Search - Tony Williams & Lifetime :: Turn It Over

So Far Ahead Of Their TIme... A True Masterpiece!!!!

Thomas Ferrandina | 07/16/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having been a devoted Jack Bruce fan & musician myself, I first saw Tony Williams Lifetime at the Capital Theatre in Portchester NY at age 14. I was somewhat confused by what I heard, however so so interested that I could not move througout the concert. The music was not rock,blues or jazz by any of the traditional standards. (NOTE: Fusion had yet to a common genre). Jack played incredible bass, and in fact was reading off charts most of the night... The band was at its infancy and this may have been their first real gig... In spite of being confused as well being blown away by this new sound, I was confident that this new music was ahead of its time. John McLauglin was playing riffs I never heard before.. Tony Willaims was so so new & fresh... (and with a no frills Gretsh Drum set), Larry Young produced sounds you never heard before on the Hammond. This was a band with no restictions, with a new powerful sound that was not quite ready for prime time... A few months later they were playing at Ungano's (A Small NY Club), being under age I at first not allowed in, however I had some rare pictures of Jack with Graham Bond & Alexis Korner, Mr. Ungano showed these to Jack... & Jack invited me in to his dressing room. Jack asked if he could have the pictures... as he did not have them himself.. I obliged, we sat and talked for about 20 minutes... Also in the room was John McLauglin playing & Larry Young talking to a reporter.. They performed that evening in front of a crowd of about 20... can you believe it!!!! They were doing things from Jack's Harmony Row LP (yet to be relesaed) and several tunes from Turn It Over, which was just released. This album was the true creation of what we now know as "Jazz Fusion", the interplay is so spectacular with a mixture of fine jazz & hard driving rock... The CD is meant to be played at a fairly high volume. The band shines on Chick Corea's - To Whom It May Concern (Pt 1 & 2), Coltrane's: Big Nick (Jack on the Upright Bass), Once I Loved (William's vocal & Young's organ display a spooky rendition of this classic), Vuelta Abajo is a hard driving rock/jazz power tune. There is not a bad track on the CD... I have read a few other reviews on this masterpiece and I can see why some can say it is dated a bit, however one must remember this was well before we were listening to Chick Corea's Return To Forever, Larry Coryell's Eleventh House,Miles Davis's true eclectic period (post Bitches Brew),John Abercrombie, Jeff Becks (Blow By Blow Masterpiece), The Mahavishna Orch..w/John McClauglin,Dave Liebman, just to mention a few... If you are a risk taker and innovator... This CD is for you... A True Classic!!!! ...PLAY IT LOUD!!!"

A fusion classic.

J. Tate | dry land | 12/03/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Turn it Over is really two recordings. Half of the songs are recordings of the original lineup (Tony-drums,Larry-organ,John-guitar)that were produced in Jan. of 1970, and the other half come from the quartet that included Jack Bruce on bass recorded in April of the same year. The original lineup really didn't need any other musicians to fill out their sound, but the addition of Jack really pays off with the addition of his raw and powerful playing. Songs like Big Nick, Right On, Vuelta Abajo Allah be Praised and One Word benefit from the fuller sound of the quartet, while To Whom it May Concern (Them/Us) and A Famous Blues are just as good minus a bass player. (Just shows how talented Larry Young was to handle the low end as well as the melodies)



To me, this is what Fusion sounds like. One warning though. If you have never heard Tony Williams sing look out. He is a bit of an aquired taste."