Stomu Yamashta & Come to the Edge - Floating Music (1972/2008)

Stomu Yamashta's first Island album -- actually credited to Stomu Yamashta & Come to the Edge -- was an unusually long (51-minute) LP for the era. Side one consisted of two long studio compositions; side two had two similarly lengthy instrumental tracks, recorded on January 10, 1972, at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. Recording with non-Japanese musicians, percussionist Yamashta with this album established himself as an accomplished purveyor of complex, versatile, and quite cerebral fusion music, though of the sort too challenging to get an audience that wide even by fusion standards. Including some world music-flavored interludes, the music nonetheless remained pretty electronic-based, and pretty serious in mood. Those qualities made it good fodder for late-night FM radio programs looking to establish a somber, intellectual ambience, though the absence of guitars also meant its appeal to rock audiences would be limited, with percussion often carrying much of the melodic weight.

Stomu Yamash'ta / percussions

With:
Come To The Edge:
Robin Thompson / organ, piano, soprano sax, sho
Phil Plant / bass (1,2)
Andrew Powel / bass (3,4)
Morris Pert / drums, percussion

And:
Peter Robinson / piano (1)
Dave White / soprano sax (2)
I. Goffe / trombone (2)
R. Harris / trumpet (2)