National Health-Of Queues And Cures (1978)

With this album by National Health, the golden age of the Canterbury sound practically came to an end, a movement that had emerged a decade earlier thanks to such emblematic bands as Soft Machine, Caravan, Egg, and Hatfield and the North, among others. National Health was a latecomer to this movement, formed in the mid-seventies, and after several releases, they ceased to exist shortly after the start of the eighties. With a musical style where their influences from jazz-rock and classical music are more than evident, their three releases are considered masterpieces of the genre. In 1978, they released their second full-length album, "Of Queues and Cures", curiously released in the same year as their debut album, but nine months later. Formed by four excellent musicians with extensive experience Dave Stewart (organ and keyboards), Phil Miller (guitar), John Greaves (bass), and Pip Pyle (drums) all former members of some of the greatest British bands of all time, such as Khan, Egg, Matching Mole, Hatfield and the North, and Gong, this splendid album ranges from tracks bordering on free jazz rock, like the frenetic "The Bryden Two-Step (For Amphibians)", to experimental pieces such as the dark "Squarer for Maud", and including exciting and dynamic musical exercises like "Dreams Wide Awake" and "Binoculars". Undoubtedly one of the most important works of the Canterbury scene, this album transcends the boundaries of avant-garde and jazz rock, taking us on a musical journey as exceptional as it is unique.

Gentle Giant-Interview (1976)

"Interview", released in 1976, was Gentle Giant's eighth studio album, published at a crucial moment for the British band as they faced the difficult task of surpassing the previous year's landmark album, "Free Hand". For this recording, the band comprised of regulars Ray and Derek Shulman, Gary Green, Kerry Minnear, and John Weathers crafted a less glorious and ingenious work, despite containing some memorable moments. Comfortably settled in their progressive rock zone with classical and medieval influences, Gentle Giant introduced new elements such as modern digital synthesizers and added new rhythms, as demonstrated in the reggae track "Give It Back", a sophisticated cut whose immense complexity puts most artists of the genre to shame. On the other hand, the title track is a surprising rhythmic composition with a great interplay between the organ, electric piano, and Gentle Giant's signature vocals. The avant-garde "Design" or the dynamism of "Another Show" are those new sounds we alluded to earlier, while "Lost My Head" along with the aforementioned "Interview" are the highlights of this album, if not in purely creative terms, but in the brilliant instrumental execution, which are among the best in the group's career.

Brainchild-Healing Of The Lunatic Owl (1970)

Another interesting band with a single album and short career was the British group Brainchild, a group that moved between brass rock, akin to contemporary bands like Blood, Sweat & Tears or If, and progressive jazz rock. Considered a cult band today, this group originated in London in the early 1970s with Harvey Coles (bass, vocals), Bill Edwards (guitar, vocals), Dave Miller (drums), Chris Jennings (organ, piano), Brian Wilshaw (saxophone, flute), and Lloyd Williams (trumpet and trombone). Their only release was on the A&M Records label, an album where the heavy sounds of brass jazz fused with evocative rock melodies, infused with psychedelic and avant-garde elements, making it one of the best examples of British jazz rock. "Healing Of The Lunatic Owl" is one of those obscure and forgotten albums that showcases excellent instrumental jazz-rock prowess, in which everything from music hall to complex progressive jazz arrangements is endorsed in a series of high-quality pieces such as the bluesy jazz "Hide From The Dawn" and "Two Bad Days", the fusion "Autobiography", the rock "She's Learning", the jazz-rock epic "A Time a Place", the pastoral "Sadness Of A Moment" or the jazzy and cheerful music hall "The Cage".

Alas-Alas (1976)

Alas was a refined and elegant Argentine progressive jazz-rock band with certain Creole folk influences. Led by multi-instrumentalist Gustavo Morettom, a renowned musician in his country's jazz scene, he joined forces with bassist Alex Zucker and percussionist Carlos Riganti to found Alas in mid-1975. A year after their formation, they released their debut album, a work acclaimed by the specialized media in their country. After this first release, bassist Pedro Aznar replaced Zucker, and with this new lineup, they recorded their second album, "Pinta tu Aldea" (Paint Your Village), an album more oriented towards progressive and symphonic sounds. Focusing on their debut album, Alas managed to create a work full of expressive and impetuous compositions within a jazz fusion context. The nods to the progressive rock of Triumvirat or Emerson, Lake & Palmer are reflected in the rich sounds emanating from the Hammond organ and the mini-Moog, the powerful bass, and a highly technical and dynamic drum performance. Excellent examples of progressive jazz, such as "Buenos Aires solo es Piedra", or clear fusion dynamics with the grandiose "La muerte contó el Dinero", in which they approach Italian lyrical and progressive rock, constitute a remarkable work of jazz-rock that has nothing to envy in iconic works from North America or Europe.

Blues Image-Open (1970)

Blues Image was founded during the heyday of the great American country rock groups, sharing the stage with Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, and Poco. Formed in Florida in 1966 around guitarist Mike Pinera, Kent Henry (guitar), Joe Lala (vocals and percussion), Frank Konte (keyboards), Malcolm Jones (bass), and Manuel Bertematti (drums), they achieved their first and only international success in 1970 with their album "Open" and the hit single "Ride Captain Ride". Prior to this, they had released their self-titled debut album, "Blues Image" (1969), which had garnered them some international recognition. After this second album, the group experienced instability due to frequent lineup changes, despite releasing another album in 1970, "Red White & Blues Image", which went largely unnoticed. Pinera later joined Iron Butterfly, and the band finally dissolved in 1970. Blue Image has remained one of the great unjustly forgotten groups of North American West Coast music.