THE JOHN BETSCH SOCIETY Vinyl & CDs

Review: Released in 1974, during Strata East's golden era, Florida free drummer John formed his first pop-up troupe to record this one-off document. At points overwhelmingly funky (the seashore laps and waves of the sun-kissed "Ode To An Untitled Lady"), at others frenetic, chaotic and challenging (the time signature switches and spiralling horns on "Ra"), at others softly cinematic and dreamy (the abstract floatation sermon of the title track) Earth Blossom creates and exists in its own cosmos. As such, it is timeless and will remain contemporary sounding for many decades to come.