The Requested Pruett and Davis Group's Time's Arrow (USA, 1997)

 

The second release from these guys, see here. Note that these 2 only played together, there are no other releases on which they appear solo, the two being Rick Pruett and Mark Davis.

If you recall the French Canadian band (soon to be French American band) Connivence (or French-Panamian band ?) with their light guitar-based instrumental fusion, this is similar. The playing is beautifully tight and highly, perfectly, professionally rapid if you know what I mean, recalling the magicians of yore like Coryell.

Title track:

The final track, Cape Spear, really grew on me with its truly original chord progression:

Brazilian Glauco Sagebin with Alto Cumbia (1985)

 

A really lovely cover.  Nice rarity recommended by our Brazilian friend, kind of what you expect with smooth soft fusion, some slight progressive touches, mostly commercialized  however. 

Glauco Sagebin

Pianist and composer from Porto Alegre, Brazil whose reputation in his native Brazil is in the field of musical scores for soundtracks. His jazz recordings are a mix of soft, comfortable, soothing jazz with a Brazilian flavor.

Satelito Africano:

The Earth Explorer from Japan, 2009, Trans Europe Expression 2012: Recommended!

 

Starting in 2007 these guys made 5 magnificent progressive albums in the traditional chamber music style of, say, the 70s French group Carpe Diem.  Or Spheroe, or perhaps Shylock, the great classic stuff. I'll post a couple to give you an idea, but they are all easily purchasable on CD except the first which I'm having trouble obtaining and therefore help would be much appreciated.  

I recommend everyone check them out, these guys are not just unknown but wonderful.

First of all-too-brief introductory information:

Instrumental progressive rock/symphonic rock band from Japan that originally went under the name The Earth Explorer and then switched to the acronym TEE from the second release onward.

The 2009 is ST and musically quite strong in terms of lovely composition and intricate ideas, original too despite the throwback to 70s style.  Rather than hard fusion based on electric guitars, the style is more like the aforementioned Carpe Diem, where acoustic instruments mostly gentle flute play out instrumental melodies on top of a quartet group, that is quite hard-hitting in their energy despite the use of acoustic piano for the most part plus rhythm section and (electric) guitar. There are so many current or modern, recent bands that attempt to do symphonic prog, what's really great here is the sheer originality of the compositions. 

For ex., the one called Oiseau Bleu develops quite beautifully as it progresses from opening through flute melody, electric guitar melody, constantly changing in the same way those classics from the 1970s were so adept at:

The second album (name is homage to the Kraftwerk album, Trans Europe Express? this despite the difference in style) continues along the same lines. Note the ingenious interplay between flute and elec. guitar here on Intersection:

Really lovely find, many thanks to my friend for this one.

Makaya & The Tsotsis, from 1974

 

Again note the difference in visual quality between the CD cover above and 2 LP's below.

First of the Bob Degen albums, from 1974 info here.  Percussionist Makaya Ntshoko:

Born in Cape Town on 29th of October 1939, he grew up in Langa; died August 27, 2024.

Early on he learned from musicians such as George Castle (bass), Banzi Bangani (trumpet), Morris Goldberg (alto) and the drummers Columbus Phakamile Joya and Maurice Gawronsky. He teamed up with "Dan Boy" Danayi (alto) and Martin "Lilly" Mgijima and had the opportunity to jam and perform with Cups Nkanuka (tenor) and his Peninsula Stars.

In 1959 he joined fellow Cape musicians Dollar Brand and Johnny Gertze on a trip to Johannesburg where together with Kippie Moeketsi, Jonas Gwangwa and Hugh Masekela they formed the legendary Jazz Epistles. The group was committed to serious, progressive jazz and recorded their ground breaking album.

He actually made a bunch of albums back in the day mostly described as free jazz so of little interest to me.  The style of this one is really really meandering contemporary jazz with minimal direction, like a drunkard's walk through an empty park with not even any trees, or jungle animal predators to attack you.  Makaya's Song (a bonus track on the CD):

Bob Degen albums 1976 to 1978 by request

 

From discogs:

Robert William Degen

Profile: American jazz pianist, born on 24 January 1944 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA, based in Germany since the early 1970s.

He appeared with Harvie Swartz, way back here.  The music is contemporary jazz, and solo piano on 1976's Sequoia, and 1978's Children of the Night.  From Chartreuse, Woven Thoughts:

On the German big band album Gunther Lenz Springtime's Znel (1978) there is a touch of (very jazzy) fusion though amidst all the standard jazz eg. Gloomy Lights:

Also requested, the Karl Berger album From Now On, from 1967, free jazz.