Back to A. Stalteri with Early Rings from 1974-1975, limited time only

 

Info here. Posted stuff from him already here.  Of course this one recorded in that golden age of progressive seemed quite interesting, which it is.

I wouldn't hesitate to say I really love this guy and I've got to thank you from the bottom of my heart for requesting his material which turned out to be so completely impressive, varied as well and consistent through some decades of music making, beginning of course with the band Pierrot Lunaire.

This is very squarely in the acoustic-electronic mode of the seventies, cf. compatriots Leprino's Integrati, Disintegrati, or the exquisitely beautiful Sonanze from Cacciapaglia. Just listen to the opening track with its classic title of From Hobbiton to the Land of Shadows (note the lovely recorder playing grace note cuckoos on top of the ostinato):

And on it goes, just tragic that it wasn't released back in the day when it would have been appreciated so much. It does stand comparison positively with similar works such as Bo Hansson's Rings concept album from the earlier parts of the same decade.

Bobby Vince Paunetto's two 1970s LPs

Love the above cover, Commit to Memory.

Information discogged here.  A great recommendation from Simon666.

This is latin-infused big band plus fusion, in equal parts I'd say, with minimal samba / bossanova / flamenco simplicity which as is well known drives me completely crazy (it's a short drive of course).

Paunetto's Point from the ST album:

From the second, Delta:

Back to Michael Cassidy with Nature's Way from 1976

 

Information here.

Not quite as good as the predecessors posted earlier here and here (with link removed by bot/AI ?).  Basic acousticky folk ssw stuff.

Note at the bottom of the back:

Special thanks to James Hunter, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Alfred Ford, George Harrison and John Fahey for their contributions to ISKCON Projects

Spirit of Reason:

Quatuor Noir - Des Ténèbres A La Lumière, requested

From discogs:

Enregistré Les 29, 30, 31 juillet 1987 aux studios de la RTBF Bruxelles (Place Flagey) - Corporation RTBF Haynaut. A l'occasion du 150ème Anniversaire de la faculté polytechnique de Mons.

299 copies were made and quickly scattered.Quatuor Noir is an ensemble playing music on mythological themes and very similar to Univers Zéro, Julverne, Art Zoyd... Christian Leroy created in 1980, the now famous trio MÉTARYTHMES DE l'AIR, with Philippe SAUCEZ on clarinet and José BEDEUR on bass and cello.

Their very much RIO album Phagocyte appeared back here. 

Note that Christian Leroy is the composer and piano player for this album too.

Most of it is quite avant garde, perhaps improvised (?), with little to hold on to, with here and there some more accessible music, a piano solo on side b, etc.  The Suite Magique sounds inspired by Debussy:

Some lovely vocals from one Helene Barbigant.

Solar Plexus - Earth Songs from 1980, fresh rip from LP

 

It's a good thing I bought and ripped this, in order to complete the discography. It's quite impressively written and squarely in the progressive US fusion tradition with a little latin, some chamber arrangements, and quite diverse in its range.  What a shame these guys threw in the towel after this, and the 5th disc!!  All the info here.  Note all compositions by Randy Masters and pianist / producer Berthiaume.

In fact, behold the track by Berthiaume called Behold a Pale Horse which presents to us all that is magnificent in not only dramatic fusion composition but human-generated music, in general, as far as I'm concerned:

Unfortunately, the last track, a simplistic blues-jazz piece that sounds like something out of the early 50s, is a total throwaway (at least for me).