Last year Cory Wong made a sweeping musical statement — or should I say, several statements — sprawling over 2 discs. Quartet/Quintet revealed not just the wide ambition of this guitarist from Minneapolis, Minnesota but the wherewithal to realize it. You May Also Like: Yellowjackets – ‘Parallel Motion’ (2022) SatokoRead More

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6TEcqDkTS0&w=500&h=305] This list is necessarily all over the map. Heck, in a lot of respects, there’s no map at all. You’ll find it in tatters down on the passenger-side floorboard. Delving into unsigned bands is like that. You May Also Like: David Sancious: The Albums That Shaped My CareerRead More

<<< Part Three, Whack Jazz In the final piece of these exhaustive, four-part salutes to the top releases of 2012, the fusion jazz records are surveyed. You May Also Like: Alphonse Mouzon (1948-2016): Tribute to an Endlessly Versatile Fusion Legend Jimmy Haslip, jazz bassist: The Albums That Shaped My Career

And now for the final installment of my first-ever, mid-year assessment of what are the best records we’ve covered here on SER. This time, we survey that murky hybrid world called “fusion jazz.” You May Also Like: Jeff Lorber Fusion – ‘The Drop’ (2023)

Nearly every fusion jazz artist has a straight jazz side inside of them, and although not as often, the reverse is often true, too. You May Also Like: Pearcy / Gratzmiller Jazz Quintet – ‘Over the Edge’ (2018) Rob Mazurek Quintet’s hypnotic, diverse Sound Is rewarded close listens Rob ReddyRead More