Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Introducing... The Eleventh House with Larry Coryell

I think this belongs up in the rafters of the Jazz Fusion hardwood courts. Nice odd-time grooves, funky bass, overzealous synthesizers, wah wah trumpet, and Alphonse Mouzon's fashion:


Another early youtube video that I recall watching over and over again is this live performance of "Low-Lee-Tah"

What can I say, I'm a sucker for 70's fusion groups that try to make odd time signature groupings sound funky and evil (did someone say King Crimson? Bill Bruford? Where?)

Great playing on this record, which I enjoy much more than Lady Coryell. I'm amazed that this group is the fourth ranked fusion group out of Weather Report, Mahavishnu, Return to Forever, and Eleventh House. So much talent going down in all of these groups. 

I think these groups very much sound like the times (subconsciously, musical things were affecting these guys -- commercials jingles and television themes played by studio musicians), so when bands these days try to emulate this sound, it comes off similar to 80's jazz musicians trying to emulate bebop (i.e. music not of their time). You always have to try for something original, not try to hold the past up on such a pedestal that you try to sound like it.



I forgot how much I like "Joy Ride" as well from this album. This may be the best tune off the album. Yet some of the melodic content... phrase endings sound JUST like they could be the end of a TV theme (pre-Mike Post)

Well, I got a little off topic there.


Some trivia:

Did you know that Alphonse Mouzon played drums in the movie "That Thing You Do?" He wrote some of the music for the jazz club scenes!

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