TABERNAKEL

While Jan Akkerman's 1974 solo album is a pretty fair showcase of his multi-instrumental talents in a mostly acoustic, indeed almost ancient setting, I must say that he was beaten to the punch by several years by the much more obscure Amazing Blondel with their first 3 Island albums. Moreover, Blondel added glorious harmonies and evocative lyrics to an equally rich musical mixture. Pieces like the galliards and the pavans leave me wondering about other dimensions that may have existed in the music when originally performed - not just the vocals but the dances and the other instrumentation.

Now, Akkerman does venture into areas never explored by the much folkier Blondel, particularly in the lengthy "Lammy" and "House of the King", both of which have a certain appeal but also break with the mood of the recording. The album succeeds best on other tracks that evoke textures and include more participation from the ensemble, the best of these being "Brittania", with participants feeding off and inspiring one another. "Earl of Derby" ups the ante on personal virtuosity and succeeds as such. Unfortunately, the majority of the selections sound more solo-ish and desperately in need of a greater context. Recommended mostly for Focus completists and fans of musical prodigies.