Still, spell the 3 albums Khan made for Columbia—1977's Tightrope, 1978's The Blue Man together with 1979's Arrows—remain compelling on the two-disc 2015 BGO complication that brought these 3 albums dorsum into impress internationally for the firstly fourth dimension inward many years, yesteryear 1980, with the release of Khan's groundbreaking Arista debut, Evidence, it was clear that alter was inward the air. Khan's Columbia recordings were all particular recordings, but they were also, to to a greater extent than or less extent, obvious albums, where Khan's attention-grabbing writing set the foundation for to a greater extent than or less aggressive, fusion-centric soloing that, clearly for the guitarist, had a express shelf-life.
Evidence, on the other hand, was a true solo album, where Khan layered guitar upon guitar (upon guitar) inward a setlist consisting completely of other peoples' writing. The firstly side of the original vinyl release collected compositions—some well-known, others to a greater extent than obscure—by jazz luminaries including Wayne Shorter, Joe Zawinul, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver together with his previous employer, Randy Brecker. But it was the 2d side, an 18-minute medley of music yesteryear renegade composer/pianist Thelonious Monk, that was the knockout punch on a tape that, from start to finish, demonstrated greater breadth—texturally, harmonically together with conceptually—than whatsoever of Khan's previous recordings...and despite his to a greater extent than reductionist approach. More inward service of the vocal than ever before, Khan also demonstrated greater attending to infinite together with the persuasion that less can, indeed, oftentimes hold upwardly more.
These changes were all the kickoff of a prototype shift for Khan, but it was with his adjacent 3 albums, all featuring the same lineup, that the guitarist genuinely honed these changes equally a guitarist together with composer with the precision of a fine sculptor, but this fourth dimension inward the context of an empathic quartet featuring bassist Anthony Jackson, drummer Steve Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan together with ex-Weather Report percussionist Manolo Badrena.
And so, BGO's reissue also includes the alive Modern Times (Trio Records, 1982)—released inward the USA equally Blades (Passport Jazz)—and studio follow-up Casa Loco (Antilles, 1984) with Eyewitness: newly remastered (and approved yesteryear Khan) together with spread across 2 CDs, with extensive liner notes yesteryear Matt Phillips. Eyewitness/Modern Times/Casa Loco rights a incorrect yesteryear putting these albums dorsum inward print: 3 of import records that genuinely redefined Khan equally a guitarist, composer, interpreter together with bandleader. They also set the phase for everything that was to follow, fifty-fifty if time to come albums ranged from the freely interpretive trio of The Green Field (Tone Center, 2006) to the guitarist's most recent Tone Centre releases—2007's Borrowed Time; 2011's Parting Shot; together with 2014's Subtext—which to a greater extent than decidedly explored the guitarist's career-long involvement inward all things Latin together with Afro-Cuban.
But inward a career that's positioned Khan equally a guitarist's guitarist, it's with these 3 Eyewitness albums that everything changed—and began again—for Khan. The Rediscovery column may, indeed, hold upwardly amongst the terminal words on Eyewitness, describing the genesis of the grouping together with how Khan applied a sparer, largely gentler approach that eschewed overt pyrotechnics and, instead, made deep grooves, grouping interplay and, most important, collective listening Eyewitness' meaning modus operandi.
No grouping is worth its salt, however, if it doesn't piece of work along to evolve, together with this two-disc set demonstrates but how Eyewitness grew over the course of educational activity of an eighteen-month timespan, from the November, 1981 recording of Eyewitness through the May, 1983 sessions that yielded the to a greater extent than provocative Casa Loco.
It also demonstrates how Khan had grown into an artist who felt prepare to demand keep existent chances; Modern Times may possess the experience of a grouping that's spent to a greater extent than or less meaning route fourth dimension together, but this May, 1982 alive appointment from Tokyo's The Pit Inn was, inward fact, Eyewitness' firstly ever alive date. Given the tenor of the times, with the emergence of the immature lions together with neoconservative jazz displace inward full, well, swing, Modern Times represented a meaning endangerment on many fronts, beyond existence the group's firstly alive performance. First, this was all-original music: 3 compositions yesteryear Khan together with the closing championship track—a collectively composed slice that moves from brooding, ethereal opening to four-on-the-floor theme, driven yesteryear Khan's whammy bar-driven chords, ultimately opening upwardly to a solo department for Khan that's propelled yesteryear the reggae-inflected Jordan, Badrena's empathic punctuations, together with Jackson's remarkable mightiness to completely anchor the grouping while, at the same time, altering the harmonic centre of the slice together with acting equally an near-telepathic melodic foil for the guitarist.
Third, spell these aren't what could hold upwardly called "fusion" records inward whatsoever agency or at whatsoever time—though they're for sure both electrical together with electrifying—there's footling to house Eyewitness inward the context of the backwards-looking neocon displace of its time. While every slice on Modern Times swings inward its ain way, for the most part they don't swing the agency the Marsalises of the basis were asserting equally the only agency at the time. That said, spell "The Blue Shadow" opens upwardly with a bass/drums duet that, to a greater extent than backbeat-driven, clearly demonstrates the mitochondrial connectedness shared yesteryear Jackson together with Jordan, it ultimately unfolds into a solo middle department that swings inward a to a greater extent than decidedly jazz-like fashion. Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan makes clear that, equally much equally his time to come would hold upwardly to a greater extent than focused on other arenas—recording with artists ranging from The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards together with soulful blues guitarist Robert Cray to province crooner/guitar magician Vince Gill—at to the lowest degree to a greater extent than or less of his roots were unmistakably inward the jazz sphere, equally both he together with Badrena bolster Jackson's walking bass lines together with Khan's lean phrasing together with sophisticated voicings.
It's unlikely that Khan ever crossed paths with Allan Holdsworth, but there's something indescribably Holdsworthian well-nigh the structure of "Penguin Village," though in 1 lawsuit Khan winds his agency through the composition's primary theme, it becomes all Eyewitness—the guitarist's sinewy tune driven relentlessly yesteryear Jordan's rimshot snare, Jackson's staggered bass lines together with Badrena's pulsating congas.
But to a greater extent than than whatsoever private component, that Modern Times was taken from Eyewitness' firstly alive surgical operation only serves to demonstrate how sharp Khan was inward putting this particular grouping of players together inward the firstly place. The entire album bristles with excitement, fifty-fifty when the mood is to a greater extent than subdued, together with there's an overriding sense, throughout its entire 46-minute duration, of a grouping hanging on for honey life. Still, despite every nanosecond feeling imbued with endangerment at that spot is, nevertheless, a feeling of confidence amongst Khan together with his bandmates; no affair where anyone chooses to go, there's a feeling of certainty that the others volition e'er contend to hold upwardly there—either to follow the lead...or to demand grip of the reins together with campaign the music inward fifty-fifty to a greater extent than unexpected directions.
Following a prototype shifter similar Eyewitness together with a alive album similar Modern Times may demand keep represented a challenge for to a greater extent than or less but, if anything, Casa Loco represents a grouping continuing to evolve...and may good hold upwardly the best amongst a grouping of albums where every unmarried 1 offers something unique together with appealing.
Somewhere in-between, there's the metrically challenging "Some Sharks," together with a completely unexpected facial expression at Steve Leonard's 1964 surf striking with The Pyramids, "Penetration," that manages to hold upwardly both reverent together with thoroughly modern. Both tracks flesh out a tape that differs significantly from what came earlier inward many ways, if for no other argue than only 1 of its 6 songs existence written yesteryear Khan.
Beyond the guitarist's "Uncle Roy" together with "Penetration," Casa Loco's iv other tracks are all co-credited to the entire group, making this an fifty-fifty to a greater extent than collaborative seek than what came before. The to a greater extent than pervasive inclusion of Badrena's vocals is to a greater extent than or less other meaning differentiator, equally is Jordan's fairly liberal purpose of the then-relatively novel Simmons electronic drums, which allowed him to inject a multifariousness of electronic colors throughout the record---surprisingly, xxx years later, weathering fourth dimension far amend than many of those early on electronic drum experiments. And though Khan's tone is largely clean, warm together with occasionally chorused, he also injects to a greater extent than or less unexpectedly jagged overdrive on "The Suitcase" together with "Penetration," together with leans a footling to a greater extent than heavily towards the overtly virtuosic...delivering rapid-fire lines that, nevertheless, never come upwardly at the expense of either the collective grouping audio or the heart of the music.
But spell all the definers of previous Eyewitness records remain, Casa Loco is overall a to a greater extent than hard-driving record, with a to a greater extent than aggressive stance. Despite Khan's ongoing commitment to creating distinctive chord voicings together with a full general eschewal of "look at me" pyrotechnics, Casa Loco lights a burn downwards that fifty-fifty the undeniably incendiary Modern Times failed to light...or, to a greater extent than fairly, lit inward an alone different way. Casa Loco is also an edgier record, with Jackson together with Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan creating a to a greater extent than unsettling foundation, together with Badrena's improvised vocals, at times, quirkily idiosyncratic.
Taken together, Eyewitness, Modern Times together with Casa Loco stand upwardly for something all also rare inward most musicians' discographies, defining, equally they do, a rattling specific indicate inward fourth dimension where everything changed. Providing the chance to hear together with experience Khan redefine both himself together with his bandmates to freer possibilities—and with all 3 albums largely out of impress for many years—credit must also piece of work to Britain's BGO Records for existence amenable to the reissue of these 3 of import titles. As Khan prepares for a Subtext followup, Eyewitness/Modern Times/Casa Loco non only fills the gap nicely, it should deed equally a major eye-and ear-opener to Khan fans who've never had the opportunity—and the pleasure—to hear these 3 absolutely seminal together with groundbreaking recordings.
Track Listing:
CD1:
Eyewitness: 1. Where's Mumphrey? 2. medico Slump 3. Auxiliary Police 4. Guy Lafleur 5. Eyewitness.
Modern Times: 6. Blades 7. The Blue Shadow.
CD2:
Modern Times (con't): 1. Penguin Village 2. Modern Times.
Casa Loco: 3. The Breakaway 4. Casa Loco 5. Penetration 6. Some Sharks 7. Uncle Roy 8. The Suitcase.
Personnel:
Steve Khan: guitar; Anthony Jackson: bass guitar, contrabass guitar (CD1#6-7, CD2); Steve Jordan: drums, Simmons drums (CD2#3-8) ; Manolo Badrena: percussion, vocals (CD2#3-8).
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