JOHN BETSCH — Earth Blossom (review)

JOHN BETSCH — Earth Blossom album cover Album · 1974 · Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
4.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
One of the weirder artefacts of out Nashville, Tennessee, must be Earth Blossom from the John Betsch Society, the sole album from the short lived formation. Indeed, you’d never guess that a funky jazz-rock album coming from the Appalachian state would be from Nashville (the home of country music), instead of from Memphis (home of the funky Stax label) in the same state, but on the shores of the Mississippi River. Anyway, this album (released on the ultra-collectible Strata-East label in early 74) is one of the rarest examples of advanced-jazz. His group was made from buddies encountered throughout his career, including Bob Holmes with whom he had with played in his band) on piano, but mostly a bunch of lesser-known musos (to me, anyway). As for the tracks composition, they’re rather shared between key-man Holmes, horn-man Billy Puett, Betsch himself (two each) and one from guitarist Jim Bridges.

Opening on a stupendous flute shrill and an up-tempo Latin rhythm with some outstanding bass clarinet (ala Maupin), Ode To Ethiopia is an amazingly happy tune sharing equal opportunity behind Betsch’s old pal Bob Holmes’ piano. The title track could come from a Mwandishi album, but you can also hear that he was under the Trane-crowd influence and had a solid flower-power slant as well. Despite a slightly dissonant intro, Open Pastures is a cool piece that overflows some wild congas. Guitarist Bridges’ composition Untitled Lady features a cool guitar solo, but again the funky drums-congas-bass combination gives a light, happy and airy feel to end the A-side.

Opening the flipside on some Trane sax intro, the 6-mins Ra piece could come from Pharoah’s early 70’s album, even if the rhythms are a bit rockier here. Probably the album’s most lush track Darling Doria is also the longest and most orgasmic moment. The closing Puett-penned Get Up And Go track shows again that his main influence is Trane and/or Sanders, and the background is probably the wildest and most avant-garde and dissonant of the album. Not sure this was the best way to end the album, but it doesn’t hurt the overall feel of the Blossomed Earth.

Betsch’s sole album Earth Blossom is somewhat of a rarity, a sort of long-lost and just-unearthed gem that should not be filed too far away from Trane and Pharoah or even Lonnie Liston-Smith’s album, because it is sonically close to that realm. While this album may not be essential per se in jazz’s history, there is no doubt that it would be an excellent addition to anyone’s 70’s jazz and fusion collection. If you find it at a reasonable price (provided that you still can), don’t hesitate and jump for it, in either the CD or LP format.
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