Music writer Alex Coles traces the origins and legacy of blended musical genres by focusing on twelve dynamic collaborations. From Alice Coltrane working with Carlos Santana in 1974 to Moor Mother sharing the mic with Wolf Weston in 2022, the collaborations-cum-chapters reveal how musicians pursue fusion as a process.

With sonic fusion always premised on cultural fusion, each of the collaborations find musicians using the mixing of genres to explore fusions of generations, eras, philosophies, sensibilities, idioms, histories, and even continents. When the musicians hail from contrasting musical genres their collaboration leads to a dynamic tension, typified by free jazz trumpeter Don Cherry recording with Lou Reed, Kendrick Lamar cutting tracks with saxophonist Kamasi Washington, Miles Davis playing with electric guitarist John McLaughlin and synth player Danalogue joining Shabaka Hutchings and Max Hallett to form the Comet is Coming.

Fusion! pushes the music of overlooked musicians—such as post-punk singer and saxophone player Lora Logic—to the fore while emphasizing overlooked aspects of the oeuvres of better-known figures such as Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Neneh Cherry and FourTet. To characterize their unique approach to fusion, each of the examples Coles explores are driven by a dynamic sonic principle coined by the musicians themselves.

Chapters

Intro

1. Miles Davis and John McLaughlin, “In a Silent Way”
2. Frank Sinatra, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and Eumir Deodato, “Wave”
3. Alice Coltrane and Carlos Santana, “Angel of Sunlight”
4. Joni Mitchell and Wayne Shorter, “Goodbye Pork Pie Hat”
5. Kimiko Kasai and Herbie Hancock, “Butterfly”
6. Lou Reed and Don Cherry, “The Bells”
7. Lora Logic and Lora Logic, “Brute Fury”
8. A Tribe Called Quest, “Can I Kick it?”
9. Kendrick Lamar and Kamasi Washington, “u”
10. Neneh Cherry and Four Tet, “Natural Skin Deep”
11. Moor Mother and Wolf Weston, “Evening”
12. The Comet is Coming, “Pyramids”

Outro

Softcover, published in 2024. Small pocket-book format.
128 pages, 1 b/w ill.