MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
The
FALL 2018 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
ABBEYWOOD RECORDS – An album of World Beat vocal music, the
2017 CD by AO Music, entitled Asha, features
the sublime vocals of Miriam Stockley. Welll regarded for her
work with Mike Oldfield, Miriam steps up on this delightful CD. Highlights
of the 12 track CD are the production of Asha cofounder Richard
Gannaway and of course the multilayered vocals of Ms. Stockley.
As is stated on the record label web site, Asha is actually
a Hindi word for hope and as such the album is complete with all types
of pan-cultural roots music and modern production techniques of Richard
Gannaway. Although many of the song lyrics are sung by Ms. Stockley
in English, several other tracks feature a range of languages and
cultural references, including Gaelic, Swahili, Chinese and Tibetan.
The blend of Miriam's heavenly vocals and the synths, Irish bouzouki,
samples and sound design of Richard Gannaway receives excellent support
from a range of instruments including strings, acoustic piano, Indian
wood flute and assorted ambient sound designs. The CD booklet and
packaging is excellent and is filled with all lyrics, track data and
colorful album artwork. www.abbeywoodrecords.com
AGE
OF WONDER RECORDS – An underrated and wonderfully unique
guitarist and composer in the world of 21st century fusion music,
Phi Yaan-Zek continues to break musical ground as an innovative
progressive-rock protagonist. For his long awaited 2018 comeback album—a
two CD set called Reality Is My Play Thing—Phi
takes it all in and gets it all together on a double disc that combines,
progressive rock with jazzy, avant gard instrumentals that set a new
sonic standard in 21st century music. With one half primarily rock-based
vocal and instrumental, called Play Thing, and a second 
CD
of daredevil, white-hot, guitar-keyboard centric fusion instrumental
pyrotechnics called Strange Thing, the release of Reality
Is My Play Thing once again unites Phi with his tried and trusted
musical comrades—Marco Minnemann (drums), Bryan Beller
(bass), Mike Keneally (vocals, keys, guitar), Lalle
Larsson (keys) and Ola Olsson (horns). Recorded in both
the U.K. and in Southern California, Phi’s double CD set combines
a wealth of musical influences—as mentioned in his press kit—including
Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, XTC, Steven Wilson, John Barry and even erstwhile
prog-rock legends Gentle Giant. Perhaps the beauty of Phi’s unique
music is his tightrope ride approach of blending accessible progressive
music, both vocal and instrumental, into his own self-actualized and
deeply complex musical output. Featuring 36 tracks spread over two
CDs—not forgetting a collectable triple disc set version featuring
a bonus disc, for the diehard fans—Reality Is My Play Thing
is a truly spectacular and intensive musical event that is never
at a loss for uncovering new and novel combinations of jazz-rock fusion
sounds. www.pyzmusic.com
ANGEL
AIR RECORDS – Cofounder of British rockers Stackridge, since
the band split in 2009, Mutter Slater continues to work his
musical gift as a solo artist / leader of the Mutter Slater Band.
On the third MSB album, Field Of Stone, Mutter
continues to crank out memorable music in the same vein as his other
recent solo efforts, Absobloodylutely (2015) and The Champ
(2016). Featuring a crack band of first rate musicians, on Field
Of Stone the emphasis is still on a kind of post-Strackridge,
live-in-concert bluesy, rock effect with hardly a nod to the Beatle-esque
pop that marked their brilliant tenure. References to the devil in
“Folding” are disconcerting and blues-tinged. The opening
track “Something We Knew As Love” and the title track “Field
Of Stone” are both truly haunting lyrically, especially when
compared to his first two solo albums. “Caroline Motion”
is a foot-stomping, Stax tinged rave up with Motown overtures. Album
closer “There’s A Wall”, with its cryptic lyrics, is
almost prophetic sounding. With his R&B, Stax music obsession,
Mutter sounds like he’s almost ready to toss in the towel but
then again, he’s always been the first to point out the satire
and social cynicism in his lyrics. Not exactly blues in the realm
of Clapton or B.B., Mutter Slater nevertheless strikes singer-songwriter
blues-rock gold on the dark sounding, disconcerting, yet ultimately
rewarding sound and vision of Field Of Stone. www.angelair.co.uk
BLUJAZZ
PRODUCTIONS – Among the many fine titles on the Chicago-based
Blujazz Productions label is I Remember Love, the
2018 CD by Ernest McCarty Jr. and Theresa Davis. Although
Blujazz is best known for their instrumental jazz releases, they have
released fine vocal albums, including a 2018 Louis Armstrong tribute
album by singer Roberta Donnay. Along the lines of the pop-jazz vocal
music, Blujazz also has a winner on their hands with I Remember
Love. With the music composed by Ernest and the vocals handled
by Ms. Davis, the sound swings in a most soulful pop-jazz direction.
Ms. Davis is a former member of R&B band The Emotions and her
vocal sound on the 12 track I Remember Love is very reminiscent
of the infectious, breezy late 1960s pop-jazz sound of Laura Nyro
and an act associated with her called The 5th Dimension. Ernest’s
background is also impressive, with his having worked as bass player
with noted jazz pianist Errol Garner between 1970 and 1975. There’s
plenty of other fine musicians filling out the sound stage giving
the music a fully formed pop / r&b context. If you’re looking
to find a soulful modern day R&B album with catchy pop hooks and
solid jazz leanings, I Remember Love more than fits the bill.
www.blujazz.com
/ www.mccartyart.com
DSINCS
MUSIC – A founding member of U.K. progressive rock pioneers
Caravan, keyboardist / composer / singer Dave Sinclair didn’t
make a lot of solo albums in his career but when he does, look out.
Case in point is Dave’s long awaited solo comeback called Out
Of Sinc. Centered around an illness Dave is seemingly
going through, in his now adopted homeland of Japan, Out Of Sinc
may be a play on words yet there’s plenty of of Caravan inspired
music to make long time fans happy as a you know what. Printed and
pressed in Japan, the nine track, 60+ minute album is filled with
magisterial symphonic pop and rock similar to what Caravan were going
through after Dave recorded and wrote a good part of the last great
Caravan album – the 1975 prog classic Cunning Stunts. Although
Dave abruptly left after the album came out both in the U.K. and the
U.S., and did not tour with Caravan on their historic late 1975 concerts
in Los Angeles, that album remains the high water mark in Caravan’s
star-studded career. Assisting Dave are a bunch of legendary musicians
and even some local Japanese musicians undoubtedly chuffed at working
in the midst of a historic prog icon. The list of musicians on Out
Of Sinc is cool including Caravan cofounder Pye Hastings,
Doug Boyle, Tony Coe, Andy Latimer, Geoff
Richardson, along with a number of Japanese musicians including
a fine female co-lead vocalist called Yammy. Cool album cover
art, complete lyrics, excellent recorded sound, Dave’s fine keys
and vocals are just a few good reasons to check out the incredible
prog-rock delights on the humorously titled Out Of Sinc. All
told, Out Of Sinc is a great choice for Caravan fans longing
to find out more about the underrated genius of Dave Sinclair. www.dave-sinclair.com
EAGLE
ROCK ENTERTAINMENT – With two different versions of YES
flying the progressive rock flag in 2018, group founding member
Jon Anderson keeps the music flowing with YES: Live At
The Apollo, released by Eagle Entertainment. The current
Jon Anderson version of YES is also referred to as the band ARW,
with Jon, Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin. Looking back
12 years, or so, ago to when YES decided that Jon was too ill to carry
on as the group visionary... and subsequently and so he was replaced
by, not one but two different singers. That other version of YES was
led by Anderson’s cofounder 
in
YES, the late, great Chris Squire, who was the rock glue of YES, and
who is sadly missing from either of these current YES lineups. Back
at the middle of 2005, before the height of the YES mess, Squire reformed
his pre-YES band, The Syn, with Steve Nardelli. Tragically and prematurely
ending the SYN at the time, in mid 2006, proved in retrospect to be
the undoing of the original YES as it eventually led to the untimely
parting of the ways of Anderson and Squire. My mind casts an eye back,
before the chaos unfolded, even back to the summer of 2005 when The
Syn were slated to bring their music to the US and how that tour was
abruptly ended due to the terrorist bombings in the U.K. that summer,
which, with its heightened sense of security, and even more tragically,
a visa rejected for a certain unamed guitarist, led to the calling
off that SYN tour. By the middle of 2006, Squire had his eyes set
to reform YES without, as it turned out, the soon to be too sick to
tour Anderson and the rest is just a case of bad timing and sad to
say, bad karma, for not only YES, but in fact for the whole planet
as of course with all major tragedies coming in 2008. So, here we
are 13 years after Squire's great Syn experiment with two YES bands
and no new music worth writing about. Fighting over a band name is
nothing new but with Anderson, Rabin and Wakeman in one corner and
Steve Howe, Alan White and Billy Sherwood in another YES corner, it
simply feels like we’re all just waiting for the other shoe to
drop, and you know it surely will. Despite the turmoil and legal wrangling
and, and with Chris Squire now existing in the afterlife, Anderson
makes the most of this 50th anniversary of YES now that the first
self-titled YES album is quickly approaching its 50th anniversary.
Which brings us to the first YES as ARW CD/DVD, a live one called
Live At The Apollo. Recorded live in Manchester in the U.K.
in early 2017, the double CD set and live DVD are respectively, superbly
recorded and filmed. Featuring all the big hits from the band’s
Atlantic and Atco Records heyday, the concert album / film was tastefully
directed by Blue Leach and produced by Jim Parsons and
runs two hours in length. Not surprisingly, the Atco era of the band,
featuring Rabin’s guitar and songwriting is the best part. Although
many purists were sad at the time that YES as we knew it was radically
shifted, that 1980s / early '90s era of YES was truly exciting and
quite underrated at the time, although its greatness would finally
sink in by the end of that decade. Tracks from 90125 and Big
Generator merge with YES tracks from a range of eras, including
Fragile and The Yes Album and even Union. As
these guys approach and surpass 70 years in age, it’s a real
testament to their legacy that they can still perform as well as the
DVD looks and sounds incredible, especially considering it's a live
album. Of course, no new YES music for years now means that the oldies
but goodies, done prog-style, rules the day. Glimmers of the memorable
heyday of YES comes shining through on the 50th anniversary CD/DVD
release of YES: Live At The Apollo. www.yesfeaturingarw.com
/ www.eagle-rock.com
EXPRESSION
RECORDS / MVD AUDIO – One of the leading guitarists
of the mid 1970s progressive rock instrumental boom, Phil Manzanera
is keeping his many fans with his 2017 double CD set Live
In Japan. Credited to Phil Manzanera And The Sound
Of Blue Band, the double CD set touches on nearly every period
of Phil’s career, including the Roxy Music era, notably revisited
with a live version of “Love Is The Drug”. Classic progressive
rock era instrumentals like “Lagrima” and “Diamond
Head”, as well as the Quiet Sun era classic “East Of Asteroid”,
rub shoulders with lesser known tracks and even vocal covers of the
Elvis Presley classic “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With
You”, the latter effectively sung by Sonia Bernardo, who
also appears on several of the vocal tracks here. Hard to believe
but there’s also a cover here of the 1969 Jackson 5 favorite
“I Want You Back”. Phil’s live band on Live In Japan
is equally hot, featuring Yaron Stavi (bass), Javier
Weyler (drums) and other fine players. Expect the unexpected on
Live In Japan but Phil Manzanera’s many fans won’t
complain about this excellent live recording. www.manzanera.com
/ www.MVDb2b.com
FIRE
RECORDS – U.K. based Fire Records is back on the pop scene
with Snow Bound—the 2018 comeback album by New
Zealand music legends The Chills. The ten cut CD is filled
with catchy, bouncy pop hooks and splendid smooth-as-silk sounds written
by group songwriter Martin Phillipps. The album starts off
with the infectious grooves of “Bad Sugar”, and the album
follows suit with more music that will capture a wide pop audience.
Snow Bound is described as being heavenly pop laced with a
“spindly guitar sound”. “Complex” may be the first
single from the album, yet one listen to “Bad Sugar” will
put DJ’s and their audiences in a delightful sense of pop euphoria.
With roots going way back to the 1980s, The Chills will be back on
the pop charts with Snow Bound. Another 2018 pop-rock release
on Fire Records worth hearing is the latest from Swedish art-rock
band Hater, called Siesta. Falling into
the shoegaze rock sound, Hater boasts a kind of Motorik beat in its
songs with lead Caroline Landahl transfixing the listener with
her hypnotic, breathy vocals. Excellent Michael Rother-inspired minimalist
electric guitar work and motorik drumming abounds, so it’s hard
to find a true authentic comparison. With 14 tracks clocking in around
57 minutes, and with influences like mid 1980s Anna Domino and early
1990s shoegazer pop in there somewhere, the future bodes well for
Hater. www.firerecords.com
GRUBBWORM
MUSIC – One of the most prolific composers of guitar-based
instrumental and vocal hard rock, Florida-based Todd Grubbs returned
in 2018 with a 3 CD box set. The 2018 release of The Todd Grubbs
Survival Kit features 3 CDs and a myriad of swag products
including stickers, postcards and other cool memorabilia. High on
the list is the eight cut Sunflower album, which features
all new songs composed by Todd and sang by Emily Velasco. Also
backing up Todd’s guitars on the album are Daniel Swartwood
(keys), Alan Tatum (bass) and Jeff Henry (bass).
Each of the songs are hard rock / pop driven and rate with Todd’s
best vocal rock material. Also in the box is a five track CD EP called
Dragonfly. Featuring Todd’s hard rock vocal
music sung by Todd Plant, the disc features the same musicians
on the Sunflower album. Last but not least is the Skullboy
Gets His Revenge disc, which is the most hard-rocking of the
album. Several instrumentals also appear on this disc that sounds
influenced by hard rock bands. Pop-rock fans will want to hear Sunflower
as it’s clearly the most melodic and tuneful while the other
discs are much harder rocking, though, combined, all these 20 tracks
are delivered from the heart and mind of Todd Grubbs. Much has been
written about Todd’s excellent instrumental guitar-centric fusion
albums, although recent forays into the pop-rock vocal and hard rock
sector, including his 2017 album As The Worm Turns may be startling,
yet Todd Grubbs combines a high quality and refined scope to the wide-ranging
array of music on The Todd Grubbs Survival Kit. www.toddgrubbs.com
GRYPHON
MUSIC – Any music fan that was lucky enough to be around
and grooving to the endless myriad of progressive sounds during the
mid 1970s surely must have came across the name of the now fabled
U.K. band Gryphon. Following a couple acclaimed albums on the
Transatlantic label, Gryphon stuck prog-rock gold with the North American
release of their late 1974 album Red Queen To Gryphon Three. Started
by genius composer and recorder maven Richard Harvey and compatriot
Brian Gulland, Gryphon released several other fine albums during
the 1970s yet, after sadly breaking up following their 1977 album
Treason, the band remained dormant for decades. Lo and behold
in 2018 Gryphon has reunited, minus original cofounder Richard Harvey,
for the appropriately titled ReInvention. This
long awaited Gryphon comeback album features original Gryphon krumhorn
/ bassoonist / vocalist Brian Gulland, along with other long time
key members Dave Oberlé (drums, vocals) and Graeme
Taylor (acoustic & electric guitars), as well as recent members
Andy Findon (taking the place of Richard Harvey on flutes,
piccolo, sax, krumhorn, etc) and Graham Preskett (violin, keys).
Richard Harvey, who although part of the 2007 Gryphon reunion, went
on to become a renowned film composer, is missed on this album, yet
luckily, there’s plenty more of Gryphon’s fabled approach
to instrumental and vocal based “Medieval Rock” to make
ReInvention of interest to long time fans as well as those
curious, younger prog fans who might have missed them 45 years ago.
The quintessentially British progressive sound of the legendary Gryphon
remains in fine form on the dazzling and totally surprising prog-rock
sound of ReInvention. www.thegryphonpages.com
KIMIA
Q PRODUCTIONS – Iranian born, Texas based Kimia Penton
is making favorable impressions with her 2018 CD EP called Where
The Rain Falls. Very subtle and laid back pop with
some softer rock edges, the six track CD moves through a range of
musical moves that will excite you and relax you at the same time.
Some comparisons to acoustic-based work by The Pinder Brothers and
more recent bands are noted as are more usual comparisons including
Norah Jones, Alison Krauss and more. Ms. Penton’s band is first
rate as well including valid contributions by her co-writer, co-producer
and guitarist Kelvyn Crapp. Those pop fans looking for a new
talent on the rise will find musical solace on Kimia Penton’s
impressive sounding Where The Rain Falls. www.kimiapmusic.com
RANDOMAXE
RECORDS – It’s Only Natural, the
fourth album by Brooklyn based rockers Zan Zone features the
music and vocals of band leader Zan Burnham. In the spirit
of post-Americana bands like String Cheese Incident, band leader Zan
gets excellent support from his Zan Zone band mates and his electric
guitar work is first rate too. Blending rock, jazz, blues and folk
sounds, Zan Zone truly defies categories and in doing so comes up
with a highly entertaining pastiche of various musical styles. The
lead off instrumental, “For The Rising Sun” is short but
sweet and provides a solid intro to the eleven track CD. Hard to believe
but Zan has been going strong since the early 1990s and some astute
listeners may remember the band’s 2013 double album called Shorts.
In an era of downloads and mp3 files, one can only applaud Zan
Zone and their superbly packaged album. The booklet is filled with
eye-catching color photos and complete lyrics. It’s Only Natural
features outstanding musicianship from a range of players and
vocalists, making the CD a must hear for fans of 21st century rock
& pop sounds. www.zanzone.com
33JAZZ
RECORDS – The adventurous 33 Jazz label recently released
Blind Energy, the new CD by Spain-based Chivo
Funge And The Extensions. The brainchild of U.K. native Trevor
Warren, adopting his stage persona Chivo himself, the album features
a number of fine musicians with the spotlight on Chivo’s vocals,
guitars, keys, programming and space-time warping. One reference is
that great Throbbing Gristle album 20 Jazz Funk Greats (from
early 1980) with it’s eclectic brand of avant – gard rock
and unique Bowie-esque / Downtown NYC kind of vibe. It’s kind
of surprising to find a band this cool based in Granada Spain. CD
sound is excellent, the packaging crisp and hopefully the lyrics are
online. www.33jazz.com
WHITE
SUN MUSIC – The New Age / World Music group known as White
Sun are back in 2018 with White Sun III. The
third album from this unique band is a double CD set and it’s
perhaps their best effort yet. The lineup from their 2015 album is
still the same including singer Gurujas and guitarist / producer
Adam Berry. A variety of musicians appear throughout the 23
track double album including guitarist Mike Fonte with other
instrumentation including gong, fiddle, synths, piano, table, bass
and more. As it was on their 2015 album, the sumptuous studio sound
just surrounds and protects your mind like a mantra. Recorded in Los
Angeles in 2017 and 2018, White Sun III is another sonically
rewarding masterpiece from the New Age maestros of White Sun. www.whitesun.com
WHEELKICK
RECORDS – A fine singer-songwriter, Boston-based Will
Dailey adds to his repertoire with the 2018 CD release of Golden
Walker. Will cut a memorable album called Back Flipping
Forward way back in 2007 and those lucky enough to have heard
his album will want to hear his 2018 CD, Golden Walker. The
album has influences from rock icons like Neil Finn of Split Enz and
at times Will also has the rootsy sounding soul music vibe of Van
Morrison on several tracks. Above all, it’s Dailey’s vocals,
songs and well-planned production that make Golden Walker worth
hearing. Will’s well-recorded electric guitar work is also quite
impressive throughout the album and he receives a wide range of support
from various musicians, including strings, who give the album a kind
of soulful, late 1970’s smooth jazz appeal at times. Singer Tonya
Donelly appears on a track here. On Golden Walker, Will
Dailey has the knack to bring his rock musician vibe into the wider
context of 21st century soul pop. www.willdailey.com
WOODHOUSE
LANE RECORDS - Released on the Woodhouse Lane label is The
Future In Reverse, the 2018 album release by Germany-based
prog-rock band Starfish64. Very much centered on a mix of progressive
rock and pop music, Starfish64 features the music and vocals of Dieter
Hoffmann, who gets solid support from a range of musicians. Singing
in English, Hoffmann draws on a range of progressive rock influences
from Camel and Kayak to modern space rock bands, although The Future
In Reverse is more of the tightly compacted, focused rock album
as opposed to a free form space rock jam. The five track, 60+ minute
CD is tastefully packaged with eye-catching artwork, including all
printed lyrics, full credits and liner notes. With its extended multipart
tracks (the album closing, four-part “Charting An Abyss”
clocks in just over 18 minutes), Starfish64 is certain to perk up
the ears and eyes of modern rock music fans with the highly entertaining
sound of The Future In Reverse. www.starfish64.bandcamp.com
/ www.facebook.com/starfish64
INSTRUMENTAL
ALEKS
MUSIC – An excellent keyboardist and composer, Aleksandra
Takala is making waves with her 2018 album called Visions
& Emotions. The CD is modestly yet tastefully packaged
in a simple yet colorful sleeve, which is sadly the trend these days.
That said, Ms. Takala’s music is simply outstanding on every
conceivable music level. If anything, she brings her uniquely composed
and performed instrumental New Age music into the realm of progressive
rock. In other words, she’s not put off by the notion of combining
her piano and synth keyboards with ambient guitar, and electric guitars
no less. The ten track CD includes long cuts and shorter tracks yet
there’s simply no shortage of breathtaking, sometimes unreal
sounding music here. Much like her radio show on the northern California
based KOWS, the scope of her musical influences take you places you’d
never been before. Fans of progressive New Age instrumentals don’t
miss Aleksandra Takala and her Visions & Emotions. www.aleksmusic.com
BLUJAZZ
PRODUCTIONS – Blujazz Productions keeps the jazz spirit high
with their Summer 2018 CD releases including Turkish Delight
by the Western Michigan University Orchestra. Under
the direction of Dr. Scott Cowan, the ten track instrumental
music CD swings hard and fast and features the original title track
by Scott along with nine covers of classic jazz composed by legends
like Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, Horace Silver and
Paquito D’Rivera. Turkish Delight also features Scott’s
jazz orchestra versions of classic jazz arrangements by Quincy Jones
and Maria Schneider. Perhaps the most unique track here is a sizzling
jazz orchestra version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You”,
which was originally a country and western song writing by Don Gibson
that was made into a world wide pop music smash by soul music icon
Ray Charles way back in 1962. The two vocal tracks on the CD feature
a WMU Orchestra cover of the Count Basie classic “Goin’
To Chicago” sung by Christian Diaz, and a fresh take of
the Quincy Jones arrangement of “All Right, Okay, You Win”,
featuring singer Alexandrea Robson. The title track—written
by Dr. Cowan—is a spellbinding instrumental big band classic
that sounds very intriguing in a kind of soundtrack kind of way. One
of the great jazz orchestra, big band albums of 2018, Turkish Delight
features a complete list of all the multifarious players on hand
and track-by-track liner notes by author and broadcaster Neil Tesser.
Also out on CD from Blujazz in 2018 is Forever Sanctified by
trumpeter, composer, producer and entertainer Joey Morant.
On his 2018 CD the NYC based Joey Morant proves that he can do it
all—from instrumental bop jazz to scat-jazz vocal tracks. A mainstay
on the NYC jazz scene, Joey’s specialty is his excellent trumpet
sound, his unique vocalizing, which is sometimes accompanied by entertaining
spoken word dialogue. A number of musicians assist on Forever Sanctified
including Mark Whitfield (guitar), Amadeus Morant (drums)
along with a number of keyboardists, horn players and much more. The
list of musicians Joey has recorded with in the past is quite impressive,
including the late great rock & roll sax player King Curtis, George
Benson, Benny Goodman and a host of others. Recorded in Brooklyn NYC,
the 2018 Blujazz release of Forever Sanctified is a splendid
introduction to “Mr. Entertainer”, Joey Morant. www.blujazz.com
/ www.joeymorant.com
BLUJAZZ
PRODUCTIONS – Chicago-based
Blujazz Productions remains on the cutting edge of modern, mainstream
jazz with a 2018 CD release from California-based
drummer and composer Paul Kreibich entitled Thank
You Elvin. The ten track, 74 minute album of solid
bop jazz was recorded live in concert at the famous Lighthouse Cafe
on August 13th, 2017. For those just tuning in, Paul Kreibich has
drummed live in concert for a number of music legends including Carmen
McRae, Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrell and in more
recent times he also serves on the music faculty of Cal State Fullerton.
The Elvin in the album title of Paul’s new album is legendary
jazz drummer Elvin Jones, whose style of jazz is paid a kind of posthumous
homage on Thank You Elvin. A perennial favorite among fans
of seasoned vintage jazz, Elvin Jones and his unparalleled drumming,
especially his early 1960s years with John Coltrane, is still the
stuff of jazz legend. For Thank You Elvin, Paul Kreibich has
assembled a solid band as well as an impressive, action-packed live-in-concert
track list that features original music as well as covers of classics
from the pens of John Coltrane (“Naima”), jazz bassist Gene
Perla (“Sambra”) and song writing legend Jules Styne—the
latter feted here with a Kreibich cover of Styne’s 1944 torch
song / jazz standard, “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry.”
Assisting Paul's music and drumming on Thank 
You
Elvin are three gifted saxophone players including Doug Webb,
Glenn Cashman and Jeff Elwood along with bass ace Chris
Colangelo. Recorded live at the fabled Hermosa Beach jazz venue
The Lighthouse Café, Thank You Elvin attempts to recreate
a similar, sonic vibe of the 1972 Elvin Jones album Live At The
Lighthouse. As a native Californian, Paul, who was 17 when he
attended Elvin’s '72 concert, was so inspired so it’s only
natural that Thank You Elvin sounds as authentic as it does.
In his informative CD liner notes, Kirk Silsbee goes into remembrances
of that 1972 Elvin Jones album of that same concert that Paul attended
as well as detailing the modus operandi of Paul’s impeccably
produced live concert album. Echoing the excitement of Elvin Jones
and the great jazz drummers of the 1960s and ‘70s, Thank You
Elvin brings to life the timeless jazz “Buzz-AT” the
fabled Lighthouse Café and then some. Fans of jazz drumming
heroes giants Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Philly Jo Jones and other jazz
classics, don’t miss drumming maestro Paul Kreibich and the instrumental
live jazz groove on Thank You Elvin. www.blujazz.com
/ www.paulkreibich.com
/ www.facebook.com
/ www.cdbaby.com
CHATELIER
FRERÈS – Brought to the attention of mwe3.com by guitarist
Philippe Fouquet, the 2018 CD release of The Player’s
Collection spotlights a compilation album featuring a number
of fine acoustic guitarists performing on the France based Chatelier
guitars. The mood is very Windham Hill inspired as the music borders
on both New Age and a kind of full-bodied acoustic guitar sound in
the spirit of legends such as John Fahey and Leo Kottke. Of course
the above-mentioned Philippe Fouquet appears as does a range of guitarists
who, although relatively unknown in North America. Australian guitarist
Owen Van Larkins also contributes to the album, which features
18 various guitarists playing a track apiece. A couple vocal tracks,
sung in Italian and French, add to the mystique, yet the mostly instrumental
album is quite appealing sounding overall. The Player’s Collection
covers a lot of ground and is well worth the time spent to track
it down and enjoy the music within. www.chatelierfreres.com
CHESHIRE
RECORDS – With the release of his 2015 album Mississippi,
Washington State based guitarist / composer Eric Tingstad returned
to his guitar roots. That rootsy mix of Delta Blues and British rock
guitar heroics, ala Clapton and Richards, is brought to the surface
again on Eric’s 2018 album called Electric Spirit.
More than just son of Mississippi, the 12-track Electric
Spirit sounds equally inspired by some of Mark Knopfler’s
instrumental soundtracks ala Local Hero. Although mostly instrumental
in nature there is a vocal track here—a country flavored bluesy
track called “There’s More” —featuring vocalist
Chloe Dolandis. Produced by Eric Tingstad, Electric Spirit
features a worthy band, including James Clark (bass), Ben
Smith (drums), Eric Robert and Brooke Lizotte (both
on Wurlitzer) along with other fine players. Above all, Eric’s
guitar just soars over the tracks. There’s plenty of swampy,
Cajon-flavored guitar-centric instrumentals on Electric Spirit
to please both rock and blues fans. Although he made his name
back in the 1980s on a series of New Age instrumental albums, Eric
Tingstad gets back, once again, to his roots-rock beginnings on the
bluesy, Cajon flavored instrumental sound of Electric Spirit. www.erictingstad.com
DEKATRIA
RECORDS - Based way up north in Hamilton Ontario, Canada, guitarist
/ composer Strat Andriotis returned in 2018 with another album of
unique guitar magic called Night Manager. Featuring Strat's
guitar backed up by memorable contributions from legendary violinist
Jerry Goodman—appearing on seven of the eight tracks—and
South Florida’s Cuban piano icon Gonzalo Rubalcaba, on
one track, Night Manager also spotlights Canadian pianist Adrean
Farrugia on a pair of tracks. According to Strat, “Gonzalo
and Jerry overdubbed their parts in their studios. The chemistry is
pretty amazing. It sounds that we are playing in the same room."
Commenting further about Night Manager contributions from violin
legend 
Jerry
Goodman, Strat explains, “Jerry's playing sometimes reminds
me of Grappelli. You get to hear Jerry play differently than he did
with Mahavishnu. But he still lays out those lightning fast runs heard
on the early Mahavishnu recordings! “The Arrival” is a song
that Jerry's melody became the hook.” A perfect example of
smart musicianship and recording in an age where musicians, with the
help of untold futuristic technology, can record an album with other
musicians thousands of miles apart, Night Manager perfects
this releatively recent recording art form and makes it a fantastic
reality. The sound of the eight cut album is so perfectly designed
so you can almost hear the rosin flying off of Jerry’s violin
bow, while the elegant piano work of Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Adrean
Farrugia tastefully adds to the excitement of Strat’s guitar
wizardry. Although Strat is also a gifted pianist, it’s really
his guitar work that is central to the overall success of the Night
Manager sound. The intense swing of the recording may seem overwhelming
to music lovers at times, but the beauty of Night Manager comes
with repeated listening. With sheet music and expert musicians on
hand to expedite the realization and recording process, Night Manager
stays up after hours but Strat's late night guitar action is well
worth it. www.stratmusic.com
EARS
& EYES RECORDS – Released in 2017 on the Ears & Eyes
Records label, Echoes Of The Ancestors takes bebop jazz
into some strange and wonderful sonic waters. Recorded and released
by Chicago-based guitarist Phil Schurger, the six track, 60+
minute album features guitarist / composer Phil Schurger in the musical
company of some excellent and like-minded musicians including Greg
Ward (also sax), Jeff Greene (bass) and Cliff Wallace
(drums). With its accent on free form instrumental music Schurger’s
band and music borders on avant-garde jazz yet there’s plenty
of exciting musical improvisation and artful soloing to make it of
interest to adventurous jazz fans of all persuasions. According to
his web site, the guitarist is heavily into meditation and that innate
sense of inner awakening helps Schurger create a conscious / intuitive
stream of thought that serves his music quite well. It’s hard
to draw a comparison between Schurger and much music on the current
21st century scene so perhaps John Coltrane’s free flowing immersion
of sound would be a reference here, even though Coltrane’s era
peaked, shortly before his passing, in the mid 1960s. On Echoes
Of The Ancestors, Phil Schurger’s blend of free form 21st
century guitar-centric music is astounding to the ears. www.earsandeyesrecords.com
ECLIPSE
MUSIC – The art of 20th century progressive jazz-rock fusion
has its roots in both North America and Europe and no Euro country
has contributed more to its musical development than Finland. In the
1970s, the late, great jazz-rock icon Pekka Pohjola brought forth
a new jazz-rock instrumental sound from Finland and carrying forth
the Pohjola-esque spirit in 2018, multi-instrumentalist and composer
Jukka Iisakkila offers his solo rock debut in the form of Clocks
And Clouds. Released on the Finnish Eclipse label,
the seven track CD is filled with wonderful instrumental rock fusion
instrumentals that would find a home with any fan of Pohjola. Not
surprisingly, in his bio Jukka tips his hat to both Frank Zappa and
Pekka Pohjola. In fact, it was Zappa who flew to Finland and met with
Pekka and asked him in front of Jim Pembroke to join his band. Of
course Pekka didn’t do that although he went on to work with
Mike Oldfield and released some of the most influential instrumental
rock albums of the 20th century. It all seems like a lifetime ago,
yet Jukka Iisakkila puts his own stamp on the time-honored Finnish
instrumental sound with the rewarding sonic vibe of Clocks And
Clouds. Both as a composer and guitarist / keyboardist, Jukka
covers all the bases with the aid of drummer Ilkka Saarikoski,
and gives the album a fine fusion stamp. Although he’s best known
as a conductor of symphony orchestras as well as working on crossover
productions with the band Goldfrappe as well as his guitar hero Steve
Vai, guitarist / composer Jukka Iisakkila strikes instrumental jazz
rock fusion gold with the entertaining sounds of Clocks And Clouds.
www.bandcamp.com
EXPRESSION
RECORDS / MVD AUDIO – One of the founding guitarists
of the 1970s progressive rock instrumental boom, Phil Manzanera
is keeping his many fans with his 2017 double CD set Live
In Japan. Credited to Phil Manzanera And The Sound
Of Blue Band, the double CD set touches on nearly every period
of Phil’s career including the Roxy Music era notably revisited
with a live version of “Love Is The Drug”. Classic progressive
rock era instrumentals like “Lagrima” and “Diamond
Head”, as well as the Quiet Sun era classic “East Of Asteroid”,
rub shoulders with lesser known tracks and even vocal covers of the
Elvis Presley classic “I Can’t Help Falling In Love With
You”, the latter effectively sung by Sonia Bernardo, who
also appears on several of the vocal tracks here. Hard to believe
but there’s also a cover of the 1969 Jackson 5 favorite “I
Want You Back”. Phil’s live band on Live In Japan is
equally hot, featuring Yaron Stavi (bass), Javier Weyler
(drums) and other fine players. Expect the unexpected on Live
In Japan but Phil Manzanera’s many fans won’t complain
about this excellent live recording. www.manzanera.com
/ www.MVDb2b.com
GREYDISC
– In
2018, New England guitar conceptualist and Greydisc label founder,
Kevin Kastning traveled to Hungary for his first solo tour
in Europe. Kastning’s affiliation with Hungarian musician and
guitarist / composer Sándor Szabó is world renowned,
as the duo have recorded several albums together, including two albums
with fellow Hungarian composer and percussionist Balázs
Major. For the 2018 CD release of Kismaros, Kastning
joins forces with Balázs for their first duo record together,
and the results provide one of the best album releases yet on the
Greydisc label. What started out as one track featuring Kevin and
Balázs, turned into a complete album thanks in part to Kismaros
producer 
Sándor
Szabó, who astutely captured the duo and encouraged them to
keep recording after the first track was completed. Such sonic spontaneity
is rare but not uncommon in the freeform improvisational world of
first class musicians such as Kastning and Major. In his commentary
on Kevin Kastning’s web site, Sándor Szabó
compares
the Kismaros sessions to music that guitarist Egberto Gismonti
and percussionist Nana Vasconcelos played during their 1980’s
tour of Hungary. That heightened sense of guitar extrapolations mixing
with magical percussion can be heard and appreciated on Kismaros.
Commenting on the Kismaros sessions, producer Sándor
once again recalls, “What I heard on the album is again what
I heard that morning: original, exotic, exciting, seducing, spiritual
music. For me this is a new music; another reference which proves
that there are still endless possibilities in a guitar/percussion
duo to explore. I am very glad to be part of this kind of creation."
The intriguing Kismaros album cover art perfectly captures
the ethereal and magical sense of the music on the CD. Fans of Kasting’s
more recent albums—as well as the 2013 CD release of Becoming,
featuring Kevin recording with Balázs and Sándor—will
note that the entire album was played by Kastning’s famous 30-string
Contra-Alto guitar and the myriad of percussion instruments played
by Balázs. A creative and visceral listening experience, Kismaros
is improvisational guitar / percussion music at its finest. www.kevinkastning.com
/ www.balazsmajor.com
GRYPHON
MUSIC – Any music fan that was lucky enough to be around
and grooving to the endless myriad of progressive sounds during the
mid 1970s surely must have came across the name of the now fabled
U.K. band Gryphon. Following a couple acclaimed albums on the
Transatlantic label, Gryphon stuck prog-rock gold with the North American
release of their late 1974 album Red Queen To Gryphon Three. Started
by genius composer and recorder maven Richard Harvey and compatriot
Brian Gulland, Gryphon released several other fine albums during
the 1970s yet, after sadly breaking up following their 1977 album
Treason, the band remained dormant for decades. Lo and behold
in 2018 Gryphon has reunited, minus original cofounder Richard Harvey,
for the appropriately titled ReInvention. This
long awaited Gryphon comeback album features original Gryphon krumhorn
/ bassoonist / vocalist Brian Gulland, along with other long time
key members Dave Oberlé (drums, vocals) and Graeme
Taylor (acoustic & electric guitars), as well as recent members
Andy Findon (taking the place of Richard Harvey on flutes,
piccolo, sax, krumhorn, etc) and Graham Preskett (violin, keys).
Richard Harvey, who although part of the 2007 Gryphon reunion, went
on to become a renowned film composer, is missed on this album, yet
luckily, there’s plenty more of Gryphon’s fabled approach
to instrumental and vocal based “Medieval Rock” to make
ReInvention of interest to long time fans as well as those
curious, younger prog fans who might have missed them 45 years ago.
The quintessentially British progressive sound of the legendary Gryphon
remains in fine form on the dazzling and totally surprising prog-rock
sound of ReInvention. www.thegryphonpages.com
INTERPLANETARY
RECORDS – Unknown as of yet to many e-music synth music fans,
Dr. Chrispy arrived in mid 2018 with his album debut VHS.
Released on the Interplanetary label, the 15 cut CD is superbly
packaged and features a wealth of electronic based synth-based instrumentals
that will hold great interest among fans of giants in the field like
Jean Michel Jarre. Compared to American New Age based synth instrumentalists
like Meg Bowles and Hollan Holmes, Dr. Crispy’s music is much
more rhythmical, even bordering on cosmic instrumental disco music,
which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just not really meant to be
listened to in a meditative or subliminal state of consciousness.
Not exactly a one man project, VHS features several guest artists,
including several guest guitarists and even singer Marie Jenkins,
whose vocals appear on the CD closing “Follow The Wild Geese.”
Perhaps it’s the good doctor’s background in NASA and the
space program that gives VHS its high tech cosmic music vibe.
It seems like serendipity to have this much electronica on one album,
yet VHS is a most rewarding cosmic musical experience in its
own right. Synth music fans who like high-energy cosmic music with
a powerful beat, don’t miss Dr. Chrispy. www.drchrispy.com
KUMATONE
RECORDS – Connecticut-based
composer and recording artist Meg Bowles is making inroads
in the New Age world once again with her 2018 album Evensong
/ Canticles For The Earth. Released on her Kumatone
label the seven track, 63 minute instrumental music CD is filled with
relaxing, sublime sounding New Age electronics that will fill your
spirit and mind with peace and harmony. Meg describes the album as
being a tribute to planet Earth and what she calls the “ritual
spaces of evening – both light and dark.” Speaking about
her unique and cosmic electronic music style, Meg tells mwe3.com,
"As a composer-synthesist I find myself combining elements
of various genres that speak to me. Having been trained as a classical
musician, an important part of my musical identity, there are plenty
of influences from that lineage in my work. How I orchestrate, interpret,
and mix is directly related to the formative years I spent studying
and performing orchestral works as a music student. Although my music
is atmospheric, there is more structure and 
form
to it than in purely ambient works, probably due to my background."
Interesting
to note that Meg has a number of albums released on her label that
are each filled with orchestrated ambient synth soundscapes. Essential
listening for fans of electronic music pioneers such as Tangerine
Dream and Steve Roach, as well as more recent albums by synth music
artist Hollan Holmes, on Evensong / Canticles For The Earth, Meg
Bowles creates state-of-the-art New Age electronic music for the 21st
century that carries forward the worldwide tradition of smart musicianship.
www.megbowlesmusic.com
LINE
MATTER BAND RECORDS – Australia’s latest entry into
the jazz-fusion instrumental band sound, Line Matter are creating
interest with their 2018 CD called In Motion. The
eight cut, 50 minute album features a solid band with tracks penned
by group guitarist Jonathon Moore, who receives backup from
his band mates, Francesco Aconfora (sax), Anthony Pell (bass)
and Sebastian Jego (drums). All these musicians has a solid
background and their influences are many including jazz legends such
as Pat Metheny, Miles Davis, Elvin Jones, Jaco Pastorus and much more.
The all instrumental set has a wide variety of sound and creates a
unique blend of jazz fusion music. www.linematter.com
/ www.linematter.bandcamp.com
MOONJUNE
RECORDS / DYAN RECORDS – When Soft Machine burst
on the rock music scene in 1968, their first self-titled album didn’t
do much in the U.S. market. Featuring Daevid Allen, Kevin Ayers, Robert
Wyatt and Mike Ratledge (Allen and Ayers both are deceased
now), the first Soft Machine album can now be more broadly seen as
a seed that would grow and even transcend the band’s original
purpose. As Ayers went on to a solo career and Allen to form Gong,
Wyatt steered the band into their brilliant and best album Volume
2. With that 1968 album, Wyatt, Ratledge and new member, Hugh
Hopper, created a musical dynasty that is still kicking around. Drummer
legend John Marshall joined on drums way back in 1971 and believe
it or not he is playing drums on the band’s 2018 comeback album
called Hidden Details. With music written by
Mike Ratledge, Roy Babbington (bass), John Etheridge (guitars)
and Theo Travis (sax, flute), Hidden Details is
a fascinating look back at the legacy of a band that has given so
much to the world of rock and jazz fusion. Dozens of great players
have sifted through the Soft's ranks yet they have somehow to keep
the standards of musical excellence high over their diverse and eclectic
history. Filled with a cutting edge array of instrumental jazz-rock
fusion instrumental music, the Hidden Details album was recorded
by the late great U.K. drummer / composer Jon Hiseman, who
sadly passed away earlier in 2018. Guitarist John Etheridge, who played
on their Soft's album after joining the Soft Machine way back
in 1976, following the guitar steps of the late Allan Holdsworth,
gives a pretty amazing performance throughout the Hidden Details
album, adding in some of his own compositions. A reworking of the
Ratledge composed Soft Machine classic “Out Bloody 'Rageous”
(from Soft Machine 3, way back when) is a definite highlight
but there’s a number of other high points here as well. As Soft
Machine has always proved, eras come and go, important men and musicians
die and leave their bodies, yet great music lasts forever. A welcome
addition to their long-lasting musical canon, Hidden Details is
the latest, revealing chapter in the legacy of Soft Machine. www.softmachine.org
MOONJUNE
RECORDS – U.K. based guitarist Mark Wingfield has
recorded a range of albums, including groundbreaking music with fellow
guitar explorer Kevin Kastning. Fans of Wingfield’s solo career
will note his 2018 solo album Tales From The Dreaming City.
Recorded in Spain in 2016, the ten track CD was finally released
on CD by Moonjune and it’s a great album of solid instrumental
fusion. Released hot on the heels of Mark’s 2017 album Lighthouse,
the release of Tales From The Dreaming City features the
guitarist in the company of fine players including Yaron Stavi
(fretless bass), Asaf Sirkis (drums) and special guest
Dominique Vantomme (synths). Wingfield’s guitar takes
on many guises and sometimes he sounds like Hendrix and other times
his electric guitar sounds like an electric violin, no doubt inspired
by his fondness for Allan Holdsworth. Fans of the late great Allan
Holdsworth will tune in to, and catch a sonic buzz from the exotic
fusion sound of Mark Wingfield’s Tales From The Dreaming City.
Another recent arrival on Moonjune is Rumah Batu,
the label’s 2018 CD by Indonesian acoustic pianist Dwiki Dharmawan.
On this fusion extravaganza, recorded in Spain, Dwiki is assisted
by a rang of players including Vietnamese guitarist Nguyen Le,
Carles Benavent (bass), and the dependable rhythm section of
Yaron Stavi (upright bass) and Asaf Sirkis (drums). Like other albums
from Moonjune’s stable of Indonesian musicians, Rumah Batu
combines an exotic range of progressive jazz, World Music and
ethnic South-East Asian flavored cultural music. www.moonjune.com
ONE
TRICK DOG RECORDS – NYC-based pianist/composer Ben Rosenblum
is catching ears with the 2018 CD release of River City,
from Ben Rosenblum Coastal Trio. The nine-track album features
a mix of originals written by Ben, alongside covers of jazz classics
composed by music icons such as Oscar Peterson, Wayne Shorter, Billy
Strayhorn and others. Assisting Ben on his jazz mission are his band
mates Kanoa Mendenhall (bass) and Ben Zweig (drums).
Instead of plowing an all-original style, Ben opts in for a more traditional
jazz sound and the results are very pleasing to the ear with hardly
an off note on the disc. Swinging hard in an acoustic jazz setting,
Ben’s improv skills match up nice with his own compositional
ideas and his band-leading abilities. For those music fans still fond
of the classic jazz instrumentals of piano giants such as Oscar Peterson
and McCoy Tyner, then River City by Ben Rosenblum’s Coast
Trio will be right up your street. www.BenRosenblumMusic.com
ORIGIN
RECORDS – Among the best straight ahead jazz albums of 2018
is Shifting Standards, an album of covers of
jazz classics by pianist Bill Anschell. The supreme listening
experience of this album is further enhanced by splendid contributions
from the rhythm section of Jeff Johnson (bass) and D’vonne
Lewis (drums). Superbly produced by Bill Anschell, and recorded
and mixed by Reed Ruddy, the nine-track CD touches up a number
of unforgettable jazz standards, all given the piano jazz treatment
by Anschell and company. Included in the fare are songs originally
penned by Dizzy Gillespie, Irving Berlin, Leonard Bernstein, Fats
Waller, Cole Porter among others. There’s hardly a note out of
place here and the whole album is impeccable sounding and holds up
nicely even after repeated listening. Recorded in Seattle, live in
the studio in November 2017, Shifting Standards revisits the
best of America’s musical past in a creative, relaxing instrumental
jazz performance. www.billanschell.com
PARMA
RECORDINGS – New Hampshire based Parma Recordings have several
sub labels under their auspices and their Ravello imprint has a 2018
CD of the Stuart Weber album The Fifth Row.
First released in 2009, Stuart's self-released album was lost
in the shuffle of the great recession, yet it has been rereleased
several years later as Stuart prepares for his next album, also on
Parma. The Montana based Weber is one of the great American classical
guitarists of the 21st century and The Fifth Row shows his
talents off perfectly. Spotlighting originals and classics by Telemann,
Dvorak, Sylvius Leopold Weiss and even Randy Newman, The Fifth
Row was recorded after hours at some of the most wonderful looking
art-deco theaters in the American Pacific Northwest. As such, the
eleven cut album is a must for classical guitar mavens. Equally intriguing,
yet coming from a whole different direction is On & Between,
from Chinese pianist Victor Zhen Chen. As you can deduce
from the cover art painting, the sound is very centered upon NYC and
specifically the life of Chinese immigrants who settle in New York.
Somewhere between classical music and Chinese based World Music with
a slight jazzy bent, On & Between features a range of musicians
including world acclaimed Chinese pipa player Lin Ma and other
fine classical musicians. On & Between was released on
Parma’s Navona Recordings imprint. As described in the extensive
CD booklet, “On & Between is a call to strengthen the
value of ethnic and cultural diversity in the United States.”
Featuring the great American guitarists Stuart Weber and rising
Chinese musician Zen Chen, these two recent Parma albums are well
worth checking out. Parma also has a whole line of new music including
recent Navona releases such as Exhaling Space, from
pianist Alejandro Rutty and Chiaroscuro from
global classical guitarist / composer Giovanni Piacentini.
Lots of great classical / world music from Parma makes it a label
worth watching. www.parmarecordings.com
SANTE
MUSIC – Very talented ladies in synth music keep turning
out very impressive sounding albums and case in point is the latest
CD by Colorado based Stephanie Sante. After recording and releasing
music in what she dubs the “NuJazz Sound”, Ms. Sante goes
back to her New Age roots for the 2018 album release of Clear
Light. The nine track all instrumental CD is a tribute
to the oceans of our planet, the impact of climate change and the
toll it takes on the oceans after decades of rampent pollution. Commenting
on her musical purpose on Clear Light, Ms. Sante explains,
“I wanted this music to encapsulate the power and beauty of
the world’s oceans and to draw attention to not only the wondrous
aspect, but also to the problems confronting them.” Although
she was originally influenced by rock and jazz-fusion guitarists while
growing up, influences from Tangerine Dream, Vangelis and Wendy Carlos
also had a major impact on her music and you can readily hear that
on Clear Light. Stephanie Sante is an New Age artist to carefully
listen to and start to finish, Clear Light is a work of environmentally
friendly, electronic synth-based sounds. www.stephaniesante.com
SINGING
HEART PRODUCTIONS – The 2018 album by Richard Noll,
Peaceful Being is being called one of the most relaxing
and sublime sounding instrumental music albums of 2018. The Peaceful
Being album is minimalist New Age, pairing Richard’s recorders,
keyboards and EWI (electronic wind instrument) with the piano and
wordless backing vocals of Shaina Noll and the viola of Gwen
Franz. As a featured instrument, the wooden recorder has a kind
of ancient sound that evokes the sonic aura of the Native American
flute while the backing synths and excellent piano work of Shaina
makes the album one of the most meditative and stress-busting albums
of New Age instrumental music in 2018. Peaceful Being features
eight memorable compositions from the sonic palette of Richard Noll.
www.richardnoll.com
SPOTTED
PECCARY MUSIC – Another masterpiece of electronica from the
long time record label started by synth maestro Howard Givens, Echo
is the 2018 CD by 21st century ambient / electronic recording
artist Chris Russell. Although it will no doubt be acknowledged
by the New Age / electronica fans, Echo is also an exercise
in Musique concrète, which is a highly regarded for of pure
electronic music that was first coined way back in the 1920s. Although
not quite as radical, or even abstract, as say Edgard Varèse,
Chris Russell breaks a lot of sonic barriers on the hour long Echo,
which is broken down into nine tracks, including several that
run close to and even over ten minutes. Some of the more radical music
of Wendy Carlos is also another reference point here, especially her
soundtrack for the 1980 Stanley Kubrick masterpiece The Shining.
All told, Echo is a most convincing musical statement from
the vivid and eccentric musical mind of Chris Russell. www.voidmusic1.bandcamp.com
Also released in 2018 on Spotted Peccary is Before Sunrise
by electronic music maven Jeff Greinke. Much more subdued
compared to the Chris Russell album, Before Sunrise is ethereal
music magic at its best. Along with Jeff’s electronic / ambient
sound waves, the CD also features other musicians blending in piano,
horns, strings, clarinet and more, making for an effective instrumental
music album that blends floating and spatial synth sounds with a kind
of 21st century modern day classical music effect. As with the Chris
Russell album, Before Sunrise, and in fact all Spotted Peccary
CD releases are tastefully packaged with superb artwork, as well as
being also available in mp3 and 24-bit audiophile downloads. www.jeffgreinke.com
/ www.spottedpeccary.com
REISSUES
& RETROSPECTIVES
ABRAMORAMA / 1650 ENTERTAINMENT – Back in the 1960s,
there was no way possible to separate the name Bert Berns from
the entire music world. The musical / historical / personal story
of Bert Berns is put into succinct perspective on the 2018 DVD release
of Bang: The Bert Berns Story. The 95 minute
DVD is supplanted with an additional 64 minutes of interviews and
the audio is mixed for both 5.1 surround sound and 2.0 stereo.
Although the CD soundtrack of the movie was released on Sony Legacy,
historians of 1960s pop and rock will want to view the DVD, which
is chock full of brilliant musical history. There was hardly a rock
musician who wasn’t touched by the musical compositions of Bert
Berns, and on hand discussing his brilliant story and tragic demise
at the tender age of 38 are giants like Paul McCartney, Van
Morrison, Keith Richards, soul music icon Solomon Burke
and loads more, including Bert’s late wife Ilene Berns
along with a host of famous record company titans who were involved
with Bert’s famous Bang Records label back in the mid 1960s.
Although The Beatles made rock ‘n’ roll gold in 1962 out
of Bert’s co-write, “Twist & Shout”, lesser known,
though equally great songs Bert wrote are also revealed in this important
music history film, including some of Bert’s songs and productions
like “Here Comes The Night”, “Piece Of My Heart”,
“Hang On Sloopy”, “Tell Him” and tons more. Bert’s
affiliation with the mob is also touched on here, although the film
is mostly a musical tribute to the legend and legacy of Bert Berns.
Narration by Stevie Van Zandt adds 'cred to a totally mind-blowing
and haunting life story biopic on the short but sweet life of rock
& roll genius Bert Berns. Extra kudos to Bert’s son Brett
Berns for helping make the movie Bang: The Bert Berns Story
into a historical and factually brilliant film. www.bertberns.com
ANGEL
AIR RECORDS – Recorded in the late 1970s, and finally released
on CD for the first time by Angel Air Records, LifeTimes is
a splendid introduction to the piano / synth based music of Diana
Hubbard. Daughter of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, Ms. Hubbard
proves her value as a gifted composer / pianist and LifeTimes is
a most illuminating exposure to her music. The only album ever released
by Ms. Hubbard LifeTimes is instrumental piano music that merges
neoclassical with a hybrid form of jazz. Key to understanding her
music is revealed in her choice of musicians to help her realize this
including jazz and rock legends legends such as Chick Corea,
Stanley Clarke, Patrick Moraz, Denny Seiwell and
John Goodsall, the latter guitarist in Brand X. By no means
a jazz-fusion album, LifeTimes is much more based in light
classical and even symphonic soundtracks with emphasis on acoustic
piano and light synth backing. Perhaps the Scientology connection
will also illuminate another spirit here of Scientology member Mike
Garson, who, while not on Ms. Hubbard’s album is very much here
in spirit and character. Garson, of course was the keyboard genius
who worked with David Bowie upon his arrival in the U.S. in later
1972 and who also was introduced to Bowie fans with his appearance
at 
Bowie’s
historic September 1972 NYC debut concert at Carnegie Hall. Like Garson,
Ms. Hubbard is clearly a musical genius and it’s truly tragic
to recount that she never released another album after the Lifetimes
album, which was produced by the late Jimmie Spheeris and released
in circa early 1980 but was probably overlooked by many in the anarchic
and unaware madness that marked America for most of the year 1980.
Twelve tracks, original album art and 2018 liner notes underscores
the early press hype fact that LifeTimes is truly “music
you’ve felt, but never heard.” www.angelair.co.uk
ANGEL
AIR RECORDS – The spirit of the late, great David Bowie is
alive and well and living on the grooves of The Great Unknown,
the 2018 Angel Air Records CD compilation from U.K. pop-rockers Glamweazel.
Drawing on several of the band’s indy album releases, the 18
cut CD features key songs penned by group founders Jerry T. Jones,
assisted here by a number of players including long time group cofounder
Colin Minchin. Interesting to note that Glamweazel evolved
out of the ashes of 1980s ‘cult-psychedelic-glam rockers’
One The Juggler, who were praised by a number of musical gurus including
long time Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson. The comparisons to Bowie notwithstanding,
throughout this excellent collection, Glamweazel sound truly Bowie-esque,
with a more than a nod to the sound and style of Velvet Undergroud
and Lou Reed. With a generous 18 tracks to draw upon, The Great
Unknown also features excellent album packaging, bolstered by
insightful 2018 liner notes from Sir Eon Ballinger. www.angelairrecords.co.uk
MASSIVE
TONE PRODUCTIONS – Born in NYC in 1970 and passing in 1997,
the guitarist known as Tone Masseve, died at a very young age
(27) yet his unheralded album entitled Amp L’étude
was finally released in 2018 and it’s just brilliant.
The album, recently completed and now receiving a kind of private
release in 2018, features Tone, famed Jethro Tull drummer Doane
Perry, along with several other musicians, performing brilliant
and quite electrifying rock instrumental versions of classical compositions
composed by musical icons Johan Sebastian Bach, Ludwig Van Beethoven
and other legendary composers. As is noted on his web site, dealt
a severed bout with pneumonia, Tone’s passing from a terrible
illness at such a young age was a tragic loss to the music world,
yet thanks to several of Tone’s artist friends, there’s
a lot of music and guitar ideas here to finally hear and appreciate.
Although not on this album, vocalist and composer Graham Parker played
with Tone and adds some interesting written accolades on the late
guitarist’s web site. The album kicks off with a stunning version
of “Air On A G String” (the Bach classic) that reminds one
of the great performances of “A Whiter Shade Of Pale” back
in 1967. Doane Perry’s written tributes on Tone’s web site
page is equally illuminating, in which he praises Tone’s “Guitorchestra”
like effect running throughout the album. The CD version is quite
nicely presenting in mini-Lp CD sleeve. From his online album liner
notes, Doane accurately surmises, “I would like to think the
mysterious and hugely talented Tone Masseve will not remain unknown
for much longer.” Doane’s well summed up quote underscores
this great sounding CD and this excellent guitarist. www.tonemasseve.com
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