The Rising Sons

In the middle of the 1960s, an ensemble from Los Angeles left observers puzzled due to its roster, which featured the likes of Ry Cooder alongside Taj Mahal, Kevin Kelley—who would later join the Byrds—and a short-lived stint by Ed Cassidy. Columbia released just a solitary single from the group prior to its 1966 dissolution, though the musicians had captured enough tracks for a full album that remained shelved until its eventual appearance more than two and a half decades afterward. This relaxed blend of blues and folk elements foreshadowed the direction taken in subsequent efforts by acts such as Moby Grape, Buffalo Springfield, the Grateful Dead, and the Byrds in their country-rock phase.