Full Moon: Full Moon (1972)
This semi-legendary 1972 album featured Paul Butterfield Blues Band alumni in an early example of the Jazz-Rock fusion that would find greater visibility later in the decade as bands like Weather Report and the Crusaders would release their most successful albums and Steely Dan would create session star-studded records like Katy Lied and Aja.
Full Moon was an album that never garnered mainstream exposure but was influential among musicians, who shared it among themselves.
The musicianship is excellent, the feel is loose, the solos are tasty, and the styles vary from song to song. The rocking opening track “The Heavy Scuffle’s On” evokes Rare Earth, while “To Know”, which follows it, is a gorgeous Tower of Power-like R&B ballad. And so on, each track leaning a bit more toward jazz, or gospel or Miles Davis fusion.
This is one of those albums that hit the cutout bins unjustly. Now is your second chance (or more likely your first) to check out this obscure gem.
Listen to: “The Heavy Scuffle’s On”
Don’t Miss: “To Know”
Listen to: “Take This Winter Out of My Mind”
Listen to: “Midnight Pass”