Arena - Arena (1975) [Reissue 2016]

ARENA was a 70's fusion group of session musicians led by saxophone player Ted WHITE. WHITE was working in the British big band jazz scene until moving to Australia in the 1960s to work in the television industry; eventually he was involved in testing facilities of a new recording studio and for that gathered musicians which created this one-time record which was released with very limited distribution. The record though it's worthwile checking out for fans of 70's influenced somewhat by funk, similar to Herbie HANCOCK as well as occasional later SOFT MACHINE period

A heady set of jazz from the Australian scene of the 70s – a bit funky jazz, a bit harder jamming – and a record that's got a lot more edge than its contemporaries from the European scene! Ted White plays tremendous flute and alto sax here – the latter with a sharply spiritual energy that's quite unexpected, and which gives the record a lot more soul than the usual prog-influenced fusion date of the time – a quality that's even quite different than some of the other Australian jazz material of the 70s – which, when electrified, didn't always hold onto the sharpness of its acoustic properties. Keyboards are from Peter Jones, who's nicely restrained, but makes some great contributions – and the rest of the group features Charlie Gould on guitar, Bob Arrowsmith on bass, and Graham Morgan on percussion and drums. Titles include "Turkish Defunked", "Keith's Mood", "Scrichell Cat", "Journey In Three's", "Scope", "Duke", and "The Long One". © 1996-2020, Dusty Groove, Inc.