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spectrum

The driving drums and their trademark tonality underscore the Cobham technique. Add to this the distinctive fender-rhodes harmonics and driving bass line groove, and the stage is set for a “knock your socks off” performance. Stratus is definitely one of his best on the album.

Recorded in 1973, Spectrum is Billy Cobham’s debut effort as a bandleader.

Jazz purists of the time expressed a resistance to funk as viable part of the “straight ahead” jazz arena… fine, whatever! This is still undeniably jazz.

As pure funk, it’s too jazzy, and too jazzy and funky to be pure rock. Hence the “fusion” of all three, creating it’s own category.

The band is comprised of some of the up and coming young lions of the time including: Jan Hammer on keyboards and synthesizer, a former Mahavishnu alumnus, along with Cobham, Tommy Bolin on guitar, who would later be a member of the James Gang and Deep Purple, Leland Sklar on bass, who would go on to play with Phil Collins.

All of which shared a fusion-like mindset, the result of which being the right cats at the right time.

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personnel:

Producer William E. Cobham, Jr.
Engineer Ken Scott
Personnel Billy Cobham - percussion
Lee Sklar - electric bass
Jimmy Owens - flugelhorn, trumpet

Also: Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Joe Farrell, Jan Hammer, John Tropea, Tommy Bolin

track listing:

1. Quadrant 4
2. Searching For The Right Door / Spectrum
3. Anxiety / Taurian Matador
4. Stratus
5. To The Women In My Life / Le Lis
6. Snoopy’s Search / Red Baron

“COP DIS JAM”.

PROFYOUSION’S VIDEO REVIEW dave-weckl

“What It Is” is a track by the Dave Weckl Band exemplifies what I like best about fusion. Maybe these cats hear music differently than us “ordinary” folks.

No intro, they jump right to a funky bass/drum groove. The bassline has an off kilter vamp like it’s behind the meter, producing a kind of jerky feel, which is also replicated by the drums. Laid on top is a throaty sax, along with subtle rhythm accents on synth.

The solos by sax, keyboards with fender/rhodes tones, and drums, are explorative and unpredictable, and typify fusion’s unfamiliar paths by familiar instruments.
These paths keep the tune from becoming boringly smooth jazzy, and the bass/drum funk line is the orbit maintaining gravity keeping it from veering into outer space.

PROFYOUSION’S VIDEO REVIEW dave-weckl

“COP DIS JAM”.

From the album Multiplicity, released in 2005 on the Stretch Records label the personnel includes:

Dave Weckl-drums, percussion
Steve Weingart- keyboards, synth
Gary Meek-tenor/alto sax,bass clarinet, alto flute
Tom Kennedy-bass
Ric Fierabracci-bass on ‘what it is”

Track Listing:

Watch Your Step
Elements of Suprise
Vuelo
Inner Vision
What it is
Chain Reaction
Cascade Mixed Bag
Down on The Corner

Angelfire.com Bio:

Born in St. Louis Missouri, January 8th, 1960, to a mother who loved music and a father who played the piano as a hobby, Dave started playing drums around the age of 8. During his high school years he received many awards from the NAJE (National Association of Jazz Educators) for his outstanding performances in his high school’s competition winning jazz band, and was involved with numerous local groups from a very early age while studying with St. Louis area teachers Bob Matheny and then Joe Buerger*. At age 16 he began to work professionally with local pop and jazz groups. As he turned 19, he moved to the east coast in 1979 to study music at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut. While playing the club scene in New York City with a band called Nite Sprite, Dave started to receive accolades from established studio musicians such as Steve Kahn, Michael Brecker, and especially the great drummer Peter Erskine. It was Peter who recommended Dave for his first ‘big gig’ in town with a group called French Toast, forerunner to the Michel Camillo band, which has been recorded quite extensively over the years. From this group bassist Anthony Jackson recommended Dave for the prestigious Simon and Garfunkel reunion tour in 1983. After this tour it was not long before he was regularly being called for radio and TV jingles, sound track sessions, and top recording dates with such artists as George Benson, Peabo Bryson, Diana Ross and Robert Plant, to name a few.

In 1985 Michael Brecker told Chick Corea to check out this new young guy in town, Dave Weckl, for his new ‘Elektric Band’. That was the beginning of a 7 year relationship with both the ‘Elektric’ and ‘Akoustic’ Bands, where 9 recordings and 3 videos were produced, and the ‘Akoustic Band’ winning a Grammy for the band’s first release. It was also the Elektric Band’s first recording where Dave’s spectacular drumming and innovative use of combining electric and acoustic drums really brought him world wide recognition.

Dave has since gone on to produce six of his own recordings to date; ‘Masterplan’, ‘Heads Up’, and ‘Hardwired’, available on GRP/MCA records, and most recently with the Dave Weckl Band, ‘Transition’, ‘Ryhthm Of The Soul’, and ‘Synergy’ on Stretch/Concord Records. His own band has kept him very busy as of the last few years, but when off the road he keeps busy with session work and record dates in the Los Angeles area, as well as appearing occasionally with Lee Ritenour, Marco Mendoza, Brandon Fields group, Alan Pasqua and others.

Besides his busy playing career, Dave is also very involved with the teaching aspect of the music business, conducting many seminars and classes all over the world. He says ” It is my goal to inspire as many young (and not so young) people as possible to want to play music, whether it be drums or another instrument. With all the problems of the world today, I feel this is my way of contributing a positive action towards spiritual happiness, which music can be a big part of, if you let it. So parents, if your child has a talent for music, please allow them the opportunity to develop that talent!” Dave does accept students for consultation type lessons when he is off the road, so if interested send an e-mail to Weckman1@aol.com.

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profyousion’s video review doin-it-to-death

funky good time: the anthology

From the opening guitar groove, the tone is set to have “A Funky Good Time” by all involved, musicians and listeners.
The beat is infectious, and draws you into what sounds like a live studio session, or someones’ house party!

While a kid in the 60’s,I got turned onto him by way of a cameo appearance in the movie”Ski Party”, in which he sang “I Feel Good”. Back then, black artists were rarely seen on tv, so it was a kind of event.

Even though James was on the tube, he still seemed like a regular neighborhood cat.

Time passed, and my musical tastes evolved, and became more “sophisticated”, and he kind of faded into my musical background.

He was never the greatest lyricist, but his style of raw funk is something I could never abandon completely.

James, the ultimate frontman, has always had the ability to re-invent himself and his act, and the band assembled for this track was the slickest to date, with a slammin’ trombone solo, which stands the test of time.

Liner Notes from Nation Master Encyclopedia

“Doing It to Death” (also known as “Gonna Have a Funky Good Time”) is a funk song recorded by James Brown and The J.B.’s. It was released as a single in 1973 and was a #1 R&B hit. Although the song has a lead vocal by Brown (who also wrote the tune and the lyrics), the recording is credited to “Fred Wesley & The J.B.’s.” It was the first J.B.’s recording to feature saxophonist Maceo Parker, who had returned to work with Brown again after attempting a career as a bandleader. The most renowned of James Browns many backing bands (previously, the Famous Flames and the James Brown Band), the J.B.s provided musical support for the legendary singer and bandleader for the first half of the 70s.
Fred Wesley (born 1943) is an American jazz and funk trombonist. … A saxophonist is a musician who plays the saxophone. … Maceo Parker (born February 14, 1943) is a noted African American funk and soul jazz saxophone player, best known for his contributions to James Browns distinct sound. …

Unusually for a James Brown song, the actual words “doing it to death” appear nowhere in “Doing It to Death”’s lyrics, which feature the hook “we’re gonna have a funky good time.” The title came from a figure of speech used by Fred Wesley.

A 10-minute, two-part version of “Doing It to Death” was included on a J.B.’s album of the same name. The complete, unedited 13-minute original recording of the song was first issued on the 1995 J.B.’s compilation Funky Good Time: The Anthology.

“Doing It to Death” cover
Single by Fred Wesley & The J.B.’s
from the album Doing It to Death
A-side(s) “Doing It to Death”
B-side(s) “Everybody Got Soul”
Released April 1973
Format 7″
Recorded January 29, 1973, at International Studios, Augusta, GA
Genre Funk
Label People
…
Writer(s) James Brown
Producer(s) James Brown
Peak chart positions

* #1 R&B
* #22 Pop

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profyousion’s video review doin-it-to-death

Hit it! How you feelin’ brother? (Feelin’ good!)
You’re feelin’ good
You play so much bone, brother
How you feelin’, man? (I feel alright!)
I won’t call your name
I don’t want no people to know you’re in here
How you feelin’, fellas? (Alright!)
Now jam! Sure gettin’ down looka here… ah!
We’re gonna have a funk good time…x4
We gotta take you higher
Huh! Alright!
We gotta take you higher, huh!
Brothers! Now I want everybody to blow
About two choruses
And then I’m gonna wave you in
I wanna get the fella
With the little horn over there
Fred’s gonna take us higher, take us higher
Fred, Fred, Fred!

trombone solo

You know what, when I hear a groove
Like this groove, oh!
I say, I got to get higher
Yeah baby, yeah, yeah
Look a’here
When someone’s got a groove like this
You know, you know, no!
I need to grit, gotta grit
Gonna eat, gotta eat
Need to grit, gotta grit, no breath
You know, brothers
I’m gettin’ ready to wave y’all in
You know what
I feel so down, I need to get down
In order for me to get down
I got to get in D.
In order for me to get down, I got to get in D.
Need to get in D., dog for D.
Down D., funky D., shakin’ D.,down D.
Oh! Huh! Ha ha!
Get on down!
Look a’here, look at that
What we gotta do
Gotta have a funk good time…
Oh, yeah
I didn’t know you were singin’, Fred
Don’t moan so much
Buddy, don’t moan so much
We gotta take you higher
Wait a minute!
Know who you say that was over there
(Man, you’re lookin’ better)
(I know I’ve seen him somewhere)
Is that Maceo?

Personnel

* James Brown - lead vocal

with Fred Wesley & The J.B.’s:

* Fred Wesley - trombone
* Darryl “Hasaan” Jamison - trumpet
* Jerone “Jasaan” Sanford - trumpet
* Ike Oakley - trumpet
* Maceo Parker - alto saxophone
* St. Clair Pinckney - tenor saxophone
* Eldee Williams - tenor saxophone
* Jimmy Nolen - guitar
* Hearlon “Cheese” Martin - guitar
* Fred Thomas - bass
* John “Jabo” Starks - drums

Jimmy Nolen (April 3, 1934 - December 18 1983) is an American guitarist known for his distinctive chicken scratch rhythm guitar playing in James Browns bands. … John Jabo Starks is an American funk and blues drummer. …