Live! At Carnegie Hall (Canis Major)

GLASS HARP

By Robert Gruber

Progressive (or "prog") rock, as it's known, could be making a comeback. The punk rockers, alterna-geeks and sampler freaks that have controlled the industry for the past 15 years may have tried to drive a stake into prog-rock's angioplastied heart, but Pink Floyd and Yes continues to tour nonetheless. Certainly, classic rock radio has done its part to maintain life support, but as the pendulum of taste begins to sway once more, I see the era of the masterful musician returning--Puff Daddy beware!!!

Prog-rock was truly a product of the excessive 70's--which was about the time this live Glass Harp project was cut. Playing an opening gig for the Kinks, Glass Harp went more than just a few minutes over their alotted 45 minutes in true prog-rock style, jamming one song, 'Can You See Me', for nearly 30 minutes alone! Of course, in those days, kids had longer attention spans (not to mention downers) which enabled them to enjoy such lengthy excursions into improvisational-ville. Glass Harp featured a very young Phil Keaggy on guitar, pulling out all of the stops as only he knows how to do it. Though nowadays Phil, a seasoned success in contemporary Christian music, plays with a bit more finesse, here he is in all his youthful, ragged glory, shooting for the cosmos with the crack rhythm section of John Sferra on drums and Dan Pecchio on bass. just daring enough to go along for the ride. More than just a sweet momento of days gone by, Glass Harp Live! is a true feat of strength, not to be missed by anyone who considers himself a slinger of strings.