Jeremy Steig - Fusion

Styles: Flute Jazz
Year: 1970
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 78:03
Size: 179,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:39) 1. Home
(4:52) 2. Cakes
(4:12) 3. Swamp Carol
(4:50) 4. Energy
(4:14) 5. Down Stretch
(6:47) 6. Give Me Some
(8:02) 7. Come With Me
(2:22) 8. Dance Of The Mind
(5:23) 9. Up Tempo Thing
(5:55) 10. Elephant Hump
(3:03) 11. Rock #6
(6:33) 12. Slow Blues In G
(5:50) 13. Rock #9
(4:14) 14. Rock #10
(7:02) 15. Something Else

Fusion pairs the entirety of Jeremy Steig's landmark 1971 Capitol release Energy alongside unreleased material from the same sessions. Energy is a miracle of alchemy Jeremy Steig transforms his flute from the ethereal to the elemental, forging a heavy, deeply funky jazz-rock record that defies gravity. Paired with keyboardist Jan Hammer, bassists Gene Perla and Eddie Gomez, and drummer Don Alias, Steig creates Technicolor grooves that float like butterflies and sting like bees.

His music doesn't so much fuse jazz and rock as it approaches each side from the perspective of the other, exploring their respective concepts and executions to arrive at a sound all its own. If anything, the tonal restrictions of Steig's chosen instrument push him even farther into the unknown, employing a series of acoustic and electronic innovations to expand the flute's possibilities seemingly into the infinite. While some of the unissued content here is no less astounding, as a whole Fusion feels like too much of a good thing; one can't help but miss the focus and shape of Energy in its original incarnation.~Jason Ankenyhttps://www.allmusic.com/album/fusion-mw0001883206

Personnel: Jeremy Steig - Flute, Flute (Alto), Piccolo; Eddie Gomez - Bass (Electric); Jan Hammer - Gong, Piano (Electric); Don Alias - Percussion, Conga, Drums; Sonny; Gene Perla - Bass, Bass (Electric)

Fusion

---

Jared Gold - Out Of Line

Styles: Jazz, Post Bop
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 50:55
Size: 117,8 MB
Art: Front

(5:32)  1. An Aperitif
(6:20)  2. Preachin'
(4:57)  3. Out Of Line
(4:52)  4. You Haven't Done Nothin'
(5:33)  5. It Is Well
(5:15)  6. Down South
(5:45)  7. The Stone Age
(5:44)  8. La-La (Means I Love You)
(6:52)  9. Skylark

Despite the implications that live within a title like Out Of Line, organist Jared Gold's third Posi-Tone release is rather in tune with the history and vibe of organ groups and all that goes with them. Gold is joined by some top notch east coast talent, in the form of guitarist Dave Stryker, drummer Mark Ferber and saxophonist Chris Cheek, and all four musicians seem to gel well from the very start. Gold might have eclectic tastes, with covers ranging from Hank Mobley's "An Aperitif" to Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin,'" but he covers nearly every style in the organ group playbook as he works his way through this nine-song program. The Mobley tune, originally on the saxophonist's lesser-known Third Season (Blue Note, 1967), starts things off with a bang. Gold and Cheek are as tight as can be, as they work their way through the head on this up-tempo number. 

Funk is a healthy part of any organ group's diet and Gold delivers the goods with "The Stone Age" and "You Haven't Done Nothin,'" the Wonder tune coming across as a looser, riff-based workout, while Gold's original is a bit more substantial. Cheek leads the charge, while the rhythm section has some greasy groove-making going on beneath him; the overall sound like a less aggressive version of Joshua Redman's Elastic Band. "Preachin'" is a superb gospel-soul number which highlights Gold's playing and writing, while "It Is Well" is churchy in a different, more reverent manner. This understated number sounds like a jazz take on a hymn, and it shows off a different side of Gold's personality. While Ferber's drums hint at bossa nova on the title track, nothing else on the disc really speaks of Brazil.  A soothing take on The Delfonics' "La-La (Means I Love You)," and an odd-metered arrangement of "Skylark" close the album. Gold's performance of The Delfonics' megahit reflects the understated quality of their rendition; "Skylark," on the other hand, is reshaped and molded to Gold's liking. Cheek and Gold are both in fine form on this one, and Ferber even gets to solo over an energized vamp, as the album draws to a close. ~ Dan Bilawsky https://www.allaboutjazz.com/out-of-line-jared-gold-posi-tone-records-review-by-dan-bilawsky.php

Personnel: Jared Gold: Hammond B3; Dave Stryker: guitar; Chris Cheek: tenor saxophone; Mark Ferber: drums.

Out Of Line

---

Mindi Abair - Always and Never the Same

Styles: Vocal And Saxophone Jazz
Year: 2000
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:42
Size: 79,5 MB
Art: Front

(3:25)  1. Good
(3:13)  2. Maybe I
(3:39)  3. Happy
(3:28)  4. Wish I Could
(4:04)  5. True Love
(4:12)  6. First Kiss
(3:29)  7. Free 2000
(4:22)  8. Always and Never the Same
(4:48)  9. Heaven

Born on tour into a musical family, Mindi Abair was playing piano by the age of five. Within three years, she was playing saxophone and writing songs. She made her way through Berklee performing all kinds of music from jazz to rock and R&B. Upon moving back to Los Angeles, Abair started her own band. She also took on session work with artists as diverse as the Gap Band, Adam Sandler, Mandy Moore, John Tesh, Teena Marie, and the Backstreet Boys. During this time, she worked on creating her own sound and released her debut disc in 1999. The Backstreet Boys connection really paid off for her, and her website and CD (entitled Love) took off. The year 2000 saw the release of the follow-up, Always and Never the Same, and shortly thereafter, Abair signed with GRP Records. A sophomore effort, It Just Happens That Way, was issued in 2003. "Lucy's," "Save the Last Dance," and the album's title track went on to impact Top Ten radio. A year later, Abair returned with Come as You Are, her second set produced with her writing partner Matthew Hager. In 2006, Abair released Life Less Ordinary, which featured guest vocals from Lalah Hathaway and Keb' Mo', and also performed at the Governor's Ball, the official Oscars afterparty. The following year, she appeared on guitarist Peter White's (with whom she had performed frequently) Christmas album, but 2008 saw a return to her solo material (and an introduction to Abair as a singer) with Stars. In 2010, Abair delivered the soul-jazz-inspired In Hi-Fi Stereo, which once again featured a mix of instrumental jazz with a few Abair vocal numbers. Abair returned in 2014 with her seventh studio album, Wild Heart, which featured guest spots from Keb' Mo', Joe Perry, Booker T. Jones, and Gregg Allman. It debuted at number one on the jazz album chart, and received a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. In March of 2015, she recorded a live album, Mindi Abair & the Boneshakers: Live in Seattle. Her backing band is actually an all-star, standalone touring and recording unit that includes former Was (Not Was) members Randy Jacobs on guitar and vocalist Sweet Pea Atkinson. The album was released the following September by Concord. ~ Gary Hill https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mindi-abair-mn0000495456/biography 

Always and Never the Same

---