HUMBLE GRUMBLE - FLANDERS FIELDS

• humble grumble: flanders fields
  (2011, cd, it, altorck records)

Last week, Humble Grumble did a couple of performances in Belgium and Holland. I went to see them in Sint-Niklaas, and it was a blast.
The band has been performing and recording for almost fifteen years and although the band resides in Ghent (which only is a one-hour drive from where I live), I had never seen them in concert before. I guess they just don't do that many concerts, or maybe the announcements never made it to the United Mutations Headquarters.

At the Sint-Niklaas concert, the band mostly played songs from their latest album, "Flanders Fields". The concert was great, and so is the album.
Humble Grumble has the ability to mix different musical styles and genres. Some might say that this makes them sound zappa-esque. Others, however, might add that they just make excellent music.

Excellent stuff. And fun.

http://www.humblegrumble.com/

The band will be performing at the next edition of the Zappanale festival.
I know where I'll be...

ARF - ARF AND THE BLACK BRAINBOW MACHINE

• arf: arf and the black barinbow machine
  (2012, cd, switzerland, private release arf-004)

Arf is an experimental rock trio from Switzerland. The band consists of Yanik Soland (bass), Flavio Gallacchi (drums) and Stefan Strittmatter (guitar).

Stefan Strittmatter's name should ring the proverbial bell as he's also the guitar player in FidoPlaysZappa, a band that already has released some fine albums and that made quite an impression at last year's Zappanale festival.
The Arf trio has also performed at Zappanale. July 2004. Still one of the best concerts that I saw in my Zappanale career.

And now there's "Arf And The Black Brainbow Machine". It's album number four and I'm happy to tell you that Arf is still kicking ass.
The music of Arf combines dense drumming, some terrific guitar playing, an unbelievable bass and some great vocals. I'm a fan.
Just take a look at the below videos and you can see / hear what I mean.

"Arf And The Black Brainbow Machine" is an impressive album. Love the artwork and the service manual. Great.

Recommended listening!!

http://www.arftone.com/

WRITERS IN CONCERT IN AMSTERDAM 2012 03 14

March 14, 2012, Elvis Peeters, Josse De Pauw and Tonnus Oosterhoof will be reciting from their literary works.
Corrie van Binsbergen will take care of the music.

Corrie van Binsbergen gitaar, Tineke de Jong viool, Baptist Kurvers altviool, Saartje van Camp cello, Jan Willem van der Ham fagot/altsax, Jasper Blom tenorsax/klarinet, Joost Buis trombone, Albert van Veenendaal (geprepareerde) piano, Hein Offermans bas, Alan Purves percussie

http://bimhuis.nl/concerten/schrijvers-in-concert-met-josse-de-pauw-en-elvis-peeters

DE BROKKENFABRIEK PLAYS ZAPPA

Last Sunday, Yudjin and I drove to Amsterdam to catch De Brokkenfabriek for a Sunday afternoon concert.

Stichting Brokken organises workshops. Each workshop ends with a concert. The band that plays these concerts after each workshop, is called De Brokkenfabriek.
So there's always different musicians.
Last February (or This February, if you prefer), the workshop was around the music of Frank Zappa. It all happened under the supervision of Joost Dieho.

Quite interesting. And worth crossing the border.

YP was there also, so there's a couple of audience recordings to be found on Zappateers. And PB was there as well, and he brought his camera...

Son Of Mr. Green Genes
Blessed relief
I'm The Slime
King Kong
Watermelon In Easter Hay
Zappa Medley (Let's Make The Water Turn Black / Harry, You're A Beast / Son Of Orange County)

THE GRANDE MOTHERS TO TOUR THE U.S.

featuring
NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK
TOM FOWLER
CHRISTOPHER GARCIA
ROBBIE SEAHAG MANGANO
DON PRESTON

2012/04/24 concert 'Stubbs', Austin TX
2012/04/26 concert 'Tipitinas @ at French Qrtr', New Orleans LA
2012/04/27 concert 'Smith's', Atlanta GA
2012/04/28 concert 'Cat's Cradle', Carrboro NC
2012/04/30 concert 'Ramshead', Annapolis MD
2012/05/01 concert 'Hamilton', Wash DC
2012/05/02 concert 'Infinity Hall', Norfolk CT
2012/05/03 concert 'Iridium ', New York NY (2 shows)
2012/05/04 concert 'Iridium ', New York NY (2 shows)
2012/05/05 concert 'World Café Live', Wilmington DE
2012/05/06 concert 'Rex Th.', Pittsburgh PA
2012/05/08 concert 'Beachland Ballroom', Cleveland OH
2012/05/09 concert 'Magic Bag', Detroit MI
2012/05/10 concert 'Martyrs', Chicago IL
2012/05/11 concert 'Cedar Cultural Ctr.', Minneapolis MN
2012/05/12 concert 'Bourbon Th.', Lincoln NE
2012/05/13 concert '', Denver CO or Boulder CO
2012/05/15 concert 'State Room', Salt Lake City UT

BONGO FURY (THE BAND) LIVE IN LARVIK 2012 02 11

Another excellent video by Luuk.
And a fine 'King Kong' by Bengo Fury.

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH - ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA

DWALMACAT 460

Go to
http://www.fmbrussel.be/programmas/dwalmacat.aspx
and click on “Luister” to enjoy

• KLAUS NOMI – I feel love


• MONEY MARK – Information contraband


• KING OF WOOLWORTHS – Colcannon


• DOOD WIMBISH – Life in the arena


• LOOP LIZARD – Walkman


• TOMAHAWK – Rape this day


• FRONT 242 – Funkhadafi


• DJ ME DJ YOU – New you


• SWEET ROBOTS AGAINST THE MACHINE – Hello baby


• PIZZICATO FIVE – Go go dancer


• MARK EITZEL – Move on up


• THE KNIFE – Tomorrow in a year


• BIOSPHERE – Mir

THE MIKE KENEALLY CONCERT CALENDAR

Thursday, March 1, 2012
Mike Keneally plays keyboards with Chickenfoot
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
NBC TV
11:34 p.m. Eastern & Pacific
10:34 p.m. Central & Mountain

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Friday, March 2, 2012
Mike Keneally guests on a few songs with his pals The Aristocrats
Bryan Beller, Guthrie Govan, Marco Minnemann
Brick By Brick
1130 Buenos Avenue
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 275-5483
Showtime: 8:00 PM
Tickets $20

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Sunday, March 4, 2012
Wes Fest 7, featuring
The Aristocrats (Bryan Beller, Guthrie Govan, Marco Minnemann)
The Casualties of Jazz
Danny Mo and the Exciters
and The WesFest All-Stars (featuring music by Mike Keneally, Jackie Daum, Joe Brooks and Colin Keenan)
The Roxy
9009 West Sunset Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Tickets:
$35 per pair in advance (until 3/3/12)
$20 per individual ticket in advance
$30 per ticket at the door

TETZEPI - SEED

• tetzepi: seed
  (2009, cd, nl, trytone tt559-043)

I once described the music of this big band / free jazz collective as "funky, modern, yet angular jazz" which was just another way of saying that I really liked it.

Founded by Esmée Olthuis and Hans Leeuw, Tetzepi has been around for about ten years, and "Seed" is the band's fourth album. It got released in 2009.
At Tetzepi's request, John Korsrud composed a number of so-called seeds, small musical cells. Other composers took these seeds as a starting point for their compositions. The result, this final album, sounds great: beautiful compositions and excellent solos.
Compositions by Fabrizio Puglisi, Hans Leeuw, Esmée Olthuis, Corrie van Binsbergen, Marco C. de Bruin, Natalio Sued and Jorrit Dijkstra.