More from Reynold Philipsek [1974 Sailor, 1976 Bridge 9086, Artifacts and Curiosities, Grey Chalet]

 

I posted his Sailor way back when and what a classic fusionary beauty that was, right?  The info on discogs is almost impossible to find, due to the commonness of the title, but it's on this page.  My post was back here, from almost 12 years ago. Today I've come back with a far superior rip that sounds almost like a different album it's so pleasing to hear, if you have the old one, please do replace it.

The 1976 Bridge 9086 was a bit disappointing in comparison and the later albums are a bit of a reversion to just what you'd expect, cf. Butterfly:

Sunbeam, from Artefacts and Curiosities:

Reynold Philipsek in Short Stories from 1980: Highly Recommended!

 

Guitarist Reynold Philipsek who is still playing and recording to this day, was in groups Cure of Ares (1970), Sailor (1972), Willow (1977), Reynold's Remarkable Rhythm Cattle (mid-80s). 

The beautiful US progressive fusion album Sailor, very similar in my mind to Natural Life, was posted here before, and I'll get back to it in our next installment.  OC requested his1978 Theme for an Imaginary Movie, which has proved impossible to find. Not sure if someone would ever be generous enough to share it with us but that would be almost beyond belief.  Most likely it will pop up for sale on discogs one of these years at a few hundred dollars.  From the samples that are available on youtube, it sounds like a true progressive gem, like this one is, but we're getting ahead of ourselves.

Information on this release here.  Let's start with a very short song called Dover which if you're anything at all like me, will make you fall off your chair or tumble to the ground if you're on a couch:

Can you believe it?

A track called 15 Rue Menilmontant is shockingly similar to those brilliant French prog-fusion guitarists I've exhaustively cataloged in the past on this blog like Christian Escoude, or Claude Barthelemy:

Consider Bretagne, with its absolutely unusual melody again, reminiscent of the great Fred Israel's album, note the incredible synths work from Philipsek (oh how I miss that classic sound):

Equally astonishing is the sheer fact this came out in 1980.  How could he have maintained faith in this highly complex music in that particular year? There isn't even a hint of reggae! or digital drums and jumpy chords.  Just classic prog...

Again, many thanks for (almost) requesting this...

Gene Harris, Part 2: 1976 In a Special Way, 1977 Tone Tantrum, 1982 Hot Lips

 

For myself his best album is 1976's In a Special Way, with features the intensely emotional and very European fusion sounding Soft Cycles (plus a whole ton of other goodies):

From 1977's slightly more disappointing Tone Tantrum, Cristo Redentor:

As one might have expected, 1982's Hot Lips is no longer fusion and just commercial simple funk soul.

Note that someone requested his 1984 album Nature's Way which I was not able to find-- anyone have it perchance?

Blue Denim Deals without the Arms - Armed Forces Day [1979], By Request

 

Definitely an experimental mish mash of improvisation and just sounds, plus, of course, polka.

Information discogged here for the band, for the LP.

All pieces are improvisations. Recorded Summer 1977 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.

First track, Armature:

Gene Harris, Part 1: 1974 Astral Signal, 1975 Nexus

 

Quite a huge and extensive discography, especially when you check out the bands he played with, principally The Three Sounds here.  For himself alone, the description:

American jazz pianist and keyboard player -- born 1 September 1933 in Benton Harbor, Michigan, USA

-- died 16 January 2000 in Boise, Idaho, USA.

The music is quite light and approachable, enjoyable fusion / melodic soul jazz, all or mostly instrumental, with little intensity, a lot of groove and keyboarding (I mean that in comparison to Chick Corea's Romantic Warrior, for ex.).

From 1974's Astralsignal, Summer (the first time):

From 1975's Nexus, Sauda:

Note that someone requested his 1984 album Nature's Way which I was not able to find-- anyone have it perchance?