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Jade Warrior - 4 Albums (Island Years 1974-1978) (2010 Remastered)

Jade Warrior are a British group that were formed in 1970, originally evolving out of a band named July. The founding members were Tony Duhig (guitar) (born Anthony Christopher Duhig, 18 September 1941, Acton, west London; died 11 November 1990, Somerset, England), Jon Field (flute, percussion, keyboards) (born John Frederick Field, 5 July 1940, Harrow, Middlesex) and Glyn Havard (vocals, bass) (born 15 February 1947, Nantyglo, South Wales).

Island years. 1974-1978
In 1974, Steve Winwood (of Traffic) urged Chris Blackwell of Island Records to listen to Jade Warrior. He did so, and decided to sign Duhig and Field (who also provided flute on Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells) as an instrumental act, which given the current success of Mike Oldfield's, Tubular Bells was seen by many people as a shrewd move. Duhig and Field were to create four albums on Island Records, with their sound expanded to include choirs, harp, and a string quartet. Guest musicians on these albums included Steve Winwood (keyboards), Fred Frith of Henry Cow (violin) and Dave Duhig.
First came Floating World (1974), a complex concept set themed around the Japanese philosophy of Ukiyo, with the songs revolving around two interrelated and interlaced series of compositions. According to AllMusic, [the] sheer diversity of sounds and moods, the constant clash or gentle intermingling of Eastern and Western styles, and the set's glittering atmospheres made Floating World an undeniable masterpiece. The band's foray into what would later be labeled world and ambient music came parallel to that of Brian Eno, who described Floating World as an important album.
It was followed by Waves (1975), another concept album dedicated to the last whale and featuring Steve Winwood as a guest on piano and moog. The album consisted of a single composition, divided into two parts (each taking up an LP side); this, according to AllMusic, proved a nightmare for radio programmers who might have provided Waves with the airplay it desperately needed to push Jade Warrior beyond cult status. 1976's Kites recorded with guest musicians, Fred Frith among them, presented the band at their most musically abstract and progressive, each side being essentially a long concept piece, inspired by Paul Klee's painting The Kingdom of the Air and 9th century China's wandering Zen master Teh Ch'eng.] The last of the four Island albums, Way of the Sun, represented a spatial, cinematic sound journey to Latin America, described by AllMusic as an incredibly vibrant set that quivers with emotion and life itself.

1974 - Floating World
01 - Clouds 2:54
02 - Mountain Of Fruit And Flowers 3:17
03 - Waterfall 6:00
04 - Red Lotus 4:34
05 - Clouds 1:38
06 - Rain Flower 2:46
07 - Easty 5:26
08 - Monkey Chant 2:23
09 - Memories Of A Distant Sea 3:38
10 - Quba4:15
 
1975 - Waves
01 - Waves Part I 19:53
02 - Waves Part Ii 24:45

1976 - Kites
01 - Songs Of The Forest 3:13
02 - Wind Song 4:06
03 - The Emperor Kite 1:58
04 - Wind Borne 6:53
05 - Kite Song 3:05
06 - Land Of The Warrior 3:29
07 - Quietly By The River Bank 3:21
08 - Arrival Of The Emperor-What Does The Venerable Sir Do 1:07
09 - Teh Ch'eng-Do You Understand This 2:33
10 - Arrival Of Chia Shan-Disclosure And Liberation 4:11
11 - Towards The Mountains 2:04
12 - The Last Question0:39

1978 - Way Of The Sun
01 - Sun Ra 3:32
02 - Sun Child 2:44
03 - Moontears 4:04
04 - Heaven Stone 5:28
05 - Way Of The Sun 6:03
06 - River Song 5:04
07 - Carnival 2:18
08 - Dance Of The Sun 4:56
09 - Death Of Ra 7:24