Spectrum cover

Spectrum

Released

Recorded in a couple days by an insane lineup — Miles/Mahavishnu drummer Cobham and future Miami Vice composer Jan Hammer made up the core, but they were supplemented by Deep Purple/James Gang shredder Tommy Bolin, session legend bassist Leland Sklar, and a host of others — this dizzying display of musicianship takes all that talent and harnesses it into one of the great jazz fusion records of all time. Cobham’s kit (mic’ed to the max by Beatles engineer Ken Scott) is the centerpiece, the other players following his lead into the ultraviolet range. It’s not difficult to understand why songs like “Quadrant 4” and “Stratus” blew open their listeners’ third eyes.

Jeff Treppel

Recommended by

Suggestions
Big 6 cover

Big 6

Blue Mitchell
Above & Beyond cover

Above & Beyond

Freddie Hubbard
Vitalive! cover

Vitalive!

Vital Information, Steve Smith
The Hub of Hubbard cover

The Hub of Hubbard

Freddie Hubbard
Elegant Gypsy cover

Elegant Gypsy

Al Di Meola
La Saboteuse cover

La Saboteuse

Yazz Ahmed
Love Devotion Surrender cover

Love Devotion Surrender

Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin, Mahavishnu Orchestra
Like Life cover

Like Life

Django Bates
Notes With Attachments cover

Notes With Attachments

Blake Mills, Pino Palladino
Last Chance Disco cover

Last Chance Disco

Acoustic Ladyland