Ennea/Pure Music

Track Listings

1. Swanee River

2. So Many People

3. Night

4. It Won't Be Long

5. I Can Feel It

6. Woman of the Dark

7. Cronus (Saturn)

8. Zeus (Jupiter)

9. Poseidon (Neptune)

10. Aphrodite, Pt. 1 (Venus)

11. Aphrodite, Pt. 2 (Venus)

12. Hades (Pluto)

13. Weird Song No. 1

14. Run Back to Mama

15. Twinkles

16. Bochawa

17. Love Is on the Way

18. Close up Tight

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
This CD has both the 2nd and 3rd LPs together on 1 CD. Originally released by CBS in '72 & '74, respectively. The rockin' brass band, compared to Chicago, featured the trumpeter extraordinaire Bill Chase. 75 minutes long, this CD contains all 18 of the two album's original tracks, including 'Swanee River', 'So Many People', 'Weird Song #1' and 'Close Up Tight'.

Tracks:

Swanee River
So Many People
Night
It Won't Be Long
I Can Feel It
Woman of the Dark
Cronus (Saturn)
Zeus (Jupiter)
Poseidon (Neptune)
Aphrodite, Pt. 1 (Venus)
Aphrodite, Pt. 2 (Venus)
Hades (Pluto)
Weird Song No. 1
Run Back to Mama
Twinkles
Bochawa
Love Is on the Way
Close up Tight

Album Description

This CD has both the 2nd and 3rd LPs together on 1 CD. Originally released by CBS in '72 & '74, respectively. The rockin' brass band, compared to Chicago, featured the trumpeter extraordinaire Bill Chase. 75 minutes long, this CD contains all 18 of the two album's original tracks, including 'Swanee River', 'So Many People', 'Weird Song #1' and 'Close Up Tight'.

Customer Reviews:

CHASE is back!.......2007-07-13

I still have my Chase vinyl LPs ("record album.") They hit the music world like a tornado of brass and jazz/rock pulling in everyone they came close to. I was in the retail end of the record biz then (1972,73) and we could not keep them in stock. This two album CD introduces their big, brassy, jazz and rock to a whole new generation and allows long-time fans to love them all over again.

Not every cut is flawless, but when they are good, Chase is as good as this sound ever was--right up there with Chicago! There are more than enough brilliant bits to make this well worth the investment in this "twofer." Crank the volume up to ELEVEN and buckle your seat belt!

P.S. Unfortunately Chase's run was too early ended. Bill Chase and four other members of the band were killed in a small plane crash in 1974 on their way--through terrible weather--to a concert. But through this CD release, their artistry lives on!

If you're a big trumpet fan..........2003-05-17

this might be a good CD to have. The brass is fantastic. Unfortunately, you have to get past the lousy vocals and the plodding 1970s jazz-rock arrangements. The self-titled debut album by this group is far superior. If you have that one and need more, check this one out.

Exciting and unduplicated.......2003-04-25

Chase's final two LPs before the group leader's (and the group's) untimely demise in a plane crash, this CD shows the direction the band was heading toward. The Mythology theme of Ennea is as hokey today as it was in 1974. But the orchestrations and playing are a true testament to the fine talent this band had. I defy anyone to listen to this CD and not replay certain passages before you make it all the way through. THIS BAND HAD ENERGY IN SPADES. The other good news is that this release fares much better sonically than the CD of their first LP. The sound is much fuller...probably because the CD of the first LP comes from a quad master mixdown (apparently the original two track LP master cannot be located). This CD is a must for anyone who loves jazz/rock fusion!

Technically very strong but.............2002-11-23

Let's face it this band had chops!!! The horn players executed acrobatics only dreamt of by the other horn bands of the tiem. Featuring four trumpets as opposed to the more traditional varied ensemble, this band was a brass fancier's delight. They played TIGHT. They played difficult unison passages and they played them well. In Bill Chase and Jay Sollenberger they had some high note specialist that could shred the air with hose notes. About half this recording was really good. Such pieces as "Weird Song #1", "Bochawa", "Close Up Tight" and "Twinkles" shows the band and their best. Now, mind you, this band is very loose. The rhythm section was tight too. The pace furious. All the pieces I mentioned are from the "Pure Music" half of this two-fer.

The rest of the recording feature less than spectacular results although the playing is always first rate. The horn section always in top form. It's the material that is largely the problem in some instances. This band needed to select their material much more carefully. "Twinkles" is the one piece that really showed that this band could've loosened up a bit and improvised much more. It's a ballad where Bill Chase stretches out and it also features a nice melodic bass solo.

"Close Up Tight" is very jazz based and features some nice soloing and ensemble passages. "Weird Song #1" leans heavily on a jazz aesthetic while embracing fusion fully. It's interesting because it lives up to it's name, It's just a weird song, man. Refreshingly so.

If the "Ennea" half of this twofer had been better I would've given this more stars.

2 PREVIOUSLY HARD TO FIND CHASE ALBUMS ON 1 DISC!.......2002-01-17

It's all been said by the others who reviewed these two albums but I wanted to stress the fact that these two Chase albums are mandatory listening for trumpet and brass players. If you want to really experience genuine dizzying excitement, then you have found it in "Ennea." "Swanee River" is an eerie sequel to the last track on Chase's 1st album, and "Woman of the Dark" is one of my all-time favorite tunes- certainly worth the price of admission, in my opinion. While I admit the whole Ennea album concept can appear "contrived" and "corny" at times, the music is simply fantastic and the whirlwind of trumpet licks will amaze you. Both albums were previously unavailable anywhere except in second hand record stores on vinyl. I still have my original LP of "Ennea." "Pure Music" was even more difficult to locate. For the price of BOTH albums you simply cannot go wrong! The music of Chase is simply essential for trumpet players and at this rock-bottom price you have the opportunity to place a magnificent piece of jazz/rock fusion history on your shelf.

Music Review:

Music Review

Music Review

1. Swanee River
2. So Many People
3. Night
4. It Won't Be Long
5. I Can Feel It
6. Woman of the Dark
7. Cronus (Saturn)
8. Zeus (Jupiter)
9. Poseidon (Neptune)
10. Aphrodite, Pt. 1 (Venus)
11. Aphrodite, Pt. 2 (Venus)
12. Hades (Pluto)
13. Weird Song No. 1
14. Run Back to Mama
15. Twinkles
16. Bochawa
17. Love Is on the Way
18. Close up Tight