Clareon -

Clareon was an American jazz-rock band that released a self-titled album on Villa Records in 1980.

Members: Andrew Stern (electric guitarist/12-string acoustic guitarist/vocalist), Dean Groves (bassist/vocalist), Don Hunter (percussionist ), Kip Haaheim (bassist), Mark Shannon (soprano/alto/tenor saxophonist), Ron Madden (electric piano, piano, vocals)

Background

Clareon formed in the San Francisco Bay Area around multi-instrumentalist Ron Madden, a pianist and composer who led songwriting and production. Madden recruited electric guitarist/12-string acoustic guitarist/vocalist Andy Stern through local jazz-rock sessions blending fusion charts and guitar solos. Bassist/vocalist Dean M. Groves joined after regional auditions, alternating with bassist Kip Haaheim on tracks.

Soprano/alto/tenor saxophonist Mark Shannon, a woodwind player trained at San Francisco State University and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, added horn lines from symphony and jazz gigs. Alto saxophonist Craig Lawrence contributed on one track and handled illustrations; percussionist Don Hunter locked in rhythms. The septet signed to Villa Records and tracked their debut at Oasis Studios and Parvin Studio in 1980.

Clareon (1980)

Clareon released their self-titled album in 1980 on Villa Records.

The album layers jazz fusion with progressive breaks and tempo shifts, recorded by multi-instrumentalist Ron Madden (electric piano, piano, vocals), electric guitarist/12-string acoustic guitarist/vocalist Andy Stern, bassist/vocalist Dean M. Groves, bassist Kip Haaheim, soprano/alto/tenor saxophonist Mark Shannon, alto saxophonist Craig Lawrence, and percussionist Don Hunter. Madden composed four songs and co-composed one (“La Belle Jardiniere”) with Lawrence.

Tracks divide into reckless jazzy drives and lounge-like calms. “Neo-Cisum” opens with complex guitar fests and odd tempo variations over steady bass pulses, “La Belle Jardiniere” duets acoustic piano with alto sax in neo-classical arcs, “Divisadero” shifts from funky starts through symphonic moods and tempos with french progressive fusion hints. “(Cruisin’) Colby Avenue” stamps funky disco-jazz rhythms with smooth sax leaks, “Stormy Weather Friend” builds melodic fusion exchanges, “Visitation” evokes Pekka Pohjola-like instrumental prog with wordless vocals, “Baby Song” closes in cheesy lounge motion with romantic piano.

A1. “Neo-Cisum” (5:26)
A2. “La Belle Jardiniere” (7:04)
A3. “Divisadero” (10:34)

B1. “(Cruisin’) Colby Avenue” (4:00)
B2. “Stormy Weather Friend” (3:00)
B3. “Visitation” (5:00)
B4. “Baby Song” (3:00)

Sessions occurred at Oasis Studios in San Francisco and Parvin Studio with producers Bill Burnside and Clareon, engineers Greg Goodwin and Lee Parvin, and producer Bill Burnside. John Manson handled artwork and design; Craig Lawrence provided illustrations.

Postlude

Clareon disbanded after their album. Guitarist Andy Stern released a solo album, Catch Yourself, in 1980 on Ajay Records with saxophonist Mark Shannon. Shannon freelanced with the San Francisco Symphony, San Diego Symphony, musical theater, opera, ballet, and jazz groups, and taught as adjunct professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. Pianist Ron Madden played on Fred Taylor’s 1982 album Court of Circe on Crinkle-Cuts Records. Bassist Dean M. Groves recorded on Dennis Michael O’Rourke’s 1981 album Broken Crystal on Rhodes Records.

Discography: