Jeremy Steig - Fusion (1972) [vinyl>flac]

One of the greatest jazz-rock flute players around. This double vinyl album puts together a compilation that clearly showcases his mastery.

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. ~ By Jason Ankeny.

I think I'd avoided Jeremy Steig's 1971 album "Fusion" because, well, the word 'fusion' always carried connotations for me of lightning-speed distorted guitars separating twenty minute bass solos - not really my thing. And it had Jan Hammer on it, who I generally associate with the same masturbatory activity, albeit on synthesisers. So when I finally grabbed it. I was pleasantly surprised by its soulful funky rawness, great rhodes playing from Hammer and of course Steig's crazy flute. ~ Never Enough Rhodes

Groove Merchant, GM 2204, 2 × Vinyl, LP, Compilation, 1972

Recorded at Electric Lady Studios, 52 West 8th Street, New York

Track Listing:

A1. Home {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (4:38)

A2. Cakes {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (4:50)

A3. Swamp Carol {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (4:09)

A4. Energy {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer, Don Alias, Gene Perla} (4:48)

B1. Down Stretch {Jan Hammer} (4:12)

B2. Give Me Some {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (6:43)

B3. Come With Me {Jeremy Steig, Jan Hammer} (8:00)

B4. Dance Of The Mind {Jeremy Steig, Don Alias} (2:20)

C1. Up Tempo Thing {Jeremy Steig} (5:21)

C2. Elephant Hump {Jeremy Steig} (5:53)

C3. Rock #6 {Jeremy Steig} (2:58)

C4. Slow Blues In G {Jeremy Steig} (6:31)

D1. Rock #9 {Jeremy Steig} (5:48)

D2. Rock #10 {Jeremy Steig} (4:13)

D3. Something Else {Jeremy Steig} (7:01)

Personnel:

Jeremy Steig - Flute, Alto Piccolo, Alto Flute, Bass Flute

Jan Hammer - Electric Piano, Chinese Gong

Gene Perla - Electric Bass, Electric Upright Bass

Eddie Gomez - Electric Upright Bass (#B1, B3)

Don Alias - Drums, Congas, Clap Drums, Percussion

Released on Groove Merchant Fusion is a double album compilation of Jeremy Steig’s work compiled by Sonny Lester. The first album contains all of the songs from Steig’s Energy LP released on Capitol, while the second slab contains new material. Standouts are, Home that opens up with an interesting piano line by Jan Hammer before the band gets a little funky. Similarly, Cakes starts with a nice bass and drum beginning by Gene Perla and Don Alias. Both of these beginnings could be looped. Swamp Carol, Down Stretch (with a short drum break at the beginning) and Give Me Some all feature some pretty funky rhythms. These songs are from the Energy album. The previously unreleased material, is a bit mellower, with a bluesy influence to most of them but worth a listen. Probably the best song is Up Tempo Thing, a soulful groover despite the name. Soulstrut