Still, spell the iii albums Khan made for Columbia—1977's Tightrope, 1978's The Blue Man as well as 1979's Arrows—remain compelling on the two-disc 2015 BGO complication that brought these iii albums dorsum into impress internationally for the initiative off fourth dimension inward many years, past times 1980, with the release of Khan's groundbreaking Arista debut, Evidence, it was clear that modify was inward the air. Khan's Columbia recordings were all special recordings, but they were also, to unopen to extent, obvious albums, where Khan's attention-grabbing writing set the foundation for unopen to 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 initiative off 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 as well as his previous employer, Randy Brecker. But it was the 2nd side, an 18-minute medley of music past times renegade composer/pianist Thelonious Monk, that was the knockout punch on a tape that, from start to finish, demonstrated greater breadth—texturally, harmonically as well as conceptually—than whatever 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 as well as the view that less can, indeed, oftentimes hold upwardly more.
These changes were all the offset of a prototype shift for Khan, but it was with his adjacent iii albums, all featuring the same lineup, that the guitarist genuinely honed these changes equally a guitarist as well as 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 as well as 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) amongst Eyewitness: newly remastered (and approved past times Khan) as well as spread across 2 CDs, with extensive liner notes past times Matt Phillips. Eyewitness/Modern Times/Casa Loco rights a incorrect past times putting these albums dorsum inward print: iii of import records that genuinely redefined Khan equally a guitarist, composer, interpreter as well as bandleader. They also set the phase for everything that was to follow, fifty-fifty if futurity 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; as well as 2014's Subtext—which to a greater extent than decidedly explored the guitarist's career-long involvement inward all things Latin as well as Afro-Cuban.
But inward a career that's positioned Khan equally a guitarist's guitarist, it's with these iii Eyewitness albums that everything changed—and began again—for Khan. The Rediscovery column may, indeed, hold upwardly amongst the finally words on Eyewitness, describing the genesis of the grouping as well as 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 proceed to evolve, as well as this two-disc set demonstrates only how Eyewitness grew over the course of teaching 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 creative someone who felt cook to receive got existent chances; Modern Times may possess the experience of a grouping that's spent unopen to meaning route fourth dimension together, but this May, 1982 alive appointment from Tokyo's The Pit Inn was, inward fact, Eyewitness' initiative off ever alive date. Given the tenor of the times, with the emergence of the immature lions as well as neoconservative jazz displace inward full, well, swing, Modern Times represented a meaning endangerment on many fronts, beyond beingness the group's initiative off alive performance. First, this was all-original music: iii compositions past times Khan as well as the closing championship track—a collectively composed slice that moves from brooding, ethereal opening to four-on-the-floor theme, driven past times Khan's whammy bar-driven chords, ultimately opening upwardly to a solo department for Khan that's propelled past times the reggae-inflected Jordan, Badrena's empathic punctuations, as well as Jackson's remarkable might to completely anchor the grouping while, at the same time, altering the harmonic centre of the slice as well as acting equally an near-telepathic melodic foil for the guitarist.
Third, spell these aren't what could hold upwardly called "fusion" records inward whatever agency or at whatever time—though they're sure as shooting both electrical as well as 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 occupation they don't swing the agency the Marsalises of the footing 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 past times Jackson as well as 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 futurity would hold upwardly to a greater extent than focused on other arenas—recording with artists ranging from The Rolling Stones' Keith Richards as well as soulful blues guitarist Robert Cray to Earth crooner/guitar sorcerer Vince Gill—at to the lowest degree unopen to of his roots were unmistakably inward the jazz sphere, equally both he as well as Badrena bolster Jackson's walking bass lines as well as Khan's lean phrasing as well as sophisticated voicings.
It's unlikely that Khan ever crossed paths with Allan Holdsworth, but there's something indescribably Holdsworthian nigh the structure of "Penguin Village," though 1 time Khan winds his agency through the composition's primary theme, it becomes all Eyewitness—the guitarist's sinewy tune driven relentlessly past times Jordan's rimshot snare, Jackson's staggered bass lines as well as Badrena's pulsating congas.
But to a greater extent than than whatever private component, that Modern Times was taken from Eyewitness' initiative off alive functioning only serves to present how shrewd Khan was inward putting this detail grouping of players together inward the initiative off place. The entire album bristles with excitement, fifty-fifty when the mood is to a greater extent than subdued, as well as there's an overriding sense, throughout its entire 46-minute duration, of a grouping hanging on for dearest life. Still, despite every nanosecond feeling imbued with endangerment at that topographic point is, nevertheless, a feeling of confidence amongst Khan as well as his bandmates; no thing where anyone chooses to go, there's a feeling of certainty that the others volition ever create out to hold upwardly there—either to follow the lead...or to involve handgrip of the reins as well as receive the music inward fifty-fifty to a greater extent than unexpected directions.
Following a prototype shifter similar Eyewitness as well as a alive album similar Modern Times may receive got represented a challenge for unopen to 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 as well as appealing.
Somewhere in-between, there's the metrically challenging "Some Sharks," as well as a completely unexpected facial expression at Steve Leonard's 1964 surf hitting with The Pyramids, "Penetration," that manages to hold upwardly both reverent as well as 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 vi songs beingness written past times Khan.
Beyond the guitarist's "Uncle Roy" as well as "Penetration," Casa Loco's 4 other tracks are all co-credited to the entire group, making this an fifty-fifty to a greater extent than collaborative endeavour than what came before. The to a greater extent than pervasive inclusion of Badrena's vocals is unopen to other meaning differentiator, equally is Jordan's fairly liberal occupation 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 as well as occasionally chorused, he also injects unopen to unexpectedly jagged overdrive on "The Suitcase" as well as "Penetration," as well as 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 see 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 as well as 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 exclusively different way. Casa Loco is also an edgier record, with Jackson as well as Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan creating a to a greater extent than unsettling foundation, as well as Badrena's improvised vocals, at times, quirkily idiosyncratic.
Taken together, Eyewitness, Modern Times as well as Casa Loco correspond something all likewise rare inward most musicians' discographies, defining, equally they do, a real specific betoken inward fourth dimension where everything changed. Providing the chance to hear as well as experience Khan redefine both himself as well as his bandmates to freer possibilities—and with all iii albums largely out of impress for many years—credit must also operate to Britain's BGO Records for beingness amenable to the reissue of these iii of import titles. As Khan prepares for a Subtext followup, Eyewitness/Modern Times/Casa Loco non only fills the gap nicely, it should human activeness equally a major eye-and ear-opener to Khan fans who've never had the opportunity—and the pleasure—to hear these iii absolutely seminal as well as groundbreaking recordings.
Track Listing:
CD1:
Eyewitness: 1. Where's Mumphrey? 2. MD 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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