Alphonse Mouzon - Mind Transplant (1974)

Amazing Jazz Fusion
Drummers Alphonse Mouzon and Billy Cobham led almost parallel careers during the 1970s and helped to raise the bar by which all subsequent drummers were to be judged. They were both in legendary fusion bands (Mouzon in Weather Report and Larry Coryell's Eleventh House and Cobham in Dreams and the Mahavishnu Orchestra), both led their own successful bands, both reinvented jazz-rock drumming, and both released one classic, genre-defining recording. Cobham's classic was Spectrum, a recording that is regularly considered as one of the genre's best. This, Mind Transplant, is Mouzon's classic recording that is often hailed as "Spectrum II." The common thread, besides the aggressive drumming, is guitarist Tommy Bolin. Where Cobham used Bolin's aggressive playing as a counterpoint to Jan Hammer, Mouzon features the guitarist as the primary attraction. The tunes themselves may not be as memorable as, say, "Red Baron" or "Stratus," but the playing is no less inspired. Mouzon and Bolin are a natural fit and push themselves to levels of creativity and skill that few can attain. Raw and powerful, the music herein is what made fusion such a viable musical style. This recording has never been as popular as Spectrum, but was finally released on CD in 1993 with the addition of the 15-minute jam session "The Real Thing." Easily one of the best fusion recordings of all time. http://harukimurakami.livejournal.com/ 

Recorded 4th (#2,5,7), 5th (#6), 6th (#3,8) and 9th & 10th (#1,3) December, 1974
At Wally Heider Sound Studio III, Los Angeles, California 

Blue Note, BN-LA398-G, 1975
Capitol Records, 7243 8183652 1, 2003 

Musicians:
Alphonse Mouzon - Drums, Vocals, ARP 2600 Synth, Fender Rhodes, Farfisa Organ
Jerry Peters - Fender Rhodes Piano, Organ [Hammond B-3]
Jay Graydon - Guitar, ARP 2600 Synthesizer Programming
Tommy Bolin - Guitar
Lee Ritenour - Guitar
Henry Davis – Bass 

Tracks:
A1. Mind Transplant (4:05)
Soloist: Alphonse Mouzon - Synthesizer, Drums
A2. Snow Bound (3:06)
A3. Carbon Dioxide (4:39)
Soloists: Tommy Bolin - Guitar; Jerry Peters - Organ
A4. Ascorbic Acid (3:27)
Soloists: Jay Graydon, Lee Ritenour
B1. Happiness Is Loving You (4:09)
Soloist: Lee Ritenour
B2. Some Of The Things People Do (3:41)
Soloist: Lee Ritenour
B3. Golden Rainbows (6:56)
Soloist: Tommy Bolin
B4. Nitroglycerin (3:05)
Soloist: Tommy Bolin 

Composed by Elvena Mouzon 

Credits:
Producer - Skip Drinkwater
Co-producer, Arranger, Conductor - Alphonse Mouzon
Executive-Producer - George Butler
Engineer - Gabby Garcia
Assistant Engineer - Brian Ingalls, Gary Lubow
Remix & Mastering Engineer - Fred Catero
Mastering Engineer - George Horn
Art Direction - Lloyd Ziff, Bob Cato
Photography - Doug Metzler
Design - Ria Lewerke

Renée Geyer - Moving Along (1977)

Released just over forty years ago, Moving Along was the first Renee Geyer album to be recorded in the US and released internationally. It also produced Renée's first Australian Top 20, the luscious "Stares And Whispers". It stands as a land mark release by one of Australia's greatest voices; a voice that has now found belated recognition amongst '70s soul and funk aficionados and collectors the world over. Moving Along was produced by former Motown staff producer Frank Wilson, who had previously written and produced hit records for Marvin Gaye, the Supremes, the Four Tops, the Temptations and others, and it featured, on some tracks, the absolutely legendary Motown bass player and Funk Brother James Jamerson. Ray Parker Jr on guitar - pre-Ghostbusters of course. Renée's own band also featured the former Chain bass player Barry 'Big Goose' Sullivan and Ayers rock keyboard player Mal Logan. Renée followed the album up with shows, including Melbourne Town Hall and Sydney's Regent Theatre, with one of our (or New Zealand's) great male soul singers, Leo De Catro and Rocco along for the ride. The album peaked at #11 in Australia. ~ Dave Laing, ILikeYourOldStuff.com. 

RCA Records/Mushroom Productions, VPL1-0140, 1977
Mushroom Records, MUSH32300.2, 1995
Recorded at Crystal Sound Recording, Los Angeles, California 

Musicians:
Renée Geyer - Vocals, Backing Vocals
Harry Booker, Jerry Peters, Mal Logan - Keyboards
Reginald Burke - Piano
Ray Parker, Jr., Greg Poree, Stephen Beckmeier - Guitar
James Jamerson, Nathan Watts, Barry 'Big Goose' Sullivan - Bass
Raymond Pounds - Drums
Jack Ashford, Frederick Lewis - Percussion
Venetta Fields, Sherlie Matthews, Pat Henerson, Tiemeyer McCain,
Otis Stokes, Frank Wilson - Background Vocals
Leader [Strings] - Charles Veal
Nica Rejto - Flute [Soloist]
Ernie Watts - Saxophone [Soloist] 

Tracks:
A1. Heading In The Right Direction {Mark Punch, Garry Paige} (3:01)
A2. Be There In The Morning {Renée Geyer, Mal Logan, Barry Sullivan} (4:27)
A3. Quicker Than The Eye {Harry Booker, Judy Wieder} (4:09)
A4. Tender Hooks {Ruth Copeland, Eric Thorngren} 4:39)
B1. Stares And Whispers {John Footman, Frank Wilson, Terri McFadden} (3:30)
B2. Just To Make Love To You {Greg Poree, Gralin Jerald} (4:45)
B3. Touch {Frank Wilson, Pam Sawyer} (4:50)
B4. Moving Along {Renée Geyer, Mal Logan, Barry Sullivan} (6:11) 

Total Time: 35:32 

Bonus Track:
Be There In The Morning [1976 Release] (3:46) 

Credits:
Producer, Mixing Engineer, Arranger - Frank Wilson [A Spec-O-Lite Production]
Recording & Mixing Engineer - Kevin Beamish
Mastering - Don Bartley
Management - Ray Evans
Creative Director - Hank Cosby
Art Direction: Basil Pao [AGI]
Photography - Norman Seef

Heading In The Right Direction [Video] (3:43)

Gene Harris - Astral Signal (1974)

A well sought out jazz-funk title from blue note. Although most of this album is Gene on his piano, this album brings out Gene's talent with the ARP and Minimoog Synthesizers. One listen to his cover of sly stone's "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey" and you'll become a definite believer! Boy, does this cut blaze a trail of hard driving synth funk! The MiniMoog bass line is all over this one, as Gene fills the top off with some squealy ARP Odyssey/Pro soloist overlays. A killer funk ride classic. Then there's "Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong", a buttery smooth, slow grinding funk love jam that will get your juices flowing on the dance floor! The Moog bass kicks up and down, and side to side, while the high synth notes make love to the listeners ear. Great synth playing all around from gene and good background vocals from the session players, too. Also check out the eerie, spacey prelude at the start of the album, it's a sonic statement! ~ fonkay, RYM.

Blue Note, BN-LA313-G, 1974

Blue Note/EMI, TOCJ-50511, 2012

Recorded 13^th August, 1974 At The Village Recorder, Los Angeles, California

Personnel:

Gene Harris - Keyboards, Vocals (#B2), Arranger (#7)

Keg Johnson - Trombone, Background Vocals

George Bohanon - Trombone

Oscar Brashear - Trumpet

Sidney Muldrow - French Horn

Ernie Watts - Reeds

Jerry Peters - Keyboards, Background Vocals

John Rowin - Guitar

David T. Walker - Guitar

Chuck Rainey - Electric Bass

Harvey Mason - Drums, Arranger (#11)

Jim Shifflett - Unknown Instrument

Vocalists:

Annesther

Julia (Tillman) Waters

Luther Waters

Lynn Mack

Maxine (Johnson) Waters

Oren Waters

Trisha Chamberlain

Tracks:

01. Prelude {Gene Harris} (1:41)

02. Summer [The First Time] {Bobby Goldsboro} (3:21)

03. Rebato Summer {Jerry Peters} (0:35)

04. I Remember Summer {Jerry Peters} (2:03)

05. Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey {Sylvester Stewart} (3:44)

06. Losalamitoslatinfunklovesong {Jerry Peters} (3:10)

07. My Roots {Arr. Gene Harris, J.K. Abernathy} (4:20)

08. Green River {John Fogerty} (3:05)

09. Beginnings {Robert Lamm} (5:54)

10. Feeling You, Feeling Me Too! {Alex Brown, Monk Higgins} (1:59)

11. Higga-Boom {Arr. Harvey Mason, Jerry Peters, Harvey Mason} (6:00)

12. Love Talkin' {Jerry Peters} (4:49)

Credits:

Producer, Recording, Mixing, Mastering Engineer - Jim Shifflett

Producer - Jerry Peters, Keg Johnson

Executive-Producer - George Butler

Recording Engineer - Gilmar Fortis

Mastering Engineer - Bill Lazerus

Production Assistance - Harvey Mason, John Rowin, Charlotte Politte

Art Direction, Cover Illustration - Bob Cato

Photography - Kenny Dorr

This album is a magical balance between psychedelic laid back california inspired acid jazz sounds scapes and the greasy soul of a mid-century (last century) juke joint. A pastiche of professional music with heart and creativity. No other album on blue note or by Harris sounds like this. A fine artistic statement by Harris who seemed to be at his peak in the mid-70s. ~ freqazoidiac, RYM.

Total Time: 40:41