An Evening at Home [PA] (CD - 1969)

Teegarden & VanWinkle: S. Knape, David Teegarden.

Personnel: Skip Knape (vocals, organ, keyboards); Skip "Van Winkle" Knape (vocals, organ); David Teegarden (vocals, drums); Joanne Hill (vocals).

Recording information: Red Carpet, Detroit, MI.

Photographer: Brad Shoemaker.

Arranger: Skip Knape.

Working as a duo, drummer David Teegarden and organist Skip "VanWinkle" Knape brought a little Tulsa soul-jazz to the rock world in the late 1960s and early '70s, but unfortunately, save for the 1970 hit "God, Love and Rock & Roll," they didn't generate a whole lot of commercial success. Part of the problem was the world then just didn't know quite what to make of a rock act that didn't feature flashy electric guitar, and part of the problem was with material, because Teegarden & Van Winkle recorded an awful lot of tracks that are ultimately pretty forgettable. An Evening at Home, their debut album, originally issued on LP in 1969, is a case in point. It's interesting for maybe half of a song, but other than an eight-plus minute cover version of Simon & Garfunkel's "Scarborough Fair/Canticle," nothing else really sticks around in the ears for too long. Which is a shame, since Knape's organ playing is a lot of fun, recalling soul-jazz legends like Jimmy McGriff, and Teegarden is a fine, intuitive drummer, while the duo's voices together were surprisingly effective, even haunting at times. The material just wasn't there, which is why these guys were so much more compelling in a live setting when things could stretch out a bit and the jazzier side of the equation was more in play. The end result is that this is a rather dull album from a pair of really gifted musicians who make it interesting in spots but not enough to make this essential to anyone but the most ardent fan. ~ Steve Leggett minimize