The Early Rock Daze (1987–1992)
The Early Rock Daze captures Brian Grace’s formative years as a songwriter and multi‑instrumentalist, long before formal training or studio polish. Recorded in bedrooms, borrowed four‑track cassette machines, and Army Band studios, these tracks reveal the raw melodic instincts and emotional drive that would later define his jazz and fusion work.
The collection spans five years of experimentation — from his first-ever studio track at the Fort Dix Recording Studio (12‑String Solitude) to fully fleshed-out sessions while serving in the U.S. Army Band. Each track documents a young artist discovering harmony, rhythm, and the joy of building songs entirely by hand and ear.
Though rough around the edges, these recordings mark the beginning of Brian’s lifelong pursuit of musical storytelling. They stand as the earliest blueprint of the melodic sensibility that would later evolve through Explorations, Re‑Sounding, and Hodgepodge Jazz Garage.
As the opening chapter of the Legacy Era, The Early Rock Daze represents the spark before refinement — the sound of discovery, independence, and the first realization that music would be a lifelong path.
Track List
| 1. Unite! (1989) | 04:04 |
| 2. The End of Summer (1988) | 04:06 |
| 3. Round and Round (1992) | 04:04 |
| 4. 12‑String Solitude, Version 1 (1987) | 04:39 |
| 5. The Inside Looking Out (1987) | 03:39 |
| 6. Oh, Lisa (1987) | 02:40 |
| 7. Habituation (1989) | 07:57 |
| 8. Holding on to Love (1989) | 06:39 |
| 9. The Magic Candle (1992) | 04:17 |
| 10. Don’t Give Me Your Religion (1992) | 05:25 |
| 11. Movin’ On (1991) | 04:08 |
| 12. Sometimes I Can See the Light (1991) | 03:30 |
| 13. Open Your Eyes (What You Can Be) (1991) | 05:08 |
| 14. Life Has Just Begun (1991) | 04:01 |
| 15. Under the Gun (1991) | 04:01 |
| 16. What About Love? (1991) | 03:49 |
| 17. Cerebral Psychosis (1991) | 01:02 |
| 18. Wait and See (1988) | 05:53 |
| 19. The Right Time for Love – All My Life (1989) | 08:31 |
Album Notes
Most of these songs were written and recorded before any formal training – before Berklee, before the Presidio of San Francisco, before Brian knew anything about production. They come from a period defined by curiosity, instinct, and constant experimentation.
You can hear a young composer reaching for ideas he didn’t yet know how to execute – trying out harmonic shapes, layering instruments by feel, and discovering the musical language he would spend the next decades developing.
Rough around the edges but honest at their core, these recordings capture the earliest sparks of the melodic sensibility that would later evolve through Explorations, Re‑Sounding, and Hodgepodge Jazz Garage.