Jeff Beck: Wired (1976)

If my admiration for Blow By Blow was tempered at best, I wasn’t sure if Wired was going to be any better. A few more days spent watching ton of live videos showed me exactly what it is about Jeff Beck that was so influential: the guy was an absolute master when it came to dynamics, phrasing, and no one used the volume knob and whammy bar better than he did. Would that translate to a better studio album, especially one with a change of guard that now included some of the very same players that was inspiring him in the fusion world? I like Wired more: there are a few small issues here and there, but to my ears this sounds like the fulfillment of what Beck was shooting for on his previous album.

ChrisMay 16, 2025May 16, 2025Leave a comment

Jeff Beck: Blow By Blow (1975)

I know a consistent refrain here is that it’s never too late to discover an artist or band. And that’s true, for the most part. But time and distance can sometimes blur or fade the response to a legend, and I’m not going to lie here: Jeff Beck is most certainly a fantastic guitarist, but if I’m going by my first thorough impressions of Beck’s first “proper” solo album, the instrumental multi-genre hyphenate Blow By Blow I’m a little underwhelmed. There are a few moments where the tracks really soar, and Beck’s playing is always fine, but the songs themselves often feel rote and shallow. Yeah, I’m as surprised as you, and happy to return my cool cred card but on the whole not sure this is one I’ll revisit often.

ChrisMay 13, 20251 Comment

Vinyl

Bruford: One Of A Kind (1979)

Somehow reading about and buying a lot of those Three Blind Mice and East Wind releases led me from Japanese jazz fusion over to what the rest of the world was doing with fusion. I decided to start filling gaps in my knowledge and collection with Bruford, the solo group project led by former Yes and King Crimson drummer Bill Bruford. One Of A Kind is his second solo album, moving the murderer’s row of talent he assembled for his debut into an actual group unit, including Allan Holdsworth on guitar, Dave Stewart on keyboards, and Jeff Berlin on bass. Yeah, it’s kind of U.K. Pt. II with this being where Bruford and Holdworth ended up after leaving that supergroup, but make no mistake about the genre: this is pure jazz fusion rather than any attempt at prog rock or pop.

ChrisMay 9, 2025July 19, 2025Leave a comment

Vinyl

Trigon: Cosmic Kraut Jam (2024)

I had never heard of Trigon, the German self-proclaimed “HeavyZenJazz” trio before seeing the drop dead gorgeous cover art for Cosmic Kraut Jam. See, really good, non-AI art can still drive people to your music! The band have been around since 1990, and their brand of instrumental rock straddles a lot of different genres and influences. Despite only having six “official” studio albums in that time (the last being 2018’s 30 Jahre Traumzeit) they’ve been pretty active with live releases and improvisational jams. Cosmic Kraut Jam was recorded in a bunch of different sessions throughout 2023, seeing release late last year, and it’s a driving, electric mix of charged up jams that put you directly in the room with the band.

ChrisApril 28, 2025April 29, 2025Leave a comment

Elvin Jones: On The Mountain (1975)

February was a bit of a rough month, and I miss the peace that comes with simply sitting early in the morning and writing, so we’re going to try some daily, shorter reviews and vainly try not only save my sanity but get through the massive pile of physical media I’ve been using to distract myself from (vaguely gestures at the world). So why not start with a little jazz? Drummer Elvin Jones is certainly no stranger to jazz heads, being part of John Coltrane’s most famous quartet. At least that’s how I always knew him, and I’m only just now beginning to venture into his post-career as a bandleader and solo artist. On The Mountain is a terrific primer to his more electric work, celebrating its 50th birthday this year so let’s take a short detour into the whats and whys below.

ChrisFebruary 27, 2025February 27, 2025Leave a comment

Vinyl

George Duke: I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry (1975)

As mentioned in my review for The Aura Will Prevail, I came to George Duke via his work with Frank Zappa, so when I began seeking out his solo material I was searching for music with a likeminded mentality. Not the overt humor so much, but the “eyebrows” as Zappa himself would put it. As the second of two releases Duke put out in 1975, I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry is a gorgeous title, subtly hiding the eyebrows that are in plain sight when you put the actual record on. Featuring huge cast of rotating musicians, including a number of vets from Zappa’s band, this album eases up on the jazz fusion and proggy elements of the previous record just enough to let the rock in. There’s still a whirlwind of influences at play, and out of the trio of records I own from Duke, this is the one I go back to the most.

ChrisFebruary 11, 2025Leave a comment

Consuming the Tangible

We are what we consume

Tag: fusion

Jeff Beck: Wired (1976)

Jeff Beck: Blow By Blow (1975)

Bruford: One Of A Kind (1979)

Trigon: Cosmic Kraut Jam (2024)

Elvin Jones: On The Mountain (1975)

George Duke: I Love The Blues, She Heard My Cry (1975)