Steve Loza: Rebel With a Cause

Rebel With a Cause, the earlier of these two outings, was recorded when Loza was a student at Cal Poly and features the Cal Poly Jazz Band. The four numbers contain numerous “recitations”-poems delivered in a censorious monotone by Loza and Vicki Reed, and influenced by Gil Scott-Heron. The opener is a 3l-minute suite, of which the third movement, “Africa Spirit Flow,” with Craig Olsen on tenor sax, is the most interesting. On “Prelude to Nirvana,” Loza is heard on piano. Although mediocre from an audio standpoint, this recording reveals Loza’s precocious, fertile imagination and is a reminder of the curious preoccupations of the mid-Seventies.

Originally Published July 1, 1999