Tony Williams – ‘Play or Die’ (1980; 2022 remaster)
Tony Williams’ new remaster of the barely released 1980 record ‘Play or Die’ is much more than a curiosity. It’s a legit statement on fusion jazz.
Tony Williams’ new remaster of the barely released 1980 record ‘Play or Die’ is much more than a curiosity. It’s a legit statement on fusion jazz.

Some twenty-five years ago when compact discs began to overtake vinyl as the music media of choice, I joined one of those mail-order record clubs as a way to quickly build up a foundation for my fledgling CD collection. You May Also Like: Miles Davis’ ‘Bitches Brew’ Broke Every Rule:Read More

It seems that in the early seventies, many of the notable jazz musicians of the sixties went electric and dabbled in fusion. You May Also Like: Chick Corea – ‘The Montreux Years’ (2022) Chick Corea (1941-2021): An Appreciation

There’s a sense of homecoming, both in the musical selection and in the easy collaborative verve, about Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin’s Invitation to Illumination: Live at Montreux. You May Also Like: How John McLaughlin’s First 4th Dimension Album Brought Things Back in Focus When Miles Davis Finally Looked BackRead More

Sometimes, a good thing is worth repeating. In 2010, Weiss released Snuck In, a souvenir from a club date in NYC two years earlier (additional tracks from that gig were issued the following year as Snuck Out). You May Also Like: David Weiss and Point of Departure – Wake UpRead More

Turns out, this was one funky ship that ran ashore. Our latest Desert Island Disc lists focus on 1970s fusion, and top vote-getters included Herbie Hancock’s thunderously groove-filled 1973 triumph Head Hunters. You May Also Like: Return to Forever’s Surprise ‘Returns’ Smartly Focused on the Past Chick Corea (1941-2021): AnRead More

Fusion jazz is a music form where there’s been very little out there truly fresh and new for a long while. Spectrum Road changes that.

Vernon Reid shares insight into collaborations with Living Colour, Jack Bruce, avant-garde bluesman James “Blood” Ulmer and legendary jazz producer Teo Macero.

Vernon Reid discusses collaborating with Jack Bruce, and arriving on the scene with Living Colour’s barrier-bursting ‘Vivid.’

“Thank you very much, you make me feel so wonderful. It’s been a pleasure being here but I really must go now, it’s so hot.” — Clifford Brown at the end of his final performance, June 25, 1956 You May Also Like: Jazz’s Best Last Records by John Coltrane, EricRead More