Sunday 5 May 2019

Solid Bond - GRAHAM BOND***

Green Onions/Springtime In The City/Can't Stand It/Only Sixteen/Last Night/Long Legged Baby/Walking In The Park/Its Not Goodbye/Neighbour Neighbour/Ho Ho Country Kicking Blues/The Grass Is Greener/Doxy

Solid Bond was a live double album from Graham Bond, one of the founding fathers of the British R & B scene in the early 1960s. In these two sessions the emphasis veers towards a more jazz-rock style. (UK:40)

“This is not for the rock enthusiast and barely even for the blues fans, both of whom should give this album a wide berth if they don't like modern jazz. Those that love the latter, and especially those who enjoy sax heavy jazz, will no doubt glean some enjoyment from this generously packed album.”

“If there ever was a quintessential jazz-rock album, which practically, is not only the first recorded example of the genre, but also defines it unequivocally, then this is it. The music is taken from two sessions from 1963 and 1966 recorded by the legendary British saxophonist/ organist/vocalist Graham Bond.”

“These two sessions, diametrically different and yet completely unified in spirit, present a miniscule window into the time-space continuum, which enables us to take a peek at the most feverish period in British music, where invention and pioneering breakthrough were happening on a daily basis.”

“The Graham Bond Quartet, captured live at London’s legendary Klooks Kleek club consisted of Bond (on sax), John McLaughlin, Jack Bruce on acoustic bass and Ginger Baker on drums. They are playing a unique brand of modern jazz, which combined the elements of free jazz, swing and R & B, basically inventing jazz-rock fusion. Although the music is predominantly jazzy, Baker's rhythmic approach, Bond's phrasing and McLaughlin's scales all included clear rock impressions”

“There is some pretty solid blues driven material alongside traditional and free style jazz. The whole album is pretty jazz flavoured, but the bluesier stuff is up my alley. This is probably of more value from a historic standpoint than anything else, but it's good musically as well.”

“I had hoped for a decent sprinkling of Graham Bond's Hammond but I'm afraid that there's very little in evidence here. It is a straight up jazz album with inevitable blues elements, but the emphasis is heavy on the jazz.”

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