Atlantis Philharmonic -

Atlantis Philharmonic was an American symphonic-rock group from Cleveland that released a self-titled album on Dharma Records in 1974. The duo added guitarist Roger Lewis and completed a second album in 1975, issued three decades later as Atlantis Philharmonic II: Grand Master.

Members: Joe DiFazio (organ, piano, harpsichord, Mellotron, Moog, guitar, bass, bass pedals, lead vocals), Royce Gibson (percussion, backing vocals)

Background

Atlantis Philharmonic took shape in Cleveland in the early 1970s when Lakewood multi-instrumentalist Joe DiFazio partnered with drummer Royce Gibson. The pair first worked as Atlantis and later adopted the expanded name. DiFazio studied classical music in high school and entered the music program at Baldwin-Wallace College. He left two semesters before graduation to play keyboards in a Canadian Beatles cover group.

By January 1973, the duo appeared at Cyrus Erie West in North Ridgeville; a June booking at Garfield Heights Junior High Auditorium followed before the Castle Studios sessions.

Atlantis Philharmonic

Atlantis Philharmonic released their self-titled debut album in 1974 on Dharma Records.

The duo built the six-song set from DiFazio’s keyboard–guitar arrangements and Gibson’s expanded percussion battery. DiFazio wrote four titles and collaborated with lyricist Gerald Willcox on “Woodsman” and “Atlas.”

“Atlantis” surges through swirling Hammond passages before synthesizer, electric guitar, and violin-Mellotron crowd its close. “Woodsman” rises from tender piano figures toward a majestic Mellotron crest. “Death Man” charges through propulsive guitar interplay, Hammond runs, and forceful sung lines.

“Fly-the-Night” skips across organ and harpsichord figures before settling on a repetitive riff. “My Friend” glides through light piano phrases, Mellotron waves, and a brief guitar figure. “Atlas” pivots through sharp riffs, tempo changes, softer sung passages, and bright harmonies.

A1. “Atlantis” (5:11) – DiFazio
A2. “Woodsman” (7:34) – Willcox, DiFazio
A3. “Death Man” (5:25) – DiFazio

B1. “Fly-the-Light” (4:34) – DiFazio
B2. “My Friend” (4:01) – DiFazio
B3. “Atlas” (8:29) – DiFazio, Willcox

Atlantis Philharmonic recorded the album in 1974 at Castle Studios in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Producer Perry Johnson and DiFazio oversaw the sessions with engineer Andy Waterman. Johnson and Waterman also worked together on the 1974 self-titled album by Chicago jazz-rock group Streetdancer.

Rory Bonnet supplied cover art for both releases, with design and illustration credited on the Streetdancer sleeve. The Atlantis Philharmonic front depicts a winged, owl-headed figure above a galactic field beneath radiating bands; the back centers animal skulls below an orange solar disc.

The Laser’s Edge placed the album on CD in 1990. Belle Antique issued the 2016 Japanese SHM-CD BELLE-162525 in a paper sleeve with four live bonuses, including “Terra Re Natus Overture” and a Japanese-only performance of “In the Hall of the Mountain King.”

Atlantis Philharmonic II: Grand Master

Guitarist Roger Lewis, formerly of Cleveland rock group Freeport, joined after the debut and expanded Atlantis Philharmonic to a trio. The revised lineup completed a second album in 1975, but the recordings remained unreleased until KaediSongs issued Atlantis Philharmonic II: Grand Master in 2008 on compact disc.

The ten-song set documents the trio period that followed guitarist and vocalist Roger Lewis’s arrival from Cleveland group Freeport. Lewis shared guitar and vocal duties with DiFazio, while Gibson added timpani to his percussion setup.

“Amduscias the Great” lingers over cello lines and sustained Mellotron strings. “Burning Bridges” glides along contoured sung phrases beneath sustained string-synth layers.

1. “Hello” (2:38)
2. “Unity” (2:50)
3. “Song of Three” (2:30)
4. “The River” (3:43)
5. “Grand Master” (4:39)
6. “Amduscias the Great” (4:25)
7. “Burning Bridges” (4:03)
8. “King Music Man” (3:05)
9. “Sunshine” (4:10)
10. “Photographs and Memories” (6:34)

The trio recorded the album in 1975 for an intended second release. KaediSongs retrieved the recordings and issued the remastered compact disc on September 7, 2008, under the Atlantis Philharmonic II billing.

Later Activity

Atlantis Philharmonic continued on the Cleveland circuit into 1976, with future Pat Benatar drummer Myron Grombacher replacing Royce Gibson near the end of the original run. Gibson remained in Cleveland and worked as a percussionist and drum-equipment dealer by 1977.

Joe DiFazio left regular music work in the early 1980s, completed music and computer-technology degrees at Indiana State University, and later taught new media and computer technology at the university. Roger Lewis continued to perform across northeast Ohio and later recorded an album that included his composition “Skylark.”

Discography: