One of the most beautiful albums ever recorded by DC flutist Lloyd
McNeil – and one of the grooviest, too! Lloyd's work is always amazing –
stretched-out, spiritual, and filled with life – but this time around,
there's a definite groove to the record that's undeniable – an increased
sense of rhythm, yet one that's still extremely creative, especially in
the mellower moments – which are among some of the most compelling that
McNeil ever recorded. The tunes were originally scored for a dance
group, and feature a core combo with Lloyd on flute, some great Fender
Rhodes from Eugene Rush, and sublime bass and drum patterns – mixed with
some haunting added woodwinds, played by a combo that also features the
legendary Andrew White. The whole record has a beautifully rhythmic
quality, filled with throbbing, modal, soulful grooves – and tracks
include "Home Rule", "City Triptych", "2504 Cliffborne Pl", "Just 71%
Moor", and "Fountain In The Circle".
Taste :
The Lloyd McNeill Quartet - 2504 cliffbourne place
A seminal bit of spiritual jazz from the American scene – the first
self-released album by flute player Lloyd McNeill, a tremendous little
set that's filled with modal grooves and soaring sounds! McNeill's
flute work alone is enough to make the record great – in a space that's
somewhere right up there with Bobbi Humprhey or Roland Kirk for sheer
soulfulness – but the rhythms of the record are sublime as well – killer
grooves that come from the piano of Gene Russ, the bass of Steve
Novosel, the percussion of Eric Gravatt, and Latin percussion of Paul
Hawkins! The tunes all have a flowing, organic quality that's
completely wonderful – extremely natural in approach, with a
seductiveness that's made the set one of our favorites for years – a
stone classic all the way through, with cuts that include "As A Matter
Of Fact", "Asha", "St Margaret's Church", "Effervescence", "Warmth Of A
Sunny Day", and "Two Third's Pleasure".
A legendary bit of heavy funk from Germany – served up by a cool combo
led by drummer Klaus Weiss! The lineup here includes fuzzy guitar,
electric piano, and lots of heavy percussion – all served up in a way
that's jamming, but a lot more straightforwardly funky than some of the
group's contemporaries on the European scene! Ack Van Rooyen plays
trumpet, Ferdinand Povel plays tenor and flute, and the production is
often very tripped-out – abstracting the jazz roots a bit with some
really cool touches.
A great little fusion set from Airto – recorded in a mode that's a great
bridge between his acoustic roots and some of his smoother albums in
years to come! The sound has some key electric elements here – bits of
bass, guitar, and keyboards – but there's still a strongly acoustic
sound overall too, one that leaves plenty of room for Airto's unique
jams on percussion, plus a bit of vocals from the lovely Flora Purim.
Airto's got some top-shelf talents helping him out here – Billy Cobham
on production, and Stanley Clarke and Milcho Leviev on arrangements –
and there's a nice sense of darkness going on that even separates the
album from some of Airto's other mid 70s sides on CTI.By Dusty
Gary Burton hits a sweet electric funky sound here – a great groove that
really makes the album stand out from most of his other work! The
support Burton gets is a big reason for the greatness of the date – as
he's working in a group that includes Eric Gale on guitar, Richard Tee
on piano and organ, Chuck Rainey on bass, and Bernard Purdie on drums.
The album's got a bit of trippiness to it – kind of in the style of some
of Herbie Mann's funky production work for the Vortex label – and a few
cuts have producer Joel Dorn working with Arif Mardin on the cuts,
giving them a more expansive sound that pushes Burton's playing nicely.
Whirlwinds is sweet keyboard soul from Deodato – a set that steps off nicely from the strengths of his big hits on CTI, hitting a similarly flowing groove that's really great! The instrumentation here is a bit more expanded than before, but never in a way that buries the keyboards – and Deodato's right out front on a range of electric keys that get some great support from John Tropea's finely-honed work on guitar! Titles include "Havana Strut", "Whirlwinds", "West 42nd Street", and a nice cover of Steely Dan's "Do It Again". And heck, even the album's version of Glen Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" manages to come off like a funk tune!By Dusty
To pop music fans, keyboardist Jan Hammer is best known for his work on the soundtrack of the stylish '80s cop series Miami Vice. But Hammer also achieved considerable success in the jazz fusion world, both on his own and as a charter member of John McLaughlin's legendary Mahavishnu Orchestra. Though jazz purists often decry major portions of his solo work, Hammer has undeniably left his mark, both musically and commercially.
A native of Prague, in what was then Czechoslovakia, Hammer was born into a musical family (on April 17, 1948) and began studying piano at age four. By age 14, he was working with a touring and recording jazz ensemble that also included future Weather Report member Miroslav Vitous. Hammer studied theory and composition at the Prague Academy of Muse Arts, but when the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, he emigrated to the U.S. After attending the Berklee School of Music, he landed a year-long touring engagement with Sarah Vaughan as both keyboardist and conductor. In 1970, Hammer settled in Manhattan and recorded as a sideman with Elvin Jones and Jeremy Steig. The following year, he joined the Mahavishnu Orchestra, appearing on landmark fusion albums like The Inner Mounting Flame and Birds of Fire. After the group disbanded at the end of 1973, Hammer reunited with Mahavishnu violinist Jerry Goodman for the album Like Children (1974). Hammer released The First Seven Days himself in 1975, and he assembled a backing unit called the Jan Hammer Group for the supporting tour. The Hammer Group recorded prolifically over the next two years, including collaborations with guitarist Jeff Beck, and their brand of fusion shifted towards R&B-styled grooves. After 1978's Melodies, Hammer disbanded the group and recorded a true solo album, Black Sheep, playing all the instruments himself. In short order, though, he formed another backing band, this one called simply Hammer.
The early '80s found Hammer working with, among others, Al DiMeola (Electric Rendezvous) and Journey guitarist Neal Schon (Untold Passions and Here to Stay), as well as supporting Jeff Beck in the studio. Hammer was becoming increasingly involved in pop/rock session collaborations, and by 1984, he had already moved into composition for television and film as well, debuting as a soundtrack composer with the film A Night in Heaven. His big break in this arena came when the producers of a new MTV-style police series called Miami Vice tapped him as weekly score composer. When a soundtrack album was released in 1985, including several Hammer compositions as well as rock songs featured in the series, Hammer's driving opening theme music hit number one on the pop singles charts, the first TV theme to do so since 1976. The album was a worldwide success, and "Miami Vice Theme" won Hammer two Grammys (Best Pop Instrumental Performance and Best Instrumental Composition).
Hammer remained involved with Miami Vice until 1988, when he retired to upstate New York to construct a home studio and return to solo recording. The first result was Snapshots, issued in 1989, another true solo album on which Hammer performed every note himself. Subsequently, Hammer rededicated himself to soundtrack composition, including 1992's acclaimed computer-animation project Beyond the Mind's Eye. 1994's Drive became Hammer's first non-soundtrack recording in five years; for the remainder of the decade, Hammer continued his profitable work for TV, film, commercials, and even video games.by Steve Huey
