 |
|
|
GRAB THESE RARE FINDS! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY EER-MUSIC.com
John "Jazz Fusion Guy" Patterson grabbed Tightrope and Blue Man himself.
Steve Khan: Tightrope (CD, 37:44);
1977/1998 Columbia 496852 2 Mastersound recording
What do you get when you have a superb rhythm section,
saucy keyboards, a hot and brassy mini-horn section
and one very tasteful jazz and chops-laden guitarist
all come together with some jazz and some fusion in mind?
You have the magic of Steve Khan and the Brecker Brothers
Band come together. With folks like this and Steve Gadd and
Bob James too, you have a formula for success.
Khan's compositions were smooth yet lively enough not
to bore. His unique drive and pristine flourish and
tone on his modded Fender Telecaster and even his deft
acoustic work all came together to make a very satisfying
blend of sexy jazz and funked-up, be bopped fusion. Yet
there is that special touch that only Steve Khan can add
that makes his releases a signature sound each outing.
If you listen closely you will hear Larry Coryell-ian
riffs and stylings as Khan and Coryell used to jam together
and did record together.
Much ado is made about Mike Stern's guitar work in the
'80's and '90's but one listen to Khan and you will
immediately hear who his big inspiration was. Next time
you pick up an old Stern release you stand a good chance
of seeing the words "produced by Steve Khan".
~ John W. Patterson, EER-MUSIC.com
Personnel: Khan, Steve / electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar
Brecker, Randy / trumpet
Brecker, Michael / tenor saxophone
Sanborn David / alto saxophone
Grolnick, Don / acoustic piano, fender rhodes,
clavinet, organ
James, Bob / fender rhodes, oberheim polyphonic synthesizer
Lee, Will / bass
Gadd, Steve / drums
MacDonald, Ralph / percussion
Mironov, Jeff / guitar
Spinozza, David / guitar
Tracks: 1. Some Punk Funk~5:20~Steve Khan
2. Darlin' Darlin' Baby (Sweet Tender Love) ~6:29~K.Gamble, L.Huff
3. Tightrope (for Folon) ~5:44~Steve Khan
4. The Big Ones~6:02~Randy Brecker
5. Star Chamber~5:19~Steve Khan
6. Soft Summer Breeze~5:00~J.Spencer, E.Heywood
7. Where Shadows Meet~3:40~Steve Khan
Steve Khan: The Blue Man (CD, 38:07); 1978/1998 Columbia Mastersound Recording Khan's second release was a self-produced/arranged gem. It was similar in many respects to his prior debut yet this reviewer and other fans recall this release as their all-around favorite from Steve Khan's '70's era recordings. The horn section and solos are still there but Khan does more conversational soloing with the reed lines. This is especially evident on "An Over Autumn" and its fusion jam-fest. The Blue Man seems overall -- tighter, focused, polished and Khan's guitar tone is more overdriven, more jazz rocking, and intensely penetrating in solos and intricate ostinato embellishment around song themes. His delicately reverb, delay, and crystal-clear tones on his solos are rarely heard done so well these days. Khan shows a mastering of tone and subtle bends. His phrasing is so melodic and emotionally rich that it delivers a spine-chill "rush" nearly every ten or fifteen notes. The keyboards and vibes are wonderful, sexy-silky-smooth like a fine-wine, Steely Dan, jazz rocker ballad throughout. Horns do more staccato bursts and the percussion is more varied and polyrhythmic becoming outright funkified boogie in places. That Latin-flavored Santana-esque groove slips through in spots. Khan again offers a beautifully executed acoustic/electric guitar outing echoing a Larry Coryell friendship on "Daily Valley". This release was my first exposure to Steve Khan and made me a devoted listener and collector of his works. It's no wonder his name is resident now with the lists of the great jazz guitarists of fame and genius. ~ John W. Patterson, EER-MUSIC.com Personnel: Steve Khan : electric guitar, electric 12-string guitar, acoustic guitar Jeff Mironov : electric guitar Don Grolnick : fender rhodes, organ, arp string ensemble, arp pro soloist, acoustic piano Bob James : oberheim polyphonic synthesizer Will Lee : electric bass Steve Gadd : drums Ralph MacDonald : percussion, congas Mike Mainieri : marimba Rick Marotta : timbales, cowbell Randy Brecker : trumpet David Sanborn : alto saxophone Michael Brecker : tenor saxophone Tracks: 1. Daily Bulls (7:02) [Steve Khan] 2. The Blue Man (6:01) [Steve Khan] 3. Some Down Time (5:25) [Steve Khan] 4. The Little Ones (5:52) [Randy Brecker] 5. Daily Valley (4:52) [Steve Khan] 6. An Eye Over Autumn (for Folon) (8:48) [Steve Khan]
Steve Khan: Eyewitness (CD, 39:01); 1983 Antilles CCD 1018 This release marked a new era for Khan. Eyewitness was essentially birthed of earlier jam session/improv ideas and chemistry between each musician plus polished-up ideas readied for final studio recording. Khan had returned to his college-days Gibson guitar purity of tone and a touch of reverb, laying aside his Fender Telecaster and big band mindset to groove with friends over eclectic rhythms of Badrena and Jordan and exotic bass grooves only the creative genius of Anthony Jackson could lay down. Just listen to "Guy Lafleur" and stand slack-jawed at Jackson's solo. Khan states this is probably his favorite recording due to that synergistic magic that came about in the presence of his bandmates. This melodic and relaxed jazz fusion holds a fiery tension that is evident everywhere. An airy sense of mystery and dreamy expectation flows within each song as Khan weaves a tapestry of excellent guitarscapes and meandering solos that flirt with structure and form but always avoid the expected norm. The ground-breaking compositions and their execution on Eyewitness have served to unlock the creative spark of many a jazz and jazz fusion musician to come. ~ John W. Patterson, EER-MUSIC.com Personnel: Khan, Steve / electric guitar Jackson,Anthony / electric bass Jordan, Steve / drums Badrena, Manolo / percussion, effects, vocalizations Tracks: 1. Where's Mumphrey?~7:28~ S.Khan, A.Jackson, S.Jordan, M.Badrena 2. Dr. Slump~8:21~ Steve Khan 3. Auxiliary Police~5:25~ S.Khan, A.Jackson, S.Jordan, M.Badrena 4. Guy Lafleur~10:30~ Steve Khan 5. Eyewitness~7:16~Steve Khan
Steve Khan: Casa Loco (CD, 43:48); 1984 Antilles 422-848 822-2 This is the third release in a series of improv-based, live studio/ live recordings Steve Khan released with bandmates Jackson, Jordan and Badrena. It has a very similar flow and groove to Eyewitness and Blades (USA release) or Modern Times on Polydor, the second release in the trio of Khan's '80's Gibson guitar tone period. What immediately stands out, notably on "Some Sharks" -- The Police-esque track and "The Suitcase", is the excellent vocals by Manola Badrena. On this song and others he has quite a great time cutting loose, wild-man style, in a heavily reverbed fashion adding a deeper Latin-flavored atmosphere. This instantly causes one to think of Andy Summers' chord stylings and voicings in Khan's guitar. Paralleling Khan's masterful guitar work, it is noted by Khan, that bass and drumming enthusiasts cite this as the record to get of the trio of '80's releases. Sadly, due to many financial and lack of touring issues, this master line-up finally broke up after this release. All the aforementioned Antilles recordings barely saw a US release, coming out four years after they were recorded. ~ John W. Patterson, EER-MUSIC.com Personnel: Khan, Steve / electric guitar Jackson, Anthony / electric bass, contrabass guitar Jordan, Steve / drums, Simmons drums Badrena, Manolo / percussion, special effects, vocalizations Tracks: 1. The Breakaway~3:09~S.Khan, A.Jackson, S.Jordan, M.Badrena 2. Casa Loco~12:32~S.Khan, A.Jackson, S.Jordan, M.Badrena 3. Penetration~6:17~Steve Leonard 4. Some Sharks~7:20~ S.Khan, A.Jackson, S.Jordan, M.Badrena 5. Uncle Roy~9:17~Steve Khan 5. The Suitcase (for Folon)~5:08~ S.Khan, A.Jackson, S.Jordan, M.Badrena
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Observe how the word
wheel reverses direction
if you try and read words.
EER-MUSIC.com HOME PAGE
