Two Headed Freap

Yes, that's F-R-E-A-P ... it's not a typo. No idea what it all means, though.

From 1972, this is funky early fusion, lots of organ (as opposed to the synths that would soon dominate fusion) and an upbeat jam atmosphere that recalls sunny days in People's Park.

Side 1 (tracks 1-4) is pretty even in quality -- nice stuff all around. Side 2 starts off with a gloopy smooth-jazz precursor (Track 5) that I could have done without, and closes out with a midtempo jam that features the organ in a more progressive setting (but still straight funk-jam stuff; they don't go all Bitches Brew on you or anything.)

Foster, based in Buffalo, would go on to record a handful of Blue Note albums that weren't big commercially. "Cheshire Cat," not in our library (and apparently a real bitch to find) is supposedly the best of those.