Various: Flying Jazz Grooves and Flying Funk

Reviewed by GRAHAM REID

Herald ratings:

Flying Jazz Grooves: * * *

Flying Funk: * * * *

When jazz got into bed with rock in the late 60s/early 70s the offspring was called fusion, a bastard child of sound and fury signifying nothing. (The prosecution calls the Mahavishnu Orchestra.)

Of course there was also some excellent music made: guitarist Al DiMeola's flamenco-fusion albums and Weather Report are long overdue for a rediscovery.

And respected jazz musicians like arranger Gil Evans (who did an album of Hendrix material), saxophonist Gato Barbieri, Nina Simone and Count Basie also got on the jazz-funk fusion bus and proved worthy passengers.

These two collections pull together those names and other worthies in muscular, black funk jazz-rock.

On the first, Evans and his orchestra thump through Jimi's Crosstown Traffic, flautist Harold Alexander does vocal squawk and funky flute on Mama Soul, there are stacked-up horns over popping bass behind Esther Marrow's Baby That's What I Need, organist Wild Bill Davis finger-snaps through Hit The Road Jack, Gil Scott-Heron's The Revolution Will Not Be Televised makes an appearance, guitarist Lee Ritenour and organist Lonnie Liston Smith join altoist Oliver Nelson for the moody Skull Session, and so on.

The second disc is equally funny, funky and free-ranging with Nina Simone (Save Me, Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter), the Jimmy Castor Bunch, the Main Ingredient, Johnny Griffin, Richard "Groove" Holmes and, appearing again, Lonnie Liston Smith, Scott-Heron (Home Is Where The Hatred Is) and Marrow.

Two collections to play after watching reruns of The Mod Squad and having teased that bob into an Afro.

(both Bluebird/BMG)