On Shock Treatment, his previous album, Edgar Winter and his quartet, billed as "The Edgar Winter Group," hit on a happy medium for Winter's talents. With the help of this group — Edgar on keyboards and vocals; Dan Hartman on bass, guitar and vocals; Rick Derringer on guitar and background vocals; and Chuck Ruff on drums — Winter played a pleasing (albeit derivative) blend of material, covering everything from heavy metal and folk rock to post-Beatles ballads and rhythm and blues. Thanks to its eclecticism—Hartman and Derringer both have a flair for featherweight pop — it was a band that enabled Winter to discard stereotyped boogie in favor of a more challenging range of music.

While this same basic band appears on Edgar Winter's new LP, Jasmine Nightdreams, this latest effort is very much a solo affair, with disappointing results. Dan Hartman, who penned most of the material on Shock Treatment, coauthors only two tracks on Jasmine; one, "One Day Tomorrow," marks the record's zenith. With a soaring melody and Winter's effective saxophone obbligatos and vocal, this song escapes the boogie - woogie flu (wheeze, wheeze) that afflicts most other cuts.

Although he is a versatile musician, Edgar Winter lacks the virtuosity and flash of brother Johnny. In a group setting where he can share singing and songwriting chores he capitalizes on his strengths by playing in a variety of styles and drawing out the best in such cohorts as Hartman and Derringer.

But on his own, Winter contents himself with Rufus-ized versions of Stevie Wonder-tailored originals ("Little Brother," "I Always Wanted You"), and the usual refried blues ("Shuffle-Low," "Outa Control"). To top things off, we're even treated to a 12-minute instrumental set of bar-band funk, featuring Edgar on organ and sax. All of this is capably enough executed, although Winter's scratchy vocals wear thin quickly. But why settle for second-rate when you've got a first-rate rock & roll band in wraps? (RS 192)

JIM MILLER