Vagabond Synth Nerd’s Journal Vol. 278 - MoMA Collection-Style Timeless Live Albums - Final Part: American Rock Edition

Can They Really Reproduce That Sound? Upsetting the Fate of a First-Rate Band?!

The American Rock edition of the permanent collection live album. This final blog post features a band that is rarely highlighted, with a live album recorded in Japan. That band is the 24th Street Band.
The 24th Street Band was formed in 1979 by session musicians based in New York. Their session work spans not only rock but also jazz, crossover, and fusion scenes. The members are Hiram Bullock on guitar, Will Lee on bass, Cliff Carter on keyboards, and Steve Jordan on drums.

Hiram Bullock played in jazz-fusion bands such as David Sanborn’s band and Gil Evans & the Monday Night Orchestra. Will Lee also participated in many jazz and fusion sessions, including the Horace Silver Quintet, the Brecker Brothers Band, Joe Cool, and the Bob James Band, as well as in Japan with Sadao Watanabe’s band and Akiko Yano’s band.
Cliff Carter was involved in pop and fusion bands and sessions, including James Taylor’s band, Toph-E & The Pussycats formed in New York’s first-call band scene, and bands of Danny Gottlieb, the drummer from the Pat Metheny Group, such as Elements. As for drummer Steve Jordan, he is known as the official drummer for the Rolling Stones following the passing of Charlie Watts.

Given that they are all highly skilled members, the considerable demand for them can be easily understood just by looking at each member’s recording history. However, except for Steve Jordan, most of their work has been in fields quite different from rock music, so I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels a certain sense of incongruity. When these four formed a band, the result was almost purely rock, with a focus on pop songs. The colors of jazz or fusion were hardly emphasized at all.

I have some reservations about categorizing the 24th Street Band as an American rock band, but the actual sound they produced is rock, and they themselves have commented, “We are a rock band that can play and all of us can sing,” so calling them American rock should not be a problem (laughs). However, even if (typical) rock musicians play rock, one cannot expect the musical quality found on this live album. The intensity that comes from first-call musicians performing in New York, the heart of music itself, is condensed into the sound… and that is what makes this live album worth listening to.

I have actually seen guitarist Hiram Bullock and bassist Will Lee perform live. Hiram Bullock played at New York’s jazz club, Sweet Basil, with the Gil Evans Orchestra after Gil Evans passed away. Amid that ever-changing, amoeba-like wall of sound, I will never forget seeing Bullock with his foot on a side pillar, playing guitar as if the band ensemble didn’t exist. Naturally, he wasn’t looking at any sheet music at all. He produced sounds ranging from rock guitar to jazz on a Stratocaster with its paint peeling off. I saw Will Lee when he came to Japan with the band Joe Cool during a session with Sadao Watanabe, and with the Brecker Brothers Band. His bass playing was solid and was perfectly locked in the grooves even while dancing. I remember wondering how he could make it look so easy and fun.

A band made up of virtuosos cannot be bad. The 24th Street Band is precisely that: highly skilled musicians delivering sublime performances with calm confidence.

■ Recommended Album: 24th Street Band 『BO KU TA CHI』 (1981)

Released in 1981, this is a live album of the 24th Street Band recorded at Hibiya Public Hall and the Postal Savings Hall. All four members compose songs, but on this album, only one track is written by guitarist Hiram Bullock. Most of the other tracks are written by keyboardist Cliff Carter. Carter’s live keyboard setup was simple: a Yamaha electric grand CP-80, an Oberheim 4-voice synthesizer, a Minimoog synthesizer, and a Hammond B-3 organ.

Recommended Track: “Rikki And The Radio”

The song begins with an intro featuring the Oberheim 4-voice synth and CP-80. Cliff Carter’s vocals are very much suited for pop songs. Singing while playing multiple keyboards at the same time is surely not easy. What is astonishing is that the four-part harmonies are perfect. I am always impressed by how good American bands are at vocal harmonies. The harmonies are completely in the style of the 24th Street Band. The technique is so precise that one might even suspect it’s from a separate take.

Recommended Track: “Share Your Dream”

The intro features Steve Jordan’s tight drum solo layered with Oberheim 4-voice chord work, guitar cutting, and Will Lee’s slap bass, creates a distinctive groove. While it may look simple, there are quite a few intricate rhythmic hits. What’s remarkable about this band is how precisely they lock in those details. The mid-section drum solo, interspersed with breaks and interactions among the instruments, is the highlight of the track. That level of tightness is something an ordinary rock band could never replicate. Meanwhile, the guitar solo is very simple rock, while the interplay of the four-part harmonies and Will Lee’s signature slap-bass-style chord cutting is brilliant.

Recommended Track: “The New York City Strut”

Towards the end of the track, the vocalist throws in rhythmic melodic fakes mid-phrase. In an instant, guitarist Hiram Bullock and drummer Steve Jordan respond by adjusting their playing. The call-and-response demonstrates the musicians’ deep understanding of jazz-influenced music, which is impressive. Moreover, it is executed flawlessly and sounds incredibly cool. That said, the sound is pure rock through and through. This album overflows with top-notch rock music, and the grooves produced by these skilled players are simply astonishing.

Musicians, Album, and Recommended Tracks Featured This Time

• Artists: Hiram Bullock, Cliff Carter, Will Lee, Steve Jordan
• Album: BO KU TA CHI
• Recommended Tracks: “Rikki And The Radio,” “Share Your Dream,” “The New York City Strut”

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