Gryphon

by Bruce EderThe group's debut album. They were still a quartet at the time, without a full-time keyboard player. The material is essentially progressive folk-rock, elements of jazz and swing ("Over the Rainbow" even turns up interpolated in the arrangement of one number) juxtaposed with traditional folk songs ("The Unquiet Grave," ka "Dives and Lazarus"), works attributed to Henry VIII, and folk-style originals. Brian Gulland's and Richard Harvey's bassoon, krumhorn, and recorders are the dominant instruments. The instrumental tracks tend to overwhelm the tiny handful of vocal numbers, sung by Gulland, guitarist Graeme Taylor, and drummer David Oberle.