Joe Beck - Nature Boy 1969

Studio and session guitarist Joe Beck was well known for hits when backing vocalist Esther Phillips on Kudu in the '70s, although his session credentials over the years also included the likes of Miles Davis, James Brown, Paul Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Gil Evans. During the '80s he made a series of competent fusion and pop-jazz recordings for DMP and had a big hit recording with Dave Sanborn on CTI in 1975. His career continued into the '90s and beyond with albums like 1991's Relaxin', 1997's Alto, and his 2000 collaboration with Jimmy Bruno, Polarity. Beck was active throughout most of the new millennium’s first decade with recordings on a variety of labels, including a number of CDs on Whaling City Sound, such as 2002's Just Friends, 2007's Tri07, 2008's Coincidence (a duo recording with John Abercrombie), and 2009's Golden Earrings. The latter album, featuring Beck and singer Laura Theodore performing music made famous by singer Peggy Lee, proved to be Beck’s final recording -- the guitarist was diagnosed with lung cancer soon after work on Golden Earrings had been completed and died from complications of the disease in July 2008 at age 62. AMG.

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The Dimensions - From All Dimensions 1966

Not an original bone in their body on this 1966 album of 12 covers, but The Dimensions did a good job as aspiring Rolling Stones. Killer versions of "Carol" and "Do You Love Me" highlight this timepiece, with the kind of crudely amplified raw guitars and frenetic drums that could not be reproduced by the most exacting current scientific methods. AMG.

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Bob Welch - Bob Welch with Head West 1970

Head West is a self-titled album released in 1970 by the American band Head West, who were based in Paris, France. The band are best known today for their vocalist/guitarist Bob Welch, who went on to join Fleetwood Mac in 1971. Since 1973, by which time Welch had become more well-known, the album was repackaged as more of a solo album, credited to Bob Welch with Head West. Singles were also released but with little success.

After Head West had split up, organist Bobby Hunt toured with Fleetwood Mac and as a back up keyboard player for Christine McVie in 1974. After Welch had left Fleetwood Mac, he and Hunt recorded demos for Warner Bros. which were then developed into the Paris power trio project.

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Guns and Butter - Guns and Butter 1972

Jeff Lyons (vocals), Peter Cohen (bass),Paul Cohen (guitar) and Peter Tucker (drums) have been fooling around since their early teens. In 1970 Richard Ploss (sax, flute) joined the band, nad the band took the name Guns And Butter. In the summer of the same year, Lenny Federer, classically trained violinist started jamming wit them and soon joined the band, which found a new musical direction.

The music of this bizarre Boston-based combo is a mixture of classical music, radio friendly rock, jazz-rock, blues and many other things: they released one album (in 1972) before falling into obscurity. The music of Guns and Butter is well worth checking, especially if a listener is into early eclectic artists, like East of Eden.

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