On
the Modern Folk Quartet's eponymous debut,
Cyrus Faryar (guitar, vocals),
Henry "Tad" Diltz (banjo, vocals),
Chip Douglas (bass, banjo, guitar, ukulele, bells, vocals), and
Jerry Yester (guitar, vocal, cymbals) present a fresh youthful visage to a superbly chosen selection of concurrently new traditionals and original adaptations of standards from the folk music canon -- such as the one that kick-starts the affair. Derived from the spiritual "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Swing Down Chariot" is a brisk modernization benefiting from the instrumentalists' considerable prowess, bearing a similarity to other burgeoning folk combos like
the Journeymen and
the Kingston Trio. "Sassafras" is a blithe and frolicking ballad with a quirky and interminably catchy syncopated melody displaying their four-part blend perfectly. This is contrasted by
Faryar and
Yester's revision of the lovely and reserved "Brandy." The tune is haunting with a slight and poignant Baroque quality that provides a further outlet for the singers' intricate harmonies. Legendary jazz reedman
Anthony Ortega supplied the high-flyin' and energetic "Wanderin' Willie," presenting a prime example of how
the MFQ compiled their unique style from a variety of disparate sources, including other young composers. Among the material from their contemporaries is the solemn and foreboding "It Was a Very Good Year" by
Ervin Drake and the lazy and laid-back "Pennies" from
Chet Powers -- who also used the pseudonym
Dino Valente when he penned the hippie anthem "Get Together" and was briefly in the Bay Area's infamous
Quicksilver Messenger Service. The long-player culminates with
Bob Gibson's anthemic "Yes I See," as
the MFQ billow forth at their most powerful and sonically strident. This substantial effort -- especially considering it was their first -- was certainly a positive omen for their follow-up in 1964, simply (yet aptly) titled Changes. ~ Lindsay Planer