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While David Pritchard today often creates musical soundscapes with his overdubbed acoustic guitars, in the late 1970s, he was a passionate fusion guitarist. He recorded two albums for Inner City (Light- Year and City Dreams) that ranked with some of the best fusion of the time, while hinting at future types of fusions of styles.
Pritchard had already been an important musician for a decade. He has spent much of his life in the Los Angeles area. In 1969 he toured Europe with the Gary Burton Quartet as a successor to Larry Coryell in the pacesetting band. While he led the fusion group Contraband with keyboardist Pete Robinson, much of his career in the 1970s was spent behind the scenes, doing sessions and contributing in an anonymous role to many projects.
The guitarist's Inner City debut Light-Year gave him some attention, and City Dreams added to the momentum. While electric bassist Larry Klein and Charles Orena (heard on tenor and soprano) return, the lineup of musicians on City Dreams is otherwise different than on the previous set. Patrice Rushen, who has had a long career as an r&b and jazz keyboardist who also sings, has long been popular in Southern California. Chester Thompson and Mike Joachum split the drum chair, and Bruce Malament adds color on synthesizer. Once again, all of the selections were composed by the guitarist.
A special treat is that the great trumpeter Freddie Hubbard is a guest on two selections, taking blazing solos on “Hog Futures” and “Black And White.” At the time, Hubbard was arguably the top trumpeter in jazz, being very distinctive no matter what the setting, and always adding both fire and warmth.
“As Day And Night” is an excellent showcase for Pritchard's guitar, which sounds unlike anyone else. “The ballad “Angel's Flight” has a strong opening statement by Orena on tenor, a bass solo, and some rockish guitar. The longest performance, “Bright Depths,” features some fiery moments, particularly when Charles Orena has a flight on soprano, but it also evolves through several moods, giving the musicians an opportunity to stretch out, including the guitarist.
Review
"Although his career would go in different directions in future years, David Pritchard on City Dreams staked his claim as a significant guitarist-composer of the late 1970s fusion scene.
"David Pritchard today utilizes overdubbed acoustic guitars to create intriguing musical soundscapes. In the late 1970s as an electric fusion guitarist, he recorded two excellent albums for the Inner City label. City Dreams, which followed Light-Year, features such sidemen as Charles Orena on tenor and soprano, keyboardist Patrice Rushen and Bruce Malament on synthesizer. A special bonus is having the great trumpeter Freddie Hubbard taking blazing solos on two numbers. Pritchard is at his best on “As Day And Night” and the lengthy “Bright Depths.” -Scott Yanow
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