Stuff 1976

Frob came from Rheda-Wiedenbrück in the east of Westphalia and played instrumental jazz-rock including progressive elements, with a definite Canterbury edge. Frenetic soloing guitars, Sinclair-like keys, pulverizing rhythm section. Their great ability is demonstrated on their one and only LP which is quite relaxing and unpretentious. With Philippe Caillat who then worked as a music teacher (and by now has released quite some jazz records) they had a guitarist of top quality at hand but the other three musicians were his equals in every way.

If the post-74 years were not exactly kind to progressive rock, jazz-rock still thrived. Every country seemed to sprout multiple bands daring their hand at it, and while not reaching the ground-breaking levels of creativity and originality of the early 70's pioneers, many amazing albums continued to be released. Also this one from the Italian band Agora. Agora only released two albums, this studio album and a short live document that preceded it. In every possible way, Agora 2 is a perfection of the potential they had shown on the preceding live album. Weather Report and Perigeo (another Italian fusion band) are the main sources for inspiration on this sax and keyboard dominated fusion album. There is a guitar player as well but his presence remains more subtle then the rock-out dominance of a John McLaughnin or Al Di Meola…

This album has an upbeat feel but it is very funky/ jazz fusion heavy and well composed. Chiefs and Indians is one of my favorite Caravan tunes in general, short but sweet with a nice smooth intro/ outro and an amazing guitar solo. Jack and Jill is another one of my favorites right up there with their classic stuff off Cunning Stunts and Land Of Grey and Pink…

Olli Ahvenlahti - Bandstand (1975). Sweet keys from 70s Finland - a great little set that's filled with jazzy work on electric piano and clavinet! Keyboardist Olli Ahvenlahti has a touch that's as warm and soulful as some of his counterparts on the American fusion scene - an approach that's not nearly as jamming or rock-influenced as some of the other European keyboardists of the 70s, and which is carried off here with a gliding, soaring approach to the groove! Olli's group on the set features trumpet and sax in the frontline - shading in the tunes with qualities similar to some of the most righteous work done on keyboard sets for Muse or Strata East in the 70s - funky one minute, cosmic the next, with tight head arrangements that state the colors of the tunes, then break into freer solos…