AYREON FEAT. ARJEN LUCASSEN, ANNEKE VAN GIERSBERGEN & THIJS VAN LEER

Recorded in concert at 013 Poppodium in Tilburg, The Netherlands, on Sunday September 15,  2019.

 

MEGAWAJOOKA

The Zappa tribute concert that Megawajooka did at Le Triton in Paris, France, earlier this year, is available for subscribers in the video archive of Le Triton. 

https://vod.letriton.com/content/megawajooka-joue-frank-zappa

PAULINE BUTCHER VISITED PRAGUE TO PROMOTE THE CZECH VERSION OF "FREAK OUT! MY LIFE WITH FRANK ZAPPA"

Invited by the Czech Frank Zappa Fan Club, Pauline Butcher visited Prague to present the Czech version of her "Freak Out! My Life With Frank Zappa" book.

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Pauline, her husband Peter, and Bohous

JOE DENINZON & STRATOSPHEERIUS - IMPOSTOR !

• Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius: Impostor !
      (2024, download, --, bandcamp)

The brand-new Stratospheerius album has been made available as a digital download / streaming album on Bandcamp, and also on CD (although I don't know if it's available in Europe without customs harassment).

Again, Stratospheerius succeeded in producing a fine prog rock album. The leading role is reserved for violinist Joe Deninzon, who's also part of Kansas nowadays, but there's some great guitar playing going on as well. And the band sounds tight. Really tight.

9 tracks. All original music, except for the (excellent version of) Adrian Belew / King Crimson's 'Frame By Frame'.

There's quite a number of guests featured on the album. It provides some beautiful, extra seasoning.

Rachel Flowers makes a guest appearance as well. Adding a beautiful flute solo to 'Storm Surge'.
Nice. Very Nice.

Check it out.

Recommended listening.

MANUEL HERMIA & CHRISTINE OTT - THE LOTUS PATH

• Manuel Hermia & Christine Ott: The Lotus Path
      (2024, cd, Belgium, igloo)

Manuel Hermia: tenor saxophone, bansuri, flute
Christine Ott: ondes martenot (sort of a Theremin but controlled by a keyboard)

Recorded live as part of Manuel Hermia's Carte Blanche at the Gaume Jazz festival in 2023, this duet with Christine Ott is essentially composed from musical material from the Rajazz.

Rajazz are a form of note organization and are represented as musical mandalas.

The concept of rajazz comes from a cross between tonal music and Indian modal music. The name is a contraction of raga and jazz: rajazz.
All the compositions on this album evoke in one way or another the idea of ​​transformation. As the Yi Jing (or Yi King, I Ching or "book of transformations") already professed almost 3000 years ago: the only thing that never changes is that everything changes all the time.
A reflection and pause on the very nature of change, both in our inner life and in our perception of the outside world, constitutes the common thread of the compositions presented here.

"The Lotus Path" is a stunning musical document that highlights the collaboration between Manuel Harmia and Christine Ott.
I love the sound of the ondes-Martenot. It adds a beautiful, mysterious layer to the mesmerizing melodies.

https://www.igloorecords.be/album/manuel-hermia-christine-ott-the-lotus-path/

WIGWAM

The Svart record label is re-releasing two Wigwam albums on colored vinyl:

Wigwam - Hard'N'Horny, LP (Transparent Magenta/White/Black Marble) - limited edition of 100 copies

Wigwam - Tombstone Valentine, LP (Turquoise/Pink Marble) - also limited to 100 copies

WIGWAM'S FIRST TWO ALBUMS REPRESSED

WIGWAM’s two first albums reissued on vinyl in February 2025 via Svart Records

Due to high demand, Svart Records will release represses of Wigwam's early works on vinyl once again. The Finnish legends in Wigwam are no strangers to fans of Progressive Rock around the world. Their debut album Hard N’ Horny from 1969 and the following Tombstone Valentine from 1970 are a couple of cornerstones among many in their impeccable discography. The previous Svart editions of these absolute classics by the pioneers of early progressive rock date back to 2019, so it was about time to bring back these must-haves to the market.

Hard N’ Horny started the legacy of Wigwam. Album’s A-side is jazzy, early prog-rock by the keyboardist Jukka Gustavson, with an exception on the first track written by the original bass player Mats Huldén. Lots of heavy organ, jazzy piano, and some vocal parts by Gustavson. The B-side is ‘60s psychedelia written by the British-born vocalist Jim Pembroke. It consists of songs about a man called Henry, together forming a mini Rock opera.

Wigwam's sophomore album Tombstone Valentine uniquely stands on its own as not only a precursor to what was still to come but also a spectacular album bubbling over with soul searching folk/psych/prog leanings. Kim Fowley, a producer from America, was so excited about Wigwam's debut album Hard N’ Horny, that he decided to come to Finland to produce their second album Tombstone Valentine. The album is not as experimental as their debut, but partly because of that it's also a more coherent and a better-balanced effort. The line-up had changed slightly, as this was Pekka Pohjola's debut with Wigwam. Guitarist Nikke Nikamo left the band during the recording of the album, so the guitar parts are delivered by Jukka Tolonen and Heikki Laurila, who never officially joined the band.

Hard N’ Horny and Tombstone Valentine are out on limited vinyl pressings on February 7th, 2025.

LUZIA VON WYL ENSEMBLE - THROWING COINS

• Luzia von Wyl Ensemble: Throwing Coins
      (2018, cd, switzerland, hatology)

Modern jazz in a contemporary classic package, with added world music flavours.

With a beautiful instrumentation: piano, flutes, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, violin, violoncello, bass, marimba and drums.

I love it.

Here's a live performance of 'Antumbra' with special guest Faisal Al Saari on oud:

AYRON TO PERFORM IN TILBURG NL IN SEPTEMBER 2025

AYREON - 30TH ANNIVERSARY - AN AMAZING FLIGHT THROUGH TIME

Arjen Lucassen announces 5 shows at the 013 venue in Tilburg on 12, 13, and 14 September 2025

https://www.ayreon.com/live/

After five sold-out performances of Ayreon - 01011001 - Live Beneath the Waves at the 013 venue in The Netherlands in 2023, attended by 15,000 fans from 64 countries, and following four sold-out Ayreon - Electric Castle Live & Other Tales shows in 2019, as well as three sold-out Ayreon Universe shows in 2017, Ayreon is ready to add another exciting chapter to its live history. The new production, Ayreon - 30th Anniversary - An Amazing Flight Through Time, will mark 30 years since the release of the debut album, The Final Experiment, in 1995. This massive, state-of-the-art live production will take the audience on a journey through Arjen Lucassen's entire discography, featuring a massive, one-of-a-kind stage design, stunning visuals, spectacular special effects—and much more.

Ayreon Mastermind Arjen Lucassen, alongside lead producer and keyboardist Joost van den Broek, has assembled a remarkable cast of many fan-favorite Ayreon vocalists and special guests, plus an outstanding group of instrumentalists to bring the music to life at the highest possible level. Lucassen himself will also perform on vocals.

Titled An Amazing Flight Through Time, the setlist will span Ayreon’s 30-year history, offering a wide range of songs, including some that have never been played live before, alongside fan favorites. Besides that, some songs of Arjen’s side projects will be performed as well. No effort will be spared in transforming the 013 venue into an immersive "Ayreon world," where fans will be transported to another dimension. This show is set to be the ultimate Ayreon celebration, paying tribute to Arjen's music in its most complete form.

While the two previous Ayreon live shows focused on performing full studio albums, this anniversary show will be the ultimate 'Best of Ayreon'. In 2019, Electric Castle Live & Other Tales was atmospheric and dynamic, while 2023’s 01011001 - Live Beneath the Waves brought a mysterious, industrial, and bombastic energy. The 30th-anniversary shows, however, will be an eclectic mix of everything that is Ayreon, creating the perfect event for Ayreonauts to unite and share their love of Arjen's music at the Ayreon party of the decade. Expect further details and surprises in the coming weeks!

FLAT EARTH SOCIETY - - - THE ONE TOUR 2024

The One Tour 2024

 
Flat Earth Society Orchestra
presents THE ONE and a selection from 25 years of music
October 18 > November 9

FES is touring Europe and North America with their new album
THE ONE, combined with a wide and wild selection of previous material from the FES planet, a musical universe without boundaries or idiomatic rules.

Always unpredictable and never disappointing,
the madhouse maximalist Flat Earth Society Orchestra celebrates its 25th anniversary with a jubilee tour in Portugal, Germany, USA and Canada!


The One Tour

• 18-10 Casa da Música, Porto (PT)
• 19-10 Multiphonics Festival, Comedia, Cologne (GER)
• 25-10 Angel City Jazz Festival, Los Angeles (USA)
• 26-10 San Jose Jazz, Breakroom, San Jose (USA)
• 27-10 California Jazz Conservatory, Berkeley (USA)
• 29-10 Earshot Jazz Festival, Town Hall, Seattle (USA)
• 01-11 Lincoln Theatre, Mount Vernon (USA)
• 02-11 PDX Jazz, Jack London Revue, Portland (USA)
• 03-11 Music On Main, The Roundhouse, Vancouver (CAN)
• 05-11 University of Toronto, Walter Hall, Toronto (CAN)
• 06-11 Ottawa Jazz Festival, NAC Fourth Stage, Ottawa (CAN)
• 07-11 Lincoln Center, New York (USA)
• 09-11 Jazz Meeting Wuppertal, Insel, Wuppertal (GER)

HILDEGARD LERNT FLIEGEN CONCERT DATES AND MORE

A message from Hildegard lernt Fliegen:

"HILDEGARD!"

Dear ones

She's on the road again – good old Hildegard! Before we set off on an anniversary tour in 2025, we're getting her out of the hangar for two crispy concerts.

• 10.10. Unterfahrt, München DE
• 11.10. Jazzclub, Bamberg DE

4 EXCLUSIVE EUROPEAN SHOWS WITH BASS LEGEND TIM LEFEBVRE

Together with my dear friend Kalle Kalima, we have composed a wonderful songbook. Under the title ‘Evolution’, we have been on the road with it for almost a year now. Our autumn tour starts in Paris on 12 October. The extraterrestrial Über-bassist Tim Lefebvre, who I'm particularly looking forward to, will be joining us.

• 12.10. Radio France, Paris F
• 20.11. Mühle Hunziken, Rubigen b. Bern CH
• 22.11. Nica, Hamburg DE
• 26.11. Bayerischer Hof, München DE

... AND BOOK YOURSELF A CONCERT ? !

Paris is too far away for you? Due to a communication error by my former agency, a concert on our tour was unfortunately cancelled at short notice. This means that we now have an offday on 21 November. So if you want to book this amazing band for a concert, this is your unique chance.

Please send your ideas directly by mail to info(at)andreasschaerer.ch I'm looking forward to hear from you !

NEUE DUO VIDEOS UND LIVE DATEN

We have a nice video recording of our duo. Recorded last May at the Jazz in E. Festival Eberswalde 

You prefer to listen to our duo live instead of from your laptop speakers. Very good idea:

• 17.10. Leise am Markt, Coburg DE 
• 18.10. Jazz am See, Feldafing DE 
• 19.10. Kloster, Dornach CH 
• 23.10. Stummste Reithalle, Neunkirchen DE 
• 24.10. Dekadenz, Brixen IT 
• 26.10 Landhaus Liebefeld, Bern CH

EVOLUTION INVITING JULES MARTINET

… and! This wonderful musician has been on my radar for a long time, and now we're on stage together for the first two concerts. Exciting: Evolution inviting le magnifique Jules Martinet:

• 15.10. Saison Dudelange, Dudelange LUX 
• 19.10 Kloster, Dornach CH