I get my inspiration from… weird Jazz fusion music.
There is something about super technical jazz dudes with awesome hair playing music that is waaay too smoov that gets me inspired. Rock music tried to do this with prog-rock, but it was too nerdy. The prog rocks were on some magical elf dragon shit. The Jazz dudes were going to space with romantic warriors. Much cooler. Mars Volta kind of mixed the best parts of the two on “De-Loused in the Comatorium”, in a really dope way.
It all started, when eighteen year old me would go to Don’s Music (a now defunct record store in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn that had all types of weird new and used music in every format imaginable, strange ephemera and an eccentric eclectic by the name of Don Miller). Don was always super-encouraging. I would come by a couple years later, when I started making beats and play them for him. When I started sampling vinyl, he gave me a crate of 100 records for ten bucks (he also gave the same deal to Kray, who still kills it on the digging tip: He has an amazing, unclassifiable, internet radio show, Chances With Wolves, which he hosts with Kool Kear, Mikey Palms and sometimes the legendary Ricky Powell which airs every Monday from 4-6 on East Village Radio).
Don would play me Jazz Fusion records and it was explosive. I was working at a far more mainstream record store in Brooklyn Heights, and me and my co-worker Mark were often on the hint for strange new music to enjoy, One day we were both at Don’s and he played us “Fred”, by Tony Williams
Tony was a true talent and prodigy. He played drums in Miles Davis’ second quintet, starting at the age of seventeen. Also, he always looked cool.
Rest In Peace sir… Listen to the drums… Seriously, listen… Are you still listening?… Are you grooving the body fantastic? Good. Moving on…
I bought so much of this kinda stuff, that I had a sub section in my collection for Jazz Fusion. Jaco Pastorious was probably the greatest bass player of all time. He played for many jazz outfits, worked with Joni Mitchell and was wonderfully strange. He brought 32nd notes into bass playing. Nowadays, you can buy fretless basses at any instrument store. Not so much back in the day. Jaco wanted the versatility of an upright, without having an upright, so he took all the frets off of his Fender bass with a butter knife. He was a bad alcoholic. He tried to sneak onstage at a jazz club, but was so disheveled looking and maniacal, that a bouncer thought he was a homeless person and the bouncer beat him down pretty bad. He went into a coma, and passed on. The bouncer, Luc Haven did very little time.
Rest in Peace sir. So many creative people get overwhelmed and meet early depressing demises. I will touch on that one day, but not today.
Jaco killed it on the bass. Peep this funkiness. This is one of my favorite live videos. Most of these people aren’t here anymore. Peep how much fun the drummer is having.
Also, Jaco had this amazing solo piece, “Portrait of Tracy”, where he goes nuts on different tones and frequencies.
If you pay attention, you can hear the main sample used for Cannibal Ox’s “Pigeon”.
El-P made this beat, he is a huge inspiration as well, but that is for another day.
I got more gems, maybe I’ll make a fusion mix tape one day. I probably won’t.
OK, one more jam. Jaco and Tony Williams had a group together! They, along with John McLaghlin had a group called “Trio of Doom”, which only performed live once. They recorded though. Here is a lil magic for y’all.
Ok, one more.
Be well,
Scott
