Matrix-Tale Of The Whale (1979)

Matrix was another of the many second-tier American jazz-rock bands that released four interesting albums between 1976 and 1981. Hailing from Appleton, Wisconsin, their origins date back to 1974, specifically to Lawrence University, where four of its members were students. These were trumpeters and players of other instruments such as percussion and keyboards: Larry Darling, Jeff Pietrangelo, Mike Hale, and Kurt Dietrich. Along with the additions of Michael Bard (saxophone), Randall Fird (bass), Tony Wagner (drums), John Harmon (keyboards), and Fred Sturm (trombone), they gained considerable recognition by participating in various prestigious jazz festivals, such as Monterey and Newport. After two commendable albums clearly oriented towards the brass-rock style that linked them to Blood, Sweat & Tears; Following "Matrix" (1976) and "Wizard" (1978), in 1979, under the Warner Bros. label, they released their best work, "Tale of the Whale", a much more conventional and accessible album aimed at a wider audience. Ambient sounds reminiscent of smooth jazz, new age, and funk jazz-rock vibes are present in most of the tracks on this third album, which features the brilliant jazz fusion "Narouz", the ambient "Nessim" and the title track, the funky "The Fly", and the soaring "Galadriel".

Kaleidon-Free Love (1973)

The excellent Italian pianist Stefano Sabatini founded the Kaliedon project in the early seventies, a brilliant experiment that, despite going largely unnoticed, is a noteworthy work focused on free jazz and low-key jazz-rock, primarily due to the absence of an electric guitar. Its origins date back to the end of the previous decade when Sabatini himself led a psychedelic pop band called Free Love. However, a tragic car accident claimed the lives of two of the musicians, leaving Sabatini seriously injured. Years later, Sabatini formed a new band, which he named Kaliedon, recruiting Massimo Balla (saxophone and flute), Franco Tallarita (bass), and Giovanni Liberti (drums), while Sabatini himself handled the keyboards and electric piano. Their only release, titled "Free Love" as a tribute to his former band and released in 1973, is a true reflection of jazz driven by the sounds of the saxophone and electric piano. Composed of a series of elegant pieces of melodic jazz such as the homonymous "Free Love", the melancholic "Inverno'43" or the jazz fusion "Polvere", demonstrating in all of them the instrumental talent of Sabatini, one of the outstanding keyboardists of European jazz.

Arkus-1914 (1981)

Arkus is a Dutch band that has the distinction of being one of the very first to release a neo-progressive album, a subgenre that emerged in the early 1980s. Formed in the late 1970s by guitarist and singer Frans Smits, bassist John Bouman, drummer Erik Van Duin, keyboardist Jan-Henk Wiggerlinkhuizen, and guitarist Ron Willems, their debut album, "1914", was recorded and released privately by the band and is based on the writings of the renowned Dutch author Bert Voeten. This record is an effective example of early neo-progressive rock, featuring a repertoire full of catchy and cohesive melodies. However, the band's style leans more towards the atmospheric and melodic sounds of late 1970s progressive rock than the pastoral and theatrical style of the early 1970s.

Christmas-Christmas (1970)

Christmas was an excellent Canadian avant-garde psychedelic rock band formed in Ontario in late 1969. Created from the ashes of another Canadian band called Reign Ghost, it consisted of guitarist and singer Bob Bryden, vocalist Lynda Squire, and percussionist Helge Ritcher. However, some time later, Lynda Squire was replaced by guitarist Robert Bulger and bassist Tyler Reizanne, a lineup that solidified and went on to record several highly regarded albums. After a respectable debut release titled "Heritage," they released their best effort, this self-titled work, which, despite a truly horrendous cover, managed to create a record worthy of the best Canadian acid and psychedelic rock bands of the era. Here, the band delivers everything from psychedelic passages like the opening track "Just Suppose," to progressive exercises like "Christmas," and hypnotic experimental endeavors like "Jungle Fabulous," a sublime epic where they unleash their brilliant compositional and instrumental creativity.

Jane-Jane At Home Live (1977)

“Jane at Home Live” is another of those fantastic double live albums released in the 1970s, this one specifically from the legendary German band Jane, a vigorous group that during that decade moved between a fusion of classic rock with hard rock influences and elements of progressive rock. On their early albums, their progressive roots led them to create two superb works: “Together” (1972) and “Here We Are” (1973). On their third and fourth albums, “Jane III” (1974) and “Lady” (1975), they veered towards blues rock and more conventional classic rock, before returning to the progressive path with their next album, “Fire, Water, Earth & Fire” (1976), an effective and excellent concept album. The material for this double live album was captured from the tour following their last concert. In it, the German band delivers an intense and powerful performance of some of their most emblematic songs, such as the space rock epics "Windows", "Hangman", and "Daytime", interwoven with other sublime, avant-garde compositions of hard rock and blues rock. The album also showcases the immense skill of keyboardist Manfred Wieczorke and extraordinary guitarist Klaus Hess. "Live At Home" reflects everything from the virtuosity of its members to the immense instrumental creativity of their powerful progressive rock, as well as the band's remarkable ability to seamlessly transition from highly complex pieces to simpler structures.