Not everyone is cut out to take on such an ambitious project but one look at Michael Leonhart’s background makes it undeniably clear that he could.

Haskins’ capacity for blending cutting-edge, high-tech means of music making with the handmade, organically conceived method of playing jazz borders on the genius level, and that’s just what he is going for with ‘Gnosis.’

Omer Avital’s ‘New Song’ is a finely crafted synthesis of Middle Eastern, Afro-Cuban and American soul-jazz that’s world music without being self-consciously so.

<<< 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)

Rockin’ the Jeff Lynne look especially with aviator sunglasses, Omer Avital might not be ready to lead ELO, but a half dozen years ago he led a stellar band You May Also Like: No related posts.

Now that you’ve devoured all of the weekend’s Record Store Day goodies, time to refocus on the next round of tasty musical newness headed your way — including 2012 releases from Anathema, Jack White and the Maccabees You May Also Like: No related posts.

This is a drummer’s record but not a record about drum solos. Musically, however, it’s about a lot of other things, like rhumba, West African, reggae, Moroccan, Afro-Cuban, funk-fusion and, finally jazz. You May Also Like: Daniel Carter, William Parker, Matthew Shipp – Seraphic Light, Live at Tufts University (2018)Read More