Here's a groovy and enjoyable fusion/prog album that I got as a gift a few years ago. Morpheus were (and still are) a German band playing instrumental jazz rock, with lovely melodies and a nice warm live feel.
Here's their Prog Archives bio, written by Lise:
"The band started out in 1971 as OPOSSUM, a six-member jazz-rock outfit. With time, dissention set in as two of the members wanted to tie the band down to free jazz while the other four wanted to rock. So in 1975, the foursome walked out, regrouped as MORPHEUS* and released a self-produced album titled "Rabenteuer" - a name which combines the German words for "raven" and "adventure", as in "Raventure". Unfortunately, the music had been recorded too slowly, resulting in the whole album being a semitone too low. Despite this, the LP (of which a mere 500 copies had been printed) became a collectors' item. Luckily for us, Garden of Delights has re-released it in CD format, using the original master tapes and making it a point to correct the sound problem. Incredible as it may seem, some 22 years later the whole band has reunited around their guitarist and released a brand new CD titled "For a Second". The band consists of guitarist Gerold Adler, alto sax player Heinrich Holtgreve, bassist Peter Blömeke and drummer Alvaro Tarquino.
"Rabenteuer" is an all-instrumental jazz-rock album with lots of saxophone and bits of flute, similar in style to early KRAAN with perhaps a nod or two to MISSUS BEASTLY. Being partly improvised, the music has an almost 'live' feel to it; it is warm and features great guitar riffing as well as strong melodies. The CD version comprises a bonus track, a terrific 20-minute jam session salvaged from the master tapes. The band's more recent album "For a Second", released in 2002, may sound a bit laid-back in comparison but is still redolent of the old MORPHEUS charm, with plenty of trippy sax and catchy hooks.
Recommended to fans of early KRAAN and GONG as well as to jazz-rock fans who enjoy improvisation.
* Note: not to be confused with a string of metal bands also named MORPHEUS.
: : : Lise (HIBOU), CANADA : : :
"Prog Archives
Official Website
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