Thursday, July 31, 2008

The Fusion Reactor #202 - 3 Bands, 3 Songs, 3 Million Notes...

...give or take.

I picked three bands I've been jamming to recently and decided to feature them each on the show. Each gets about a half hour, which seems (in prog & fusion terms) to mean three songs. I tried to mix things up and pick songs that were older, middle, and newer in their careers - even though some have been around longer than others. The bands:

D.F.A.
1. Space Ace Man (1997)
2. Caleidoscopio (1999)
3. The Mirror (2008)

This Italian band has put out some really neat stuff. I picked songs from their studio albums Lavori In Corso, Duty Free Area, and 4th. If you haven't heard 4th yet, check it out! It moves the band in more of a proggy instrumental fusion direction rather than the fusiony prog sound in their earlier albums.

Mahavishnu Orchestra
1. One Word (1973)
2. Vision Is A Naked Sword (1974)
3. Pacific Express (1984)

Always great to hear these guys. I picked songs from Birds Of Fire, Apocalypse, and Mahavishnu. This covers their three basic lineups, from 5-piece shredding outfit to orchestral monster to mature 'modern' fusion.

KBB
1. Divine Design (2000)
2. Shironiji (2003)
3. Stratosphere (2007)

They haven't been around long enough to really have different eras, really, but I played one from each of their studio albums Lost And Found, Four Corners Sky, and Proof Of Concept. There have actually been some lineup changes and they've definitely evolved in terms of composition and songwriting. They've also moved more squarely into the fusion camp, with less of a foothold in the instrumental fusion category. But they're always amazing.

Friday, July 25, 2008

The Fusion Reactor #201 - A Tribute To Miles Davis

Miles Davis has affected the worlds of jazz, fusion, and prog. Here's a tribute to him.

Blues For Miles - Corea, Chick 15:10
Dewey (For Miles) - Yellowjackets
Miles to Go - Rare Blend 5:04
Miles Beyond - Mahavishnu Orchestra 4:42
Miles Out - Mahavishnu Orchestra 6:44
Miles Away - Keaggy, Phil 7:08
Miles Away - Queensrÿche 4:34
Miles Away - Electric Outlet 6:15
Miles Mode - Pilo, Craig 5:26
500 Miles High - Return To Forever 9:11
Stuff - Davis, Miles 17:03

Friday, July 18, 2008

The Fusion Reactor #200 - The Long And Short Of It

I'm finally back in town long enough to put together show #200! I decided on a bunch of longer and shorter songs for this show. Mostly fusion, but with a bit of new prog in there too.

Run For Your Life - Yellowjackets 8:04
Amazing Grace/Return Expedition - Jordan, Stanley 20:46
0274 - Holdsworth, Allan 7:46
The Harvest - Brighteye Brison 20:27
Haniface - Gongzilla 4:13
Eastern Sundays - Moraz and Bruford 7:28
Mosoq Runa - D.F.A. 18:58