Circus Maximus was an American band in the late 1960s, which combined influences from

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has b ...

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

, and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...

into a form of

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

History

The band, originally called the Lost Sea Dreamers, was formed in 1967 by Bob Bruno and

Jerry Jeff Walker Jerry Jeff Walker (born Ronald Clyde Crosby; March 16, 1942 – October 23, 2020) was an American country music and folk singer-songwriter. He was a leading figure in the progressive country and outlaw country music movement. He was best ...

. Vanguard Records insisted on a name change, as the initials "LSD" were considered too linked to the drug culture. Bruno's song "Wind", from the band's self-titled first album, became a minor hit in the United States, particularly through airplay on "progressive" FM radio stations. In late December 1967, the band performed in an unusual pair of "Electric Christmas" concerts together with

New York Pro Musica New York Pro Musica was a vocal and instrumental ensemble based in New York City, which specialized in Medieval and Renaissance early music, music. It was co-founded in 1952, under the name Pro Musica Antiqua, by Noah Greenberg, a choral director, ...

, an ensemble that performed

early music Early music generally comprises Medieval music (500–1400) and Renaissance music (1400–1600), but can also include Baroque music (1600–1750). Originating in Europe, early music is a broad musical era for the beginning of Western classical m ...

. There were two 80-minute performances. The material performed included a reworking of 14th-century composer

Guillaume de Machaut Guillaume de Machaut (, ; also Machau and Machault; – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the style in late medieval music. His dominance of the genre is such that modern musicologists use his death to ...

's "''La douce dame jolie''" as an English-language song "Sweet Lovely Lady" arranged by Robert M. Bruno for the ensemble, and Bruno original "Chess Game" that, unbeknownst to Bruno but noted by John White, director of the Pro Musica, strongly echoed the "Romanesca", a piece that first appears in 16th-century Spanish

lute A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...

books. The concert was not a critical success. Donal Henahan, writing in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', said that it "fell somewhat short of being the total-environmental trip that was promised… the night summed up most of the esthetic ideas now in the air: incongruity, simultaneity, games theory, the put-on, the parody, the Trip… and the effort to create a 'Total Environment' in which all the senses can come into play." Henahan asserted that the concert's commercial success showed a breakdown in the separation of classical and popular audiences. Bruno's interest in jazz apparently diverged from Walker's interest in folk music, and by July 1968 the band had broken up and Walker was appearing at the

Bitter End Bitter end or The Bitter End may refer to: *Bitter end, the part of a rope used to form a knot *The Bitter End, a nightclub in New York City Geography *Bitter End, Tennessee *Bitter End, Virgin Gorda Arts, entertainment, and media Literature *'' ...

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village ( , , ) is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street to the north, Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the south, and the Hudson River to the west. Greenwich Village ...

, sharing a bill with

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...

. Bassist Gary White went on to write Linda Ronstadt's first solo hit, "Long, Long Time." By 1972 Bruno was appearing with Noah Howard's groups which included several appearances at the NY Free Jazz Festival. He is on the recording called ''Noah Howard Live at the Village Vanguard'' with Noah Howard, Franke Lowe, Earl freeman, Juma Sultan, and Rashid Ali (Freedom Records, re-released on Iron Man in 2004 as a CD). Robert Shelton included the Circus Maximus album ''Neverland Revisited'' in a November 1968 list selected to represent "the breadth… of today's rock".Shelton November 1968.

Members

, rhythm guitar and vocal (credited on first album as "Jerry Walker"; died October 23, 2020) * Bob Bruno, lead guitar, organ, piano, vocal * David Scherstrom, drums (born June 28, 1946; died February 1, 2017) * Gary White, bass * Peter Troutner, vocal and tambourine; also some guitar work (died January 11, 2008)Bob Bruno, Music and Paintings
Source:Liner notes and record labels from ''Circus Maximus'' and ''Neverland Revisited''.

Albums

* Circus Maximus, ''Circus Maximus'',

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives fr ...

VRS-9260 (mono) and VSD-79260 (stereo) (1967) *# "Travelin' Around" (Bob Bruno) *# "Lost Sea Shanty" (

) *# "Oops, I Can Dance" (Walker) *# "You Know I've Got The Rest Of My Life To Go" (Bruno) *# "Bright Light Lover" (Bruno) *# "Chess Game" (Bruno) *# "People's Game" (Walker) *# "Time Waits" (Bruno) *# "Fading Lady" (Walker) *# "Short-Haired Fathers" (Bruno) *# "Wind" (Bruno) * Circus Maximus, ''Neverland Revisited'', Vanguard VSD-79274 (1968) *# "Hello Baby" (Bob Bruno) *# "How's Your Sky, Straight Guy Spy" (Bruno) *# "Come Outside, Believe In It" (

) *# "Parallel" (Bruno) *# "Trying To Live Right" (Walker) *# "Lonely Man" (Bruno) *# "Mixtures" (Walker) *# "Negative Dreamer Girl" (Walker) *# "Neverland" (Bruno) *# "Neverland Revisited" (Bruno) *# "Hansel and Gretel" (Walker) Source:

Notes

References

Allen Hughes Allen Hughes (28 December 1921 – 16 November 2009) was an American dance and music critic. Born in Brownsburg, Indiana, Hughes started his career as a critic in 1950 when he joined the staff of ''Musical America''. In 1955, he became a music c ...

, "Pro Musica et Circus Maximus To Meet in 14th-Century France; Romanesca Variant Multimedia Collage", ''

'' December 15, 1967. p. 54. *

Theodore Strongin Theodore Strongin (December 10, 1918 – November 24, 1998) was an American music critic, composer, flautist, and entomologist. Life and career Born in New York City, Strongin grew up in Darien, Connecticut. He studied both music and biology ...

, "Contemporary Classical Disks Rising; 'Catholicity of Taste' Pioneer Disk Top Seller", ''The New York Times'', December 20, 1967. p. 49. *

Harold C. Schonberg Harold Charles Schonberg (29 November 1915 – 26 July 2003) was an American music critic and author. He is best known for his contributions in ''The New York Times'', where he was List of chief music critics, chief music critic from 1960 to 198 ...

, "Like Ahab in Quest of the White Whale", ''New York Times'' December 24, 1967. p. 67. Also includes a photo by Henri Dauman depicting members of the various groups involved in the concert. *Donal Henahan, "Noel Plugged in at Carnegie Hall: Pro Musica Collaborates With Electric Circus; Group Sugarplums Danced on Walls" ''The New York Times'' December 27, 1967. p. 44. *Robert Shelton, "Singer-Songwriters Are Making a Comeback; Developing Trend Indicated at the Bitter End by Jerry Walker and Joni Mitchell", ''The New York Times'' July 5, 1968. p. 21. *Robert Shelton, "The Best of Rock: A Discography", ''The New York Times'', November 24, 1968. p. H4. {{Authority control Musical groups established in 1967 Musical groups disestablished in 1968 American psychedelic rock music groups 1967 establishments in the United States