Hallock Hill

Spirit, “Gramaphone Man,” Spirit (Epic, 1968)

“Gramaphone eyes that tell you to sing, and a gramaphone mind that will watch what you bring, you find out too soon as you notice his ring……….” This California band, with teenaged singer Randy California’s sustain-heavy humming, blurred the lines between psych, rock, garage and jazz. “Gramaphone Man” is a classic tune from their debut, and features those superb ascending guitar passages, straight out of the Jim Hall school, blended with Wes Montgomery-esque octave double-stops. Then there is drummer Ed Cassidy, whose work on the ride cymbal and drive is pure jazz heaven. This one still keeps moving.