Emil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band - Journey To Bliss

Review by Gregg Tomlinson

Journey To Bliss: A Sonic Trip Worth Taking Alright, let’s get into Journey To Bliss by Emil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band. Released in ‘68, this jazz odyssey feels like someone handed a group of mad scientists instruments and said, “Go nuts.” And boy, did they ever. It’s free jazz meets psychedelic vibes with a sprinkle of contemporary flair—like Miles Davis decided to jam with Pink Floyd while sipping green tea. The album hops between genres so smoothly it almost makes your head spin. One moment you're floating on clouds of reverb-soaked percussion (thanks, Emil), and the next, you’re knee-deep in groovy basslines courtesy of Ray Neapolitan. Let’s talk about two tracks that stuck with me because, honestly, there’s just too much goodness here to unpack all at once. First up is “Bliss”—a track that lives up to its name but doesn’t hold your hand along the way. This isn’t some easy-listening chill-out tune; nope, it’s more like an audio rollercoaster ride through an alternate dimension. Dave Mackay’s keyboard work dances around like sparks flying off a bonfire, unpredictable yet mesmerizing. Meanwhile, Joe Porcaro’s drumming keeps things grounded without being boring. There are moments where everything drops out except for these haunting tones that feel like whispers from another world. You know those songs that make you stop what you’re doing and stare into space? Yeah, this is one of them. Then there’s “Journey To Bliss - Part IV,” which might as well be called “Where Did My Sense of Time Go?” The piece starts innocently enough, with Dennis Budimir laying down some laid-back guitar licks. But then BAM!—the whole thing shifts gears faster than a sports car on caffeine. Mark Stevens and Mike Craden throw in layers of percussion that sound like they’re summoning ancient spirits or maybe just trying to freak you out (either way, mission accomplished). What I love most is how chaotic it feels without losing cohesion. Like watching a storm roll in—it’s wild, sure, but also kinda beautiful. What really ties this record together is the production magic from Bob Thiele. Dude knew how to let weirdness shine while keeping the listener hooked. Oh, and props to Michael Craden for the artwork—it looks like something you’d find tucked away in a vintage record store, begging to be discovered. So yeah, Journey To Bliss isn’t perfect. Some parts might leave you scratching your head, wondering if you accidentally pressed play on someone’s experimental noise project. But isn’t that part of the charm? It’s messy, bold, and unapologetically itself—a snapshot of a time when musicians were fearless about pushing boundaries. Here’s the kicker though: listening to this album feels less like hearing music and more like stepping into a dream—or maybe a fever-induced hallucination. Either way, it sticks with you long after the needle lifts off the vinyl. Funny enough, I couldn’t help thinking… if aliens landed tomorrow, this might be the first album we’d blast to show ‘em what humans are capable of. Or maybe not. Who knows?

Download Emil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band - Journey To Bliss

Artist: Emil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band
Album: Journey To Bliss

Jazz

2007

Rating: 4.38

Review
About Album
Download
Tracks
Video
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Catalog Numbers
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Listen online
Formats
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Credits
Notes
Barcodes
About Artist
Interesting fact
Comments
Related albums

Download

Filename: emil-richards-the-microtonal-blues-band-journey-to-bliss.zip

MP3 size: 56 mb
FLAC size: 481 mb

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Tracks

Track	Duration	Preview
Maharimba	2:52
Journey To Bliss - Part I	3:6
Mantra	4:30
Enjoy, Enjoy	5:52
Journey To Bliss - Parts V & VI	5:18
Journey To Bliss - Parts V & VI	5:13
Journey To Bliss - Part III	3:9
Bliss	4:49
Journey To Bliss - Part II	4:9
Journey To Bliss - Part IV	3:8

Video

Emil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band Us Journey to Bliss

Emil Richards & the Microtonal Blues Band - Mantra

Emil Richards & the Microtonal Blues Band - Bliss

Emil Richards And The Microtonal Blues Band - Maharimba

Emil Richards & the Microtonal Blues Band - Enjoy, Enjoy

Images

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Catalog Numbers

AS-9166
PROA-159, AS-9166

Labels

Impulse!, ABC Records
Impulse!, ABC Impulse!

Listen online

online luisteren
écouter en ligne
escuchar en línea
kuunnella verkossa
online anhören
lytte på nettet
lyssna på nätet
ouvir online
ascolta in linea

Formats

Vinyl
LP
Album
CD
Reissue
Remastered

Companies

Role	Company
Distributed By	Polydor Records Canada Limited
Manufactured By	Polydor Records Canada Limited

Credits

Role	Credit
Artwork	Michael Craden
Bass	Ray Neapolitan
Design	Joe Lebow
Drums	Joe Porcaro
Guitar	Dennis Budimir, Tom Tedesco
Keyboards	Dave Mackay
Liner Notes	Frank Kofsky
Lyrics By	Barbara Gess
Narrator	Hagan Beggs
Percussion	Mark Stevens , Mike Craden
Photography By	Fred Seligo
Producer	Bob Thiele
Written-By	B. Gess (tracks: B1 to B5), Emil Richards, Jules Chaiken (tracks: A1)
Artwork By	Michael Craden

Notes

Meditation Suite In Six Movements.
Gatefold sleeve.
Front cover and spine erroneously list A-9166 as catalogue number. Inside gatefold and label state AS-9166.
℗&© 1968 The Verve Music Group, a Division of UMG Recordings, Inc. 2007 UNIVERSAL CLASSICS & JAZZ, A UNIVERSAL MUSIC COMPANY
Distributed by UNIVERSAL MUSIC K.K. Distributed by TOWER RECORDS
STEREO
Made in Japan

Barcodes

Matrix / Runout (Etched runout side A): AS 9166 A [signature]
Matrix / Runout (Etched runout side B): AS 9166 B [signature]
Rights Society: ASCAP
Barcode: 4 988005 481566
Rights Society: JASRAC

About Emil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band

Name Vars

Emil Richards
Emil Richards And The Microtonal Blues Band

Members

Dave Mackay
Dennis Budimir
Emil Richards
Tommy Tedesco
Joe Porcaro
Ray Neapolitan
Mike Craden

Interesting fact about Album

Did you know? The album *Journey To Bliss* by Emil Richards & The Microtonal Blues Band is a hidden gem from 1968 that blends free jazz, psychedelic vibes, and contemporary jazz. It’s like a musical trip through creativity and experimentation. What makes it even cooler? The album features not one but six parts of the epic "Journey To Bliss," taking listeners on a sprawling adventure. Plus, it was released in the US, Canada, and Japan, showing its global appeal back in the day. With standout contributions from artists like Dave Mackay on keyboards and Dennis Budimir on guitar, this record feels like a time capsule of late '60s innovation. Oh, and fun detail: Michael Craden handled both artwork *and* percussion—talk about multitasking!

Comments

trias707

2025-03-16

Whatever that twingy sounding instrument is, I think I've heard it in a Mario game

carlosjdantas

2025-03-15

"One day, Richards told me, he was watching as Partch set up up his legendary Marimba Eroica, whose lowest note vibrates at twenty-two cycles per second. Richards, walking away from the stage, noticed a curious effect. “I said, ‘Harry, it’s funny—when I stand right here, I don’t feel any vibration at all. I just hear the knock from the hit.’ Harry says, ‘That’s because you’re standing in the bottom of the wave. You’re at the nodal point. There is no sound there.’ That freaked me out, you know?”" via http://www.newyorker.com/culture/alex-ross/giacchino-outtakes-ii-emil-richards

uminekopyon

2025-03-15

seven dude!

sidhsdhsdijs

2025-03-14

Dig the sound of those crotales and tuned waste paper baskets.

eykamyqa

2025-03-14

just saw this man in concert and am still in awe of his dynamic style crisp& clean

babayevma30

2025-03-14

pretty good honestly

backtotheplate

2025-03-13

This was very entertaining - thanks for sharing it.
Would you mind checking to see who did the cover design? My uncle and aunt used to do cover design work for Impulse! at the time.

theheirofgospel

2025-03-12

This is too cool!

leosaiazar

2025-03-11

heavy :D !!!

sajaksrikandi

2025-03-11

I've still got the album, bought it when I was a young 15 year old aspiring musician in Louisville, KY. Now I just realize how Emil was so ahead of his time with the "World Music" thing. Amazing!

gabbsmarie

2025-03-11

emil doing his thing great

mariedelosreyes

2025-03-10

Where the hell did you find the album ?! If you've got a download link, i'd sure love to have it ! :) This discovery just made my day !

amdickey

2025-03-10

Sensational!

eclipsestream101

2025-03-10

sweet!

siki420

2025-03-10

Killing !!

vincedusso

2025-03-09

Far Out! How I happened upon this album in the 1970s I'll never know, but I think it's still somewhere with my albums in storage; and the journey goes on ....