Tribal Tech Scott Henderson & Gary Willis - Illicit (1992)

By the time Illicit was released in 1992, Scott Henderson & Tribal Tech (led by Henderson and drummer Kirk Covington) had been established as one of the premier, if not the premier, experimental fusion outfits on the globe. That's "fusion" as in the fusion of jazz and rock, not the vanilla instrumental musings of artists like Kenny G, which are occasionally mislabled as such. Henderson's dramatic and powerful soloing and his incredibly refined chord work were the greatest causes for the early attention the group received, and Illicit only furthered the guitarist's reputation with its fire and musical vigor. Henderson's tone is sublime and Holdsworth-ian in its often horn-like quality, and Covington, bassist Gary Willis, and keyboardist Scott Kinsey somehow manage to match Henderson's dynamism and character. "Torque" is Illicit's clear highlight, with its prog rock bombast of power chords topped with angular, classically influenced harmony keyboard and guitar flurries. Experimental and intense, Illicit is as solid an offering as Tribal Tech delivered in the '90s.

Download-Link (Part 1):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173098394/1992_-_Illicit__320k_.part1.rar

Download-Link (Part 2):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173097102/1992_-_Illicit__320k_.part2.rar

Scott Henderson & Gary Willis - Tribal Tech (1991)

This disc introduced the fiery fusion group Tribal Tech, a quintet co-led by the explosive guitarist Scott Henderson (who doubles on guitar synthesizer) and bassist Gary Willis. Also in the Los Angeles-based band are keyboardist David Goldblatt, drummer Joey Heredia, and percussionist Brad Dutz. The group performs 11 originals (mostly by Henderson and Willis), and the passion and intensity of the music is closer to an extension of the sounds of the Mahavishnu Orchestra than it is to the lightweight pop/crossover of the 1990s. Fans of intense electric guitar will definitely want this memorable effort.

Download-Link (Part 1):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173098438/1991_-_Tribal_Tech__320k_.part1.rar

Download-Link (Part 2):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173097370/1991_-_Tribal_Tech__320k_.part2.rar

Scott Henderson & Tribal Tech - Nomad (1988)

Nomad is the third album by fusion / jazz band Tribal Tech, a project led by guitarist Scott Henderson and bassist Gary Willis.

Download-Link (Part 1):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173097146/1988_-_Nomad__320k_.part1.rar

Download-Link (Part 2):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173094480/1988_-_Nomad__320k_.part2.rar

Scott Henderson & Tribal Tech - Spears (1987)

Scott Henderson's perfectly summarized his outlook when, in 1991, he told L.A. Jazz Scene: "Fusion isn't a dirty word to me. I'm proud to call myself a fusion player." Indeed, real jazz-fusion -- spontaneous, risk-taking and improvisatory -- is exactly what the electric guitarist passionately and enthusiastically embraces on Spears, his debut album. Drawing on such influences as Return to Forever, John McLaughlin and Weather Report, the hard-edged guitarist set the uncompromising tone for his career and that of his band Tribal Tech which, in 1985, included Gary Willis on electric bass, Pat Coil on electric keyboards, Michael Brecker-disciple Bob Sheppard on tenor and soprano sax and flute, Steve Houghton on drums and Brad Dutz on mallets & percussion. Often showing a complex and cerebral sense of melody and harmony, this CD (first released on Passport and reissued by Relativity in 1990) underscores the fact that when fusion is played with integrity, it's very much an extension of the jazz tradition.

Download-Link (Part 1):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173094626/1987_-_Spears__320k_.part1.rar

Download-Link (Part 2):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173090571/1987_-_Spears__320k_.part2.rar

Scott Henderson & Tribal Tech - Dr. Hee (1987)

When Scott Henderson recorded his second album with Tribal Tech, Dr. Hee, in 1987, commercial "quiet storm" and "smooth jazz" stations had found quite a niche for themselves by spotlighting bland, uninteresting (but commercially successful) fluff. But that type of muzak held no interest whatsoever for Henderson, who stuck to his guns and continued to triumph by offering gutsy, challenging fusion. Henderson isn't one to shy away from abstraction, and some of the songs on Dr. Hee (most written by either Henderson himself or his long-time partner, bassist Gary Willis) aren't always terribly easy to absorb. Like so much of the bebop, post-bop and free jazz that came before it, this CD (first released on Passport, then reissued by Relativity in 1990) reveals more and more of its richness with repeated listenings.

Download-Link (Part 1):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173092895/1987_-_Dr.Hee__320k_.part1.rar

Download-Link (Part 2):

http://rapidshare.com/files/173090289/1987_-_Dr.Hee__320k_.part2.rar

Scott Henderson biography

One of the finest fusion (as opposed to crossover) guitarists of the 1980s and '90s, Scott Henderson's explosive playing is often teamed up with electric bassist Gary Willis in their group Tribal Tech. Originally most influenced by rock, Henderson (who grew up in West Palm Beach, FL) played in local funk and rock bands. In 1980, he moved to Los Angeles to attend the Guitar Institute of Technology, studying with Joe Diorio. After graduating, he became a teacher himself at GIT. Henderson played with Jeff Berlin and Jean-Luc Ponty, and in 1985 toured with the original version of Chick Corea's Elektric Band. During 1987-1989, he worked on and off with Joe Zawinul's Syndicate, later focusing on Tribal Tech as his main band. As a leader, Scott Henderson has recorded for Passport, Relativity, Bluemoon, Atlantic, and Zebra. Starting with 1994's Dog Party, the guitarist made a transition from the world of jazz to the blues world, where his blues-rock fusion became the primary focus of his music career. But unlike many of his blues-rock contemporaries, his music was filled with the sort of odd time signatures and unique touches that are cornerstones of his jazz work.