Tuesday 5 January 2016

Dale Jacobs Group Live at Puccini's in 197?




A stunningly original and well-written set of fusion, keyboards-based instrumental compositions by this unique Canadian talent.  

From the discogs bio:
Vancouver-based keyboardist, author and producer of film-scores, radio specials and live performance sound. Dale Jacobs is also a designer of electronic equiment, truly fascinated with the world of synthesizer.

Sadly, there are only two records from him from this period both of which will appear in these pages-- I am ignoring the unlikely to be listenable 1989 album.  
(Plus, as it turns out, one hard-to-find and mysteriously rare LP called "Tropical Show" from 1978-- it will be interesting to see if that ever surfaces.)

There is some argument as to what year this Live at Puccinis was released.  When you listen to it, I am myself a bit sceptical that it could have been created and recorded in 1971 considering how advanced the sounds are with a full complement of fusion's best tricks in the tracks.  Nonetheless the costumes of the artists on the cover clearly look early 70s.

One of my favourites languidly creates a long and wonderfully evocative phrase with the synths and is called "It's Only the Perfect Love," it seems a bit indebted to the old jazz standard "My one and only love," but of course goes light years beyond it:





And this god-given inspired performance closes out with one last look at summer, long a distant memory for us here in the frigid, snow-snafu'ed Northern hemisphere:





Wow.

Sadly, Dale died of lung cancer in the year 2000 in California.  Requiescat in pace; another genius forgotten by his companions on earth...











8 comments:

  1. https://www.sendspace.com/pro/dl/cmtos3

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  2. strong provenance here -
    http://advancedaudio-europe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=131&sid=aadd3c1acf213f73409ae53be64d0aa9#.VoxlnOQrGUl

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  3. Thanks quimsy ;-)

    http://quimsy.blogspot.co.uk/2008/05/dale-jacobs.html

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  4. Very nice...and I see Quimsy is out and about. Good to see you.

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  5. I live in Vancouver and gig with Brian Harrison, the bass player, once in a while. I'll ask him when this was recorded.

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    1. very cool! there's another issue, if you can find any information regarding their last release which we've been hunting for years without success "Tropical Show":
      http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Pop_Encyclopedia/J/Jacobs_Dale.html
      thanks a million...

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  6. 1976 anyways, cuz it has the CBC olympic theme on it and Canada (montreal) hosted the games that year. there's a copy for sale right now on ebay.

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  7. Have this Album some where gonna dig it out again nice post :)

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