Last week the Guardian had a story about a naturalist field recordist named Bernie Krause, a name I hadn’t heard in quite a while. He used to be a musician in California, possibly the first to see the potential of the Moog synthesizer, he introduced both George Harrison and George Martin to it’s potential. He and his partner Paul Beaver, also a synthesist and Hammond B3 organist, released a series of three albums for Warner Bros. starting in 1970, I bought them all, still got ‘em. Paul Beaver died in 1975.
Following up on my recent Ben Webster post, here’s another, this time it’s Gerry Mulligan featured on baritone sax and it’s from Beaver and Krause’s 1971 album, Gandharva [the celestial musician] and was recorded in Grace cathedral in San Francisco.
The title is ‘By Your Grace’. Also heard are Bud Shank on alto, Gail Laughton plays simultaneously two harps and Howard Roberts is on guitar; Krause is on Moog and Beaver plays the cathedral’s pipe organ.
The second cut, from the same album, was also recorded in the cathedral, it’s ‘Short film for David’, that’s Mike Bloomfield and Howard Roberts on guitars and Bud Shank on alto sax with Mulligan on baritone and Laughton again on the harp, plus B&K.
I’ve long thought of introducing the Spill audience to Beaver and Krause, so here we go, hope you think they’re as great as I do.
Surprise, surprise, GF, i absolutely loved them both. Off to find the album. Thanks!
Amy, glad you liked ‘em, Spotty has this album plus one other.
wow – beautiful … I think from the photo I was expecting a sax version of a ’60 wig out – but these are both subtle, understated and contemplative ( the 2nd one getting friskier as it progresses) – I guess I should have thought about that from the cathedral setting – most pleasurable – thanks GF.
Enjoyed these a lot GF and would never have come across them by myself. Thanks.
I like the Moog sound a lot and these stayed just the right side of new age hippy music.
I would say that I’ll look out for the records, but I’ve no idea what section in the record shop to look in!
I also liked these tracks. Weirdly, although I knew the names Beaver and Krause from way back, I’ve never actually heard their work before.
This is probably because I seem to have assumed that they were one of those drippy soft rock duos like Loggins and Messina that Bob Harris used to play all the time.
Shows how wrong you can be.
Mike Bloomfields’ contribution?????
dvdharrer@yahoo.com.au