Andy Fraser Band - Andy Fraser Band (1975)

Soooo good! I have to post bump this again. ENJOY!

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Andy Fraser (born on 7 August 1952, in London) is an English musician, best known for his songwriting and bass playing with Free.

He started playing the piano at 5 years old, and was trained classically until the age of 12, when he switched to guitar. By 13, he was playing in the East End, West Indian clubs and, after being expelled from school at 15, he enrolled at the Hammersmith F.E. College. There, he met Sappho Korner, daughter of Alexis Korner, who subsequently became a father-figure to him. In 1968, Korner received a telephone call from John Mayall, who was looking for a bass player. Korner suggested Fraser and, at age 15, he was in a pro band and earning £50 a week, though it was a brief tenure.

Korner was also instrumental in Fraser's next move, to the influential band Free, which consisted of Paul Rodgers (vocals), Paul Kossoff (guitar) and Simon Kirke (drums). Fraser produced and co-wrote the song "All Right Now" with Rodgers, a # 1 hit in over 20 territories and recognised by ASCAP(American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) in 1990 for garnering 1,000,000 plus radio plays in the US by late 1989, and in 2000 an Award was given to Free by the British Music Industry when "All Right Now" passed 2,000,000 plus radio plays in the UK. Free initially split in 1971, and Fraser formed a trio, Toby, with guitarist Adrian Fisher, and drummer Stan Speake. Material was recorded but not released, and Fraser re-joined Free in December, 1971. He left for the second time in June, 1972.

After leaving Free, Fraser formed Sharks with vocalist Snips (later Baker, Gurvitz Army), guitarist Chris Spedding plus drummer, Marty Simon. They were a good band, and Island's "Great White Hope of the 1970s". Despite being well received by the critics, especially for Spedding's tasteful guitar work, Fraser left after their debut album, First Water (1973).

He then formed the Andy Fraser Band, a trio with Kim Turner on drums, and Nick Judd on keyboards. They released two albums, Andy Fraser Band and In Your Eyes, both in 1975, before that too folded. Attempts to form a band with Frankie Miller came to nothing, and Fraser re-located to California, to concentrate on songwriting. Fraser successfully crafted hits for Robert Palmer, Joe Cocker, Chaka Khan, Rod Stewart, Paul Young and many others.

To this day, Fraser's most famous composition is "Every Kinda People," which Palmer recorded for his Double Fun set in 1978. Palmer's first chart hit in the US, the number is cherished for its message of interracial understanding. The Palmer version has inspired artists such as Chaka Demus, Randy Crawford and Amy Grant to cover it.

In 1984, Fraser finally released another album of his own. Fine, Fine Line featured ex-Back Street Crawler drummer, Tony Braunagel, Bob Marlette (keyboards), Michael Thompson (guitar) and David Faragher (bass), with Fraser contributing vocals.

He was later diagnosed with a form of cancer and, during treatment, contracted AIDS.[citation needed] This explanation has been called into question by his recent revelation that he is homosexual. [1] He played bass with former Free colleague, Paul Rodgers, at Woodstock '94, but otherwise kept a low profile until 2005, when a new release, Naked and Finally Free, appeared. Since then, the album received strong praise from both fans and critics, including outlets such as VH-1 Classics, Sirius Radio, ABC Radio, Launch Radio, The New York Daily News and the Associated Press, among others.

In April 2006, Fraser responded to the revival of interest in his music by announcing two rare live shows at the Temecula Community Arts Theatre, in Temecula, in Southern California, on May 4. The shows, highlighted by an eight-piece band, were his first live performances since the Woodstock '94 reunion.

Andy Fraser

Miles Baby

Coming up in my 20's, Bitches Brew had a profound effect on me. I'm a rocker at heart, with a foot in blues and 70's punk. But when I first herd this recording it floored me. I never herd something so uncomplicated and effortless. Driving in a truck in the rain. Wipers going. The smell of wet. Pharoah's Dance as the soundtrack.

But yet, it was somehow deep, dark and subterranean to me. It kicked my imagination wide open again, and I started to get back into what I already knew was my blood. Some how I got lost along the way in my early 20's, and Bitches Brew put me right back on that winding road..."my inherent realization for ART"...in all it's forms of illustrated life abstractions.

I've never fluctuated from this since. And for that, I think I'll name my next pet "MILES" A reminder to live life, and smell the rain. Feel the wind. And taste the BREW.

Miles Davis - Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (1969-1970)

Miles Davis trumpet
John McLaughlin guitar
Airto Moreira berimbau, cuica
Khalil Balakrishna sitar
Bihari Sharma tambura, tabla
Bennie Maupin bass clarinet
Steve Grossman, Wayne Shorter soprano saxophone
Larry Young celesta, electric piano, organ
Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Joe Zawinul electric piano
Dave Holland bass instrument, bass guitar
Harvey Brooks bass guitar
Billy Cobham drums, triangle
Jack DeJohnette, Lenny White drums
Jumma Santos congas, percussion
Don Alias congas

disc1:
:: Pharoah's Dance
:: Bitches Brew
:: Spanish Key
:: John McLaughlin
disc2:
:: Miles Runs the Voodoo Down
:: Sanctuary
:: Great Expectations
:: Orange Lady
:: Yaphet (previously unreleased, bonus track)
:: Corrado (previously unreleased, bonus track)
disc3:
:: Trevere (previously unreleased, bonus track)
:: Big Green Serpent, The
:: Little Blue Frog, The (previously unreleased, alternate take, bonus track)
:: Little Blue Frog, The
:: Lonely Fire
:: Guinnevere
disc4:
:: Feio (previously unreleased, bonus track)
:: Double Image (previously unreleased, bonus track)
:: Recollections (previously unreleased, bonus track)
:: Take It or Leave It (previously unreleased, bonus track)
:: Double Image

Bitches Brew

Shades in Fusion Jazz

Jaco Pastorius - Jaco Pastorius (1976)

John Francis Pastorius III was born December 1, 1951 in Norristown, Pennsylvania. This self-titled album was Pastorius' solo debut and was originally released in 1976. The disc begins with a cover version of Miles Davis' "Donna Lee" and includes eight other tracks.

In 1975, Pastorius met up with Blood, Sweat and Tears drummer Bobby Colomby, who had been given the green light by CBS records to find "new talent" for their jazz division.[citation needed] Pastorius' first album, produced by Colomby and entitled Jaco Pastorius (1976), was a breakthrough album for the electric bass.[2] Many consider this to be the finest bass album ever recorded;[2] when it exploded onto the jazz scene it was widely praised by critics. The album also boasted a lineup of heavyweights in the jazz community at the time, who were essentially his stellar back up band, including Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, David Sanborn, Lenny White, Don Alias, and Michael Brecker among others.[8] Even legendary R&B singers Sam & Dave reunited to appear on the track "Come On, Come Over"

After sneaking onstage at a Carlos Santana concert September 11, 1987, he was ejected from the premises, and he made his way to the Midnight Bottle Club in Wilton Manors, Florida.[10] After reportedly kicking in a glass door after being refused entrance to the club, he was engaged in a violent confrontation with the club bouncer, Luc Havan. Pastorius was hospitalized for multiple facial fractures and damage to his right eye and right arm, and had sustained irreversible brain damage. He fell into a coma and was put on life support.

His family decided on a majority vote to remove him from life support, even though his second wife Ingrid was against the decision.[citation needed] Pastorius died on September 21, 1987, aged 35, at Broward General Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale.

Jaco

Billy Cobham - Spectrum (1973)

Coming to prominence in the late 1960s and early '70s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham is, in the words of critic Steve Huey, "generally acclaimed as fusion's greatest drummer, "and one of the best in the world" with an influential style that combines explosive power and exacting precision

Born in Panama, Cobham's family moved to New York City during his early childhood. A drummer from his youth, Cobham attended New York's High School of Music and Art, graduating in 1962.

In 1971, with fellow Davis alumnus McLaughlin , Cobham co-founded Mahavishnu Orchestra, a definitive jazz fusion ensemble. Cobham toured extensively from 1971 to 1973 with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, who released two studio albums and one live album. The original studio versions of tunes on the live album were later released as The Lost Trident Sessions in 1999.

In May 1973, while still with the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cobham recorded his first solo album Spectrum, one of the finest fusion albums of all time, with musicians including keyboardist Jan Hammer, from the Mahavishnu Orchestra, and guitarist Tommy Bolin, who later played with heavy rock band Deep Purple. Just before the Mahavishnu Orchestra's last touring leg, in late 1973, Cobham recorded and toured with guitarists Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin, in concerts which featured material from their album Love Devotion Surrender, and Cobham's own material.

Cobham

Larry Coryell - At The Village Gate (1971)

Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas on April 2, 1943. After graduating from Richland High School in eastern Washington, he moved to Seattle to attend the University of Washington. In 1965, Coryell moved to New York City where he became part of Chico Hamilton's quintet, replacing Gabor Szabo. In 1967 and 1968, he recorded with Gary Burton and Jim Pepper. His music during the late-1960s and early-1970s combined the influences of rock, jazz and eastern music. He formed his own group, The Eleventh House, in 1973. Following the break-up of this band, Coryell played mainly acoustic guitar, but returned to electric guitar later in the 1980s. In 1979, Coryell formed "The Guitar Trio" with jazz fusion guitarist John McLaughlin and flamenco guitarist Paco de Lucia. The group toured Europe briefly, eventually releasing a video recorded at Royal Albert Hall in London entitled "Meeting of Spirits". In early-1980, Coryell was replaced by Al Di Meola, due to drug addiction.

With over 60 recordings under his belt, Larry continues to be a groundbreaking force in the guitar world. He currently lives near Orlando, Florida, and still continues to perform and write music. Larry's two sons, Julian Coryell and Murali Coryell are also actively involved in the music business.
Among others, he has performed with: Eric Clapton, Chick Corea, Albert Dailey, Jimi Hendrix, Paco de Lucia, John McLaughlin, Billy Cobham, Keith Jarrett, Miles Davis, Jaco Pastorius, Al Di Meola, Biréli Lagrène, Emily Remler, Pat Metheny, Kazuhito Yamashita, Brian Q. Torff, The Head Shop, Sharon Isbin, Laurindo Almeida, and Larry Gray.

LARRY

Sir IZZY on the RAD

-20 C today....Sir Izzy has it right!

Orange is the Nu Black

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