Discovering Moog In Jazz/Rock Fusion

A titan of modern jazz, Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea was introduced to the piano at the age of four by his father, a jazz trumpeter. He took up drums four years later, and that background would inform a precise, rhythmic style that pervades his repertoire.

Corea launched his career as a solo pianist in 1966, after working with jazz notables Stan Getz and Herbie Mann, among others. In the late '60s he joined Miles Davis, spearheading the jazz/rock fusion movement, and expanding his sonic palette with electric instruments and electronic textures.

His work, both as leader of Return To Forever, one of the seminal groups in the genre, and later with his Elektric Band, features a vast array of synthesizers, all deployed with his unmistakable voice.

"Lenore"

Released 1976 by Polydor Records

Writer and Producer: Chick Corea

• Chick deploys multiple Moogs across this album, including a Minimoog, Micromoog, and a Model 15 modular system

• A snappy synthesizer bass sound enters (0:08), and continues throughout the piece

• A signature lead sound first appears in a call-and-response passage (0:58), using two performances on separate tracks to create the stereo imagery

• A second call-and-response section (2:05) leads into a riveting piano solo

"The Battle Of The Jester & The Tyrant"

Released 1976 by Columbia Records

Writer and producer: Chick Corea

• The original Polymoog is used extensively throughout the album, starting off this track with a sound combining strings and an organ-like tone

• After starting with a single-note line, the Polymoog plays a chord (0:16), with the pulsing sonority created using a square wave from the Poly's Low-Frequency Oscillators (LFO) modulating Moog's famous Voltage-Controlled Filters (VCF)

• The Minimoog appears (0:18), doubling Al DiMeola's electric guitar line, with a touch of portamento enhancing the part

• The Polymoog strings fade out (0:46), while the organ mode sound continues making appearances throughout the piece

• A signature synth lead sound from the Minimoog takes the melody (1:09)

• Polymoog strings reappear (1:33)

• A brighter sound from the Minimoog doubles the electric piano (2:11) on the recurring part closing out the chord progression

• Minimoog melody is restated (3:27)

• Polymoog strings return, supporting Chick's electric piano passage (3:51)

• The Mini returns, as Chick takes off with some aggressive synth soloing (4:21), gradually using more and more of the Moog's pitch-bend wheel for more dramatic expression. The sound transitions into the next section with some exaggerated upward pitch-bends for effect (6:18)

• A Polymoog brass sound is used for accents under Stanley Clarke's dazzling bass soloing (7:37)

Born in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic), Hammer was the son of a famous Czech singer and a doctor who played music to pay his way through medical school. He started playing piano at four years old, starting formal lessons two years later.

Initially he wanted to follow his father into medicine, but a family friend encouraged him to pursue his musical talents. His musical studies were interrupted by the Communist invasion in 1968, and he would wind up moving to the US as a scholarship recipient from the prestigious Berklee School of Music.

His jazz career started as touring pianist for vocalist Sarah Vaughan, and he also recorded with jazz drumming legend Elvin Jones. After moving to New York City he joined the groundbreaking group Mahavishnu Orchestra, headed up by guitarist John McLaughlin.

Their catalog remains one of the cornerstones of the jazz/rock fusion movement, and they would perform over 500 concerts before disbanding in 1973. During this stint, Hammer embraced the Minimoog, and it would remain a primary voice in his keyboard arsenals over the years.

Perhaps his most noteworthy musical collaborations were with legendary guitarist Jeff Beck. They recorded and toured together extensively, and Hammer won the 1985 Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for his song "Escape" on Beck's Flash album.

Despite being at the forefront of the jazz/rock fusion movement, Hammer is best known for his work on the hit television show Miami Vice. Not only did his soundtracks revolutionize approaches to TV music, the Miami Vice Soundtrack album hit #1 on the Billboard charts, and would go on to sell over four million copies.

"Sophie"

Released May 1976 by Epic Records

Writer: Narada Michael Walden

Producers: George Martin, Chris Bond, Hammer

• Bob Moog considered Jan to be the most expressive of Minimoog players, and this track serves as a fine example

• The Minimoog first appears in unison with Jeff Beck's guitar (1:37), before Jan launches into his first solo (1:55)

• After doubling the electric guitar in a restatement of the melody with the Minimoog, Jan and Jeff head off into an exhilarating passage of traded soloing (5:22) after a raucous guitar lead section

• The track comes to a close with Jan's Minimoog harmonizing with the electric guitar, while also playing some fleet-fingered fills (6:09)

"Oh Yeah?"

Released 1976 by Nemperor Records

Writers: Hammer, Fernando Saunders

Producer: Hammer

• In this live performance from 2006, Hammer ably switches between electric piano and a Minimoog Voyager, the modern interpretation of the iconic instrument, and the last synthesizer designed by Bob Moog before his passing in 2005

• The plucky, hollow tone from the Voyager is one of Jan's signature Moog sounds, and he employs it for both the song's melodies and solo passages. Throughout he applies a guitar-like approach to the instrument's pitch-bend wheel, a style developed through his association with McLaughlin and Beck, both members of that instrument's gallery of the greats

Another member of the modern keyboard pantheon, Herbie Hancock was born in Chicago in 1940. He started out as a classical pianist, and was considered a child prodigy, performing with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra when he was 11.

He did not seek formal jazz instruction until he was 20, but had already incorporated jazz harmonization into his skill set through extensive listening to artists such as Clare Fischer and Bill Evans. His first solo jazz piano album, Takin' Off, was released by Blue Note in 1962.

As with Chick Corea, Herbie was greatly influenced by his time playing with Miles Davis, who first got Hancock involved with electronic instruments, despite the keyboardist's initial reluctance. Herbie would go on to embrace the iconic bandleader's genre-bending approaches, fully exploring both funk and electronic rock while instilling his jazz sensibilities into the music.

In addition to releasing over 40 albums, Hancock was also active in the film world, creating numerous soundtracks, including Blowup, and Round Midnight, for which he won an Oscar for Best Original Soundtrack. He also has almost a dozen film credits as an actor, appearing both as himself as well as taking on character roles.

"Good Question"

Released 1978 by Columbia Records

Writer: Hancock

Producers: David Rubinson, Hancock

• Hancock's Sunlight album includes some unique moments in the genre. Its first three tracks feature Hancock performing the lead vocals with a vocoder, an electronic device that superimposed the signal from a microphone onto any electronic sound processed through it. Hancock employs numerous synthesizers and electronic keyboards on the album, including the Polymoog, Minimoog,and Micromoog

• While most music in the style featured the newer, electronic textures in a more upfront manner, this album presents a more traditional jazz instrumental sound, including legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius on this cut, with the synthesizers taking on more of a supporting, atmospheric role

• This track also features Patrick Gleeson, a frequent Hancock collaborator, with one of the most noteworthy Moog modular synthesizers of all time. Gleeson eventually sold the instrument to Don Preston, keyboardist for Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention. It was used on the Apocalypse Now soundtrack.

• The Moog modular first appears as part of a chime-like passage (1:12) before morphing into a somewhat atonal, haunting tone (1:35). A spacy sound effect rises from the proceedings (2:05), followed by a highly resonant bass drone (2:16)

• The Minimoog appears, playing a simple rhythmic counterpoint (2:43) in response to Hancock's piano chords

• Modular bass drones reappear (3:19)

• A deep splash of wind-like sound from the modular (4:18), utilizing the synthesizer's Noise Generator

• Atmospheric fills (6:07) and (6:20), with the modular's Voltage-Controlled Oscillators (VCO) tuned to different intervals, manipulated with a healthy dose of the synthesizer's pitch-bend control

• Cascade of metallic tones (7:07), created using the Moog's Ring Modulator

Patrick Philippe Moraz was born on an airplane in 1948, but considers Morges, Switzerland to be his hometown. His family was a musical one, with his father having worked with Ignacy Paderewski, the renowned Polish pianist and composer. Moraz was a multi-instrumentalist as a child, playing violin and drums in addition to piano, and he began composing on the piano at the age of five.

A roller skating accident at 13 left Moraz with four broken fingers, and he was told he could never play classical music again. After considerable therapy and practicing, he became ambidextrous, developing his left hand technique while restoring that of his right hand. Despite an initial interest in becoming an anthropologist, he eventually chose music for his career, and studied at the Lausanne Conservatory. Later he would move to Paris to study with French composer/conductor Nadia Boulanger.

In 1964 he became the youngest recipient of the Best Soloist award at the Zurich Jazz Festival. He would continue to win awards at numerous festivals, both as a soloist, and as the leader of quartets and quintets. One such win led to him receiving a collection of albums and a series of lessons with jazz great Stephane Grappelli, while another led to his quartet opening shows in Europe for the legendary John Coltrane.

Moraz moved into the rock realm with his band, Mainhorse, and their debut album was released in 1971. He also began scoring for film the same year. Two years later he received an invitation to work with the former members of The Nice when their leader, Moog icon Keith Emerson, left to form the progressive rock supergroup, Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Moraz, along with bassist vocalist Lee Jackson and drummer Davey O'List, called themselves Refugee, and their eponymous album came out in 1974.

Not long after the album’s release he would replace yet another progressive rock legend (and Moog aficionado), Rick Wakeman, who had departed genre leaders Yes. Moraz recorded one album with them, Relayer, and was given the opportunity to release his first solo album as each band member took time off from the group to develop their own material.

That album, The Story of i, remains a keyboard tour de force to this day, and, thanks to his extensive use of Brazilian percussionists throughout the album, represents one of the earliest examples of the musical genre now known as Worldbeat.

"Sound Chaser"

Released 1974 by Atlantic Records

Writer: Yes

Producers: Eddie Offord, Yes

• Patrick's influence on Yes is evident throughout this, the most raucous and jazzy cut in the band's catalog
• A majority of this track's electronic textures are the string sounds, supplied by Moraz' Vako Orchestron, the creation of Dave Van Koevering, an early Moog associate and evangelist

• The searing synthesizer solo (7:44) features some particularly expressive use of the Minimoog's pitch bend wheel

"Impact"

Released 1976 by Atlantic Records

Writer: Patrick Moraz, John McBurnie

Producers: Moraz

• With perhaps more synthesizer tracks than one can effectively count, Moraz relies on cascades of echoed Moog synthesizers to establish the other-worldly soundscape for his space fantasy solo album
• More melodic synth applications appear, starting with a fluty melody and a classic Moog bass drone (1:18)

• The Minimoog can be heard, gradually increasing its support of the piano rhythms (2:39), until Patrick gets extreme with the pitch bender at the climax of this passage (3:16) of what is effectively one 45-minute piece of music

Born in 1953 in Asbury Park, New Jersey, David Sancious is a multi-instrumentalist, having started classical piano study at age seven, and adding guitar four years later. Sancious first came to notoriety as a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, with the name coming from David’s mother’s garage where they rehearsed. He appeared on Springsteen’s first three albums, culminating with the ground-breaking Born To Run.

Along with drummer friend Ernest “Boom” Carter, whom he had recruited into the E Street Band, Sancious formed his own group, Tone, in 1974. The band featured some noteworthy vocalists, including Patty Scialfa (Mrs. Bruce Springsteen), Gayle Moran (Mrs. Chick Corea), and Alex Ligertwood, who performed with both Brian Auger and Santana, among others. Springsteen was totally supportive of Tone, promoting them to record label executives, leading to a contract with Epic.

Sancious’ first album, Forest Of Feelings, produced by drumming legend Billy Cobham, represented a significant departure from Sancious' time with The Boss. It incorporated healthy doses of progressive rock, jazz/rock fusion, and gospel, providing a broad tapestry for Sancious to display his skills. After Tone dissolved he would release two solo albums before embarking on a prestigious career as a sideman.

Some of his employers make up a veritable Who’s Who of rock and jazz royalty: Jack Bruce & Friends (with Billy Cobham on drums), Jon Anderson of Yes, Peter Gabriel, Seal, Eric Clapton, Hall & Oates, Jeff Beck, and Sting.

"Transformation (The Speed Of Love)"

Released 1976 by Epic Records

Writer: David Sancious

Producers: Bruce Botnick, Sancious

• Sancious combines multiple tracks of Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer and Minimoog in creating this dazzling tour-de-force

• No matter the complexity of the polyphonic sections, the Minimoog makes its presence known via a wide vibrato à la Bernie Worrell

• David takes the Minimoog on a spin over a driving rock rhythm section (3:11), using extreme frequency modulation to create an atonal experience before bringing the first section home with a restatement of the main synthesizer theme

"Overture - Wake Up (To A Brand New Day)"

Released 1977 by Arista Records

Writer: David Sancious

Producers: Bruce Botnick, Sancious

• The piece begins with an contrapuntal flurry of multiple synths, including a Moog bass and a Moog lead ending with that nice, wide vibrato (0:05)
• Moog bass anchors the bottom end throughout the piece

• The lead Minimoog mostly supports the polyphonic synths throughout the verses, but you can hear the it popping through here and there with that ear-catching vibrato

• The Minmoog takes the forefront whenever the chorus hits (0:52), with all the synths a touch brighter thanks to an increase in their Voltage-Controlled Filter (VCF) settings

• Minimoog solo (2:40), with the lead-up restated from the song's intro

As the son of Elektra Records founder Jak Holzman, Adam brings a serious musical pedigree to the table. A native of New York City, he started classical piano lessons at the age of 12, but was influenced early on by the keyboard work of Dr. John, Leon Russell, and The Doors’ Ray Manzarek. A fan of progressive rock icons Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and Yes, the jazz bug bit him when he heard the likes of Mahavishnu Orchestra, their drummer, Billy Cobham, and Chick Corea.

An early major gig had him working with Manzarek on a new recording of Orff’s Carmina Burana, produced by Philip Glass. After that he played in a variety of groups, and formed the band, The Fents. He was hired by Miles Davis for keyboard work on the Tutu album, which lead to touring with the trumpet legend as a second keyboardist.

His stint with Davis would last for almost five years, and he served as musical director upon the departure of keyboardist Robert Irving III in 1988. Holzman would go on to work with a variety of name artists, including pianist Michel Petrucciani, vocalist Chaka Khan, saxophonists Wayne Shorter and Grover Washington Jr., and guitarist Robben Ford.

His solo career began in 1993 with the release of In A Loud Way, and he formed a band that would come to be known as Brave New World, releasing both studio and live albums. He’s currently holding down the keyboard chair for composer/multi-instrumentalist/remixer Steven Wilson, in addition to performing with his wife, guitarist Jane Getter, and her band.

"See I See"

Released 2019 by Warner/Rhino
Originally recorded between 1985-1986

Writer: Holzman, Attala Zane Giles, Miles Davis, Randy Hall

Producers: Vince Wilburn Jr., Giles, Hall

• In a track laden with electronic textures, the Minimoog first appears (0:26) with a mellow, horn-like tone, and continues to snake in and around the trumpet at numerous points throughout

• This clip, taken from a pre-concert soundcheck, displays Holzman's mastery of the advanced routing possibilities available on the Minimoog Voyager

• Adam uses both the Voyager's modulation wheel (with his left hand) and the keyboard's aftertouch to control multiple synthesizer functions simultaneously, taking the instrument's expression level exponentially past that of its predecessor

• While it results in a subtle change, about halfway through the solo (1:36) he takes advantage of the Voyager's program memory, moving to a different inflection of the sound with a quick press of a switch on the control panel before reverting to a sound reminiscent of the original (2:25)