It’s a Beautiful Day was a San Francisco band that originated during the mid-1960s, along with the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, and the Grateful Dead, yet had little in common with these legendary groups.

They were not a psychedelic band, but rather centered their sound around leader David LaFlamme’s violin, his wife Linda’s keyboards, and vocalist Patti Santos. Their fusion of classical music and rock made them unique during the Summer of Love on the West Coast. Their self-titled first album, which is reviewed here, and their follow-up had moderate commercial success. They split in 1973 after the LaFlamme’s divorce, and Patti Santos died in a car accident several years later. The band has continued to perform with a revolving number of musicians centered around LaFlamme and original drummer Val Fuentes, continuing even after LaFlamme’s death a few years ago.

One thing It’s A Beautiful Day did have in common with their West Coast contemporaries was their ability to extend a song. While their improvisational ability is more apparent on their live material, songs such as “Time Is” and “Bulgaria” are good examples here of their approach.

The best track on their self-titled debut is “White Bird.” It meanders along with several tempo changes, yet has a depth to it, courtesy of the prominence of the violin as a foundational instrument. Interestingly, elements of the track “Bombay Calling” would reappear in Deep Purple’s “Child Of Time” from their In Rock album.

It’s A Beautiful Day is a good and interesting album from a by-gone era. It may be a little dated, but is still worth a listen, especially for those curious about the West Coast scene in the late ’60s and early ’70s.

Rating: B

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