Zzebra

Zzebra was a top-notch 1970s British prog rock group -- a super group of sorts -- that threw jazz, rock, and African rhythms into a huge fusion blender. The original incarnation of the band featured guitarist Terry Smith (formerly in the group If ), saxophonist Dave Quincy (also formerly in If), flutist and saxophonist Lasisi “Loughty” Amao (formerly in Osibisa), pianist and singer Gus Yeadon (formerly in the Love Affair), bassist John McCoy, and drummer Liam Genockey. That was the unit that recorded and released the self-titled Zzebra in 1974. Smith left during sessions for the group’s second album, Panic, and was replaced by Steve Byrd. Panic appeared originally in 1975, followed by two more albums that year, Lost World and Take It or Leave It (by which time the group featured keyboardist Tommy Eyre and vocalist Alan Marshall). But that productive flurry was to be the end of the run for Zzebra, and the group drifted to a close. All of Zzebra’s material has been reissued in the digital era, often with additional bonus tracks drawn from McCoy’s personal tape archive of the band.
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