Overall rating: 10/12
Chase's first album is both their best-known and their most enjoyable. The band is the creation of trumpeter Bill Chase (who also does the arranging for the group), who had previously been the lead player for the Woody Herman band and the Maynard Ferguson band. Chase is not only a hugely powerful lead trumpeter, but also a phenomenal soloist who plays things so high no normal trumpet player can imitate him. In this album, he strikes out on his own, fronting a nine-piece ensemble with the intention of fusing jazz and rock music, much like their contemporaries Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Chase featured an unusual horn section, though - no reeds, no trombones, just four phenomenal trumpet players, written like a big band trumpet section.
This album is another relatively obscure but phenomenal album. The one well-known tune ("Get It On") is wonderful, but is barely a standout on this amazing album. Side one is devoted to peppy single tunes. "Open Up Wide" is an instrumental showcasing Bill's amazing trumpet and the trumpet section, "Living in Heat" introduces singer Terry Richards and some amazing ensemble backing. The only not-great tune is next, "Hello Groceries", which is so ridiculous (and sexist) lyric-wise that I wonder if it was meant to be a joke. But then there's the lovely "Handbags and Gladrags" and the huge hit "Get It On". Side two starts with "Boys and Girls Together" but most of the side is the amazing suite "Invitation to a River". The liner notes praise "Invitation" extravagantly, and for once the enthusiasm of liner notes is not an exaggeration. "Invitation to a River" begins with a huge fanfare, then ranges through a wide palate of styles and feels - a swing section, a smooth slow waltz with delightfully strange pedal points, and the slow, tragic ending. Also in the piece is a fantastic section called "Reflections" which is just Bill's trumpet. He improvises with a heavy echo, interacting with his own reverberations while ethereal sound effects provide a backdrop.
Throughout the album, the tunes are arranged in wonderfully creative ways. No corners were cut getting these songs done - there are plenty of counterpoint figures, pyramid figures, and bizarrely voiced chords played by the trumpet section. And not only is Bill Chase's lead and soloing ability ridiculous, but the other three trumpet players are also fiercely strong. The section is mixed so that you can hear all four parts well, unlike some groups (Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire) who tend to record horns so that the lead voice is really the only one you can hear.
Some of the many highlights from this album? The cascading trumpet lines in "Get It On". The fantastic juxtaposition of baroque counterpoint and blasting rock in "Boys and Girls Together". The kaleidoscopic trumpet feature in "Stay". The relaxing "Two Minds Meet" broken up with violent blasts from the horns.
Another thing to admire about this album is Bill Chase himself. Much has been written in the trumpet community about Bill's amazing ability on the instrument, and I completely agree, but I also applaud this band for being much more than just a place for Chase to squirt lots of high notes. Too many trumpet players with high range tend to record albums which just feature themselves squealing away, which some drum-corps trumpet players love but most actual musicians find obnoxious. But Chase uses his ability and makes music that you can enjoy regardless of how impressed you are with his trumpet range.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say this album is a classic, one that needs to be experienced for anyone who has any affinity for the music of the 60s and 70s. Though the stated goal of jazz/rock fusion is probably not met (the album sounds more akin to progressive rock than jazz), who cares? This is a top-notch stunner.
Writing: 5/6
Musicianship: 5/6
Cohesion: 5/6
Consistency: 5/6
Intangibles: 5/6
Engineering: 5/6
Product: 4/6
Good Stuff: The writing, all of the trumpet players, the phenomenal suite "Invitation to a River" which has about two albums' worth of creativity in it alone.
Bad Stuff: Lots of high trumpet playing may grate on your ears. Could they not have left "Hello Groceries" off the album?
Trivia/Interesting Stuff:
- Chase was up for a grammy for this album, but lost out to fellow horn-rockers Chicago and the album Chicago II.
- Listen for the organ supporting the trumpets, as mentioned in the liner notes. Almost every time the trumpet section plays, they're supported by the organ playing the exact same figure harmonized lower, perhaps often simply doubling the trumpet section 8vb. This helps a very top-heavy horn section sound fuller.
- Bill Chase's actual last name at birth was Chiaiese. The family anglicized the very Italian name to Chase because nobody could pronounce it. Heck, I have an Italian name myself, and I can't pronounce that either.
- Album credit weirdness: Terry Richards is given credit for singing lead on "Open Up Wide"... which is entirely instrumental. Oops!
- I haven't rigorously studied this, but I believe this is the most recent album I'm familiar with (1971) to have an essay praising the album's music on the back of the jacket. This was done all the time in the early 60's, but it seems that once the Beatles stopped doing it (on Help!), it very quickly went out of style.
- This is more of a personal note. I am a professional trumpet player myself. I'm not exactly a lead specialist, but have done some lead work and am a strong lead player. Though I certainly don't have Chase's range, his lead style more than anyone else's is what I try to emulate. It's powerful, clean, commanding, yet also very much a section sound. He's part of the trumpet section, not showing off on his own which too many lead players seem to think is their job.
The Set:
Open Up Wide (Chase)
Living In Heat (Turner)
Hello Groceries (O'Rourke)
Handbags and Gladrags (D'Abo)
Get It On (Chase/Richards)
Boys and Girls Together (Peterik)
Invitation to a River
Two Minds Meet (Raub/Chase)
Stay (Raub/Chase)
Paint It Sad (Raub/Chase)
Reflections (Chase, improvised)
River (Richards/Chase)
The Band:
Bill Chase - lead trumpet, trumpet solos
Ted Piercefield - trumpet, vocals (lead on "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Boys and Girls Together")
Jerry Van Blair - trumpet, vocals (lead on "Hello Groceries")
Alan Ware - trumpet
Terry Richards - lead vocals
Angel South - guitar, vocals
Phil Porter - keyboards
Dennis Johnson - bass, vocals
Jay Burrid - drums, percussion
This album is another relatively obscure but phenomenal album. The one well-known tune ("Get It On") is wonderful, but is barely a standout on this amazing album. Side one is devoted to peppy single tunes. "Open Up Wide" is an instrumental showcasing Bill's amazing trumpet and the trumpet section, "Living in Heat" introduces singer Terry Richards and some amazing ensemble backing. The only not-great tune is next, "Hello Groceries", which is so ridiculous (and sexist) lyric-wise that I wonder if it was meant to be a joke. But then there's the lovely "Handbags and Gladrags" and the huge hit "Get It On". Side two starts with "Boys and Girls Together" but most of the side is the amazing suite "Invitation to a River". The liner notes praise "Invitation" extravagantly, and for once the enthusiasm of liner notes is not an exaggeration. "Invitation to a River" begins with a huge fanfare, then ranges through a wide palate of styles and feels - a swing section, a smooth slow waltz with delightfully strange pedal points, and the slow, tragic ending. Also in the piece is a fantastic section called "Reflections" which is just Bill's trumpet. He improvises with a heavy echo, interacting with his own reverberations while ethereal sound effects provide a backdrop.
Throughout the album, the tunes are arranged in wonderfully creative ways. No corners were cut getting these songs done - there are plenty of counterpoint figures, pyramid figures, and bizarrely voiced chords played by the trumpet section. And not only is Bill Chase's lead and soloing ability ridiculous, but the other three trumpet players are also fiercely strong. The section is mixed so that you can hear all four parts well, unlike some groups (Tower of Power, Earth Wind and Fire) who tend to record horns so that the lead voice is really the only one you can hear.
Some of the many highlights from this album? The cascading trumpet lines in "Get It On". The fantastic juxtaposition of baroque counterpoint and blasting rock in "Boys and Girls Together". The kaleidoscopic trumpet feature in "Stay". The relaxing "Two Minds Meet" broken up with violent blasts from the horns.
Another thing to admire about this album is Bill Chase himself. Much has been written in the trumpet community about Bill's amazing ability on the instrument, and I completely agree, but I also applaud this band for being much more than just a place for Chase to squirt lots of high notes. Too many trumpet players with high range tend to record albums which just feature themselves squealing away, which some drum-corps trumpet players love but most actual musicians find obnoxious. But Chase uses his ability and makes music that you can enjoy regardless of how impressed you are with his trumpet range.
I could go on and on, but suffice it to say this album is a classic, one that needs to be experienced for anyone who has any affinity for the music of the 60s and 70s. Though the stated goal of jazz/rock fusion is probably not met (the album sounds more akin to progressive rock than jazz), who cares? This is a top-notch stunner.
Writing: 5/6
Musicianship: 5/6
Cohesion: 5/6
Consistency: 5/6
Intangibles: 5/6
Engineering: 5/6
Product: 4/6
Good Stuff: The writing, all of the trumpet players, the phenomenal suite "Invitation to a River" which has about two albums' worth of creativity in it alone.
Bad Stuff: Lots of high trumpet playing may grate on your ears. Could they not have left "Hello Groceries" off the album?
Trivia/Interesting Stuff:
- Chase was up for a grammy for this album, but lost out to fellow horn-rockers Chicago and the album Chicago II.
- Listen for the organ supporting the trumpets, as mentioned in the liner notes. Almost every time the trumpet section plays, they're supported by the organ playing the exact same figure harmonized lower, perhaps often simply doubling the trumpet section 8vb. This helps a very top-heavy horn section sound fuller.
- Bill Chase's actual last name at birth was Chiaiese. The family anglicized the very Italian name to Chase because nobody could pronounce it. Heck, I have an Italian name myself, and I can't pronounce that either.
- Album credit weirdness: Terry Richards is given credit for singing lead on "Open Up Wide"... which is entirely instrumental. Oops!
- I haven't rigorously studied this, but I believe this is the most recent album I'm familiar with (1971) to have an essay praising the album's music on the back of the jacket. This was done all the time in the early 60's, but it seems that once the Beatles stopped doing it (on Help!), it very quickly went out of style.
- This is more of a personal note. I am a professional trumpet player myself. I'm not exactly a lead specialist, but have done some lead work and am a strong lead player. Though I certainly don't have Chase's range, his lead style more than anyone else's is what I try to emulate. It's powerful, clean, commanding, yet also very much a section sound. He's part of the trumpet section, not showing off on his own which too many lead players seem to think is their job.
The Set:
Open Up Wide (Chase)
Living In Heat (Turner)
Hello Groceries (O'Rourke)
Handbags and Gladrags (D'Abo)
Get It On (Chase/Richards)
Boys and Girls Together (Peterik)
Invitation to a River
Two Minds Meet (Raub/Chase)
Stay (Raub/Chase)
Paint It Sad (Raub/Chase)
Reflections (Chase, improvised)
River (Richards/Chase)
The Band:
Bill Chase - lead trumpet, trumpet solos
Ted Piercefield - trumpet, vocals (lead on "Handbags and Gladrags" and "Boys and Girls Together")
Jerry Van Blair - trumpet, vocals (lead on "Hello Groceries")
Alan Ware - trumpet
Terry Richards - lead vocals
Angel South - guitar, vocals
Phil Porter - keyboards
Dennis Johnson - bass, vocals
Jay Burrid - drums, percussion