1977 Bobby Paunetto “Commit To Memory” on Pathfinder Records

Well, there are over 40 people credited in the lineup and only one you’ve probably heard of, John Scofield, who plays on one track, and one you should have heard of, Orpheus Gaitanopoulos, just because it’s such an excellent name. Which is too bad, because the musicianship is incredibly high, basically a full afro-cubop orchestra playing funky/jazzy street fusion with a space theme and multi-layered horns. Plus, you know, Paunetto’s (the label let him have a second T this time around) monster vibes providing the lift and thrust as organizing combustion engine. A lot had happened culturally and musically between 1967’s “The Modern Sound Of” and this badboy ten years later, and it’s generally a loosening of audience expectation and resurgence of the commerciality of just playing what the hell you want to play. The late seventies was definitely the height of marketing the angle of No Label Oversight, true or otherwise, but you can hear in the bouncy joy of the music that this record is exactly what Paunetto would be playing if it were a Friday night in an enormous garage with all his friends. This record rules.