HANNIBAL

4.5 stars. Man this album just hits all the right notes for me I guess you could say. While the bio here says HANNIBAL formed from the ashes of BAKERLOO I'll not dispute that only saying that BAKERLOO's only album was done by a trio with one guest and none of those 4 musicians are on HANNIBAL's only album. They are a six piece with a vocalist, drummer, bassist, guitarist and horn player. The organ player Bill Hunt adds French horn and he will join ELO after this band disbanded in 1971. Yes this record was released in 1970 and it's a very consistent record, I mean I like every song here. The bio says this is horn rock? No is my opinion. There's no blasting horns here and when we get horns they are often dissonant and adventerous not just blasting away like CHICAGO and others. Adrian the guitarist is fantastic and he composed all the music except for the closer which was a group effort.

"Look Upon Me" the opener is my least favourite but it's still good. Inventive horns on this one after 3 minutes while the guitar takes the spotlight early on. "Winds Of Change" is about a breakup of sorts as he sings "Goodbye my friend..." on the chorus. Some emotional vocals here. The last four tracks are simply amazing beginning with "Bend For A Friend" with those steady beats and guitar to start as a horn and organ come and go. Some fuzz on that guitar before 3 minutes. He can play! A change at 5 minute as it gets jazzy. Slow paced organ a minute later then an adventerous horn solo.

"1066" is about being a servant and working really hard. A determined bluesy vibe to start with vocals. He has such character to his singing. Such a cool chorus too. Nice drum work around 4 minutes as the bass throbs. "Wet Legs" is such a good track with pulsating organ that is outstanding before 3 minutes. "Winter" is something I am thinking about right now in Canada even if I am about a five hour drive from Canada's southern most point. I love it here. But yeah like he sings, winter brings me down too and I'm not a fan of driving in the snow or dealing with the cold but I am so thankful to live here.

Some incredible Jazz Rock here from the UK that I will treasure. Again that singer really adds to the recording with his character filled voice.

Hannibal was a short-lived jazzrock band from England that morphed into existence from the band Bakerloo. Their sole, self-titled album featured jazzy rock with horns, similar to early Chicago and Blood Sweat and Tears. Hannibal, however, did have their own style within the genre. They leaned more heavily on the "rock" end of jazzrock. That's not to say that Hannibal did not have any jazz chops, they did, especially sax/clarinet player Cliff Williams and guitarist Adrian Ingram.

The album starts out with its weakest number, "Look Upon Me," which is a more straightforward brass rock attempt at a radio single. Not a bad song, but fairly generic. The remainder of the LP takes a rockier, and sometimes jazzier, direction. Williams lays down some excellent, jazzy soling at various junctures, and the band's playing is tight. Jack Griffits' bass and John Parkes' drums are high in the mix, providing a bottom-heavy groove for each track. Alex Boyce provides soulful, and sometimes animated, vocals which fits the music beautifully. Ingram's guitar work is very impressive on various tracks. His soloing jumps from jazzy to bluesy, often seamlessly within the same solo. At his jazziest, he reminds me at times of the late, great Alan Holdsworth. Yes, he is that good. Maybe not as good as Holdswoth, but Ingram had a similar soloing style, and was an astounding player in his own right.

The band would not last long after this release, their only album, but at least we have this gem from 1970 to listen back to. Not a very progressive effort, but a nice example of early jazz fusion from the UK. 4 stars.