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
.jpg)
.jpg)
