Kittyhawk - Kittyhawk (1980)

Kittyhawks is a fusion jazz/rock group formed in 1977, from the Los Angeles area. Instead of traditional bass, one of the main instruments played by this group is the Chapman Stick Touchboard, a.k.a. The Stick.

Occasionally, a new musical group emerges which not only captures and audience’s attention with its special sound, but also with the particular instruments that produce it. Kittyhawk is just such a group. 

Daniel Bortz and Paul Edwards had been playing the Chapman Stick Touchboard separately for quite some time when they first met at the L.A., home of stick designer Emmett Chapman in 1977. 

Their initial exposure to the unique, 10 string stereophonic electric instrument came from articles they read in Guitar Player and other publications, and shortly after this printed introduction to Chapman’s creation, they eagerly sought out the real thing.

On that February day in 1977, Bortz and Edwards jammed with sticks and composed “Islands”, a spirited uptempo jazz-rocker which, three years later, would become the opening cut on Kittyhawk’s debut LP, Kittyhawk. 

Both musicians were so confident of the Stick’s and their own melodic potentials that they began appearing as a duet in clubs around Southern California.

As Daniel and Paul’s reputation grew, so did their desire to further enhance their jazz-rock compositions with different harmonic textures. 

They engaged two other like-minded instrumentalist to round out their conceptualized sound: Michael Jochum was picked for percussion duties, and Richard Elliot was chosen to add Lyricon [a wind synthesizer] and saxophone. 

Kittyhawk was now complete, ready to make its solo flight into the highly charged and highly competitive atmosphere of popular music.

Kittyhawk quickly evolved and refined its music and personnel: Bortz added fretless guitar and Roland guitar synthesizer to stable of instruments. 

While the band made further additions with Richard Elliott on Lyricon and saxophones, LA Stickist Randy Strom, Steve Reed Percussion and Dan DeSousa on Keyboards. 

The focus of the band was always on composition to include the diverse talents of each player and instrumentation to make the unique sound that is Kittyhawk.

Track listing

A1.  Islands - 4:47

A2.  Never Once - 4:03

A3.  Chinese Firedrill - 4:14

A4.  Once Upon A Time - 6:33

B1.  Big City - 6:00

B2.  Wooed But Not Wed - 6:35

B3.  Piper's Romp - 3:36

B4.  Aerial View - 5:11

Musicians

          Paul Edwards: Chapman Stick & Vocals 

          Daniel Bortz: Cello, Fretless and Fretted Guitar, Chapman Stick 

          Richard Elliot: Tenor, Alto, Soprano Sax, Lyricon 

          Mike Jochum: Drums & Percussion 

Additional Musicians

          Randy Strom: Chapman Stick and Piano 

          Dan Desousa: Piano, Synthesizers 

          Steve Reed: Percussion 

          Brandon Fields: Tenor & Alto Sax

Companies, etc.

• Phonographic Copyright ℗ – EMI America Records, Inc.
• Manufactured By – EMI America Records, Inc.
• Record Company – Capitol Industries-EMI, Inc.

Credits

• Art Direction, Design – Bill Burks 
• Chapman Stick, Guitar, Guitar [Fretless], Cello, Producer – Daniel Bortz 
• Chapman Stick, Vocals, Producer – Paul Edwards
• Design – Jeff Lancaster
• Drums, Percussion – Michael Jochum
• Engineer – Jeff Harris
• Lyricon, Saxophone – Richard Elliot
• Photography By – M. Rossi 
• Producer, Engineer – Marty Lewis

Notes

Released:  1980 

Genre:  Jazz, Funk / Soul 

Style:  Fusion 

Length:  40:53

Label - EMI America