Jazz Odyssey

 In no particular order:

• Allan Holdsworth–Then!:I’ve been a fan of jazz and fusion guitarist Allan Holdsworth for many years, but more recently I’ve become a fanatic.  He released his finest studio album ever The Sixteen Men of Tain back in 2000 (reissued in 2003 with sonic improvements and bonus tracks) and followed that with two stellar live albums, 2003’s All Night Wrong and 2004’s Then!.  The opportunity to see him on October 12th of this year came as a last minute surprise, and is easily the finest live show I saw in 2004.  Then! stands out as one of the best CDs of the year (the guitar solo on "Non-Brewed Condiment" is one of the most intense things I’ve ever heard).  Since ‘fusion’ became a bad word somewhere along the way, I won’t use it to describe the music on this release. Instead, I’ll say that this is electric jazz of the highest caliber….this quartet vibrates with an intensity and near-telepathic interplay that needs to be heard to be believed.  Also of Holdsworthian note, this year saw the reissue of jazz drummer Tony William’s fusion classic Believe It (with bonus tracks) that features Holdsworth on guitar.
• Brian Wilson–Smile:  This album will make many ‘Best of 2004′ lists and deservedly so.  It exceeded my expectations on every level.  You certainly can’t go back in time, but you can bring the spirit of a time forward.  Wilson has done this with grace, style and heart.  This record belongs in the collection of every music fan.
• Umphrey’s McGee–Anchor Drops:  The DNA splicing of a jamband and a progressive rock band has finally come to fruition.  Umphrey’s McGee (yes…I think the name sucks too) have been wowing live audiences a couple of hundred nights each year since late 1997, but they are the first jamband that has produced a truly great studio album.  The excitement and sense of urgency that permeates their live shows comes through with a clarity that will find you humming one of their hooks one minute and then dropping your jaw with one of their many musically dextrous highwire maneuvers.  Anchor Drops has gotten lots and lots of play since I picked it up earlier this year, and the more I listen to it the more I like it.  UM has many professionally mixed live shows available for free download from the Live Music Archive and they also sell other shows for download through DiscLogic (who also have Anchor Drops for sale in MP3, WMA, AAC and FLAC format).
• A Helmet of Gnats–self titled:  Take one part Return to Forever, one part Dixie Dregs (minus the country and bluegrass influences) and one part Bruford (circa One of a Kind) and you’ve got A Helmet of Gnats.  While these guys have chops to burn, they avoid the traditional fusion pitfalls due to the outrageously engaging compositions.  The music on this hybrid CD/SACD was lovingly recorded on classic analog equipment and sounds great.  The next time I visit  my buddy Alan who is one of those mega hi-fi guys who spends hundreds of dollars on speaker cables, this is the disc I want to test on his stereo.  Available from the band’s website, CDBaby and The Laser’s Edge.
• NERD–Fly or Die:  It’s unfair that Pharrell & Co. got the shaft from the mainstream in terms of sales on this album.  If Steely Dan wore hip-hop influences, NERD is what they’d sound like.  Great songs, incredible production make this a must-have disc.  This album was made for an SACD or DVD-A release.
• Yes–Tormato & Drama & 90125 reissues: Rhino completes their sonic upgrade to the Yes catalog with some interesting bonus tracks.  The oft-maligned Tormato actually sounds good for the first time–the LP sounded thin and subsequent CD issues have been plagued by subpar mastering.  This album got slammed by lots of Yes fans, but this CD issue is changing quite a few minds.  Drama also benefits from greatly improved sound (Squire’s bass will knock small objects off shelves) and has some amazing bonus tracks, including the superb "Satellite (Song #4)" which is a really great instrumental track.  While 90125 remains a "controversial" album among hardcore Yes fanatics, you can’t deny that the producer Trevor Horn and guitarist Trevor Rabin breathed new life into Yes and allowed them to continue for two more decades.  Next up from Rhino is the long awaited 3 CD box set of unreleased live Yes recordings.  From what I’ve heard, if you’re a Yes fan this will be your #1 release of 2005….
• Khan–Space Shanty:  Eclectic Discs continues to mine the vaults for UK prog rock gems.  Having brought us proper CD issues from Nektar and Caravan, they’ve turned to Canterbury once again to bring us the current series of reissues.  This obscure prog rock masterpiece was originally released in 1972, and is a fantastic blend of jazzy Canterbury fusion and space rock.  Guitarist Steve Hillage and keyboardist Dave Stewart would go on to more famous projects in subsequent years, but this 2004 reissue which features 2 bonus tracks is a killer slice of early 70s prog.  Back in the day, I’m sure the gatefold cover of the LP was put to frequent use   The guitar and Hammond organ interplay on this record is *GREAT*.
• Kenso Ha-re-ki (DVD):  Kenso is a Japanese jazz fusion band who have been performing since the late 70s.  This DVD, recorded in 2003 is one of the best live DVDs I’ve seen.  The camera crew clearly knows the material, and the cuts from full band to individual members are tasteful (as opposed to the "change views every 12 seconds" school of editing) and when multiple views are necessary, split screens are used.  If you are a fan of prog rock or fusion and enjoy watching brilliant musicians at work, this DVD is worth tracking down.  A more detailed review can be found here.  Available from Synphonic.
• Horacee Arnold–Tales of the Exonerated Flea: The list of great but obscure jazz LPs that haven’t yet been issued on CD is now one smaller with the release of this jazz fusion monster from 1974.  Drummer Arnold assembled a stellar cast, including George Mraz, Sonny Fortune, John Abercrombie, Ralph Towner, Rick Laird and Jan Hammer and the result is absolutely mindblowing.  Anyone with an interest in jazz/rock fusion should pick this up.  Don’t look for a shredfest here–this album is closer to early 70s Herbie Hancock than it is to Mahavishnu.  A great reissue.
• Allman Brothers–Instant Live 2004 Series:  What I’m about to state will no doubt cause accusations of insantiy (above and beyond the usual), but the current lineup of the Allman Brothers is playing as well, if not better than the classic Live At The Fillmore and Eat a Peach lineup.  The dual guitars of Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks are relentless, soaring and powerful.  Greg’s world-weary vocals have never been stronger.  Bass virtuoso Oteil Burbridge (formerly of the Aquarium Rescue Unit) adds a nimble intricasy to the bottom end that eluded previous players in the bass chair, and propels the band forward into brand new territory every night.  There are no useless notes or meandering solos, and there is certainly no feeling whatsoever that this is a nostalgia act.  The band brings the appropriate quality of energy to every song, playing as a unit that puts most jambands to shame.  They’ve made many of the shows from their fall tour available and while you can’t go wrong with any of them, the 3 nights at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, GA will easily go down as 3 of the best gigs this band every played.  High marks also go to the bands online crew who run a great community on their bulletin board and offer superb customer service.
• Grateful Dead–Dick’s Picks #31 (8/4 thru 8/6 1974):  This is absolutely essential Grateful Dead.  The Playin’->Scarlet->Playin’ on disc 4 by itself would be worth the price.  This was the Dead at their jazziest, and 8/6/74 is my personal favorite show from 1974 (which was a year filled with great shows).  Hear this at all costs.
• Phish–5/8/93 (LivePhish Download): As I wrote in a prior post, I’m finding this time of year a little strange and sad, as right now I should be in the middle of the Phish New Year’s run.  Since it appears that Phish is done for good, the next best thing is to listen to a few favorite shows from days of yore.  This particular show was always a favorite, and I was really pleased that it was chosen for release through the LivePhish download service.  The band plays with incredible energy and intensity–attacking the composed sections with precision and gusto, then venturing into improv forays executed with with a seemingly effortless fluidity. This show is also beautifully mixed–to my ears this is the best mix I’ve heard on a LivePhish download. Page’s piano stands out with a great deal of clarity, particularly when keyboardist Page McConnell does that "bastard child of Hornsby and Monk" type of playing with lots of blue notes that somehow sound wrong and melodic at the same time. Guitarist Trey Anastasio is on fire throughout the entire show.  Drummer Jon Fishman is at his intricate 1993 best and Mike Gordon is just all over the map on bass and with a particularly thick tone that he wields with both speed and groove.  This is great place for begnning Phish fans to start, and a classic that even jaded old-timers will come back to again and again. 

Happy Holidaze!