Kaleidoscope
1966–1970
(Reunions in 1976 and 1990)
David Lindley
Chester Crill
Solomon Feldthouse
John Vidican
Chris Darrow
Stuart Brotman
Paul Lagos
Jeff Kaplan
Ron Johnston
Later careers[edit]
After the end of Kaleidoscope, Lindley became a highly respected session and live musician with Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and others, before forming his own band, El Rayo-X, in the early 1980s. Feldthouse performed at Renaissance Pleasure Faires, and with various flamenco and Middle Eastern groups. Darrow joined the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band after Kaleidoscope and later formed the Corvettes with Bernie Leadon before becoming a leading session musician and solo performer. Crill became an underground comic writer for a time, co-writing the Mickey Rat series, and also produced the first 78rpm record by R. Crumb's group, Armstrong's Pasadenans. Brotman became involved with the LA folk dance scene and has done considerable work as a movie extra. In the 1980s he became active in Klezmer revival, playing bass and tsimbl for Brave Old World and most recently is a member of the San Francisco-based trio, Veretski Pass whose most recent CD, The Magid Chronicles, was released in 2019. He is also a regular instructor at KlezCalifornia and KlezKanada, and other ethnic music gatherings.
Paul Lagos died on October 19, 2009.[7] Chris Darrow died on January 15, 2020.[8] Solomon Feldthouse died on December 12, 2021. Lindley died on March 3, 2023.
Kaleidoscope reunions[edit]
In 1976, ex-members Brotman, Crill, Darrow, Feldthouse and Lagos reconvened for the reunion album, When Scopes Collide, which was released on Michael Nesmith's Pacific Arts label.[1] Lindley also contributed, but distanced himself from the project by appearing as a guest, billed as "De Paris Letante." Crill was billed as two band members ("Templeton Parcely" and "Max Buda"), and was credited as a producer under his real name.
Fourteen years later, Crill and Darrow organized and produced a second reunion session, this time for Gifthorse Records. Greetings from Kartoonistan (We Ain't Dead Yet),[1] again brought together the same line-up (although this time Crill only billed himself as "Max Buda" in the band member credits), with Brotman contributing the instrumental, "Klezmer Suite". Though invited, Lindley declined to participate.
Studio albums:
Compilation albums: