EL MICHELS AFFAIR : Glaciers Of Ice (2009)

A project of sax-player Leon Michels, this group is a NYC funk combo playing mainly instrumental music. The group got the attention of hip-hop artist Raekwon, and how they are regularly used as the backing band for Raekwon and the Wu-Tang Clan.

This track, originally released in 2006, is a good example of how a live act can arrange a song that could be used as both an instrumental, as well as a hip-hop backing track. The theme of this album is songs inspired by the Wu-Tang Clan. In fact, some of the songs are actually instrumental covers of songs of the Wu-Tang's "Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" from 1993, hence the album title.

Song : "Glaciers Of Ice"
From the LP "ENTER THE 37th CHAMBER" (Fat Beats) Apr. 21, 2009
Also released as a single B-side, 2006

LINEUP :
Leon Michels : producer, sax, organ, piano
Toby Pazner : piano, organ
Nick Movshon : bass
Thomas Brenneck : guitar
Homer Steinweiss : drums
Aaron Johnson : trombone
Michael Leonhart : trumpet

Get it here : Glaciers Of Ice

BANG : Come With Me (1971)

Bang was a hard-rock group hailing from Philadelphia. As a power-trio, they were groomed to have a Blue Cheer/Black Sabbath sound, but with a southern-rock flavour (acoustic passages, harmonized guitar lines). But of course, poor management prevented the group from gaining any serious recognition, and the group eventually split. They have since reunited, and are recording and touring locally from time to time. This track is from their first official album (their first recording was unreleased at the time), and has the typical '70s hard rock sound: loud guitars, a solid riff, and yelling vocals.

Song : "Come With Me" by Bang

From the LP "BANG" (Capitol) Dec. 1971

LINEUP:
Frank Ferrara : vocals, bass
Frank Glicken : guitar
Tony D'Lorio : drums

Get it here : Come With Me

BLUE CHEER : Summertime Blues (1968)

R.I.P. Dickie Peterson (Sep. 12, 1948 - Oct. 12, 2009)

From Blabbermouth.net: Dickie Peterson, the bassist/vocalist and founding member of BLUE CHEER, passed away this morning (Monday, October 12) at 5 a.m. in Germany. He was 61 years old. Peterson had reportedly been battling prostate and liver cancer, and according to BLUE CHEER's message board, had developed a fatal infection following a surgical procedure to help alleviate his fight.

BLUE CHEER was an American blues-rock band that initially performed and recorded in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and has been sporadically active since. Based in San Francisco, BLUE CHEER played in a psychedelic blues-rock style, and was also credited for pioneering heavy metal (their cover of "Summertime Blues" is sometimes cited as the first in the genre), punk rock, stoner rock, doom metal and grunge.

Throughout his life, Peterson's relationship to music has been all-consuming. He was quoted as saying, "I've been married twice, I've had numerous girlfriends, and they'll all tell you that if I'm not playing music I am an animal to live with. . . Music is a place where I get to deal with a lot of my emotion and displaced energy. I always only wanted to play music, and that's all I still want to do."Despite the fact that BLUE CHEER was considered a pioneer in many different genres, Peterson downplayed the band's influence, stating in an interview, "People keep trying to say that we're heavy metal or grunge or punk, or we're this or that. The reality is we're just a power trio and we play ultra-blues, and it's rock 'n' roll. It's really simple what we do."

From Allmusic:
Jerry Capehart and Eddie Cochran's angst-filled paen to taking time off gets one of its most robust renditions from the mega-watt ampage of Blue Cheer in what was their break-through hit. Their only hit. Phillips single #40516 went Top 15 in the spring of 1968 ten years after Eddie Cochran took his co-write Top 10. As rocking as the original might've been for the time, Blue Cheer's expansion of the sound was explosive, perhaps inspiring the world's greatest rock rhythm guitarist, Pete Townshend (a rhythm guitarist so good he got to play lead) to up the ante for The Who's Top 30 live gem a quick two years after Blue Cheer made this big noise. This song is actually the ultimate in garage rock gone metal. Pure anger and frustration, Leigh Stephens' guitar encapsulated inside Dickie Peterson's bass and Paul Whaley's drums. The three minutes and forty-seven seconds probably inspired The Amboy Dukes, The Litter and Grand Funk Railroad as well. This was the sledgehammer Blue Cheer used to tell the world it was here, the prototype of attitude fused fury.

The above says is it all. While San Francisco was celebrating peace & love, these guys seemed to have come out of nowhere to crank their amps and trounce all over the hippie movement. Wild solos, raw recording, and a lot of attitude went into their early material. They were definitely a precursor of rock music to come...

Song : "Summertime Blues" by Blue Cheer (originally recorded by Eddie Cochran, 1958)

From the LP "VINCEBUS ERUPTUM" (Philips) Jan. 1968

LINEUP :

Dickie Peterson : bass, vocals

Paul Whaley : drums

Leigh Stephens : guitar

Get it here : Summertime Blues

FAMILY OF PERCUSSION & ARCHIE SHEPP : Here Comes The Family (1980)

Family Of Percussion was originally formed by drummer Peter Giger (who had played with German groups Dzyan, Drum Circus). After a string of percussion albums, he teamed up with legendary sax player Archie Shepp for this one-off album. This is the title track, quite funky and rare for the group in that it had vocals. By listening to the rhythm section, one can hear the array of percussive instruments they had at their disposal.

: Peter Giger :

Song : "Here Comes The Family" by Family Of Percussion & Archie Shepp (recorded Oct. 13/14, 1980)

From the LP "HERE COMES THE FAMILY" (Nagara) 1980

LINEUP :

Archie Shepp : vocals, flute

Peter Giger : vocals, percussion

Trilok Gurtu : percussion

Doug Hammond : vocals, percussion

Tom Nicholas : percussion

Get it here : Here Comes The Family

LIVING COLOUR : Method (2009)

Living Colour are back! This groundbreaking black rock group from the late-80s/early-90s reunite every few years to take another stab at an album, and then go on to solo projects. A new album was released a couple of weeks ago, and now they're on tour supporting it. This track showcases the dense production of the album, which fits well with the dark melody and lyrics of this song. The usual qualities of the group are here: Corey Glover's strong vocals, Vernon Reid's consistently experimental guitar, and the strong rhythm section. It's always refreshing listening to a rock band where all the musicians are highly talented.

Song : "Method" by Living Colour
From the LP "THE CHAIR IN THE DOORWAY" (Megaforce) Sep. 15, 2009

LINEUP:
Corey Glover : vocals
Vernon Reid : guitar
Doug Wimbush : bass and ambience
Will Calhoun : drums and percussion

Get it here : Method

THE TRIP : Caronte I (1971)

The Trip were an early Italian progressive rock group, orginally formed by ex-pat Brits who moved to Italy. An original member was none other than Ritchie Blackmore!! He soon moved back to England to join Deep Purple. By the time of this track, half the group was Italian and under the leadership of keyboardist Joe Vescovi.

This track opens their classic second album, with overdriven keyboards and heavy classical overtones. The guitar/organ intro keeps a somewhat ominous feel. By 2:04, the band picks up a more 'classical rock' sound, sounding quite similar to The Nice (Keith Emerson is obviously Vescovi's biggest influence). The difference is the ripping guitar of William Gray, which lets loose at 3:22. At 4:39, the main theme returns with a surprising breakbeat kicking it off. The drum/keyboard interplay at 5:29 is quite impressive. At 5:45, there is a recap of part of the intro figure. The song ends with Vescovi's distorted keyboard effects.

Song : "Caronte I" by The Trip
From the LP " CARONTE" RCA Italia (1971)

LINEUP :
William Gray : guitars
Arvid "Wegg" Andersen : bass
Pino Sinnone : percussion
Joe Vescovi : hammond organ, piano, church organ, mellotron

Get it here : Caronte I

FLASH AND THE PAN : Captain Beware (1980)

Flash And The Pan were a late-70s/early-80s new wave project by producers/songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young. Vanda & Young were originally members of The Easybeats (see Jan. 21, 2008 entry), but soon moved on to production and songwriting. George Young is AC/DC's Angus & Malcolm's older brother. This group was their New Wave project, essentially a studio creation that brought in musicians to perform their music. This track is representative of the style of the project: synth-heavy beats, driving bass line, and vocals that speak throughout the verse, yet have a strong chorus.

Song : "Captain Beware" by Flash And The Pan

LP "LIGHTS IN THE NIGHT" (Albert) May 1980

LINEUP:

George Young : synthesizers, lead vocals

Harry Vanda : guitar, vocals

Johnny Dick : drums

Les Karski : bass

Warren Morgan : piano

Get it here : Captain Beware

THE HORACE SILVER QUINTET : Song For My Father (1964)

Not much to say about this one. An instant jazz standard, this song has been covered numerous times. It was inspired by Horace Silver's trip to Brazil, see below.

From wicn.org:

"Song for My Father," Horace Silver's most commercially successful song, was inspired by the Portuguese music that his father so loved. Rosenthal quotes Silver’s description of how he came to write it: "My dad through the years had always said to me, ‘Why don’t you take some of this Portuguese folk music and put it into jazz?’ I never could see it. To me it always seemed corny – because I was born here into American music, whether it be jazz or whatever. But there is a feeling there: there’s something there that’s valid. I didn’t really get in tune with that feeling until I was invited by Sergio Mendes to his house in Rio de Janeiro. I went to see Carnival and went around to different places he was playing and sat in, and I was fascinated by the musical capabilities of some of the young musicians down there. They were all into this bossa nova thing, which as you know was greatly inspired by our American jazz. I got turned onto that beat. So I got back to New York and I said, ‘I’ll try to write a tune using that rhythm.’ I started fooling around and I came up with the melody and I realized the melody I came up with was akin to Cape Verdean – like something my dad would play. That was ‘Song for My Father.’"

"Song for My Father" was introduced as the title track on Silver’s 1964 Blue Note Records album and the album cover featured a picture of Silver’s father. The album was a best seller for Blue Note and ranks as one of the greatest mainstream hard bop recordings. Its title song had a notable influence on pop music, with the jazz-rock group Steely Dan borrowing the opening piano notes for their greatest pop hit, "Rikki Don't Lose That Number", and Stevie Wonder borrowing the opening horn riff for his song "Don't You Worry ‘Bout a Thing".

Song : "Song For My Father" by The Horace Silver Quintet

LP "SONG FOR MY FATHER" (Blue Note) 1964

LINEUP :

Horace Silver : piano

Carmell Jones : trumpet

Joe Henderson : tenor saxophone

Teddy Smith : bass

Roger Humphries : drums

Get it here : Song For My Father

KINGDOM COME : Spirit Of Joy (1973)

Back from summer vacation! And Arthur Brown is back too! So after "The Crazy World..." fell apart, Brown tried jamming with various people (including Jimi Hendrix!). He ultimately settled on forming a progressive rock group, Kingdom Come. It continued the wackiness of his first album, but with a higher level of musicianship, and more contributions from other band members. Yet things changed quickly; after a couple of band members left, Brown decided not to use a drummer at all and replace him with a Bentley drum machine. This song is from the band's third and final album, and shows one of the earliest uses of a drum machine on a record. It's a catchier tune, but it still shows Brown's solid vocal range. Brown would basically go solo after this record.

Song : "Spirit Of Joy" by Kingdom Come
LP "JOURNEY" (Polydor) Apr. 1973

LINEUP :
Arthur Brown : vocals, Bentley drum machine
Andy Dalby : electric guitar, vocals
Phil Shutt : bass, vocals
Victor Peraino : mellotron, piano, synthesizer

Get it here : Spirit Of Joy

THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN : Prelude - Nightmare (1968)

Arthur Brown has always been a musical enigma. At a time of peace & love, he was screaming "I am the God of Hellfire!", he was lighting his head on fire, he carried an operatic voice in a psychedelic band, and was a poster-boy for eclecticism in music. This is the opening track to his first (and most successful album), which led into his biggest hit, "Fire". His use of theatrics and costume predated Alice Cooper, David Bowie, and glam rock. His screaming vocals inspired many rock singers of the '70s, particularly Ian Gillan (of Deep Purple). Unfortunately, Crane's career never hit these heights again.

Note: soon after this album, Brown recruited drummer Carl Palmer (of ELP fame). Palmer would stay for about a year before leaving with keyboardist Vincent Crane to form Atomic Rooster.

Song : "Prelude - Nightmare" by The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown
LP "THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN" (Track) July, 1968

LINEUP:
Arthur Brown : vocals
Vincent Crane : organ
Drachen Theaker : drums

Get it here : Prelude - Nightmare

THE BUDOS BAND : Ephra (2009)

The Budos Band are a retro-sounding Afrobeat/funk group from Staten Island, NY. Part of the funky NY label, Daptone Records, the members sub in for other groups on the label. This song is off their newest EP, a collection of rare and unreleased tracks by the group. "Ephra" is a guitar/bass driven song, a sweet repetitive riff that when combined with the percussion section, becomes a solid smashing groove. The horns come in to top it all off, and a great trumpet solo.

Song : "Ephra" by The Budos Band
From the EP "The Budos Band EP" (Daptone) Jun. 16, 2009

LINEUP (most likely) :
Vincent Balestrino : Shekere
Thomas Brenneck : Electric Guitar
John Carbonella Jr. : Congas, Drums
Mike Deller : Organ
Daniel Foder : Bass Guitar
Cochemea Gastellum : Tenor Sax, Flute
Andrew Greene : Trumpet
Dave Guy : Trumpet
Rob Lombardo : Bongo, Congas
Brian Profilio : Drums
Dame Rodriguez : Cowbell, Clave, Tambourine
Jared Tankel : Baritone Saxophone

Get it here : Ephra

JACKSON 5IVE : You Made Me What I Am (1973)

R.I.P. Michael Jackson (Aug. 29, 1958 - Jun. 25, 2009)

From michaeljacksonobit:
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. The seventh child of the Jackson family, he debuted on the professional music scene at the age of 11 as a member of The Jackson 5 and began a solo career in 1971 while still a member of the group. Referred to as the “King of Pop” in subsequent years, five of his solo studio albums are among the world’s best-selling records: Off the Wall (1979), Thriller (1982), Bad (1987), Dangerous (1991) and HIStory (1995).

In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African-American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as “Beat It”, “Billie Jean” and Thriller—credited for transforming the music video into an art form and a promotional tool—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as “Black or White” and “Scream” made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.

One of the few artists to have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice, his other achievements include multiple Guinness World Records—including one for “Most Successful Entertainer of All Time”—13 Grammy Awards, 13 number one singles in his solo career—more than any other male artist in the Hot 100 era—and the sales of over 750 million albums worldwide. Cited as one of the world’s most famous men, Jackson’s highly publicized personal life, coupled with his successful career, made him a part of popular culture for almost four decades.

On June 25, 2009, he collapsed at his home in Los Angeles. After being taken to the hospital in a coma, Jackson was pronounced dead.

There's not much needed to be said about Jackson's importance in popular music in the last 40 years. He encapsulated the pinnacle of 'entertainer', and was ultimately a victim of the media that catapaulted his career. His songs are SO well-known, that it would be somewhat redundant to post a majority of them. Instead, here is a relatively unknown Jackson Five song, from a relatively unsuccessful album, from a relatively unhappy period of the band. The Jacksons were demanding to be able to write some of their own songs, a request to which Motown chief Barry Gordy flat-out refused. The album, "Skywriter", was the first to start showing the cracks in the group's energy, plainly evident by their unhappiness on the cover! The album did moderately well, but was a step back from previous heights.

This track is a b-side from the album, written by The Corporation, and is a forgotten funky soul gem. The brothers are singing as well as ever, and the rhythm is infectious. I would LIKE to think that Tito and Jermaine were playing the guitar and bass, respectively, but who knows when it comes to Motown?

Song : "You Made Me What I Am" by Jackson 5ive
From the LP "SKYWRITER" (Motown) Mar. 1973

Get it here : You Made Me What I Am

EMBRYO : Side Track (1974/5)

R.I.P. Charlie Mariano (Nov. 12, 1923 - Jun. 16, 2009)

Obit:

Born Carmine Ugo Mariano on November 12, 1923 in Boston MA died June 16, 2009 in Cologne Germany at the Mildred Scheel Hospiz. Charlie’s music career spans from 1940 when at the age of 17 his sister Colina gave him his first saxophone to 2009 when at the age of 85 he was still performing and recording music. Charlie served three years in the Army Air Corps during World War II where he met his first wife Glenna Gregory.

Following his service in the military he became a student at Schillinger House (now Berklee College of Music) graduating in 1951. He became a well known alto saxophonist during his time with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and Shelly Manne through his West Coast era. In 1958 with wife and four daughters in tow Charlie returned to Boston to teach at Berklee where he immersed himself in the Boston jazz scene. Along with Herb Pomeroy and Ray Santisi he founded the Jazz Workshop which became a popular jazz club featuring many jazz greats. During this period he met and married Toshiko Akiyoshi and formed the Toshiko Mariano Quartet. Afterwards he also performed with Charles Mingus and appeared on the Black Saint and The Sinner Lady and Mingus Mingus Mingus albums. At this time his fifth daughter was born.

From 1965 to 1971 he raised two of his daughters as a single father while teaching at Berklee. During that time he moved to Newburyport and formed a rock fusion band called Osmosis with local pianist Charlie Bechler. Prior to moving to Europe his sixth daughter was born with his partner Charlotte Bulathsinghala. While in Europe he played and recorded in many diverse musical genres including jazz rock fusion, South Indian music and contemporary European jazz. Charlie is considered one of the pioneers of world music.

Mariano was a true musical sponge, he played with SO MANY European jazz artists, it didn't seem like he ever took a break. Notable artists he played with (especially in the '70s): Sadao Watanabe, Osmosis, Supersister, Embryo, Philip Catherine, Eberhard Weber, Rolf Kuhn, Jasper van't Hof, and of course The United Jazz + Rock Ensemble.
This obscure track is by German jazz-rock/world music band Embryo. This is from the period when they were quite funky, as you can tell by the sloppy drum groove. Mariano is one of the featured sax soloists, and you can hear him blowing after some of the verses. This was one of the many songs that fell through the cracks due to labelling. Too funky for jazzheads, too jazzy for rockers, too straightforward for progressive rock fans, and too 'western' for Europeans. But it fares better without the pigeonholing. It does have a progressive side to it, starting at 3:41, with the continued funky beat. A very underrated album, and a fantastic cover!

Song : "Side Track" by Embryo (recorded 1974)
From the LP "SURFIN'" (BASF) Jan. 1975

LINEUP :
Christian Burchard : drums, mellotron
Roman Bunka : guitar, vocals, bass, percussion
Charlie Mariano : soprano sax
Edgar Hofmann : soprano sax, violins)

Get it here : Side Track

SOFT MACHINE : 1983 (1973)

R.I.P. Hugh Hopper (Apr. 29, 1945 - Jun. 7, 2009)

From Jazzwise:
Bass guitarist Hugh Hopper has died at the age of 64, it was announced yesterday. The Kent-born musician is best known as the bass player in Soft Machine which he joined in 1968. He remained with them until 1972 but later became an important part of Soft Machine Legacy which has toured the world in recent years.

Before Soft Machine Hopper worked with Daevid Allen and Robert Wyatt in the Daevid Allen Trio before forming the Wilde Flowers joined by his brother Brian, Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and Richard Sinclair. But it was with Wyatt, Allen, Ayers and also Mike Ratledge that he was to make his mark on the history of progressive rock and forward-looking jazz-influenced psychedelic groups of the period and since with his innovative fuzz-bass sound.

After Soft Machine, Hopper worked with a range of groups including the influential Gilgamesh and Isotope and began an association with free jazz saxophonist Elton Dean who joined Soft Machine in 1969. Later important collaborations also included work with the late Pip Pyle, Phil Miller’s In Cahoots and since 2002 with Soft Works which later became Soft Machine Legacy. Hopper had been suffering from leukaemia in recent years.

NOTE: Hopper has also worked with Syd Barrett, and toured with Jimi Hendrix.
This strange track was his last recording with the progressive rock/jazz/psych group Soft Machine. All the fuzzy bass and sound effects were his. It's interesting that although the piano sounds almost completely random, it is actually completely written out (as you can tell by the band being completely in synch with the accents). This 'song' sounds like the soundtrack to an unreleased future horror movie, and was his jumping-off point to his first solo album, "1984". He later joined jazz-rock groups Isotope, Gilgamesh, and Soft Heap.

Song : "1983" by Soft Machine (written by Hugh Hopper)
From the LP "SIX" (CBS/Columbia) 1973

LINEUP :
Hugh Hopper : bass
Mike Ratledge : organ, electric piano, grand piano
John Marshall : drums, percussion
Karl Jenkins : electric piano, grand piano

Get it here : 1983

THE RACONTEURS : Salute Your Solution (2008)

This side project of The White Stripes' Jack White and solo artist Brendan Benson has a serious preoccupation with hard rock with driving beats. This was the first single of their latest album, and did fairly well in the US. Of note is the dirty noisy guitar sound they employ, as well as the distorted keyboards. The half-time middle section is a great throwback to '70s rock.

Song : "Salute Your Solution" by The Raconteurs
From the LP "CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY" (Third Man Records) Mar. 25, 2008

LINEUP :
Patrick Keeler : drums, percussion
Brendan Benson : vocals, guitar, keyboards
Jack White III : vocals, guitar, keyboards
Jack L.J. Lawrence : bass, backing vocals

Get it here : Salute Your Solution

BETTY BARNEY meets CHILI PEPPERS meets THE PAZANT BROTHERS : Momma, Momma/Chicken Scratch (1969)

Apologies for the confusing title, but it's a confusing story! GWP was a record label based in New York City that produced singles for a number of jazz, soul, and funk acts. The 'house band' for the label was a group called The Pazant Brothers, with real brothers Al on trumpet and Eddy on sax. They played as the rhythm section on many of the singles, and had many great funk singles of their own. One the artists was singer Betty Barney, who recorded only one single "You Want My Lovin'". The track "Momma, Momma" is the funky b-side, and Barney is just belting out the lyrics. You can hear the typical staccato horns of the Pazant Brothers in the background. An interesting use of string swells occurs throughout.

Now, what makes it slightly confusing is that GWP re-released the song later in the same year, but this time keeping it instrumental and calling it "Chicken Scratch". Yet instead of making it a Pazant Brothers single, they went under the pseudonym, Chili Peppers. Thus, as the Chili Peppers, this was the sole single! Either way, you get to hear how nice n greasy the track is. Barney would continue to sing for the Pazants, particularly on their later album, "Loose And Juicy".

Song : "Momma, Momma" by Betty Barney
Single B-side (GWP 502) 1969

Song : "Chicken Scratch" by Chili Peppers
Single A-side (GWP 511) 1969

Both of the songs can be found on the compilation, "SuperFunk. Volume 4" (BGP) 2004

Get them here :
Momma Momma
Chicken Scratch

BILLY COBHAM : Stratus (1973)

Here is a classic track by master fusion drummer Billy Cobham. Since he was already playing in the intense environment of Mahavishnu Orchestra, it became apparent from his solo output that Cobham wanted tunes that were more funky.
Allmusic has words:
This is one of the most potent instances of the viability of the jazz-rock merger. Of course this style had been done a few years earlier with acts like Tony Williams Lifetime and the Mahavishnu Orchestra. In fact Cobham was a member with Mahavishnu when this was recorded. As tension began to give off sparks in that unit, he thought about doing a solo album. "Stratus" was the most influential track from Cobham's debut, "Spectrum", from 1973. How "Stratus" is different is that it featured guitarist Tommy Bolin's rock style. It proved especially incendiary in the jazz-rock idiom. Throughout "Stratus" his playing was less concerned with sounding "pretty" like many jazz guitarists, and his burning solos just go for the jugular. Of course that's not unlike Cobham's drumming style. No wonder they played so well together. Unlike a lot of the era's finest work, "Stratus" has endured.
In 1991 elements of Lee Sklar's loping bass part were used in Massive Attack's "Safe From Harm." For Bolin, he continued to be respected in jazz and rock until his death from a drug overdose in 1976. Posthumously, live versions of "Stratus" have appeared on solo albums released on the label Tommy Bolin Archives. This version of "Stratus" was the perfect way for Cobham display his skills as a composer and to kick off his successful solo career.

A 10-minute groove from start to finish, which leans more towards that funk than jazz. You can really hear Cobham go crazy at the finale at 9:52, with a rock-ish riff. Jan Hammer came from Mahavishnu to help, before going on to his own solo career. Tommy Bolin was just getting his big break, as he had just joined The James Gang. Lee Sklar, even the studio bassist, was just there to add this album to his thousands of sessions.

This song was also featured in the "Grand Theft IV" video game soundtrack.

Song : "Stratus" by Billy Cobham

From the LP "SPECTRUM" (Atlantic) Oct. 1, 1973

LINEUP :

Billy Cobham : drums

Tommy Bolin : guitar

Jan Hammer : electric piano, Moog synthesizer

Lee Sklar : bass

Get it here : Stratus

BLACK SABBATH : Heaven And Hell (1980)

Black Sabbath without Ozzy? How is that possible?? Well, it was possible for about 16 years after Ozzy left/got sacked. And for a brief time, Sabbath were more popular than they had been in years. They picked up Elf/Rainbow singer Ronnie James Dio, and went in a more 'traditional' heavy metal direction. The riffs were still there, just a little more theatrics, and those ubiquitous metal wizard-n-warrior lyrics.

Allmusic says it well with run-on sentences:
After Ozzy Osbourne left the mighty Black Sabbath, they hunted down Elf singer Ronnie James Dio and tried their hand at making an album with him. Bassist Geezer Butler stepped aside as head lyricist for the first time in a decade and allowed Dio to pen his own songs, which drastically changed the direction of the band and affected them years after Dio had moved on to do solo work. "Heaven and Hell" is one of the first songs they ever collaborated on, and the result is one of the best songs they managed to muster in their post-Ozzy years. A thunderous bass line (rumored to have been written by Geoff Nichols) carries the song throughout, while a slab of sludge guitar pops up whenever Dio stops singing. The lyrics are the usual doomy nonsense, but they focus much more on kings and bringers of evil and lose much of their Christian paranoia in exchange for a Dark Age mythology. Luckily, this recording forgoes Dio's later additions to the song, which included lyrics about "little white sheep" asking him to go to heaven, but he turns them down to rock with his fans. But the Dungeons and Dragons formula works well here, building to the raging second half where all the instruments meet up to carry Dio's campy theatrics to their natural end. But to even be able to notice a drop in lyrical quality when talking about Black Sabbath is a bad sign, and only two years later they would no longer have the musical chops to compliment the subpar words written by Dio. But for one brief moment it looked like the band would really pull it together, and this song was by far the best example of that optimism.

Other tidbits from wiki:
Dio explains the song is about how every individual has "heaven and hell" inside him or herself, as well the ability and the choice whether to choose good or evil.
In live performances by Black Sabbath or Dio, the song is usually stretched out with extended guitar solos, audience participation, and new or ad libbed lyrics.
The song is featured on the soundtrack for the 2007 movie "Halloween", and is featured in the 2008 video game "Grand Theft Auto IV" on the radio station "Liberty Rock Radio 97.8".

This song is basically written in three parts. The first part is the main body of the track, with the bass providing the pulse while Dio does his thing. Riffs come in an out, adding to the gradual buildup. After a well-balanced guitar solo, the second part begins at 4:16 which basically picks up the pace so the back can rock out. Finally, in true Sabbath fashion, a seemingly random coda ends the track with Iommi on double-tracked acoustic guitars playing a soft minstrel-like piece. Taken together, it captures the theme of the song quite well, balancing darkness with light.

Song : "HEAVEN AND HELL" by Black Sabbath (1980)
From the LP "HEAVEN AND HELL" (Warner Bros) Apr. 25, 1980

LINEUP :
Tony Iommi : guitar
Ronnie James Dio : vocals
Geezer Butler : bass
Bill Ward : drums
Geoff Nicholls : keyboards

This version is from the recent 2008 remaster, released in the box-set "THE RULES OF HELL".
Get it here : Heaven And Hell