🎷 AotW: Horizon Neil Larsen - JUNGLE FEVER (SP-733)

[Captain Bacardi]

Neil Larsen
JUNGLE FEVER
A&M/Horizon SP-733

Released 1978
Peaked at #26 on the Jazz Album chart (1979)

Format: Vinyl/8-Track/Cassette/CD (Japan)

Produced by Tommy Li Puma

Songs:

• 1. Sudden Samba - 4:37
  2. Promenade - 4:08
  3. Windsong - 5:25
  4. Emerald City - 4:03
  5. Jungle Fever - 7:17
  6. Red Desert - 3:27
  7. Last Tango In Paris - 4:13
  8. From A Dream - 4:05
  
  All songs written and arranged by Neil Larsen, except "Last Tango In Paris", written by Gato Barbieri.

Musicians:
Neil Larsen - Keyboards
Buzz Feiten - Guitar
Willie Weeks - Bass
Andy Newmark - Drums
Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
Michael Brecker - Tenor Saxophone
Larry Williams - Alto Saxophone, Alto Flute
Jerry Hey - Trumpet, Flugelhorn

Recorded and Mixed by Al Schmitt
Assistant Engineers: Linda Tyler and Don Henderson
Recorded June 1978 at Sound Labs and Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood

Art Direction: Roland Young
Album Design: Chuck Beeson
Photography: Elizabeth Lennard



Capt. Bacardi

 

[rickster]

Wow, this was and is one of my favorite albums from that era, and it is only available on a Japanese import on CD (which sounds terrific, by the way) -- A really good set of tunes by Larsen, capped off by the pulsating, cooking title track, Jungle Fever, one of the best and most catchy fusion tunes. A key to the albums success is the rock solid rhythm section of Willie Weeks and Andy Newmark --- they are spectacular on this . And Buzz Feiten's guitar solos are superb--- listen to his inventive, probing lines on "Fever" ---
All in all , an overlooked gem of an album.

 

[Dave]

Just as fusion seemed to be at the bottom of the barrel and whatever wasn't bombastic was becoming a bit of a bore, along came Neil Larsen...

This is a good revival of the classic Jazz-Rock sound... Neil and his fellow-musicians, here recall the Mahivishnu Orchestra and Weather Report domination quite well...

Best tracks on this album are the remake of "Last Tango In Paris", which in no way was meant to better versions by Herb Alpert, Doc Severinsen or its original composer, Gato Barbieri... And the flourishes of improvasion really give this a fresh, new dimension... "Jungle Fever", of course can take you to deeppest Africa or the Amazon in Brasil, along with those ferocious guitar lines... Equally good is the percussive "Sudden Samba", the enlightening "Emerald City", the Waltz-like, slow dance antics of "Prominade", the Caribbean/Bahama breeze of "Windsong" and the Mojave-meets-Sahara of "Red Desert"... And the album's coda, the awakening "From A Dream" is also a sombre epic of theatrics finale...

This would be good paired on CD with Larsen's eqully-good follow-up, High Gear, on which he and the musicians, both new and brought over from this album, up the ante of ambition, and set another cruisin' track-record of also excellent songs...



Dave

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This has been a favorite of mine ever since its release. I remember walking in the record store one day and the guy at the counter was playing it, and I was hooked from there. Neil Larsen is a solid keyboardist who doesn't overdo it like many were in that period. He's also a very accomplished composer. The opening tune "Sudden Samba" is my favorite. I used to play some drums in the early 80's and I would always play to this song. "Promenade" is sultry, and "Windsong" has a great groove (George Benson recorded this on his Weekend In L.A. album). The title track is also tasty. Michael Brecker gives a welcome change of pace on the uptempo version of "Last Tango In Paris". A very solid effort. 4 stars.



Capt. Bacardi

 

[Mike]

I picked up “Jungle Fever” and “High Gear” yesterday. It looks like they were recently reissued here in Japan, again – part of some kind of Cross Over series. Anyway, I listened to both of them and thought that they were pretty good. I enjoyed “High Gear” a little bit more than “Jungle Fever”, but that could change with a few more listenings.

I was all set to enjoy “Last Tango In Paris”, it’s a favorite song of mine, but I thought it was somewhat disappointing. I can really get into the groove on Herb Alpert’s version; Neil Larsen’s cut was good but it felt like it was moving to fast; it lacked all the sex appeal of Herb’s version.

All in all, it was money well spent.

Regards,
Mike

 

[Captain Bacardi]

This has always been a favorite album of mine. Again, I first heard this album in a record store when it came out and bought it immediately. My favorite track is the opener "Sudden Samba", but the whole album is good. George Benson covered "Windsong" on his Weekend In L.A. album as well. I'm glad I found the CD from Japan a few years back.