Record Reviews

LOCKWOOD / TOP / VANDER / WIDEMANN ~ FUSION JMS 015 (Barcode: 3760145920157) ~ FRANCE ~ Jazz-Ambient Fusion Recorded: 1981 Released: 1981 This is a little known album by four celebrated French musicians: violinist Didier LockwoodFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Benoit WidemannFind albums by this artist, bassist Jannick TopFind albums by this artist and drummer Christian VanderFind albums by this artist, all associated at one time or another as members of the legendary French group MagmaFind albums by this artist, founded by Vander in 1969, but also active on the Rock, Jazz and Fusion European scene. The album presents four tracks, all co-credited to the four musicians. The first track lasts for twenty-four minutes. Although the album is entitled “Fusion”, by the time this album was recorded the genre was already quite redundant and lost its initial impact. As a result, this music has in fact very little to do with “classic” Fusion, and is rather a set of improvised pieces, which combine Jazz, Ambient and Rock elements, creating an eclectic atmosphere, which sounds somewhat like Fusion, but goes beyond it in many aspects. Overall, the album presents many interesting ideas, and of course brilliant instrumental performances, but is somewhere in-between genres, obviously searching for a new direction. Perhaps not an essential addition to every music collection, but certainly an interesting snapshot of the European / French electric Jazz scene in the early 1980s.

Updated: 09/09/2026Posted: 09/09/2026

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