MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
The
WINTER 2020 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
ALCHEMY RECORDS American guitarist / composer Jon Durant
has proven to be one of the most diverse and versatile musicians on
the 21st century progressive music scene. His solo albums on his self-owned
label Alchemy Records have always been highly regarded as are his
rock-fusion albums with bassist Colin Edwin in their side project
called Burnt Belief. In
early 2019 Jon pleased music fans with his experimental New Age instrumental
album Alternate Landscapes, which blended guitars, synths and
a range of subdued and mysterious moods. During that time, Jon also
began working with Colin again, bringing in a singer from Ukraine
called Inna Kovtun. The results of that project finally materialized
in late 2019 as the self-titled album called Edwin Durant Kovtun.
Thanks to Innas soaring vocals, sung in Ukrainian language,
the 12-track, 60-minute album has gained acclaim among World Music
fans as well as experimental hard rock fans. Adding to the album,
powerhouse drummer Robert Gualdi brings in a strong beat. The recorded
sound is superb and features equally potent sonic grooves to those
that Jon and Colin brought to the Burnt Belief albums, while the exotic
Ukrainian language vocals from Inna offers another layer of sonic
intrigue. The CD cover art with the bridge is kind of symbolic in
that the sound here is similar to a bridge that spans guitar-centric
avant-garde rock fusion with World Music. Jon further adds that, Ukrainian
music is sadly underrepresented around the world and we tried to bring
some of these wonderful ancient melodies to a new life using modern
production and creative ideas, all the while keeping the song forms
accessible. For rock fans looking for a familiar musical
signpost, the sound and style of music draws somewhat of a comparison
to alternative rock bands such as Dead Can Dance and The Cocteau Twins.
With its stunning amalgamation of Ukrainian and Slavic folk music,
balanced by guitar-centric electronica and deeply atmospheric progressive
rock, this first album by Edwin Durant Kovtun is an epic culture-spanning
moment that merges modern and ancient music. www.edwindurantkovtun.rocks
BLIND
OWL RECORDS The late 1960s and early 1970s was a historic
era for rock music. When The Band showed up in 1968 it was then their
signature song The Weight took over the airwaves. So here
we are 50+ years later and a band of undaunted young musicians called
Mrs. Henry decided to do a remake of the Bands swan song
concert called The Last Waltz. Taking place on
Thanksgiving day in 1976, the original concert called The Last
Waltz was filmed and recorded and featured a whos who of
rock superstars including Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Dr. John, Eric
Clapton, Neil Diamond, Neil Young, Ringo Starr and a never ending
list of iconic musicians appearing with Robbie Robertson and
the original members of The Band. Bidding farewell to The Band at
the time wasnt easy, and as such The Last Waltz went
down in music history as a turning point event. So it is that, 41
years later Mrs. Henry has done a remarkable job reenacting the entire
concert live in concert in San Diego as a triple vinyl album set and
a double CD too. Released on Blind Owl Records, the 2019 version of
The Last Waltz features the Mrs. Henry Lineup of Jody Bagley
(keys, vocals), Dan Cervantes (guitars, vocals), Blake
Dean (bass, vocals) and Chad Lee (drums). Also featured
are some of the San Diego-based bands friends. Even the album
cover art looks remarkably like the original album. Commenting on
the incredible reenactment of this historic event, Dan Cervantes explains
that, The Band holds a special place in my heart. If it wasnt
for The Band, you wouldnt have Mrs. Henry. I couldnt have
imagined performing The Last Waltz concert but we did it. It happened,
and now we have a record of it. www.blindowlsd.com
BLUE
ÉLAN RECORDS Detroit native, singer-songwriter Janiva
Magness has released several albums on the L.A. based Blue Élan
label and in 2019 she tackles the fabled songbook of Creedence Clearwater
Revival main man John Fogerty. The resulting album, Change In
The Weather: Janiva Magness Sings John Fogerty is a
fitting revival of Fogertys music during the CCR era. The only
problem with this album is the fact that the music of Creedence, at
least in the mind of someone who grew up during their heyday, is that
its forever linked to the fabled 1968 to 1972 period and, bringing
it into the 2020 era is a challenging effort at best. The magic of
Creedence was that it was truly a period piece in time; Nixon, Vietnam
and the major influence of early FM radio was raging at the time and
Fogerty and Creedence was very much part of it. Some of the tracks
work better than others. Have You Every Seen The Rain
was originally a very bouncy, stately pop track when it came out but
Janiva tears it down to a slow blues, losing much of the Top 40 pop
edge the song originally intended. One track that does work great
on Change In The Weather is the lesser-known track Someday
Never Comes, originally featured on the Mardi Gras album
from 1972, the final CCR album before their sad, acrimonious split.
That track sounds very much like Fogerty trying to write like Harry
Nilsson and, looking back it sounds a bit like Nilssons 1968
classic Mournin Glory Story, yet, in the capable
hands of Ms. Magness its a misty-eyed reminder of a CCR song
that never got its proper due. The timeless message of Fortunate
Son is given a proper cover here and is another highlight. Several
guest artists appear, including blues legend Taj Mahal and
Ms. Magness and her tight band are superbly recorded in the studio.
Track by track liner notes by Janiva underscores her personal connection
to the music of CCR. Does the pop-centric, early FM radio groove of
Creedence work well in a hard-edged, bluesy, 21st century rock tribute
album setting? Listen to Change In The Weather and you decide.
www.janivamagness.com
BLUJAZZ
RECORDS Chicago-based Blujazz strikes pop-cabaret gold
once again with the 2019 CD release of The Fourteenth Confession-
The Songs Of Laura Nyro by singer MaryJo Mundy.
Back in the late 1960s, NYC singer-song Laura Nyro was setting
the music world on fire writing songs that ended up being huge pop-rock
hits for The 5th Dimension, Three Dog Night and Blood Sweat &
Tears. A live in concert tribute to the late Laura Nyro, MaryJos
album was recorded live in concert in L.A. in April 2018. Backing
up MaryJo on The Fourteenth Confession are a number of skillful
musicians, including music director / pianist Ross Kalling
and electric guitarist Tony Mandracchia. Topped off by cool
painting cover art with in-depth liner notes by MaryJo, Richard
Knight, Jr. and the albums producer Hillary Rollins,
the album is a memorable concert tribute to both Ms. Nyro as well
as MarjJos passionate vocal skills. MaryJo really rises to the
occasion on the eleven track album, which also features a bonus track
called The Cat Song. MaryJo has been covering the music
of Laura Nyro since 2016 and she finally seals the deal on The
Fourteenth Confession. www.blujazz.com
CHERRY
RED RECORDS Singer-songwriter and keyboardist Dave Kerzner
might not be very well known in the 21st century prog-rock scene
yet, while flying under the radar for a number of years, hes
built up both a devoted fan base tuning into his various album releases.
For a good overview of Daves music, give a listen to Breakdown:
A Compilation 1995 2019. A 2019 double CD set that
compiles 21 of his tracks, including rarities, unreleased out takes,
alternate studio tracks and live tracks, in one succinct 2+ hours
package, on Breakdown, listeners can check out a sampling of
Daves various music with bands he works with including Continuum,
Sound Of Contact, Mantra Vega as well as a live track
from 2017 that was originally made back in 1995 during Daves
time in a band Thud, featuring the late Kevin Gilbert. Musicians
taking part on the various Breakdown tracks including music
great including Steve Hackett, Francis Dunnery and many
others including Daves guitarist Fernando Perdomo. Produced
by Dave, the 2-CD set is accompanied by a detailed color booklet with
discography information, pics and more. Prog-rock fans will totally
dig Dave Kerzners Breakdown. www.davekerzner.com
CROW
VS. LION MUSIC Contemporary country-rock with an edge,
The Heart, The Time, The Pen is the 2019 CD release
by Pennsylvania-based band called Crow vs. Lion. Featuring
the music of singer-songwriter Dan Gallagher, the album is
divided into three sections as delineated in the album title. While
there may be a country music side to it, the 13-track CD is very much
a rock-based album. A wide range of musicians assist Dans music
and vocals including keyboardist Raphael Cutrufello, who also
handles the co-production along with Dan. Electric guitarist Brad
Hinton also adds in lap steel giving the songs a country twang
effect while a couple drummers add muscle to several tracks here.
Dans sons, Danny and Dylan also appear on talking and singing
on some tracks. The CD is superbly packaged and the CD booklet features
all the song lyrics and a range of b&w pic of Dan and his family.
Theres very much of a homespun type effect, yet theres
a number of sonic effects added so the songs work on a number of levels.
Although rooted in the 21st century anti-folk movement, fans of Dylan
and late period Byrds / Burrito Brothers, as well as a number of contemporary
pop-rock artists will find this 2019 album by Crow vs. Lion to be
a most deeply personal listening experience. www.crowvslion.bandcamp.com
ELIZABETH
GEYER MUSIC Renowned for her recent recorded works with
New Age composer Paul Adamsincluding the 2019 album release
of their second joint venture Deeper ImaginingsAustralian
musician Elizabeth Geyer is actually a triple threat artist
in her own right. With several solo albums to her credit, Elizabeths
2016 album, The Bridge is an overlooked gem of an album
that is just being rediscovered now by newcomers that found her music
by way of the Deeper Imaginings album. Recorded and produced
by Elizabeth Geyer and Paul Adams, the 13-track album was actually
inspired by her traveling to Illinois, where she and Paul crafted
the The Bridge. Compared to Elizabeths and Pauls
recent album, the all-instrumental New Age Deeper Imaginings,
Elizabeths most recent solo album, The Bridge is an unusual
sounding album that mixes jazzy pop melodies and arrangements with
a unique singer-songwriter approach highlighting her vocals, songs,
flugelhorn and piano work. For his part, Paul adds in guitar and a
range of instruments hes famous for as well as having mixed
and mastered The Bridge as well. Musically, The Bridge is
as far away as possible from being your traditional sounding jazz
or pop album. Before his untimely passing, Elizabeth's music was praised
by Bruce Lundvall, the great jazz maven and latter day period head
of Blue Note records. Paul Adams has compared her voice to pop artists
like Natalie Merchant, Nora Jones and Sara McLachlan, while to these
ears The Bridge sounds very influenced by pop composer Laura
Nyro. Another sonic signpost worth noting, Elizabeths train
of thought vocals and her way with mixing words and music is not as
far away as you might think from the overlooked late 1960s orchestral
pop albums by the late 1960s protest singer Phil Ochs, such
as Rehearsals For Retirement and Pleasures Of The Harbor.
A modern day music classic worth hearing, Elizabeth Geyer's The
Bridge is an artful merger of pop and jazz that makes for a very
rewarding listening experience. www.elizabethgeyer.com
S.A.
HARRIS MUSIC Heres a real, odd and genuine blues
album for you. Doing time in jail, guitarist and singer-songwriter
recorded Blues From Cell Block D: The Best Of S.A. Harris at
the Oregon State Penitentiary and the album was released in 2019.
One of the first inmates to release an album while serving time in
prison, the 12-track CD was made on a small digital track recorder
with Harris writing and recording all the guitars, bass and drums
himself. Several musicians assisted him in the making of the album,
yet its pretty much his baby. Guitar heroes Peter Green and
Billy Gibbons are both cited in Harris credits. Greens
guitar influence can be felt as well on the instrumental tracks here
while Harris sad, sobering tale is recounted in the album liner
notes. An effective album that truly gives a new meaning to the blues,
Blues From Cell Block D: The Best Of S.A. Harris is a wake
up call from the big house. www.s-a-harris.com
MULTI-POLAR
MUSIC Israel born / Amsterdam-based musician Lonny Ziblat
made waves with his albums with Modest Midget and in 2019 he returned
with a fine new solo album called Dream Hunting.
Theres hardly a pop or rock genre not touched up but the
fact that he self-produced the album, playing everything, puts him
up in the pantheon with pop icons like McCartney and modern day music
wunderkind Jason Falkner. That said, in addition to his songs featuring
his work on guitars and keyboards, a few musicians do appear including
drummer Sven Fictivesen who excels on track four, Lost
& Found track that combines prog elements ala Gentle
Giant with the catchy rock riffs that remind me a lot of Emitt Rhodes.
Some of the ten tracks are more low-key, ala McCartney, but the whole
thing clicks and overall makes for a rewarding pop-rock experience.
www.lionelziblat.com
ORENDA
RECORDS A good example of genre-stretching 21st century
music, the band Voxfire released their Fontis album
on the L.A. based Orenda label in 2019. Best described as a mix of
gothic, Gregorian style chanting and vocalizing, sung in foreign tongues,
backed up by 21st century rock instrumentation, the 13-track, 60 minute
Fontis was recorded in California and is one of the most unusual
sounding albums of the decade. Three female singers blend religious
sounding music that would have fit right into the churches of Spain
and France in the Middle Ages. Even stranger is the addition of synths,
harmonica, keyboards, accordion and other live effects and processing
performed by Voxfire composers and producers Ross Garren and
Nick DePinna. Most of the vocal arrangements are by Susan
Judy and she shares the Gregorian style singing with Christen
Herman and Samela Aird Beasom, who also add in instruments
such as marimba and harmonium. Occasional sax, flute, trumpet and
percussion, performed by assisting artists add to the Voxfire mixture
of strange and beautiful music. Part religious, part spiritual sounding
vocal music brought back from the depths of time and into the 21st
century, Voxfire shines a light on their sublime and timeless musical
vision with the haunting sound of Fontis. www.orendarecords.com
PARAPLY
RECORDS In 2019, record label guru and singer-songwriter
Joakim Lövgren finally released the album debut with his
band Mudfish. No relation besides entertaining pop-rock, to
another Swedish band called Bonefish, yet both bands are from Sweden
and share a great exuberance for the joys of modern day 21st century
rock with a edgy pop side. Joakim gets fine support from his Mudfish
cohorts and with nine tracks clocking in around 33 minutes, the four
piece band never overstays their welcome. As owner of the internationally
acclaimed Paraply label, Joakim is hardly a newcomer to the Swedish
pop scene and he carries that same quality approach forward on his
2019 album debut with Mudfish. www.hemifran.com
RIVER
DRIVERS MUSIC I had to do a double take after hearing this
as I thought the band called River Drivers was an Irish folk band
from Derry. Thats not far off as the Philadelphia-based quartet
is described as an Irish / Americana band that has many connections
and a heritage as it relates to Ireland and of course the music from
that country. Clearly influenced by music greats including Billy Bragg,
Christy Moore as well as Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan, the music on the
ten-track 32 minute River Drivers 2019 album Big Oak Road is
equally captivating and engaging. The band features the music of Mindy
Murray (vocals, guitars, lap steel, bass, banjo) and Kevin
McCloskey (vocals, mandolin, guitars, banjo), as well as multi-instrumentalists
Meagan Ratini (fiddle, whistles, Irish flute) and Marian
Moran (whistles, concertina, melodica, bodhran). The River Drivers
feature the strong vocals and harmonies of Mindy and Kevin. To my
ears Kevins robust voice brings to mind the late great Phil
Ochs while the subject matter is also quite socially relevantinfluenced
by heartfelt stories portraying the plight of working men and women
and their search for social justice. Kevin was also greatly influenced
by U.S. / Irish history as well as his performing Irish standards
with his father, Irish tenor Tommy McCloskey. Speaking about the message
and content of the socially-charged lyrics, Mindy Murray explains,
We really try to perform and record songs that have a purpose
other than purely entertainment value. Many of our songs are about
hardworking folks and social issues. I wrote two of the songs using
verbal history from my Dad about him growing up on Big Oak Road in
Bucks County Pennsylvania (Big Oak Road) and about his
parents losing their farm for back taxes on the eve of the great depression
(Going Once). Children's March was written
about Mother Jones as she marched through our hometown to fight against
child labor and for the unions. Si Se Puede is about the
formation of the United Farm Worker's Union and the grape boycott
of the late 1960s. Cumann na mBan is about the role of
the women who fought for Ireland's independence but then were lost
to history until quite recently. The other songs, though not originals,
were chosen because they reflected many of these same themes
and they are great songs! The liner notes offers a glimpse
into the bands mindset as they blaze through this strongly socially
relevant album. Riveting lyrics, soaring melodies and penetrating
vocals helps separate River Drivers from the wealth of traditional
modern day Irish folk music. www.theriverdrivers.com
SPIRAL
RECORDS - Belgium-based rockers, The Monotrol Kid are making waves
with their 2019 album called Exhale. Right off-the-bat
you can hear a kind of R.E.M. music influence thanks to the effective
vocals and music of group leader and guitarist Erik Van den Broek.
The band excels in a kind of 21st century mix of folk music meets
Americana rock spirit while the band cites Wilco, Billy Bragg and
The Jayhawks among their chief influences. The bands Bob Dylan
influence is also cited in the CD booklet. The lead off track The
Northside is the perfect track to introduce Erik vocals. Written
and produced by Erik Van den Broek, the album is co-produced, recorded,
mixed and mastered by group keyboardist Luc Weytjens, who excels
on piano, Hammond and other keyboards. The solid electric lead guitar
work of Dries Vanhove sounds very Neil Young inspired and Exhale
also features his fretboard skills on acoustic guitar, mando guitar,
lap steel and baritone guitars while the band is further fortified
by the rhythm section of Bart Strubbe (bass) and Philip
Mathuis (drums) with additional keyboards from Vincent Pierins.
The only drawback is the lyrics arent printed in the CD booklet.
Fans of 21st century pop-rock from a Euro-centric band absorbed in
all things Americana will flip for The Monotrol Kid. www.themonotrolkid.com
INSTRUMENTAL
BANADE
RECORDS American keyboardist / composer Alejandro Santoyo
is one of the top New Age artists from North America. His 2019
album Dreams For A Better Tomorrow is filled with a
majestic mix of instrumental piano and electronic music that is as
uplifting as it is musical. With the age of sampling and do-it-yourself
recording in the 2020 era, the self-contained artist has a vast arsenal
of computerized recording gear at his disposal and Alejandro makes
the most of it on Dreams For A Better Tomorrow. Influenced
by a range of music and artists such as Yanni, Vangelis and more recently
acclaimed recording artists, such as film score composer Hans Zimmer,
Alejandros diversity shows throughout the 18 tracks album. Like
Vangelis, especially during his Chariots Of Fire album from
1982, Dreams For A Better Tomorrow features a mix of full-bodied
instrumental music that blends dynamic crescendos and full orchestrations
to more stately and sedate keyboard based sounds. On Dreams For
A Better Tomorrow, keyboardist / composer Alejandro Santoyo covers
a range of sonic timbres. www.alejandrosantoyo.com
CGT
RECORDS The finest experimental acoustic guitar trio in
the US today, California Guitar Orchestra has played with the
best artists over the past 20 years and on their 2019 album, In
A Landscape they join forces with Montreal Guitar Trio
for and album recorded in Montreal Canada. CGT mainstays Bert
Lams, Hideyo Moriya and Paul Richards are each excellent
composers and theyre credited with writing and arranging a couple
of tracks while a number of tracks are composed by MGT guitarist Glenn
Levesque with Sebastien Dufour. Also appearing on guitar
and electric bass, Marc Morin makes it the sixth guitarist
on this unique interweaving of acoustic guitars with. The lead off
track by Sebastian sounds like a long lost John Barry movie theme
played instrumentally by six gifted guitarists. Glenn Levesque proves
a competent lead singer, adding his vocals on a CGT/MGT version of
the Bowie classic Space Oddity. From meditative to classic
covers to progressive guitar instrumentals in the spirit of King Crimson,
is a union of experimental acoustic guitar creativity. facebook.com/CGTrio
DAN
CHADBURN MUSIC In
2017, one of the shining lights on the early 21st century contemporary
solo piano scene, Dan Chadburn released Held In The Lighta
collection of traditional, sacred hymns, some dating back to the 1800s
and all reinterpreted in Dans instrumental piano style. Bringing
his music to yet another level, in 2019 Dan dazzled the music world
with a new offering called Love Themes For Solo Piano,
a CD of all new material released on his Dan Chadburn Music
label. Dedicated to Dans husband, music partner / co-producer,
and singer-songwriter Tom Nichols, the 45-minute, 13-song Love
Themes For Solo Piano
was recorded by mixing / mastering engineer Joe Bongiorno at
Piano Haven recording studios in Sedona, Arizona. A most worthy continuation
of the sonic spirit captured on Dans other recent album releasesincluding
his 2016 album Beyond Words and the previously mentioned Held
In The Lightthe
2019 release of Love Themes For Solo Piano features 13 newly
recorded tracks with the focus upon Dan's improvisational
piano styles, and drawn from a collection of New Age, easy-listening,
yet totally modern sounding, neoclassical arrangements. As always,
Dans calling card is his flowing piano style, with improvised
piano-centric patterns merging with exquisite compositional ideas.
Some of Dans tracks on Love Themes For Solo Piano were
improvisations first that were later transcribed by John Zechiel
and then re-recorded by Dan with other tracks on the CD composed
by Danone
as far back as 1998. Speaking to mwe3.com about the story behind some
of the individual songs, Dan
says, Many of them were improvs and given names only after
the recording session. I wanted the album to represent love. A few
have stories; Shalom was improvised in memory of my Mom;
Unconditional was borne while watching our dog Molly sleep
on the couch; Timeless was a composite Theme
of two different pieces one composed on March 21, 1998 - right
as Tom and I were getting ready to release my first album, Solo Piano,
and the other
unintentionally; coincidentally?
on March
21, 2017. Dan further adds, "There are a couple
other videos on YouTube that you might also find helpful / useful.
As I mentioned, several of the album's tracks originated first as
improvisations in concerts, then were transcribed by John Zechiel,
and then re-recorded in the studio for the album last June. Here are
two of those - This
is now "Gentle Touch" on the Love Themes for Solo Piano
album and this
is now "Reminisce" on the Love Themes for Solo Piano album."
Also, regarding the very effective and colorful front cover photo
of Dan performing at the piano, he says, "The cover art was
photographed by Julie Nevue. Julie is married to David Nevue, the
founder of Whisperings Solo Piano Radio. The photo was taken in Costa
Mesa, California at the Whisperings Solo Piano Radio Awards Concert
in January, 2017. My album, Beyond Words was among the nominees for
Whisperings Album of the Year." As mentioned above, the final
track on Love Themes For Solo Piano, called Shalom,
is endearingly dedicated to Dans mother, who sadly passed away
in early 2019.
Dan
says that Shalom was created at the piano in memory of my
Mom, while looking out at Sedonas beautiful landscape beyond
Piano Havens studio window. Arriving at a place in
time when the terms instrumental New Age and meditation music are
universally referred to and accepted, Love Themes For Solo Piano
is a
magical album of original, instrumental music with the spotlight on
Dan Chadburn's signature piano sound.
www.youtube.com
/ www.DanChadburn.com
DMAC
MUSIC Master jazz-guitarist Doug MacDonald pleased
jazz fans no end with his View Of The City album, recorded
in NYC in 2016 and released on BluJazz in early 2019 and hes
back in late 2019 with a double CD set of all new recordings called
Jazz Marathon 4: Live At Hangar 18. Credited
to Doug MacDonald And The Tarmac Ensemble, the 16-track double
CD features a cross-section of originals and covers. A clear highlight
is the CD1 lead-off track San Fernando Blvd, a track perhaps
reflecting the fondness the guitarist feels for his adopted hometown
Los Angeles. A range of players assist including Charlie Shoemake
(vibes), Joe Bagg (piano), John B. Williams (bass)
a pair of drummers and a range of horn players. Theres plenty
of highlights and standout tracks, including a MacDonald cover of
Pennies From Heaven (from the 1936 movie with Bing Crosby
and Louis Armstrong) and Herbie Hancocks Maiden Voyage,
(title track of Herbies 1965 album on Blue Note). Recorded live
at Hanger 18 at the LAX Marriott on July 18th, 2019, Jazz Marathon
4 goes the distance and will satisfy the appetite of classic jazz
and jazz guitar fans far and wide. www.DougMacDonald.net
FORWARD
MOTION RECORDS - I had the chance to meet singer-songwriter
and guitarist Fernando Perdomo at the fabled Colony Theater
in Miami Beach when the Florida-born musician opened for Jon Anderson
in November 2013. Fernandos notable guitar work and his dedication
to prog has extended to many artists over the years, yet an unexpected
treat comes by way of a 2019 all instrumental album he released as
a tribute to prog-rock legends King Crimson. The twist here is that
The Crimson Guitar is a 10 track, 29 minute all-instrumental
classical guitar tribute to the music of Robert Fripp and Ian McDonald,
especially drawing from the 1969 Court Of The Crimson King album.
Known for its mix of unforgettable pop melodies and groundbreaking
prog-fusion, the first King Crimson album will forever remain a classic
and on The Crimson Guitar Fernando offers unique glimpses into
the evergreen melodies from songs like I Talk To The Wind,
Moonchild and other tracks from the first four Crimson
albums. A few surprises ensue but breaking down these classics into
bite-size, melodic excursions for acoustic solo guitar is a breathtaking
and unforgettable experience, just like it was hearing them in the
Fall of 1969, for the very first time. Excellent recorded sound and
truly insightful liner notes from Fernando makes The Crimson Guitar
an album to relish. www.fernandoperdomo.com
IN
AND OUT OF FOCUS RECORDS The Dutch have a rich tradition
of merging progressive rock and instrumental jazz-rock. The current
bassist in the band Focus, the most illustrious name in Dutch prog,
Udo Pannekeet steps out of the Focus fold for his 2019 solo
CD called Electric Regions. The lead opus on
the 5 track 50 minute CD, simply entitled Electric Regions
runs over 23 minutes and is a modern day Close To The Edge
for electric fusion fans, its a side long masterpiece of state
of the art 21st century progressive instrumental music. Current Focus
guitarist Menno Gootjes and former member of Focus, Eef
Albers (drums) also appears and together the group sparks and
they sound like a post-jazz meets power prog fusion band. Layer upon
layer the tracks build, creating a whirlwind of sonic majesty. With
Electric Regions, Udo Pannekeet takes his place as the premier
jazz-fusion bassist / composer in Holland today. www.facebook.com
JUST
MUSIC One of the most acclaimed ambient / electronic acts
in the U.K. and for that matter the world, Marconi Union return
in 2019 with Dead Air. With a most foreboding
sounding album title if there was one, the music on hand is solemn,
sedate and
serious. The 2012 album from MU, Different Colours
was reviewed in mwe3.com (Summer 2012 News & Notes) and now
in 2019, the 10th M.U. studio album, Dead Air stays the course
with another strong collection of mesmerizing, instrumental electronica
that maintains its influences by electronic music pioneers such as
Brian Eno and his ambient cohort Harold Budd. Speaking about the ambiguous
sounding album title for Dead Air, M.U. cofounder Richard
Talbot explains that It not only has the radio connotation
but it also hints at some kind of ominous, environmental issue. That
phrase has a certain atmosphere to it that was very attractive to
us. Putting irony aside, Dead Air certainly carries
the impeccable Marconi Union reputation for superbly crafted electronic
forward into 2020 with much aplomb and zeal. www.justmusic.co.uk
LAKEFRONT
PRODUCTIONS - Renowned for his impeccable instrumental albums,
composer and multi-instrumentalist Paul Adams reunited with
music collaborator Elizabeth Geyer for the 2019 CD release
of Deeper Imaginings. On the long-awaited follow-up
to the duos 2015 album Imaginings, these two gifted musicians
pick up from their last album left off. Although considered under
the instrumental New Age banner, on the eleven track Deeper Imaginings,
Paul and Elizabeth have crafted a modern day music classic that also
brings in elements of World Music, Americana, Native American music
along with elements of free jazz and even experimental progressive
rock. Commenting on the variety of sounds on what is ostensibly being
called a New Age album, Paul says, I wanted the instrumentation
to be what one is not used to hearing together. For example dobro,
Native American flute, electric sitar, Bansuri flute... This integration
included a number of the instruments that were made by myself when
I was a luthier, including guitar, electric sitar and dulcimer. Their
unique timbre helped to allow the work to gel on its own coloration.
As mentioned, Pauls talented collaborator here, Elizabeth Geyer
is a most creative jazz musician from Australia. Bringing her skills
on piano, vocals and flugelhorn to the sound of Deeper Imaginings,
Ms. Geyer is a perfect collaborator to expand upon Pauls
wide-ranging sonic approach. Pauls most recent release, 2019s
Deeper Imaginings is being compared to albums by Peter Gabriel,
Paul Winter and Ravi Shankar.
There is a definite ethereal and meditative nature to the Deeper
Imaginings album and theres also a wide range of gifted
musicians to aid Paul and Elizabeth, including a surprising contribution
on a pair of tracks, from fabled U.K. native / now U.S. based, founding
Gentle Giant guitarist Gary Green along with Alp Akmaz
on Balabon (Duduk), Indias Pravin Godkhindi (Bansuri
flute) and David Hoffman, a former trumpet soloist for
Ray Charles. After playing the album a good number of times,
one thing that stands out is the organic feel of the overall sound
on Deeper Imaginings. Some musicologists have spoken about
the albums approach of Eastern music meeting Western music and
there is a lot of truth about that. The mix of Pauls electric
sitar, guitars, occasional spoken word poetry and Native American
flutes with Ms. Geyers deeply resonant flugelhorn and elegant
piano sounds, colored by her background in both jazz and ethnomusicology,
gives this captivating album an ambitious and cool sounding groove.
Even though the album sound is very much steeped in the traditions
of Native American music and meditative New Age as well late-night
beat-jazz music, Deeper Imaginings is very much an album made
in the Global Groove spirit of 21st century instrumental music. www.pauladams.org
/ www.elizabethgeyer.com
MASCOT
LABEL GROUP - Any time master guitarist Jan Akkerman releases
a new album is a cause for celebration. The guitarist who jump-started
the guitar-centric European progressive fusion scene back in the early
1970s, Jan is in fine form on his 2019 albumhis first on the
Mascot label. The 12-track, 65 minute Close Beauty was
inspired by Jan winning the 2018 European guitar award and the album
came together quickly after that. Close Beauty took over a
year to complete and created with much musical finesse, its
filled with just about every style of progressive guitar instrumental
music imaginable. Some progressive music purists may complain that
its too jazz and some jazz purists may say its too progressive
yet after listening, its safe to say Close Beauty strikes
a fine balance between both jazz and progressive rock. In choosing
this original sounding name for the title Jan explains Close
Beauty is inspired from a simple notion, that when you are too close
to an object you cannot see the real value. Backing Jans
music and electric and acoustic guitar work are Marijn van den
Berg (drums), David De Marez Oyens (E-Bass and C-Bass)
and album producer Coen Molenaar (keys). Complete with a stunning
album cover painted by Michael Cheval, Close Beauty is
a fascinating spin start to finish. www.mascotlabelgroup.com
MULTIPHASE
RECORDS This has been a very good decade for San Francisco
Bay-area guitarist / composer Carl Weingarten. Lucky for music
fans that in 2018, Carl released This Is Where I Found You,
an album that some are calling his best yet. For those music fans
in the know, Carls music output dates back to the 1980s with
his guitar work in the band Delay Tactics and mwe3.com reviewed his
solo album Blue Faith in the November 2000 instrumental section.
In their archives, mwe3.com has a number of other albums of Carls
that were released in the first decade of the 21st century. In this
soon to be over decade Carl released some excellent albums including
Panomorphia (2012), Life Under Stars (2014), and An
Endless Premonition (2016). As cool as those albums are, perhaps
This Is Where I Found You is a most worthy follow up. Very
easy on the ears without a hint of avant-garde or rock energy, the
all-instrumental album features a sublime mix of heavenly instrumental
music that blends New Age and electronica held together by Carls
searing electric guitar work. A number of find players join Carl in
the studio, including Kit Walker (piano), Pat Duffey (acoustic
guitars), Ulrich Schnauss (keys, synths), Michael Manring
(bass), Celso Alberti (drums), Jeff Oster (trumpet),
Peter Calandra (keys, synths) and other players, including
wordless vocals on the lead-off track Sing Like Water,
by Tate Bissinger. For his part Carl, in addition to composing
and producing This Is Where I Found You, performs a wide range
of guitar sounds including acoustic and electric gitars, ebow, slide
guitar, electric slide guitar, dobro and traveler guitar. Recorded
between 2011 and 2018 at Multiphase Studios in Alameda California,
This Is Where I Found You is quite rightly Carl Weingartens
finest moment as a solo recording artist. www.carlweingarten.com
OA2
RECORDS Heres an odd candidate from the usually sonorous
Origin label, albeit on their OA2 offshoot. The 2019 CD release of
Phantasmagoria is an unusual sounding album recorded
in Arizona by Bob Ravenscroft & Inner Journeys. Essentially
Bob on piano and synth, assisted by the rhythm section of Dwight
Kilian (bass) and Rob Moore (drums, synths), the
62 minute CD features 21 fairly short tracks that veer from free-jazz,
accented on the acoustic piano, to Bobs free-from synthesizer
extrapolations that are sometimes quite intriguing sounding. Bobs
press page suggests a kind of freeform acoustic jazz meets ethereal
electronica and its not a bad description even though the segues
between tracks are sometimes jarring. Rob Moores jazzy drumming
is fine, even if it sounds slightly out of place on some tracks. Even
so, the atmospheres and compositions / improvs are mostly entertaining
and plus, with that kind of diversity on one album, both jazzers and
progwatchers will be captures by Bob Ravenscroft and Phantasmagoria.
www.originarts.com
OA2
RECORDS Origin Records offshoot label OA2 released coming
home from vibist / bandleader / composer Lolly Allen. A NY
native living in L.A. covers the classics and adds in some of her
own on her 2019 album Coming Home. Not the most
original album title ever, the music is a total gas. Recorded in L.A.
in 2016, the ten tracks CD finally sees a release on OA2, establishing
Ms. Allen as a formidable band leader and composer. Horace Silver,
Johnny Mandel, Luiz Bonfá, AC Jobim and Dizzy Gillespie all
receive the covers treatment while, a pair of Allen originals also
shine here. The band assembled to record the album is first rate with
Paul Kreibich (drums), Larry Koonse (guitar), a pair
of pianists and a full horn section is also featured here. Straight
ahead instrumental jazz with a fondness for the classics, Coming
Home is a most welcome album filled with positive, timeless vibes
(literally and figuratively!) www.LollyVibe.com
ORIGIN
ARTS Best known for his guitar books and tutorials on Mel-Bay,
guitarist Corey Christiansen returns in 2019 with a new CD
on Washington state Origin Arts. Although he still sounds quite inspired
by his home turf in Utah and the wide open spaces of the great Pacific
West, on Coreys 2019 CD, La Proxima his sound
is also influenced by music from Africa and Cuba. That splashy, Afro-Cuban
groove makes for some inspired listening on the seven track, 48 minute
CD and supporting Corey on La Proxima are some top flight musicians
including Dave Belove (bass), Michael Spiro (percussion)
and Colin Douglas (drums and percussion). The percussion sounds
on the album gives it that exotic, indigenous Afro-Cuban coloration,
while Coreys electric guitar, and occasional acoustic guitar
work tracks the music into some friendly, familiar fusion terrain.
Recorded in Provo, Utah in 2019, La Proxima is a solid, jazz-friendly
effort by the versatile guitar sound of Corey Christiansen. www.originarts.com
ORIGIN
ARTS No sooner had Dan McCarthy released his early 2019
release Epoch, then he returned again in late 2019 with a follow
up album on Origin called City Abstract. Where Epoch, recorded
in NYC, was kind of a star studded affair, complete with appearances
of guitarist Ben Monder and bass legend Steve Swallow, the May 2019
recording of City Abstract finds Dan back in his home turf
of Toronto Canada recording with his own band. Backing Dans
excellent vibraphones and tracks on City Abstract is the rhythm
section of Pat Collins (bass) and Ted Warren (drums). Even with such
a strong rhythm section, the main attraction for fusion fans is the
sizzling electric guitar work of Ted Quinlan, who sounds very inspired
by Pat Metheny, offering some excellent leads and improvs of his own.
Three covers here penned by Pat Metheny, Keith Jarrett and Carla Bley
sheds light on Dans musical intent. Also telling is the liner
notes with dedications to Carla Bley and of course Dans main
influence, vibraphone master Gary Burton. Fans of Burton and Bley
should not miss City Abstract by vibes maestro Dan McCarthy.
www.vibraphonedan.com
REVERBARAMA
ULTRA RECORDS Fans of classic instrumental surf-rock will
want to give a listen to the 10-track, 25 minute CD release of By
Way Of Rosarito, the 2019 album release by Maine-based
Los Pengüinos. Maine you say? Well, by way of Southern
California! Even though there are some penguins on the cover of the
album, this album really heats things up, and the bikini-clad gal
standing next to the surfboard underscores the beach theme of this
music. With the band adopting stage names like Diego Fedora (guitars),
Eddie El Minon (drums) and Raul Julio Franco (bass),
the accent is on the bands all original fare, which cites influences
like Dick Dale, The Ventures, Hank Marvin, Link Wray, and Los Straitjackets.
Some tracks feature a Latin music connection ala Herb Alpert, another
self-proclaimed Los Pengüinos influence although minus
the trumpets! The sound is as trebly as possible and the band all
but cracks a whip as the sound of surf barrels out of your speakers.
With one killer track after the next, By Way Of Rosarito is
a superb introduction to the hard-hitting surf-rock sound of Los Pengüinos.
www.LosPinguinos.us
RHOMBUS
RECORDS Texas-based guitarist Bernie Mora blasts
out of the blues for his 2019 album on the California-based Rhombus
label. Credited to Bernie Mora & Tangent, the nine cut
No Agenda is just that an album that moves from
jazz to jazz-rock fusion with taste and finesse. Assistnig Bernies
well-recorded elecgric guitars are a range of players including Charles
Godfrey (drums, percussion), Daniel Becker (bass, 12-string
acoustic guitar), Doug Webb (sax, flute), Corey Allen (keys)
and Lee Thornberg (trumpet, trombone). A full-bodied, all-instrumental
set, No Agenda is instrumental jazz-rock fusion at its finest.
Fans of Blood, Sweat & Tears, Santana and Hendrix will dig this
diverse album. The album is dedicated to Bernies drummer Doc
Anthony, whose drums were used in the recording. Theres
way too many highlights to single anything out but No Agenda moves
with ease through a range of jazzy, rocky, fusion and even Latin music
styles to please just about everyone. www.rhombus-records.com
RHYTHMUS
RECORDS Renowned as a session musician, in 2019 guitarist
/ composer Ray Obeido released Carousel, his
9th solo album and third on his self-owned Rhythmus Records. The nine
cut Carousel features an upbeat mix of Latin / Brazilian music
grooves featuring some of the finest jazz musicians in the Northern
California area. With its added mix of funk and R&B grooves theres
something here for all jazz fans. For Carousel, Rays
acoustic / electric guitars, keys and occasional vocals are backed
up by music greats including jazz icon Toots Thielemans (harmonica),
Bob Mintzer (sax) and Andy Narell (steel pan drums)
along with a number of drummers and percussionists, including Peter
Michael Escovedo and Tower Of Power drummer David Garibaldi,
that gives the album sound a very rhythmic feel. If the winter time
blues get you down, give a good listen to the positive, uplifting
vibes of Carousel by groove master guitarist Ray Obiedo. www.rayobiedo.com
RICHHEART
MUSIC - When hes not doing his thing as a New Age recording
artist, multitalented Richard Shulman can be seen and heard
making jazzy, instrumental sounds with his band, The Richard Shulman
Trio. Richards seventh jazz album, entitled Waltzing
Out Of Town was released in 2019 on his Richheart Music label.
Backing up Richards deft acoustic piano music are Zack Page
(bass) and Rick Dilling (drums). With its inherent peaceful
sounds, theres a very upbeat vibe about Waltzing Out Of Town
and parts of the album sound a bit like McCoy Tyner or even Vince
Guaraldis cinematic piano instrumentals, although much of Waltzing
Out Of Town is quite original sounding in its approach. The cover
art and overall animated packaging is very colorful and enhances the
overall listening experience. Richards track-by-track liner
notes offers further insights into his musical background and he cites
major influences like Ahmad Jamal and Chick Corea. As Richard also
says in the notes, he wants his music to bring the listener much joy
and peace. With Richard Shulmans elegant acoustic piano trio
album Waltzing Out Of Town hes clearly done just that.
www.RichHeartMusic.com
RIVERSIDE
RECORDS Guitar fans wondering about the current whereabouts
of guitarist / composer Kurt Fröberg, leader of Swedens
great surf rock band The Ryders, might want to check out the 2019
CD release of The Guitar Sounds Of
by The Lenny
Clerwall Band. For those that might not be aware of the Swedish
guitar instrumental scene from the past 40 years, Lennart Clerwall
is a true legend of that musical genre. A gifted guitarist in
his own right, on this CD Lenny handles the electric bass and leaves
the lead guitar work to Kurt. Lenny first came to my attention as
a chief composer on the 1981 Lp release by the Swedish band 1961.
Both Lenny and Kurt are hardly newcomers to the music scene, with
Lenny born in 1944 and Kurt in 1951 respectively. Joining forces on
the 2019 The Guitars Sounds Of The Lenny Clerwall Band, these
fine guitar-centric composers dont disappoint. Very much in
the spirit of Englands great hit makers, The Shadows, the 20
track CD features a stellar mix of Clerwall originals, along with
covers of early 1960s Shadows favorites as well as tracks penned in
the 1960s by giants like Michael Carr, Jerry Lordan, Lee Hazelwood,
Norrie Paramor and others that are each played with much finesse and
sonic devotion. To top it off, the sound quality is as good as any
of the underrated, latter period CDs released by The Shadows during
the late 1980s while the album cover is very Shadows / Ryders inspired.
As the detailed liner notes indicate, on this album Lenny and Kurt
are joined by Steve Longden (rhythm guitars) and Dave Eyre
(drums). Guitar instrumental fans seeking state of the art guitar
instrumental albums made in the 21st century must give a good few
listens to The Guitar Sounds Of
by The Lenny Clerwall
Band. www.riverside-records.se
SHARAWAJI
RECORDS A must hear for 21st century surf-rock fans of
all ages, The Baleful Sounds Of: Black Valley Moon Vol. 1 is
a fine instroducction to a lesser known yet rising instrumental trio
from the Treasure Coast of Florida. Theres a definite Ventures,
Link Wray, Shadows, Dick Dale and Davie Allan element in play yet
theres also some very unique instro guitar sounds, and besides
the music on this CD is all-original. Featuring the electric guitars,
music and engineering of Sam Williams, The Baleful Sounds
Of CD is highlighted by appearances from a range of players including
John DiMambro (bass) Jason Parrish (acoustic guitar),
Hunter Oswald (drums) and more. What the band lacks in originality
is made up by their diverse approach to instrumental guitar music.
Clocking at just over 28 minutes, the 12-track album from Black Valley
Moon is an exciting fresh take on state of the art rock instrumentals.
www.facebook.com/blackvalleymoon
SPOTTED
PECCARY Since the mid 1990s Spotted Peccary has had
impeccable taste in electronic music. Why stop a good thing? Thats
what I thought after hearing two recent SP titles released in 2019,
20+ years after the labels early releases. Rudy Adrian released
Woodlands, his latest on SP in mid 2019. The
music on the 13-track, 67 minute Woodlands was inspired
by the natural wonders of the great outdoors in Rudys native
New Zealand, and theres plenty of excellent sounding synth sounds
and various electronic instrumental music to make it of interest for
fans of the genre. Very peaceful and pastoral and not at all harsh
or percussive, the sound of Woodlands varies between pure electronica
and pastoral New Age instrumental. Classical music for electronic
fans? You decide. Occasional flute appears and clearly created for
electronic music fans, Woodlands is a most reflective and totally
serene album by New Zealand-based synth music maven Rudy Adrian. Also
out in 2019 by Spotted Peccary is 21 Pulse Eclipse from
Bart Hawkins. More synth-based than the Rudy Adrian album,
Barts 8-track, 73 minute album sounds more inspired by the Berlin
School of Tangerine Dream and other German synth pioneers. Created
on August 21st, 2017, during the full solar eclipse in the state of
Oregon, the album is best described as a deep dive into the
world of modular synthesis and pure electronic sound-shaping.
The sonic view may be slightly harsh in scope yet, but 21 Pulse
Eclipse is clearly a masterful sounding album of modular synthesizer
magic. Hard to believe there are no traditional keyboards on the album
but even a cursory glance at the bizarre looking modular synth in
the CD booklet will convince you of the totally unique nature of Bart
Hawkins and his way-out synth music. www.spottedpeccary.com
TONE
CENTER Continuing his explorations of the electric guitar
within the framework of Latin music, jazz guitar ace Steve Khan
released Patchwork in 2019 on the Tone Center label.
Steves recent albums including Backlog (2016), have earned
him the title the voice of the guitar in Latin jazz. With
only one Khan original on the 9-track, 77 minute CD, the bulk of Patchwork
centers on Khan covers of classics penned by music legends including
Thelonious Monk, Ornette Coleman, Keith Jarrett and more with, all
the tracks imbued with a jazzy Latin accent. Speaking about the title
and album art for Patchwork, Steve tells mwe3.com, "Firstly,
Medio Mezclado actually refers to the process of the Michel Granger
artwork for the cover. I think of this series of paintings as a "mixed
medium" process - whereby he has blended actual plants and foliage
with painting techniques and, of course, his ever-present earth/globe
- as all of his work is dedicated to "saving the planet"!
However, there are those who speak Spanish who feel that you could
interpret the subtitle in other ways - which is true - but, I am telling
how I viewed it. It really isn't supposed to be a literal translation
of "patchwork" which would have led me in a different direction.
But titles like: collage, amalgam, mélange, or others are all
so overused. I discovered Michel Granger's early body of work around
the same time that I was discovering Jean-Michel Folon's work - going
back to the mid-1970s. I have always loved the colorful nature of
their artwork - beginning with their airbrush technique which, for
both has developed and evolved. They each are very globally conscious
artists with a great desire for world peace, understanding, and saving
this glorious planet of ours ...which pretty much describes what each
tune that I chose to interpret means to me. Like all the tunes that
I have been interpreting over all of these years, they all pretty
much come from the mid-'60s, generally speaking - which falls right
around my college years @ UCLA and a great period of discovery for
me. I wouldn't play any of them unless I had a deep feeling for them.
Much of the Latin influence can be felt thanks to the percussion of
Marc Quiñones and Bobby Allende, who add in some
exotic sounding sounds on conga, bongo, timbale and assorted percussion.
The band Steve uses on Patchwork is top rate too, including
Rubén Rodriguez (baby bass and electric bass), Dennis
Chambers (drums) and Rob Mounsey (keyboards), who brings
in orchestrations. Horn sounds from Randy Brecker and Bob
Mintzer appear on a couple tracks as does the keyboards / arranging
of Jorge Estrada. Liner notes by Rafael Vega Curry offers
a glimpse into Steve Khans musical concepts. A very cool album
filled with Afro-bolera and cha-cha rhythms, Patchwork is a
globe-spanning album of instrumental guitar tracks seasoned with the
World Groove sound of Latin musical vibes. www.stevekhan.com
TUCKER BROTHERS MUSIC Two Parts is the
third album by the Indiana-based group The Tucker Brothers,
featuring the instrumental jazz-based music of Nick Tucker (bass)
and Joel Tucker (guitar). Released in 2019, the nine track
Two Parts album also features Sean Imboden (sax) and
Brian Yarde (drums) as well as a host of guest artists. The
album starts of quite sublimely with an Erik Satie inspired instrumental
featuring the entrancing wordless vocals of Elena Escudero,
yet it quickly settles into a solid, all instrumental jazz-fusion
mode. The music of The Tucker Brother is described as being rawly
emotive, deeply expressive and curious and true to form, the music
on Two Parts presents a dynamic counter balance of compositional
and improvisational sounds. Produced by The Tucker Brothers and Jake
Belser, Two Parts is just the ticket to bring their music
to the eyes and ears of jazz music fans worldwide. www.joeltuckermusic.com
/ www.nicktuckerbass.com
KIT
WATKINS MUSIC The music business has changed so dramatically
over the past 40 years that it staggers the imagination. Following
his tenure as a key member of the 1970s progressive rock band Happy
The Man, keyboardist / composer Kit Watkins went on to release
a number of critically acclaimed solo albums since the early 1980s.
Despite a number of his albums being released by now defunct labels
such as East Side Digital, One Way Records and even his own Linden
Records, Kit Watkins has soldiered on and lo and behold, Kit returned
once again, in 2019, for the CD release of Field Of View.
With Kit handling all the keyboards, vocals and percussion, Field
Of View also features Forrest Young (drums, percussion),
Bill Smith (percussion) and Greg Moreau (ebow guitar).
As usual, Field Of View is yet another sonic masterpiece by
Kit Watkinsan album that can proudly take its place alongside
past albums such as his all-time classic from 1985 - In Time. With
all tracks composed by Kitexcept the leadoff track Spirit
Of The Water, composed by the late great Peter BardensField
Of View is a most satisfying album of spacey, mostly instrumental
tracks, bound to please progressive rock fans no end. www.KitWatkins.com
WEISHU
MUSIC Based in New Mexico, the band called Mystic Journey
released a very cool New Age instrumental album back in 2017 called
Kingdom Of Mountains. In 2019, the two key members Suzanne
Teng and Gilbert Levy released an album called Autumn
Monsoon. Very much steeped in the New Age meditation
music sound of Mystic Journey, the ten-track, 48 minute Autumn
Monsoon is the perfect backdrop for Suzannes Native American
flutes and Gilberts percussion, synths and guitars. The sound
is very acoustic in nature and joining the duo on Autumn Monsoon
are their cohorts in Mystic Journey, Joe Ossman (diruba)
and Dean Torres (guitars). The album cover art is brilliant,
capturing the swirling essence of the mystical sounds featured throughout
the album. Autumn Monsoon is clearly one of the top instrumental
New Age and meditation music albums of 2019. www.mysticjourney.net
REISSUES
& RETROSPECTIVES
CHRYSALIS
RECORDS / RHINO To my utter astonishment at that time,
in his liner notes for the 2016 Steven Wilson remix box set
for the second Jethro Tull album Stand Up, Ian Anderson
claimed he was putting down John Lennon in the song "Living
In The Past", a Tull single, although totally different from
anything on Stand Up, from 1969 and bonus track on the same
Stand Up box set, because Lennon (as Ian then saw it per this
specific "Revolution" track) was a super-rich rock star
that shouldn't be involved in the politics that Lennon was becoming
more and more part of. To his detriment, in those same Stand Up
liner notes, Ian also needlessly insulted Yoko Ono. One can understand
Ian's frustration (back then) with Lennon's intense mix of rock and
politics during the Vietnam war era or at least on that one special
Beatles track. I could almost imagine Ian's expression upon his then
hearing Lennon tracks like "Woman Is The Nigger Of The World"
and "Mind Games"! Somehow, after worshipping Lennon as a
young musician in the mid '60s, Ian I suppose was somehow hurt by
Lennon's abdication of The Beatles where upon starting his politically
motivated anti-war leanings. Maybe
he felt, Lennon should have been more careful about the people that
would eventually dispose of him, and on that one Ian would be 100%
right but that's another story... It's all true, believe it or note,
as I pointed out in my review of the 2017 Steven Wilson remix / box
set for Songs
From The Wood, the truth be told, at that revolutionary time
in music history, many of Tull's fans between 18 and 35 were all bitter
from the drastic loss of life and also scared of getting drafted,
as I was when I received my draft notice in early 1972. I dealt with
"it" when I walked like a man, into the draft board office
where I was interviewed by the military officers there, and where
I was photographed and given my "draft card". Following
the Steven Wilson 2018 remix box set of Heavy Horses, all is
forgiven and ostensibly clear again on the Tull front thanks to a
brilliant Steven Wilson remix box set for Tull's final album of the
1970s, from November 1979, Stormwatch. After their tenure
as the leading arena rock innovators between 1970 and 1979, Tull were
still so far ahead of the pack that it would actually and quite ironically
take the assassination of John Lennon in the months that unfolded
at the end of 1980 to drag down the entire corporate rock structure,
which would to my utter astonishment only be propped up again owing
to the German / Japanese invention / invasion of the compact disc
in 1983 and to a much larger degree, the year of the savage roar,
1984: the year I bought my first CD (Ziggy Stardust). Like
the rest of the world, at the time of Stormwatch I distinctly
remember most that the U.S. was going through an insane energy crisis,
mostly due to the infamous Iranian revolution of 1979. Gas lines 50
cars back, price gouging for gas and fear of not being able to drive
(anyone remember odd / even license plates in NYC?) My Dad, God bless
him, because he drove so much, had decided to shift to using "diesel",
the fumes of which eventually poisoned me. This tragic energy crises
between the US and Iran drove the country far to the right as witnessed
by the rise of the Reagan / Bush era, which in fact would last twelve
long years. So, it's no wonder, Stormwatch started with the
politically supercharged track North Sea Oil which was
Ian's desperate plea (then) for oil from the North Sea to alleviate
Englands energy crises. There's no more bitching and moaning
here and to Ian's credit, he's really in a good mood as he rambles
through his meticulously detailed recollections in the massive booklet
of Rhinos 2019 box set Stormwatch - The 40th Anniversary:
Force 10 Edition, which includes the original album remixed
by... you know who! To his credit, in addition to remixing the original
Stormwatch for CD, Steven Wilson has collected a wide range
of unreleased / underrated music from that 1978-79 period of Tull
and is remixed and represented here in incredible CD sound. Even so,
song lyrics, a full double CD of a live show from March 16th, 1980
in Holland and two DVDs are also encased with a wide array of features
for the DVD audio crowd. Way too many brilliant moments to mention
in a mere review - even a Steven Wilson remix / box set review - but
check out the ten-minute version of the albums stand-up track
"Orion" on the associated recordings disc. Even Tull fans
who overlooked Stormwatch 40 years ago will be bowled over
by the Stormwatch: Force 10 Edition remix box. www.rhino.com
MULTIPHASE
RECORDS - In 2018, guitarist / composer Carl Weingarten released
This Is Where I found You, possibly his greatest studio album.
Around the same time, Carl went back into his musical vault and came
up with a double CD reissue featuring two previously released albumsEscapesilence
(2002) and Local Journeys (2005). In light of
the success of This Is Where I Found You, its clear these
two albums dont sound dated a bit and, despite being out of
print for a while, they each provide a welcome replay. Described by
mwe3.com in 2002 as being a soundtrack for your own private
movie, the 13-track Escapesilence features a number of
talented backing musicians, including Michael Manring (bass),
Alex DeGrassi (acoustic guitar), Robert Powell (pedal
steel guitar) and Brian Knave (drums / engineer). This double
CD set also features a second CD including Carls 2005 album
Local Journeys, which again includes Carls tried and
trust rhythm section of Manring and Knave along with a string of backing
musicians, including three cellists. Although Carls 2004 compilation,
called Hand In The Sand A Collection 1990-2004 captured
a number of classic moments from his early solo albums, theres
so many stellar moments on this double CD package to warrant full
investigation of Escapesilence and Local Journeys. www.multiphaserecords.com
SUMMERFOLD
RECORDS Fifty years ago in 1969, Bill Bruford became
the founding drummer of the prog-rock band YES and the world has never
stopped thanking him for it. Hard to believe he left YES in 1972 to
join King Crimson and Alan White has remained the YES timekeeper ever
since. Despite his short but influential tenure as a founding member
of YES, Bill has constantly sort out ways to exert his unparalleled
influence in the music world. Clearly the jazz influence in YES was
thanks to him and following the heady early 1970s period, Bill went
on to make his mark as a solo artist, later founding his acclaimed
jazz band Bill Brufords Earthworks back in 1986. The
band had a long and winding career, complete with a string of successful
studio albums and live concert recordings, although it ended around
2006. Long story short, condensing the bands 20+ year history,
in 2019 Bills label Summerfold released a 20 CD / 4 DVD box
set called Earthworks Complete. Bruford and jazz music fans
looking for a more distilled perspective of Bills box set should
check out Heavenly Bodies The Expanded Collection.
The expanded version of a single CD Earthworks collection from
2000, this 2019 version Heavenly Bodies features 2+ hours of
finely wrought instrumental jazz, on two CDs, that owes more to acoustic
jazz legends like John Coltrane, Art Blakey and Dave Brubeck than
it does to YES or King Crimson. In his informative 2019 liner notes,
Bill sheds light on why he left the rock world to go back into the
freethinking world of improvisational acoustic jazz. A number of musicians
back up Bill throughout the Heavenly Bodies collection. Featuring
the early Earthworks era with Bill and band in the studio, co-produced
by Dave Stewart and David Torn, through till live Earthworks
recordings from the early 2000s, the sound was always crystal
clear and well-produced. Many musicians participated in the Earthworks
band and theyre all noted in the detailed CD booklet. Packed
with detailed information and excellent CD booklet art, Heavenly
Bodies is a great way to sample and hold the highlights of Bill
Brufords Earthworks. www.billbruford.com
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