Greatest Fusion Musicians

izkool · **Joined:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:09 pm **Posts:** 140

fusion07 wrote:

I'll be around again, now that the Forum has been updated and I've heard from Lew. As I, and others, have said, these lists are opinions, not gospel, and no two opinions are alike. I do have the luxury of seeing more live fusion music than nearly anyone I know, and I also know hundreds of the people on these lists personally. If it means anything to anyone out there, I see as many as 100 fusion gigs a year, and write a weekly column on jazz and fusion live gigs for LAJazz.com. I write about hundreds of gigs a year there, and there is no place in the world that compares to L.A. for fusion music, period. It's one of the main reasons I choose to live there.

I know that many people that love Dave Weckl, for example, as mentioned above. I have the pleasure of knowing Dave, Terry, and many other people on these lists, and seeing them play live on at least a semi-regular basis in L.A. What Terry does, and the variety of it, is something I prefer over Weckl, who's certainly a great technical drummer, and a lot of people like that. I get to see Virgil Donati a lot up close, and there is no one in Western music that can play all the meters he can as well as he does, as well as the amazing footwork...he also writes some great music I happen to really like. Debating this stuff after a certain point to me is largely fruitless, as it's a matter of how someone's playing touches or inspires you, which varies for each person. I love weird meters and guys that can play them well like Virgil, Terry, and Ralph Humphrey, but other people don't care as much for that. That's okay, but to me those weird meters are a key component of fusion going all the way back to Don Ellis, one of the inventors of the genre.

As an example, of all the Buddy Rich Memorial shows, I found Dennis Chambers to be that I liked best in terms of how he drove the band, which to me is what that band was about...I saw the BR band numerous times and met Buddy along the way. There are tons of other opinions otherwise, but the main thing is the videos of all the different players are there to enjoy.

Again, my opinion. Other folks are always entitled to theirs.

So are you the head of the fusion categories? I thought at the top of the page it says lew or tom?

fusion07 · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:03 am **Posts:** 69

izkool wrote:

fusion07 wrote:

I'll be around again, now that the Forum has been updated and I've heard from Lew. As I, and others, have said, these lists are opinions, not gospel, and no two opinions are alike. I do have the luxury of seeing more live fusion music than nearly anyone I know, and I also know hundreds of the people on these lists personally. If it means anything to anyone out there, I see as many as 100 fusion gigs a year, and write a weekly column on jazz and fusion live gigs for LAJazz.com. I write about hundreds of gigs a year there, and there is no place in the world that compares to L.A. for fusion music, period. It's one of the main reasons I choose to live there.

I know that many people that love Dave Weckl, for example, as mentioned above. I have the pleasure of knowing Dave, Terry, and many other people on these lists, and seeing them play live on at least a semi-regular basis in L.A. What Terry does, and the variety of it, is something I prefer over Weckl, who's certainly a great technical drummer, and a lot of people like that. I get to see Virgil Donati a lot up close, and there is no one in Western music that can play all the meters he can as well as he does, as well as the amazing footwork...he also writes some great music I happen to really like. Debating this stuff after a certain point to me is largely fruitless, as it's a matter of how someone's playing touches or inspires you, which varies for each person. I love weird meters and guys that can play them well like Virgil, Terry, and Ralph Humphrey, but other people don't care as much for that. That's okay, but to me those weird meters are a key component of fusion going all the way back to Don Ellis, one of the inventors of the genre.

As an example, of all the Buddy Rich Memorial shows, I found Dennis Chambers to be that I liked best in terms of how he drove the band, which to me is what that band was about...I saw the BR band numerous times and met Buddy along the way. There are tons of other opinions otherwise, but the main thing is the videos of all the different players are there to enjoy.

Again, my opinion. Other folks are always entitled to theirs.

So are you the head of the fusion categories? I thought at the top of the page it says lew or tom?

Yep, I'm Tom M...the bad guy who put all the original stuff together back in 2007. I now do a weekly column for LAJazz.com, and likely have been writing more about live fusion gigs than anyone for the last three years. More details above.

izkool · **Joined:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:09 pm **Posts:** 140

fusion07 wrote:

izkool wrote:

fusion07 wrote:

I'll be around again, now that the Forum has been updated and I've heard from Lew. As I, and others, have said, these lists are opinions, not gospel, and no two opinions are alike. I do have the luxury of seeing more live fusion music than nearly anyone I know, and I also know hundreds of the people on these lists personally. If it means anything to anyone out there, I see as many as 100 fusion gigs a year, and write a weekly column on jazz and fusion live gigs for LAJazz.com. I write about hundreds of gigs a year there, and there is no place in the world that compares to L.A. for fusion music, period. It's one of the main reasons I choose to live there.

I know that many people that love Dave Weckl, for example, as mentioned above. I have the pleasure of knowing Dave, Terry, and many other people on these lists, and seeing them play live on at least a semi-regular basis in L.A. What Terry does, and the variety of it, is something I prefer over Weckl, who's certainly a great technical drummer, and a lot of people like that. I get to see Virgil Donati a lot up close, and there is no one in Western music that can play all the meters he can as well as he does, as well as the amazing footwork...he also writes some great music I happen to really like. Debating this stuff after a certain point to me is largely fruitless, as it's a matter of how someone's playing touches or inspires you, which varies for each person. I love weird meters and guys that can play them well like Virgil, Terry, and Ralph Humphrey, but other people don't care as much for that. That's okay, but to me those weird meters are a key component of fusion going all the way back to Don Ellis, one of the inventors of the genre.

As an example, of all the Buddy Rich Memorial shows, I found Dennis Chambers to be that I liked best in terms of how he drove the band, which to me is what that band was about...I saw the BR band numerous times and met Buddy along the way. There are tons of other opinions otherwise, but the main thing is the videos of all the different players are there to enjoy.

Again, my opinion. Other folks are always entitled to theirs.

So are you the head of the fusion categories? I thought at the top of the page it says lew or tom?

Yep, I'm Tom M...the bad guy who put all the original stuff together back in 2007. I now do a weekly column for LAJazz.com, and likely have been writing more about live fusion gigs than anyone for the last three years. More details above.

Who is Lew? At the top of the page it show his name on the first post.

Machine Head · **Posted:** Wed Mar 16, 2011 1:50 am

izkool wrote:

Who is Lew? At the top of the page it show his name on the first post.

Sorry, I just had to laugh at this.
Lew is the creator of the website, the ddd deity, the supreme overlord, etc.

fusion07 · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:03 am **Posts:** 69

Machine Head wrote:

izkool wrote:

Who is Lew? At the top of the page it show his name on the first post.

Sorry, I just had to laugh at this.
Lew is the creator of the website, the ddd deity, the supreme overlord, etc.

Yep...Lew is THE man, with Rick as his right-hand guy.

izkool · **Joined:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:09 pm **Posts:** 140

Yo Fusion07, do you know when Return to Forever is going to come to So Cal? I missed out on the Chick Corea & Gary Burton event, so I really want to see RTF. Thanks!

fusion07 · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:03 am **Posts:** 69

The best source to this point seems to be Frank Gambale's tour dates page, but specific dates for the U.S. portions of the tour this summer have not been released as far as I know.

http://www.frankgambale.com/tour.html

izkool · **Joined:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:09 pm **Posts:** 140

fusion07 wrote:

The best source to this point seems to be Frank Gambale's tour dates page, but specific dates for the U.S. portions of the tour this summer have not been released as far as I know.

http://www.frankgambale.com/tour.html

Yeah, I've already searched that site. I was hoping you might of had some "insider" information. Heck, I noticed you had a youtube account, yet when I tried to access it it said Scott Henderson and Viacom were complaining? What the heck happened?

fusion07 · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:03 am **Posts:** 69

I have contact with Stanley and Lenny White from time to time...but haven't heard anything specifically from them on U.S. RTF tour dates. There are new YouTube accounts with videos...they have gotten incredibly strict on copyrights and will shut you down at the drop of a hat, and SH screwed something up with my original channel when he redid his own YouTube channel a few months ago...too long to explain...Viacom are complete idiots. Some of the stuff I had posted prior is now at the YouTube channel tvccs, but I had to spend a lot of time splitting things into multiple channels to avoid losing all my original stuff again...a major PITA, and a lot of things I had up prior no longer are.

fusion07 · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:03 am **Posts:** 69

I'd also add that if you're in Southern California, I suggest you spend as much time at The Baked Potato as possible. It's the hub of live fusion music in the world, and has been for 40 years.

izkool · **Joined:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:09 pm **Posts:** 140

I've seen some performances from the Baked Potato on youtube. Unfortunately, I live too far from it for me to be able to go there whenever I want to. I'll have to make a special trip there someday.

As far as fusion guitarists go, do you think you can put down Jamie Glaser, Chieli Minucci, Lee Ritenour, and Bireli Lagrene?

fusion07 · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:03 am **Posts:** 69

Find a way to get there when you can...a great place to hear music and meet fusion musicians. As far as the guitarists you mentioned, I appreciate the thought, but at first pass, it's not likely. Please remember these lists are opinions...and I'd add when I talk with with some of the great players about musicians they like in the genre, those aren't names that get mentioned, although they are certainly fine players.

Rick · **Joined:** Wed Oct 06, 2010 7:21 pm **Posts:** 456

fusion07 wrote:

Rick wrote:

FYI

An Evening With Victor Wooten April 18th at the Belly Up

Belly Up, 143 S. Cedros Ave, Solana Beach, CA 92075
Voted San Diego’s Best Live Music Venue!
Call the Box Office at (858)481-8140
You must be 21 or older to visit the Belly Up

Thanks for the headsup on that one...I hope he makes it to El Lay as well.

He is playing 6 shows at Catalinas beginning the 14th of April. :tiphat:

fusion07 · **Joined:** Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:03 am **Posts:** 69

Thanks for the headsup.

izkool · **Joined:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:09 pm **Posts:** 140

fusion07 wrote:

Thanks for the headsup.

Considering you used to edit the Wikipedia fusion page, what do you think of the Randy Jackson quote I added? I added it 1 or 2 months ago, I think. It's on the third paragraph and it talks about how Jackson believed fusion to be the most difficult music to play.

Also, is the "stylistic origins" section correct?

Greatest Fusion Musicians

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