Projo Subterranean Homepage News

American Band: Grand Funk Railroad Live at The Forum Los Angeles, June 2, 1974. Excellent soundboard stereo.

Curiosity: East Of Eden, BBC In Concert 1970. Violin-driven jazz -- from jig to snake-charmer vibe. Worth a listen, although I wouldn't have known what to make of it in 1970.

Weaving Middle-Eastern elements into their music, the group had a hit song called Ramadhan. But what made East Of Eden stand out was their use of the violin as a lead instrument and their willingness to play their own blend of rock-fusion jazz. As mentioned on their website: "Their utilisation of jazz in a much purer form than their contemporaries was the prime element which defined their music. Also use of eastern scales, reggae rhythms and influences of classical composers such as Bartok crossed musical boundaries years before the term 'World Music' was coined."

Too bad it's mono.

The Kingston Trio: John Stewart, left, Bob Shane and Nick Reynolds in 1961.

RIP: John Stewart, who wrote the Monkees' Daydream Believer, was better known as a member of The Kingston Trio, replacing Dave Guard in 1961.. After the trio disbanded in 1967, he released more than two dozen solo albums, including the well-received 1969 California Bloodlines.

Stewart died Saturday in a San Diego hospital after a stroke. He was 68. Here's an obit from the San Francisco Chronicle.

Even better, at the Kingston Trio's news page, is a tribute letter from his longtime friend Tom DeLisle about John, revealing he had been diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's last summer. It's also published, with a very recent photo, at Stewart site Chilly Winds

At YouTube, there's a 2001 video of John Stewart performing another of his songs, (People out there turning music into) "Gold." Other clips are available from that page.

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