By 1975, drummer Jack DeJohnette was only a few years removed from his sideman stint amongst Miles Davis together with was deeply immersed inwards his ain search together with regain mission equally a composer together with bandleader inwards his ain right. Joining him on this Oct 10, 1975 functioning at the Great American Music Hall were kindred spirits John Abercrombie on guitar, Alex Foster on alto sax together with Mike Richmond on bass (the same crew that had appeared on DeJohnette's Prestige album of that year, Cosmic Chicken). With a nod to both the burgeoning fusion drive together with the hippie-jazz aesthetic that had been unleashed yesteryear saxophonist Charles Lloyd inwards 1967 amongst Love-In together with his pop 1968 followup, Forest Flower (DeJohnette played on both of those breakthrough recordings), these forward-thinking colleagues kept things suitably energetic, spacey together with oft wah-wah-fueled throughout their daring set.
With DeJohnette on keyboards, they opened upwards their GAMH fix amongst a subtly playful piece, "One for Devadip together with the Professor," which was written for guitarist Carlos Santana together with DeJohnette's quondam mentor, saxophonist Charles Lloyd. The minimalist slice is marked yesteryear approximately probing Lloyd-inspired sax run from Alex Foster together with pungent, distortion-laced guitar lines yesteryear Abercrombie, whose ain rigid ECM divulge that yr (Timeless amongst DeJohnette together with keyboardist January Hammer) was a pregnant add-on to the fusion genre. Richmond, on big-toned upright bass, also feeds his signal through a wah-wah pedal for that quintessential '70s effect. Richmond together with then kicks off the championship rails of Cosmic Chicken amongst a wild Hendrix-inspired solo bass showcase that has him bowing his upright piece simultaneously activating his wah-wah pedal together with flanger number for a startling array of tonal colors together with textures. Following that extended bass intro, the band jumps inwards amongst slashing ability chords together with slamming beats, clearly channeling the turbulent stone ability of Miles' virtually dynamic electrical menstruum before settling into a sort of slow-grooving, meditative ostinato that has Foster stretching heroically together with provocatively on tenor sax. Abercrombie follows amongst a ferocious six-string onrush over Richmond's bubbling wah-wah basslines that rivals John McLaughlin's raw, ripping, proto-punk stylings on Miles Davis' Jack Johnson or Tony Williams Lifetime's Emergency. Hardcore fusion aficionados volition autumn to their knees amongst their teeth chattering over the intense guitar solo. Next upwards is DeJohnette, who takes his fourth dimension developing his ain masterful solo, traversing the kit amongst quick hands, lightning instincts together with signature aplomb to consummate the sequence of private showcases on this marathon 36-minute vehicle.
The quartet follows amongst "The Vikings Are Coming," which would after appear on DeJohnette's 1976 ECM album, Untitled. This slice is noteworthy for the leader's appearance on tenor sax, shadowing Foster's ain tenor lines on the folkish subject that starts off the melody equally Abercrombie together with Richmond freelance behind them. Abercrombie together with Foster after engage inwards approximately heated exchanges close the cease of this swirling, atmospheric number. The multi-faceted, multi-directional DeJohnette opens the set-closer amongst a contemplative solo pianoforte piece, "Memories," that eventually heads into only a impact of jaunty stride playing. By the fourth dimension the band enters, they are swinging inwards direct ahead fashion on "Eiderdown" (from Cosmic Chicken), amongst the drummer demonstrating remarkable facility together with surging feel of swing indicating that he could necessitate keep easily had a whole split career equally a jazz pianist, if he had thence chosen. Midway through this extended jam, the leader returns to the drum fix to beautifully underscore Foster's blistering alto sax solo together with Abercrombie's probing guitar solo. Richmond together with then takes over amongst an unaccompanied bass solo that in 1 trial again has him exploring the role of effects pedals amongst his upright bass (this fourth dimension a book pedal). This extended jam closes amongst a kinetic, conversational yoke betwixt guitarist Abercrombie together with drummer DeJohnette that peaks when Abercrombie stomps on his distortion pedal together with heads to the stratosphere amongst DeJohnette fueling his excursion…shades of John Coltrane together with Elvin Jones inwards total stride. Abercrombie, DeJohnette together with Foster together with then engage inwards a brisk exchanging of eights, inwards classic bebop tradition, before completing this real rigid fix inwards San Francisco.
In 1975, DeJohnette also formed the highly interactive Gateway trio amongst Abercrombie together with bassist Dave Holland, together with the 3 colleagues continued to tape together off together with over the adjacent 3 decades. DeJohnette was a primal fellow member of Pat Metheny's 80/81 band (which also featured tenor saxophonists Michael Brecker together with Dewey Redman together with bassist Charlie Haden) together with inwards 1985 appeared on Metheny's landmark collaboration amongst Ornette Coleman on the provocative Song X. The drummer-composer-bandleader continued to tape prolifically through the '70s together with '80s for ECM amongst his Special Edition, Directions together with New Directions bands. For the yesteryear 25 years he has been a fellow member of the Keith Jarrett Trio (with bassist Gary Peacock). In 2003, he recorded the Tony Williams Lifetime tribute album Suadades amongst Trio Beyond (guitarist John Scofield together with organist Larry Goldings) together with inwards 2005 he formed his ain Kindred Rhythm/Golden Beams label, which has thence far released such various offerings equally the the world music recording Music from the Hearts of the Masters, the relaxation disc Music inwards the Key of Om, a provocative yoke amongst Bill Frisell entitled The Elephant Sleeps But Still Remembers, the Grammy Award-winning New Age album Peace Time together with the trio recording Music We Are amongst bassist John Patitucci together with pianist Danilo Perez. DeJohnette's virtually recent projects include The Intercontinentals, featuring South African vocalizer Sibongile Khumalo, together with his electrical flow working quartet featuring guitarist Dave "Fuze" Fiuczynski, bassist Jerome Harris together with alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa.
For 1975 this album was agency ahead of its time. This is real spacey jazz amongst keen interplay, interesting compositions, together with amazing playing. This is a keen instance of DeJohnette's "tonal"drumming. It's non only beats, he's playing notes. His organ playing (a pleasant surprise) on "Shades of the Phantom" conjured upwards the tunes namesake real well. I don't know what planet Alex Foster (sax) comes from, but he plays similar a homo on fire. Hearing Peter Warren's loopy stage shifted upright bass bowing on the championship rails let's yous know you've only entered a dissimilar place. John Abercrombie (guitar) is the best of the Berklee guitarists (sorry Pat Metheney),and amend known for his run amongst Billy Cobham, but his before run hither is stellar too. "Stratocruiser" is a fast together with furious ride that leaves yous gasping for air. The "Last Chance Stomp" (An abridged history of jazz inwards 5 movements), is a virtual fourth dimension machine. It starts off sounding similar early on 1920's jazz from a 78 record. The melody together with the audio character morph from a unproblematic riff to approximately super fast jazz, equally if it was beingness played yesteryear successive generations of musicians.
This album begs to survive re-released on CD, but if yous are lucky plenty to ain it on vinyl, treasure it. If yous are looking for approximately mellow shine jazz, RUN for the nearest exit. You won't regain it here.
Track listing
All compositions yesteryear Jack DeJohnette except equally indicated
"Cosmic Chicken" - 4:53
"One for Devadip together with the Professor" - 3:35
"Memories" - 5:58
"Stratocruiser" - 7:28
"Shades of the Phantom" - 6:13
"Eiderdown" (Steve Swallow) - 5:35
"Sweet together with Pungent" - 3:32
"Last Chance Stomp" - 7:07
Recorded at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, CA on Apr 24–26, 1975
Personnel
Jack DeJohnette – drums, piano, keyboards
Alex Foster – alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
John Abercrombie – electrical guitar
Peter Warren – electrical bass
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