Fuse One / Silk

As far as Supergroups are concerned, Fuse One is right up there with the likes of Crosby, Stills & Nash, Cream, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Bad Company etc, only difference is the genre. Jazz (Funk) has its superstars and when the likes of Stanley Clarke (Bass Guitar), Eric Gale (Lead Guitar), Lenny White (Drums), Tom Browne (Trumpet), John McLaughlin (Guitars), Stanley Turrentine (Saxophones), Wynton Marsalis (Trumpet) and George Benson (Guitar) plus many others pool their resources, that is one hell of a band.

As producer Creed Taylor commented, Fuse One was conceived as a forum in which major contemporary musicians perform according to their own musical disciplines and interact without the constraints that accompany leader responsibilities. Each player brings in new compositions and ideas.

The Fuse One album was released in 1980, and kicks off with a Ronnie Foster composition titled ‘Grand Prix’ where Stanley Clarke takes the lead, and creates a jazz (funk) classic. Other standout tracks are John McLaughlin’s ‘To Whom It May Concern’ and ‘Taxi Blues’ composed by Stanley Clarke.

Silk was released one year later in 1981, and features ‘In Celebration Of The Human Spirit’ and ‘Silk’ which was the band’s only single and the 7” version is included as a bonus track along with the George Benson composed B-side ‘Ode To Kudu’, which is available for the first time on CD.