8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Lost Classic OF Funky Jazz Fusion, 1970s-Vintage!, November 28, 2004
This review is from: Gemini (Audio CD)
If only this CD had seen wider release when first issued in 1974: would fans have been mentioning Marcus Belgrave alongside such jazz superstar trumpet peers as Miles Davis, Donald Byrd, and Freddie Hubbard? Over the years I hadn't heard Belgrave often, but in whatever context I was able to check him out he played confidently and creatively, technically strong but never going on egotistical note binges. He can impress the listener while preserving the integrity of the tune (in particular I do recall his effective work on Michael Henderson's late-1970s soul/r&b/jazz album GOIN' PLACES, as well as on an album by pianist Geri Allen whose title I can't recall at the moment).
GEMINI's title cut opens with some brief synth swirls, then steadies into a funky jazz groove quite similiar to Hubbard's "Red Clay." Except for several brief free-form moments, the musicians keep the freedom in control (or are they giving control some freedom?). Belgrave begins his solo bearing some similiarity to Hubbard, but before long his ideas gain distinction, using his technical prowess not as a free pass to go off to the races, but rather to build an effective solo with use of space as well as sound...I'd say finding an individualistic halfway point between Freddie and Miles. In general, GEMINI sounds like a jazz album with some electric instrumentation and funk rhythms ala Hubbard's 1970s music, pre-STREET LADY Donald Byrd, and Davis' "Stuff." There have been some comparisons to such free-jazz pioneers as Art Ensemble Of Chicago, but i.m.o. GEMINI is more comparable to the music of the trumpeters that I noted.
The sidemen are not household names even in jazz circles, but do include a few that might ring a bell for some: reedman Wendell Harrison, trombonist Phillip Ranelin, drummer/percussionists Roy Brooks, Billy Turner, and Lorenzo Brown, bassist Ed Pickens, electric pianist Harold McKinney, and synth man Daryl Dybka. However, even if not well-known the musicians add an effective balance of teamwork and individuality to the cuts...I seriously doubt anyone listening will find anything lacking in any aspect of this disc, as long as you are open to jazz incorporating electronics and pop culture elements (as a means to a musically provocative end, of course).
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