Chicago VII -- Yes, it's jazz

Consider the curious case of Chicago, the rock band.

This is a group that has lived several lives -- some wild, some mild. In the late 60s and early 70s, Chicago was at the cutting edge of rock. Its lead guitarist, Terry Kath, was favorably compared to Jimi Hendrix -- by Jimi himself. Its horn section sometimes featured wild improvisations bordering on avante garde and free jazz. The band rocked. It was good.

Later, of course, Chicago drowned in shmaltz, especially whenever Peter Cetera crooned a corny ballad. This was the mildest, most inoffensive band imaginable, at a time when Barry Manilow was redefining wimp music. It was awful.

In the middle, for exactly one album, Chicago morphed into something very different: a fusion band. If you blinked, you missed it.

The album is Chicago VII. It was a two-record set, with each LP representing a different style. Disc 2 was mild and tuneful, featuring the hit songs "I've Been Searching for So Long," "Wishing You Were Here" and "Call on Me." It was OK, on its own terms.

But the first LP -- that was something special. It contained 25 minutes of instrumental music. It sounded nothing like anything Chicago had done before or would do after.

For starters, consider the instrumentation. Song 1, "Prelude to Aire," featured Robert Lamm on melotron and Walter Parazaider on flute. Song 2, "Aire," featured congas. Song 3, "Devil's Sweet," featured an ARP synthesizer, had long percussion solos and was dedicated in the liner notes "to Jo and Elvin Jones for their inspiration."

Flip the record and Side 2 starts with "Italian From New York" with synthesizer beeps and boops, followed by congas, guitars and a funky beat, then a spicy wah-wah guitar solo. "Hanky Panky" follows, with Robert Lamm on the Fender Rhodes and James Pankow with a jumping little trombone solo. Finally, "Life Saver" offers a big band-ish horn section and, at last, lyrics with a Beatles tinge. The side ends with a typically schmaltzy Peter Cetera love song. (To compensate, Side 3 includes a 3-minute Latin-drenched instrumental called "Mongonucleosis.")

Is it jazz? Well, it's not Return to Forever. But its instrumental improvisation with horns and keyboards and congas. And it swings. Sounds like jazz to me, and fun, too. After that, it was all downhill.

Eldar (piano) vs. Eldar (beeps and boops)

There are two Eldars and I know which one I don't like.

Hint: It's the newer one.

Let's start with a confession. I'm an old fart. I don't try to hide it. I like acoustic jazz. I like old jazz. Sometimes I like electric jazz, too, but I don't like them together and I can't think of a single instance where mixing them up on one CD worked.

Hence Eldar.

Now, I don't mind the kid's odd name or the fact that he looks like he's 12 years old. There are plenty of jazz guys with odder names and weirder faces. (What's with those cheeks, Dizzy?)

And I really liked his first CD from 2005, the one called just "Eldar." That super-duper-fast version of "Sweet Georgia Brown" blows me away every time. So does "Maiden Voyage" and "Moanin'" and "Watermelon Island." Although, come to think of it, all of those are covers of old jazz standards. The originals and the slow tunes -- not so much. But I do generally like the trio format and the solo piano tunes.

Then there's last year's CD, "Re-Imagination."

Fusion has its place. I like Return to Forever. But one thing I never heard Chick Corea do was mix his acoustic and electric stuff all on one CD. But that's what Eldar does on "Re-Imagination."

Let's start with the worst stuff. On this CD, there two short, weird electronic "pieces" with beeps and boops and buzzes. I don't get it. Then there are pieces that sound sorta-kinda like a cross between pop and jazz with acoustic piano and electric noise and some synthesizer thing in the background. One of these pieces is 8 minutes long. It leaves me cold.

And then, smack in the middle of the CD, there's this perfect track. It's a joyful, old-time piano romp on "Place St. Henri" by Oscar Peterson. If the kid left it at that, I'd be a happy old fart.

But then Eldar wanders off into some not-very-inspiring slow dreamy thing, followed by some more electronic stuff.

Look, I like Eldar. I admire his experimental streak. I love his chops. But I don't love "Re-Imagination." I hope he finds his own voice sometime soon, and I hope it doesn't include any beeps or boops.