The World Heritage is a Japanese supergroup gathered and guided by master drummer Yoshida Tatsuya. The group is Kido Natsuki (Bondage Fruit) and Yamamoto Seiichi (Boredoms) on guitar, Nasuno Mitsuri (Altered States) on bass, Katsui Yuji (Bondage Fruit, etc) on violin, and Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins, Koenjihyakkei, Korekyojinn, etc) on drums. Tatsuya, Mitsuri and Natsuki had previously played together as Korekyojinn, the mammoth power trio. This group performs mostly high-energy improvised rock with some jazzy tinges, as well as some pieces composed by Tatsuya. All of the music is very energetic and often chaotic. Almost all of the band's material has been recorded live, with only a small handful of tracks being recorded in studio. The band would appeal to fans of other Tatsuya bands, in particular fans of Korekyojinn, Daimonji or Ruins.
For this 1969 release, saxophonist Eric Kloss, exclusively on alto for the date, is joined by tenor veteran Booker Ervin, allowing the 20-year-old Kloss to demonstrate he can readily go toe to toe with the Texan's big, blustery sound, as well as work in a more impressionistic vein. The rhythm section of drummer Alan Dawson and bassist Richard Davis is effective, although Davis is not quite up to his customary brilliance.
The name of gambist and conductor Jordi Savall's new Alia Vox Diversa label may seem puzzling, inasmuch as it's hard to imagine anything more diverse that the existing Alia Vox catalogue, covering music that spans half the globe. The unifying factor seems to be that Savall himself is not present; the leader of the Euskal Barrokensemble here is multi-instrumentalist Enrike Solinís, a member of Savall's Hesperion XXI. The music is for the most part not "Baroque" but covers a wide range of music associated with the Euskel Antiqva, the Basque legacy.
In the Land of Grey and Pink is considered by many to be a pinnacle release from Caravan. The album contains an undeniable and decidedly European sense of humor and charm. In addition, this would mark the end of the band's premiere lineup. Co-founder David Sinclair would leave Caravan to form Matching Mole with Soft Machine drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt in August of 1971. As a group effort, In the Land of Grey and Pink displays all the ethereal brilliance Caravan created on their previous pair of 12" outings. Their blending of jazz and folk instrumentation and improvisational styles hints at Traffic and Family, as displayed on "Winter Wine," as well as the organ and sax driven instrumental introduction to "Nine Feet Underground."