Jazz Odyssey

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A tip of the hat to the just released Hatwise Choice compilation which is a stellar collection of previously unreleased rare and live tracks by Canterbury legends Hatfield & the North.

Hatfield & the North recorded 2 superb albums for Virgin in their 3 years as a band and toured Europe relentlessly. With elements of pop, jazz and the absurdist humor that was a hallmark of the 60s/70s Canterbury scene, Hatfield & the North was prog rock that didn’t take itself too seriously. Despite the intricate passages and complex arrangements, they managed to avoid the overly-long solos and grandiosity that gave prog rock a bad name. And unlike many of their prog rock bretheren (who couldn’t swing if they were in a hammock), the Hatfields were able to balance their instrumental verbosity with jazzy grooves that were very infectious.

And now 30 years later, the band themselves has released this compilation, with tracks selected by the band members themselves, wonderful packaging and fascinating liner notes. For a premium, you can purchase a version autographed by the band. This release is highly recommended.

Hatfield & the North are but one of thousands of bands from the last 30 years who flew under the popular music radar but developed a fanbase that continues to show interest. The ability to press a small run of discs targeted to hardcore fans and create a simple mechanism through the net to sell them is a growing segment of the industry that artists and labels should be watching, emulating and improving upon. So much tape is sitting around deteriorating when it could be generating income for artists and labels while making a fanbase very, very happy.