Jerry Goodman & Jan Hammer - Like Children 1974

In the early 70's fusion was the next big thing, young jazzers with all the chops discovering electricty, volume and audiences. There is no doubt that the bad name fusion garnered at that time flows from the release of what was, quite frankly, rubbish.

There were, however, glaring exceptions, the electric return To Forever's, "Hymn Of the Seventh Galaxy" and just about anything put out by Weather Report and John Mclaughlin's Mahavishnu Orchestra. From the latter came an intensity not heard before in fusion and one couldn't help be struck by how heavy it all was, this was not music
for the faint hearted. McLaughlin was a very hard task master, so it was not a surprise when the first Mahavishnu
Orchestra broke up.

Jerry Goodman had been in the jazz-rock band Flock and was already known as a great violinist. After he and Hammer found themselves unemployed, they turned to the fledgling Nemperor records to record this duo album. It does not have the virtuosity of their former band and I'm sure that's deliberate, but the range of instrumnts they play and the compositional strengths make it a lost gem. Hammer takes on the drumming duties and Goodman shows that he's a competent guitarist as well as a viloin master. On listening to this again, one realizes that it is this really is a fine album.

Well worth a listen

1 Country and Eastern Music (5:34) [Jan Hammer]
2 No Fear (3:28) [Jan Hammer]
3 I Remember Me (3:47) [Jan Hammer]
4 Earth (still Our Only Home (4:15) [Jan Hammer]
5 Topeka (2:57) [Jerry Goodman]
6 Steppings Tones (3:29) [Rick Laird]
7 Night (5:48) [Jan Hammer, David Earl Johnsson]
8 Full Moon Boogie (4:11) [Jan Hammer, Jerry Goodman]
9 Giving In Gently / I Wonder (4:47) [Jan Hammer, Ivona Reich / Jerry Goodman]

TOTAL: 38:16

Produced by Jan Hammer & Jerry Goodman in Association with Ken Scott
Recorded at Caribu Ranch, Nederland, Colorado & Trident Studios, London
Cover Design: Lenny Goodman / Back Cover Photos: Elliot Sears & Ivona Reich


Jerry Goodman - violins, violows, guitars, vocals
Jan Hammer - piano, synthesizer, drums, percussion, vocals