Montage

Following his departure from the Left Banke, where he had served as the band’s dominant creative presence through his roles as main songwriter, arranger, and keyboardist, Michael Brown joined forces with Montage to extend the ornate Baroque pop and rock style that had defined his initial Left Banke work. Though Brown held no formal position within Montage, the group’s lone 1968 release—a self-titled album—functions in every practical sense as a solo endeavor under his direction, since he produced the record, collaborated on the majority of its compositions, contributed keyboard parts, and shaped its vocal textures. The resulting tracks, marked by rich choral harmonies and exquisite melodic lines, closely echo the sound Brown had earlier established with the Left Banke.