Release Music Orchestra was a German jazz-rock ensemble active from the mid-to-late 1970s. Formed from the remnants of Tomorrow’s Gift, they fused electric jazz textures with chamber elements, percussion motifs, and tonal improvisation. The band released five albums on Brain between 1974 and 1979, each with shifting personnel and stylistic emphasis. Keyboardist Manfred Rürup led […]
Quantum Jump was an English supergroup that fused jazz-funk and space-rock on their 1976–77 albums Quantum Jump and Barracuda, both released by the Electric Record Company. Singer–producer Rupert Hine fronted the band, which featured Peddlers drummer Trevor Morais, Caravan bassist John G. Perry, and Kevin Ayers guitarist Mark Warner. In 1979, their re-released single “The […]
Locanda delle Fate was an Italian symphonic-rock band that released the 1977 Polydor album Forse le Lucciole non si Amano Più. Members: Giorgio Gardino (drums, vibraphone), Luciano Boero (bass), Oscar Mazzoglio (Hammond organ, keyboards), Alberto Gaviglio (rhythm guitar, flute, backing vocals, 1973-78), Ezio Vevey (lead guitar, backing vocals, 1973-78), Michele Conta (piano, keyboards, 1973-78), Leonardo […]
Phoebe Snow (July 17, 1950 — April 26, 2011) was an American singer/songwriter from New York, best known for the songs “Harpo’s Blues” and “Poetry Man” from her 1974 debut album. Between 1976 and 1978, she released four albums on Columbia. Background She was born Phoebe Ann Laub to Merrill and Lili Laub, a Jewish […]
ZZ Top is an American hard-rock/blues trio from Houston that formed in 1969 and built its first run on five London albums issued between 1971 and 1976. The classic lineup paired guitarist-singer Billy Gibbons, bassist-singer Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard across ZZ Top’s First Album, Rio Grande Mud, Tres Hombres, Fandango!, and Tejas. That early […]
Café Jacques was a Scottish trio on Epic–Columbia that released the 1977–78 albums Round the Back and International, both produced by Rupert Hine. Members: Chris Thomson (guitar, vocals), Mike Ogletree (drums, percussion, acoustic guitar, vocals), Peter Veitch (keyboards, accordion) Background Café Jacques formed as a septet in 1973 when guitarist–singer Chris Thomson, an accounting student […]
Picchio dal Pozzo are an Italian avant-jazz/rock band from Genova, Liguria, formed in 1973. The band debuted with a 1976 self-titled album on Grog Records, followed by the 1980 L’Orchestra release Abbiamo Tutti i Suoi Problemi. Cuneiform later issued Camere Zimmer Rooms, comprised of tracks from an intended 1977 album. Members: Aldo De Scalzi (keyboards, […]
Gary Wright (April 26, 1943 – September 4, 2023) was an American singer, musician, and songwriter who served as the co-vocalist and keyboardist in Spooky Tooth during two three-album periods between 1968 and 1974. After leaving the group, he launched a solo career centered on keyboard-based production and spiritual lyrical themes. His third solo album, […]
National Health was an English avant-jazz/rock band from Canterbury that released a self-titled album on Affinity in 1978, followed that same year by Of Queues and Cures on parent-label Charly. The band featured three-fourths of Hatfield and the North — keyboardist Dave Stewart, guitarist Phil Miller, and drummer Pip Pyle — with a revolving line […]
Dan Hartman (Dec. 8, 1950 — March 22, 1994) was an American vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter who emerged as the bassist in The Edgar Winter Group. He wrote and sang their 1974 hit “Free Ride” before launching a solo career that spanned blue-eyed soul, disco, and pop-rock. His 1978/79 hits “Instant Replay” and “Relight My […]
Shylock was a French symphonic-rock trio that self-released the Crimson-esque 1976 album Gialorgues, followed by the 1978 CBS release Île de Fièvre. Members: André Fisichella (drums, percussion), Frédéric L’Épée (guitars), Didier Lustig (keyboards), Serge Summa (bass guitar) Background Self-taught drummer André Fisichella founded the instrumental progressive rock trio Shylock in Nice, France, in 1974. Fisichella […]
The 360 Degree Music Experience was an American jazz ensemble formed in New York in 1968 by drummer Beaver Harris, pianist Dave Burrell, and trombonist Grachan Moncur III. Harris sustained the project through changing lineups and six albums, ending the sequence with the Shemp release A Well Kept Secret. Their repertory joined early-jazz forms with […]
Oneness of Juju was an American spiritual-jazz/funk band from Washington, D.C., that grew out of Ju Ju. Background Oneness of Juju evolved from Ju Ju, an avant-garde jazz sextet that released the 1973/74 albums A Message From Mozambique and Chapter 2 Nia on Strata-East. Saxophonist James “Plunky Nkabinde” Branch formed Ju Ju in San Francisco, […]
The Sylvers were an American soul-funk family act from Memphis, best known for the 1975/76 hits “Boogie Fever,” “Hot Line,” and “High School Dance.” As a sextet, the Sylvers cut three 1972–74 albums on Pride/MGM, then welcomed three younger siblings for the 1975/76 Capitol titles Showcase and Something Special. After 1977’s New Horizons (as a […]
Russ Ballard is an English musician and songwriter who recorded with the sixties beat groups The Roulettes and Unit 4 + 2. In 1969, he co-founded Argent with ex-Zombies keyboardist Rod Argent. He made five studio albums with the band and wrote their hits “Liar” and “God Gave Rock and Roll to You.” Concurrently, he […]
Sahara was a German symphonic-rock band that evolved from Subject ESQ. As Sahara, they made the 1974 album Sunrise, followed by the 1976 Ariola release For All the Clowns. Members: Hennes Hering (keyboards), Michael Hofmann (flute, woodwinds, Moog, Mellotron, vocals), Alex Pittwohn (harmonica, tenor saxophone, vocals), Harry Rosenkind (drums, percussion), Stefan Wissnet (bass, vocals), Nick […]
Zanov is the performance name of French electronic musician Pierre Salkazanov, who released two albums in the Berlin School-vein in 1976 and 1977. A third album followed in 1983, after which he went quiet until the 2010s when a growing cult around his reissued works prompted a comeback. Since 2014, he has released two CDs […]
The Marshall Tucker Band was an American rustic-rock band that released seven albums between 1973 and 1978 on Capricorn Records, followed by six further albums through 1983 on Warner Bros. Their gold/platinum Capricorn run produced crossover hits with “Fire on the Mountain” and “Heard It in a Love Song.” Members: Doug Gray (vocals, tambourine), Jerry […]
The Atlanta Rhythm Section was an American southern-rock boogie band that released two 1972–73 albums on Decca/MCA, followed by seven albums and a live disc between 1974 and 1980 on Polydor. Their popularity peaked with the 1977–78 albums A Rock and Roll Alternative and Champagne Jam and the hits “So Into You” and “Imaginary Lover.” […]
Leo Sayer is an English pop singer who released ten studio albums between 1973 and 1983 on Chrysalis and Warner Bros. He scored ten Top 10 hits on the UK Singles Chart, including “The Show Must Go On,” “Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance),” “Moonlighting,” and “More Than I Can Say.” His 1976 fourth album […]
Il Volo was an Italian symphonic-rock supergroup that released the 1974/75 albums Il Volo and Essere o Non Essere? on Numero Uno. Members: Alberto Radius (guitar, vocals), Mario Lavezzi (guitar, mandolin, vocals), Vince Tempera (keyboards), Gabriele Lorenzi (keyboards), Bob Callero (bass), Gianni Dall’Aglio (drums, percussion, vocals) Background Il Volo (The Flight) formed in early 1974 […]
The Crusaders were an American jazz-funk band from Los Angeles that was known throughout its first decade as The Jazz Crusaders, which issued a string of post-bop albums on Pacific Jazz during the 1960s. In 1971, they shortened their name to The Crusaders and issued a string of jazz-funk/R&B albums on Blue Thumb. They scored […]
Far East Family Band was a Japanese space-rock group that grew out of Fumio Miyashita’s earlier Far Out project and issued four albums between 1975 and 1977 on Mu Land. Their central run joined Miyashita with keyboardists Akira Ito and Masanori Takahashi, later known as Kitaro, alongside guitarist Hirohito Fukushima, bassist Akira Fukakusa, and drummers […]
Labi Siffre is an English singer/songwriter, poet, and playwright who released six albums between 1970 and 1975 on Pye/EMI. He scored UK hits with the 1971/72 singles “It Must Be Love” (later covered by Madness) and “Crying Laughing Loving Lying.” After twelve years away from music, he returned with the 1987 hit “(Something Inside) So […]
Melissa Manchester is an American singer–songwriter who released two 1973–74 albums on Bell Records, followed by nine albums between 1975 and 1983 on Arista. She first emerged under the auspices of Barry Manilow and Bette Midler and co-wrote many songs with Carole Bayer Sager. Manchester’s best known songs include “Don’t Cry Out Loud,” “Midnight Blue,” […]
Buddy Miles (Sept. 5, 1947 — Feb. 26, 2008) was an American drummer, singer, producer, and songwriter from Omaha. He co-founded the Electric Flag before he led the Buddy Miles Express, which cut the 1968/69 albums Expressway to Your Skull and Electric Church. Miles sang “Changes” on the 1970 Hendrix live album Band of Gypsys, […]
Phoenix is a pioneering Romanian rock band, active from the mid-1960s. They released two beat-styled EPs circa 1968/69 on Electrecord, followed by the 1972–75 albums Cei ce ne-au dat nume, Mugur de fluier, and Cantofabule. In 1981, they altered their name to Transsylvania Phoenix for one album on Bacillus. Another name-change to SymPhoenix yielded the […]
The Adverts were an English punk-rock band, best known for the 1977 singles “One Chord Wonders” and “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” and the 1978 album Crossing the Red Sea With The Adverts. Their second album, Cast of Thousands, appeared shortly before their breakup in late 1979. Members: T.V. Smith (vocals), Gaye Advert (bass), Howard Pickup [Howard […]
Egberto Gismonti (born Dec. 5, 1947) is a Brazilian pianist, guitarist, and composer from Carmo, Rio de Janeiro, whose recording career opened in 1969 and later extended across Elenco, Polydor, EMI-Odeon, ECM, Carmo, Kuarup, and other imprints. His early Brazilian run includes Sonho 70, Água & vinho, Academia de danças, Corações futuristas, Carmo, and Nó […]
The Brecker Brothers were the American jazz-funk duo of saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter Randy Brecker, who played on numerous recordings together and separately throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Members: Randy Brecker (trumpet), Michael Brecker (saxophone) Background Randy Brecker (b. November 27, 1945, Cheltenham, Pennsylvania) and Michael Brecker (b. March 29, 1949, Philadelphia) were raised […]
Trevor Rabin (born Jan. 13, 1954) is a South African-born/U.S.-naturalized guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer who first emerged in the Johannesburg art-rock/pop band Rabbitt, which he joined in 1972 at age eighteen. Rabbitt scored locally with the chart-topping symphonic-ballad “Charlie” and the album Boys Will Be Boys!, which Rabin wrote, produced, arranged, and largely performed. […]
Alain Markusfeld is a French classical/rock guitarist who released the 1970/71 Barclay folk/psych albums Le monde en étages and Le son tombé du ciel, followed by the 1977–79 symphonic instrumental trilogy Le désert noir, Platock, and Contemporus. Background Alain Markusfeld was born April 6, 1950, in Paris. He began two years of classical piano lessons […]
Lori Lieberman is an American singer/songwriter who released four 1972–75 albums on Capitol Records and a 1978 fifth on Millennium. After a sixteen-year break from recording, she returned with three Nineties-era albums on Pope Music. Since 2003, she’s issued CDs on self-press Drive On Records. Her debut album contains the first version of “Killing Me […]
Flash and the Pan were an Australian studio-based art-pop project from Sydney headed by the songwriting/production team of ex-Easybeats Harry Vanda and George Young. The project began with the 1977 Mercury single “Hey, St. Peter” / “Walking in the Rain” and ultimately yielded five albums on Albert/Epic between 1979 and 1987. Members: Harry Vanda [Johannes […]
Celeste was an Italian symphonic combo that released a 1976 self-titled album on Grog Records. They recorded a second album that surfaced fifteen years later on Mellow Records, which also unearthed an earlier soundtrack recording, I Suoni in Una Sfera. Members: Ciro Perrino (drums, percussion, flute, keyboards, vocals), Leonardo Lagorio (keyboards, flute, saxophone), Mariano Schiavolini […]
Eddie Kendricks (born Dec. 17, 1939 — Oct. 5, 1992) was an American soul singer, who served as the lead tenor vocalist in The Temptations between 1961 and 1971. He’s most recognized for his falsetto voice on the hits “The Way You Do the Things You Do,” “Get Ready,” and “Just My Imagination (Running Away […]
Annette Peacock (born 1941) is an American avant-garde jazz vocalist and composer from Brooklyn who first emerged in the mid-1960s as a writer for pianist Paul Bley, her then-husband. His 1968 album Mr. Joy features her title-sake composition that was subsequently covered by Swedish vocalist Karin Krog and English jazz-rockers Affinity. As a performer, Peacock […]
Albert Marcœur is a French musician, composer, and arranger who released ten albums between 1974 and 2008. His first four albums — Albert Marcœur, Album à Colorier, Armes & Cycles, and Celui où y’a Joseph — contain Zappa-esque fusions of avant-garde rock, big band, and zolo music. Along with Etron Fou Leloublan, he foreshadowed the 1980s […]
Michael Mantler is an Austrian trumpeter, composer, and arranger; active on the international avant-garde jazz/classical scene since the mid-1960s. Between 1973 and 1988, he made ten albums on EMI-subsidiary Watt, a label he co-ran with then-wife Carla Bley. Background Michael Mantler was born on August 10, 1943, in Vienna, Austria, where he studied trumpet and […]
Eddie Henderson (born Oct. 26, 1940) is an American trumpeter, cornetist, and composer who emerged in Herbie Hancock‘s backing band Mwandishi. On Capricorn, he released the popular 1973/74 albums Realization and Inside Out. Switching to Blue Note, he made the 1975/76 albums Sunburst and Heritage, followed by a trio of titles on Capitol, including the […]
Idris Muhammad (1939–2014) was an American jazz-funk drummer. He played on Fifties hits by The Hawketts and Fats Domino and earned Sixties credits behind Lou Donaldson, Donald Byrd, and Pharoah Sanders. As a solo artist, he made two 1971 Prestige albums, followed by multiple titles on Kudo, including the 1974 jazz-funk classic Power of Soul. […]
Missus Beastly was a German jazz-rock band that released a self-titled album on CPM in 1970. After a period of activity that saw a group of imposters parrot the nameplate, the band reconvened for three albums on NOVA, April, and Schneeball between 1974 and 1978. Members: Lutz Oldemeier (drums, 1968-75), Atzen Wehmeyer (guitar, vocals, 1968-70), […]
Sonny Sharrock (Aug. 27, 1940 — May 25, 1994) was an American avant-jazz guitarist, active for twenty-five years on the New York free-jazz scene. He started in the late-1960s beside saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, flutist Herbie Mann, and reedist Byard Lancaster. He cut Black Woman in 1969 with his wife Linda Sharrock, followed with Monkey-Pockie-Boo and […]
Betty Wright (Dec. 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020) was an American soul singer from Miami. She cut her debut album, My First Time Around, at age 14 in 1968. Her 1972 Alston release I Love the Way You Love spawned the Billboard Top 10 hit “Clean Up Woman.” She issued six further Alston albums […]
Sally Oldfield (born Aug. 3, 1947) is an English-Irish singer and composer, born in Dublin and raised in Reading, Berkshire. In 1968, she formed the folk-psych duo Sallyangie with her younger brother Mike Oldfield, aged 15 at the time of their singular album Children of the Sun, released that year on Transatlantic Records. Between 1973 […]
Michael Quatro is an American keyboardist, singer, composer, and arranger from Detroit who released the 1972/73 Evolution albums Paintings and Look Deeply Into the Mirror, followed by the 1975–77 Prodigal titles In Collaboration With the Gods; Dancers, Romancers, Dreamers & Schemers; and Gettin’ Ready. He is the older brother of musician/actress Suzi Quatro. Background Michael […]
Glenn Hughes is an English bassist and singer who fronted hard-rockers Trapeze on their first three albums: Trapeze, Medusa (both 1970), and You Are the Music…We’re Just the Band (1972). He replaced Roger Glover in Deep Purple for their 1974/75 albums Burn, Stormbringer, and Come Taste the Band. In 1977, he released the solo album […]
Arachnoïd was a French symphonic/space-rock band that released a self-titled album on Divox in 1979. It was later reissued by archivists Musea and has since become a holy grail of the nation’s ’70s scene, alongside releases by Ange, Atoll, Carpe Diem, Mona Lisa, Pulsar, and Shylock. Members: Patrick Woindrich (bass, guitar, vocals), Michel Pilot (rhythm […]
Airto Moreira (born Aug. 5, 1941) is a Brazilian vocalist and percussionist, married to vocalist Flora Purim since 1967. The couple featured in the original lineup of Chick Corea’s Return to Forever, appearing on the 1972 album that launched the name and its 1973 followup Light as a Feather. As a solo artist, Moreira released […]
Barbara Mason is an American soul singer and songwriter, best known for her 1965 hit “Yes, I’m Ready.” She landed fourteen singles on the Billboard R&B Top 40, including the crossover hits “Sad, Sad Girl,” “Oh, How It Hurts,” “Give Me Your Love,” “From His Woman to You,” and “Shackin’ Up.” Mason released fourteen singles […]
Machiavel are a Belgian rock band, first active from 1974 to 1982. After their 1976 self-titled EMI debut, they hired longstanding vocalist Mario Guccio and released the popular 1977/78 albums Jester and Mechanical Moonbeams. Musically, they evolved from symphonic/hard-rock to streamlined new wave. Members: Marc Ysaye (drums, vocals), Roland Degreef (bass), Albert Letecheur (keyboards, 1974-79), […]
Lesley Duncan (Aug. 12, 1943 — March 12, 2010) was an English singer/songwriter who made the 1971/72 CBS albums Sing Children Sing and Earth Mother, followed by the 1974/75 GM titles Everything Changes and Moon Bathing and the 1977 MCA release Maybe It’s Lost. Background Lesley Duncan was born on August 12, 1943, in Stockton-on-Tees, England. […]
Gloria Gaynor is an American singer whose recording career began with a 1965 Jocida single and expanded through MGM, Polydor, Atlantic, Silver Blue, and Stylus releases. She reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with “I Will Survive” and placed “Never Can Say Goodbye” and “I Am What I Am” in the Top […]
Sloche was a Québécois symphonic-rock band that released the album J’un Oeil on RCA Victor in 1975, followed by the sophomoric Stadaconé on the label in 1976. Members: Pierre Bouchard (keyboards), Jacques Collin (bass), Fernand Paré (drums), Marcel Périgny (guitar), Réjean Yacola (piano, vocals), Martin Murray (organ, synthesizer, saxophone, vocals), Caroll Bérard (guitar, vocals), Pierre […]
Haikara was a Finnish symphonic/jazz-rock band that made the 1972–74 albums Haikara and Geafar, followed by the 1975 release Iso Lintu. They reunited in the late-Nineties for two further albums. Members: Vesa Lattunen (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Vesa Lehtinen (vocals, percussion), Harri Pystynen (flute, saxophone), Timo Vuorinen (bass), Markus Heikkerö (drums, percussion), Auli Lattunen (vocals), […]
Dr. Dopo Jam was a Danish avant-jazz/rock band that released the 1973/74 Zebra albums Entrée and Fat Dogs and Danishmen, followed by the 1981 DIY title Cruisin’ at Midnite. Members: Kristian Pommer (clavinet, guitar, piano), Skak Snitker (trumpet), Nils Christensen “Vejmand” (drums, 1967-73), Lars Rasmussen (guitar, violin, 1968-71, 1981), Anders Gårdmand (saxophone, 1970-74), Bent Clausen […]
Bijelo Dugme was a Yugoslav symphonic/hard-rock band from Sarajevo in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. Between 1974 and 1988, the band released nine albums, three live recordings, and assorted singles, mostly on Jugoton and Diskoton. Members: Goran Bregović (guitar, vocals, 1974-89), Željko Bebek (vocals, 1974-84), Mladen Vojičić [aka Tifa] (vocals, 1984-85), Alen Islamović (vocals, 1985-89), Goran […]
Nancy Wilson (Feb. 20, 1937 — Dec. 13, 2018) was an American soul and jazz singer who released thirty albums between 1960 and 1980 on Capitol Records. She landed twenty-one songs on the Billboard R&B Top 100, including “Save Your Love for Me” (with Cannonball Adderley), “Tell Me the Truth,” “You’re as Right as Rain,” […]
Jan Garbarek (March 4, 1947) is a Norwegian saxophonist who emerged in the 1960s through work with Karin Krog, Terje Rypdal, and George Russell. ECM issued Afric Pepperbird in 1970 and followed with Witchi-Tai-To, Dansere, and Dis, a four-album run that fixed Jan Garbarek near the center of the label’s early catalog. His work with […]
Kenny Barron (born June 9, 1943) is an American jazz pianist from Philadelphia who emerged as a Sixties sideman for Yusef Lateef and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1967, he teamed with trumpeter Jimmy Owens on the Atlantic release You Had Better Listen. After gigs behind Bobby Hutcherson, Freddie Hubbard, and Idris Muhammad, Barron cut the 1973–75 […]
Litto Nebbia (born 1948) is an Argentinian multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer with a career that spans more than half a century. He first emerged in the mid-1960s as the frontman for Buenos Aires beat phenomenon Los Gatos. In 1969, he released his self-titled solo debut. The next two decades would yield 30-some-odd albums by the […]
Leon Haywood (February 11, 1942 — April 5, 2016) was a Houston-born singer-keyboardist who moved to Los Angeles in the early 1960s and worked with saxophonist Big Jay McNeely before he joined the Sam Cooke touring band. After early Fantasy and Fat Fish sides, Haywood reached the R&B chart with the Imperial single “She’s With […]
Zulema Cusseaux (Jan. 3, 1947 — Sept. 30, 2013), known professionally as Zulema, was an American soul singer and songwriter who started in The Lovelles, a soul trio that morphed into Faith, Hope & Charity in 1970. After one album with FHC, she went solo with the 1972/73 Sussex Records albums Zulema and Ms. Z. […]
Fermáta are a Slovak jazz-rock band that released seven albums between 1975 and 1984 on Opus Records. Five additional titles (four studio, one live) appeared during the 1990s and 2000s. Formed by guitarist František Griglák and keyboardist Tomáš Berka, the band fused symphonic structure with electric jazz instrumentation. Their classic-era output featured bassist Fedor Frešo […]
Syl Johnson (July 1, 1936 – February 6, 2022) was an American soul singer from Holly Springs, Mississippi, who grew up in Chicago and worked first as a guitarist behind blues acts. He recorded for Federal before Twinight gave him his main Chicago run, including “Different Strokes,” “Dresses Too Short,” and “Is It Because I’m […]
Bad Company was an English hard-rock supergroup led by Free vocalist Paul Rodgers. They released six albums between 1974 and 1982 on Swan Song and achieved FM evergreen status with the hits “Can’t Get Enough,” “Rock Steady,” “Feel Like Makin’ Love,” and “Rock ’n’ Roll Fantasy.” In 1986, they reconvened with singer Brian Howe for […]
Edwin Starr (Jan. 21, 1942 — April 2, 2003) was an American soul singer from Nashville who released a string of 1965–67 singles on Detroit soul-press Ric-Tic Records. After Motown’s purchase of that label, he issued four proper albums and assorted singles on Tamla and Gordy, hitting big with the 1970 anti-war shouter “War.” Background […]
Chilliwack was a Canadian rock band from Vancouver that debuted with a 1970 self-titled album on Parrot, followed by an eponymous 1971 double-LP on A&M. After their 1972 A&M release All Over You, they shifted to Goldfish/Sire for the 1974/75 albums Riding High and Rockerbox, followed by the 1976–80 titles Dreams, Dreams, Dreams; Lights From […]
Maxophone was an Italian symphonic-rock band that released a 1975 self-titled album and a 1977 standalone single. Members: Alberto Ravasini (vocals, bass, acoustic guitar, flute), Sergio Lattuada (keyboards, vocals), Roberto Giuliani (guitar, piano, vocals, 1973-77), Leonardo Schiavone (clarinet, flute, saxophone, 1973-77), Maurizio Bianchini (French horn, trumpet, vibraphone, percussion, vocals, 1973-77), Sandro Lorenzetti (drums, 1973-77) Inception […]
Jane Birkin (Dec. 14, 1946 – July 13, 2023) was a French-based chanson-pop singer and actress, originally from England. She scored an international hit with her 1969 debut single “Je t’aime… moi non plus,” written by her longtime partner and musical mentor Serge Gainsbourg, who wrote her 1973–78 Fontana albums Di Doo Dah, Lolita Go […]
Generation X was an English rock band sprung from the first wave of UK punk, noted for the songs “Your Generation,” “Ready Steady Go,” “King Rocker,” and the original “Dancing With Myself.” They released the 1978–81 albums Generation X, Valley of the Dolls, and Kiss Me Deadly. Singer Billy Idol became an Eighties rock icon. […]
Woody Shaw (December 24, 1944 — May 10, 1989) was an American trumpeter and composer. He recorded as a leader from 1970 to 1987, issuing albums for Contemporary, Muse, and Columbia, including Blackstone Legacy, Rosewood, and Stepping Stones. His sideman work spanned sessions with Eric Dolphy, Horace Silver, Larry Young, McCoy Tyner, and Dexter Gordon. […]
Don Cherry (November 18, 1936 — October 19, 1995) was an American avant-garde jazz trumpeter. He emerged in 1958 as a sideman for Ornette Coleman on the trumpeter’s early Contemporary/Atlantic run. During the 1960s, Cherry moved through frontline roles with Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, George Russell, and the New York Contemporary Five, often […]
Billy Paul (Dec. 1, 1934 — April 24, 2016) was an American soul singer from Philadelphia, best known for his 1972 ballad “Me and Mrs. Jones,” a definitive crossover hit of the Philly Soul era. Between 1968 and 1988, he made twelve studio albums and scored further R&B hits with “Am I Black Enough for […]
Malicorne was a French folk band from the namesake commune of Malicorne in Auvergne, formed in 1973 by Gabriel Yacoub, Marie Sauvet, Hughes de Courson, and Laurent Vercambre. The group adapted French-language traditional songs through multipart vocals, electric amplification, and instruments drawn from regional European repertories. Malicorne released eight studio albums between 1974 and 1986, […]
Ben Sidran (born August 14, 1943) is an American singer, pianist, keyboard player, songwriter, producer, and writer from Chicago. He emerged in the late 1960s after work with the Steve Miller Band, then built a solo catalog that moved across jazz, blues, soul, funk, and song-based small-group settings. His first three solo albums—Feel Your Groove, […]
The Sensational Alex Harvey Band (SAHB) was a theatrical Scottish hard-rock band that released eight studio albums and a live disc on Vertigo between 1972 and 1978. They formed when veteran soul-rock singer Alex Harvey enlisted hard-rockers Tear Gas as his backing band. Their popularity peaked with the 1974/75 albums The Impossible Dream and Tomorrow Belongs […]
Patrick Moraz is a Swiss keyboardist and composer who emerged in the post-psych act Mainhorse, which issued a 1971 album on Polydor. He then teamed with the rhythm section of The Nice in the super-trio Refugee, which issued a self-titled album on Charisma in 1974. Months later, Yes hired him as Rick Wakeman‘s replacement for […]
Weidorje was a French Zeuhl band that released a self-titled album on Cobra in 1978. The project was headed by once-and-future Magma members Bernard Paganotti and Patrick Gauthier, who both played on the 1976 album Üdü Ẁüdü, which featured a song called “Weidorje.” Members: Bernard Paganotti (bass, vocals), Patrick Gauthier (keyboards), Kirt Rust (drums), Jean-Philippe […]
Doug Carn (born July 14, 1948) is an American jazz keyboardist who recorded four albums between 1971 and 1975 for the Black Jazz label, the first three with his then-wife, singer Jean Carn. Background Doug Carn was born July 14, 1948, in St. Augustine, Florida. His mother occasionally played church organ and his uncle was […]
Joe Simon (September 7, 1936 – December 13, 2021) was an American soul singer, songwriter, and producer from Simmesport, Louisiana. He recorded eighteen secular studio albums between 1966 and 1985 on Sound Stage 7, Spring, Posse, and Compleat, with major singles including “The Chokin’ Kind,” “Drowning in the Sea of Love,” “Power of Love,” and […]
