Jade Warrior - Elements: The Island Anthology (1995)

This two-CD set contains all of Jade Warrior's four albums recorded for Island Records in the 1970s. By this time the group was a duo of multi-instrumentalists Tony Duhig and Jon Field. Outside of a small hardcore fan base, listeners didn't know what to make of Jade Warrior. Was the group art rock or eccentric jazz or MOR flute fluff? Perhaps they were a little bit of each, but not enough to carve a niche of their own. From a perspective of 25 years, Field and Duhig deserved better. The band certainly influenced many successful acts. Jade Warrior was among the first and best to delve into what is now called new age music and they were one of the first Western bands to incorporate a world sound into their repertoire. The duo recorded two albums in the 1980s, but Duhig's death in 1990 left Field without a creative counterpoint. Despite recruiting new members, the group disbanded for good in the mid-'90s. Elements supplies evidence that Jade Warrior was among the most interesting groups of their day.