Moon Germs [Remaster]

Though mult-reed player Joe Farrell is best known for playing on the first two Return to Forever albums, the numerous records he released under his own name are just as worthy of interest. Making the journey from bop to funky, fusion-tinged workouts, Farrell found a comfortable home in the '70s at CTI Records. 1973's MOON GERMS can be seen as something of a transitional point for Farrell, as it points towards the full-on funk/fusion direction he would take on the follow-up CANNED FUNK. In fact, the opening cut "Great Gorge" starts out with a young Stanley Clarke (another RTF member) and Jack DeJohnette laying down a heavy funk groove before the dynamic shifts to swirling post-bop mayhem, working up to a kaleidoscopic electric piano solo from Herbie Hancock. Through the rest of the album, the quartet teeters on the verge of fusion and soul-jazz, Farrell tempering the electric free-for-alls with lyrical soprano sax and flute, but it was plain that this was a band in full flight with places to go that hadn't even been invented yet.|