Danish Ariel with Solens Barn, 1980

 

Info discogged here. 

In distinction to the other ST this one is laden with female vocals and is much much smoother and commercial in keeping with the year of release, 1980.  Shockingly the vocal duties are performed by a Hawaiian girl, called Lei (Aloha Moe).

Cf. the title track:

Danish Ariel from 1980

 

 

As usual, beautiful covers, there are two alternate ones.

Info on these guys here. Not to be confused with the super brilliant US one-off band that made Perspectives in 1978!
This is their first, the ST one. They play a fusion that is instrumental but leaning towards the jazzy side rather than electric. Nonetheless, quite original compositions and minimal wankery.

747 to Rio (sad indeed that jet airliner we grew up with was retired in favour of the silly and quite problematic 737, so sad):

Gabriel Jonas in 1978's Impresie

 

Discogged as:

Slovak pianist, bass guitarist, composer. Born November 23, 1948 in Kukučínovo (Želiezovice district, former Czechoslovakia, presently Slovakia).

Light jazz here, but quite interesting compositionally (all by him), thankfully no standards, original music only. A lot reminds me of the old Teo Macero I mentioned often here before too as one of my intrinsic points of reference.

First off note he played in the Keyboard Conclave, no. 10 specifically, which I once posted here. We are constantly orbiting in large circles here on this blog.  He also was in one of the Mini Jazz Klubs, back here, playing electric piano though that time.

Zivy Sen, or Living Dream:

I enjoy the gentle sound of Akela with its really odd dropping chord progression, and the really beautiful touch on the sax is by the hands and lungs of this guy (Peter Kral):

One more Jon Eberson: Between Two Worlds, 2021, FLAC limited time only

 

So that's a pretty crazy cover, and I think it's so awkward in comparison to Blow Out for, example, in particular the font on the side doesn't quite seem right to me. Love to hear other opinions though.

Moving on to the music, though, it's quite impressive for a later album. Clearly he is channeling the old progressive fusion zeitgeist here for the fans who will appreciate it, of which I can count myself and probably you too.  A nice surprise and always somewhat unusual to see such clearly derivative yet nonetheless creative and original work in a later release.

I suggest you pay attention to his Dream Worlds:

Back to Jon Eberson in Jive Talking 1981, Polarities 1982

Obviously everyone remembers he was the guitarist in superbrilliant Moose Loose and the equally brilliant one-off LP Blow Out.  Information on the group he thereafter formed, here. They were active from 1981 to 1987 and in that short period put out at least one album per year, with only the first two, or even first one, worth hearing in my opinion. Great example of how progressive fusion became commercialized by smooth sounds and simplicity right after the 1980 turn of the decade discontinuity.

Nonetheless, a lovely track called It Was (singer's voice is Sidsel Endreson):

From the second album, Untitled:

I couldn't bear to listen to the ones that came after, I'm sorry to any fans..