Re: Return to Forever as AJ?

Kevin Martin (kjmartin@earthlink.net)
Sat, 10 Feb 1996 20:41:38 -0800

At 11:04 PM 2/9/96, dabonedawg@plunge.com wrote:
>As to Return to Forever influencing AJ: I think Herbie Hancock's early
>groove-inclusive stuff like Maiden Voyage may have been more key to the
>emergence of acid-jazz. Chick's music seems to me to have played more
>of a role as contributing to that which AJ is reactive to, namely
>elongated melodic phrasing, harmonic adventurism, and rhythmic
>unpredictability so integral to pre-AJ fusion. In contrast, acid-jazz
>seems to rely upon melodies reflective of speech patterns (shorter
>motivic phrases), less frequent harmonic change, and reliable
>grooves. I'm by no means pounding down fusion here, I'm just wondering
>how much of a role in acid-jazz Chick Corea's music plays. It almost
>appears that it counters it (AJ).

I'd have to agree (with as much of that as I understand ;-) ). Herbie
Hancock clearly anticipates AJ (as do the earliest recordings of Kool and
the Gang, incidentally -- check out "Summer Madness"). Chick Corea
anticipates the jazz-fusion of artists like the Yellowjackets et al. Not to
diminish CC. His "Crystal Silence" with Gary Burton and the "Piano
Improvisations" recordings are really great. But his ideas run in another
direction from the AJ we all know and love.

Besides, he's a Scientologist. And, what's more, he's a

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