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Music history is filled with artists who should have been a more significant success. Of these artists, Jimi Bertucci is one of the most talented and acclaimed. Though not as widely known as he was in the 70s, Bertucci was one of the earliest progenitors of power pop and one of its most gifted creators. His music history spans multiple decades, several promising groups, and a solo career that is still active to this very day. We think that fans of “Big Star,” “Badfinger,” “Cheap Trick,” and “The Flaming Groovies” will love Bertucci's hard, diverse, and unforgettable music. Music Captured Bertucci at a Young Age Jimi Bertucci was born in Serra San Bruno, Calabria, Italy as Vincenzo Donato Bertucci before immigrating to Canada at the age of six. Vincenzo's musically-gifted uncle Sam, an early live experience with the Beatles, and the gift of a Hofner bass helped inspire Bertucci to pursue a music career. As a teen, he formed “The London Tones” with Ron Bartley and Glen Olive and played British Invasion style music for years before adding Bob McPherson and Brian Cotterill to expand the group's sound. During the late 60s, they grew tighter and settled on the name “Captain Midnight.” The Highs and Lows of Abraham's Children “Captain Midnight” was first noticed by music-biz legend Jack Morrow in 1970. Morrow was impressed by their hard-hitting style, their skilled arrangements, the excellent playing, and the powerful singing voice of Bertucci. By now, Vincenzo went almost solely by his nickname, Jimi, and was writing most of their music. Unfortunately, they were forced to change their name after an American band named “Captain Midnight” threatened suit. Thankfully, they came up with “Abraham's Children" and a series of diverse singles soon followed, showing a band and songwriter who could handle multiple different sounds. Their early work intrigued Buddha Record's Nick Bogart, the man who helped discover and promote KISS. He hooked them up with George Semkiw in 1973 to produce their sole studio album “Time.” The record is an impressive – and underappreciated –reminder of the rich musical palate of the early 70s. Throughout “Time,” the band plays tight rock and roll with a thick guitar style that was impressively melodic and memorable for the time. However, they also integrate instruments like flutes, congos, and the string-emulating mellotron to create a vibrant and stylish sound. Angel, The Police, and Name Conflicts “Abraham's Children” was seeing big success in Canada and launched a tour of the whole country throughout 1974. They had enough material for a new album and even changed their name to “The Children” to showcase a more mature direction. Unfortunately, serious musical differences caused Bertucci to leave the group in 1975. While “The Children” continued to release singles without Bertucci, none were able to catch the highs of the previous album and the band folded shortly after that. However, Jimi remained as bold and ambitious as ever, forming an R&B band called “Angel” in 1975. “Angel” released just one single, “Winning Ways,” before being forced to change their name due to a little-remembered American heavy metal band that was big at the time. As “Space Patrol,” Bertucci released another single, “Burning Love,” in 1976. The material released during this time was funky rock and roll. It featured the unique Bertucci touch but didn't catch on with international audiences. Another name conflict brought an abrupt end to Bertucci's next solo project, “The Police,” and inspired him to release his first solo album in 1981. This album was filled with the kind of detailed power pop, soul, and R&B that had become Bertucci's main musical style. However, it had a sharper songwriting edge, a little more grit, and should have been a significant hit. Bertucci's Story is Not Yet Done Though Jimi never got the kind of stardom that he deserved, he remains a hardworking and respected international musician. He continually tours and occasionally releases new albums, such as 2002's “Through the Eyes of Vincenzo.” And while his music is mostly rock or power pop, Bertucci has also released New Age albums under the name Natopus. There truly is very little that Bertucci cannot do, and fans of power pop owe it to themselves to check out his diverse and always exciting music.