Vinyl Vault: Jade Warrior, "Waves"

This week’s Vinyl Vault will feature a 1975 album from the band Jade Warrior entitled "Waves.” It was the band's fifth studio album and the second of four albums on Island Records. Guitarist Tony Duhig and flutist/percussionist/keyboardist Jon Field were the driving forces behind Jade Warrior. On “Waves,” they were joined by several other musicians, including Steve Winwood of Traffic, who added some piano and synthesizer solos.

The band is often classified as a progressive rock/experimental group. Much of their music fit into the tone-poem category, where the band would spin a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere, but then punctuate it with a contrasting, wild guitar part. On “Waves,” Jade Warrior used that technique a few times, but also grafted a jazz and blues sensitivity onto the proceedings.

Theoretically, “Waves” is a single composition continuously running over both sides of the record. But discreet movements are apparent as the instrumental music tells the story of following a river through the countryside and eventually draining into the ocean, where the listener encounters whales.

Join Geoff Anderson on Tuesday, April 21, at 8:30 p.m. for Jade Warrior on the Vinyl Vault only on KUVO JAZZ.