Osmosis

Osmosis was formed in 1969 at Berklee College of Music by Charlie Mariano (saxophone), Charlie Bechler (piano), Danny Comfort (bass) and Dick Banda (drums). Singer Bob Knox and guitarist Andy Steinborn joined later that same year and Lou Peterson replaced Banda soon after that.

Banda was primarily interested in jazz gigs but Osmosis, with the addition of Knox and Steinborn, was headed in a heavier, rockier direction. When a second drummer, Bobby Clarke, joined the group, the rhythm section soared to a new levels, adding a lot of guitar and bass coordination between Comfort and Steinborn to the complex wall of sound generated by blending two outstanding drummers. Though “fusion” was not an actual category in record stores at the time, that’s exactly what the band was creating with its mix of elements from jazz and rock.

EARLY APPEARANCES, FIRST/LAST ALBUM

The band’s first official show was in October ’69 at New England Life Hall. Over the next 13 months, they played gigs at colleges throughout the region, appeared at the Cambridge Common Concert Series with The Allman Brothers, Alice Cooper and Chicago Transit Authority (before that band shortened their name to “Chicago”), played on double bills with The J. Geils Blues Band at various venues and opened for Ike and Tina Turner at Boston Arena and Cape Cod Melody Tent. The largest gig they played was the 4th of July show in 1970 that drew a crowd of over 100,000 and included Swallow, Daddy Warbux and a number of other local bands.

In 1970, Osmosis recorded what was originally supposed to be a double album in Studio B at RCA in New York City in less than nine hours, the rough mix being a powerhouse of ensemble rock and jazz – the genre now called “fusion.” According to most of the band, however, the final mix decimated the power and impact of the tracks and the group felt like they’d fallen victim to a producer who was trying to make a “pop” album; the vocals were heavily accented, echo splattered over all the tracks, solos were spliced together and liner notes penned by the producer tried to portray the band in a different light than they wanted. Simply put, most of the band members were hugely disappointed with the 11-track collection of originals called simply Osmosis.

VILLAGE VANGUARD FIRST, TOUR CANCELLATIONS, DISBANDING

On November 20, 1969, Osmosis became the first jazz-fusion act to appear at the Village Vanguard in New York City. Producer Bob Thiele tried to record the show, but the venue was too small. The group went on to play the opening of the Playboy Towers in Chicago, which was originally the Knickerbocker Hotel, and opened for Miles Davis at The Boston Tea Party.

A nationwide tour was in the works with The Guess Who, but RCA had not included enough money in the band’s budget to support the group. After the label offered to purchase all new equipment for the road, there was little left to pay the band so the US tour was scrapped. A short tour of Japan was discussed but fell through, and talk of backing Jimi Hendrix as the rhythm section on his next album collapsed in September 1970 when Hendrix died at age 27. Osmosis’s last appearance was in late 1970 at The Jazz Workshop, opening for George Benson. Shortly thereafter, saxophonist and co-founder Mariano relocated to Europe and the band dissolved.