Wishbone Ash
The classic rock bands of the late ’60s and early ’70s enjoy a unique place in popular musical history. The Beatles had gone their separate ways, Britain had already experienced the Blues Boom, and Psychedelia had made its impact. The creative possibilities were infinite. Wishbone Ash embarked on the nascent Progressive Rock scene in 1969, taking full advantage of a fertile musical environment where they produced a distinctive brand of melodic rock. Inspired equally by British folk traditions and American jazz and R&B, the group played to public and critical acclaim. Fifty plus years later, having pioneered the use of twin lead guitars, Wishbone Ash has gained worldwide recognition, based firmly on a regime of relentless touring. The band includes founding member Andy Powell, who handles lead vocals and trades licks with Yorkshire’s Mark Abraha, Bassist Bob Skeat, a 25-year veteran of the band, drives the rhythm section along with Joe Crabtree, one of the best of Britain’s new breed of drummers. Recording highlights are, of course, the multi-million selling 1972 album “Argus,” considered to be one of the all-time classic rock albums, together with “Pilgrimage” (1971) and “New England” (1976). More recently, “The Power of Eternity” (2007), “Elegant Stealth” (2011) and “Blue Horizon” (2014) garnered enthusiastic praise. It was not until 2019 that the album Coat of Arms was to be released and that has proved to be a real career-capper. The band’s biggest seller, the double album “Live Dates” (1973), is one of the most highly rated live albums of the 1970s.