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Guitarist-composer David Pritchard, who is based in Los Angeles, recorded two of his finest albums for Inner City. Pritchard first gained attention as a member of the Gary Burton Quartet in 1969, touring Europe and getting favorable reviews overseas. After returning to Los Angeles, he formed the jazz/rock fusion group Contraband with keyboardist Pete Robinson. Pritchard spent most of the 1970s contributing to music projects behind the scenes.
In the late 1970s, Pritchard decided that it was time to document his own work. His two Inner City albums (Light-Year and City Dreams) feature him performing high-quality fusion that also hints at New Age, World Music and light funk. Since that time, Pritchard has worked more on acoustic and classical guitars, written classically influenced pieces, formed an acoustic guitar quartet, and become known for creating musical soundscapes utilizing multiple acoustic guitars.
On Light-Year from 1978, Pritchard is joined by Charles Orena on tenor and soprano saxophones and bass clarinet, Ted Saunders on Fender Rhodes electric piano, bassist Larry Klein and drummer Paul Kreibich. Happily, all of the musicians are still active. Orena, who was in Contraband with Pritchard, is the least known but is still playing in the Los Angeles area. He in paritcular is heard at his very best throughout Light-Year.
Light-Year consists of seven Pritchard originals. It is intriguing to hear how the music relates to the guitarist's later work. While there are funky passages and (particularly when Orena is heard on soprano) the influence of Weather Report, there are also stretches where the forward-looking music looks towards the introspective moods and repetitions of New Age while still containing plenty of fire.
“Black Moon” is a nice catchy light fusion piece with fine Orena soprano and atmospheric keyboards from Saunders. The ballad “Hotel Spirit” is a bit spiritual and passionate a la Gato Barbieri and Pharoah Sanders although overall more mellow. “Dry Lake” starts out a bit repetitive, becomes picturesque, and features impressionistic soprano, fluent Larry Klein bass and intriguingly fresh playing from Pritchard on acoustic guitar. “Lightyear” starts quietly but evolves into a heated romp. The jazz waltz “Glider” is, like many of these pieces, episodic with constant development. “Mirage” gives Pritchard an opportunity to display the more rockish side of his playing even as the other musicians set a relaxed background. “Inner Voice” concludes the proceedings by cooling the music down.
Review
"Light-Year is one of David Pritchard's definitive recordings and is a fine transitional album linking together 1970s fusion with some of the contemporary styles heard today." -Scott Yanow
"David Pritchard is a guitarist and composer who worked with Gary Burton in 1969 and the fusion group Contraband in the 1970s. He has since concentrated on creating musical soundscapes utilizing acoustic guitars. Light-Year is one of the two formerly rare Inner City albums that he led in the late 1970s. On this set, Pritchard performs high-quality fusion that also looks ahead at World Music and New Age. His seven originals for the quintet are sometimes funky and influenced by Weather Report, occasionally rockish and always passionate." -Scott Yanow
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