Scott's Spotlight #17--Arc of Life
Originally Posted to Facebook on January 16, 2025
Link to post:
https://www.facebook.com/share/18RR9VVKt4/
Welcome to Scott’s Spotlight (#scottsspotlight) issue #17 For more information about this series, please click here:
Today’s spotlight will be brief. I will be discussing the Yes spinoff group Arc of Life. This prog supergroup features 3 current members of Yes (although one was a sideman when the band started), a Yes adjacent player, and one who did not have a did not have a direct link to Yes, until he joined this band, but was a notable prog musician with several other well respected projects on his resume. The three current Yes-men are Jon Davison (vocals –Yes Singer since 2012), Billy Sherwood (bass & vocals: associated with Yes, and a member on more than one occasion–permanent since Chris Squire’s passing), and Jay Schellen (drums, who was in a support role for Alan White during his final years, before inheriting the Yes drum throne upon White’s passing). The Yes-adjacent man is guitarist Jimmy Haun who entered the Yes orbit on the 1991 “Union” album as a session player, as well as other Yes spin-offs like Circa and Yoso. Sherwood, and Haun have been playing together going back to the 80s, while Schellen has been associated with Sherwood since the mid 90s. All three worked in the band World Trade at one time or another. The other member is keyboardist Dave Kerzner , who’s career includes being the keyman in Sound of Contact with Simon Collins, as well as the sound sampling development company Sonic Reality in which he worked with legends such as Neil Peart and Keith Emerson. He has also worked with Kevin Gilbert, Steve Hackett and Steven Wilson,in addition to recording a number of solo albums.
While locating information as to how and why this band came together other than one review stating that Billy Sherwood put it together, which, if true, is unsurprising, as Mr. Sherwood is very adept at putting bands together. It is essentially the current version of Yes with Haun and Kerzner in place of Howe and Downes. The music, though to me, has some energy that much of the more recent Yes material is lacking.
The first self-titled album came out in 2021. It contains 10 tracks with the two longest ones clocking in at around 9:30 and 9:45 respectively. Some of my “loved” tracks include, “Life Has a Way,” “Therefore We Are,” and “The End Game.”
The second, and to date, most recent release is 2022’s “Don’t Look Down.” I REALLY liked this album. I “loved” 5 of the 6 tracks. It features the nearly 18 minute epic named after the bane, “Arc of Life. Other standouts are the opener “Real Time World,” and the title track.
I'm not sure whether or not Arc of Life will reconvene in the future or not. I have not heard one way or another. I, for one, hope that they do release more material, as I quite enjoy their output. Perhaps if the right people see this spotlight, that question may be answered.
Links for Listening:
From the debut album:
Life Has a Way:
Therefore We Are:
From “Don’t Look Down”
Real Time World:
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