I’ve been listening to Tommy Bolin a lot recently. He was such a tremendous talent. From the time he broke into the mainstream in 1973 with his dazzling guitar work on Billy Cobham’s “Spectrum” album through his final solo show opening for Jeff Beck in December 1976, he left behind a prolific body of work.
In that short span, not only did his influential work with Cobham shine, but he also released two albums as a member of the James Gang, two albums as a member of Deep Purple, two solo albums, and as a guest on various other projects with artists such as Moxy and Alphonse Mouzon.
Fans of Bolin will tell you that most of it, if not all of it, is essential listening. And, in all actuality, his playing and/or writing on all of the projects he was involved with during that period is impressive.
His fantastic playing on “Spectrum” opened a lot of doors. After a very underrated stint in the James Gang, Bolin was set to launch his solo career. He had all the intangibles – a dynamic stage presence, looks, songwriting ability and a supreme skill as a guitarist. So, in 1975, Bolin began recording his solo debut, “Teaser.”
“Teaser” was an exciting collage of genres and styles, yet everything blended together. He rocked hard on numbers such as the title track and “The Grind,” he dabbled in Reggae with “People, People,” and tore through some outstanding Jazz Fusion instrumentals like “Homeward Strut.” He displayed a talent for singing with his impassioned vocals on the ballad “Dreamer” as well as his sensual approach on “Savannah Woman” and “Lotus.” The material was strong and impeccably played by notable musicians such as Jan Hammer, Narada Michael Walden, David Foster, David Sanborn, Jeff Porcaro and Phil Collins.
While recording “Teaser,” he also auditioned with Deep Purple to replace Ritchie Blackmore who had recently split to form Rainbow. After a lengthy jam session, he was hired on the spot. So, as Bolin worked on finishing his first solo project, he also was simultaneously recording a new Deep Purple album. Even with exerting so much energy between these to mega projects, the quality of his work did not falter.
“Teaser” was a stronger album than what ultimately became his debut with Deep Purple, “Come Taste The Band.” But, the opportunity to be part of one of world’s biggest rock bands was too much to pass on. With Bolin on tour with Deep Purple, “Teaser” was unable to receive the necessary promotion to break. Sadly, it sort of became a lost gem, as it was one of the finer rock albums from the mid-1970’s.
Understandably, during 1975, Bolin’s solo career took a backseat to Deep Purple. By the time Deep Purple disbanded the following year, Bolin not only had a lot of work to do to get his solo career back on track, but he also had fallen deep into heroin addiction. He still managed to release his second solo project, “Private Eyes,” but it lacked the dramatic style and diversity of his debut. On December 4, 1976, one night after opening for Jeff Beck in Miami, Tommy Bolin died of an overdose.
There are many tales of young musicians dying before their time, passing away before they were able to reach their fullest potential. This is absolutely the case with Tommy Bolin. He was an extraordinarily talented musician. One is left to wonder what could have been because he had the goods to reach superstardom and to take his creativity, music and guitar playing to special places. There didn’t seem to be any boundaries in his way other than his reckless lifestyle. The title of his debut album “Teaser” defines what his career was.
Anyone not familiar with Tommy Bolin’s work, or anyone curious to hear his brilliant guitar work should check out Billy Cobham’s “Spectrum” and Bolin’s debut solo album “Teaser.” It is an inspiring musical ride.
In that short span, not only did his influential work with Cobham shine, but he also released two albums as a member of the James Gang, two albums as a member of Deep Purple, two solo albums, and as a guest on various other projects with artists such as Moxy and Alphonse Mouzon.
Fans of Bolin will tell you that most of it, if not all of it, is essential listening. And, in all actuality, his playing and/or writing on all of the projects he was involved with during that period is impressive.
His fantastic playing on “Spectrum” opened a lot of doors. After a very underrated stint in the James Gang, Bolin was set to launch his solo career. He had all the intangibles – a dynamic stage presence, looks, songwriting ability and a supreme skill as a guitarist. So, in 1975, Bolin began recording his solo debut, “Teaser.”
“Teaser” was an exciting collage of genres and styles, yet everything blended together. He rocked hard on numbers such as the title track and “The Grind,” he dabbled in Reggae with “People, People,” and tore through some outstanding Jazz Fusion instrumentals like “Homeward Strut.” He displayed a talent for singing with his impassioned vocals on the ballad “Dreamer” as well as his sensual approach on “Savannah Woman” and “Lotus.” The material was strong and impeccably played by notable musicians such as Jan Hammer, Narada Michael Walden, David Foster, David Sanborn, Jeff Porcaro and Phil Collins.
While recording “Teaser,” he also auditioned with Deep Purple to replace Ritchie Blackmore who had recently split to form Rainbow. After a lengthy jam session, he was hired on the spot. So, as Bolin worked on finishing his first solo project, he also was simultaneously recording a new Deep Purple album. Even with exerting so much energy between these to mega projects, the quality of his work did not falter.
“Teaser” was a stronger album than what ultimately became his debut with Deep Purple, “Come Taste The Band.” But, the opportunity to be part of one of world’s biggest rock bands was too much to pass on. With Bolin on tour with Deep Purple, “Teaser” was unable to receive the necessary promotion to break. Sadly, it sort of became a lost gem, as it was one of the finer rock albums from the mid-1970’s.
Understandably, during 1975, Bolin’s solo career took a backseat to Deep Purple. By the time Deep Purple disbanded the following year, Bolin not only had a lot of work to do to get his solo career back on track, but he also had fallen deep into heroin addiction. He still managed to release his second solo project, “Private Eyes,” but it lacked the dramatic style and diversity of his debut. On December 4, 1976, one night after opening for Jeff Beck in Miami, Tommy Bolin died of an overdose.
There are many tales of young musicians dying before their time, passing away before they were able to reach their fullest potential. This is absolutely the case with Tommy Bolin. He was an extraordinarily talented musician. One is left to wonder what could have been because he had the goods to reach superstardom and to take his creativity, music and guitar playing to special places. There didn’t seem to be any boundaries in his way other than his reckless lifestyle. The title of his debut album “Teaser” defines what his career was.
Anyone not familiar with Tommy Bolin’s work, or anyone curious to hear his brilliant guitar work should check out Billy Cobham’s “Spectrum” and Bolin’s debut solo album “Teaser.” It is an inspiring musical ride.
1 comment:
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