Tommy Bolin - Billy Cobham, Alphonse Mouzon

[Shawn]

A couple of my favorite fusion albums from the 70's are "Spectrum" and "Mindtransplant".

The common denominator with those two albums is the rather tragic guitarist Tommy Bolin (who later ended up in The James Gang and later Deep Purple). How did he get hooked up with these cats? Anybody know?

From the research I've found, these are the only 2 fusion type albums he recorded (aside from some rather odd earlier work). Just seems like an odd combination. Was it primarily just Cobham & Mouzon trying to find a "hot shot guitarist"?

[Joe]

I was able to locate this:

Cobham had first heard Tommy when he was playing with Zephyr at a festival that also had Cobham’s band Dreams on the bill. He then met Tommy in person for the first time on a Jeremy Steig session in early 1971 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City. Tommy had been in town since September of 1970 recording the Going Back to Colorado album with Zephyr at Electric Lady, and was quickly meeting and jamming with some of the names in jazz. The Steig session included a version of Jan Hammer’s “Sister Andrea,” and included Jeremy Steig (flute), Tommy (guitar), Jan Hammer (keys), Gene Perla (bass) and Cobham, who had been recommended for the session by Hammer, on drums. The version that resulted appears on Tommy Bolin: From the Archives Vol. I, and impressed Cobham immensely. Soon after the session Tommy would soon return to Colorado and form Energy, but would be called in to work on Spectrum in 1973.

Here: http://www.tbolin.com/history/billy_cobham.html

I've heard the Zephyr LPs, both with and without Bolin. They're quite nice, and though not really remarkable, worth checking out. (Candy Givens.) If anything, their last LP, SUNSET RIDE, recorded after Bolin's departure, I find to be their most memorable; features some great "mood" pieces.

[Shawn]

Thanks Joe, that answered the question nicely.

I've heard some of that Zephyr stuff (the tracks in the Tommy Bolin 2 disc collection), never heard the entire albums. I need to see if I have that "Sister Andrea" track, that sounds killer by description.

Bolin never sounded "comfortable" playing in straight rock bands to me, he might have made more money that way, but I think his spirit was more adventurous. Unfortunately, his "habits" were quite pricey and a gig in Deep Purple probably helped keep that going.