Chase

by

Chase

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"It happens all too often with great and special things - they are not fully appreciated until they are gone." Jim Szantor, former editor of Downbeat Magazine

This is a review about, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest if not the greatest trumpet player who ever lived. Unfortunately he did not live long enough. Bill Chase and three band members died in a plane crash about thirty years ago but his music lives on and is still quite popular.

Chase's music was the consummate Rock/Brass/Jazz fusion but with vocals. It was the best I've ever heard. The music was closer to Rock than Jazz and would probably appeal to a wide spectrum of listeners. In fact, off their 1971 debut album the song "Get it On" was a #1 hit.

Chase, his self titled band, made three albums, a S/T album which featured five songs on one side, including "Hello Groceries" and "Handbags and Gladrags" and the #1 hit single, "Get it on". On side two was a another shorter song ("Boys and Girls Together"), and a remarkable blues song about suicide called "Invitation to a River" and it takes up most of side B so it must be about fourteen minutes long.

Another album they made which is every bit as good, though the critics didn't like it as much, is Ennea, Greek for nine (the number of band members). It is about Greek Gods and has titles like "Posidon", "Chronus", "Hades" and "Zeus". This is an amazing album.

There is a third album, Pure Music, which I've never heard but I'm sure it's good. I've seen the second and third albums offered on one CD and that's even doubly hard to get.

We now know that Bill Chase was a great trumpet player, so what could be better? How about two, make that three, no make it four great trumpet players! This nine piece ensemble was a very versatile band with an enormous, almost frantic sound. Besides the exceptional vocals of Terry Richards, Trumpet players, Ted Piercefield and Jerry Van Blair, provided excellent backing vocals as well as guitar player, Angel South and bass player, Dennis Johnson. The only non singing members were Chase himself, Alan Ware, trumpet, Phil Porter, keyboards and Jay Burrid, drums.

Make no mistake, the extra trumpets gave Chase a sound like no other. They would banter back and forth with each other and with other band members like they were communicating and I can't help thinking they were having a ball doing it and Terry Richard's vocals could not have captured the essence of the music better.

The first six tracks were all exceedingly catchy radio friendly and "Handbags and Gladrags" was also a top twenty hit in addition to "Get it On", which by the way forced T Rex to change the name of their version of "Get it On" to "Bang a Gong". This helps explains why the album Chase sold three millions copies. No small feat for a debut of relatively unknowns in 1971. Overall the album finished the year as the twenty-second biggest album for 1971.

"Livin' in Heat", is a medium fast tempo, very busy song with the trumpets mimicking Richards. There's also some nice guitar work here but as always it's the horns.

"Hello Groceries", another medium fast paced number quite similar to track ! but with a different melody and presentation. Lead vocal by Jerry Van Blair on this one.

"Handbags and Gladrags", also recorded by Rod Stewart. (I don't know who covered who) Yes, it was a great recording by Stewart but you haven't heard it with them horns. Fabulous song, the varied tempo is perfect for a horn section and on this one we get to hear Ted Piercefield another absolutely wonderful vocalist. (better than Stewart)!

"Get It On"

This was not a number one hit by accident, this is quite a song and quite a job by Richards. There is of course the ubiquitous horn section mimicking Richards on the chorus's and some excellent keyboards (Hammond). It really all comes together for these guys but I don't think this is any better than any other track, they're all that good.

"Boys and Girls Together", Piercefield on vocals again, B> is a medium paced song and one I like a lot. It has a very accessible catchy melody and could have been a hit if released as a single.

"Invitation to a River", a fourteen masterpiece! This song actually breaks into five parts, a] Two Minds Meet, b] Stay, c] Paint it Sad, d] Reflections, e] River. It contains many tempos and moods.

Sitting here listening to this album, even after thirty some years, I am amazed how fresh and imaginative this album is. This is one of those creations that never gets tiresome, never gets dated.

If Chase sounds like something you might have an interest in, then it is. If it sounds like something that you might like, then you will. I can almost guarantee it!!!

These albums were re-released about five years ago on CD, by One Way Records a company that specializes in re-releasing great music that was never issued on CD form and that's what I've been trying to get. Unfortunately their license expired and they are currently and maybe permanently out of circulation. Still it is possible to purchase them from time to time on Amazon or Ebay.

Author's Note

I hope you enjoyed my review of this remarkable album and the extraordinary musician, who like so many others, was taken from us in his prime.