Spanning ballad & samba, string-jazz & acoustic fusion, vocal & instrumental, this rare mix of acoustic guitars, violin, voice, reeds & bass defines the creative collage of the “new acoustic movement.”

The New Haven Advocate called ERC’s music “lush meanderings with a steely counterpoint and classical dignity…Rule-breaking, category-denying music with intriguing textures, immersed in the fusion of east & west.”

Unavailable since the early 80’s, this expanded recording now includes previously unreleased live & studio cuts and has been remastered for CD.

The Progressive Review blog: “East River Consort’s gorgeous Laurasia…”

Laurasia is:

• John Houshmand, 12-string & classical guitars, percussion, vocals
• Patrick Noonan, 6-string & electric guitars, vocals
• Jonathan Levi, violin, viola, vocals
• Paul Lieberman, flute, saxophone, percussion
• Jim Lyden, bass
• Laura Teller, vocals
• Galen Brandt, vocals
• Jim Guttmann, bass (“Gopher Goes Hawaii,” “The Funeral Swing,” “Lithuanian Farewell”)
• Terry Butler, flute (“Gopher Goes Hawaii,” “The Funeral Swing,” “Lithuanian Farewell”)

With:

• Bill Bennett – oboe (“Song,” “Wind & Rain”)
• Tony Finlayson – percussion (“Laurasia”)

Produced by Patrick Noonan
Recorded at Connecticut Recording Studios, Bridgeport CT, APril-May 1978. Engineered by John Convertino. Digital reconstruction by Bruce Bennett, Exocet Productions, Atlanta GA, Jan.-Apr. 1996.
Expanded tracks for CD (“Gopher Goes Hawaii,” “The Funeral Swing,” “Lithuanian Farewell”) recorded live at The Barleyneck Inn, Orleans MA, Sept. 1979. Remixed by Bruce Bennett.
Mastered by Hoyt Dooley III, DiskMastering, Nashville TN
Design by Night Sky Studio Ltd.
Cover photos by John Houshmand & Patrick Noonan
Group photographs by Robert Tobey