For over a quarter of a century, Bill Chase has inspired musicians around the globe. His stratospheric brass arrangements have become the mainstay of marching bands, but until recently most of his recorded performances have been unavailable. 

On August 9, 1974, Bill Chase, Wally Yohn, Walter Clark, and John Emma, members of the group Chase along with the pilot of their plane were killed in a crash near Jackson, MN., ending the rise of this exciting musical star. It was a short but auspicious career.

The rise of Bill Chase was well documented...outstanding student at Berklee School of Music, member of Maynard Ferguson’s band immediately following graduation, stints with Stan Kenton and Woody Herman, freelancing in Las Vegas, which led to the formation of the group the nine piece jazz-rock group in 1971, and then the accolades earned as that group soared up the charts.

The group’s first album Chase sold over three million copies for Epic records, was voted the No. 1 Pop Album of the Year by the readers of Downbeat magazine, the readers named Chase No. 2 among rock/pop/blues groups, Bill Chase the No. 5 trumpeter, and the No. 2 Pop Musician of the year. A Grammy nomination followed as "Best New Artist."

During the past year, albums such as Chase, Pure Music, Ennea, and Watch Closely Now  have reemerged on compact disc bringing the excitement of Bill Chase’s performances to new audiences. The demand for his music has been phenomenal, and has encouraged the producers of this new album of live performances to search the archives. The result of this search is Chase Live Forever.

This recording chronicles the group at its peak. Created from performances recorded at a number of intimate venues in the Chicago area between Oct. 23 and Oct. 26, 1973. This disk capture the fire and  brilliance of the group Chase as it prepared to launch its final studio recording.

-Dick Cooper

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