(Ahmad) Jamal plays Jamal, from 1974

 

Again a fusionary LP full of progressive ideas in the middle of a huge discography replete with pretty ordinary average jazz, bebop, standards, and tediously long improvisations.  None of which applies to this though.

Information on pianist Ahmad Jamal:

American jazz pianist, composer, bandleader, and educator, born, July 2, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - died April 16, 2023 in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts. Born Frederick Russell Jones, he converted to Islam and changed his name to Ahmad Jamal in the early 1950s.

So when this LP came out he was already 44 years old.  Unlike the preceding examples though, there are other albums by him which are worth hearing, the previous one for ex., and perhaps the next, although he quickly got into the soul / funk / disco and easy listening, that swept everything else away in the later part of this decade.  

Looking up the credits you can see he both wrote and arranged everything on here.  Also and equally shockingly every single track is amazing and progressively composed and arranged.  In other words, there are no 'circle of fifths' chord progressions, there are no standards, there is no wailing sax playing the usual improvs.  Instead there are some really dramatic and inventive moments in every piece, and sometimes the whole thing is put together like a symphony, consider for ex. Pastures:

Or Death and Resurrection:

Ira Sullivan's Strings Attached, from 1983 [FLAC limited time only]

 

Here's another wonderful and progressive album that is truly lost to time and memory.  

Ira Sullivan is a sax player who starting putting out records in the 1950s, generic jazz with standards, inevitably.  However in the very late year of 1983 he put out this very interesting album full of great compositions.  On this alt. page you can see details about the credits.  So most of the compositions are by David Einhorn (very little other material appears from him in the database) and the arranging of the strings was done by ? who? there is no name, might have been either Einhorn or Sullivan.

The amazing Late Nights (written by David and brother Peter Einhorn), I love that the acoustic guitar intro eschews all the usual jazz cliches and just comes up with original chord strummed figures:

On this album there is another Ballad which is just gorgeous, this time the (chamber) composition is by (reeds and woodwinds player) John Alexander:

Surprisingly the whole album is full of gems.  Not one bad track in my opinion. The CD actually found nonreleased bonus tracks to throw in there too, which are equally interesting.  What a gem...  Will wonders never cease?  Not on this blog!

Ron Carter's Pastels from 1977

 

This one album by Ron Carter I thought was just genius.  I suppose he's a pretty well-known bassist in pure jazz circles, but I didn't really think he delved into the progressive fusion domain, just the standard modern bebop stuff which I really can't listen to anymore.  But he indeed put out this one album at a time when I guess most of his colleagues dipped their toes in fusion or dunked themselves in it.

Compositions are by Ron Carter, but arrangements by the great Don Sebesky, featured before on this blog, back here with his gorgeous and masterful classical arrangements.  So I think this collab is what makes this particularly compelling.  Information on this record with all the credits here.

The unbelievable beauty, with its gentle chord modulations, of the generically entitled chamber piece called Ballad:

This owes a lot obviously to the orchestral arrangements by Sebesky.  I tried to locate all the albums he arranged in the mid-1970s that would be interesting to hear, but there weren't many, with Giant Box being the standout.  I think I also linked that one back in the Sebesky post.

The title track is also amazing:

More similar 1970s US progressive fusion coming.

Roland Haynes' Second Wave from 1975 [FLAC limited time only]

 

This is a one-off (unfortunately) from this fusion keyboardist.  

Hugely enjoyable high energy instrumental keyboards-led stuff for the fusion fanatic, like myself.

Title track:

Going to come back with more US fusion material from the golden age of the seventies next week.

The Advancement from 1970

 

Discogged:

American jazz, psychedelia and folk fusion band. Formed in early 1969 in Hollywood, California, by Rudy Onderwyzer who brought together a number of session musicians.

Regarding Rudy:

American jazz trombonist and night club owner. Born on October 10, 1929. Died on November 6, 2017 (88 years old). He owned 3 jazz clubs in his early years. Together with drummer Shelly Manne he was part-owner of the Shelly's Manne-Hole nightclub in Hollywood, Los Angeles. He also owned The Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach (1969-1981), another important jazz showcase and recording location on the US West Coast at the time. Around 1983 he opened Hop Singh's in Marina Del Ray, only to close it in 1986. Onderwyzer finished his employment career as a bookkeeper for Rudy's Lock And Key. He also worked part-time for the L.A. Times newspaper for over 10 years, in its Polling Department.

So unfortunately, the only LP from him, really.  It's a mix of chamber progressive prog and more simplistic jazz-rock, mostly instrumental.  However the compositions are wonderful, and quite advanced for this early year of 1970.  Consider the wonderful track called Juliet for ex.:

Unfortunately I couldn't make out the compositional credits for these tracks.

Or the very plaintive Painful Struggle: