Michael Urbaniak - Fusion III {1975}
Studio recordings @320
Out of Print
$500 at the 'Zon
A 1975 album from violinist Michal Urbaniak entitled “Fusion III.”
Urbaniak, who hails from Poland, immigrated to the U.S. in 1973 and
quickly joined the New York fusion scene.
“Fusion III” features
performances from several of Urbaniak’s compatriots as well as a number
of highly regarded American musicians. For instance, both John
Abercrombie and Larry Coryell each play a number of prominent guitar
solos. The rhythm section locks down a solid and often funky foundation
with Alphonso Johnson on bass and Steve Gadd on drums. Also on the album
is Urbaniak’s then-wife Ursula Dudziak on vocals, often doubling
Urbaniak’s violin on complex and incendiary melodic runs. Wlodek
Gulgowski is the keyboard player on the date on electric piano, Moog
synthesizer and organ.
Urbaniak is often compared to Jean Luc
Ponty both because of their similar fusion style and because of their
violin sounds. Urbaniak used a custom-built 5 string violin at the time
and often ran it through synthesizers and other processors. Another
parallel is both violinists have been quite prolific with Urbaniak’s
discography now numbering well over 50 albums under his own name and as a
sideman on many more. He has played with artists as diverse as Oliver
Nelson, Scott Cossu, Paul Bley, Billy Cobham, Don Pullen, Miles Davis
and many others.
“Fusion III” has a bit of an early Return to
Forever sound to it; especially with Dudziak’s vocals who sounds like a
Polish Flora Purim. Alphonso Johnson on bass lays down more funk than
early RTF was known for. The album deploys numerous unconventional time
signatures and frequent time changes to keep listeners on their toes. ~Geoff Anderson
Track List:
1. Chinatown [part 1] (5:24)
2. Kujaviak Goes Funky (6:12)
3. Roksana (5:42)
4. Crazy Kid (2:35)
5. Prehistoric Bird (5:19)
6. Bloody Kishka (4:21)
7. Cameo (4:41)
8. Stretch (6:20)
9. Metroliner (4:44)
10. Chinatown [Part II] (3:56)
-Michal Urbaniak/ electric violin, violin synthesizer
-Urszula Dudziak/ voice, percussion, electronic percussion
-Wlodek Gulgowski/ electric piano, Moog, and electric organ
-Anthony Jackson/ bass guitar
-Gerald Brown/ drums
-Steve Gadd/ drums
-Larry Coryell/ guitar
-John Abercrombie/ guitar
-Joe Caro/ guitar
-Bernard Kafka/ voice
pass - fbsvw
