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Mormos — Live in Belgium ’72
(Bandcamp Windsailor Music Win-014, 1972/2026, DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-08-11

Live in Belgium ’72 Cover art

After absorbing two studio albums, a live set, and a couple of singles, I thought my understanding of the Mormos story was complete. But there’s another chapter left to the tale. We left off in March of 1972, when the group recorded a live set at Le Chat Écarlate in Paris featuring all five original members in their accustomed acoustic configuration. At some point after that, some of the members decided (with record label encouragement) that it would be good to incorporate some electric instruments into the fold to move their sound into a new, possibly more commercial, realm. Lead singer Annie “Hat” Williams took up bass guitar, and Jim Cuomo and Ernie Mansfield took turns on a Hohner pianet, but cellist Sandy Spencer departed, leaving a four-piece to carry on the Mormos name for a time. This new lineup played a number of dates in Belgium later in 1972, one of which is presented here — the precise date of the recording is unknown. The thirteen tracks feature some songs known from the studio recordings along with seven that were new. Even with the scaled-down personnel, the quartet manages a very rich palette, with flute, clarinet, saxophone, and keyboard from Cuomo and Mansfield along with Elliott Delman’s amplified acoustic guitar and Williams’ bass and a surprising amount of percussion. The vocals are stellar, with all four participating, as on the acapella “Hush (For Lynn’s Picture)” which opens the set. All in all, it’s a charming snapshot of an era long gone, and also a tantalizing glimpse at what could have come later for this unique band — could a drum kit have been in the cards? As with all of Mansfield’s new releases from Mormos, the sound quality is superb, and you’d never know the show happened more than 50 years ago.

Filed under: New releases, 2026 releases, 1972 recordings

Related artist(s): Mormos

More info
http://mormos.bandcamp.com/album/mormos-live-in-belgium-72

 

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