The Gasoline Band - The Gasoline Band (Reissue) (1972/2014)

Esoteric must have really reached into the depths of obscurity to find this record lying around, but the result is worth it. To experience concisely written, expertly artistic big-band style jazz-fusion, look no further than this ten-strong outfit who have a few tricks up their collective sleeves.
The Gasoline Band were originally a group of American military men stationed in Germany who discovered they had a mutual affection for music. They formed a band, quit the army and relocated to London to record this, their sole album. The music of The Gasoline Band could be roughly described as jazz-rock, although with a tendency towards more popular music. The large brass section gives them a big-band feel as well as depth to the music. Stand out tunes include the technically-astounding opening track The Bitch as well as World What You Gonna Do with it’s magnificent instrumental. Meanwhile, tracks like the instrumental Ein Grosses and the experimental Schrapnel show the band stepping away from lyrics in their music. It’s definitely not a ‘prog’ album, but there’s enough good sounds to make this a worthwhile visit to anyone fond of smooth jazz.
The band would eventually break up due to a miscommunication between band members, according to the well-written notes by Malcolm Dome. No bonus tracks accompany this disc, but the music more than speaks for itself, while the package itself delights with several band photos, including the one from the original back cover. Esoteric’s ongoing work shows that there are countless obscure yet fascinating old bands out there that deserve their work to be re-released in a decent package such as this, so here’s to celebrating that work and hope it does not cease for years to come.