Tales From The Scenic City

“It’s been a huge learning curve but probably the most exciting parts of my week have been Fridays when I can come in and do progressive rock.”
Hannah Pryor

Broadly equidistant from the considerably larger and better-known metropoles of Nashville and Atlanta lies Chattanooga. The history of the city in southeastern Tennessee includes a significant battle in the American Civil War in November 1863. More contemporarily, Chattanooga has always been home to Glass Hammer bassist Steve Babb. Keyboardist Fred Schendel moved to the so-called Scenic City in the mid-80s, meeting Babb at – where else? – a record store when the latter was on a break from a tour.

And since the group’s formation almost 30 years ago, Babb and Schendel have served as the creative core around which Glass Hammer has orbited. The duo have helmed the band through no fewer than 21 studio albums, with – in time honoured prog traditions – a revolving cast of musical cohorts. Hot on the heels of last year’s , the band have now released , which constitutes the second part of the trilogy commenced on the former album and is once again inspired by the literary sword and sorcery genre.