Keef Hartley Band

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The solo project of John Mayall Blues Breaker drummer Keef Hartley.

IMHO this band should be in icluded in the proto-prog section of PA. I mean, just listen to "Roundabout" and "Theme song" by them on the Legend of a Mind-compliation from Decca.

I also own the Battle of North West Six vinyl from 1969. Since my vinyl-plyer broke over 2 years ago and I haven't bothered getting a new one, it's been a while since I listened to it.
As I remeber it was a bit more conventional than the above mentioned songs but the last track "Belive In You" use the wind instruments quite good.

Any others who have heard of this band, and maybe know a little more about it?

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Frasse Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: November 22 2004 Location: Sweden Status: Offline Points: 758	Topic: Keef Hartley Band Posted: April 26 2006 at 16:59
	The solo project of John Mayall Blues Breaker drummer Keef Hartley. IMHO this band should be in icluded in the proto-prog section of PA. I mean, just listen to "Roundabout" and "Theme song" by them on the Legend of a Mind-compliation from Decca. I also own the Battle of North West Six vinyl from 1969. Since my vinyl-plyer broke over 2 years ago and I haven't bothered getting a new one, it's been a while since I listened to it. As I remeber it was a bit more conventional than the above mentioned songs but the last track "Belive In You" use the wind instruments quite good. Any others who have heard of this band, and maybe know a little more about it?

ANDREW Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: November 21 2005 Location: Italy Status: Offline Points: 3064	Posted: April 26 2006 at 18:17
	After to have played with the Artwoods and with the Bluesbreakers of John Mayall, with which recorded "Crusade" and "Diary Of A Band", drummer Keef Hartley formed in 1969 the Keek Hartley Band with Chris Mercer (Bluesbreakers), Gary Thain (shift worker of the Blue Horizon), the guitarist and singer Miller Anderson, the other guitarist Spit James, the keyboardist Peter Dines and a conduct breaths of section from the jazz-man Henry Lowther. The first album, "Halfbreed", released in 1969, comes welcomed favorable from the critic, impressed from the power of the woodwinds section and from the excellent work by Miller Anderson. On the wave of the success, the group comes invited from the Decca to the festival of Woodstock, while in the same year goes out "The Battle Of North West Six". With the keyboardist Mick Weaver the band published their third album, "The Time Is Near. ..", without doubt the better one of their production. "Overdog" (1971) is instead the first failure, with the blues banished in second plan to favor of a rock watered down and of manner. Hartley seeks to put remedy taking again the live activity with the abbreviation Little Big Band and stretching the organic to Barbara Thompson and to the percussionist Peter York (Spencer Davis Group). The live "Little Big Band" recorded in the June 1971 to the "Marquee", is a disk from the elegant sound. In 1972, with the abandonment of Miller Anderson, the KHB seems to lose the necessary lucidity to find the right balance between blues and rock. Before the separation there will be space for other two mediocre albums: "Seventy Capable Second" (1972) and "Lancashire Hustler" (1973), this last is work of a formation widely reshaped and resents some scarcity of a precise artistic direction.

glass house Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: June 16 2005 Location: Netherlands Status: Offline Points: 4986	Posted: April 28 2006 at 06:07
	Good topic, wasn't familiar with Keef Hartley's music, although interested. Now I know what albums to hunt for.

Dick Heath Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Special Collaborator Jazz-Rock Specialist Joined: April 19 2004 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 12818	Posted: April 28 2006 at 13:00
	I'm dead against the most excellent Keef Hartley Band (solo project - I don't think so either), being included here a proto-prog: 1. Initially a blue rock band who had proggie moments (and then prog of a early UK blues jazz rock type) - but then I would suggest their first album Halfbreed is not prog, owing more to the blues of John Mayall in its various ways. The second and third albums suggest more of the progressive music of the period - but Paul Jones on his BBC 2 blues programme came up with a live Keef Hartley Band recording, (circa 1970 or 71) which had all the hallmarks of jazz oriented blues. 2. *Halfbreed* - an album I know very well, having had the original Deram vinyl and one of the handful of CD issues - post dates ITCOCK. 3. Maybe we need a blues prog subsection.

salmacis Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Content Addition Joined: April 10 2005 Status: Offline Points: 3928	Posted: April 28 2006 at 15:15
	I'm for Keef Hartley's inclusion- though DEFINITELY not under 'proto prog'. I'd say, despite your understandable reservations Dick, that 'jazz rock fusion' suits the band fairly well- 'The Time Is Near' and 'Overdog' are two very fine examples of the genre, and are akin to a UK version of Blood Sweat and Tears. I'd still say 'Halfbreed' is their peak recording though... I'd be up for a 'prog blues' section; the idea was discussed by Certif1ed a while back, and people like myself and Sean Trane agreed that it was a viable idea. Bands like KHB, Ten Years After, Bakerloo etc. would fit well under that banner, imo.

bsurmano Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Reviewer page Forum Senior Member Joined: July 13 2005 Location: Croatia Status: Offline Points: 452	Posted: April 28 2006 at 18:02
	KEEF HARTLEY BAND should be included in Prog Archives; in my opinion there are two options possible: a) under already existing 'jazz rock/fusion' (where we have simmilar Colosseum) or a new one 'prog blues rock' which would enable induction of some other great bands like already mentioned Bakerloo, Ten Years After, Cream, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac etc.
	'Sundown,yellow moon, I replay the past I know every scene by heart, they all went by so fast..... Either I'm too sensitive or else I'm gettin' soft.' Bob Dylan