Colosseum (band)
| Colosseum | |
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Colosseum in 2010
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| Background information | |
| Origin | England |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1968–1971, 1994–2015 |
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Colosseum were a pioneering English progressive jazz-rock band, mixing blues, rock and jazz-based improvisation.
Colosseum, one of the first bands to fuse jazz, rock & blues were formed in Spring 1968 by drummer Jon Hiseman with tenor sax player Dick Heckstall-Smith, who had previously worked together in 1966, when Hiseman replaced Ginger Baker in The Graham Bond Organisation. They met up again early in 1968 when they both played in John Mayall's Bluesbreakers, during which time they played on the Bare Wires album. Childhood friend Dave Greenslade was quickly recruited on organ, as was bass player Tony Reeves who had also known both Jon and Dave since being teenage musicians in South East London. The band's line-up was completed, after lengthy auditions, by Jim Roche on guitar and James Litherland (guitar & vocals), although Roche only recorded one track before departing.
The band made their live debut at the Scene Club, Scarborough and were promptly recorded by influential BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel for his Top Gear Radio program. This appearance gained them valuable exposure and critical acclaim.
Their first album, Those Who Are About to Die Salute You, which opened with the Bond composition "Walkin' in the Park", was released by the Philips' Fontana label in early 1969. In March the same year they were invited to take part in Supershow, a two-day filmed jam session, along with Modern Jazz Quartet, Led Zeppelin, Jack Bruce, Roland Kirk Quartet, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, and Juicy Lucy.
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