Jazz Fusion Pioneer Julian Priester Has No Regrets

While Dave Segal of The Stranger blog spends a little too much time quizzing veteran trombonist Julian Priester about his now-popular 1970s Fusion LPs on ECM, the interview does provide a good overview of Priester’s career. Someone who also was also in groups led by Duke Ellington, Max Roach, Lionel Hampton and others, the trombonist reveals that his interest in electronic sounds didn’t arise from his crucial membership in Herbie Hancock’s pioneering Mwandishi Fusion band, but from his gigs with Sun Ra‘s ever-evolving band in his hometown of Chicago. Although he recently played on a Sunn O))) track, the trombonist remains a road-tested, committed Jazzman who didn’t make more ECM sessions 40 years ago because the producer demanded too much control.