Jade Warrior – Eclipse / Fifth Element (Esoteric Recordings, 2023)
Jade Warrior’s legendary 1973 recordings, ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Fifth Element’, have been given a new lease on life with a remastered 2CD edition. The band, which formed in 1970, was among the most innovative to emerge during the early Progressive Rock Era. Jade Warrior included Tony Duhig on guitars, Jon Field on flutes and percussion (both formerly of the psychedelic group July), and Glyn Havard on bass and vocals.
The group expanded with the addition of drummer Allan Price for the ‘Released‘ LP in 1972, as well as for the band’s third album, ‘Last Autumn’s Dream‘. However, it was the 1973 sessions for ‘Eclipse’ that produced enough material for a double album. Despite this, Vertigo declined to release the recordings, leaving several tracks to appear only on various artist samplers.
On this superb 2-disc set, you’ll find all the ingredients that made the band so special and ahead of its time. From intricate, progressive rock and blues guitar to marvelous, relaxed, overdubbed flute work. Jade Warrior pioneered world fusion before the terms world music and world fusion were used, incorporating Japanese and East Asian influences as well as Latin and African rhythms into their music.
Although both albums are genuinely satisfying, one track caught my attention above all, “House of Dreams” on ‘Eclipse.’ This deeply mesmerizing piece sounds like Dead Can Dance years ahead of its time, with captivating distant vocals, exotic resonating gongs and delicate psychedelic guitars. Truly exquisite.
Jade Warrior disbanded following a series of US concerts, with Field and Duhig reforming the band as a duo in 1974. However, both ‘Eclipse’ and ‘Fifth Element’ remained unreleased for many years.
This new Esoteric Recordings edition presents these remarkable long-lost recordings in remastered form as a double CD set, complete with fully restored artwork and an illustrated booklet featuring a new essay. It’s a chance to rediscover the boundary-pushing sounds of Jade Warrior at their most experimental and adventurous, yet accessible.
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