Jazz Journal

With jazz-rock, also known as fusion music, now such a popular and commercially viable prospect — for both musicians and record companies — it must come as no surprise that someone has compiled a book devoted solely to this most lucrative branch of the jazz spectrum. Authoress Julie Coryell is the wife of Larry Coryell whose electric group "The Eleventh House" has produced some of the worst jazz-rock excesses in recent years. That said, it has always seemed ironic that whilst critics continually denounce fusion music as "teeny-bopper jazz", groups such as Weather Report constantly come top of many jazz critics polls in reputable magazines. This book does nothing to clarify the paradox. It is not scholarly, nor is it an in depth study of the music. It is but a series of short interviews with sixty-five "stars" of the movement, including several players outside the fusion field; Keith Jarrett, Ron Carter, Ralph Towner and Freddie Hubbard. These interviews are accompanied by many lavish colour and monochrome photos by Laura Friedman, with a discography of each of the featured artists. The players are all American (including several studio players of questionable artistic...