Morning - Morning (1970) (2009)

Based in Los Angeles this short-lived outfit featured the talents of guitarists Barry Brown and Terry Johnson, keyboardist Jim Hobson, drummer Jim Kehn, singer/guitarist Jay Lewis and bassist Bruce Wallace.

Signed by Vault Records, the band's cleverly titled 1970 debut "Morning" was produced by Brown, Hobson and Lewis. With most of the band contributing material, the collection offered up a variety of genres including Poco-styled country-rockers ('Tell Me a Story' and 'Roll 'em Down') and slower-paced folk-rock numbers ('Early Morning' and 'Time').

Lewis had a nifty voice, the rest of the band capable of contributing some nice CSN&Y-styled harmonies ('Easy Keeper' and 'Dirt Road'). Sure, it may not have been the year's most original offering, but the set was never less than pleasant and tracks such as 'And I'm Gone' and the trippy 'Sleepy Eyes' were miles ahead of the competition. (The album was originally released with a gatefold sleeve.).