THE FREE SPIRITS: OUT OF SIGHT AND SOUND

3.5 stars. I'm sure a lot of people over the years have picked this album up just to hear what Larry Coryell sounded like in 1967. At least that's why I got it. This is the band THE FREE SPIRITS who released this one record in 1967, a five piece with Coryell singing and playing lead guitar. The other four guys are Jazz men who had to be convinced to lower their standards to play this poppy, straight forward music. There's a fair amount of variety here though with blues, r&b, jazz rock, psychedelic and pop being touched on. Larry does a good job on vocals but man he's almost invisible when it comes to the guitar. This is more about the smooth sax. I'm sure there were some give and take going on during these sessions.

That opener is a tough one for me but the next track "I'm Going To Be Free" is pretty cool with Coryell playing sitar. A huge BEATLES and Hendrix fan we're just missing the Hendrix part of the equation on this album. Coryell is doing his Bob Dylan impression on "Girl Of The Mountain", some flute here too. Jazzy guitar on "Cosmic Daddy Dancer". Back to sax on "Bad News Cat" a pretty good number. Catchy like a lot of this. More of that sax on "Early Mornin' Fear" and "Angel's Can't Be True" before ending with "Tattoo Man" a poppy closer. Honestly a tough listen but again this is 1967!

Bumped to 3.5 stars because this is at times one of the earliest examples of jazz/rock and I like that adventerous spirit even with the variety. Still if you want to hear Coryell at his best check out his "Barefoot Boy" and "Offering" albums or there's a couple he did with THE ELEVENTH HOUSE, then that ET CETERA record "Knirsch" he guested on.