INTRODUCTIONTo catch the attention of our discerning, critical and cynical ears, any demos that people send to us here at Jazzman have to be pretty damn good. Yes they all get listened to, but very few make it this far as an official Jazzman CD and vinyl release. In fact the last time we released some recently-recorded music was a couple of years ago with the Natural Yogurt Band, which we were happy to see become an instant success.You see, we're quite fussy because in this day and age we can't afford to lose money by putting out a so-so record. We also have to like it a LOT, not just because we'll have to listen to it over and over again, but because we want you to too! So here is our next attempt at world domination, the debut album by The Greg Foat Group.DARK IS THE SUNRecorded in Sweden, 'Dark is the Sun' is a concept album based on themes and variations by British pianist/composer/arranger Greg Foat, who has created an intriguing blend of non-contemporary jazz sounds with classic scoring techniques. An exotic array of unorthodox instrumentation was utilized, including harpsichord, tubular bells and a 15 piece choir. With musical reference and influence from such luminaries as Bruno Nicolai, Michel Legrand and Serge Gainsbourg as well as a firm nod towards UK jazzmen Michael Garrick, Keith Mansfield and Alan Hawkshaw, the result is highly-listenable, enduring and fulfilling for those who like real music played with real instruments.