Pork Pie - Transitory 1974

Pork Pie was the fusion band of keyboardist Jasper van't Hof during the 70's with this being the best of their output. This brand of fusion comes with a jazz bent, with the band featuring Charlie Mariano on reeds, J. F. Jenny Clarke on bass and the recently departed Aldo Romano on drums.

The rock element comes from the guitar of Philip Catherine, he of Focus fame, although he has been a vital force in the jazz idiom for several decades.

You cannot review this band without a comment about Mariano. A true innovator, he played with, amoungst others, Charles Mingus before moving to Europe, where he has lived for several decades. His music has encompassed straight jazz, fusion, oriental and he has experimented with a large range of alternative instruments. Here he displays complete command of the nagaswaram, the instrument you can see him playing on the back cover. Most of all he is a lyrical and attractive player.

Not much needs to be said about Catherine, a brilliant guitarist, but I think more at home here in a jazz setting than in a true rock band. Let's face it, Focus were more "prog" than "rock". To amplify my point, listen also to Michael Gibb's "The Only Chrome Waterfall Orchestra"

I have great respect for Romano, more than a percussionist, a fine composer and band leader in his own right. He went on to make many fine but totally overlooked albums, including "Alma Latina", 1983, with Catherine. With the ever present Jenny-Clark on bass, they make a formidible rhythm section.

It must be said that of all the fusion bands that plied their trade in the 70's this is one of the very best and this is one excellent album, with its mix of ambient, jazz and even eastern colours, courtesy of Mariano.

Charlie Mariano - Reeds, flutes
Philip Catherine - Guitars
Jasper van't Hof - Keyboards
J.F. Jenny-Clarke - Bass
Aldo Romano - Drums
Ivanir Do Nascimento - Percussion