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COP DIS JAM

in a special way

I first got hip to Gene Harris from the “Astral Signal” album, released the previous year(’75). “In a Special Way” is his next, and between the two, the former was the more popular and hence, the more familiar.

Both albums mark a departure from a simpler production approach to one more complex. I like it!
“Theme for Relana” is an update in style reflecting the young-up-and-coming style to the jazz influenced music of the time.

Careful listening reveals smatterings of a Lonnie Liston Smith-style bass line feel, along with haunting EWF vocal harmonies and guitar grooves. Notice can also be taken of the splendid french horn riffs during the changes, as if harkening the hunting call:”the fox has been run to ground”.

Through it all, Harris’ facility on piano comes through in staccato fashion like light rain will contain smoldering embers.

All in all, this track is an excellent blend of the new and old, and comes very highly recommended.

COP DIS JAM

Gene Harris - In A Special Way [1976]

personnel:

George Bohanon (tb) Sidney Muldrow, Marnie Robinson (frh) Azar Lawrence (ts) Ed Green (vln) Charlotte Politte (el-p, syn) Jerry Peters (el-p, syn, string ensemble, arr, vo) Gene Harris (key) Lee Ritenour (g, el-g) Al McKay (el-g) John Rowin (el-g, arr) Chuck Rainey, Verdine White (el-b) James Gadson (d) Harvey Mason (d, per) Mayuto Correa (per) Phillip Bailey (per, vo) Merry Clayton, Ann Esther Jessica, D.J. Rodgers, Sigidi, Stephanie Spruill, Denise Williams (vo)

01 Theme For Relana
02 Rebop
03 Zulu
04 Always In My Mind
05 Love For Sale
06 It’s Your Love
07 Soft Cycles
08 Five_Four
09 Naima

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COP DIS JAM

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.

COP DIS JAM

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”

Listen to Cats Like This

get up with it

The signature electronic riffs along with some hot lead/bass guitar licks of “spacejazz” that start this jam have me asking: “to what galaxy are we going”? For that style is the unknown of which I’m sometimes leery.

Have no fear fellow traveler’s, Miles and the crew have a destination in mind. A funk orbit of the planet “honky tonk” in the blues nebula.
Okay, enough of that!

Due to it’s changing meter, honky tonk isn’t predictable, but is contemplative, switching back and forth from funk to blues and back again. The funk is sophisticatedly syncopated with splash accents of trumpet, drums, bass, and guitar. The blues is gut-bucket and mean!

What the fellas do with this tune is some of the best in an almost free form musical exploration.
From the album “Get Up With It” released in ‘74, which is a collection of various tracks over the previous 5 years.

If you listen closely, you may notice the funk groove is slowed down AS the blues groove, kinda like playing a 45rpm at 33rpm.

I wonder could this mean funk is fast blues, or blues is slow funk? Hmmm…

“COP DIS JAM”

Label Legacy
Orig Year 1974

Personnel Miles Davis - trumpet, piano, organ
Billy Cobham - drums
Airto Moreira - percussion
Michael Henderson - electric bass
Steve Grossman
Badal Roy - tabla
Reggie Lucas
Pete Cosey
Carlos Garnett - soprano saxophone
John Stubblefield
Khalil Balakrishna - electric sitar
Cedric Lawson - Fender Rhodes piano
Dominique Gaumont - guitar

Also: Herbie Hancock, John Mclaughlin, Keith Jarrett, Al Foster, Mtume, Sonny Fortune, Dave Liebman

Get Up With It CD DISC 1:
1. He Loved Him Madly
2. Maiysha
3. Honky Tonk
4. Rated X

Get Up With It Songs DISC 2:
1. Calypso Frelimo
2. Red China Blues
3. Mtume
4. Billy Preston