Jade Warrior — Cassette

Intro

Jade Warrior sounds like a landscape painting that occasionally comes to life and screams. Their music is defined by a radical use of space, moving from near-silent flute passages and shimmering percussion to sudden, violent eruptions of distorted electric guitar. It is deeply organic, feeling less like a studio recording and more like a soundscape captured in a remote, mystical forest.

What truly sets them apart is their 'stop-start' philosophy and their early adoption of 'world' music elements. While their contemporaries were focused on long, linear solos, Jade Warrior built intricate, multi-layered percussion beds and used Eastern scales to create a sense of timelessness. The contrast between Jon Field's delicate woodwinds and Tony Duhig's heavy, almost proto-metal guitar stabs creates a tension that is unique in the 1970s prog scene.

Start with 'Floating World' if you want to hear their instrumental mastery and conceptual depth, or the self-titled debut for a more song-oriented but equally strange introduction. It is music for listeners who value atmosphere and surprise over traditional rock structures.

Jade Warrior were a British progressive rock band formed in 1970, originally evolving out of a band named July. The founder members were Tony Duhig (guitar) (born Anthony Christopher Duhig, 18 September 1941, Acton, 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, Wales). David Duhig, the younger brother of Tony Duhig, played on several of Jade Warrior's albums and in every live gig Jade Warrior ever performed - apart from the reunion concert of 2008. He died on 1 December 2021.

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Our Catalog13 Albums · 1971 · 2009