Archive: Arts & Entertainment

After several pitches, I have capitulated to the Lansing Star's request that I provide a regular music feature. I do not want to be a "critic," even though, like everyone else, there are styles of music and performers I simply prefer, whether due to style, power, melody, or the quality of the recording or musical performances of the recording artists. While I will focus on contemporary music in the rock and blues world, I am an avid classical music fan and enjoy everything from underground punk (mainly from the 60s through the 80s), to jazz fusion and yes, even industrial and so-called goth and mansion music. While many rail against the volume, stylistic features, and lyrical content of some modern heavy and gothic rock music, some performers are master craftsmen that write complex melodies and remarkable music. If put into a classical format many would be surprised at the musical complexity and melodic content from artists such as King Diamond, Marilyn Manson or Hansel & Gretyl.

However, rather than jump off into new and recent releases, I thought my first few contributions would address albums and cds from the past. I really want to address true gems that, for reasons unknown, are unrecognized by many and seriously underappreciated by the media and traditional music critics.

So, I start with a true masterpiece: Tommy Bolin's 1975 solo release - Teaser.

For reasons unknown Tommy Bolin never makes the Rolling Stone list of top 100 guitarists. For those that seriously play guitar, most find this baffling. In a short career ended by an untimely death at a mere 25 years old, Tommy had already mastered many guitar styles, from blues-rock, to jazz, funk, reggae, and hard rock/metal, each with both a subtlety and power that promised a remarkable future. Here's an artist with an impressive resume and a truly unique style. He played for some well known bands, such as Deep Purple, the James Gang, Moxy, and Zephyr. He also played guitar with and for many jazz greats, such as Alphonse Mouzon, Jan Hammer, Jeff Beck, and Billy Cobham, as well as a host of well known rock and pop musicians. Dean Guitars even makes a tribute guitar called the "Tommy Bolin Tribute Guitar."

Tommy died under disputable circumstances on December 4, 1976, in Miami, Florida. The primary cause of death was officially attributed to a drug overdose. His last show was as an opening act for Peter Frampton and Jeff Beck on December 3, 1976. Oddly, more of his work and live recordings have been released since his death than were released prior thereto. Of all the musicians and bands that have had deaths or tragedies, this one hit me the hardest, in part because my all time favorite rock song comes from the Teaser album, a soaring musical piece with remarkable production and feeling called Wild Dogs.

Teaser is a unique album that fuses multiple rock and guitar styles with a strong jazz base. More so than any other single work, Teaser showcases the range of one of the best guitarists of the 1970s. The mood, meter, and syncopation of many of these songs is just infectious. When you add in Tommy's vocal style and his ability to construct meaning with simple lyrics, you find an album that has a feel and style that stands alone. Teaser features numerous contributing artists, the most well known likely being Jan Hammer, Glenn Hughes, Phil Collins, Prairie Prince, and David Sanborn.

The album opens with a song called "The Grind." The core of the song is rock with some tinges of jazz that also blends in some great staccato guitar with power riffs and strong drum /bass lines to form a perfect prelude for the other tasty treats on this 1975 release.

The next tune "Homeward Strut" increases the rock-based guitar stylings with power chords, but also more squarely pays tribute to the jazz influences that define Tommy's style and career. "Dreamer" is the next tune, which backs it down a notch, followed by "Savannah Woman," which is jazz/Spanish guitar influenced, thereby bringing you back into the heavier rock based title cut "Teaser." The then once-called B side starts off with a sax influenced song called "People, People", followed by the heavy but jazzy "Marching Powder" instrumental that shows off some strong guitar riffs and the unique sound Tommy achieved when he would bend a note by pressing on and bending the neck of the guitar, as opposed to the more traditional methods of creating vibrato to simulate more of a vocal quality. "Wild Dogs" follows, and it is just a song that has to be heard to be appreciated. From a soft melodic beginning, with soaring vocals, to a wound up all out jam, this song has everything - great lyrics, melody, sound, feel, emotion, power, and production values. The album ends with Lotus, a mellow introspective and highly instrumental piece that foreshadowed Tommy's last studio release in 1976 entitle "Private Eyes," - which has a stronger jazz base to its musical stylings.

So, looking for inspiration as well as a hidden gem? Go buy Teaser. The music is a timeless fusion of rock and jazz that just never loses its edge or its appeal - it's timeless. Amazon and many other online sellers have several versions available, from extended versions and outtakes to the original studio release. Though Rolling Stone seems to have forgotten who he was, Amazon's rankings system still lists Tommy in the top 100 guitarists of all time, despite the fact that he died 35 years ago. Many other musical sources agree with Amazon, but I encourage you to go find out for yourself. Maybe take in the annual Tommy Bolin Music Festival, scheduled this year on July 30, in Sioux City, Iowa. The legendary guitarist Chris Duarte is just one of the scheduled headliners!

Thanks for reading or suffering through this one man's opinion.