KAPLAN - EVANS - GREENBERGER - QUANTUM FIDGETS

From the David Greenberger (Men & Volts) vault:

Improvised music by Phil Kaplan, Michael Evans and David Greenberger.

HAPPY THE MAN

From the Bandcamp page:

Progressive rock pioneers Happy the Man have been recording and developing Fourth of July: An American Suite, a large-scale musical work composed by Ron Riddle — originally created in the 2000s during Riddle’s years scoring television for Discovery Channel and TLC. 

The music traces its origins to the landmark Houston fireworks spectacular featured in the television series Detonators, where Riddle served as composer for the series. At the time, the Houston event was widely recognized as one of the largest fireworks productions in America, combining massive pyrotechnic displays with live-event drama on an enormous scale.

Written to accompany both the spectacle and the emotional tension behind the production itself, the music moved fluidly between progressive rock, orchestral passages, cinematic Americana, and rhythmically driven soundtrack composition.

Quite theatrical and a bit too much patriotism for my taste, especially if you compare the YouTube movie with the current situation in the USA...
Anyway, here it is:

Also out on Bandcamp.

WIM T. SCHIPPERS SPECIAL ON DWALMACAT

 Dwalmacat dedicated episode 962 to Dutch artist Wim T. Schippers (1942-2026)

CLOUS VAN MECHELEN & WIM T. SCHIPPERS - Eufonie royal
JACQUES PLAFOND & HIS PLAFONNIÈRES - Life is so surprising
JACQUES PLAFOND & HIS PLAFONNIÈRES - Hark ouverture
HENK PAL - De gekgeworden bever
JACQUES PLAFOND, WILHELMINA KUTTJE & JAN VOS - Hersenschimmenrimbim
HENK PAL - Live in BukBuk te Heiloo
ERNIE EN BERT - Ik ben een kerstbal
JACQUES PLAFOND - De lachende scheerkwast
SJEF VAN OEKEL - Wordt het toch nog gezellig
WILHEMINA KUTTJE - De rimbim
DE GLEUFJES - Wat een lul
JACQUES PLAFOND & HIS PLAFONNIÈRES - I’ll just die!
ANNEKE ROL - Een tulp al in een vaasje
JACQUES PLAFOND & HIS PLAFONNIÈRES - Don’t do that
SJEF VAN OEKEL - Vette jus
JACQUES PLAFOND - Op zoek naar Yolanda
JACQUES PLAFOND - Kenide Koda
GERRIT DEKZEIL - Ik ben Gerrit
RONFLONFLONTUNE ‘Met zijn bek vol tanden’
SJEF VAN OEKEL - Oh prachtvolle gloed dezer eeuw

NEW SUN RA RELEASE

A new (download-only) Sun Ra album popped up:

Available from Qobuz.
https://www.qobuz.com/be-nl/album/at-the-crossroads-of-destiny-sun-ra/s1c9wvh78v8xb

 

DWEEZIL ZAPPA 2019 CONCERT UP ON YOUTUBE

Dweezil Zappa's 2019 Bergen Performing Arts Centre concert turned up on YouTube.

UPCOMING RELEASES ON THE CUNEIFORM RECORD LABEL

"Horns & Hooves" by Honey Ride Me A Goat.
To be released on July 31.
Bandcamp & LP.

"Mirrors, Shapes, Objects" by Michael Columbia
To be released on July 31.
Bandcamp & LP.

ECLECTIC MAYBE BAND - DOMESTIC DRAGON

• Eclectic Maybe Band: Domestic Dragon
      (2026, download / streaming, --, bandcamp / discus music)
      (2026, cd, UK, discuss music)

Thank God for people like Guy Segers who aren't afraid to experiment.
Thank God for a label like Discus Music who has the courage and the risk to release such albums. Not just on Bandcamp, but also on CD.

Bandcamp adds:

Once again studio master / composer / bassist Guy Segers assembles a huge cast of progressive musicians to perform / improvise 8 new pieces. Guy's methods of composition and collage remain as before, but each new Eclectic Maybe Band release brings a new perspective to the music. This time round harder, more brittle sounds emerge from an album with a very punchy attitude. A mixture of avant pop and progressive complexity.

Beautifully packaged and including the detailed credits.
Love it.

BOOGIE STUFF - HAVE MERCY!

• Boogie Stuff: Have Mercy
      (2004, cd, Germany, sky records)

Another nice find.
German band Boogie Stuff released "Have Mercy!" in 2004.
The album presented 15 tracks and featured Jimmy Carl Black doing vocals on three (live) tracks:

• The Indian Of The Group
• Who Did You Love
• Black Limousine

Boogie Stuff is a great blues band. Jimmy Carl Black's guest appearance is the icing on the cake.

Here's 'Black Limousine' !

KOMMISSAR HJULER

Visual and experimental music artist Kommissar Hjuler is not new to this blog.

Pictured below are two books by Kommissar Hjuler: "Der Napfkuchenman" and "Der Napfkuchenman - Part 2".
Next to the standard edition of the books, 100 copies were made available with original art.

The books refer to the Napfkuchenman / Muffin Man, an 18th century murderer from London.
Nothing to do with FZ, except for the name.
Nevertheless, I asked der Kommissar to provide a link with FZ in the artwork  :-)

THE ALMOST THREE - VOL 5

• The Almost Three: Vol 5
      (2026, --, --, digital music platforms)
      (2026, cd, Germany, pottpeople)

The latest album by The Almost Three got released earlier this year, both on Bandcamp and on CD.
The trio did go through quite a change.
Leading man Martin Ettrich is still there, of course, but there are two new faces in the band:
Hannes Vesper on bass, and Mickey Neher on drums.

"Vol 5".
It's actually the 6th album in their discography if you count the "Limited" album the band did in 2019, but it's another excellent album.
Great blues / funk guitar work, plus a fine cover of Frank Zappa's 'Black Napkins' !!

The album can be ordered and streamed through their website.

https://almostthree.de/