🎷 AotW: CTI Fuse One: Fuse One (CTI Records CTI 9003)

Fuse One: Fuse One

CTI Records CTI 9003
Released 1980

A1: Grand Prix 5:27​

A2: Waterside 4:42​

A3: Sunshine Lady 4:04​

A4: To Whom All Things Concern 4:48​

B1: Double Steal 6:26​

B2: Friendship 6:15​

B3: Taxi Blues 5:45​

Arranged By, Conductor – Jeremy Wall
Bass [Electric] – Will Lee (tracks: A2, B1)
Bass, Bass [Tenor] – Stanley Clarke (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B2, B3)
Drums – Tony Williams* (tracks: B2), Lenny White (tracks: A2, B3), Leon Ndugu Chancler (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B1)
Engineer – Jack Malken (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B1, B2), Michael Barry (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B1, B2), Rudy Van Gelder, Tom Vicari* (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B1, B2)
Flute [C] – Joe Farrell (tracks: B2)
Guitar [Acoustic, Electric] – John McLaughlin (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B1, B2), Larry Coryell (tracks: A2, B1, B3)
Harmonica – Hugh McCracken (tracks: B3)
Keyboards [Fender Rhodes] – Don Grusin (tracks: B2), Jorge Dalto (tracks: A2), Victor Feldman (tracks: A3, A4)
Keyboards [Fender Rhodes], Synthesizer – Ronnie Foster (tracks: A1, A3, B1)
Percussion – Paulinho Da Costa (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B1, B2), Roger Squitero (tracks: A2, B3)
Piano, Synthesizer [Yamaha Electric Grand] – Jeremy Wall (tracks: A1 to A4, B1)
Producer – Creed Taylor
Saxophone [Soprano, Tenor] – Joe Farrell (tracks: A1, A3, A4, B1)


A1, A3, A4, B1, B2 recorded at Evergreen Studio and Westlake Audio, April 1980
Additional recording at Secret Studio
A2, B3 recorded at Van Gelder Recording Studio, May and June 1980
Album mixed and mastered at Van Gelder Recording Studio


From the rear jacket: "Fuse One is conceived as a forum in which major contemporary musicians perform according to their own musical disciplines and interact without the constraints that accompany leader responsibilities. Each player brings in new compositions and ideas."

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[Rudy]

"Fuse One is conceived as a forum in which major contemporary musicians perform according to their own musical disciplines and interact without the constraints that accompany leader responsibilities. Each player brings in new compositions and ideas."

Despite that thought, I never warmed to this album, or its follow-up. For all the superstar jazz talent on this recording, you would think the music would be more engaging. Instead, it sounds to me like the songs are devoid of any personality. Maybe a case of too many cooks spoiling the soup. I do hear some snippets of familiarity among the tracks (depending on the arist) but if I didn't already own this, it would be aa two-star rating at most.