If you ever wondered what Mike Stern sounded like at the 55 bar in 1987, wonder no more! What an absolute beast! Mike Stern Live at the 55 Bar - June 3rd, 1987

Looks like it was on a BUFFALO morning show promoting their gig. This wouldn’t see the light of day on any mass broadcast these days - they need to keep arts/entertainment at a lowest common denominator grade school level

Love how his chording is all based on where chick leaves space or as a rhythmic call and response.

Hi, I recorded a fusion-jazz song off the local jazz station (in Mobile, AL) somewhere between '86-'89. I lost the tape years later and am still trying to track the song down. It had a bright produced sound (so Im guessing produced in 80s) uptempo, bright piano, drums, bass, horns, and guitar. The guitar has a great solo in the middle (tempo down a lot before the solo starts). Def electric guitar with distortion. I'm attaching a little but of the melody before that solo comes in. (Its me playing from memory, so not perfect.) Also, the track faded in while already playing, making me think a live performance? Ive tried uploading it to AI, but the tech isnt good enough there. Ive listened through Ritenour, Scofield, Dave Grusin (closest in piano tone) , still no dice- Anyway... thanks!

Found some absolute bangers in used crates and record shows over the last 3 months. Which one’s your fave??

Please provide commentary in your posts

George Benson(with Earl Klugh) /The Gallery Seattle, Washington 1973.3.5. https://youtu.be/RbS4bmWYo7I?si=0FweYdoUUw5T7kHq u/YouTubeより

Hello,

I'm delighted to introduce this jazz fusion album, blending Latin, funk, and jazz influences. It was created in collaboration with a group of talented musicians from Lyon, France, and I contributed as both composer and bassist.

This is a fully independent project, entirely self-funded and self-produced, born out of our shared passion for music.

I sincerely hope you enjoy listening to it, and thank you very much for taking the time to discover our work.

Enjoy!

You can also listen it on Spotify, deezer, Apple music.. by typing "Brunaldo4 - Jam world cup"

r/CrossoverJazz

Introducing Bob James

Bob James, a jazz keyboardist, composer, arranger, and producer, was born on Christmas Day, 1939, in Marshall, Missouri. He started on piano at 4, and his teacher discovered his perfect pitch the same year. By 8 he had his first professional gig. In 1962, his college trio entered a jazz competition judged by Henry Mancini and Quincy Jones. They won, and Jones signed him on the spot, producing and releasing his 1963 debut, "Bold Conceptions." James moved to New York not long after, working as arranger and pianist for Sarah Vaughan and recording alongside Chet Baker and Hubert Laws.

The turn that made him a crossover name came through CTI Records, the influential jazz label built by producer Creed Taylor around a polished, radio-friendly sound. Taylor hired James as a producer, arranger, and studio musician, and through the 1970s James worked CTI sessions for Milt Jackson, Stanley Turrentine, Maynard Ferguson, and Grover Washington Jr. Taylor then handed James his own record: "One" (1974), whose closing track "Nautilus" would go on to become one of the most sampled recordings in hip-hop history, pulled into over 410 songs including Run-DMC's "Beats to the Rhyme," A Tribe Called Quest's "Clap Your Hands," Naughty by Nature's "O.P.P.," and Warren G and Nate Dogg's "Regulate," a reach WhoSampled's own catalog documents track by track.

By 1978, James had gone properly mainstream: "Angela," from his album "Touchdown," became the theme song for the hit TV sitcom Taxi, putting a jazz instrumental into millions of living rooms every week. Two years later, "One on One," his collaboration with guitarist Earl Klugh, won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Performance and sold over a million copies; a separate Grammy, for Best Jazz Fusion Performance, came for "Double Vision" with David Sanborn. In 1991, James co-founded Fourplay with drummer Harvey Mason, guitarist Lee Ritenour, and bassist Nathan East. He also ran his own label, Tappan Zee Records, founded in 1977 and named for the bridge he crossed commuting home from New York recording sessions.

He is still doing it at 85. In 2025, James released "Just Us," a GRAMMY-nominated duet album with saxophonist Dave Koz, recorded mostly in the living room of James's own home in Traverse City, Michigan, Koz's horn mic'd right next to his grand piano.

Where to start listening:

• His official platforms:
  • Bob James's Official Site
  • Bob James's YouTube Channel
  • Bob James's Spotify Page
• "One" (1974) for where the crossover sound crystallized, start with the official audio of "Nautilus"
• "Touchdown" (1978) for the mainstream breakthrough, start with "Angela (Theme From Taxi)"
• "Just Us" (2025) for where he is right now, recorded with Dave Koz in his own living room

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I love his unique approach to guitar but his songwriting doesn't do much for me but when he's paired with stronger songwriters (at least for me) he really shines as a player. Great examples include Jean Luc Ponty's Enigmatic Ocean and Tony Williams' Believe It

Photo and recording by Angel M. Vicens.

Catch my other posts on essential 1990s Fusion

I listened to this for the first time yesterday and wrote a review. Do you guys like this album?

The late 1980s marked a sleek, technologically driven transition in Jean-Luc Ponty’s career as he pivoted away from the sprawling, cosmic progressive fusion of his iconic 1970s era toward a more structured, melodic contemporary jazz sound. This period, highlighted by his move to Columbia Records for albums like 1987's The Gift of Time and 1989's Storytelling, saw Ponty fully master the Synclavier synthesizer to engineer dense, pristine digital backdrops and rhythmic loops. Over these intricate electronic soundscapes, his signature five-string electric violin could soar with fluid, accessible phrasing that balanced a commercial smoothness with sophisticated improvisational depth. To enrich this new aesthetic, he collaborated heavily with premier West Coast studio heavyweights, bringing in Patrice Rushen for brilliant synthesizer work on tracks like "After The Storm" and Grover Washington Jr. to inject a warm, R&B-infused jazz flavor. Ultimately, this polished, high-tech chapter served as the perfect creative bridge right before he completely shifted gears in the early 1990s to explore West African rhythms and acoustic global fusion.

a piece recorded with guitar, frame drum, and ngoni

Just need a solid collection of such grooves, not a library of 5000 fill options.

I'm into cats like Dennis Chambers, Kirk Covington, Keith Carlock. I've seen a couple fusion midi packs out there but figured I'd consult here before proceeding. There's very few that I'm aware of. Thx!

“…these recordings have never been intended for commercial release. This music has not been, nor ever will be for sale, on sale, set sail, bought, sold, rolled or plundered. This music was recorded by fans; collected, copied, traded or given, with no monies exchanged.”

# - 1971- Pass the Plate,

a very funky album especially the track Melody Pass the Plate, " which has some soul backing singers in the background

# -1972- Hollywood

features some tracks from 1969-1970 plus its own tracks such as " Way Back Home, " but the funkiest song on here is Spanish Harlem. I would recommend it to people who like Herbie Hancock's Fat Albert Rotunda or the Mwandishi band's good album.

# 1972-crusaders 1

Very funky Joe starts to use the synthesizer it sounds like
On the track, [how I feel,](https://youtu.be/KgIvHOjDa6s?is=9kTv9iWouOnJdFTE) funky track 5:11, Wilton Felder tenor saxophone solo, plus he played bass.

\-1973 [The 2nd Crusade](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n7CbfOvt6cG3GwjTjKgwo9KfboXu6jpyg&si=LM-roE9wcO5Px4n0) very Joe does some good work on Fender Rhodes especially on [dont let it get you down](https://youtu.be/LqNo204GK8w?is=h2eyArT3xTvNLhHY) wilton played bass and saxophone on most tracks **Discogs**: **4.3 out of 5 stars**

# 1974 Southern Comfort

**The critically acclaimed stomp and buck dance is a very funky good track not a lot of people know about this track or the wells gone dry**
\*\* \*\*4.67 / 5 stars Discogs

# 1975-Chain reaction

On the track Creole things get funkyer also Joe Sample plays baseline on ARP Odyssey chain reaction is a smooth reaction from the rocker track Creole.
Horn player Wilton Felder played double-duty with saxophones and bass guitar

# 1976- those Southern knights

Recorded in late 1975 and released in 1976 the two tracks which are my favorites, Spiral, which is a funky track that has rhythm, and Till the Sun Shines the track is a masterpiece that sounds like Body [and Soul (montage)](https://youtu.be/3Wk12s2_hgQ?is=XV9u0WwPBwCC8i_Y) by Grover Washington Jr 1972.
It peaked at number two on the Billboard Top Jazz LPs chart.

# 1977 As free as the wind

**The track I Felt the Love (1977) sounds like a very Marvin Gaye-inspired instrumental from 1973 still a good album. Nothing much**

# Images-1978

The band gets funky on the track, merry-go-round
But on the track, Marcella's dream is a slow jam unfortunately Wayne Henderson left the band in the same year.

# Street life-1979

This masterpiece of an album features Randy Crawford on vocals on the track " Street Life"
Over all of the songs on this album are nice, but on the track The Hussler, Wilton's saxophone playing sounds a bit like Grover Washington Jr.'s.

# 1980-standing tall

I dont know what to say about this album but it is phenomenal work for the crusaders with special guest **Marcus Miller** on bass, plus guitar work by **Larry Carlton** and **Billy Preston** on organ.

His solo on here - jeeeeeez.