Fumio Karashima - Part 3

Good morning. Back again with our next look at Fumio Karashima's work. 

First for today we have another acoustic trio album in 1981's A Child In The Wind. Mainstay George Otsuka is here again on drums and this time we have American Richard Davis on bass. All originals on this one and we again have a pretty straightforward sound from the trio. Davis adds the bow into the mix on "Portrait" and I particularly enjoy the title track. Nothing earth-shattering here but a nice album. 

Next up we have yet another acoustic trio album in 1982's Elegant Evening. This time we have Motohiko Hino on drums with Ikuo Sakurai on bass. All originals here with the exception of the final 2 tunes. "After Love Emptiness" from Bobby Thomas and "Nefertiti" from legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter. I personally really dig the somber vibe of "Ancient Tales." I also really enjoy the B side to this one - listed as "Medley" it's comprised of "Chasin'" "Vesper" and the previously mentioned "After Love Emptiness." Good stuff again on this one.

Last for us today is our 2nd quartet album (kind of). 1983's Round Midnight obviously pays homage to the legend Thelonious Monk and the famous tune leads this one off. This time we have the same trio from Elegant Evening with the addition of Larry Coryell on guitar. Although Coryell doesn't make an appearance until "Nica's Dream" - the 5th song on the album - and plays the acoustic guitar which really doesn't do it for me when it comes to jazz guitar. He appears on the final 3 tunes of the album. In contrast to most of what we've heard so far, this one is made up of all covers/standards. Favorites for me would be Coltrane tune "Wise One" and a nice take on Wayne Shorter classic "Footprints."

I have 2 more from Fumio that I'd like to go ahead and squeeze in to this post. I'm missing quite a few of his albums, unfortunately, and for these next 2 I have limited information. For our next we jump ahead to 1989 which saw the release of a quintet album titled Joy. Joining Fumio we again have Ikuo Sakurai on bass, Shingo Okudaira on drums, and we have 2 saxophonists in Masahiro Fujioka on soprano and alto with Toshihiko Inoue on soprano and tenor. This one definitely has a late-80s contemporary jazz vibe to it. Nothing ground-breaking here but I do really dig ballad "Dawn Wind" and "Mysterious Nights."

We close with another acoustic trio album - this time from 2002 and without a Discogs page. The Elysian Air again features Okudaira on drums with Yosuke Inoue on bass. The issue with this one I've found is that most tracklists differ from the copy I have. I believe I have it corrected properly but forgive me if you find an error. Mostly straight ahead stuff here and I really enjoy originals "Open The Gate" and "Tony Williams."

Enjoy! I'll be back next week. 

Fumio Karashima - Part 2

Hey there. Today we'll continue our look into pianist Fumio Karashima. 

The first album for today, Moonflower, was released in 1978 as Fumio Karashima Meets Elvin Jones. Joining Fumio and the legendary drummer, we have bassist Andy McCloud who accompanied Elvin on many of his late 70s, early 80s recordings. More of what we're used to on this one with mostly straight ahead sounds from the trio. The opening title track is quite nice followed by a nice rendition of standard, "My Funny Valentine." Original "Friday Night" is next which picks up the tempo just a touch and features quite a bit of soloing from Jones. Another original from Fumio follows in "Bitter Waltz" before we close with the Coltrane tune "Bessie's Blues." Altogether, a very nice little record.

Next for us is our first quartet album in 1979's Hot Islands. Joining Fumio on this one we have saxophonist Mabumi Yamaguchi, bassist and Weather Report founding member, Miroslav Vitous and drummer George Otsuka. This is my favorite album of the bunch and has the most interesting music of the period, in my opinion. Yamaguchi obviously adds an element with his passionate playing on sax but Vitous employs the bow on his bass which is also a new sound we've yet to hear on the other albums from Fumio. Also our first time hearing Fumio on electric keyboards, if I recall correctly. 

Really enjoy this one from start to finish. We open with "By Road" and the title track, both excellent Fumio tunes. Followed by Karashima/Otsuka tune "Chardin Square" which brings us closest to a fusion sound thus far. The band also does a great job with Weather Report/Vitous tune "American Tango." We also have a nice rendition of Yamaguchi tune "Breeze" that we heard on After The Rain although I still prefer the original. We close with another Yamaguchi tune in "Merry Go Round" that we heard on Mabumi. Fumio shines and I believe this is our first time hearing him on the Rhodes. Otsuka also plays very well. Excellent album all around.

We return to an acoustic trio ensemble and more straightforward sound on 1980's Sho. Along with Fumio on piano and Otsuka again on drums, this time we have Nobuyoshi Ino on bass, who we haven't seen in a while. All originals on this one from Karashima aside from a lovely solo piano rendition of "Lament." The J.J. Johnson tune we also heard on Piranha. We also get another version of "Little Island" that we also heard on Piranha. Another nice one here is the closing tune "Starting Off" which features Fumio playing at a quicker pace than typical. 

Enjoy!

Fumio Karashima - Part 1

For the next few posts I'd like to take a look at some albums from pianist Fumio Karashima. We encountered him on Mabumi Yamaguchi's After The Rain album. The collection I have (10 albums total) is mostly made up of acoustic trio albums - and I find Fumio to have a very tasteful and accessible playing style. 

First up is 1976's Piranha. A mostly straightforward album although Fumio's playing sometimes has a classical vibe to it, in my opinion. Especially on the opening tune "Little Island." Joining the pianist we have bassist Isao Suzuki (which is what lead me here originally) and drummer Jimmy Hopps. Favorites here are previously mentioned "Little Island" as well as J.J. Johnson tune "Lament." The closing Karashima tune "Blue-Th-Ree" is also quite nice. 

Next up for us is another trio album. 1977's Landscape features bassist George Mraz and excellent drummer Motohiko Hino who we've seen quite a few times now. All originals from Karashima and this one starts off with great energy with "Revlis." Things slow down with "Tears" and Fumio plays beautifully. Another pretty straightforward release. The closing tune "In My Usual Way" is another really nice one.

1977 also saw the release of another trio album, released on Three Blind Mice and again featuring Isao Suzuki on bass with another excellent drummer in George Otsuka. Gathering is another pretty straightforward release and starts of with a nice title track followed by my favorite tune "Gringo." Next we have "Tones for Joan's Bones" a tune from mostly unheard of pianist Chick Corea, followed by a nice solo piano piece from Karashima titled "Sophia." This one closes with Gary MacFarland tune "Once We Loved" and we're 3 for 3 on albums ending very well. 

Enjoy! I'll have the rest next week. I see Herbie Hancock tonight!!!!

Isao Suzuki - New (1998)

Another quick post for today as I stumbled across another Isao Suzuki album that we didn't previously cover. Recorded live in 1998 on 2 separate occasions at the Aketa No Mise club in Tokyo, New was released on the backend of Isao's career as the Isao Suzuki Group. Joining Isao we have guitarist Takayuki Kato (tracks 2-4) and drummer Shota Koyama. Track 5 also features pianist Yoriyuki Harada.

This one is relatively straightforward throughout but does have some moments that venture into the free jazz realm. Isao opens with a solo bass tune "Alone Together" and the rest of the trio joins in for "Blues for Isao" next. "Jump Monk Jump" has a nice tempo to it followed by "Yesterday" that brings the tempo way back down. "1998 All Open" is 21-minutes long and is the most improvised tune of the bunch. A nearly solo version of "Summertime" closes things out for this one. 

Nothing groundbreaking here necessarily, but for the sake of thoroughness, wanted to pass it along. 

Philip Catherine - Stream (1972)

Hey there. Going to squeeze in a quick one for today. Hadn't listened to this album in a while and revisited it over the weekend. Super enjoyable record from Belgian guitarist Philip Catherine. We heard Philip on the Alphonse Mouzon record In Search Of A Dream from our last post. For me, at some point I learned about keyboardist Joachim Kuhn, which led me to Catherine and Mouzon. Great vibes on this one throughout. Guitar-led fusion, jazz-funk, jazz-rock - however you describe it - it's a solid album through and through. 

Released in 1972, Stream consists of 12 quick-hitting tracks but the version I have here has 3 bonus tunes, as well. Looks like it must be the 2017 cd re-issue. Joining the guitarist we have keyboardist Marc Moulin, bassist Freddy Deronde and drummer Freddy Rothier. 

A lot of good stuff on this one. I really dig Moulin tune "November" and Catherine tune "Foire" and the Charles Bobbit tune "Give It Up Or Turn It Aloose." But the 3 bonus tunes are also some of the best in the bunch. Surprising they didn't make the original cut. Hopefully you'll dig this one. We'll see Philip again soon.

Herbie Hancock and Friends - Spotlight (Day 11) FINAL

Happy Friday. Today is our final post for the deep dive into Herbie Hancock's run in the 1970s. We've looked at quite a few albums from him and his supporting personnel over the years. Today we have 5 albums to close out the decade. 

First up we have a Japan release from 1979 that features 3 fantastic tunes and a great group of personnel. Directstep is one of the few Hancock albums that includes a 2nd keyboardist. With Hancock on his usual Fender Rhodes, clavinet and variety of synthesizers, we also have Webster Lewis providing support most noticeably on the Hammond organ. Although he's listed as also playing the Rhodes and a few synthesizers himself. We also have Bennie Maupin on soprano and tenor saxophone and lyricon, Ray Obiedo on guitar, Paul Jackson on bass, Bill Summers on percussion and personal favorite Alphonse Mouzon on drums. 

This one starts off with as good of a version of "Butterfly" as you'll find. I personally dig the sound of Lewis and Hancock playing off of each other throughout this one. Obiedo on guitar is also a nice touch. The tempo picks up at about the 5-minute mark and is about as good as it gets. Next up is one of my favorite tunes in "Shiftless Shuffle." Again, the tempo picks up around the 4-minute mark and the chemistry between Lewis and Hancock is undeniable. Maupin also plays a beautiful tenor on this one. We close with a 15-minute version of "I Thought It Was You" which we heard yesterday on Sunlight. If you liked the version from yesterday, you'll definitely dig this one. 

The year prior, drummer Alphonse Mouzon released In Search Of A Dream which is one of my favorite albums from his catalog. Mouzon was a founding member of Weather Report but only appeared on the group's self-titled debut album. He went on to make quite a few solo fusion albums that eventually began to incorporate more soul/R&B elements as time went on. He also was a member of Eleventh House with guitarist Larry Coryell. For ISOAD, Alphonse was joined by excellent keyboardists Joachim Kuhn (who is deserving of a post at some point) and Stu Goldberg, guitarist Philip Catherine, bassist Miroslav Vitous and saxophonist Bob Malik. 

This one starts off with great energy and Alphonse lights the drums up on "Nightmare." Another favorite is "The Unknown Journey" which also features Mouzon on the electric piano and has a great bassline from Vitous. It wouldn't be right to mention this album and not bring up "The Ram and the Scorpio" which features some absolute shredding from all involved. Great tune chocked full of energy. All in all a fantastic album. We may need a post dedicated to Mouzon. 

Next for us is an album from Hancock that moves even closer to an electronic dance/disco sound. Again featuring vocals from Herbie via the vocoder and other background singers, Feets Don't Fail Me Now was released early in 1979. I had somewhat better success with the instrumentals for this one so I've included them here. Not perfect by any means but listenable. Joining Herbie we have guitarist Ray Obiedo, bassist Ed Watkins, percussionist Bill Summers and drummer James Gadson. Some slight changes are made to personnel on a few of the tracks - you can see the proper breakdown here. 

I'd be lying if I said this was my favorite album but there are definitely some jams here. "Ready Or Not" is super funky anthem that is worth a listen. As well as "Tell Everybody" which has the quickest pace on the album. I also really dig "Honey From The Jar" which is super funky but down a notch in tempo. 

Along the same lines as FDFMN, Eddie Henderson's Runnin' To Your Love from 1979 also leaned into a more uptempo, disco adjacent sound. Eddie went shirtless for the album cover so you know he was trying to party. There are vocals on a few tracks and I've included a separate instrumental version with mixed results. Again, a ton of personnel on this one so take a look at this link if you'd like a proper breakdown tune by tune. 

Very accessible stuff here but definitely worth a listen, in my opinion. The first couple of tunes are full of energy and "Sunchaser" has a nice vibe to it. I personally really dig the next tune "Hibby" which slows the pace down considerably. "This Band Is Hot" picks the pace right back up as expected from the name. Another uptempo track follows in "Please Your Mind" before they slow it back down with "Moon." While not as on point as the previous releases we've heard from Henderson, this one isn't too bad itself. 

And the final album for us is a peaceful conclusion to what I hope has been an enjoyable series of posts. Also released in 1979, The Piano is a solo piano album from Hancock recorded in Tokyo. This one features a few standards to start followed by some original tunes. Obviously have to be in a mood for solo acoustic piano albums but as usual, Herbie plays beautifully. I really dig his rendition of "On Green Dolphin Street" as well as the closing tune "Blue Ohtani." A nice way to close out a decade full of musical changes for the legend. 

Thanks for following along!

Herbie Hancock and Friends - Spotlight (Day 10)

We are nearing the home stretch here with only a couple of posts remaining. Our albums from yesterday were relatively straight ahead and today we will veer back towards the funky. 

First for today is an album that I've read mixed reviews on but I absolutely love. Tempo abound, and adjacent to disco at times, Sunlight was released in 1978 and features Herbie's vocals through the Sennheiser vocoder. Personnel on this one is somewhat complicated because a variety of musicians were used on the 5-track album. If you check this link you can see a better breakdown for each tune.

While the most popular tune from this one is the opening "I Thought It Was You" we definitely have some other gems on here. "Come Running To Me" and "No Means Yes" are equally good, in my opinion. The closing tune "Good Question" has always garnered attention due to beloved bassist Jaco Pastorius being featured, but to me it doesn't quite fit the sound of the rest of the album. Not a bad tune though, by any means. The little app I use for instrumentals struggled with the vocoder so I've only included the original album here.

Next up is our final Bennie Maupin solo album. Also released in 1978, Moonscapes is a wonderful jazz-funk album and my favorite from the reeds expert. Joining Bennie, we have some new faces: Bobby Lyle is on keys and plays wonderfully, Mike Sembello is on acoustic and electric guitar, Abraham La Boriel is on bass, Mingo Lewis is on percussion and Harvey Mason is on drums. 

This one jumps right out of the gate with the great tune "Nightwatch." I love the change a couple minutes in with bassist La Boriel and Lyle on the clavinet setting the pace for Bennie to come in with the tenor. Another one I love is "Anua" which again features a great bassline from La Boriel and a nice piano part from Lyle. Also really dig "Just Give It Some Time" which does flirt with an early smooth jazz sound - but a great tune nonetheless.

1978 also saw the release of another album from trumpeter Eddie Henderson. Mahal was Eddie's second release on Capital and another that I've read mixed reviews on. Again, I absolutely love this one. Mostly familiar faces as we have Herbie Hancock on keys, Bennie Maupin on tenor and saxello, Julian Priester on trombone, Hubert Laws on flute, Ray Obiedo on guitar, Paul Jackson on bass, Bill Summers and Mtume on percussion and Howard King on drums.

This one starts off with a fantastic rendition of Hancock tune "Butterfly" that's worth the price of admission on it's own. A trio of fantastic Mtume tunes follow in "Cyclops", "Emotions" and my favorite, the uptempo "Prance On" which also has a somewhat disco vibe to it. The title track slows the tempo back down and is reminiscent of what we heard on Comin' Through. Another great album from Henderson.

Last for today we're going to have our first album from drummer Tony Williams. Released in 1979, The Joy Of Flying is somewhat of a jazz-rock/fusion masterpiece if you ask me. Quite different from what we've heard from Herbie's trio albums with Williams. Another album with a ton of talent spread out across the various tunes, we have some huge names on this one. This link gives a proper breakdown and you'll see names like George Benson, Stanley Clarke, Herbie Hancock, Michael and Randy Brecker, to name a few. 

I really dig the Benson tune "Hip Skip" which features an entourage of talent. We also have more of a rock vibe than we've heard so far on "Open Fire" which I dig in doses. Favorite tune for me overall is the Clarke tune "Tony" featuring Hancock on keys. A lot of different sounds on this one. Dive in if you're unfamiliar. 

One post left - see you tomorrow.

Herbie Hancock and Friends - Spotlight (Day 9)

Hey there. Back again today with a few more from 1977 and onto 1978. What we'll be looking at today is more of a straight ahead sound which isn't my first choice typically - but some great stuff nonetheless.

First up is a trio album with Herbie on acoustic piano, Ron Carter on bass and Tony Williams on drums. Third Plane was recorded in July of 1977 and features mostly originals from within the group with the exception of standard "Stella By Starlight." Personal favorites here are the Carter tune "United Blues" and the Hancock classic "Dolphin Dance." 

The next album for us features the same lineup of Hancock, Carter and Williams. The material for this one is from the same recording sessions as Third Plane. As such, Trio '77 again is a more straight ahead sound but I much prefer this album to the previous. All Hancock tunes here aside from the closing "Milestones" from little known trumpeter Miles Davis. I personally really dig the opening tune "Watch It" and the following "Speak Like A Child." This record seems to have a bit more of a pulse than Third Plane - which is probably why I prefer it.

It wouldn't be right to not squeeze in a Ron Carter album and while I have some favorites, I wanted to find something from this time frame to stay on course. In 1977, Ron released a splendid double album named Piccolo. Naturally, he spends his time on the piccolo bass with Buster Williams handling the more traditional bassist role. Also joining the quartet are excellent pianist Kenny Barron and drummer Ben Riley. A lot of good stuff on this one. The opening "Saguaro" is a great 18-minute tune with the group's talent on full display. I also really dig the Monk tune "Sun Shower" and Carter tunes "Little Waltz" and "Tambien Conocido Como" which feature Carter using his bow. A sound I always dig. Great live album through and through. 

We'll squeeze in one more for today before our final 2 posts which I hope to have complete this week. The following year, in 1978, Buster Williams released another album titled Tokudo. A trio album featuring Kenny Barron on piano and Ben Riley on drums, we're just a Ron Carter away from our group on Piccolo. The sound here mostly fits with the theme of the day. Straight forward jazz played by exceptionally talented musicians. Only 2 originals on this one but a great album nonetheless. I love Buster's playing style. I really dig the title track and the nice 15-minute rendition of "Someday My Prince Will Come." 

BONUS: I intended on including this Buster Williams album but forgot to. I've listened to this album a ton of times and mostly when I'm trying to drift off to sleep. Not going to spend a lot of time on it - but it's included and you can learn more about Crystal Reflections if you're interested. Released in 1976 in between Pinnacle and Tokudo.

Enjoy!

Herbie Hancock and Friends - Spotlight (Day 8)

Back again and we have a variety of sounds for our next batch of albums. 

First for today we have the double live album VSOP which features tunes from 3 different bands led by Hancock. The first 4 tunes are from The VSOP Quintet featuring Ron Carter on bass, Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on sax and Tony Williams on drums. Nothing to see here except for 5 legends making a little music together. Great version of "Maiden Voyage" and "Eye Of The Hurricane" before we move on. 

The next 2 tunes are from the Mwandishi band with Eddie Henderson on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Bennie Maupin on flute, Buster Williams on bass and Billy Hart on drums. Here we have "Toys" and "You'll Know When You Get There" before we switch up the group for the final 2 tunes. 

For the final 2 tunes we have The Headhunters band with Maupin on saxophone, Ray Parker Jr. and Wah Wah Watson on guitar, Paul Jackson on bass and James Levi on drums. "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" and a great version of "Spider" which are the highlights for me, personally. All in all a great live album with something for everyone. 

Lucky for us we have another Eddie Henderson album for today. Released in 1977 on Captial, Comin' Through is another fantastic offering from the trumpeter. Julian Priester is here on trombone, George Cables is on piano, Paul Jackson is on bass, Patrice Rushen and Mtume on percussion with Howard King on drums. The funkiest of the Henderson albums so far we start off with great tempo on "Say You Will." I absolutely love Eddie's sound on this album. "Morning Song" slows the tempo way down and Jackson on bass with Eddie's soft trumpet is a delight. Another funky one in "Movin' On" followed up by "Return To The Source" that again features a great bassline from Jackson. "The Funk Surgeon" might be the best tune here and it sounds about as you'd expect. I'm not sure when Eddie started getting criticized for veering "too commercial" with his sound - but it better not have been after this gem.

We also have another one from Julian Priester. This time released under Julian Priester and Marine Intrusion, Polarization is a bit more accessible than Love, Love. All new faces on this one as far as I can tell. Joining Julian we have Ron Stallings on tenor and soprano sax, Curtis Clark on piano, Ray Obiedo on electric and acoustic guitar, Mark Williams on bass with Augusta Lee Collins on drums.

We start off with the title track that is nearly solo Priester which leads to "Rhythm Magnet" which has a nice groove to it. "Wind Dolphin" is more free/avant-garde which is OK but doesn't do too much for me. "Coincidence" is a nice tune from Obiedo featuring his acoustic guitar. "Scorpio Blue" is a beautiful tune from Clark that begins with a nice 4-minute solo intro from Priester. He and Clark play wonderfully together here. Another Clark tune in "Anatomy Of Longing" closes this one out and sums up quite well the different sounds of the album. A little groovy at times and a little out there during others. A nice tune to finish up on.  

We're going to squeeze one more in for today. We've yet to have an album from drummer Billy Hart. Enchance was released in 1977 on Horizon and has a few familiar faces as well as some new. On trumpet and flugelhorn we have Eddie Henderson, on trumpet and koto we have Hannibal Marvin Peterson, on alto sax and flute we have Oliver Lake and on tenor sax we have Dewey Redman. On piano we have Don Pullen and on bass we have Buster Williams and Dave Holland. Described as free/avant-garde, this one is a bit scattered and out there at times. "Layla-Joy" is my personal favorite and it's maybe the most accessible tune of the lot. 

I hope you dig!

Herbie Hancock and Friends - Spotlight (Day 7)

Back again and we have nothing but heat today. We have a couple of releases from 1976 yet to cover and then we'll be moving on to 1977. 

1976 saw the release of another album that I consider to be flawless. If Man-Child isn't my favorite album of all time, it's probably Secrets. 

Herbie Hancock - Piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet and various synthesizers.

Bennie Maupin - Soprano and tenor saxophone, saxello, lyricon and bass clarinet.

Wah Wah Watson - Electric guitar and bass (A1 only).

Ray Parker - Electric guitar.

Paul Jackson - Electric bass.

Kenneth Nash - Percussion - .

James Gadson - Drums (A1 only).

James Levi - Drums.

I could honestly go on for days about this album and it would mostly be incoherent babble. Nothing I say will do it justice. While all of the songs are 8 minutes or less, each one has so much going on that it's hard for me to describe it in a concise way. The compositions and arrangements are just perfect to me. The change during the opening "Doin' It" is one of my favorite moments in music. "Gentle Thoughts" might be my favorite song of the era. "Swamp Rat" and Maupin tune "Sansho Shima" are also about as good as it gets in my opinion. And I haven't even mentioned "People Music." I'll just let the music do the talking. If this is an album you're unfamiliar with or a long-time removed from, throw it on and improve your day instantly. Jazz-funk fusion gold.

Next up, we have another solo release from Eddie Henderson. Released on Blue Note, Heritage is another album that I absolutely love. This one has a nice balance of jazz-funk with a few less funky fusion tunes. Mostly familiar faces on this one: 

Eddie Henderson - Trumpet and flugelhorn.

Julian Priester - Alto, tenor and bass trombone.

Hadley Caliman - Bass clarinet, soprano saxophone and flute.

Patrice Rushen - Electric piano, clavinet and synthesizer.

Paul Jackson - Bass.

James Mtume - Percussion.

Billy Hart, Mike Clarke and Woody Theus - Drums.

We start off with the Mtume tune "Inside You" which has a catchy and oft-sampled opening bassline that's a great way to begin a stellar album. Next we have the Priester tune "Acuphuncture" which again features Henderson with the muted trumpet - a sound that I love. Henderson tune "Time And Space" follows and slows the tempo down just a touch. Great playing from Rushen on keys and Caliman on soprano here. Patrick O'Hearn tune "Nostalgia" is next and brings the pace down even further and leads us to Rushen tune "Kudu." A slow to develop tune that may end up having the best groove on the album. The longest track of the album is next and "Dr. Mganga" is from Brent Ramponi. I don't know much about the composer but this one is more spacey fusion than jazz-funk. More of a slightly scattered fusion sound on the closing Henderson tune "Dark Shadow" which features Caliman on the bass clarinet. I tend to prefer the jazz-funk sound of the first half of this album but all-in-all it's solid from start to finish. 

The first album from 1977 that we'll take a look at is from Bennie Maupin. Released on Mercury, Slow Traffic To The Right is a wholly different album than his first release we encountered, The Jewel In The Lotus. Actually quite similar to the first 2 albums of our post, this one features an excellent balance of jazz-funk and fusion.

Bennie Maupin - Bass clarinet, soprano and tenor saxophone, saxello, alto and piccolo flute and synthesizer.

Patrice Rushen - Piano, Fender Rhodes and clavinet.

Onaje Allan Gumbs - Piano (B2 only).

Patrick Gleeson - Synthesizer.

Eddie Henderson - Trumpet and flugelhorn.

Kraig Kilby - Trombone.

Blackbyrd McKnight - Electric guitar.

Paul Jackson - Electric bass (A1 & A2 only)

Ralphe Armstrong - Electric bass.

James Levi - Drums.

"It Remains To Be Seen" starts us off and is a nice funky opening tune followed by the slower tempo and somewhat spacey "Eternal Flame." A great version of "Water Torture" is next with Bennie shining on tenor and Rushen on Rhodes. Another funky one in "You Know The Deal" is next followed by the quick, relaxed tune "Lament." We close with "Quasar" which has a great bassline from Armstrong and that's another one in the books. 

Last for today we'll take a quick look at an album from percussionist Bill Summers. Technically released as Bill Summers And Summers Heat, Cayenne is the groups debut album. Vocals on this one throughout so I've included an instrumental copy with mixed results. Another one with a pretty sizeable list of personnel so please refer to the link for a detailed list, if interested. This one is pretty funky with some hints of Latin jazz worked in as well.

This one starts of hot right out of the gate with the energetic "What's This Mess" which is followed up by a nice groovy tune in "Magic." Next up is the very groovy "Latican Space Mambo" which is worth a listen on name alone. "Don't Fade Away" slows things down just a little and has a nice synthesizer part from Jack Perry. The bouncy "House Party" is next this copy has an extended version at the end of the album. After a quick but funky tune in "Try A Little Tenderness" we have "I've Been Around" which is another gem from the album. "Flying" is another nice little tune with Hadley Caliman on flute before we close with an extended version of "House Party."

Herbie Hancock and Friends - Spotlight (Day 6)

Hello again. I have a few great albums to squeeze in this week before the weekend. Next week I'm hopeful to wrap this series up b/c I'm excited about some other things I have to share. Gonna keep this one brief b/c I'm short on time.  I'll stick to personnel and the tracklist for today.

First for today is a live album, recorded in Tokyo in 1975. While I'm not always that into live albums, Flood features some of Herbie's absolute best tunes. 

Herbie Hancock - Piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet and synthesizer.

Bennie Maupin - Tenor and soprano saxophone, saxello, bass clarinet, flute. 
Blackbyrd McKnight - Electric guitar.
Paul Jackson - Electric bass.
Bill Summers - Percussion.
Mike Clark - Drums. 

Tracklist:
1) Intro and Maiden Voyage
2) Actual Proof

3) Spank-A-Lee

4) Watermelon Man

5) Butterfly

6) Chameleon

7) Hang Up Your Hang Ups

Not really a weak spot here. I love "Actual Proof" and "Butterfly" but top to bottom this is a great listen. 

1975 also saw the release of another one of my favorite albums of all-time in Man-Child. I'm not sure where this album ranks amongst others - but I can't find a flaw. It's absolutely perfect to me. Technically considered the last album of the HeadHunters group, Herbie employed quite the group of musicians for this one. I'm not certain of a track by track breakdown of who was where - all I can say is Herbie was in his bag on this one, as the kids say. There's even a wicked harmonica solo from Stevie Wonder. 

Herbie Hancock - Piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet and synthesizer.

Bennie Maupin - Tenor and soprano saxophone, saxello, bass clarinet, bass and alto flute.

Wayne Shorter - Soprano saxophone.

Ernie Watts - Saxophone and flute.

Jim Horn - Saxophone and flute.

Garnett Brown - Trombone.

Bud Brisbois - Trumpet.

Jay DaVersa - Trumpet.

Dick Hyde - Tuba, Bass Trombone.

Blackbyrd McKnight - Electric guitar.

Wah Wah Watson - Electric guitar.

Louis Johnson - Bass.

Paul Jackson - Bass.

Henry Davis - Bass.

Bill Summers - Percussion.

Stevie Wonder - Harmonica.

Harvey Mason - Drums.

James Gadson - Drums. 

Mike Clark - Drums.

Tracklist: 

1) Hang Up Your Hang Ups

2) Sun Touch

3) The Traitor

4) Bubbles

5) Steppin' In It

6) Heartbeat

Again, not a weak point here. Personally, "Hang Up Your Hang Ups" and "The Traitor" are my favorites here. I prefer the studio version of HUYHU over the live version on Flood with a quicker tempo. "The Traitor" might be my favorite song in general - it perfectly embodies what I enjoy the most in music. Classic material.

After Man-Child, guitarist Wah Wah Watson was a mainstay on Herbie's albums throughout the rest of the 70s. Take a peak at the credits of his career and you'll be hard pressed to find a guy that played with more legendary musicians. Mostly a session musician, Watson did release a solo album in 1976 titled Elementary. Some of the tunes are a little vanilla but there are definitely some jams here. "Cry Baby" "Together (Whatever)" and "Good Friends" are all worth checking. There's also a nice version of "Bubbles." Vocals almost on every track so I've included a copy of instrumentals with mixed results. 

Wah Wah Watson - Guitar, synthesizer, talkbox.

Ray Parker Jr. - Guitar.

Louis Johnson - Bass.

John Barnes - Clavinet.

Joe Sample - Piano.

Sonny Burke - Piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer.

Clarence McDonald - Piano.

Ollie Brown - Drums.

Tracklist:

1) Goo Goo Wah Wah

2) Love My Blues Away

3) Cry Baby

4) My Love For You Comes And Goes

5) Together (Whatever)

6) Sunset Boulevard

7) Love Ain't Somethin' (That You Get For Free)

8) I'll Get By Without You

9) Bubbles

10) Good Friends

One takeaway from Man-Child for me was the exceptional bass player Louis Johnson. I wasn't aware of his career until recently and learned that he is one half of the funk band The Brothers Johnson. In 1976, they released their debut album, the Quincy Jones produced Look Out For #1. A similar situation as the Wah Wah Watson album, there are definitely some jams here along with some tunes that don't do much for me. I've again included an instrumental copy with mixed results. The personnel list for this one is massive so I'll leave it to you if you'd like to investigate it further. Harvey Mason is on drums which doesn't hurt anything, though. "Thunder Thumbs and Lightnin' Licks", "Get The Funk Out Ma Face" and "Dancin' and Prancin'" are all worth a listen. "Tomorrow" is a nice little tune as well - one I've heard sampled before but can't recall the song. 

Tracklist:

1) I'll Be Good To You

2) Thunder Thumbs and Lightnin' Licks

3) Get The Funk Out Ma Face

4) Tomorrow

5) Free And Single

6) Come Together

7) Land Of Ladies

8) Dancin' And Prancin'

9) The Devil

Have a great weekend!