Frank Wyatt & Friends – Zeitgeist (independent release, 2019)
Zeitgeist is the project of Happy the Man keyboardist and composer Frank Wyatt. It showcases his talent as a composer and arranger. The album features musicians from various Happy The Man stages, as well as members of Happy the Man offshoots Oblivion Sun and Pedal Giant Animals. The participants are all friends that Wyatt has played with over the duration of his career.
Stylistically, Zeitgeist has deep Happy the Man influences, delivering state-of-the-art progressive symphonic rock and high energy jazz-rock fusion crafted with spectacular keyboard and guitar solos plus formidable creative bass work and drums. The last four tracks are part of a mini symphony called Perelandra created with keyboards.
This album has a bittersweet flavor due to Wyatt’s health issues: “The album’s concept turned into a sort of ‘goodbye, or one last swing at it’ as I had been diagnosed with the big ‘C’ and told I was short on time,” says Wyatt. “I had no idea the project would take so long! I’m five years out of warranty now and still kicking. Perhaps the project has been what’s kept me going; I’ve been too stubborn to give up on completing it. I plan more work already… music is great medicine. Recording the music was a great joy, but very difficult to coordinate as everyone performing lives in another state. I was constantly having to put things on hold as one treatment or another made me too sick to function, but the result, I believe, has validated the struggle.”
The lineup includes Frank Wyatt on keyboards; Stan Whitaker on guitars and vocals; Kit Watkins on keyboards; Rick Kennell on bass; Mike Beck on percussion; Cliff Fortney on vocals; Ron Riddle on drums; David Rosenthal on keyboards; Joe Bergamini on drums; Bill Brasso on drums; David Hughes on bass; Chris Mack on drums; Peter Princiotto on Orchestration and Sitar; and Andrew Colyer on keyboards.
The CD booklet features fine artwork by Michael Phipps and detailed notes about each track.
Zeigeist is an impeccable example of progressive rock craftsmanship with epic arrangements and some stellar individual playing.
Buy the CD from Frank Wyatt Music or the download from amazon.