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Caravan

Caravan was formed in Canterbury, England in 1968 by Pye Hastings (guitar/ vocals), Dave Sinclair (keyboards), Richard Sinclair (bass/vocals) and Richard Coughlan (drums).

The four had previously played at various times with a local band, The Wilde Flowers, which also featured Kevin Ayers and future Soft Machine members Robert Wyatt and Hugh Hopper.

Caravan was the first UK act to sign with American label MGM/ Verve and their debut album, entitled ‘Caravan’ was released late in 1968. It was favourably received by the critics and the debut single, Place of My Own was described as having a ‘gripping compulsion’ with ‘scintillating organ work’. John Peel played the album regularly on his radio show ‘Top Gear’.

A second album saw a move from Verve, as they had closed down their rock/pop division and Decca took up the cause. September 1970 was the release date for ‘If I Could Do It All Over Again, I’d Do It All Over You’. At this time relationships within the band were strong. They got on well and they looked on course to succeed as a band.

Still together as a unit, the band recorded ‘In the Land of Grey and Pink’ which was released in September 1971. By now a loyal fan base was developing and they were playing some prestigious gigs, for example in front of 250,000 in Rotterdam. The album was described as ‘virtually faultless’ and the band looked set fair for national and international recognition. At this crucial point, Dave Sinclair decided to leave. As Pye Hastings explained, ‘Dave was developing faster than the rest of us and I think he was getting frustrated at seeing other bands of dubious talent getting greater financial reward. The management must have been beside themselves: the band were getting somewhere, a new album is released and the main player decides he is off.’

Steve Miller came in as a replacement for Dave: he had been recommended to Richard Sinclair by Phil, Steve’s guitarist brother. This line up did not go down so well with fans who saw a change to a jazzier feel based around Steve’s piano- orientated keyboards. This style dominated the next album release, Waterloo Lily, released in May 1972. No longer was Dave’s unique keyboard sound – based around his Hammond organ – in evidence. Even Pye’s older brother Jimmy Hastings appeared to be surplus to requirements, appearing only on ‘Love in Your Eye’ on sax and flute, the bulk of this work going to Lol Coxhill.

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Building a Jazz Library

Caravan in 37 dischi

Read "Caravan in 37 dischi" reviewed by Maurizio Comandini


Impressionante. Questa è la prima parola che ci viene in mente per Who Do You Think You Are?, uno dei cofanetti più esaustivi della produzione discografica legata al rock. 35 CD, un DVD, un disco Blu-ray. Un volume di grande formato con circa 150 pagine riccamente illustrate, decina e decina di memorabilia legate alla storia dei Caravan sin dai primi timidi tentativi di emergere nel 1968, dopo aver cambiato il nome da Wilde Flowers a Caravan. Ci sono le riproduzioni ...

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Extended Analysis

Who Do You Think We Are?

Read "Who Do You Think We Are?" reviewed by John Kelman


Trying to find a distinct definition of what has come to be known as “The Canterbury Sound" is as elusive as attempting to describe what, in the jazz world, has become an overused epithet for the German ECM Records label and “The ECM Sound." Attempts to do so usually fail short because, rather than being actual truths, their broad brushstrokes invariably miss the mark, even if they are sometimes not entirely incorrect. That said, Caravan has long been ...

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Recording

Pianist Markos Chaidemenos New Album 'Caravan' — Available now!

Pianist Markos Chaidemenos New Album 'Caravan' — Available now!

Source: Markos Chaidemenos

Markos Chaidemenos is a jazz musician who discovered his love for piano at the age of 16 (2005) and his passion for jazz at the age of 22. Although he earned his first bachelor at Informatics & Telecommunications in National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, he never worked in the field. After Chaidemenos mastered the classical piano in Athina Conservatory, he completed his jazz piano studies in 2,5 years at Praxis Conservatory. He then received a masters degree in Jazz ...

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Recording

2nd CD "Caravan" Released By Dave Chamberlain's Band Of Bones

2nd CD "Caravan" Released By Dave Chamberlain's Band Of Bones

Source: David Chamberlain

Caravan, the latest release by Dave Chamberlain's Band of Bones, is getting considerable airplay around the country following its March release. As of May 2, it has climbed to #26 on the Jazz Week charts! Featured as guest artists are STEVE TURRE and Hendrik Meurkens. Turre contributes an original composition, “V.O.", and plays both shells and trombone on it. Meurkens plays harmonica on his tune “Slidin'." Latin-jazz is represented strongly by the tunes “Manteca", “Caravan", “Sway (Quien Sera)", “El Grito ...

Festival

Rosfest 2014 Lineup To Feature Prog Legends Caravan, Beardfish, Collage, Sound Of Contact, Clepsydra And Others

Rosfest 2014 Lineup To Feature Prog Legends Caravan, Beardfish, Collage, Sound Of Contact, Clepsydra And Others

Source: Glass Onyon PR - Keith James

Gettysburg, PA - The most anticipated music festival of 2014, the legendary RoSfest, will take place this year May 2-4, 2014, and will feature progressive rock icons Caravan, Beardfish, Collage, Clepsydra, Sound Of Contact and others! The Rites of Spring Festival, or RoSfest as it's commonly called, is an annual progressive rock festival held every spring in Gettysburg, PA. RoSfest is in its 11th year, and are thrilled to be presenting UK prog icons Caravan, who has not performed in ...

Recording

Italian Prog Ensemble Sarastro Blake Release Debut Cd Featuring Members Of Yes, Caravan, Greenslade, Alan Parsons Project And Steve Hackett Band

Italian Prog Ensemble Sarastro Blake Release Debut Cd Featuring Members Of Yes, Caravan, Greenslade, Alan Parsons Project And Steve Hackett Band

Source: Glass Onyon PR - Keith James

Italy – Prog music enthusiasts worldwide are buzzing with excitement about the debut release by Italian ensemble Sarastro Blake titled 'New Progmantics'. Sarastro Blake is a new musical project which takes its inspiration from the Alan Parsons Project as a band format, meaning it revolves around a few selected musicians, plus other special guests who are chosen for their specific talent and for certain songs. Featuring prog legends Rick Wakeman (YES), Richard Sinclair (Caravan/Hatfield & The North), Nick Magnus (Steve ...

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Festival

DMB Chicago Caravan Adds Moe. Umph, YMSB, Cornmeal

DMB Chicago Caravan Adds Moe. Umph, YMSB, Cornmeal

Source: JamBase

SINGLE DAY AND 3-DAY GA TICKETS AND VIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE NOW The second Dave Matthews Band Caravan in Chicago has added moe., Umphrey's McGee, Yonder Mountain String Band, and Cornmeal to the three-day lineup set for Chicago's Lakeside on July 8-10. Located on Chicago's south shore of Lake Michigan, just a short distance from downtown, the Chicago stop will feature a full set by headliner Dave Matthews Band each night along with a diverse line-up of artists on three different ...

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Festival

1st Dave Matthews Band Caravan in Atlantic City, Lineup, Dates

1st Dave Matthews Band Caravan in Atlantic City, Lineup, Dates

Source: JamBase

LIPS, LAMONTAGNE, MARLEY AND MORE JOIN DMB

The first Dave Matthews Band Caravan will take place at Bader Field in Atlantic City, NJ on June 24th, 25th, 26th. The three-day festival will feature Dave Matthews Band performing a full set each night in one of only four U.S. locales where you'll be able to catch the band this year. Joining the Caravan, an array of diverse musical talent will perform on three stages.

Three-day tickets, VIP Packages, hotel rooms and ...

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Recording

New Release: Lisa Engelken - Caravan

New Release: Lisa Engelken - Caravan

Source: Riffs on Jazz by John Anderson

Lisa Engelken is trying to seduce you, and with her latest CD, she no doubt will succeed. Caravan takes us on a journey through the sometimes bumpy territory of love. The first tune, “We'll Be Together Again," starts as a sad goodbye between lovers but quickly kicks into an uptempo “see you later" - and so the roller coaster ride begins. Engelken displays a similar playfulness in both vocals and song choices throughout. After a little samba break, the Duke Ellington ...

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Event

DCA Presents the Charles Mingus - Son of Watts - Musical Caravan Project - Part II

DCA Presents the Charles Mingus - Son of Watts - Musical Caravan Project - Part II

Source: All About Jazz

Los Angeles - The Charles Mingus - Son of Watts - Musical Caravan is a year-long tribute to the life and work of Charles Mingus, one of the most important figures in 20th Century American Music. The celebration began in September 2008 with the opening of the Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center, and continued with the prestigious 27th Annual Watts Towers Day of the Drum Festival and the 32nd Annual Simon Rodia Watts Towers Jazz Festival, two concerts from The ...

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Website

Big Band Caravan Returns!

Big Band Caravan Returns!

Source: All About Jazz


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Video / DVD

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Jacky Terrasson Plays "Caravan," "NY Slick," and "Les Chemins de L'amour"

STLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Jacky Terrasson Plays "Caravan," "NY Slick," and "Les Chemins de L'amour"

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week, we turn the video spotlight on pianist Jacky Terrasson, who will be in St. Louis next week to perform Wednesday, December 17 through Saturday, December 20 at Jazz at the Bistro. Terrasson, 42, was born in Germany to an American and French father. He studied at Berklee College of Music, and first gained wide public attention as the winner of the 1993 Thelonious Monk Piano Competition. He worked ...

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