MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
The
SPRING 2018 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
ANGEL
AIR RECORDS – Overend Watts is best known as one of
the founding members of Mott The Hoople. The first Mott album—with
“Half Moon Bay” and their Sonny Bono cover of “Laugh
At Me” and a lead off instrumental of the Kinks’ “You
Really Got Me”—helped turn the prog music freaks sidewise
back during the summer of 1969. Going on to work with Bowie and moving
from Atlantic to Columbia Records in the early ‘70s, Mott no
doubt made their mark. Kings of U.K. rock reissues, Angel Air has
a fab album called He’s Real Gone—a 14 track
of all new music recorded by founding Mott bass ace Overend Watts
in the months before his untimely passing away, at age 69, in
January 2017. In 2013, Overend issued his book called The Man
Who Hated Walking—a massive 300 page book that detailed
Overend walking the 650 miles S.W. Coast Path National Trail. Although
Angel Air has a number of Mott The Hoople remasters, including their
reissues of Mott’s fabulous early Atlantic Records years, no
one was expecting the stunning sonic achievement that is He’s
Real Gone. Gone are the over the top glam-rock etchings that made
Mott a household word 45 years ago. Instead, He’s Real Gone
is a true sonic portrait of Overend, near the end unfortunately,
filled with songs that fans of The Kinks would enjoy. To back that
up, give a listen to the mid '80s era / Kinks influenced flair of
“He’d Be A Diamond” and the Bowie-esque groove of “Belle
Of The Boot”. With Overend performing all the lead and backing
vocals, guitars, bass, keys, programming, bass and a range of instruments,
He’s Real Gone also features contributions from Mott legends,
the late Dale “Buffin” Griffin (drums) and Morgan
Fisher (keys), along with post-production by Phil Hendriks.
There’s a definite sense of humour about the whole album that
is offset by Overend’s quite impressive vocals and arrangements.
Some of the tracks like “Prawn Fire On Uncle Sheep Funnel”
border on Python-esque humour, yet it's played with sheer sonic accuracy.
There’s plenty of Mott and Bowie inspired pop ditties and rave
ups. Check out the Bowie-esque “There’s Berkeley Power Station”.
Somewhere in pop heaven, Overend and Buffin are now jamming with Bowie
and Ronno so keep the faith and crank up the volume. A stunning, ear-opening,
posthumous pop-rock achievement, He’s Real Gone will long
be viewed as a better late than never pop masterpiece from Mott The
Hoople legend, Overend Watts. www.angelair.co.uk
BACK
TO THE GARDEN RECORDS – In 2015, the UK band known as Magic
Bus released a seminal progressive rock masterpiece called Transmission
From Sogmore’s Garden. In 2017, Magic Bus returned again
with a bold album of all new 
material
called Phillip The Egg. Continuing on in the
path of vintage rock psychedelia, brought up to date in the 21st century,
the audaciously titled, eight track Phillip The Egg CD is a
true masterpiece for fans the incredible late 1960s / early ‘70s
era of classic U.K. prog-rock bands such as Caravan, Steve Hillage-era
Gong and Hatfield & The North. Sporting new compositions by group
leader Paul Evans (vocals, guitar) and Jay Darlington (keys,
backing vocals), Phillip The Egg is a brilliant showcase for
the entire band. In the age of digital and mp3, when bands are unfortunately
cutting back on actual, "physical" CD releases, Magic Bus
has done a fantastic job on their CD presentation. Filled with a mix
of vocal and instrumental tracks, the CD sound is brilliant and the
disc is actually packaged inside the artwork in an actual inner sleeve!
The music of Magic Bus gives progressive rock fans hope for the future
while acknowledging that the past was something really important.
www.magicbusband.co.uk
BARCAROLLE
RECORDS – Singer-songwriter Marvin B. Naylor was only
11 when he first saw the late, great David Bowie on Top Of The Pops,
performing the Hunky Dory classic “Life On Mars”.
Bowie’s passing in 2016 brought Marvin to a spiritual level,
musically. Marvin reflects on Bowie’s illustrious past and other
pensive topics on his 2017 CD The Spiral Sky. The
high point of the eleven track album is Marvin’s actual song
tribute to Bowie, called “Human God”. A fine singer and
guitarist, Marvin composed and performed all the music on Spiral
Sky, which was co-produced by Marvin and Gary J. Brady.
Musically, The Spiral Sky is quite pleasant sounding, complete
with eccentric, left-field twists and turns—almost as if Bowie
was directing his part from heaven. There’s even a haunting instrumental
track here called “Moonsets Of Aerah”. Eccentric pop-rock
with all kinds of vivid sonic backdrops, The Spiral Sky can
be checked out on Marvin’s YouTube page. The Spiral Sky is
well worth the time for Bowie fans as well as disciples of classic
UK pop-rock. www.MarvinBNaylor.com
/ www.youtube.com
BGO
RECORDINGS -
Following
albums that pertained to futuristic science fiction (Beyond Time)
and the tried and trusted topic of relationships (Sticky Love
Songs), American pop maven Michael Laine Hildebrandt and
his entourage / moniker Bubble Gum Orchestra takes on somewhat
deeper psycho-social issues on the 2017 CD release of Sixthoverture.
Regarding the raw emotional content of Sixthoverture songs
like “Living On Earth” and “Lower Than Low”
Michael tells mwe3.com, “I was so glad to get Sticky Love
Songs out of my life just from the emotional standpoint. I let myself
go into somewhat uncharted BGO territory and started writing what
was to come for me... a thrilling, emotional and super positive journey
of 11 songs. The mood reflects just some 
of
the chaos going on in this crazy world today. A friend told me the
album art was ‘dark yet beautiful.” Musically, Sixthoverture
features the Bubble Gum Orchestra retro / futuristic pop sound throughout,
yet with earlier album concepts of outer space and sticky love songs
well done, is Sixthoverture a different kind of BGO album?
Decked out with haunting and harrowing album artwork, Sixthoverture
is yet another thrilling BGO album filled with soaring pop melodies—Hildy's
usually upbeat tracks fueled by lyrics that looks straight into permanent
human conditions like love and life. Also on Sixthoverture is
a fine Beatles' tribute, to which Hildy adds, “More than any
other previous BGO album. I guess I was feeling a little experimental.
“The Beatles Made Me” is not my deliberate tribute to The
Beatles though. It’s a relationship song about whomever you want
it to be about, bringing two people back together through the joy
of music and the band that just happens to be doing that is The Beatles.”
Music fans who have been hip to BGO since their early breakthrough
album Out Of This World will find much to like about number
6—Sixthoverture. Aided and abetted by BGO guitarist Douglas
Hildebrandt and guest vocalist Les Farrington of Sugarbomb,
Michael Laine Hildebrandt and Bubble Gum Orchestra takes pop-rock
to a higher state of the art on the spectacular sounding animated
groove of Sixthoverture.
BLUE
ÉLAN RECORDS / FATHEAD RECORDS -– Blues rocker
Janiva Magness hits blues-rock gold with the six track release
of Blue Again. Released on L.A. based Blue Élan
Records, the album features Janiva in the studio backed up by a solid
band, including guitarists Zach Zunis and Garrett Deloian
as well as Arlan Schierbaum (Hammond organ), Gary “Scruff”
Davenport (bass) and Matt Tecu (drums). Key to the album
are the choice of covers, including a stand out version of the Al
Kooper classic “I Love You More Than You’ll Ever Know”—a
highlight of the first Blood Sweat & Tears album from 1968. CD
liner notes by Janiva are very revealing, with her declaring how the
blues refreshes and rejuvenates her. With a powerful set of vocal
performances and band that won’t quit, Janiva’s Blue
Again CD is a modern day blues-rock masterpiece. www.janivamagness.com
BOOKSHOP
RECORDS – Unusual pop, influenced by 1960s bands like The
Kinks and The Zombies, Diagrams released their 29 minute CD
Dorothy in 2017. Very British with a cool kind of ska
beat on some tracks, the group is led by singer-songwriter Sam
Genders, a founding member of the English folk band Tunng. The
album is kind of hushed but it is superbly produced and there’s
plenty of little musical flourishes that enhance the music. There’s
also a touch of country rock on some tracks. The catch here is that
the music was co-written with Washington State based author Dorothy
Trogdon. Genders gets support from a range of supporting players
including member of Arcade Fire, Smoke Fairies, strings and things
and more. There’s some Donovan influences, most notably on the
track six, “Crimson Leaves”. Armed with bizarre cover art,
Dorothy by Diagrams is a cool and comfortable album of 21st
century pop. www.diagramsmusic.com
COMPASS
RECORDS – Nashville based Compass released Carousel One
by singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith and in 2017 they follow
up with The Last Rider. As a pop tunesmith, Sexsmith
has few peers. His voice has mellowed but it still packs a punch on
an album that displays his power-pop roots. Sexsmith’s songs
are firmly rooted in the 1960s pop logic of Paul McCartney, Emitt
Rhodes and Brian Wilson. The Last Rider is filled with smart
songwriting, excellent singing and the studio sound is first rate
throughout. With The Last Rider, featuring stellar production
by Ron and drummer Don Kerr, Sexsmith’s band puts him
through the paces and the results are pure pop excellence. www.ronsexsmith.com
DECLASSIFIED
RECORDS – Instrumental jazz-rock fusion is alive and well
on the 2017 CD by Bangtower. The twelve track With N
With Out may be cryptically titled but the music is a breeze
to get into. At the core of the Bangtower sound are Percy Jones
(bass) Neil Citron (guitars / keyboards) and drummer Walter
Garces, who are joined by a number of guests including co-producer
Jon Pomplin (keys), Robbie “Pag” Pagliari (bass)
and other fine players. Just from a guitar fans perspective, the diversity
of With N With Out is staggering—ranging from hard rock
instrumental to jazzier fusion workouts to several vocal tracks featuring
the ever-diverse Neil Citron. Percy Jones of Brand X is legendary
and Neil Citron’s guitar and compositions are consistently brilliant
throughout, while Walter’s drum sound is well captured in the
CD format. All in all, With N With Out is one of 2017’s
finest albums of instrumental guitar fusion music. www.declassifiedrecords.com
DOMINO
RECORDING COMPANY – In 2017, Brooklyn based Domino released
a 2017 CD by singer-songwriter Peter Perrett, called How
The West Was Won. With the passing of David Bowie and
Lou Reed, distraught punk / glam rock fans still in shock might want
to check out Perrett’s new album. Leader of the 1970s punk-rock
band The Only Ones, Perrett has kept a low profile with his output
of late, yet the ten track CD was actually recorded with Perrett and
his sons Jamie Perrett (guitars) and Peter Perrett Jr. (bass)
of the band Babyshambles. The sound is quite good and the tracks have
driving rock rhythms, bolstered by Perrett’s dry lyrics and echoes
of Bowie and Lou. At 65, Perrett sounds like a man half his age and
the driving rock grooves of How The West Was Won brings his
legendary post-punk rock sound to new heights. Produced by studio
icon Chris Kimsey, every track is great and “Living In
My Head” would make a fine single. Fans of NYC based Richard
X. Heyman’s 2017 comeback Incognito will dig Peter Perrett.
www.dominorecordco.com
DOUBLE
SIX RECORDS – The London based duo Trailer Trash Tracys
take pop music into some strange sonic waters on their 2017 CD,
Althaea. Featuring the breathy vocals of lead
singer Susanne Aztoria and multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Lee
and other fine players, the music blends weird sounds from Filipino
carnival music, Latin rhythms and Japanese tropical music ala Sakamoto
and the original exotica masters like Martin Denny and Les Baxter,
especially on the CD closing instrumental “100 Aspects Of The
Moon”. With some mighty appealing grooves, there’s plenty
of fine music on hand for fans of strange and eclectic 21st century
avant electro-pop. www.trailertrashtracys.com
DUALTONE
MUSIC GROUP – It’s surrealistic to think of Chuck
Berry as being dead but in retrospect, his era was truly in the
mid to later 1950s. Without Chuck who knows if the Beatles and Stones
would have been so eager to hone their craft and take rock 'n' roll
a step further. An oldies act before the word oldies was even a genre,
Chuck Berry released his final album, which was just about completed
before his passing on March 18, 2017. It’s almost unreal to think
that Chuck outlived John Lennon by 37 years and sure enough, my most
vivid memory of Chuck is seeing him with John and Yoko on the Mike
Douglas show back in the day! Fittingly, his last album is just called
Chuck. Most of the melodies on the songs borrow
from Chuck’s vast repertoire of melodic ideas—containing
the tried and true riffs that blew the minds of Jagger and Richards
and Lennon and Harrison. The CD booklet features complete lyrics,
including small corrections with Chuck’s handwritten side notes.
To think that Chuck completed this album in his 90th year boggles
the mind and there to help him put it together is his son Charles
Berry, Jr. and daughter Ingrid Berry and assorted musicians
making history. Produced by Chuck Berry, Chuck is dedicated
to Chuck's wife of the past 68 years, Themetta Berry. www.chuckberry.com
/ www.dualtone.com
ENTROPY
RECORDS - The
name Jan Linton might not be that familiar to rock music fans
yet that should change, at least for those lucky enough to hear his
recent double CD set I Actually Come Back / Buddha
Machine Music. Assisting Jan on I Actually Come Back is
Brian Eno collaborator and guitarist Leo Abrahams, who adds
much sonic depth to Jan’s catchy, ambient pop sounds. Also here
is Matthew Seligman, who played bass on David Bowie’s
mid ‘80s masterpiece song “Absolute Beginners”. Fans
of Eno and Bowie will love the twelve track 45 minute CD, which is
paired with a special 22 minute, 3 inch bonus CD of ambient instrumental
sounds performed by Jan called Buddha Machine Music. Based
in Hong Kong, 
Jan
has developed a presence in the Asian enclave and there is a bit of
Asian mystery about his music. Clearly at home with both Bowie-esque
pop and rock as well as ambient Eno-inspired instrumental excursions
both CDs are fascinating and hold up well with repeat listens. Commenting
on I Actually Come Back and his association with guitarist
Leo Abrahams, Jan tells mwe3.com, “It started as an EP or
single, really just a couple of songs I had collaborated on with Leo
Abrahams. The whole album represents my output and work inspired by
him since I met him a decade ago. It has been a very slow process
with a lot of updates.” www.bandcamp.com
GREEN
SOUTH RECORDS – A
renowned guitarist from the land down under, Australian fretboard
ace Ben Rogers turned mwe3.com on to Heart
And Soul, an album he
played on as a member of the band called Louey Hesterman’s
Whimsy. Ben has been talking up Louey's new Whimsy album on his
social media pages and—with the music covering an impressive
range of music—Whimsy's Heart And Soul album takes you
on a remarkable sonic journey. Imagine the deep folk-rock songs of
Fairport Convention with Richard Thompson, with the occasional surf
rock instrumental and picturesque, old English folk instrumental.
A relatively unknown singer and songwriter outside of Australia, Louey
Hesterman is a most entertaining artist and band leader. 
On
Heart And Soul, Louey shares the Whimsy vocal spotlight with
female vocalist Cora Browne with other contributions from Christy
Cooney and Cyril Moran and of course, guitarist Ben Rogers.
Whimsy plays up a storm and the classic, folk-rock flavored lead off
track “The Murray River Song” is a splendid choice for a
single. Ever the reluctant guitar hero, Rogers gets an excellent center
stage spotlight on a rock instro written by Louey called “Waves
Of Apollo”. Cover art and imaginative album graphics are by Nikki
Scarlett, who is the bass player in Ben Rogers’ bands. Track
12, “Home” is another memorable song masterpiece and gives
a good indication as to the depth of Hesterman’s masterful songwriting.
With several songs looking back at Hesterman’s ordeals when he
served in the Vietnam War, the music of Whimsy merges toe-tapping,
topical folk-rock with a shot of rock and roll heart. www.greensouthrecords.com
IMAGINATOR
RECORDS – Life gets even stranger on the 2017 CD release
of Conduit by the group known as Ohmslice. There’s
actually a kind of symbol image for the band’s name that I can’t
even recreate here. Highly experimental, the mostly instrumental album
features the sonic vision of bandleader / producer / drummer Bradford
Reed, who receives help from Jane LeCroy (voice, lyrics),
Josh Matthews (drums), Daniel Carter (horns) and Bill
Bronson (guitar). Sometimes, with its accent on heavy percussion
and double drumming, Conduit echoes the 20th century sound
of avant gard legend Harry Partch mixed up with a kind of Ummagumma-era
Pink Floyd and Gilli Smyth era Gong influence. Ohmslice is being called
a mix of tribal rhythms, electronica meets jazz, meets beat poetry
meets avant gard whatever! Anyway, the overall effect of Ohmslice
and their Conduit album is both startling, ear-opening and
fascinating in a bizarre way. www.imaginatorreocrds.com
JETTY
RECORDS - Washington State born / NYC-based singer songwriter
Peter Galperin has released a number of critically acclaimed albums
including Just Might Get It Right (2014), A Disposable Life
(2013) and Perfect World Today (2011). The 2017 CD release
of his 4th album, This Burning Sun, is a postmodern pop-rock
masterpiece that establishes Peter Galperin as a 21st century Phil
Ochs—redefining the significance of the modern day pop musician.
It’s a testament to Ochs that 50 years after the tragedies of
the Vietnam war, culminating in the end of the Nixon era in 1974,
America’s younger generations are in the midst of fighting the
latest anti-science power brokers while also trying to establish a
kind of 21st century bill of rights on a range of long underrated
and too long neglected issues. A strong critic of the current swing
to the right in American politics today, Galperin’s forte is
crafting catchy pop-rock melodies that touch on a range of significant
societal concerns—global warming issues for example, and he brings
back the lost art of the protest song with an animated video single
from This Burning Sun, called “King
Of You And Me”. Living up to the time-honored tradition of
musicians standing up in moments of heated political discourse, Galperin
further states, “The only weapons that artists have against
evil are satire and ridicule, and since “King Of You And Me”
is so topical and timely, I decided to try to create an animated video
to go along with it.” When Peter Galperin sings ‘What’s
normal to you, Isn’t normal to me’, from the album’s
lead off track, you better believe he means it. The alien-nation
of the 21st century cyberage, the infamous 2016 Presidential election,
and the effects of global warming on a planet already damaged by faulty
science—all are put under Peter Galperin’s musical microscope.
With its urgent lyrics and profound pop melodies, This Burning
Sun is one of the coolest albums of 2017. www.petergalperin.com
MICHAEL
ARMSTRONG MUSIC – On the self-titled 2015 CD by U.K. based
singer-songwriter Michael Armstrong you can hear echoes of
the great rock legends—from Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan to Steely
Dan, mixed in with the pop exuberance of Jeff Lynne. On the 13 track
Michael Armstrong CD, a number of great musicians take part,
including Steely Dan guitarist Elliott Randall, and guitarists
Albert Lee, Phil Palmer and David Young. Slightly
overlooked Stateside, Michael's CD sounds great and astute U.K. pop
fans may also pick up on a kind of Hank Marvin vocal sound and true
to form, Shadows fans will note Michael is also planning an upcoming
album with the gifted son of Shadows' drummer Brian Bennett, triple
threat Warren Bennett. Fans of classic rock will want to hear two
covers here, including rocking versions of the Billy Joel 1970s classic
“Allentown” and a solid cover of Paul McCartney's first
big solo hit from 1970 “Maybe I’m Amazed.” Superbly
produced, mixed and mastered by U.K. studio legend Keith Bessey,
Michael Armstrong is a solid introduction to a rising U.K.
singer-songwriter. www.michaelarmstronmusic.co.uk
PIAS
– File under: does it get any more bizarre than this? Public
Service Broadcasting return in 2017 with a new CD, Every
Valley. Essentially a soundtrack to a documentary about
the rise and fall of big coal in England, the album pairs instrumental
music and the occasional vocal with classical orchestrations and interspersed
spoken word clips of famous English politicians and leaders addressing
coal and coal mining accidents over the years. It’s truly tragic
to see the entire world fighting while striving to find the next level
of energy, where it will come from and and how it might save us from
global warming, the greedy oil barons and oppressive sheiks and the
pollution they create. You can feel the energy here as Public Service
Broadcasting—J. Willgoose, Esq. (guitar, synths), Wrigglesworth
(drums) and JF Abraham (bass) —sounds influenced by
late ‘70s avant rock (This Heat, A. Moore) while even a Philip
Glass meets Pink Floyd influence might be stretching it in places.
Featuring a number of other musical collaborators, Every Valley
is fairly heady stuff. For 21st century U.K. rock historians seeking
yet another example of younger musicians addressing global warming
issues, and this pressing energy predicament we’re struggling
in, the music and subject matter of Every Valley makes for
a quite intriguing experience. www.publicservicebroadcasting.net
RIGHT
TRACK RECORDS / BLACKHEART MUSIC – UK based Blackheart
Orchestra are making waves with their 2017 debut CD, Diving
For Roses. BHO are being compared to the music of Kate
Bush and even the music of Peter Gabriel and, with singer Chrissy
Mostyn taking lead vocals, that is fairly accurate. Accompanied
by multi-instrumentalist Rick Pilkington, Ms. Mostyn sounds
positively energized on this 54 minute, 12 track CD debut by Blackheart
Orchestra. The CD is self- produced yet the album packaging is excellent
and the studio sound / album mastering is also quite good. More attention
to catchy hooks to accompany their generally first rate production
ethics might result in a Blackheart Orchestra breakthrough next time
around. Pop and prog fans will catch a solid sonic buzz from the Blackheart
Orchestra. www.theblackheartorchestra.com
RISE
ABOVE RECORDS – U.K. folk-rockers Galley Beggar are
making new fans with their 2017 album Heathen Hymns.
The vocals of Maria O’Donnell gives the music a shimmering
effect while the six piece band is further filled out by guitarists
David Ellis and Mat Fowler, along with Paul Dadswell
(drums), Bill Lynn (bass) and Celine Marshall (violin).
With their mix of folklore and progressive rock, the band are quite
entertaining to say the least. Other sonic signposts include mid 1970s
Fairport Convention, Incredible String Band, Steeleye Span and even
the late Gillie Smyth of Gong. The CD booklet features excellent artwork
and also features complete lyrics. England has a rich history of folklore
and traditional music and with their rock and acid-folk tendencies,
Galley Beggar fit right into that whole scene with Heathen Hymns.
www.galleybeggar.com
SCARLET RECORDS – Country flavored folk-rock is still huge
in the U.K. and living up to the spirit is Auburn and their
2016 CD called Love & Promises. Filled with
catchy pop played in a rustic manner, Auburn is a fine vehicle for
singer Liz Lentin, who gets solid backup from her fine band.
Ms. Lenten cites influences like Dusty Springfield and Norah Jones
as well as Rickie Lee Jones, and from my perspective, even Marti Jones.
Lots of Jones’s here! There’s also a Nashville influence
here and the album was recorded, mixed and produced by Thomas Jutz
in Nashville, Tennessee. The electric / acoustic guitar work by
Jutz is another selling point here. For those who appreciate well-produced
albums on CD, the sound of the recording and scope of the packaging
is superb with the booklet featuring complete lyrics. www.auburn.org.uk
SLIGHTLY
SOUTH RECORDS – Singer-songwriter and guitarist Quinn
Hedges is knocking them out with his 2017 CD Slightly South
Of Stormy Clouds. Following several CD releases, including
his 2006 self-titled debut, Quinn returns with his strongest album
yet. For Slightly South Of Stormy Clouds, Quinn teamed with
his cousin and co-producer John B. Hedges. The twelve-track
CD crisscrosses a range of music including country rock, pop, folk-rock
and even progressive rock. Quinn’s expertise as a singer-songwriter
is equaled by his knack on both acoustic and electric guitars. Assisted
by his cousin John B. Hedges on keyboards, Quinn’s band features
a number of musicians who help him put the finished album into the
end zone. Pop-rock fans into well-rounded music by rising talent will
enjoy Quinn Hedges and Slightly South Of Stormy Clouds. www.quinnhedges.com
SUNDOWNERS
MUSIC – Anyone complaining about a lack of good pop music
in 2017 is advised to track down the Sundowners album called
Cut The Master. Cut the master they did on an
album that combines pop, rock and folk music in a most appealing manner.
Harking back to some of the great recordings of the early 1970s, the
studio sound transports this fine U.K. band back to 1975, before the
dawn of punk. Vocals are the band’s strong points with female
lead singers Fiona Skelly and Niamh Rowe (rhythm guitar)
combining for some heavenly harmonies, while backed up by Alfie
Skelly (lead guitar), and the rhythm section of Tim Cunninghamn
(bass) and Jim Sharrock (drums). Mixing in some late ‘70s
Bowie with early ‘70s Fairport Convention and some fine new inspirations,
The Sundowners come up with some truly original music on Cut The
Master. www.thesundowners.co.uk
TARPAN
RECORDS – Owner of Tarpan Records, Narada Michael Walden
has a rich history in both the jazz-rock and pop world and he
puts his reputation and good taste to good use once again with the
2017 CD release of Wake Up, by singer-songwriter
Jennifer Saran. As with her previous albums, including her
2016 album, Walk With Me, the accent on Walk With Me is
on Ms. Saran’s smooth as silk jazz / pop vocal sounds. The central
focus of Wake Up is Ms. Saran’s original music (co-written
with Narada) as well as her interpretations of classic music made
famous by singers such as Patty Page, Doris Day, Billy Withers and
others, including a very cool cover of the soul-jazz classic “Me
And Mr. Jones” (tribute to Billy Paul), written by Gamble &
Huff. Framing Ms. Saran’s appealing vocals are numerous players
including Narada on drums, various guitarists, including Carlos
Santana, who guests on the lead off track “Wake Up”.
Based in Hong Kong, Jennifer Saran sets the pop music world ablaze
with the rock solid groove of Wake Up. www.jennifersaran.com
TURN-UP
RECORDS – A
prominent player on the early 21st Century music scene, NYC based
Richard X. Heyman strikes pop-rock gold with his 2017 solo
album Incognito. Richard Heyman reemerged in
the pop resurgence of the late 1980s and early '90s and has gone on
to release a range of rock-based pop solo albums—as well as considering
the music he’s made, live and on record as the drummer / vocalist
with his band The
Doughboys, who he's known since
way back in the 1960's. While
he was still high school, Heyman with the Dougboys went on to open
concerts for The Beach Boys and The Buckinghams. A drummer and a versatile
multi-instrumentalist, Heyman has been compared to gifted pop giants
like McCartney, Rundgren and even cult-pop hero Emitt Rhodes. While
also echoing the spirits of rock legends like Dylan and Springsteen,
Heyman skillfully cooks up something uniquely all his own on the 14
track Incognito. It sounds like the 2016 U.S. presidential
election cycle might have influenced the music on Incognito, yet
as Richard explains in the following 
interview,
"The
country seems to swing back and forth, like a pendulum. I don’t
think the political campaign or election had a direct effect on the
writing of these songs. It was more subtle. I didn’t notice the
effect until after the songs were done. There’s a certain tension
and a touch of darkness that crept into the material. As they say,
nothing is created in a vacuum. I was inhaling the air like everybody
else and when I exhaled, there were a bunch of new songs. If you’re
an optimist like me, you never lose hope."
The
CD features informative liner notes by John Branning, and
while no lyrics are printed, they are available and are well worth
reading along with the music. Assisted by his wife and band mate Nancy
Leigh, on Incognito, Heyman rocks up a storm, playing most
of the instruments himself with the aid of musicians appearing on
the occasional bass, cello, horns, backing vocals and even trumpet.
Pop aficionados have been hip to Richard X. Heyman for years and the
2017 CD release of Incognito will please long time fans as
well as providing a solid introduction for the uninitiated. www.richardxheyman.com
UNLEASHED
DREAMS MUSIC – Canada-based New Age vocal group Unleashed
Dreams released their debut album Dare To Dream in
2017. A stellar mix of New Age Pop that weaves in full-bodied, multilayered
instrumentals, Dare To Dream will find a home among fans of
both New Age music and fans of harmony-laden, easy on the ears pop.
Featuring Lindsey Gaye Walker (vocals) and Sean Michael
Paddison (keys / production), the Unleashed Dreams album features
a range of guest musicians who fill up the sound stage, including
Canadian singer George St. Kitts as well as guitarist Ian
Crighton, violinist Maria Grigoryeva and a number of backing
vocalists. The CD sound is excellent and filled with vital data about
the music and recording, the packaging is first rate. www.unleasheddreams.com
WOODSTOCK
RECORDS – The band known as Professor Louie & The
Crowmatix continues with the 2017 CD release of Crowin’
The Blues. The thirteen track CD features Profesesor
Louie (aka Aaron L. Hurwitz on vocals, keys) and Miss Marie
singing up a storm while supported by a range of musicians including
Gary Burke (drums), Frank Campbell (bass), John Platania
(guitars) and other musicians. Amid the blues-rock tracks is also
a pair of cool instrumentals with Cajon flavors called “Blues
& Good News” and the CD closing instro “Blues For Buckwheat”.
Many of the tracks are originals, yet there are solid covers written
by legends like Elmore James, Jimmy Reed and Jimmy Rogers. PL&
C were always inspired by the music of The Band and the enlightening
album liner notes includes the fact that the Band’s drummer Levon
Helm taught them the Jimmy McCracklin juke box hit “I Finally
Got You”. Long time PL&C fans will dive into the funky, bluesy
rock and roll groove of Crowin’ The Blues. www.professorlouie.com
INSTRUMENTAL
ANOTHER
TIMBRE – American-born / Canadian-based composer Linda
Catlin Smith breaks new ground for 21st century neoclassical music
with her 2017, double CD called Drifter. Credited
to performances by Apartment House and Bozzini Quartet,
the two CD set is filled with a range of minimalist and light orchestral
sounds that feature a variety of strings, percussion and even guitar.
Although recorded in the U.K. in 2016, much of the music on Drifter
was composed over the past 20 years. Those expecting traditional
classical music will be in for a jolt as much of the music on Drifter
borrows from avant-garde and other forms of minimalist classical
instrumental music. Not surprisingly, Ms. Smith was greatly influenced
by composers such as Bela Bartok, Erik Satie as well as John Cage
and Anton Webern. The Penguin Café Orchestra influence is never
far away. Those classical music listeners with an open mind and open
ears will find much musical imagination in play on Linda Catlin Smith’s
CD, Drifter. www.anothertimbre.com
BERNIER
/ DECARLO MUSIC – Fans of 1970 era bands like Mahavishnu
Orchestra and King Crimson will be in for a jolt with the 2017 CD
release of Strangers by the team of Michael Bernier
(guitars, stick, vocals, keys) and Richie DeCarlo (drums,
percussion, moog). With its mix of vocal rock and hard rock meets
instrumental fusion workouts, the nine track CD features a number
of musicians backing the duo, including Tony Levin (electric
cello), Pat Mastelotto (drums), Billy Sherwood (guitar)
and more. Track two, “Strangers”, features Bernier’s
effective vocals bathed in a spectrum of synth washes and percussive
pandemonium. Pick to click, the instrumental “Trans Am”
features a nice cascading hard rock guitar sound. Overall, Strangers
by the effective team of Bernier / DeCarlo is a most fortuitous
choice for discriminating progressive rock and fusion fans. www.bandcamp.com
BLUE
COAST RECORDS – Australian piano virtuoso Fiona Joy
continues to dazzle music lovers with her impeccably recorded solo
albums. In 2016 Fiona released her Signature – Solo album
and now in 2017 she has unveiled Into The Mist. Once
again produced by studio engineer expert Cookie Marenco, Fiona’s
Into The Mist album was recorded by Cookie and the music sounds
great, especially as Fiona performs the album on a 1885 Steinway 7’
piano. Into The Mist is being called an audiophile recording
as it was recorded using a process called DSD (Direct Stream Digital)
and it surely sounds clear as a bell. Liner notes by Dr. David
W. Robinson indicates that Into The Mist brings to mind
the heyday of the New Age based Windham Hill Records releases while
the album also benefits from Robinson’s audiophile based Pyramix
system. Combining Fiona’s intelligent and emotive piano sound
and compositions with Cookie Marenco’s impeccable recording skills,
Into The Mist makes for a rewarding sonic experience that unveils
fresh sonic details with each successive spin. Fiona Joy fans will
want to hear Into The Mist as well as an upcoming album on
Blue Coast Records by the group FLOW—featuring Fiona, Lawarence
Blatt, Jeff Oster & Will Ackerman. www.bluecoastrecords.com
BROKEN
SILENCE / DMG GERMANY - A few years back, mwe3.com featured
the 2013 CD by Philippe Caillat-Grenier called Surf Jazz
Twist For Horse Riding Heroes and he puts a new twist on his space
age surf-jazz guitar twist sound with the 2017 CD release of Secret
Agent. The all-original ten track CD was recorded over
the past two years and it's truly a unique merger of jazzy guitar
technique played with a kind of 21st century retro-surf instrumental
groove. Philippe isn’t poking fun at the time honored instro
surf genre, he’s just combining it with heavy jazz and also Nashville
style country 
twang
ala Chet Atkins. Surf rock fans who enjoyed his 2013 Horse Riding
Heroes CD, may not be aware of Caillat’s unique repertoire
of albums from the past 35 years but they’re all still well worth
hearing. Philippe's English language skills aren't excellent, which
stands in contast to his mastery of instro rock music, and especially
the retro style and sound of legends like The Ventures and The Shadows.
Speaking to mwe3.com about the inspiration behind his last two "Surf
Jazz Twist" albums, Philippe explains, "This style of
music forces the composition to give the impression of simplicity
and minimalism. I love this era of the 1950’s and ‘60s,
which gives a joy of life." Since 2013 Philippe has acquired
an insatiable appetite for creating music that say, Joe Meek and Hank
Marvin would approve of. Some of Caillat’s sonic ideas for his
past two albums look back on Meek’s groundbreaking early 1960s
work with The Tornados way back when. With one excellent track after
the next, Secret Agent jettisons Philippe Caillat-Grenier’s
sonic retro guitar vision into the heart of the 21st century. www.PhilippeCaillat.com
DECLASSIFIED
RECORDS – Instrumental jazz-rock fusion is alive and well
on the 2017 CD by Bangtower. The twelve track With N
With Out may be cryptically titled but the music is a breeze
to get into. At the core of the Bangtower sound are Percy Jones
(bass) Neil Citron (guitars / keyboards) and drummer Walter
Garces, who are joined by a number of guests including co-producer
Jon Pomplin (keys), Robbie “Pag” Pagliari (bass)
and other fine players. Just from a guitar fans perspective, the diversity
of With N With Out is staggering—ranging from hard rock
instrumental to jazzier fusion workouts to several vocal tracks featuring
the ever-diverse Neil Citron. Percy Jones of Brand X is legendary
and Neil Citron’s guitar and compositions are consistently brilliant
throughout, while Walter’s drum sound is well captured in the
CD format. All in all, With N With Out is one of 2017’s
finest albums of instrumental guitar fusion music. www.declassifiedrecords.com
ENTROPY
RECORDS - The
name Jan Linton might not be that familiar to rock music fans
yet that should change, at least for those lucky enough to hear his
recent double CD set I Actually Come Back / Buddha
Machine Music. Assisting Jan on I Actually Come Back is
Brian Eno collaborator and guitarist Leo Abrahams, who adds
much sonic depth to Jan’s catchy, ambient pop sounds. Also here
is Matthew Seligman, who played bass on David Bowie’s
mid ‘80s masterpiece song “Absolute Beginners”. Fans
of Eno and Bowie will love the twelve track 45 minute CD, which is
paired with a special 22 minute, 3 inch bonus CD of ambient instrumental
sounds performed by Jan called Buddha Machine Music. Based
in Hong Kong, Jan
has developed a presence in the Asian enclave and there is a bit of
Asian mystery about his music. Clearly at home with both Bowie-esque
pop and rock as well as ambient Eno-inspired instrumental excursions
both CDs are fascinating and hold up well with repeat listens. Commenting
on I Actually Come Back and his association with guitarist
Leo Abrahams, Jan tells mwe3.com, “It started as an EP or
single, really just a couple of songs I had collaborated on with Leo
Abrahams. The whole album represents my output and work inspired by
him since I met him a decade ago. It has been a very slow process
with a lot of updates.” www.bandcamp.com
ESSENTIAL
MESSENGER - New York based jazz guitarist Larry Newcomb joined
forces with jazz guitar legend Bucky Pizzarelli and the results
speak for themselves on the 2017 CD release of Living Tribute—a
twelve track CD recorded in New Jersey by Larry Newcomb Quartet
With Bucky Pizzarelli. The Living Tribute CD starts off
with an overlooked classic track called “I Remember You”—penned
by composer / film maker legend Victor Schertzinger, who also
wrote the jazz standard “Tangerine” and both tracks were
featured songs in Schertzinger’s final film, The Fleet’s
In (1942). Amid other covers of Cole Porter, Jonathan Schwartz
and Horace Silver are Newcomb originals that fit in perfectly. Other
musicians filling out Newcomb’s quartet sound include Eric
Olsen (piano), Dmitri Kolesnik (bass) and Jimmy Madison
(drums). Guest vocalist Leigh Jonaitis appears on the instrumental
album’s two vocal tracks. Bucky Pizzarelli’s acoustic archtop
guitar sound gives the album even more cred, but from start to finish,
Living Tribute is a solid, straight-ahead jazz recording that
will appeal to purists and fretboard disciples worldwide. www.larrynewcomb.com
GINA
LENEÉ MUSIC – On
her 2017 album Red Diamonds, pianist / composer
Gina Leneé receives support from a stellar crew of musicians—recorded
by the acclaimed production / engineering / musician team of Windham
Hill founder Will Ackerman and engineer / co-producer Tom
Eaton. The Ackerman - Eaton producing alliance has yielded a prolific
amount of spectacular production work in recent years—including
recent titles by Australian piano composer Fiona Joy. Clearly, New
Age / Contemporary instrumental music fans will catch a positive buzz
from both the music and sound of Gina Leneé's Red Diamonds.
Speaking about her new album in the following interview, Gina
tells mwe3.com, "Red Diamonds is my seventh and most evocative
project to date. The 
songs
were inspired by my deepest and most passionate feelings about what
is most precious to me; rare and cherished moments that play over
and over in my mind. Red is a passionate color and my favorite. I
also learned that red diamonds are the most rare and precious gemstones
of all; only a handful in the world. I thought the theme was perfect
for this album. The musicians that graciously contributed absolutely
brilliant additions to my original songs deserved no less than to
be considered as red diamonds - gems of the project." Studio
support by Will Ackerman (guitar) by Tom Eaton (fretless bass, guitar),
Jeff Oster (flugelhorn), Eugene Friesen (cello) and
other top players adds much to the overall sound. Filled with imaginative
compositions and arrangements, Red Diamonds is a welcome addition
to the New Age music repertoire of Gina
Leneé .
www.cdbaby.com
/ www.facebook.com
/ www.ginalenee.com
GREEN
SOUTH RECORDS – A
renowned guitarist from the land down under, Australian fretboard
ace Ben Rogers turned mwe3.com on to Heart
And Soul, an album he
played on as a member of the band called Louey Hesterman’s
Whimsy. Ben has been talking up Louey's new Whimsy album on his
social media pages and—with the music covering an impressive
range of music—Whimsy's Heart And Soul album takes you
on a remarkable sonic journey. Imagine the deep folk-rock songs of
Fairport Convention with Richard Thompson, with the occasional surf
rock instrumental and picturesque, old English folk instrumental.
A relatively unknown singer and songwriter outside of Australia, Louey
Hesterman is a most entertaining artist and band leader. On
Heart And Soul, Louey shares the Whimsy vocal spotlight with
female vocalist Cora Browne with other contributions from Christy
Cooney and Cyril Moran and of course, guitarist Ben Rogers.
Whimsy plays up a storm and the classic, folk-rock flavored lead off
track “The Murray River Song” is a splendid choice for a
single. Ever the reluctant guitar hero, Rogers gets an excellent center
stage spotlight on a rock instro written by Louey called “Waves
Of Apollo”. Cover art and imaginative album graphics are by Nikki
Scarlett, who is the bass player in Ben Rogers’ bands. Track
12, “Home” is another memorable song masterpiece and gives
a good indication as to the depth of Hesterman’s masterful songwriting.
With several songs looking back at Hesterman’s ordeals when he
served in the Vietnam War, the music of Whimsy merges toe-tapping,
topical folk-rock with a shot of rock and roll heart. www.greensouthrecords.com
GOT
MUSIC RECORDS – Based
in the NYC area, guitarist Doug Munro released an excellent
instrumental jazz tribute album to songwriter icon Harry Warren in
early 2017. The album features his band, Doug Munro And La Pompe
Attack, while the CD is called The Harry Warren
Songbook. The timeless "Great American Songbook"
music of Harry Warren has long been a favorite among jazz musicians
simply because everyone all over the world knows Harry's melodies.
Related to Harry on his mom's side, Munro’s guitar playing is
in superb form throughout the sixteen track album. To help Doug bring
it all about, he’s got excellent backing musicians including
fellow guitarists Vic Juris, Howard Alden, Vinny
Raniolo, Ernesto Pugliese and Ted Gottsegen along
with bassists Matt Dwonszky and Michael Goetz, a couple
violinists and more. While Munro’s guitar is front and center,
the
round robin guitar interplay between all the great players harks back
to the Gypsy Jazz sound of Django and Stephane Grappelli, and more
recent Gypsy Jazz aficionados such as John Jorgenson and Bireli Lagrene.
Speaking about the unusual album title, Doug tells mwe3.com, "Now,
La Pompe Attack, that’s the name of my Gypsy swing group. We
have two CD’s out, A Very Gypsy Christmas and The Harry Warren
Songbook. You are correct, the name of the group is a bit B movie
Sci-Fi-ish. La Pompe is the vigorous strumming of the rhythm guitars
in the Gypsy swing groups. La Pompe Attack translates as “the
attack of the vigorously strumming guitar players!” As for
the music on the CD, who hasn’t at least heard Harry Warren songs
like “I Only Have Eyes For You”, “We’re In The
Money” and “You Must Have Been A Beautiful Baby”? Liner
notes by Harry Warren’s granddaughter Julia Riva, in which
she takes pride in the fact that Doug is Harry’s nephew, seals
the deal on Doug Munro's latest foray into timeless Americana. www.dougmunro.com
GUT
STRING RECORDS – Based
in NYC, The Nathan Brown Trio released a fine new CD in 2017
called This Is The Moment. Although acoustic
bass ace Nathan Brown is the namesake of the trio and he wrote much
of the music here, there’s plenty of incredible musical EPS between
him and trio mates Félix Lemerle (guitar) and Peter
Traunmueller (drums). The music on This Is The Moment establishes
Brown as an excellent composer of instrumental jazz, yet he is wise
enough to include a range of covers including music written by musical
legends like Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse, Barry Mann &
Cynthia Weil and jazz 
guitar
legend Grant Green. Speaking about the unique sonic chemistry of the
trio, Nathan tells mwe3.com, "From the minute I met these
guys we became best friends. All three of us have a very biting, sarcastic,
almost dark sense of humor. We are always joking around with each
other and telling each other things that are hilarious to us, but
might be taken the wrong way by others who don’t know us well.
This playful openness of communication between us translates to our
music. Then we perform, we know each other so well we are able to
hold whole conversations together musically, often making each other
laugh." Lemerle’s jazz guitar sound on the Grant Green
cover of “No. 1 Green Street” nearly steals the show, although
with so much new and timeless instrumental jazz music on hand, the
real attraction here is the spirited musical interplay between Brown,
Lemerle and Traunmueller. Jazz fans will be in for an excellent sonic
surprise with this exceptional new CD by The Nathan Brown Trio. www.gutstringrecords.com
HAZELRIGG
BROTHERS MUSIC – The sibling team of George Hazelrigg
(piano) and Geoff Hazelrigg (bass) makes for a great musical
team and together with drummer John O’Reilly.Jr they join
forces for Songs We Like by The Hazelrigg Brothers.
More than just another piano led jazz trio album, on Songs We Like
the focus is on classic music and the album starts off with a
jazz trio cover of the 1970 Jethro Tull classic “Living In The
Past”. Other tracks covered here include music by Led Zeppelin,
Jimi Hendrix, Sting, Bela Bartok and Steely Dan—all given the
Hazelrigg Brothers jazz trio treatment. This coverage of jazz and
classical music by jazz artists is nothing new, yet it possibly foretells
a future that will make rock classics of the 1970s into bonafide future
improv-laden jazz classics. Although many of these songs are staples
of the rock music canon, in the hands of The Hazelrigg Brothers, Songs
We Like exudes a magical feeling and pays respect where respect
is due. www.hazelriggbrothers.com
IMAGINATOR
RECORDS – Life gets even stranger on the 2017 CD release
of Conduit by the group known as Ohmslice. There’s
actually a kind of symbol image for the band’s name that I can’t
even recreate here. Highly experimental, the mostly instrumental album
features the sonic vision of bandleader / producer / drummer Bradford
Reed, who receives help from Jane LeCroy (voice, lyrics),
Josh Matthews (drums), Daniel Carter (horns) and Bill
Bronson (guitar). Sometimes, with its accent on heavy percussion
and double drumming, Conduit echoes the 20th century sound
of avant gard legend Harry Partch mixed up with a kind of Ummagumma-era
Pink Floyd and Gilli Smyth ear Gong influence. Ohmslice is being called
a mix of tribal rhythms, electronica meets jazz, meets beat poetry
meets avant gard whatever! Anyway, the overall effect of Ohmslice
and their Conduit album is both startling, ear-opening and
fascinating in a bizarre way. www.imaginatorrecords.com
KULUMO
RECORDS -
Back in the late 1970’s, Pekka Tegelman was the guitarist
in the Finnish band Finnforest, who released several critically acclaimed
instrumental jazz-rock fusion albums on the now defunct Love Records
label. The glory years of Finland's Love Records label may be a distant
memory among Finnish rock and fusion enthusiasts yet, coming back
on the scene, Pekka Tegelman released his long awaited return to the
jazz-rock world in 2010 with the CD called Bound, recorded
with 
the
group Kulumo. Flashing forward to 2017, after several vocal projects,
the renowned guitarist is back on track again with Pekka Tegelman
& Quartegel. The nine track CD features Pekka on
electric / acoustic guitars and keyboards with the aid of Markku
Ounaskari (drums), Manuel Dunkel (sax) and Tero Siitonen
(double bass). Mixing and mastering at Nevermind Ranch in California
by Pekka’s brother and former Finnforest drummer Jussi Tegelman
enhances the album's sound as does additional percussion by Pete
Korpela. Compared to the structured, neoclassical rock music of
the late, great Pekka Pohjola, for example, the music of Pekka Tegelman
is much more jazz-centric, with a keen emphasis on creative melody
and improvisation. Speaking about his fondness for the American jazz
music from which he partly draws upon for his inspiration, Pekka Tegelman
tells mwe3.com, "As for the music, John Coltrane was a big
influence on me when I was a kid, so this is kind of a humble nod
to the direction of Coltrane’s best quartet with Elvin Jones,
McCoy Tyner and Jimmy Garrison. The material we play is basically
“songs”. Hopefully they have a vocal, singable kind of nature."
Dunkel’s sax work tends to dominate the album which also
features some excellent guitar work by Pekka. Fans of Finnforest,
especially their Demonights album from 1979, will find much
to like about the freewheeling, improvisational jazzy fusion sound
of Pekka Tegelman & Quartegel. www.digelius.com
MILAN
RECORDS – Milan Records was always on the cutting edge of
music releases going back to the mid 1990s when they released albums
by surf-rockers The Aqua Velvets. It’s been eight years since
Japanese avant gardist Ryuichi Sakamoto released his last solo
album but he comes through for the fans with the 2017 CD release on
Milan of Async. Perhaps a tribute to the unconventionality
of his adopted home town of NYC, the fourteen track CD is quite startling
in a way that only Sakamoto could deliver. I remember thrilling to
the Yellow Magic Orchestra in 1991 with the five part, 13 minute megamix
kicking off with the Martin Denny track “Firecracker” EP
featured on YMO In The 90s, (The Pete Lorimar Remix) so anyone
looking for that kind of exuberance here better look elsewhere. Perhaps
related to his recent health battles, Async is a jarring, avant-garde
and ultra dimensional album that Sakamoto saus is a soundtrack to
an imaginary film by Andrei Tarkovsky. Described as a mix of chaos,
noise and music, Async succeeds on a number of levels. Featuring
a range of musicians, including guitarist Christian Fennesz (guitars,
computers) and a guest appearance by David Sylvian, on a spoken
word track, Async combines a wealth of often undefinable acoustic
and electric sounds and the end result is both startling and otherworldly.
Dealing with the vast casualties of time, Ryuichi Sakamoto steps out
of his comfort zone for the jarring, unsettled sonic assault of Async.
www.milanrecords.com
MINTUS
MUSIC – Pianist and composer Guy Mintus is making
waves with his 2017 album A Home In Between. An
excellent showcase for The Guy Mintus Trio, the ten track CD
features a range of original music and some well deconstructed versions
of traditional Turkish music (including a Hava Nagila sound-alike
called “Coban Sirto”) as well as a cover of the Charlie
Chaplin classic “Smile”. “In The Moment” is a
composition written by the three trio members. Some sonic signposts
include McCoy Tyner, the jazz piano icon who Guy evokes throughout
the album. Backing up the jazz pianist is the rhythm section of Tamir
Shmerling (bass) and Philippe Lemm (drums). Even though
trio sound is all acoustic, the sound is full bodied. Recorded in
both NYC and Israel, and mastered in London, A Home In Between
is an excellent introduction to the piano magic of Guy Mintus.
www.guymintus.com
MOONJUNE
RECORDS – Record labels worldwide keep finding new ways to
reinterpret the music of Jimi Hendrix and Moonjune gives it their
best shot with the 2017 CD release of Machine Mass Plays Hendrix.
Machine Mass features the combined talents of Michel
Delville (guitars, synths, samples), Tony Bianco (drums)
and Antoine Guenet (keys, synths). A number of musicians assist
the trio as they rock their way through instrumentals of nine Hendrix
classics like “Third Stone From The Sun”, “Little Wing”,
“Burning Of The Midnight Lamp” and others. A good example
of the successful way the music is approached is on “Third Stone
From The Sun”, which was instrumental to begin with, although
for Hendrix fans and for jazz-rock fans, Machine Mass Plays Hendrix
is a most fortuitous CD release. Also worth noting is the excellent
solid eye-catching CD packaging. www.moonjune.com
PETER
CALANDRA MUSIC – In 2015, NYC-based composer / recording
artist Peter Calandra released his First Light album.
Peter follows that impressive recording in 2017 with another album
of all new music called The Road Home. Orchestral
soundtrack music, the all instrumental ten track album is enhanced
by a vocal song featuring singer Joy Askew. A native New Yorker,
Peter Calandra has earned his musical reputation by scoring music
for fifty movies as well as composing over 
two
thousand compositions he’s done for television. The overall sound
of The Road Home is very New Age based with just the right
amount of soundtrack music influences. In addition to being a fine
showcase for his wide-ranging musical ideas, The Road Home also
shows Calandra to an inventive musician who skillfully performs on
piano, melodica, synths, acoustic guitars and percussion. Speaking
about creating The Road Home while comparing it to his 2015
album First Light, Peter Calandra tells mwe3.com, “A
few things led me in a different direction. My wife and I took an
eleven-week cross-country and back road trip in the summer of 2016.
While on this amazing trip, I was able to write a bunch of sketches
inspired by some of the beautiful sites we saw and explored. This
album has more ambient and jazz influenced music than First Light
does.” The Road Home is another deeply relaxing album
of meditative instrumental music magic crafted by the versatile imagination
of Peter Calandra. www.PeteCalandraMusic.com
PIAS
– File under: It doesn't get any more bizarre than this.
Public Service Broadcasting return in 2017 with a new CD, Every
Valley. Essentially a soundtrack to a documentary about
the rise and fall of big coal in England, the album pairs instrumental
music and the occasional vocal with classical orchestrations and interspersed
spoken word clips of famous English politicians and leaders addressing
coal and coal mining accidents over the years. It’s truly tragic
to see the entire world fighting while striving to discover the next
level of energy, where it will come from and and how it might save
us from global warming, the greedy oil barons and oppressive sheiks
and the pollution they create. You can feel the energy here as Public
Service Broadcasting—J. Willgoose, Esq. (guitar, synths),
Wrigglesworth (drums) and JF Abraham (bass) —sounds
influenced by late ‘70s avant rock (This Heat, A. Moore) while
even a Philip Glass meets Pink Floyd influence might be stretching
it in places. Featuring a number of other musical collaborators, Every
Valley is fairly heady stuff. For 21st century U.K. rock historians
seeking yet another example of younger musicians addressing global
warming issues, and this pressing energy predicament we’re struggling
in, the music and subject matter of Every Valley makes for
an quite intriguing experience. www.publicservicebroadcasting.net
ROCKADILLO
RECORDS – Long renowned for their releases of progressive
jazz fusion, including the post-1981 and ‘90s back catalog of
the late great Pekka Pohjola, Finland-based Rockadillo throws their
hat into the acoustic guitar jazz arena with the 2017 release of Arktik
Traktor Konspirazy. The ten track CD introduces the
guitar-centric sounds of the Joonas Widenius Trio, which features
Joonas getting excellent support from Hanu Rantanen (bass,
double bass) and Kara Sampela (drums, percussion) along with
several guest artists. Born in Finland in 1980, Joonas has an excellent
guitar approach that tastefully merges jazz, Gypsy Jazz, classical
and flamenco guitar throughout the all-instrumental album. Several
of the album tracks feature Joonas in a scaled back classical flamenco
setting, while other tracks are more involved. If the main goal of
the album is to introduce music fans to ATK's flamenco meets Finnish
music with a jazz twist, than the album is a wild success. Acoustic
music, flamenco and 21st century classical guitar fans will be quite
pleased with the varied, colorful sounds of Arktik Traktor Konspirazy
by the Joonas Widenius Trio. www.joonaswidenius.org
SECREST
OY – The spirit of Finnish fusion lives on in the grooves
of Noxologic the second CD to date released by the instrumental
jazz-rock band Progression. The CD was began several years
back and was finally completed in 2017 and mastered in superb sound
with excellent CD packaging. Produced by drummer Kimmo Pörsti
and Otso Pakarinen, the seven track CD also contains four
bonus live tracks. Key to the Progression sound is the dual electric
guitar sound of founding member Harri Nokso and second guitarist
Jaan Jaanson who are teamed with several fine players driven
by Pörsti’s excellent jazz-fusion drumming skills. Progression
actually formed back in the late 1970s although it was restarted in
2002 by Harri Nokso. The addition of violinist Jussi-Matti Haavisto
gives the sound a slight classical and even a Gypsy groove while
Finnish bass guitar ace Jan-Olof Strandberg and keyboardist
Otso Pakarinen bring the sound to an even higher level. An excellent
follow up to the 2007 Progression debut, Noxologic is an excellent
return to form by the Finnish jazz-rock fusion band Progression. www.seacrestoy.com
SPOTTED
PECCARY MUSIC – In 2017, the New Age music forerunners at
Spotted Peccary released Ovum by Chronotope Project.
The brainchild of Jeffrey Ericson Allen, Ovum is actually
the seventh album by Chronotope Project and the third CD by Chrontope
Project on Spotted Peccary, following Passages and Dawn
Treader. Allen blends a range of electronic music styles that
include New Age, electronica and ambient music styles that takes the
listener on an imaginative, musical trip. One of the keys of the Ovum
sound is how Allen combines hardware and software synths with acoustic
instruments and environmental soundscapes. Influenced by the great
past legends of electronic, instrumental music, Chronotope Project
represents one of the year’s finest recordings of contemporary,
progressive ambient music. www.spottedpeccary.com
SPOTTED
PECCARY MUSIC – A long time supporter of instrumental New
Age electronic music, Howard Givens is the proprietor of Spotted
Peccary. Long time based in San Diego, Howard took his label up north
to Oregon and continues releasing excellent albums by himself and
his label mates. High on the list of Spotted Peccary titles in 2017
is Being Of Light by Howard Givens & Craig Padilla.
Featuring four long tracks that clocks in around 70 minutes, Being
Of Light is being heralded as a sonic exercise in “harmonic
color and ambient electronic subtlety”. Between both Givens and
Padilla, the album demonstrates their proficiency on a range of modular,
digital and analog synths blended with grand piano, electric guitars
and assorted instruments. In addition to CD, Being Of Light is
being offered on various downloads including the 24-bit / 96k high
definition studio master. With Being Of Light, Spotted Peccary
continues its reputation as one of the finest New Age electronic music
labels in the US today. www.spottedpeccary.com
STRIKEZONE
RECORDS – It’s amazing that the 2017 CD release of Strykin’
Ahead is actually the 28th album as a leader by NYC based
guitarist Dave Stryker. There’s hardly a better straight
ahead jazz guitarist than Stryker on the current jazz scene. Dave
cut his teeth back in the 1980s with jazz legends like Brother Jack
McDuff and Stanley Turrentine—the latter the focal point of Dave’s
2015 album Don’t Mess With Mister T. Prior to Strykin’
Ahead, Dave released a pair of jazzy, instrumental tribute albums
to his 1960s pop-rock roots called Eight Track 1 & 2, which
featured Stryker’s instro jazz covers of classics by Stevie Wonder,
Jimmy Webb and more. Released in 2017, Strykin’ Ahead finds
Dave returning to his straight ahead jazz guitar / organ quartet sound,
while featuring originals and new covers from the pens of jazz icons
like Wayne Shorter, Billy Strayhorn, Charlie Parker and even Broadway
legend Anthony Newley, the latter the subject of a fresh cover of
the timeless “Who Can I Turn To”. Styrker’s band on
Strykin’ Ahead features excellent players, including Jared
Gold (organ), Steve Nelson (vibraphone) and McClenty
Hunter (drums). Recorded in New Jersey in 2016, Strykin’
Ahead is one the best mainstream jazz albums of the year. www.davestryker.com
WEISHIU
MUSIC – New
Age music is still a valid sonic solution in the post 9-11 world of
America. Global warming and endless violence in our culture and country
has left people with hypertension and chronic despair. One answer
is musical 
therapy
and one album that fits the bill to a tee is Kingdom Of Mountains
by the musical group called Mystic Journey. The ten
track CD is filled with titles with names like “Delicate Rainbow
Flower”, “I Dream Of A Castle” and “Lebanese Girl”,
but idealistic thoughts aside, Mystic Journey creates music that will
improve your soul and change your life for the better. Players taking
part on the Kingdom Of Mountains album include Suzanne Teng
(world flutes), Gilbert Levy (world strings, percussion),
Dann Torres (guitar, oud) and Jon Ossman (bass, dilruba).
Mystic Journey gives life to instrumental World Music that is both
ethereal and exotic, as well as soulful and healing. In his album
liner notes, no less a musical authority than John Densmore (founding
member and drummer of rock legends The Doors) has said that after
listening to Mystic Journey, “your inner inner windshield
wipers will have washed off what you don’t need”. If
you’re down from the troubles of the world or in actual physical
pain brought about by the stress of 21st century living, take a good
listen to Mystic Journey's Kingdom Of Heaven and take your
heart and soul on a most illuminating ride through inner space. www.mysticjourney.net
REISSUES
& RETROSPECTIVES
ANGEL
AIR RECORDS – Angel Air continues impressing collectors and
music fans with their 2017 CD release of J2-B2 by the
band called Cathédrale. Formed in the late 1980s by
Jon Camp, of the prog band Renaissance, Cathédrale also
featured Jon Young (keys, Asia, Greenslade and Scorpions),
Mark Goddard-Parker (vocals), Brett Wilde (guitars)
and Tony Bodene (drums). Recorded between 1989 and 1991, the
album is very much 1980s with MTV type animated rock vibes. Musically,
Cathédrale was all over the map—mixing post-punk rock
with a dose of glam rock and even progressive rock. Track seven “Wise
Men (Never Fall In Love)” is a prog-glam classic of the era.
Both Jon Camp and singer Mark Goddard-Parker make a good vocal tag
team. With July 2017 liner notes by Jon Camp, Cathédrale’s
J2-B2 album is a solid spin from start to finish and should
appeal to a wide cross section of music fans who dig the overall eclectic
nature of the music within. www.angelair.co.uk
BMG
– Back in the 1970s, Emerson Lake & Palmer were
a huge band, filling up stadiums of audiences eager to see them perform
live, all over the world. In a sad twist of fate, both Keith Emerson
and Greg Lake died at different points in 2016, leaving
only Carl Palmer to carry on the band legacy. Following remixed
reissues of the band’s early works on both CD and LP, BMG follows
with the completion of the band’s nine studio albums and various
live recordings with remastered Spring 2017 CD reissues of Works
Volume 1 (originally released in March 1977, reissued as a
double CD and double Lp), Works Volume 2 (originally
released as one album November 1977, reissued as a double CD with
bonus live disc, and as a single album Lp), and Love Beach (single
CD with bonus cuts and single Lp of the original 1978 album). Especially
in light of the passing of both Emerson and Lake, these CD and Lp
reissues, while not remixed, are ripe for rediscovery and the bonus
live tracks on Works Volume 2 and the alternate mixes and out-takes
from Love Beach reveal a band that could basically do it all.
Each of these three ELP CD were remastered by audio engineer Andy
Pearce and feature 2016 liner notes by legendary Melody Maker
scribe Chris Welch—the noted reviewer / writer who was
on the front lines during the rise of the progressive rock phenomenon
of the late 1960s and 1970s. Back in 1970, the entire music world
predicted great things for Emerson Lake & Palmer and after revisiting
their historic repertoire no one in their right mind would contest
that fact. www.emersonlikepalmer.com
BEAR
FAMILY RECORDS – Based in Germany, Bear Family Records was
one of the first CD reissue labels in the world. Going strong for
over 30 years, Bear Family released Great Drums At Sun in
2016 and hot on the heels is Great Guitars At Sun.
Featuring a number of early rock and roll giants and their guitarists,
recording for the famous Sun Records label in Memphis, the single
CD features 28 tracks of vintage rock and roll music including Johnny
Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Rufus Thomas,
James Cotton, Howlin’ Wolf, Little Milton and
a whole lot more. Most people know that Scotty Moore played guitar
with Elvis from the get-go yet many of these early rock and roll giants
were also great guitarists as well and/or had a phenomenal guitarist
in their band. A good example of an unknown early rock and roll giant
playing instrumental music here is the Earl Hooker track “The
Hucklebuck”, a jazzy R&B track that was a big hit in 1949
and can be traced to Charlie Parker, even though the song was also
a huge pop hit, with lyrics, for vocalists including Frank Sinatra.
The 60 page CD booklet for Great Guitars At Sun reads like
a history lesson thanks to astute Sun Records historians, Hank
Davis and Scott Parker. www.mvdb2b.com
/ www.bear-family.de
CHRYSALIS
RECORDS / RHINO RECORDS – Right up there with the
best sounding albums of 1977, the now historic Jethro Tull album,
Songs From The Wood had always sounded great—my
noting the often-referenced Mobile Fidelity gold CD from 1998—yet
the 2017, 40th anniversary Chrysalis / Rhino / Parlophone remix /
remaster fashioned by current prog prodigy, Steven Wilson lifts
yet another sonic veil off of the CD, giving it a truly magnificent,
jaw-dropping sheen. Key to the remix package of the album are a number
of Songs From The Wood era songs which never appeared before,
at least on an 
official
Jethro Tull album, as well as several Songs From The Wood
tracks appearing in an unedited / alternative form, all
remixed by Mr. Wilson, and all the while following the original album
also given the Wilson treatment. These bonus rarities fleshing out
and following the original album remix of Songs From The Wood include
rarieties like the nine minute “Old Aces Die Hard” and “Working
John, Working Joe” and a never before heard Mike Batt production
of Tull’s perennial holiday classic “Magic Bells”—a
4/4 time signature version of “Ring Out, Solstice Bells”—which
is track five on the original album. The 2017 40th anniversary 5 disc
box set version of Songs From The Wood includes the original
album and bonus studio tracks on CD, all given the remix treatments,
plus a double live CD of Tull’s November 21st, 1977 concert in
Landover, Maryland. Two DVDs are also included, with DVD 2 featuring
the entire Landover show in more than decent looking and sounding
DVD video and a DVD audio version of the entire Songs From The
Wood album plus bonus cuts on the first DVD. The entire Jethro
Tull band from the Songs From The Wood era was perhaps the
best Tull ever—Ian Anderson on vocals, flutes and guitars
backed up by Martin Barre (guitars), John Evans (piano,
organ, synth), Dee Palmer (piano, synths, Portative organ),
Barriemore Barlow (drums, percussion) and the late, great bassist,
vocalist John Glascock. Long time Tull audio engineering genius
Robin Black, who helped make albums like Benefit so
momentous sounding, was also on hand helping the band record the original
Songs From The Wood album at fabled Morgan Studios in London—the
same studio where Tull recorded Benefit and Stand Up.
Packaging for this 40th anniversary Songs From The Wood box
set includes an attractive, book like package complete with an incisive
96 pages of liner notes, new interviews, lyrics, fresh and revealing
anecdotes and more. In a fitting tribute to a once in a lifetime moment,
Chrysalis pulls out all the stops on their five disc 2017 version
of Songs From The Wood—assuring fans and music lovers
that this unique period from the time-honoured Jethro Tull legacy
will live on well into the 21st century and beyond. www.jtull.com
CAPITOL
RECORDS / BROTHER RECORDS / UNIVERSAL MUSIC ENTERPRISES
– Following the disappointing non-acceptance and subsequent
shelving of Smile, Brian Wilson and The
Beach Boys scaled back their operations and their aspirations.
After the tepid response to Pet Sounds by the teenyboppers
in 1966, Brian came up with “Good Vibrations” yet, just
after that it all fell apart. Released after the 1967 summer of love,
Smiley Smile took a backseat to the ground breaking
sound of John Lennon and The Beatles yet, visionary of the Beach Boys
sound, Brian Wilson kept plugging along, even with a sizable step
down in popularity. Some of that bad, bad stuff is put under the microscope
again with a 2017 stereo remix of the album Wild Honey—recorded
just a few short months after Smiley Smile. Part of Capital
Records’ 2017, 65 track, double CD release of 1967: Sunshine
Tomorrow, the original Wild Honey was originally
released in mono at the tale end of 1967. Interestingly, although
unknown at the time, things were also falling apart for The Beatles,
especially after the shocking death of Fab Four manager Brian Epstein,
just a few weeks before the release of Smiley Smile. The chaos
of 
Epstein’s
untimely passing and the rapid ascent of psychedelia and the shocking
escalation of the Vietnam war were not lost on Brian and the Boys,
who tuned it all out and immersed themselves in Transcendental Meditation
while recording on their merry way. Great Beach Boys albums like Wild
Honey, Friends and 20/20 would, ten years after their original
release, become links of vital importance to the same fans, who ironically
deemed them passé in the age of Sgt. Pepper. Long time
Beach Boys remixers / producers Mark Linnett and Alan Boyd
were the sonic masterminds of the 2012 stereo remix CD of Smiley
Smile and they rise to the occasion once again with their 2017
Wild Honey stereo remix featured on Sunshine Tomorrow.
Capitol and Brother Records sweeten the 1967 deal packing their
stereo Wild Honey remix with a wide range of rarities and outtakes,
including yet another unreleased Beach Boys album from 1967 called
Lei’d In Hawaii, which was originally supposed
to be a live album that was shelved and then the band rerecorded the
album in the studio. Lei’d In Hawaii is a truly bizarre
sounding album that comes across as a near unplugged album of classic
Beach Boys hits and covers of songs like “The Letter”, “The
Game Of Love” and ironically, the Sgt. Pepper classic
“With A Little Help From My Friends”. Some of the live versions
of the original Lei’d are also included as are various
outtakes from Wild Honey and first recordings of songs that
would eventually show up on future Beach Boys albums like Sunflower
and 20/20. A till now unreleased rarity called “Lonely
Days” (not the BeeGees song) shows that later in 1967, Brian
Wilson was hardly bereft of musical ideas even as his band was being
left in the record bin dust at the time. Despite flying under the
radar by early 1968, since 1977 Wild Honey is considered an
underrated album in the Beach Boys canon of musical greatness. With
1967: Sunshine Tomorrow fans can now rediscover all the history
and music magic behind the Beach Boys and their underrated Wild
Honey era. www.brianwilson.com
/ www.beachboys.com
ROCKADILLO
RECORDS – Although honing his skills in the 1970s, by the
time of the early 1980’s Pekka Pohjola was in his compositional
prime. Although peerless in his native Finland for ten years, the
1980s saw the rise of slightly younger musicians, who grew up listening
to Pohjola’s solo albums, his work with Wigwam and even Pekka’s
albums with New Age rock pioneer Mike Oldfield. One such composer
from Finland who threw his hat into the Finnish fusion arena in the
early 1980s area was Anssi Tikanmäki, who released a fine
orchestral instrumental rock album in 1981 called Finnish Landscapes.
The Finnish title of the album, Maisemakuvia Suomesta
was a true tongue twister for people to pronounce, especially
in the US and UK where some less than astute fans even ridiculed the
uniqueness of the Finnish language. Anssi’s album was a great
success and although forgotten through the years, it has once again
been reissued in early 2017 on CD by Rockadillo Records in Finland.
The kicker for those fortunate ones who know the album is that Rockadillo
has sweetened the deal by including a second CD featuring Anssi and
hs band performing the entire Finnish Landscapes album live
in 2004—twenty years after its original release. Of course the
CD packaging is first rate though you’ll need a translator to
fathom Anssi’s 2016 liner notes. 1980’s Finnish jazz-rock
fusion in the style of the late great Pekka Pohjola lives on in the
grooves of Anssi Tikanmäki’s Finnish Landscapes. www.rockadillo.fi
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