Cool Cleveland Sounds
About six months ago, the Winchester in Lakewood hosted the Cleveland Progressive Rock Fusion Fest. Five local bands of the progressive stripe teamed up for a night to showcase their talents. One act that wasn't on the bill was the one that probably influenced them all, Youngstown's Glass Harp (guitarist Phil Keaggy, bassist Daniel Pecchio and drummer John Sferra). Since bursting into the public's musical consciousness thirty-some years ago, Glass Harp as a unit has been sporadic at best, although Stark Raving Jams should make up for some of that lost time and space. A three disc, 39 "song" extravaganza, the material is taken from a variety of sources and varies all over the place when it comes to quality audio. Only six songs clock in over eight minutes, but luckily one of them is "Changes," the closest thing the band ever had to a hit record on the radio. Recorded at the Beachland Ballroom back in March of 2003, one has to wonder who is more into the song unfolding, the crowd or the band. "California Jam '72" is an elder war horse that comes on hard and heavy as "Flying Harp Bolero" gives the project a Mexicali touch for a hair over five minutes. Home demo "Dit Dit Dit" has an octagon of styles, while "Drum & Plastic Thing" presents Sferra a reason to sweat the skins. "The Trilogy" is Stark Raving Jam's extended presentation, with the rhythm section keeping the bottom solid as Keaggy picks his way, going through more phases than the late Timothy Leary ever had. A lot of the "songs" included here are snippets from various sound checks, which give you an idea what virtuosos the three could be without drawing more than one of the ideas out to their final conclusion. For that reason, Stark Raving Jams will be a mixed bag to some music fans in the audience. Nevertheless, it is all good in the neighborhood and, though Keaggy has gone on to his Christian rock, Pecchio to Michael Stanley and beyond and Sferra to the Motion, Stark Raving Jams is an honest illustration of what started Glass Harp on the road as an influence to many musicians who followed the path they started. from Cool Cleveland contributor Peanuts hostofthenorthcoast@yahoo.com
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Stark Raving Jams
Glass Harp
GH Records
About six months ago, the Winchester in Lakewood hosted the Cleveland Progressive Rock Fusion Fest. Five local bands of the progressive stripe teamed up for a night to showcase their talents. One act that wasn't on the bill was the one that probably influenced them all, Youngstown's Glass Harp (guitarist Phil Keaggy, bassist Daniel Pecchio and drummer John Sferra). Since bursting into the public's musical consciousness thirty-some years ago, Glass Harp as a unit has been sporadic at best, although Stark Raving Jams should make up for some of that lost time and space. A three disc, 39 "song" extravaganza, the material is taken from a variety of sources and varies all over the place when it comes to quality audio. Only six songs clock in over eight minutes, but luckily one of them is "Changes," the closest thing the band ever had to a hit record on the radio. Recorded at the Beachland Ballroom back in March of 2003, one has to wonder who is more into the song unfolding, the crowd or the band. "California Jam '72" is an elder war horse that comes on hard and heavy as "Flying Harp Bolero" gives the project a Mexicali touch for a hair over five minutes. Home demo "Dit Dit Dit" has an octagon of styles, while "Drum & Plastic Thing" presents Sferra a reason to sweat the skins. "The Trilogy" is Stark Raving Jam's extended presentation, with the rhythm section keeping the bottom solid as Keaggy picks his way, going through more phases than the late Timothy Leary ever had. A lot of the "songs" included here are snippets from various sound checks, which give you an idea what virtuosos the three could be without drawing more than one of the ideas out to their final conclusion. For that reason, Stark Raving Jams will be a mixed bag to some music fans in the audience. Nevertheless, it is all good in the neighborhood and, though Keaggy has gone on to his Christian rock, Pecchio to Michael Stanley and beyond and Sferra to the Motion, Stark Raving Jams is an honest illustration of what started Glass Harp on the road as an influence to many musicians who followed the path they started. from Cool Cleveland contributor Peanuts hostofthenorthcoast@yahoo.com(:divend:)