Fourth Estate

    Fourth Estate

    Loveland, Colorado7 reviews across 5 releases

    hard rockjazz fusionjazz rockprogressive rock
    Discogs

    Fourth Estate was a Colorado instrumental trio formed in 1987, with a sound shaped by progressive rock and the players' grounding in classical, jazz and flamenco music. Dave Beegle's guitar was usually the most conspicuous voice, but the arrangements gave Fred Babich's bass unusual space while Jim Iltis kept the drumming controlled rather than crowded. The independent Edge of the Shadow presented fast, technically demanding passages beside long melodic stretches, including an adaptation of Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring." In Phase pushed the trio toward a harder rock edge. On Finesse and Fury, released in 1992 by Rubicon Recording Co., the writing became more deliberate: "Highlander" used a Scottish color, while "Reflections" and "Joy" relied on singable melodies rather than continuous display.

    Jim Iltis was replaced by Dave Spurr on drums before See What I See appeared in 1995, and the new lineup continued Fourth Estate's instrumental format without turning Beegle's guitar into a permanent solo over accompaniment. The group remained associated with Hapi Skratch Records, whose release of Dustbuster Demos in 2002 gathered material from the early cassette recordings and paired it with a remastered edition of Finesse and Fury. By 2003, Beegle was still booking Fourth Estate performances, using Mike Olson on bass and Matt Henderson on drums for some shows. He also pursued acoustic and solo projects, while Fourth Estate's later activity centered on live performances and reissued material.

    5 releases reviewed