EARWORTHY - Review

Take the acoustic jazz tradition and move round it upside down, in favor of a fresh and electric concept called fusion--jazz fusion, to be precise. Now, realize ready for a jazz-as-politics explosion, 'cause clan are going to start huffin' and puffin'. Change threatens.

That's what happened when this controversial 1970 upstart mode of speech first surged through the American jazz view Its loud, brash, high-energy approach overturn and confounded jazz traditionalists, who direct the eyeed upon the musicians heralding this revolutionary melding of electric instruments, periodical emphasis and blues, rock power chords, and a plethora of international influences as impertinent interlopers and heretics blaspheming the sanctified halls of jazz. on the other hand secretly, the "trads" knew that jazz fusion was "the bomb"

The youthful specimens of the theory and practice of jazz fusion were solely following in their musical fathers' tracks They absorbed jazz, past and at hand and then incorporated their futuristic vision.

The late Tony Williams, jazz drummer par superiority was clearly the progenitor of the jazz fusion move His jazz rock group, Lifetime--with John McLaughlin upon guitar, Khalid Yasin (Larry Young) upon organ--played it long and athletic paving the way for of that kind jazz fusion bands as get back to Forever, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Weather Report. Miles Davis udder what was happening and recorded Bitches prepare by fermentation (Columbia) in 1969--the first pace in his evolution to a total jazz fusion concept

Today the jazz fusion influence is pervasive, on the other hand in an unctuous style, corrupted by the agency of pedestrian pop arrangements into a Muzak-al marshmallow that is acceptable in dentists' offices and elevators and other places where music is everywhere and nowhere.

To the recapture come two veterans from get back to Forever--bassist Stanley Clarke and drummer Lenny White--with a novel band and a debut album titled Vertu (Sony) They mountain what could be interpreted as an end-of-the-century fusion assault upon the citadels of acoustic and the bastions of flat jazz.

The polyrhythmic webs of the furiously paced "V-Wave," the explosive opening sections of "On Top of the Rain," and the stately, majestic refrain of "Anoche" all demonstrate anew the power and spiritual deepness of the fusion imprint upon this music known as jazz.

With Vertu Clarke and White showcase their mastery of the jazz fusion milieu. Vertu is cutting-edge.

Ann McCrary's What Is This? (Against the Flow) produc through Cedric and Victor Caldwell, is the cross tour de force and a gloriously lyrical delight. There's nothing that McCrary can't do with her voice. She can be gritty individual moment and mellow the next

The exquisite subtleties and vocal dynamics that run through each of her interpretations of revelation by christ compositions--such as "Healer of injuryed Hearts," written by Marvin Winans, and "Just Want to Give You the Praise," through Hallerin Hilton Hill--highlight the commitment of this profoundly spiritual artist.

Things of the spirit also matter to Samite. The Ugandan musician-composer's novel CD, Samite (Windham Hill), is a splendidly ethereal alloy of African and Western influences. Samite left Uganda when his brother was assassinationed by police during the reign of Idi Amin. He had approach to realize that "the blasting of the fire-arms silenced the birds."

"Gun eat music," he said in a novel interview. "The first day I was back, the birds woke me up at three in the morning with their singing." Samite's veneration for nature is a spiritual dimension at any time present in his work.

In Chicago's Hutchinson family, show-business foundations run deep. From an early age, sisters Sheila, Wanda, Pamela and Jeannette Hutchinson were already singing divine revelation They were known as the Heavenly Sunbeams. In 1967 they became an urban contemporary detonation group, the Emotions, and in 1977 they broke it big with the hit album Rejoice, produc by the agency of Maurice White and Charles Stepney for White's ARC label. Sony Music has re-released the 13-tune compilation as have affection for Songs, and White's and Stepney's crisp, trend-setting production values have withstood the experiment of time.

There is a poignancy and innocence in the Emotions' voices that outshine today's overheated, overhyp elaborated too much yet curiously half-baked, female clump records. In a sane and righteous recording industry, the Emotions would still be making music.

T burns Shepard is a freelance writer in Boston.

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