antoniodeste

The bible of a generation. Kantner & Slick, icons of a bright and vital movement. It's wonderful to read again about the "Volunteers of America," after so much time. Beautiful things struggle to die. Well done, Fabio.

I still contribute to this forum by reporting, after a few months from listening, on the quality of this double album, with a personal preference for the second of the two CDs.

@Conte: Talking with a musically sensitive and intelligent person like you is always a pleasure, precisely because the exchange of views can bring forth new aspects and/or developments on certain topics, and here it seems to me that this is exactly what has happened. One small note: I have "Black Market" at hand; I pulled it out of the bookshelf because I wasn't quite sure, but.....on bass, it's NOT the great Alphonso (remember "Bahama Mama" on "alivemutherforya"?), but Jaco....... . Does that ring a bell for you? :) Best regards.

Beautiful review. Tough and assertive. And I guess you've chewed on quite a bit of rock. Maybe my friend Green is right; given that with this album, and I agree, we can catch a glimpse of the beginnings of the decline of Hensley's band, it would have been more appropriate to stick to a milder evaluation. Which is what I do. But hats off for the write-up!

@supersoul: I acknowledge what you think and write; and the meaning or intentions that drive you when you visit this site. However, as you may have understood, I believe I have an attitude based on a different type of approach, but since there is richness in diversity, I respect your position even if I do not share it. PS: Perhaps you would do well to actually learn some prayers; maybe someone will grant us the grace of removing unnecessary ballast from these pages. ;-)

Yes, a very successful version. This is a piece I particularly love. But also "Are You Going With Me?" and a wonderful unpublished track "The Fields, The Sky," which has never appeared in any of his other works. Additionally, there is an almost complete version of "Wichita" that is nearly impossible to find elsewhere. Go water!

@Conte: I still share a big part of your viewpoints. It's also true that if someone is a virtuoso on their instrument, it’s hard to understand why they should hide it. Zawinul was one, as were John Coltrane, Django Reinhardt, and Michael Brecker, but also Jamaaladeen Tacuma and Charlie Parker. The problem, at most, is about how these greats may have used their talent and extraordinary capabilities. It’s certain that they, like Pastorius, have set new "boundaries," including technical ones, regarding the expressive use of the instrument where, it’s understood, technique should serve expression and communication. And there’s no doubt that Pastorius (also as a composer) knew when NOT to showcase his prodigious technique gratuitously. Not all pieces are "Teen Town," "Punk Jazz," "Black Market," or "Donna Lee," just to name a handful. His few solo albums confirm this, as do the joy and honor of the musicians present to play with a true genius. Furthermore, the work he did with Joni Mitchell ("Mingus" or "Hejira") shows that there was much more heart than head in that approach when the situation called for it. In the beautiful biography written by my friend-journalist from "Downbeat," Bill Milkowski, there is an appendix with pages of appreciation for Pastorius from musician friends and close acquaintances who do not for a moment debate or worry about the weight of his "virtues." Instead, they understand and help to spread the historical importance of the bassist's figure. Certainly, the man's story has been sadly marked by quite a few personal and family issues that may have clouded his art, especially towards the end, but this should not be confused or overlapped with his identity as an artist. "Audiences and musicians plagiarized by the obsession with speed and decibels. "Freak show" phenomena": I can let you pass this part if it refers better to certain manifestations tied to the more deteriorated forms of recent rock. For the rest, I assume that a cultured, intelligent, and sensitive audience knows how to decide for themselves where art lies and where the freak show is. And if certain fringes enjoy listening to lightning-fast scales and monstrous decibels in rock, or in what you call fusion or any other context, let them do so. It’s their choice (without plagiarism). I suppose you and I, like many of us, have better things to listen to, right?

Well done, well done. Keep listening to Britney Spears.

@Supersoul: An explanation that leaves me perplexed. I don’t know to what extent it is possible to regard what one thinks, is convinced of, and writes as “a game,” with all due respect for playful activities. It is always important to know where certain considerations come from, as the identification of the declarer (like in reality) helps to understand a lot from a human, ethical, and cultural perspective in the motivation and meaning of the intervention. Personally, I use only one nickname, which is also my name and is, I believe, without tricks or cunning, more than sufficient to engage in discussions with anyone, without unnecessary and/or deceptive multiple identities.

Sorry Soul, I get the impression that you also write under other pseudonyms (nick). Can I ask why and what sense it would have? I mean: isn't one enough?