Cairo

Cairo originated in San Francisco, CA, during the early '90s when Mark Robertson on keyboards and vocals joined forces with Alec Fuhrman handling guitars and vocals, Jeff Brockman on drums and percussion, bassist Rob Fordyce, and lead vocalist Bret Douglas. Working out of their own home studio, the quintet handled production duties themselves for their self-titled debut, which appeared in 1994 via the Magna Carta imprint. That release featured a keyboard approach strongly shaped by ELP alongside soaring vocals reminiscent of Yes frontman Jon Anderson. Over the course of two years the group labored on its follow-up album, Conflict and Dreams, a period that saw Fordyce depart; rather than recruit a permanent replacement, the remaining members enlisted bassist Jamie Browne solely for the sessions, and the finished record surfaced in 1998. While the overall style remained close to the debut, the new effort displayed greater intricacy both in arrangement and in studio craft. Fuhrman exited in 2000, yet the band continued without interruption and delivered Time of Legends in June 2001. Cairo has additionally contributed performances to multiple Magna Carta prog rock tribute collections.