My Favorite Post '70s Fusion Band

[No Pride]

... is Tribal Tech! Founded in the mid '80s by co-leaders Scott Henderson (guitar) and Gary Willis (bass), these guys were the best thing to happen to fusion in a good while afaic.

Though they always wore their Weather Report influence on their sleeve, they went through significant changes throughout the stages of their development. In the early days, they were a six piece band (with a sax player and a percussionist who played mallet instruments). Though this was possibly their "jazziest" period, it was also the time when their music was at it's most composition intensive. Here's the first incarnation of TT live:



They became a four piece by '91 and though there was always a rock element present, sometimes they'd get downright heavy. Their heros, WR would've never dreamed of doing anything this close to metal:



By their eighth album, "Thick," their music became less composed and more "spontaneous improv" based:



After their 9th album which was released in 2000, Gary Willis moved to Spain and TT disbanded. Last year, while Gary was briefly in the US, they got together, recorded and put out their tenth album, aptly titled "X." It's an amalgam of their more improvised style and their more involved compositional thang.

Did I mention that I love this band?! Sometimes I'll take a couple of months hiatus from them, but I keep coming back.

So... do you have a favorite post '70s fusion band? If so, tell us who and why. Or better yet, show us!

[Johnboy]

Kenso, well pretty much anything they've done.




John

[simon moon]

TT is a great fusion band, of course! Not my favorite post 70's fusion, but high on the list.

Others that are in the same class off the top of my head:

Uncle Moe's Space Ranch
OHM
Spaced Out
Richard Hallebeek Project
McGill/Manring/Stevens
Forgas Band Phenomena
Counter-World Experience

[Zeuhlmate]

I thought of Kenso too, Kazumi Watanabe is another, Tipographica, or all the projects by Tatsuya Yoshida - if the genre Fusion can be extended a bit.

Or Niacin!

But how about this:

[FrippWire]

All the previous posters have chimed in on a lot of greats. One name I'd like to throw out there is Uzeb.

[bill g]

Kenso is my fave, and one of my favorite bands of all time. Never heard Uzeb though, I will check them out!

[Dean Watson]

Love this band, also LOVE UZEB! This tune "Spider" kills ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHeO7nkJ6HY

[philsunset]

Love this band, also LOVE UZEB! This tune "Spider" kills ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHeO7nkJ6HY

Man oh man, haven't heard that in ages. Now playing the Noisy Nights CD by Uzeb. Good stuff!

[sonic]

Damn! Now I'm going to have to rush out and buy some Tribal Tech!

[Trane]

I tried out a few of them in recent years, and I can't hook in most of that stuff, especially those of 80's and early 90's

Vital information
Yellowjackets
CC's Elektric Band
Tribal tech
.... none of these actualkly move me much


=====================

HOWEVER:

Among later bands,

Elephant 9
Portico Quartet,
Forgas PB (though i must say that seeing them live recently did wonders in rekindling my interest >>> sooooo much livelier than the Nearfest footage DVD)

Love this band, also LOVE UZEB! This tune "Spider" kills ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHeO7nkJ6HY

one album side is cool, but a whole album?? Yiiikes (just not enough variety in their musuc >> bombarded relentlessly by the same music)

Damn! Now I'm going to have to rush out and buy some Tribal Tech!

Never understood the hoopla about them

[Supersonic Scientist]

[QUOTE=Trane;100485]I tried out a few of them in recent years, and I can't hook in most of that stuff, especially those of 80's and early 90's

Vital information
Yellowjackets
CC's Elektric Band
Tribal tech
.... none of these actualkly move me much


Seconded. All of these bands left me cold.

Niacin on the other hand were right up my alley.

[Father Tiresias]

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=oakFP...%3DoakFPTh0JEA

[Bake 1]

...don't really have a single favorite, but dig how this references some high level 70's burners.

[Trane]

...don't really have a single favorite, but dig how this references some high level 70's burners.

NOOOOOOWWWW, we talking steaming hot fusion... lava spewing from your speakers into your living room and magma taking years to cool down...

What are the references to this album?? is this Cause & Effects?? Is it still available??

[Zalmoxe]

My vote goes for Allan Holdsworth and everything he has done as a solo artist or as a member of other bands.

Clip from Heavy Machinery with the Johansson brothers:


"Close to Home" from Chad Wakerman's "The View":


"Allan Qui?" from Gongzilla's "Suffer" (this is dedicated to everyone that has said there is no emotion in Allan's playing):

[Zalmoxe]

Solo projects by AH:

From Wardenclyffe Tower:


From Hard Hat Area:


From 16 men of Tain:

[Wah3]

Tribal Tech is my favorite too. Their live shows were unreal. Incredible soloing around some pretty darned good songwriting. It's a shame they never released a live album. I feel lucky to have one good audio and one good video bootleg.

[BobM]

Tribal Tech was certainly the first fusion band that came to mind. But I also liked Joe Zawinul's Syndicate releases. Is that all too close to the same style or Weather Report for some?

OK, how about Bela Fleck for something different? Or John McLaughlin's several releases into varying genre's? Or Chic Corea's different exploits?

Still, TT rises to the top for me. Some of the others are just too much "chops" music without the feel and emotion that makes it all worthwhile.

[Nearfest2]

Niacin
Allan Holdsworth
Special Providence

[No Pride]

Kenso, well pretty much anything they've done.

Funny, I tend to forget that they're as much a fusion band as they are a symph prog band. I dig 'em too, but I can't say anything they've done. My favorite albums of theirs are "Yume No Oka" and "Utsuroi Yuku Mono." I just wish I liked Yoshihisa Shimizu's guitar playing half as much as I like his writing.

Uncle Moe's Space Ranch
OHM
Spaced Out
Richard Hallebeek Project
McGill/Manring/Stevens
Forgas Band Phenomena
Counter-World Experience

I was a little disappointed with Uncle Moe's first one and haven't heard the second. I actually liked Brett Garsed and T.J. Helmerich's last album before they formed UMSR better. With an all-star cast including half of Tribal Tech and Dennis Chambers, maybe my expectations were too high. Great playing but not enough writing for my tastes.

Ohm: Definitely leaning towards the rock side of fusion! I really liked the first album; it made me think of what Joe Satriani might sound like if he wasn't quite so interested in having a huge fan base. I didn't like "Amino Acid Flashback" nearly as much and haven't heard the third one.

Never heard Forgas Band Phenomena or Counter-World Experience. Any cool links?

how about this:

That Farmers Market stuff was awesome! I heard about them years ago from a friend who likes fusion but is fanatical about Bulgarian music. I take it that those videos are fairly recent; I must get my hands on some FM!

All the previous posters have chimed in on a lot of greats. One name I'd like to throw out there is Uzeb.

PE's own (very talented multi-instrumentalist/composer) Dean Watson told me that my (former band, Bad Dog U) stuff reminded him of Uzeb, but I've only heard a few tunes and never heard an entire album of theirs. Got any shining examples? Dean?

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=oakFP...%3DoakFPTh0JEA

Heh!

how about Bela Fleck for something different? Or John McLaughlin's several releases into varying genre's? Or Chic Corea's different exploits?

All good to great stuff! I'm a huge Chick Corea fan and like to love 80% of what he's done! Which is not to say I've heard everything; his discography is nearly as big as Zappa's! The Elektric Band was kind of hit and miss to me, but when they hit, it was out of the ballpark! I consider "Inside Out" to be their masterpiece; not a bad moment on the entire album!

Love Bela Fleck's playing and he's a fantastic writer! I do get fatigued by the sound of the banjo however. And I wish "Future Man" would play real acoustic drums. Still.. great band! I play about a half dozen gigs with Howard Levy every year and I've known about his genius long before The Flecktones existed.

McLaughlin is great of course, but I don't like everything he's put out. I think "Industrial Zen" is one of the best albums he's done in the past 20 years, with the possible exception of his trio albums with Trilok Gurtu and Dominique DiPiazza.

I tried out a few of them in recent years, and I can't hook in most of that stuff, especially those of 80's and early 90's

Vital information
Yellowjackets
CC's Elektric Band
Tribal tech
.... none of these

I'm not shocked, Hughes; I've come to learn that our tastes are so near, yet so far.
Vital Information: great players, the writing doesn't slay me.
Yellowjackets: some albums are much better than others, but the better ones really resonate with me. I think Russel Ferrante is a great composer. "Four Corners" is my fave of theirs; beautiful album!
Elektric Band: already talked about them. "Light Years" was pretty awful; "Inside Out" is tremendous! And the rest of their albums fluctuate somewhere inbetween those two extremes.
Tribal Tech: you already know I'm a fanboy. What can I say; we all have our own criteria for what moves us and what doesn't.

Allan Holdsworth

Again, I'm a fanboy! Seen him live 5 or 6 times; I've lost count. Sometimes I wish there was a little humor in his music. Whatever, he's still a genius!

Hey folks, I'm thoroughly enjoying this thread! Keep 'em coming!

[Zalmoxe]

It is "Cause & Effect". There are two available on eBay right now:

http://tinyurl.com/cz654oq

http://tinyurl.com/a9yevka (10 Euro)

[rapidfirerob]

Tribal Tech has great musicians and I'd love to see them live once again. A lot of their material sounds like
jams or unfinished compositions to me, not necessarily a bad thing. The Aristocrats would have to be at the top
of my list currently. Their live DVD/double album from last year, Boing we'll do it live is killer. Richard Hallebeek
is pretty amazing as well, great guitarist and first rate composer. The three GHS recordings are excellent, as well
as the two Uncle Moe CDs as well. Niacin is first rate, hoping for a tour soon as well. Bryan Beller's albums are worth
checking out too. Bombastic Meatbats need to be in the discussion as well. Both studio albums and the live one are essential IMO. Jaga Jazzist from Norway is in the mix as well. Ohm on the rock side are great too, as well as The Avengers. Then there is Tunnels with Percy Jones. Spectrum Road is a must have recording too. Michael Landau and the offshoot Renegade Creation are essential as well. That's good for a start.

[No Pride]

Tribal Tech has great musicians and I'd love to see them live once again. A lot of their material sounds like
jams or unfinished compositions to me, not necessarily a bad thing. The Aristocrats would have to be at the top
of my list currently. Their live DVD/double album from last year, Boing we'll do it live is killer.

Tribal Tech: depends on which period we're talking about. The first two albums (Spears and Dr. Hee) are heavily composed and arranged. Unfortunately, they're out of print now. Eventually, Henderson and Willis felt that all of that written stuff was holding back the band's prowess as an intuitively interactive improv unit and they gradually became much more "jammy." When "Thick" came out, I was a little disappointed that the writing was so minimal, but these guys are such great players that I didn't mind that much. But when they followed it up with another album in the same vein (Rocket Science), I was bummed! Fortunately, they got back to some material that was more composed with their last one, "X." Still, I like the earlier ones best. The balance of great playing and great writing is what makes a fusion album something that has staying power, at least for me. BTW, I've seen TT live four times.

The Aristocrats: I was mildly disappointed with the debut; it was mostly the bone-dry production. But when I saw them live, that material came to life in a big way! I'd love to see the DVD; wish I was making enough money to be the music consumer I once was.

Michael Landau's debut, "Tales From the Bulge" is a terrific instrumental album! I like Organic... (whatever it was ) too, but not nearly as much.

[syncopatico]

Since i'm such a Brand X fan, i'll *cheat* a little bit here and say The Fire Merchants (even though 'they' only put out two albums, and they were MUCH, MUCH better live in the few gigs they played rather than what is reflected on the studio records.) Another short-lived fusion band that i liked was Paradox (with Cobham, Wolfgang Schmid and the extremely underrated Bill Bickford on guitar.) They only did a very few gigs i think, mostly in Germany, but the one live show i've heard is also vastly superior to their two studio records.

[rickawakeman]

I just found a used copy of KBB's "Lost and Found" and am blown away. Best fusion I've heard since the last Helmet of Gnats LP.