Open Sky Unit - Open Sky Unit (2025) [Hi-Res]

On November 7, 2025, the Belgian label Sdban Records will reissue the eponymous 1974 debut album Open Sky Unit by the Belgian jazz fusion group on vinyl. The collective, formed in Liège in the early 1970s as an homage to Dave Liebman’s group, featured Jacques and Micheline Pelzer, Steve Houben, Ron Wilson, Janot Buchem, and Michel Graillier. Their sound blended jazz, soul, funk, and free improvisation. The entire repertoire was composed by American pianist and singer Ron Wilson, who had settled in the area. The album, recorded live at the Jazzland club in Liège, was initially released on the classical label Duchesne but was highly valued in progressive jazz circles, even though the band never achieved an international breakthrough. The track "Sunshine Star" from the album later featured on Sdban Records' Funky Chicken (2014) compilation. In addition to the standard reissue, a limited collector's edition will include a 7-inch single featuring "Peace Is The Answer" (previously only on the original 1973 single) and an acoustic version of "Sunshine Star," reaffirming Open Sky Unit's role as a key figure in the Belgian jazz scene of the seventies.

Tracklist:
1-1 Open Sky Unit - Open Sky [5:39]
1-2 Open Sky Unit - At Man [10:41]
1-3 Open Sky Unit - Valerie [1:33]
1-4 Open Sky Unit - Sunshine Star [5:13]
1-5 Open Sky Unit - Passion And Compassion [9:40]
1-6 Open Sky Unit - Valerie (Only The Melody) [6:23]