The Pterodactyl That Wasn’t Pop

When I purchased this CD, I was not aware that Pop Workshop were an actual group. Seeing the name of Tony Williams on the cover was the initial motive behind buying it. Possibly misled by the word “Workshop”, I thought this might be an all-star gathering recorded live. Little did I know that Pop Workshop were in fact a Swedish band, lucky enough to have Tony Williams as a member on their second album, Song of the Pterodactyl, released in 1974.

Apart from Williams, the other musicians on this recording were Wlodek Gulgowski, (also known from the jazz rock supergroup Made in Sweden) on keyboards, Zbigniew Namysłowski on saxophone, Janne Schaffer on guitar, and Mads Vinding on bass.

“Workshop” was not the only misleading word though. The music on Song of the Pterodactyl has also nothing to do with pop. This is pure jazz fusion, with Namysłowski’s saxophone taking the leading role. The guitar playing is excellent, while a funky tone runs through the album, spicing up the overall result. The keyboards add a cosmic element, making this an excellent fusion album for lovers of the genre.

For some reason, the album was not released on CD — or widely reissued in general — until 2024, something that very much added to its myth. Nowadays, however, it is widely available, ready to be discovered and appreciated by fusion lovers.