Tony Adam’s Elastic Rock guides to Jazz-Rock

[Teddy Vengeance]

I was alerted to these comprehensive and very readable guides to Jazz Rock (covering the 1968-1980 period) in the ‘What are you reading now?’ thread in the Way Off Topic forum. I bought both volumes immediately.

This is great stuff, in two volumes: one nearly-700 page guide to jazz rock in Europe and a smaller volume on the same in the Americas, Australasia, and Japan.

Adam’s musical sensibilities will likely align with those of many PE members but, more importantly, the sheer volume of obscure but worthy entries he describes is mind-boggling. Remember a few years back when Nosebone Chris posted a number of ‘obscure Jazz rock from Serbia’ type threads? Well, this guide has detailed entries on all those bands... and then some.

If you have Asbjornson’s Scented Gardens Prog guide and the Freeman Bros Crack in the Cosmic Sky Guide to Krautrock, this set will nicely round out your collection.

Adam freely admits not being a musician but he certainly has a good ear and a taste for accurate and rich description delivered in an unlaboured style. The man knows both his shit and his audience.

Most of all, Adam’s 4 and 5 star ratings on artists I’m familiar with generally cohere with my own views - which means that I can trust him on those entries I’m not so familiar with.

Highest recommendation.

https://www.amazon.com/Elastic-Rock-...p%2C503&sr=8-1

[nosebone]

Thx Ted, I'll buy it!

[SunshipVoyager1976]

Sounds right up my street as well. Thanks muchly for the heads up!

[wideopenears]

I got the European volume. It's got much to recommend it. But--no page numbers, and it's definitely self-published, so the formatting is sometimes wonky. Still, for those with the patience to browse, there's a lot of great and obscure stuff to check out. I think his line between prog and fusion is a bit blurry, but it doesn't really matter to me.

[Teddy Vengeance]

One thing to note about this book is that Adam distinguishes jazz rock from fusion, preferring the latter. The distinction is largely based on the former being raw, more improvised, perhaps more chaotic, while the latter is smoother, more homogenized, and thoroughly composed, although there are always blurred lines between categories. He also lets the reader know when a certain jazz rock troupe has prog leanings -- and he does not use the word in any pejorative sense -- or borders on straight-up jazz, and even modern classical.

He gives Cuneiform several positive callouts, mentioning SF by name.

[Trane]

Well, I never really managed to finish Nicholson's book on Jazz-Rock (not an easy read, IMH° some 12 years ago

I just picked the brand new book on the same subject: Jazz Rock - Esprits libres et fusion des genres from Marc Alvarado on LE MOT ET LE RESTE (that's the excellent editor where Aymeric publishes his book)
https://lemotetlereste.com/musiques/jazzrock/


So, I'll probably pick one of those two Tony Adam’s Elastic Rock (probably the European one), before seeing if I go for the second one

Remember a few years back when Nosebone Chris posted a number of ‘obscure Jazz rock from Serbia’ type threads? Well, this guide has detailed entries on all those bands... and then some.

So you're accusing NoseBone for being Svetonio's puppet??

One thing to note about this book is that Adam distinguishes jazz rock from fusion, preferring the latter. The distinction is largely based on the former being raw, more improvised, perhaps more chaotic, while the latter is smoother, more homogenized, and thoroughly composed, although there are always blurred lines between categories. He also lets the reader know when a certain jazz rock troupe has prog leanings -- and he does not use the word in any pejorative sense -- or borders on straight-up jazz, and even modern classical.

Personally, I always made the distinction as well, but placing chronologically JR (and JF - Jazz Funk) before Fusion, because I've always figured than Weather Repôrt's Black Market and Heavy Weather made the jump. I(m sure Tony Adams will explain that a lot better than I will.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

watching

[Teddy Vengeance]

I made a bit of a blunder in a previous post, stating that Adam distinguishes jazz-rock from fusion, preferring the latter. Actually, the opposite is true, he prefers the former and occasionally docks stars for albums being too fusion-y. He also has a place for jazz-funk (especially in the Americas book) and brass rock (not my thing).

[mogrooves]

... he prefers [jazz rock], and occasionally docks stars for albums being too fusion-y.

This is Stuart Nicholson's view as well, one with which I'm in agreement. Jazz rock in the 60s/early 70s was the effervescent flash of creativity and innovation, while 70s fusion was the commercial exploitation and the disciplining/rationalization of that creativity into stylistic orthodoxy.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

I made a bit of a blunder in a previous post, stating that Adam distinguishes jazz-rock from fusion, preferring the latter. Actually, the opposite is true, he prefers the former and occasionally docks stars for albums being too fusion-y. He also has a place for jazz-funk (especially in the Americas book) and brass rock (not my thing).

I'm not a fan of mincing and parsing music with endless "genres" or "styles". There's just too much crossover to draw lines like that. To me, it's either great music or commercial pablum and I understand that even different people draw the line between *those two* in different places... and BTW, I actually like some commercial pablum sometimes, but I don't call it great music.

For me, what was known as Symphonic Rock and Jazz Rock in the late 60s up to the late 70s was all part of the same musical movement that was referred to as progressive Rock music... at least back then. Now it's all distorted and rebranded and blurred to ridiculousness

[moon]

I like the fact that Mr Adam mentioned European jazz-rock bands, as they are superb and deserve more attention. However, he draws the line between jazz-rock and jazz fusion rather vaguely. It's simplier to say that 1970s' jazz-rock - in a wide range from Soft Machine to Return To Forever - was a genre of so called "progressive music" while jazz fusion (from the early '70s Miles to Weather Report and beyond) was / is a genre of Jazz.

[MYSTERIOUS TRAVELLER]

It's simplier to say that 1970s' jazz-rock - in a wide range from Soft Machine to Return To Forever - was a genre of so called "progressive music" while jazz fusion (from the early '70s Miles to Weather Report and beyond) was / is a genre of Jazz.

there is definitely a structural difference between music which compositional style is 'head/improvisations/head' (indicative of Jazz since its inception) even if played with electric instruments; verses compositions with intricate changes, unison lines, odd time signatures and razor sharp twists and turns (indicative of progressive Rock music) even if played by Jazz musicians...
but I wouldn't try to parse and/or peg them as "one is Jazz Rock and one is Fusion". It seems that the former is electric Jazz while the latter is progressive Rock music by Jazz musicians.

[moon]

So you're accusing NoseBone for being Svetonio's puppet??

One doesn't have to be Sweetie to figure out that the music of e.g. Leb I Sol was actually in the same rank with the far more popular Anglo-American jazz-rock bands of the seventies.

[moon]

there is definitely a structural difference between music which compositional style is 'head/improvisations/head' (indicative of Jazz since its inception) even if played with electric instruments; verses compositions with intricate changes, unison lines, odd time signatures and razor sharp twists and turns (indicative of progressive Rock music) even if played by Jazz musicians...
but I wouldn't try to parse and/or peg them as "one is Jazz Rock and one is Fusion". It seems that the former is electric Jazz while the latter is progressive Rock music by Jazz musicians.

Jazz-rock is closer to the instrumental Prog Rock than to Jazz. For example, Mahavishnu Orchestra. How much of Jazz is on their best albums, honestly? Not that much really.

p.s. Mc Laughlin's Electric Guitarist is, contrarily, a jazz fusion album.

[Scrotum Scissor]

One doesn't have to be Sweetie

Of course not! One can be Moonie instead!


Didn't take more than a little 'sweetie' to lure you out of that weeklong exile, as it was.

[Trane]

I made a bit of a blunder in a previous post, stating that Adam distinguishes jazz-rock from fusion, preferring the latter. Actually, the opposite is true, he prefers the former and occasionally docks stars for albums being too fusion-y. He also has a place for jazz-funk (especially in the Americas book) and brass rock (not my thing).

then it looks like this book will be for me.

As for Brass Rock, I enjoy a lot of it, but there were terribly cheesy typas, like BS&T or Lighthouse (Can)

This is Stuart Nicholson's view as well, one with which I'm in agreement. Jazz rock in the 60s/early 70s was the effervescent flash of creativity and innovation, while 70s fusion was the commercial exploitation and the disciplining/rationalization of that creativity into stylistic orthodoxy.

Yup, in some ways later 70's fusion lead into 80's Smooth Jazz , of which I retain very little positive.

I like the fact that Mr Adam mentioned European jazz-rock bands, as they are superb and deserve more attention. However, he draws the line between jazz-rock and jazz fusion rather vaguely. It's simplier to say that 1970s' jazz-rock - in a wide range from Soft Machine to Return To Forever - was a genre of so called "progressive music" while jazz fusion (from the early '70s Miles to Weather Report and beyond) was / is a genre of Jazz.

yeah, it is difficilt to draw a line, because often a band went from JR or JF onto "fusion", often also goi,g "slickier" in the process

Sorry to return to Weather Report, but they're the prime example...

Under Vitous, they were experimental (sometimes evben Third Stream) in the studio, but steaming hot raw JR on stage
under Alphonoso Johnson (but I'll include Sweetnighter as well), they became an energetic jazz funk unit
under Pastorious (from Black Market onwards), they became very civilized (and commercial) fusion act

One doesn't have to be Svetie to figure out that the music of e.g. Leb I Sol was actually in the same rank with the far more popular Anglo-American jazz-rock bands of the seventies.

Did you notice the emojis I placed in my post?

Yeah, I know (we all do thx to your unrelenting carpet bombings), Lebisol is a good JR/F band


Hi once more, Svetie