The late '60s and early '70s witnessed the birth of some truly amazing talents in the music industry. These five bands fused jazz and rock with stunning results. Their powerful blends of horns and guitars helped to shape the genre.
There is a truism in the arts that probably applies more to music than any other field. It goes something like, "One man's Trash is another man's Garbage." Close enough, I suppose. When it comes to these five legendary jazz-rock bands, I suppose it's still true. But it shouldn't be. Sure, you can argue about the inclusion of one or the other. You can easily say, "But what about___?"
As this is my list, I'm sure I've missed some of your favorite bands. Even the definition of jazz-rock is a bit amorphous, much like jazz itself can be. Many would include the masterful Miles Davis, largely on the strength of the seminal fusion album Bitches Brew. To my ear, it's still largely jazz, as is reflected by its critical reception. For the full fruition of jazz-rock fusion, we need to explore the music of these bands.
Five early titans of the fusion of jazz and rock arrived in the 1970s
As I wrote earlier, it's my list. You may read this and wonder why there's no mention of King Crimson, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Santana, or Weather Report. Listen, I love each of those bands, but to my ear, each fell decidedly more in one camp or the other. Or had such a strong influence from another genre, they created a new musical genre, like Santana. And that's a whole 'nother discussion. At least it is in my head, as this is essentially a monologue.
As happens so often in both jazz and rock, all of these bands went through several personnel changes. Remarkably, four of the bands are still active, none on their farewell tours. Frankly, all four are far down the other side of their creative peak. In one case, I take personal offense to that decline, which started decades ago. I'll go into rant mode at the appropriate time. Let's get to the bands, shall we?
Ides of March
This Chicago-area band initially formed in 1964 under the name the Shon-Dels. You'd never guess it was the '60s, would you? In the typical overnight sensation of all artists, they didn't achieve success until six years later with their first (and only) hit single. The name change to the Ides of March in 1966 probably helped. I mean, which band are you gonna listen to?
That hit single was "Vehicle," a hard-driving song (pun intended) that opens with a blast of horns before diving into its distinctive guitar riff. The single peaked at number two on the Billboard charts. The album Vehicle followed the release of the single.. Other than that one hit, Ides of March never generated a lot of buzz.
Maybe if founding member Jim Peterik had a Plymouth Barracuda instead of a 1964 Valiant, the band would have stayed near the top. But deeper cuts like "Superman" and "Tie-Dye Princess" still hit the groove in concerts decades later. Remarkably, four of the original members are still touring.
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