John Betsch was born in Jacksonville Florida. He studied music in Nashville and played drums in various local bands. John Betsch moved to Boston’s Berkeley University, where he met fellow classmates like Earnie Watts, John Abercrombie and Alan Broadbent. After surviving the US Nam army draft, he was invited by his friend Billy Chilf to join TIM HARDIN’s group. Woodstock was just a few days away. John Betsch, Hardin and future-OREGON members Moore, Walcott and McCandles will record a psychalbum (never published by Columbia). This album will also include Chilf. Then, he returned to Nashville with Bob Holmes’ band. After four years of studying with Max Roach, Archie Shepp and Bob Holmes, he gravitated to the local scene. After returning to Nashville, he formed the John Betsch Society. This group was clearly influenced by UMASS’s Afro intelligence. Recorded in one day and in one take, Earth Blossom is a stunning blend of Psych, Funk, Jazz-rock; it was released on the now-ultra-collectable Strata East label in 74. His usual friends, Bob Holmes (keys), Jim Bridges(guitars), Ed Williams, all basses), Billy Puett, (flutes, saxes), were his band members.
