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Title: Matrix - Wizard
Year/Genre/Sub-Genre/City: 1978, Jazz Fusion, Jazz-Funk and Progressive Jazz, Appleton, Wisconsin 8/26
Matrix #: BSK 3260
Condition: EX (LM) | Members: Matrix (N/A) | Producer: John Simon, Matrix
Cultural Facts:

1. Origin Story: Pianist and composer John Harmon formed Matrix in Appleton in 1974 from musicians connected to Lawrence University, combining the power of a big band with the flexibility of a smaller jazz-fusion ensemble.
2. Concept Lore: Much of Wizard was built around literary imagery: the title piece was inspired by Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings, while other tracks referenced Lawrence Durrell and Henry Miller.
3. Scene History: Before this Warner Bros. release, Matrix had already appeared at major festivals including Monterey in 1976 and 1977 and Newport in 1977, giving the Wisconsin group an unusually large national platform for a regional jazz-fusion band.