My Spanish Heart
Artist: Chick Corea

This 1976 release features Chick Corea in what was then, and remains, a unique musical setting. While it is truly an electric jazz fusion record, it is also the only solo recording of Corea's on which he attempted to truly explore the Latin side of his musical heritage. My Spanish Heart marks a full-scale, yet thoroughly modern, exploration in... Read More

Joy of Flying
Artist: Tony Williams' Lifetime

It would be an understatement to say that there was a fair amount of variety on this set. Drummer Tony Williams is heard in two duets with keyboardist Jan Hammer, with a quartet also including keyboardist Herbie Hancock, Tom Scott (who unfortunately sticks to lyricon) and bassist Stanley Clarke, and he welcomes rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose,... Read More

Splendid
Artist: Larry Coryell

The companion to Twin House proves to be just as good as the first. This session is a bit more experimental than the first and includes the always reliable Joachim Kuhn on piano ("Dues Xango"). Like their first effort, it is not just their remarkable technique that makes this a worthy effort, but also the energetic compositions. Splendid is just... Read More

Inner Conflicts
Artist: Billy Cobham

A solid effort that has been dismissed based upon its associations with two Cobham lemons, Simplicity of Expression/Depth of Thought and B.C., all recorded around the same time. This recording finds Cobham continuing to explore the funk genre; however, the overall mood here is quite darker and more introspective, similar to Crosswinds. "Inner... Read More

Believe It
Artist: Tony Williams

This is a hard-edged fusion quartet with guitarist Allan Holdsworth. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide Read More

Live
Artist: Jean-Luc Ponty
Jaco Pastorius
Artist: Jaco Pastorius
Community Score: 7.65

It's impossible to hear Jaco Pastorious' debut album today as it sounded when it was first released in 1976. The opening track -- his transcription for fretless electric bass of the bebop standard "Donna Lee" -- was a manifesto of virtuosity; the next track, the funk-soul celebration "Come On, Come Over" was a poke in the eye to jazz snobs and a... Read More

Pat Metheny Group
Artist: Pat Metheny Group

The first recording by the Pat Metheny Group features the innovative guitarist along with keyboardist Lyle Mays, bassist Mark Egan, and drummer Dan Gottlieb. The music is quite distinctive, floating rather than swinging, electric but not rockish, and full of folkish melodies. The best known of these six Metheny-Mays originals are "Phase Dance"... Read More

Electric Guitarist
Artist: Jon McLaughlin
Inner Worlds
Artist: Mahavishnu Orchestra
Community Score: 2.00

The state of the second Mahavishnu Orchestra continued to be volatile in 1975, with violinist Jean-Luc Ponty out, keyboardist Gayle Moran replaced by Stu Goldberg, and all string and horn backings removed, leaving just a steaming quartet and this lone remarkable album. The addition of Goldberg, a more interesting musician than Moran, is... Read More

Sunburst
Artist: Eddie Henderson

Switching over to Blue Note, which was then reaping a fortune with Donald Byrd's R&B outfit, Eddie Henderson pursued a harder, earthier, more structured, funk-driven sound on his first album while maintaining some of his marvelously spacier instincts for spice. Henderson continued to keep several components of the Herbie Hancock Septet together,... Read More

Midnight Rain
Artist: Urszula Dudziak

Urszula Dudziak is such an odd and unique improviser (who uses electronics on her voice, displays a huge range and is able to come up with a wide variety of other-worldly sounds) that this standards-oriented release is the best introduction to her singing. Not that Dudziak's interpretations of "Lover," "Misty," "Night in Tunisia" and "Bluesette"... Read More