The Snake

Detroit-born blues-rock guitarist and future Rolling Stone Harvey Mandel had an innovative approach to electric guitar, being among the first to utilize an intricate two-handed fretboard tapping technique. Raised in the suburb of Morton Grove, outside Chicago, Mandel joined Charley Musselwhite's band at the age of 20 in 1965, which brought him to San Francisco, where local disc jockey and aspiring producer Abe Kesh scored him a solo contract with Philips. Playing simultaneously with Graham Bond, he joined Canned Heat in time to play at Woodstock and then joined John Mayall's band. 1972 album The Snake, his second and final LP release for GRT's Janus subsidiary, benefited from melodic bassist Victor Conte, sprightly drummer Paul Lagos and rhythm guitarist Randy Resnick of Pure Food and Drug Act, as well as veteran blues drummer Earl Palmer, violinist Don 'Sugarcane' Harris and noted jazz player Charles Lloyd on flute. These hard-rockin' blues instrumentals have plenty of nice musical touches, infusing the disc with jazz, Latin and other unusual tinges.