Quantum Jump - Barracuda. 2015 Esoteric (CD) (1977). Thrift shop find (Oct). I hear Quantum Jump to be very similar to Automatic Man. And just as Automatic Man went whole hog for jazz funk, so did Quantum Jump. But whereas Automatic Man succeeded that genre hop, Quantum Jump failed miserably. There's no groove here, and the melodies are lifeless. They were just jumping (so to speak) on the bandwagon hoping to gain radio airplay. It failed on that front, and it fails as an album. On the plus side, the Esoteric reissue is excellent and provides a full length concert entitled BBC Radio One In Concert 16th July 1977. This is much better - some of the same tunes but sounding more raw and played with more energy. Not enough to keep, mind.
*Quantum Jump. 1998 Voiceprint (CD) (1976). With the above (Oct). This is another album I had no use for even in recent times. But loving it now. And once again, this album has no sense of purpose, almost guaranteeing its place in obscurity lists for time immortal. Another excellent reissue with full liners and five bonus tracks.
The Don Ellis Orchestra - Electric Bath. 1967 Columbia (LP). Two years ago (2019), we had here in the Springs what was known as the "14,000 album sale". A former antique shop booth owner had passed away, and left behind an enormous collection. Not just records, but that was the primary in this case. He lived in a "goat path" house, which is a term meaning he was a hoarder. His family took over a lot of it, and they continue to run a booth up in Denver. So these 14,000 were not even the "good" stuff. A lot of us weren't sure what to expect, but they did let out plenty of great albums anyway (and many of them were either sealed or perfect mint, since they remained unplayed (like this one)). Some of which I've already covered in the pages as features. It's also where I started my classical record business. I had a lot to learn about classical (I mean a lot), but my instincts did allow me to make a very nice profit on this sale (and I still have inventory). At the end of the day - on two visits - I bought over 100 albums. This was one of them. Always loved the cover and the title. Its reputation is well earned given the experimentation beyond traditional big band. For 1967, jazz artists like Ellis going out on a limb like this must have been exciting. One genre you'll hear in regards to Electric Bath is Third Stream, a mixture of jazz and classical. All that said, it's not really a favorite style of mine to begin with, and it's a stretch to continue to hold onto it. So I won't. (Aug)
*Miles Davis - Agharta. 1991 Columbia Legacy (2xCD) (1975). Collection revisit (Jul). Even though I had been well versed in Miles Davis' recordings, thanks to a local Dallas friend who was a huge fan, I didn't own any product until I picked up this CD in 1998 from Rasputin's in Pleasant Hill, California. Because of the when and where, I know Agharta better than any of his other releases, having played it pretty much non stop in the rental car going to and from my office at the time. Many of you know this album, and the story that it's the afternoon concert, later followed by an evening show (which is on Pangaea). No wonder Davis was sick and ill by this point. These are intense concerts, and to be playing five to six hours a day in front of large audiences is insane. By this time, Davis' band was a machine, and it was all about the deep groove. I love his organ sound as well. Tons of wah wah rhythm, which I've mentioned many times is a favorite around here. And also great sax, trumpet (sort of), and guitar solos. Hendrix meets Stockhausen I've read. With a dose of deep funk. That encapsulates it. I would rate Agharta even higher if there were more melodic tracks such as 'Maiysha' in the mix. That's not really what Davis was going for though. I have to say I prefer this "light" concert to the "dark" show (Pangaea). Light being a relevant term. Because of my familiarity with this, this remains one of my favorite Miles Davis albums. I think if it were another release from his Bitches' Brew period, I'd feel similar about that one as well. Comes in an old school "fat box" jewel case with 2 discs. I always liked those. Plenty of room for the booklet, of which this has of course. Typically great Legacy release.
Weather Report. 1971 Columbia (LP). Thrift shop find (Jul). All these years and I've never heard the debut by Weather Report. It's a very intriguing album and I was on the fence about the contents. It's interesting to hear the band operate in experimental jazz fashion verse their more well known slick fusion sound. Fuzz bass and atonal sax are hardly ear friendly, but one cannot help but pickup the 1970 European jazz style on display here. I had to listen to it three times to determine its fate. A year ago, I would have held onto this, but this would just end up on the bottom of the stack today. Very good on the whole, though it's not something I would typically reach for. I do think this is an album that could have used some electric guitar to provide balance.
Weather Report - I Sing the Body Electric. 1972 Columbia (LP). With the above (Jul). I used to have a very nice French digipak CD of this one, but sold when offered a good price for it. Interesting in hearing it again, as my observation about not knowing too much about Weather Report's jazz era was not entirely correct. This is definitely cut from the same cloth as the debut, especially Side 1, whereas Side 2 is full-on Miles Davis styled. Once again, I think a guitar presence would have gone a long way to me appreciating this more. But the solo work is almost entirely left to Wayne Shorter, and I'm not a big fan of his oftentimes atonal sax playing. The rest of the band provide an excellent backbone, with some superb fuzzy analog sounds from Zawinul. I enjoyed a +1 listen here, but not enough for me to want to keep.
* - Keeping for the collection
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