A second great performance from the Akioshi/Tabackin Big Band's performance at Newport in 1977 – and one we like even more than the first! The sound here is totally great – hard, focused, and flowing with a magical energy that made this group one of the few large jazz bands to flourish strongly in the 70s. There's almost a Clarke Boland legacy going on here – tightness that's really hard to carry off, but lots of long track that let the key soloist stretch out with boldly-voiced individual tones. Titles include the always-great "Warning Success May Be Hazardous To Your Health" – plus "Road Time Shuffle", "March Of The Tadpoles", and the extended "Minamata" suite. CD

A masterpiece of freeform funk from Mandrill – New York group at the start of the 70s, but one who work here with the best longform jamming styles of the Bay Area scene! The combo draw equal influence from jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – using all elements in a unique hybrid that's all their own – and which really favors instrumental passages more than vocal moments on this debut album – with searing lead guitar from Omar Mesa, next to plenty of organ lines, flute, trumpet, and tenor – all carried with heavy bass and percussion, and peppered with lots of surprises along the way! The whole thing's tremendous – a massively funky first statement from the group – with cuts that include the extended suite "Peace & Love", plus other funky goodies like "Symphonic Revolution", "Rollin' On", "Warning Blues", and "Mandrill". LP, Vinyl record album

A masterpiece of freeform funk from Mandrill – New York group at the start of the 70s, but one who work here with the best longform jamming styles of the Bay Area scene! The combo draw equal influence from jazz, funk, soul, and Latin – using all elements in a unique hybrid that's all their own – and which really favors instrumental passages more than vocal moments on this debut album – with searing lead guitar from Omar Mesa, next to plenty of organ lines, flute, trumpet, and tenor – all carried with heavy bass and percussion, and peppered with lots of surprises along the way! The whole thing's tremendous – a massively funky first statement from the group – with cuts that include the extended suite "Peace & Love", plus other funky goodies like "Symphonic Revolution", "Rollin' On", "Warning Blues", and "Mandrill". CD