Circus Maximus – Circus Maximus

CIRCUS MAXIMUS – Circus Maximus

1967 | Psychedelic Rock / Folk Rock / Jazz Rock | New York City | 8/26
Matrix #: VSD-79260
Condition: VG  Sounds Good (TC)
Members: Jerry Jeff Walker (42'–20') • Bob Bruno • Gary White • David Scherstrom (46'–17') • Peter Troutner (–08')

Cultural Facts:

• Before Bojangles: Jerry Jeff Walker co-founded Circus Maximus with jazz-minded multi-instrumentalist Bob Bruno. Just a year later, Walker recorded “Mr. Bojangles,” launching the songwriting career for which he became famous.
• Name Change: The group originally called themselves The Lost Sea Dreamers, but Vanguard Records made them change it because the initials LSD were considered a little too on-the-nose for 1967.
• Hard Times: Shortly after the band arrived in New York trying to make it, their equipment was stolen, leaving them broke. Walker recalled that the members scattered to places where they knew they could quickly earn money, eventually rebuilding enough to return to New York.
• Genre Collision: Circus Maximus had an unusual sound even for 1967—Walker's folk songwriting collided with Bruno's jazz instincts, psychedelic rock and sophisticated chord changes. Those differing musical directions ultimately helped pull Walker and Bruno apart.
• FM Cult Favorite: Bob Bruno's dreamy “Wind” became the album's signature song and a minor underground hit, finding an audience through the emerging progressive-FM radio scene rather than conventional pop success.