L.A. EXPRESS

The band L.A. Express was one of the original supergroups of the jazz-rock fusion era in the mid-70s. Under the initial leadership of saxophonist Tom Scott, the first versions of the ensemble produced two albums for Lou Adler's Ode label. That band initially featured Scott, the veteran jazz bassist Max Bennett, who switched to electric bass guitar, legendary Los Angeles studio drummer John Guerin, keyboardist Joe Sample, and electric guitarist Larry Carlton. They collectively produced the LP Tom Scott & the L.A. Express, featuring the crossover hit "Sneakin' In The Back," as well as an interpretation of a John Coltrane composition, and some of the first contemporary jazz music to feature Middle Eastern rhythms and melodies. The second recording, Tom Cat, had Scott, Bennett, Guerin, guitarist Robben Ford, and keyboardists Larry Ford and Larry Marsh. But by 1976, Scott was pursuing a solo career, and the band retained the name read more...