Collection: Shadowfax

Shadowfax formed in Chicago in the early 1970s around saxophonist Chuck Greenberg, guitarist G. E. Stinson and bassist Phil Maggini. They began as a blues band and took their name from Gandalf’s horse in The Lord of the Rings. Greenberg’s lyricon, an early wind synthesizer, became the band’s signature voice. Their debut, Watercourse Way (Passport, 1976), was loud electric fusion, a style they largely left behind. In 1982 they signed to Windham Hill, then known for quiet solo guitar, and made Shadowfax, followed by Shadowdance (1983) and The Dreams of Children (1984). These records mix jazz harmony, world music and folk melody with acoustic and electronic instruments. Folksongs for a Nuclear Village (1988) won the Grammy for Best New Age Performance, and Esperanto earned a nomination. Violinists including Jerry Goodman and a rotating set of keyboard players came and went while Greenberg and Maggini stayed. Greenberg died in September 1995 and the group ended.