Mystery fusion fretless

marscape1 · Post by **marscape1** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 9:35 am

Hello everyone,

My first post, and an unusual request.

Although I do not own a fretless, I have always loved the sound since I heard Jaco, and Percy Jones in the '70s.

I used to record jazz and fusion from radio broadcasts, and at night when the ionosphere would drop I could tune in to many European stations. As there was relatively little fusion on UK radio stations, it became routine to scan through the medium wave to listen to many jazz programs from East and West Germany, France, Czechoslovakia, and Yugoslavia amongst others.

Unfortunately, in many cases, I had great music on tape, but no idea who the group was. As the years passed, I found out who most of the musicians were, but one piece of music has proved particularly difficult to identify. In fact it's now more than 30 years since I recorded it, and I seem to be no closer !

I would put the LP recording at around 1977 or '78 (I recorded it in 1979). Although the fretless is prominent, there is also some extra slap bass. This track features a synth solo in the style of George Duke - he guested on many LPs of the time, mostly under a different name, but searches have not revealed anything so far.

Could you please listen to this track and give me your thoughts about it ? I am not an expert in the bass field, but the style sounds similar to Jaco, Alphonso Johnson, Bunny Brunel etc.

Apologies for the sound quality, but it was only medium wave !

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wq0JyzO6XCo

Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Steve.

redbeardred · Post by **redbeardred** » Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:31 am

i don't know who it is but it kind of sounds like 'mahavishnu orchestra'?

marscape1 · Post by **marscape1** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 3:48 pm

Thanks for your reply. I have all the Mahavishnu LPs of this time, and it's not one of their tracks. The Mahavishnu Orchestra certainly influenced many bands of the 1970s.

NickBass · Post by **NickBass** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 2:59 pm

I'm not sure about the bassist, but the style and the tone remind me a lot of Alphonso Johnson...

marscape1 · Post by **marscape1** » Mon Mar 08, 2010 2:38 pm

Yes, I was thinking this also. He did appear on quite a few fusion recordings.
There was a forum called 'Ask Alphonso' if I remember right. Might be worth a visit.

marscape1 · Post by **marscape1** » Wed May 26, 2010 7:58 pm

It turns out the bassist is Bo Stieff. The band is called Entrance from Denmark.

Thanks for the suggestions.