Jasper Wrath -

Jasper Wrath was an American hard-rock/psych band that made a 1971 self-titled album on Sunflower. A revised lineup surfaced with a self-pressed 1975 single, followed by 1977 albums under the alternate names Arden House and Zoldar & Clark. Singer/musician Jeff Cannata fronted Eighties melodic-rockers Arc Angel and later recorded solo under his surname.

Members: Robert Giannotti (flute, guitar, lead vocals, 1969-71), Phil Stone (bass, flute, vocals), Jeff Cannata [aka Cannata] (drums, percussion, guitar, woodwinds, lead vocals), Michael Soldan (keyboards, vocals), Jeff Batter (piano, synthesizer, vocals, 1973-76), James Christian (lead vocals, guitar, 1973-76), Scott Zito (lead guitar, keyboards, vocals, 1975-76)

Background

Jasper Wrath formed in 1969 in New Haven, Connecticut, when drummer Jeff Cannata (formerly of Christopher Hawke), keyboardist Michael Soldan, guitarist Robert Giannotti, and bassist Phil Stone (all previously of Buckle) united over a shared interest in British progressive and psychedelic rock.

Eschewing covers, they built an original repertoire and auditioned for MGM, which signed Jasper Wrath to the label’s Sunflower subsidiary.

Jasper Wrath (the album)

Jasper Wrath released their self-titled album in June 1971 on Sunflower Records.

The albums blends American psychedelia with the compositional detail of UK art rock. Their sound contains chamber textures, shifting rhythmic patterns, harmonic layers, and instrumental contrasts, played on a mix of standard instruments plus harpsichord, theremin, celeste, and oscillators.

“Look to the Sunrise” opens with buoyant pacing and dual vocal lines over crisp instrumentation. “Mysteries (You Can Find Out)” shifts to denser piano and fuzz guitar interplay, supported by layered choral lines. “Autumn” and “Odyssey” expand the tonal palette with 12-string guitar, woodwinds, and ornamental keyboards, favoring polyphonic flow and episodic development.

Side B maintains contrast: “Did You Know That” centers on a clipped jazz-rock rhythm with fluid guitar runs, while “Drift Through Our Cloud” moves with steady repetition and modal keyboard tones. “Portrait: My Lady Angelina” uses baroque textures and tonal shading, and the closing suite, “Roland of Montevere,” moves through dynamic peaks with layered instrumentation and theatrical pacing.

A1. “Look to the Sunrise” (2:55)
A2. “Mysteries (You Can Find Out)” (3:50)
A3. “Autumn” (4:45)
A4. “Odyssey” (7:10)

B1. “Did You Know That” (2:55)
B2. “Drift Through Our Cloud” (3:30)
B3. “Portrait: My Lady Angelina” (5:00)
B4. “Roland of Montevere” (9:50)

Sessions spanned six weeks at Phil Ramone’s A&R Studio in New York, where songwriters Jim Carroll and Joey Levine co-produced the album. The cover presents an uncredited water-color painting of Jasper Wrath inside a psychedelic cavern.

Sunflower issued “Did You Know That” as a single with “It’s Up to You,” a non-album Cannata original.

Later Activity

A planned national tour was abandoned when Giannotti departed. Cannata and Soldan relocated to Europe, drawing inspiration from the emerging UK art rock scene. Upon their return, they rebuilt the band with new members, including vocalist James Christian and guitarist Scott Zito.

In 1976, they cut a new Jasper Wrath single: “You” backed with “General Gunther,” both Cannata originals issued on Future Music.

Despite their popularity on the mid-Seventies regional circuit, no further albums appeared under the Jasper Wrath name. Material from this second lineup appeared on two 1977 Dellwood titles, billed under the pseudonyms Arden House and Zoldar & Clark.

Jasper Wrath gained cult status for its musical intricacy and textural breadth.

Discography: