.

The first of Larry Coryell's solo material, Lady Coryell hit the shelves a year after the sole release by Jazz Rock foundations The Free Spirits (Out of Sight and Sound, 1967), and it features throughout that group's drummer, Bob Moses. On two of the tracks, though, is veteran Jazz drummer Elvin Jones, probably best known for his direct association with John Coltrane, who had unfortunately passed away in '67. This was my second listen to Lady Coryell. Certainly no regrets there.

When "Herman Wright" begins, it's certainly plenty familiar, and yet is stylistically mysterious to me. The guitar has a strange, synthetic buzz. Vocally and, in part, compositionally, it weirdly reminds me most immediately of Procol Harum [I feel the best descriptor I could give it was 'soulful']. I know I've heard Larry's voice before, but on Lady Coryell it's all him. We then enter plenty familiar territory on "Sunday Telephone", a groovin' Blues Rock. Larry is a killer guitarist, as many on the site can verify, and his solo carries on that buzzing, fuzzing Wah throughout. Up next is one that I recall enjoying before, "Two Minute Classical", a flow of chords over a light, straightforward beat. Certainly in the context of a late-60s Rock ensemble, the title tells it all. Killer solo here at the end.

"Love Child is Coming Home" takes all semblance of what you'll think this album is about and just about throws that out the window. This is a drunk-lilt Country song, end of the day. Not the greatest exploration of this kind that I've heard in the world of Jazz; I mean, have you heard Gary Burton's Tennessee Firebird?! The track here's not terrible, I do suppose, but I'm not itchin' to hear this number ever again. Happily we turn to our title track, "Lady Coryell", at first a mix of American folk tradition and Avant-garde classical. Larry is on the guitar and the bass on this one (bass is actually only ever covered by someone else, Jimmy Garrison, on one track). I quite like this one. It has a sort of driving, rolling quality to it. There are sonic moments that feel way ahead of their time; especially with some of the dissonance experienced in the start, I honestly was thinking of Polvo(!). The obvious context here is actually moreso Psychedelia at large, but I feel the drone starting in minute 3 is straight-up Raga. As we approach the end, the mix of constant arpeggiated guitar and solo guitar meet in a swirling vortex. Seriously, with the Polvo thought, this could totally be perceived as proto-Math Rock, through and through.

We then get Bluesy meditative on the aptly titled "The Dream Thing", another which has a 'sonic signature' that feels so ahead of its time! Absolutely amazing sound. Check it! On the other side of The Blues, so to speak, is "Treats Style", a familiar guitar-led Post-Bop perhaps? Hard for me to say... As much as the Blues style at large does little to please little ol' me, the sound of this'n is pretty nice. And time and again, Larry proves himself to be one of the greats. Happily even so, we turn to melancholy on "You Don't Know What Love Is". Sweet and warm electric soloing cleanly slides across perfectly understated acoustic guitar. Truly delicious stuff.

As we approach the end, we next have "Stiff Neck", similarly sparse as the rest. I feel stylistically, Larry Coryell sounds a bit like Pat Martino here; truly Bop-inspired, despite its minimal mix. Around minute 2, he flips the switch and we get some dirty distortion, although nothing else, in composition or performance, really changed. Kind of struck me odd, I guess. We fill out the headphones finally once more on our last track, "Cleo's Mood", a song approaching something rather dramatic and, if I may say so, sexy. Ooooh, is that a backtracked guitar solo?! Always a treat to hear something like this, regardless of when and where, amirite? Thank you, George Harrison, perhaps? [I think George goes for a backtracked-solo hattrick on Revolver 2 years prior...] Another track with little compositional substance, but the soloing throughout had its moments (like around 2:15 to 3:15).

All in all, a pretty solid solo debut. But it felt a little too 'solo' to me, if you know what I mean. Cool ideas, but I wish they were fleshed out a tad more at times.

True Rate: 3.25/5.00

Larry Coryell Leads Us into 'The Next Big Thing' With this Jazzy, Soulful Rock Group!

I hadn't realized until today, while getting ready to listen through and review another by the great Larry Coryell, that The Free Spirits was neatly tucked away as part of his discography: I accept! It really can't be understated the sheer monumental necessity of early albums such as this one, Out of Sight and Sound, this short-lived group's sole release. [See my note below for some of my usual recommendations in the pantheon of early Jazz Rock/Fusion. This will be a review of the 2006 remaster edition with one bonus track.]

In the most rambunctious, high-energy way possible, Out of Sight starts off with "Don't Look Now", with rapid drumming and a mix that is filled out from headphone to headphone. The horns are awesome. There's something about the vocal melodies that speak more to whiteness, sounding a bit like Roots Rock (or a bit like the Rolling Stones, really). As I feel is true for much of this album, given its time and place, it's hard to say how much this will appeal to the Fusion fandom as 'pure' Jazz Fusion. Up next is a favorite of mine. "I'm Gonna Be Free", with Coryell playing, according to liner notes, an actual sitar, is naturally a psychedelic Raga-inspired piece! Drums are minimal and cymbal-based as the bass, sitar and guitar drone beneath, playing some two or three chords. The solo instrument heard throughout, even during verses, is flute performed by Jim Pepper. Good melodies.

"Ibod" is next with a sparse verse over soft acoustic guitar arpeggios and a booming bassline. The use of the horn section as it comes in around minute 1 is just delicious. Ultimately, this is a Blues number. Again, quite like it, but it isn't what we know of as 'Fusion', and at most barely passes for what we know as 'Jazz Rock' [not so uncommon throughout]. Up next, for a positive turn, we have "Sunday Telephone", which has a lot going for it! This has awesome vocal and instrumental melody (Got the hook!), a groovy beat and then... Pepper brings on the tenor sax for an at-first free solo. This is followed by a Beat-inspired (like, maybe Beatles-inspired) guitar solo and riff. Continuing in this admittedly Psychedelic/Jangle Pop-inspired style, we have "Blue Water Mother". For another angle, if "Sunday Telephone" sounded like proto-Gong [as it did to me], this song could be a Soft Machine tune. Great melody, which is itself jumbled up during the verses with... just a weird cacophony of vocals at times. Decent harmonies, though.

Returning to The East, we have "Girl of the Mountain", which sort of shifts into Western folksy. Nice vocal performance from, I assume, Chip Baker. Some more great, memorable melodies, but all over a very light, clean ensemble. Overall, it was fleeting. And then we pick things back up with the guitar-driven "Cosmic Daddy Dancer". Close harmonies rap over a quick, at times wild, beat as Larry solos on top. Then we get a much- welcomed sax solo from Pepper, as he flies across the left-side speaker. I think folks'll like this'n. The next one is likely my favorite from The Free Spirits, "Bad News Cat". This song just has a great melody, with killer close harmonies. Maybe sonically similar to the Mod Soul of early The Who? Or like the Small Faces? Anyway, I love this one. Jazzy Pop Rock, basically.

"Storm" is a sultry number. I love these vocals! Geeze. Pepper returns to soloing on flute, over a sort of Bossa Nova something. Seriously, simply delish. This is followed by "Early Mornin' Fear". Again with the great close harmonies(!), this one has sort of an R&B vibe. And then we get a searing, then blissful sax solo. Super rockin' at the end! Yeeeee!!! Total shift in feeling then on the soft, sweet, melancholic "Angels Can't Be True". Not a fantastic song, in my opinion, but the saxophone, as should now come as no surprise, is just great. Its strongest moments are in what sound like the bridge, approaching minute 2. "Tattoo Man" next is a pretty great White R&B track. Bobby Moses on drums really shines here; he's had his moments, but it's really workin' here. Finally, we have the bonus track "I Feel a Song", which has a very live sound to it. The vocals and guitar are echoey and distant and the result is much muddier and lo-fi. Nice sound. I feel I detect piano? It's hard to say. The ending is quite cool, to say the least.

Despite this album coming down for me to an exact True Rate of 3.5/5.0 track-to-track averaged, I wholeheartedly believe in the significance of this album: Excellent addition, ladies and gentlemen. An excellent addition. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Though preceding most all Fusion, The Free Spirits' Out of Sight and Sound is contemporary to the absolute earliest that Jazz Fusion and Jazz Rock had to offer in the late-60s: Duster and Lofty Fake Anagram (Gary Burton, 1967), Child is Father to the Man and Blood, Sweat & Tears (BS&T, '68), Song of Innocence (David Axelrod, '68, !!!), Those Who are About to Die Salute You and Valentyne Suite (Colosseum, '69), Uncle Meat and Hot Rats (Frank Zappa), Chicago Transit Authority (Chicago, '69), Miles Davis' electric band(s) but I always think specifically Emergency! (Tony Williams, '69, !!!) and Elastic Rock (Nucleus, '70, !!!). Before even this, the only work I can ever think of truly coming before this, which I do broadly recommend--though more R&B than it is Rock--is The Graham Bond Organisation's The Sound of 65 (indeed, from '65) featuring none other than Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, even before the idea of Cream, I must assume, and saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith. This is always worth a mention when talking about the genre's foundations. Let's call that 'Vital Information' ;)

— First review of this album —

American jazz guitarist Bruce Arnold (b. 1955) is not familiar to me in advance. Now I'm listening to one of his albums from Youtube in order to write the first PA review for this artist altogether. This particular album with a poor cover design may not be very representative for the guitarist's discography that consists of approximately twenty albums, several of them being collaborations with another -- and always different! -- musician. At least that fact alone hints at Bruce Arnold's adventurous and open-minded approach to making music. Tom Hamilton, then, is a Californian electronic musician. Seemingly he doesn't have a discography of his own but he has worked for TV productions and once described his music as a fusion of hip hop and pop. However, here you don't hear traces of hip hop or pop. This instrumental music is abstract and experimental, all about textures, sonics and ambience.

The five tracks vary between 5½ and nearly 14 minutes in length. The first piece 'Disklaimer' starts with ghostly and other-wordly electronic sounds, soon joined by the electric guitar played in an improvisational free jam style, with lots of distortion in the sound. Occasionally you could think of Terje Rypdal for the guitar sounds, and possibly Fripp & Eno for the overall atmosphere. Throughout this album the two equal musicians together create an alienated and abstract soundscape which is not downright cold and hostile (ok, it actually gets more bizarre and tiresome towards the end) but vibrant and exciting. Definitely not suitable for background use with other people around, but a listener keen on experimental electronic music undoubtedly will find some interest here.

'Aurore from the Crowd' is the longest one, and a fine example of the music's spacey and meditative nature. I even might use the word beautiful. One could refer to the ambient-oriented Krautrock artists such as Ashra / Manuel Göttsching. 'Heaven on Eleven' is oriented to very abstract and hollow electronics comparable to the Vangelis album Beaubourgh, except for the shortly joining guitar parts. I'm not enjoying this track. Amusingly titled 'Serial Filler' continues in the similar direction. The guitar soloing in the end is powerful but at this point I'm a bit disappointed at the rather restricted sonic colour of the instrument. For the end of the album I would have preferred another more serene and meditative piece in the style of 'Aurore' but instead the electronic frenzy continues. I have to stick with three stars even though the first two pieces are worth four stars.

Review Nº 622

Embryo is a German progressive rock band from Munich which has been active since 1969. It was one of the most important German progressive jazz/rock bands during the 70's and has also been described as one of the most original, innovative and eclectic of the all German scene. Embryo fused the traditional ethnic music with their own jazzy space rock style. Over their 30 year of existence, during which Christian Burchard has been the only consistent member, the group has travelled all over the world, playing with hundreds of different musicians and releasing over twenty albums.

Originally a jazzy space rock group, Embryo was formed in 1969 in Munich, Germany, by former R&B and jazz organist Christian Burchard (vibraphone, hammer dulcimer, percussion, marimba), Edgar Hofmann (saxophone), Luther Meid (bass), Jimmy Jackson (organ), Dieter Serfas (drums, percussion), Wolfgang Paap (drums), Ingo Schmidt (saxophone), and John Kelly (guitar). However, the line up of the band was already different by the time of the sessions for their debut studio album. The resulting album, "Opal" released in 1970, is considered the band's masterpiece of their early and more psychedelic sound. By the time of their second studio album "Embryo's Rache" released in 1971, the group was already adding ethnic touches to their music. In 1972, Embryo released their third studio album "Father, Son And Holy Ghosts" and was invited by the Goethe Institute to tour in Northern Africa and Portugal. In Morocco, the band was fascinated by the different tonal scales used by Moroccan musicians, profoundly shaping the group's music to come.

In 1973, Embryo released three more studio albums, "Steig Aus", aka, "This Is Embryo", "Rocksession" and "We Keep On". In the same year, the band was joined by saxophonist Charlie Mariano and guitarist Roman Bunka, who were both influential in moving Embryo towards their genre blending mixture of space rock with ethnic sounds. Both musicians participated on the last of these albums, "We Keep On". But, this is another story. This review is about "Rocksession".

"Rocksession" is kind of a strange name to be given to this album, how jazzy this album is. This is another fantastic studio album by Embryo, really. The music is clearly the result of improvised sessions and the playing is tight, grooving, and spacious, allowing all the instrumentalists to stretch out their chops. It's kind of strange in that for a jazz rock album, this doesn't tend to follow more the electric Miles Davis model and seems to be a grittier more jams in the kind of a European version. But, like a lot of the German music played at the time it was still cosmic and floating. So, this isn't so strange at all, indeed. Besides, "Rocksession" still fits quite well on the label of the jazz rock/fusion style.

So, "Rocksession" is the fifth studio album of Embryo and was released in 1973. The line up on the album is Siegfried Schwab (guitar), Jimmy Jackson (organ), Mal Waldron (electric piano), Edgar Hofmann (saxophone and violin), Jorg Evers (bass), Dave King (bass) and Christian Burcahrd (drums).

"Rocksession" has four tracks. The first track "A Place To Go" consists of two parts. The first part consists of dense drums and percussion parts, orientalising the sound of the violin, as well as muffled vocals. Apart from that fragment, the album is instrumental. In the second part there is a great input of the motor bass, which is a background for guitar solos, violins and keys. The second track "Entrances" is a perfect improvisation, full of rock energy, but also almost jazz refinement, not limited to the accompaniment of the rhythm section but complemented by rock solos of guitar and organ, as well as Waldron's jazzing performances on the electric piano and Hoffmann on the saxophone. The musicians are delighted with solo performances and interact in interesting ways. It's hard to beat such a captivating recording. The third track "Warm Canto" is distinguished by a more subtle mood, created mainly by the parts of the vibraphone, organs, and violins, but also slightly blues guitar sounds and again the jazzing game of Waldron. The fourth track "Dirge" also has a rather climatic character, but gradually gains momentum. The rhythm section fantastically builds up the tension, as on the foreground we can hear long solos on the violin and the electric piano. Nice ending to the album.

Conclusion: "Rocksession" is one of the most affordable Embryo's albums, for the usual rock listener, indeed. Thus, it's ideal for people who don't have to deal with the great creativity of the group. And at the same time it's one of the best publications in the rich discography of this great German band. This is a very consistent album. It has a delightful performance and a rich sound, which did not grow old with the passing of time. There are no special highlights here but there aren't here low points too. Embryo does seem to delight in their little detours, the music jams without sounding so, and they allow their jazz concepts move to their rock explorations. "Rocksession" is a keeper, an album you're probably not gonna discover on your own, being one that walks in under the arm of a friend, out of the blue, to broaden your horizons, like as happened to me. Embryo is really a band to explore and "Rocksession" is a good starting point.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)