C.C.E.B.

Say what you want about them being watered down.
In my opinion this was one of the baddest, tightest
fusion bands ever! My wife and I were actually at
this show.

It was at the Paul Mason Mountain Winery Ampitheater
in Saratoga Ca. August 20, 1991. It was a beautiful
evening under the stars and the Electric Band definitely
made good on the already wonderful atmosphere....

Truly an 'Electric' evening.

Indeed, very tight and electric. Gambale had hair!

I don't know about watered down, but it seems with Eye of the Beholder and beyond things got so complex, for me the later stuff just lost groove and listenability. I got a DVD of the band at Montreux, 2004, I think. I couldn't finish watching it. Just so complex it gave me a headache. But the older stuff is every bit as good, especially live, as RTF, though a different vibe because of the players and all.

I haven't seen to many vids of Weckle back from that time. I can see where his influence on so many drummers came in, especially all the triplet stuff and beat displacement.

Many have called them a watered down fusion band, Asaph.
And I hear what you saying about things getting so complex.

The "Tale of daring" series on the E.B.'s "Inside Out" cd as
interesting as it is from a compositional view is almost laughable
to me it's so complex. In the end, it just came off to me as a 'watch
this' kinda thing.

There are 4 chapters to this piece. Here's chapter 3:

truly awesome stuff! i felt like chick's keyboard sounds got a little on the "twinkie" side during this band in general and the compositions could be a bit spotty but, the music here is just incredible. I'm convinced, i will track down all of their albums to see what i missed. thanks for posting

p.s. i like the "watch this" aspects! go for it, i don't mind!

I don't mind either, Kenny. And the reason being is
the contrast and mixture of diverse approaches this
band applied.

They would do something with an almost pop dance kind
of feel in one song... And the next tune would be really
deep and involved like the one above. It's just that I can
only take so much of these types of complex compositions
before I have to come up for air (a sigh of relief).

I certainly don't know what you mean by the compositions
being "spotty". But that's how you hear it I guess and art
is interpreted in our own personal way by those of us who
absorb it.

Here are some examples of what I mean about them doing
pieces that's in a more danceable or pop vain.





Scott Henderson on guitar on this one:



And then back to this:

I think I still have Inside Out on cassette. Listened to it once. A lot of that stuff Chick writes sounds like modern classical music with drum set. Talk about necessity to read music. Weckle nails it all, as usual.

It looked like Chick said something to Scott about giving him some harmony as he soloed. Such a beautiful thing playing with other musicians live like that.

I forget, because these guys all blend together in their projects after awhile, but is that fourth selection a Weckle/Tom Kennedy tune?

I remember the first time I saw these North Sea Jazz festival vids when the four of them come to the front of the stage and play those ridiculous unison runs. Mind blowing.

On the other hand, speed run scale solos with no melodic content, per se, started to lose me years ago. I can greatly appreciate the time necessary to master stuff like that, but musically it just kind of runs cold for me. I'd rather hear a solo maintain some kind of melodic phrasing.

I had not heard of Mike Pope before seeing that festival on youtube. Great player. So many great players out there, now.

spotty meaning I don't care for some of the tunes as much as his RTF stuff, just a matter of taste. Like i can't get into his leprechaun album except for maybe a tune or two on that one. So for me his compositional output has some "gaps" or gets "spotty". I think that can be said for most composers. you like what you like and you don't what you don't. But i wouldn't call it watered down as the compositions are the opposite of simple. Maybe not as catchy to my ear though i never had a problem with the musicianship.

I hear you and agree, Kenny. Thanks for clearing that up.

Asaph, If you are talking about the 4th clip down, the tune
"Got a match", that's a piece from the very first Electric Band
album of which the title is the band's namesake.

It was composed by Chick.

just picked up elektric band II paint the world.
much better keyboard sounds & much more listenable
tunes, for me. Didn't know Gary Novak played with him.

Yeah, Kenny, after all of the original band members (save Eric Merienthal)
went solo, Chick continued the band for awhile and Gary Novak was
the drummer. That's a really good CD, although that unit had
nowhere near the impact the original group did.

I had the cassette, loand it out and never got it back. It was so
long ago that I can't even remember what the tunes sound like
or who all the players were. I believe that was the only album that
unit did together.

Another thing that most dont realize or remember is the first E.B.
began as a trio.... Chick, John and Dave. They didn't cut an album
to my knowledge but they did tour with that configuration.





Chick - Keys
Eric - Sax
Gary - Drums
Jimmy Earl - Bass
Mike Miller - Guitar

I have this whole show on DVD, great stuff from the original Electric Band.
I saw them on this tour in October 1991 at a college theater in Glassboro, NJ.

Chick was trying to open up the market for Modern Jazz with the Electric Band, just like Miles Davis did
in the mid to late 80's. Some people call it "watered down" but it appealed to more people, not just Jazz purists
and other musicians looking for a freak show of licks.

Unfortunately, John Patitucci left in 1992 and then the others soon followed, except for Eric Marienthal,
Chick then for formed Elektrik Band II, but that only lasted a short time and was not as successful.