The Chase

When the phrase "jazz-rock" arises, most listeners immediately recall Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, and Weather Report, yet Chase stood as a serious rival during the early 1970s and nearly conquered the American market. For a brief stretch in 1971 the group actually achieved that dominance, propelled by a chart-topping single, a Grammy nomination, and elevated positions in reader polls. Trumpet virtuoso Bill Chase assembled the band in 1970 precisely when Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears were igniting public enthusiasm for jazz-rock fusion. Although the project traced its beginnings to 1968, Chase arrived at the ideal moment to harness that momentum, scoring major commercial success in 1971 with the hit single "Get It On" and the accompanying self-titled debut album.

Bill Chase, born William Edward Chiaiese on October 24, 1934, in Boston, MA, grew up in a musical household; both sides of the family contributed, most notably on his mother’s, where one great-uncle had performed trumpet with the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. As a youngster Chase studied violin before switching to percussion in the school band, yet he discovered his true instrument only in eleventh grade upon first taking up the trumpet. From that point forward his direction never wavered, except for a pivotal shift around 1951 from classical repertoire to jazz after attending a Stan Kenton concert that introduced him to Maynard Ferguson’s playing. Chase subsequently enrolled at the Berklee School of Music, where he pursued both classical and jazz studies under instructors John Coffey and Herb Pomeroy.

Over the decade spanning the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s he progressed from local Boston dance-band engagements to featured roles with Woody Herman and Maynard Ferguson; he recorded with Ferguson late in the 1950s, served as soloist, writer, and arranger for Woody Herman’s Herd, and appeared prominently on the band’s television broadcasts as well as its recordings. Later he settled in Las Vegas and received frequent calls to perform on The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show. The concept for his own ensemble took root in 1968 when dissatisfaction with life as a star soloist prompted him to seek a fresh outlet for expression. Informal rehearsals began that year, and by 1969 the core of a stable lineup had formed, crystallizing the following year as Chase. Originally conceived as an instrumental unit, the group soon incorporated a vocalist and vocal arrangements to broaden its reach and commercial appeal.

The personnel that recorded the debut album included, alongside Bill Chase, Jay Burrid on drums, Phil Porter on keyboards, Dennis Johnson on bass and vocals, John Palmer on guitar, and trumpet section members Alan Ware, Jerry Van Blair, and Ted Piercefield (the latter two also handling vocals), with Terry Richards supplying lead vocals. Each musician brought exceptional skill, yet the quartet of trumpets supplied the ensemble’s distinctive edge and sonic identity. Signed to Epic Records, Chase surged up the charts in 1971 with "Get It On," an original composition that had circulated for months across various configurations before lyrics were added, ultimately reaching the number-one position on AM radio. The self-titled debut represented both the musical and commercial summit for the group: a Grammy nomination followed that same year, Bill Chase finished second (behind Frank Zappa) in a poll of top pop musicians, and Down Beat named the Chase LP the leading pop album of 1971. Curiously, portions of that first record echoed the late-1967 Al Kooper-led incarnation of Blood, Sweat & Tears, another ensemble whose founder had drawn inspiration from Maynard Ferguson.

Live performances amplified the band’s reputation, with accounts consistently noting an unrelenting 100 percent commitment at every show. Such intensity occasionally undermined their prospects as opening acts, as audiences sometimes found the headliners diminished by comparison. International acclaim followed tours across Europe, Africa, and Asia, leading to a second album, Ennea, recorded in 1972. By that point Gary Smith had replaced Burrid on drums, and G.G. Shinn had supplanted Terry Richards on vocals while also contributing trumpet. Unfortunately, Bill Chase, who composed the new material, lost critical favor with the release; reviewers responded far less enthusiastically than they had to the debut. Additional setbacks emerged over the next year, encompassing further personnel shifts and Bill Chase’s personal bankruptcy. Although he continued teaching and performing, the band suspended activity for several months.

Late in 1972 Bill Chase reconstituted the group with an entirely new roster, cycling through numerous musicians throughout the following year in pursuit of a fresh sound that satisfied both artistic and popular criteria. A third album, Pure Music, appeared in 1973 with yet another lineup. By then, however, the critical excitement that had greeted the 1971 release had faded, and the new LP met with only tepid response, even as the band maintained a steady schedule of live dates.

On August 9, 1974, Chase boarded a flight bound for a performance at the Jackson County Fair in Minnesota; the plane encountered severe weather and crashed, killing Bill Chase, bandmembers Wally Yohn, John Emma, and Walter Clark, and both pilots. The loss reverberated through the jazz community, yet within the broader popular-music landscape—now increasingly shaped by arena rock, disco, and the emerging punk scene—Chase quickly receded from the memory of casual listeners. In 1977 surviving alumni and longtime associates issued the tribute album Watch Closely Now. All three original Chase albums received CD reissues on the Collectables label during the late 1990s.