Bolin, Tommy
Energy

Often the most enlightened artists are also fragile spirits, souls that bleed and get swept away by a flame that burns too quickly. Sometimes their deeds, poses, or excesses are amplified, often beyond their actual merits.

Other times, fate decides to sideline them, and they are left to mature in a sort of media limbo until their works return to the surface in their assertive and authentic beauty. Tommy Bolin certainly falls into this latter category. Many of you will remember him only as "the guitarist who replaced Blackmore in Deep Purple" in the controversial (and today reassessed) "Come Taste the Band". Perhaps some seventies nostalgics know him also for contributing to the success of the fusion masterpiece that is Billy Cobham's "Spectrum". But in reality, Tommy, in his brief career, was this and much more. He was a natural talent and a well-rounded artist, able to reconcile his enviable technical skills with an overflowing inventiveness, both on a compositional and instrumental level. His guitar spoke the language of the soul, constantly seeking the good vibrations, that music stored deep within. His style was sparkling and imaginative, focused on a penetrating yet never intrusive sound. The simple incisiveness of his guitar phrasing married a creative freedom free of restraints. But Tommy was, above all, a musician far ahead of his time, probably even more eclectic than his "comrade-in-arms" Jeff Beck, with whom he would share the stage in his final, fiery jam. At ease in blues as in funk, deeply in love with jazz, he didn't disdain occasional forays into other genres like soul or even reggae. For him, music was an immense and magical cauldron, where like a sorcerer, he delighted in giving vent to his fantasies, seasoned with his personal and pyrotechnic sleight of hand with the slide and the Echoplex.

According to most Bolin enthusiasts, the period of his greatest artistic glory manifested itself between '72 and '74. And so the record I wish to bring to your attention, although it was never published before '99, represents its genesis. As the title suggests, the energy is the catalyst of the music offered, which vocalist Jeff Cook would define as "jazz metal fusion blues." Beyond the curious definitions, what immediately strikes the ears is the absolute harmony among the group members and a natural predisposition for improvisation. Some of the themes present in these recordings would later be revisited in Tommy's subsequent projects, such as the visionary rock-blues of "Red Skies," which would end up in the James Gang's repertoire, or the romantic ballad "Dreamer," which would be released in his solo debut. But perhaps the real strengths of this work are the unreleased tracks, particularly the psychedelic and melancholic "Limits" and the driving heavy rock of "Heartlight." It was precisely the performances with Energy that captured the attention of insiders, especially the aforementioned Cobham, and facilitated the rise of the guitarist until the tragic ending.

In December 1976, at only 25 years old, Tommy was taken down by a lethal cocktail of drugs and alcohol. Choked on his own vomit. The classic rockstar's end. I prefer to remember him in his silver lamé suit, a faint smile, and his beloved Stratocaster slung over his shoulder. Not for the naivety or stupidity (take your pick) of his death, but for what precious things he left us: his music.