Zephyr

Zephyr is a vocal group name used by more than one act, including a Boulder, Colorado rock band formed in late winter 1969 and a London-based composition project started in 2001. The best-known version is the original American group, whose line-up begins with Candie and David Givens, formerly of Brown Sugar, joining Tommy Bolin and John Faris, formerly of Ethereal Zephyr. The band then adds drummer Robbie Chamberlin.

Original Boulder band

The Boulder Zephyr records its first album for ABC Probe in 1970, followed by a second album for Warner Brothers in 1971. Its third album, Sunset Ride, appears after the departure of all but Candie and David Givens and again comes out on Warner Brothers. That record shifts away from the group’s earlier blues orientation towards a more country and folk-influenced sound.

The original group’s music mixes hard rock, blues, heavy metal, jazz, and blues, and it is sometimes compared with the first Led Zeppelin album in terms of approach. Tommy Bolin, who is 18 when he plays with Zephyr, is a central figure in the band’s sound and co-writes five of the eight tracks on the self-titled album. The self-titled 1969 release is later out of print. All of the musicians in the original line-up are Midwesterners, and all are under 21 when the band starts. The group ends early, with mismanagement cited as a major reason.

Candie Givens later sings with a range of other bands. Tommy Bolin later joins Deep Purple, replacing Ritchie Blackmore in 1975, and dies the following year. Before that, he also appears on recordings with other artists and releases two solo albums. Jock Bartley later turns up in Gram Parsons’ Fallen Angels and can be heard on the live album Live 1973.

London composition project

A separate Zephyr is created in 2001 by London-based composer and producer Elizabeth Henshaw. This version brings together musicians from different backgrounds. Henshaw trains classically as a pianist and begins composing at the age of seven. Her work draws strongly on music from other cultures and is noted for melodic writing as well as rhythmic and metric complexity.

Two albums from this Zephyr appear on ORiGiN Music, with a third planned. The recordings become favourites on ABC Classic FM in Australia and are used widely in Australian television series, while also appearing on international compilations. Henshaw works with EMI Classics UK, and her song “Prayer” appears as the opening track on Becky Jane Taylor’s album By Your Side. In 2007, “Flame” is released in South East Asia and distributed by Universal. The project’s tracks are also available internationally on iTunes.