Distant Relative (2)

Springfield, Missouri non-traditional jazz group. The band was formed during the production of "The Beats Go On", a performance of beat poetry and literature directed by Dr. Linda Park-Fuller of then-Southwest Missouri State (SMSU) in 1985 at Murphy's Jazz Club. In the summer of 1987, Distant Relative went into the recording studio to record their first album, entitled Hide The Silver. Engineered by Lou Whitney and Jim Wunderle at Column One Studios in Springfield, the album features seven original compositions written by members of the band. Larry Rottman, a professor at then-Southwest Missouri State, took tapes of Distant Relative with him when he visited Vietnam during the winter of 1988. This would contribute to Distant Relative increase play on the radio across the nation, "becoming one of the most popular jazz bands in the country".