Ray Pizzi - 1977 - Conception

Ray Pizzi

1977

Conception

01. Conception 5:30

02. Willow Creek 5:25

03. The Missing Link 7:33

04. Angel's Crest 4:05

05. Friday Night Rush Hour Blues 4:50

06. Rhapsodie 4:33

07. Digitations 4:52

Bass Joel Dibartolo

Drums Peter Donald

Guitar Dan Sawyer

Guitar John Morell

Keyboards, Organ, Piano Greg Mathieson

Bassoon, Flute, Sax Ray Pizzi

Recorded September 1976, Conway Studios, Los Angeles

Ray Pizzi’s 1977 outing Conception is essentially the musical equivalent of a guy showing up to a street race in a meticulously tuned Volvo—it shouldn't work, but it absolutely smokes the competition. While most jazz-fusion records of the era were busy trying to reach outer space with synthesizers, Pizzi decided the real frontier was making the bassoon, an instrument usually reserved for Peter and the Wolf or Vivaldi concertos, sound legitimately cool. He plays it with such nimble, funky authority that you’ll briefly forget it’s a giant wooden pipe typically found in the back of an orchestra, treating it more like a soulful, baritone-voiced relative of the saxophone.The album serves as a high-speed showcase for Pizzi’s multi-instrumental ADHD in the best way possible. On tracks like "The Missing Link," he oscillates between greasy, late-night tenor sax lines and flute work that’s far too muscular for a "gentle" instrument. The rhythm section holds down the fort with that specific brand of tight, mid-70s California studio polish—think precise drumming and bass lines that are just funky enough to make you nod your head without spilling your drink. It’s a sophisticated, slightly eccentric record that manages to be intellectually stimulating while still possessing enough "dig-it" energy to survive a basement party in 1977. Pizzi ultimately proves that as long as you have enough talent and a sense of humor, even the most "serious" classical instruments can find a home in a smoke-filled jazz club.