Full Moon -

Full Moon was an American jazz-pop band that released a self-titled album on Douglas in 1972. In 1980, the group resurfaced on Warner Bros. with an album as the Larsen-Feiten Band before resurrecting the Full Moon nameplate for back-to-back live and studio albums in 1982.

Members: Lenny Castro (percussion, vocals), Art Rodriguez (drums), Willie Weeks (bass), Neil Larsen (vocals, keyboards), Howard ‘Buzz’ Feiten (vocals, guitar)

Background

Full Moon formed around the New York activities of guitarist Buzz Feiten (b. November 4, 1948; Huntington Station, NY) and keyboardist Neil Larsen (b. August 7, 1948; Cleveland, OH). Feiten grew up in a musical household, trained on classical instruments, and performed on French horn in state youth orchestras before he fronted the Long Island beat group the Reasons Why. He cut two 1966 singles with that band and surfaced in Manhattan as a Mannes College student. In 1968, he replaced Elvin Bishop in the Paul Butterfield Blues Band, recorded on Keep On Moving, and appeared with the group at Atlantic City and Woodstock. He then joined the Rascals as lead guitarist for Peaceful World and Island of Real, which placed him in New York’s session network alongside bassist Freddie Beckmeier and saxophonist Gene Dinwiddie.

Larsen grew up in Florida, studied piano, and drew from modern jazz and contemporary rock. Draft authorities sent him to Vietnam in 1969, where he directed band units for the US military. After discharge, he moved to New York and wrote television cues while he established himself on sessions. His early credits linked him to the city’s soul and jazz players, including a brief post with the Soul Survivors.

Feiten and Larsen met through overlapping studio work and ensemble ties that involved Dinwiddie, Beckmeier, and drummer Phillip Wilson. The five musicians coalesced as Full Moon in the early 1970s and built a reputation on club appearances that mixed jazz-rock interplay with R&B phrasing. These activities set the stage for their contract and first album.

Full Moon

Full Moon released their self-titled debut album in December 1972 on Douglas.

The album presents a polished, early-state fusion of jazz-rock and soft-edged soul, framed by concise ensemble writing, restrained improvisation, and a clarity of sound that anticipates later West Coast jazz-pop. Guitarist Buzz Feiten and keyboardist Neil Larsen anchor the lineup with tenor/soprano saxophonist Gene Dinwiddie, bassist Freddie Beckmeier, and drummer Phillip Wilson, supported on select tracks by Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira, conguero Ray Barretto, trumpeter Randy Brecker, vocalists Robin Clark and Tasha Thomas, and bassist Dave Holland.

Larsen and Feiten divide the writing with two songs apiece, and Feiten co-wrote “Selfish People” with Wilson. Dinwiddie contributes “Take This Winter Out of My Mind,” while the band opens with the joint-written “The Heavy Scuffle’s On.”

The set divides between rhythmic instrumentals and lightly voiced pieces. “Malibu” rides a sunlit Latin pulse with interwoven Rhodes and guitar figures, while “Midnight Pass” matches its faster Latin pace with dense percussion and tight, minor-key exchanges between the soloists. “Selfish People” shifts from an instrumental samba half into a mid-tempo vocal section with rising organ and sharpened guitar lines. “To Know” carries soul phrasing over a slow, steady pattern, and “Take This Winter Out of My Mind” aligns its vocal presence with a warmer, softer pace.

A1. “The Heavy Scuffle’s On” (2:49) – Full Moon
A2. “To Know” (4:00) – Feiten
A3. “Malibu” (4:09) – Larsen; sunset intro of quiet bass and Fender Rhodes signals a buoyant Latin jazz-rock instrumental with cymbal mist and subtle guitar and keyboard runs.
A4. “Take This Winter Out of My Mind” (5:19) – Dinwiddie

B1. “Midnight Pass” (4:16) – Larsen; opens with a brisk, arching pattern of interlocked reed/keyboard filigree, signalling an uptempo Latin jazz-rock instrumental with dense percussion and mixing Rhodes notes in minor modality, replete with spotlights of the three soloists.
B2. “Need Your Love” (4:04) – Feiten
B3. “Selfish People” (7:35) – Feiten, Wilson; samba-tinged instrumental first half with sparkling Rhodes runs, faint cocktail licks and wiggling reeds. Dinwiddie makes his vocal entrance (at 3:18 on) across a moderate-paced jam that swells to a rousing chorus with organ and strident guitar. Second chorus folds to a swelling play-out section with bending, scaling leads.

Sessions occurred at Mediasound in New York City with Alan Douglas producing, Ron Alexenburg co-producing, and Jeffrey Lesser and Tony Bongiovi engineering; Lesser handled the remix. Full Moon features cover photography by Michael Avedon.

The 2000 CD reissue on the Japanese Dreamsville label contains a bonus track, “Three Step Dance” (10:21), a lengthy Rhodes-laden jam reminiscent of Nucleus and In a Silent Way with gradual guitar leads and sax refrains.

Larsen-Feiten Band

The Larsen-Feiten Band released their self-titled album in August 1980 on Warner Bros.

The album presents a streamlined, radio-aimed blend of soft funk, light jazz-rock, and mid-tempo R&B, marked by compact arrangements, tightened rhythm patterns, and the duo’s interlaced keyboard–guitar phrasing.

Keyboardist Neil Larsen and guitarist Buzz Feiten front the core quartet with bassist Willie Weeks and drummer Art Rodriguez, supported by percussionist–vocalist Lenny Castro, alto saxophonist Kim Hutchcroft, tenor saxophonist–horn arranger Larry Williams, trombonist–slide trumpeter Bill Reichenbach, and trumpeter–slide trumpeter Chuck Findley.

The set alternates between lightly propulsive R&B and crisp fusion instrumentals. “Who’ll Be the Fool Tonight” unfolds across a relaxed, swaying rhythmic pattern with congas, horns, and Feiten’s sly guitar lines. “Danger Zone” slows the pace into a denser, bass-led framework with clipped guitar figures, while “Further Notice” pivots into nimble fusion with sharp leads and wah-wah accents. “Over” stretches into a ballad with contoured guitar phrases, a Latin-edged pre-chorus, and a rising, scaling refrain. Side B shifts between tense romantic pop on “She’s Not in Love,” reflective softness on “Morning Star,” lightly syncopated R&B on “Make It,” and a darker atmospheric turn on “Aztec Legend,” which builds from sparse piano and deep bass to a tightened mid-section with fluid piano runs.

A1. “Who’ll Be the Fool Tonight” (4:10) – Feiten; laid-back R&B-boogie with harmonized vocals and congas across a slick, swaying rhythmic pattern, gradually overlaid with horns and sly guitar licks.
A2. “Danger Zone” (5:03) – Feiten, Smith; medium-slow soul-funk number (in F#) with measured, snaky guitar licks across a deep-bass rhythmic pattern
A3. “Further Notice” (3:34) – Larsen; slick uptempo Casiopea-style fusion instrumental with sharp leads and wah-wah breaks
A4. “Over” (5:09) – Larsen, Willis; ballad with light twang, understated rhythmic syncopation, moderate Latinized pre-chorus, tightened guitar-laden chorus, and a wailing, fluid guitar break that crests into a scaling instrumental refrain

B1. “She’s Not in Love” (4:40) – Feiten, Sembello; tense romantic melodrama with a perky staccato theme (in D minor) across a rapid post-disco beat and a harmonized vocable chorus
B2. “Morning Star” (5:20) – Feiten
B3. “Make It” (4:27) – Larsen, Willis
B4. “Aztec Legend” (4:46) – Larsen; slow, dark instrumental of deep bass, light piano, and layered percussive syncopation; midway it tightens and rises in volume amid fluid piano runs, then reinstates its earlier pattern across a lengthy fade

Sessions occurred in 1980 at Crimson Sound, Mama Jo’s, and Capitol Studios with Tommy LiPuma producing and Al Schmitt, Rick Ruggieri, and Tom Flye engineering.

The Larsen-Feiten Band features cover photography by Norman Seeff and sleeve photography by Darius Anthony with typography by Andresen Typographics.

Warner Bros. promoted the album with “Who’ll Be the Fool Tonight” (b/w “Further Notice”), which reached No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 22 on Adult Contemporary. “She’s Not in Love” and “Danger Zone” followed as 1980 singles.

Full Moon Featuring Neil Larsen & Buzz Feiten

Full Moon released their second self-titled album in January 1982 on Warner Bros, which billed the group as ‘Full Moon Featuring Neil Larsen & Buzz Feiten.’

The album sharpens the duo’s mix of soft jazz-rock, mid-tempo R&B, and atmospheric instrumentals, centering their interplay across spacious arrangements with selective horn and percussion colors.

Keyboardist Neil Larsen and guitarist–vocalist Buzz Feiten anchor the sessions with bassist Willie Weeks, drummer Art Rodriguez, percussionist–vocalist Lenny Castro, saxophonist Jim Horn, and trumpeter–trombonist Chuck Findley, supported by backing vocalists Larry McNally and Vernon Porter. Bill Reichenbach assisted Larsen and Feiten with horn arrangements.

Feiten wrote three songs and co-wrote three with Sal Bernardi and Mark Vieha. Larsen wrote three songs and co-wrote “Little Cowboys” with Castro.

The material ranges from tightened, rhythmic pop-fusion to more open, cinematic instrumentals. “Phantom of the Footlights,” “Twilight Moon,” and “Brown Eyes” operate in mid-tempo frameworks with clipped guitars, tight pacing, and soft vocal blends. “The Visitor” floats on Larsen’s electric textures, elevated by David Sanborn’s alto sax. “Sierra” moves from a frantic staccato piano intro into a slower unfolding piano line, later accented by curvilinear ARP tones and Feiten’s sensitive, tactile leads. “Standing in Line” incorporates light Caribbean touches and a flowing mid-song solo, while “Little Cowboys” closes the album with a dense Latin jazz-rock drive marked by pointed guitar lines and active percussion.

A1. “Phantom of the Footlights” (4:27) – Feiten, Bernardi
A2. “The Visitor” (4:38) – Larsen
A3. “Twilight Moon” (3:56) – Feiten
A4. “Sierra” (4:34) – Larsen; frantic staccato piano intro countered by a slow unfolding piano line, later underscored with metronomic drums and selective bass notes; Larsen threads curvilinear ARP tones into the mid-section; Feiten closes with sensitive, tactile leads in the penultimate passage.

B1. “Brown Eyes” (4:17) – Feiten, Vieha, Bernardi; two-chord guitar progression (F#→A♭) opens this mid-tempo rock/vocal number with tight percussive verses and a flowing, harmonized chorus, spiced with Larsen’s noodling ARP break.
B2. “Heroe’s Welcome” (4:17) – Larsen
B3. “Standing in Line” (4:06) – Feiten, Bernardi; syncopated mid-tempo number with light Caribbean touches, harmonies, and lyrical trade-offs against a deep-pocketed rhythm track; overlaid midway with a flowing Skunk-like solo.
B4. “Little Cowboys” (3:58) – Castro, Larsen; Latin jazz-rock instrumental with pointed, searing guitar lines and dense percussion.

Sessions occurred at Warner Bros. Recording Studios, Sunset Sound, and Capitol Studios with Tommy LiPuma producing and Tom Flye recording and mixing. Don Henderson, Peggy McCreary, and Stuart Gitlin assisted.

Full Moon features photography by George Holz with art direction and design by Christine Sauers.

Discography: