BACKGROUND (Netherlands) no. 59 (August/September 1997), p. 18

Magnetic Oblivion Records, 1997

Ed Macan is an American music teacher who gives young musicians a chance to make some music collectively. He also wrote a book called Rocking the Classics, which is about progressive rock in all its facets–a review of this book will probably be published in the next issue of Background. Ed and some of his students from the College of the Redwoods have recently recorded a CD.

Ed himself plays vibes, piano, marimba, glockenspiel, and tubular bells. He is accompanied by Donald Sweeney on bass guitar and Michael Morris on drums and assorted percussion.

Their music is instrumental and sometimes reminds me of Gentle Giant and The Enid. The lead instruments on the eight tracks here are the marimba and the vibes, which sound very interesting and original . . . Besides some of their own music, they also play "Cheetah" by Darryl Way (ex-Curved Air), "Infinite Space" by Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer, and a classical piece by Gustav Holst, "Mars, the Bringer of War."

The musician who gets most of my credit is drummer Michael Morris. A man with such a talent will certainly make his way in progressive rock . . .

Henri Strik