TORY SLUSHER - - - AMNERIKA

Frank Zappa's 'Amnerika', performed by Tory Slusher

-- info: Dirk Verschaeve

BEAT, PERFORMING THE MUSIC OF KING CRIMSON

 

DOUBT - NEVER PET A BURNING DOG

douBt's "Never Pet A Burning Dog" got released on CD on the MoonJune Records label in 2010 ! 

It featured some amazing music by

• Alex Maguire: Fender Rhodes electric piano, Hammond organ, Mellotron, synthesizers
• Michel Delville: electric guitar, Roland GR-09
• Tony Bianco: drums
  and special guest:
• Richard Sinclair: vocals (Tracks 1 & 5), electric bass (1, 2)

More recently, it has been made available as a digital download / streaming album on the Off record label.

FLAB - THE BLUE MONK

•  Flab: The Blue Monk
      (2026, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)
      (2026, cd, --, --)

Flab features Wolfram Klug and Matthias Zimlich.

In previous years, Wolfram Klug released “Burt The Nerd” (2020) and “Speaking To Ray” (2022), both presenting some Frank Zappa compositions. 

The Bandcamp liner notes for “The Blue Monk” mentioned:

The album explores adventurous auditory landscapes deeply inspired by the playful, boundary-pushing spirit of pioneers like Frank Zappa and Brian Eno.

ORSON CLAEYS - OTHELLO

Belgian pianist and composer Orson Claeys has just released his first album.
It's out on Sdban Records and you can give it a listen over at Bandcamp.

Cinematic contemporary jazz spiced with hip-hop and middle eastern flavours.

THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION - FREAK OUT - 60TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

No surprise. The Japanese edition of the "Freak Out" box is on SHM CDs:

5 shm-cd + blu-ray

TWO NEW BOOKS ABOUT FRANK ZAPPA

Two new books, but unfortunately with miserable AI generated cover artwork.

THE IKE WILLIS MEMORIAL BARBECUE AT THE MOSAE ZAPPA FESTIVAL

In about a month, the MOSAE ZAPPA Festival will take place in Heerlen, NL.

It will be the tenth edition already!
https://mosaezappa.wordpress.com/

As a special event, MOSAE ZAPPA will feature The Ike Willis Memorial Barbecue, where Roddie Gilliard and Co de Kloet will share some of their memories, moderated by Tim op het Broek.

Looking forward to it.

 

Let me share three of my Ike Willis moments with you.

My favourite one happened when I was queuing to get enter some club in Delft, NL, to catch a concert by Cuccurullo Brillo Brullo, a fine Frank Zappa tribute band. And on this occasion, Ike Willis would be featured as special guest.
October 2006.
So I’m in line, or I just bought my ticket, and I hear someone explaining to the counter clerk that he is Jeff Hollie and that he’s a friend of Ike Willis. If someone could fetch Ike.
By coincidence, I had just been updating the United-Mutations website with Jeff’s whereabouts (Jeff was performing with Wicked Jazz Sounds and had been living in The Netherlands for some years at the time) so when some of the Cuccurullo Brillo Brullo band members came down to check out this tall, dark fellow, I could explain who he was and they called for Ike.
My mind can be blurred a bit, but I remember it as a touching moment when Ike and Jeff finally saw each other again in person after quite a number of years.
I was happy to be invited to join them at their table while they were reminiscing.
And, yes, Jeff had brought his saxophone and performed a couple of tunes with the band…
What a night.
And it was Jeff’s re-entry into the Zappa world.

The most impressive memory happened at Zappanale #22 in 2011 (if my notes are correct). As those who have attended Zappanale know, Zappanale is a very ‘open’ festival. There are great opportunities to chat with everyone.
Anyway, Doctor Nerve performed at Zappanale in 2011 and at a certain moment, and I don’t recall how this came about, I’m standing next to Nick Didkovsky and Ike Willis.
Nick explained to Ike how he joined the Zappa band on stage during a certain show, as some sort of audience participation, and Ike not only remembered this but started adding details to that story with his infectious enthusiasm, but above all with an incredibly impressive memory.
Loved it.

The most bizarre memory took place in Eeklo, Belgium, when Ike was touring with The Muffin Men. I don’t remember the year.
We were there well in advance and we were not the only ones.
A couple of Dutch guys came in, searched for Ike, and they left together with Ike.
When the concert was about to start, no one knew where Ike was. He had disappeared and only returned much later. He did have issues at the time…

Anyway, November 21, Heerlen will be the place to be.
And add November 20 as well if you’re up for a pre-party with Project Z.

CAN - LIVE IN ARLES 1975

• Can: Live In Arles 1975
      (2026, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)
      (2026, cd, --, spoon records)
      (2026, lp, --, spoon records)

Overseen by Irmin Schmidt, the last surviving founding member of Can, "Live In Arles 1975" is the seventh volume in a series of Can live albums.

• Michael Karoli – Guitar, Vocals
• Irmin Schmidt – Keyboards
• Holger Czukay – Bass
• Jaki Liebezeit – Drums, Percussion

What makes the Arles concert so extraordinary—and widely considered by the band members themselves to be one of their absolute finest live hours—is how it highlights Can's supreme mastery of instant composition. These aren't just extended, loose jams or simple rehashes of studio tracks; they are fully realized, living sonic architecture constructed on the fly.

From the opening minutes, the band locks into that uncanny, hypnotic synchronicity. Liebezeit’s rhythms aren't just keeping time—they are sculpting space, providing an immovable foundation that allows Karoli's jagged, soaring guitar lines and Schmidt's atmospheric, sometimes confrontational keyboard textures to collide and spark. Czukay pulls it all together with heavy, pulsating bass loops that feel forward-thinking even by today's standards.

Beautiful.

-- info: Danny Mathys

ROBEONE

Keyboardist and composer Robeone's new instrumental album, “If You Don’t Know What It Is, It Must Be Jazz,” is out on Transglobal Records. The seven‑track album blends progressive rock, jazz fusion, electronic textures, and playful experimentation. 100% of the album’s proceeds will support The Bob Moog Foundation, continuing Robeone’s long relationship with the organization.