Non-listed progressive and prog-related material

 

Well,in this blogspace I will try to introduce most of you to non-listed material here on progarchives,which in my opinion is of significant interest for progressive rock fans.Most of this material is trully rare and has come in my hands through really hard searching  over these years and great friends from all around the world...I own some of this great albums,but I also have some of them only in digital form,but I'm after them by buying all these material through well-known internet stores...

 

I will open this section with:

 

 

 

Criminally overlooked US band with a very rich and elaborated sound and it's really a question,why this band's works remained and still remain in the shadows for so many years.They released two studio albums to my knowledge,a self-titled in 1975 and the follower ''Another kind of space'' one year later.FLYING ISLAND were led by violinist Fred Fraioli,featuring also well-known keyboardist Jeff Bova and later drummer Bill Bacon would also join the band.FLYING ISLAND were lucky enough to sign a 5-year contract with Vanguard Label and in 1975 they released a self-titled LP.Offering some really adventurous musicianship,the album presents an all instrumental effort of 10 short tracks,based on Fraioli's excellent violin work, which ranges from leading up-tempo parts to weird complicated passages.Bova delivers some trully great keyboard work both on Hammond organ and electric piano,this time starting from a supporting role to end up in obscure soundscapes,doubled by Fraioli's violin.The tight playing of Thom Preli on bass and the confident drumming of Bacon gives the band another extra point.Finally,guitarist Ray Smith prooves to be a hidden ace for FLYING ISLAND's sound with a personal style consisting of good breaks and gear-ups.I honestly tell you,this work should be spread all over the world for the different moods and professional arrangements it offers.Especially fans of MAHAVISHNU ORCHESTRA,BRAND X or DIXIE DREGS will love it to death.Absolutely essential for your collection!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Among the well-known bands emerging from the huge progressive movement in Quebec,Canada, there were some ''smaller'' names,which didn't achieved the huge success or big promotion of their native groups.Such kind of a band were SOLSTICE,an intially four-member group found in mid-70's by guitarist Daniel Lafrance,bassist Daniel Mathieu,clarinet player Michel Marineau (ex-member of another obscure group from Quebec,''Nebu'') and drummer Gilles Dozois.For their first album, entitled ''Mirage'' and released back in 1978,the main composer was Daniel Lafrance.So it is reasonable the album to have many guitar excursions and solos around and Lafrance has done it very well on his section...but do not expect an explosive sound or massive interplays.''Mirage'' maintains a generally soft atmosphere throughout met in early WEATHER REPORT or even UK jazz rockers NUCLEUS,but it holds also a great introduction to the use of clarinet by Marineau,as he has a lot of space in the album for improvisational solos and smooth interplays with the rhythm section.It is quite surprising that SOLSTICE do not use any keyboards at all,yet their jazzy proposal has a deep and mature sound.The funky bass lines of Mathieu reminds me these of fellow compatriots UZEB,while drummer Gilles Dozois insists on a consistent yet steady playing without any dynamic changes.The result is a typical example of good-executed jazz rock with no risks but a qualitive performance overall.Recommended and strongly aiming on the jazz/fusion-rock audience.

 

 

 

Review it here or review it after adding it on CRUCIS' page?...We'll see...

Widely unknown jazz rock band from Turin,formed in mid-70's by ex-Circus 2000 drummer Roberto “Johnny” Betti.Another former member of Circus 2000, guitarist Marcello ''Spooky'' Quartarone participated also in the original line-up.Their first album was released in 1975 on Betti's newly established Shirak Label with no names of the band's members,except the main composer Nijo Tibet,who has to be Betti under a fake pseudonym. Fortunately the album was re-released by Mellow Records on CD in 1995.''Let: from experience to experience'' is mostly an instrumental album of soft and progressive jazz rock with some ethnic overtones here and there.Unlike many bands dealing with this path,LIVING LIFE choose to balance the album between free impovisational forms and well-arranged compositions,always filled with massive flutes, perscussions and saxes.For example the first two tracks are beautifully composed progressive/jazz tracks with a fair amount of melody and a slight Canterbury feeling (mainly the first).However the two followers, ''Time'' and ''From Marocco'' are an obscure blending of free improvisation and ethnic tunes created by saxes,while those tracks include heavy use of percussions as well.''Ciopi ciopi'' is a relaxing instrumental entirely based on Piercarlo Bettini' piano,while the closer ''Straight down'' is the more balanced composition,where Bettini's piano meets Quartarone smooth solos meets Walter Negri's improvisational saxes and Savarro's fantastic bass lines.A combination of KRAAN, WEATHER REPORT, RETURN TO FOREVER with some AREA's softer music would be a good description.All in all the album is really satisfying with some trully good moments and a hidden energy on the background. Generally recommended,but not to be missed by fans of progressive rock,who want heavy doses of jazz in their music.