Tuesday, March 31, 2015

VARIOUS ARTISTS - BLORP ESETTE GAZETTE VOL.2


This second volume of The Blorp Esette Gazette got released about half a year ago. Compiled by Ace Farren Ford and Ju Suk Reet Meate, it presents a selection of experimental music from the Los Angeles area.
Track one is Don Van Vliet's 'Sugar N' Spikes' bass solo as performed by The Reverend Toad-Eater (from a Jan 10, 1976 Ace & Duce rehearsal session).
Released on the Transparency label.


BENGT BERGER OLD SCHOOL - ALL TIME HIGH



One of my recent trips abroad took me to Finland. As I was fortunate to be able to spend some time in Helsinki, I also visited the excellent Digelius Music record shop, specialised in jazz, avant-garde and world music.
When I asked shop owner Emu Lehtinen if he knew of any Finnish bands that had recorded any Frank Zappa compositions, he told me that he had gotten the very same question a couple of hours earlier. Imagine that. He showed me the Ambrosius Ensemble album. The one with Napoleon Murphy Brock, recorded live in Hamburg. He had sold their Zappa Album earlier the same day...

Browsing through the second-hand section, I did find this excellent Bengt Berger Old School album: "All Time High", featuring the fabulous Mats Öberg on vocals, clavinet, moog, accordion and harmonica.
What a treat.

Digelius Music, Laivurinrinne 2, Helsinki, Finland.


OSSI DURI 2014 12 13

Ossi Duri play "Zappa in Jazz" - Milano - Dec 13 2014



THE ARF-DOSSIER VOL.83


Volume 83 of The Arf-Dossier is out.
Published by the Arf Society.
With a lot of nice pictures, some fine reviews of zappaesque releases, bootleg-reviews and Zappa-related news in general.


COL. BRUCE HAMTON & THE AQUARIUM RESCUE UNIT TO TOUR IN JULY AND AUGUST


Legendary improv-rock pioneers Col. Bruce Hampton & The Aquarium Rescue United to reunited for limited tour dates this summer.

http://theaquariumrescueunit.com/

2015/07/29 - Boulder
2015/07/30 - Boulder
2015/07/31 - Bellvue
2015/08/01 - Denver
2015/08/05 - Birmingham
2015/08/06 - Nashville
2015/08/07 - Atlanta
2015/08/08 - Athens
2015/08/09 - Asheville
2015/08/12 - Raleigh
2015/08/13 - Richmond
2015/08/14 - Washington DC
2015/08/15 - Portchester
2015/08/16 - New York City



CAPT. CHEESE-BEARD UPDATE

Promo picture for the upcoming Capt. Cheese-Beard album !!





ALAN SILVA

The Eremite record label is reissuing a couple of Alan Silva album.
Alan Silva was part of the Sun Ra Arkestra and has also performed and recorded with Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor and Albert Ayler.

alan silva & william parker: a hero's welcome: pieces for rare occasions
    (1998, cd, ??, eremite records)

alan silva & the sound visions orchestra: s/t
    (2001, cd, ??, eremite records)


Saturday, March 28, 2015

THE RESIDENTS - WALK OVER


The message from Residents keyboard player and composer Charles 'Chuck' Bobuck shortly after the Santa Cruz gig:

Friday night at the SXSW show, the announcement was made that I was not going to continue live performances. Some people thought I was going away entirely, but that is far from the case. I am merely realigning my priorities.

I am far more interested in developing new projects, especially new music projects. Despite the concept album format having lost favor, I am still enamored with the idea. I see no reason not to return to what I love to do.

Touring will continue without me, but you probably won’t notice much difference. I’m still writing arrangements and working on the production. And with masks, who can tell anyway. I think the shows are only going to get better.

To further state my determination for a fresh start, I offer this free download. Walk Over. https://bobuck.bandcamp.com/album/walk-over

Thanks to my friends, Randy, Bob, and Siri for their participation.

CB


STEVEN WILSON - GET ALL YOU DESERVE

Thanks to the ongoing lobbying efforts of my fellow Zappa-freak-friends, I started listening to Steven Wilson.
I did take a false start as I checked out some other bloke called Wilson on YouTube (and wasn't impressed), but the real deal sounds quite amazing.

"Get All You Deserve" captured Steven Wilons and his band during their "Grace For Drownin" 2012 tour in Mexico City.
Great tunes, astonishing musicians - including Theo Travis (Gong, Soft Machine Legacy) and Marco Minnemann (Aristocrats - all in a beautiful package : One video DVD, two audio CDs and a Blu-Ray disc.


Playing the DVD on my computer did produce some weird volume fluctuations.
Caused by standard software dolby settings.
It did sound great after a change of these settings.

PC : http://pcjjman.blogspot.be/2009/10/windows-media-player-in-windows-7-dolby.html

Apple : https://www.facebook.com/StevenWilsonHQ/posts/473156079371326

THE RESIDENTS - SHADOWLAND / SHADOW STORIES

  • the residents: shadowland
        (2015, cd, usa, mvd)
"Shadowland" presents Randy, Chuck and Bob during the third part of their 40th anniversary tour.
Performing material from their entire career, "Shadowland" is an excellent release.

  • the residents: shadow stories (3-12-15)
        (2015, cdr, usa, private release)
Adding something extra to the official release party of "Shadowland", Charles 'Chuck' Bobuck released "Shadow Stories". This CDR was made available in a limited edition of 100 copies. It got sold together with the "Shadowland" album at the Santa Cruz show on March 12.


Living in Yurrip, Santa Cruz was just a bit too far away to attend the show, but thanks to Neil I got hold of the "Shadow Stories" album.
"Shadow Stories" includes one compostion, about 25 minutes long, presenting a reworked version of 6 shadow stories that didn't make it onto the "Shadowland" CD.


THE ARISTOCRATS - SECRET SHOW: LIVE IN OSAKA

The Aristocrats' 2014 world tour brought Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller and Marco Minnemann to Japan where they performed at the 'Big Cat' club in Osaka.
The show got recorded by Takashi Ogawa without the band's knowledge. When they heard the recording afterwards, they were impressed enough to release it as a double cd set.

The recording does indeed sound excellent, and the show was great.
An excellent decision to release it on album.


THE MUFFIN MEN

The Muffin Men - MufFinZ Power Quartet.
Opening medley from festival Moo-ah, Corby, March 21st 2015:'Appalachian Folk Song Medley'

Rhino (drums), Jumpy (guitar), Phil (keyboard) and Roddie (bass). 





Thursday, March 26, 2015

DUMB ALL OVER LIVE 1981

Zappa's Nov 17, 1981 Ritz concert is getting (another) dodgy re-release.

Entitled "Frank Zappa - Teenage Rockin' Combo - Dumb All Over Live 1981", to be released on the sixth of April as a 2 CD set.

http://www.spincds.com/coming-soon/live-in-1970-limited-edition-1000-deluxe-4cd-set-digi-pack-44863


Sunday, March 22, 2015

UGLY RADIO REBELLION AND IKE WILLIS

Ugly Radio Rebellion, featuring Ike Willis,
will be performing the music of Frank Zappa
at the 'Homspun Republic' in Springfield, Illinois,
on May 5, 2015.


NEW STEVE VAI ALBUM

New Steve Vai album, "Stillness In Motion" (Live in L.A. 2012), got announced for next month.

It will be out on CD and on DVD !


Stillness in Motion 2CD Edition:
Disc 1
1. Intro/Racing the World
2. Velorum
3. Band Intros
4. Building the Church
5. Tender Surrender
6. Gravity Storm
7. Weeping China Doll
8. John the Revelator
9. The Moon and I
10. The Animal
11. Whispering a Prayer
Disc 2
1. The Audience Is Listening
2. Rescue Me or Bury Me
3. Sisters
4. Treasure Island
5. Salamanders In the Sun
6. Pusa Road
7. Frank
8. The Ultra Zone (CD Version)
9. Build Me a Song L.A.
10. For The Love of God
11. Taurus Bulba
Stillness in Motion 2DVD Edition:
Disc 1
1. Intro/Racing the World
2. Velorum
3. Band Intros
4. Building the Church
5. Tender Surrender
6. Gravity Storm
7. The Trillium’s Launch
8. Weeping China Doll
9. John the Revelator
10. The Moon and I
11. The Animal
12. Whispering a Prayer
13. The Audience Is Listening
14. Where Are We
15. Rescue Me or Bury Me
16. Sisters
17. Treasure Island
18. Beastly Rap
19. Salamanders In the Sun
20. Pusa Road
21. Earthquake Sky, Drum Solo
22. I’m Tired
23. The Ultra Zone
24. Frank
Disc 2
1. Build Me a Song L.A.
2. For the Love of God
3. Taurus Bulba
Story of Light Tour: The Space Between the Notes (Tour Mischief)
4. Leg 1 (Rehearsals/USA)
5. Leg 2 (Europe/Eastern Europe)
6. Leg 3 (Vegas/Netherlands/Russia/Ukraine/Europe)
7. Leg 4 (Australia/NZ/Indonesia/China/S. Korea/Japan/Taiwan/Thailand)
8. Leg 5 (Europe...again)
9. Leg 6 (USA...again)
10. Leg 7 (Mexico/South America/China)
11. Leg 8 (Vegas/Singapore/Malaysia/Israel/Europe/Russia/Ukraine)
12. Leg 9 (USA/St. Barths/Japan/France/Poland)


ARISTOCRATS ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM AND NEW TOUR


Fresh off their wildly successful 2013-2014 Culture Clash world tour, The Aristocrats – by any measure the hottest new band in instrumental rock/fusion today – rewrote their own rules for their third studio album, Tres Caballeros, which is slated for release in late June.

After two fairly raw trio albums, guitarist Guthrie Govan (Steven Wilson, Asia/GPS), bassist Bryan Beller (Joe Satriani, Dethklok) and drummer Marco Minnemann (Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani) set up camp at legendary Sunset Sound studios in Hollywood, CA, where Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones and Van Halen all recorded landmark albums.

The result: Nine new compositions of greater sonic depth and breadth than ever before, with unique textures and lush layering augmenting the band’s preternatural ability to improvise both individually and as a group at the highest levels possible. But not to worry – it’s all still tempered with a steadfast refusal to take themselves too seriously, and The Aristocrats are still having more fun than a fusion band has any right to have.

“We’ve learned a lot since we started this band – four years, three studio albums, two live DVDs and about a billion notes ago! – and I think our latest offering reflects this in all kinds of ways,” says guitarist Guthrie Govan. “The decision to road-test our new material in front of a live audience before commencing the recording process; the choice to record in a studio which had some thoroughly inspiring rock'n'roll 'mojo'; our sudden urge to become more bold and experimental with overdubs rather than feeling any pressure to record exclusively in a strict 'trio' format… all of this has had some kind of positive effect on the way the new record came out. Plus, I think the material on this album is some of the most interesting stuff we’ve ever written for each other, so… here’s hoping our noble listeners will like the finished product as much as we do!”

The Tres Caballeros tour will bring the band’s new musical vision in trio form to stages across North America in their most ambitious jaunt yet. The Aristocrats will be supported by fellow rock/fusion power trio The Travis Larson Band.

Mon 6-Jul         Sacramento, CA           Harlow's
Tues 7-Jul         San Francisco, CA       Slim's
Wed 8-Jul         Santa Cruz, CA             Don Quixote's
Fri 10-Jul          Portland, OR                 Star Theater
Sat 11-Jul          Seattle, WA                    Studio Seven
Sun 12-Jul        Vancouver, BC, CAN   Rickshaw Theatre
Tues 14-Jul       Boise, ID                         Reef
Wed 15-Jul       Salt Lake City, UT        Club X
Fri 17-Jul          Denver, CO                    Quixote's True Blue
Sat 19-Jul         Omaha, NE                    Slowdown
Mon 20-Jul      Des Moines, IA             The Gaslamp
Tues 21-Jul       St. Paul, MN                 The Amsterdam Bar And Hall
Fri 24-Jul          Chicago, IL                   Reggie's
Sat 25-Jul          Indianapolis, IN          Birdy's
Sun 26-Jul        Cincinnati, OH             The Mad Frog
Tues 28-Jul      Cleveland, OH              Beachland Ballroom
Wed 29-Jul       Pittsburgh, PA              Hard Rock Café
Thur 30-Jul      Columbus, OH              Skully's
Fri 31-Jul          Detroit, MI                     Token Lounge
Sat 1-Aug          Toronto, ON, CAN        Mod Club
Sun 2-Aug       Ottawa, ON, CAN         The Rainbow Bistro
Tues 4-Aug       Montreal, QC, CAN      TBD
Wed 5-Aug       Woodstock, NY              Bearsville Theater
Fri 7-Aug          Boston, MA                     The Middle East
Sat 8-Aug          New York City, NY        Irving Plaza
Sun 9-Aug         Philadelphia, PA           North Star Bar
Mon 10-Aug      Washington, DC           Jammin' Java
Tues 11-Aug       Raleigh, NC                   Pour House
Thur 13-Aug      Charlotte, NC                Tremont Music Hall
Fri 14-Aug          Atlanta, GA                   TBD
Sat 15-Aug         Nashville, TN                The High Watt
Sun 16-Aug        St. Louis, MO                Old Rock House
Mon 17-Aug       Kansas City, MO          The Scene
Tues 18-Aug       Tulsa, OK                      The Vanguard
Thur 20-Aug      Houston, TX                 Fitzgerald's
Fri 21-Aug           Austin, TX                    The Roost
Sat 22-Aug          Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX   The Sanctuary
Mon 24-Aug       Albuquerque, NM        Launchpad
Wed 26-Aug       Phoenix, AZ                   Club Red
Thur 27-Aug       Mexicali, MEXICO      Teatro De Estado
Fri 28-Aug          San Diego, CA               TBD
Sat 29-Aug          Corona/Big Bear, CA  TBD
Sun 30-Aug        Los Angeles, CA            King King


CAPTAIN BEEFHEART REISSUES

Captain Beefheart's "Ice Cream For Crow" and "Doc At The Radar Station" will get a limited edition CD re-release.

To be released May 27, 2015
mini LP reissues
on SHM-SACD
= Super Hard Material - Super Audio CD


Saturday, March 21, 2015

THE SKORDATURA UPDATE

The Skordatura Punkjazz Ensemble is kicking off their crowdfundingproject (for the new album) with a concert at 'Vrijstaat O' in Oostende, Belgium on March 27.

April 25, Skordatura will be performing at 'De Kleine Kunst' in Ghent, B
April 30, at de Vooruit in Ghent, B.
May 1, at de Gentse Standshal, Ghent, B.

Check them out !

www.skordatura.be
en
http://www.skordatura.be/crowdfunding.html




MATS/MORGAN BAND ON TOUR IN SWEDEN FROM APRIL 18 > 25, 2015

Mats/Morgan Band

18/4 Fasching-Stockholm
22/4 Guitars-Umeå
23/4 OSD, Folkets hus-Östersund (workshop kl16)
25/4 Nefertiti-Göteborg
----------------------------------------
Morgan Ågren - drums
Mats Öberg - keyboard
Gustaf Hielm - bass
Stefan Jernståhl - keyboard/guitar
---------------------------------------


OSSI DURI PLAYS ZAPPA

Italian rock band Ossi Duri will be doing a concert entitled "Zappa in Jazz".
Saturday, March 28, 2015
at the 'Mi-ro Badile-mi' in Zibido San Giacomo, Italy.


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

STEVEN WILSON ON TOUR

Too bad that the Antwerp concert is sold out...





DWALMACAT 600

Episode 600 (!!) of the Dwalmacat radio show

https://www.mixcloud.com/Dwalmacat/dwalmacat-600/

BERNARD HERRMANN – Twisted nerve
PIL – Swanlake
DAEVID ALLEN – When
R. STEVIE MOORE – What are you looking at? / Flowers sleep into the night
LOTHAR AND THE HAND PEOPLE – Machines
YOUNG MARBLE GIANTS – N.I.T.A.
BUZZARD BAIT – Horsey horsey
RODION G.A. - Citadela
JAD FAIR & STROBE TALBOT – Love & comfort
DEVO – Peek-a-boo! (Dance velocity)
PERE UBU – Carnival
CAVERN OF ANTI MATTER – Cluster of rainbows
LOWELL BLANCHARD WITH THE VALLEY TRIO – Jesus hits like an atom bomb
POND – Midnight mass (at the Market St. payphone)


THE ARISTOCRATS - CULTURE CLASH LIVE !



"Culture Clash Live!" got recorded during the Aristocrats' 2014 tour.
One fine disc with audio, and a second one with a collection of videos.

I got the opportunity to see Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller and Marco Minnemann in concert at the 'Paradox' club in Tilburg, NL, in (I guess) February 2014.
Quite a show it was.
"Culture Clash Live" shows that The Aristocrats not only played an excellent show in Tilburg, but that they performed a remarkable series of shows.
Nice.
Very nice.


Sunday, March 15, 2015

GOV'T MULE WITH JOHN SCOFIELD * * * TROUBLE EVERY DAY


Gov't Mule with John Scofield Trouble Every Day Frank Zappa cover




THE BANNED FROM UTOPIA UPDATE

The Banned From Utopia is planning a European tour from October until November 21.
www.gygx.eu


******************
BANNED FROM UTOPIA
******************
FRANK ZAPPA’S MUSIC PERFORMED BY HIS ORIGINAL MUSICIANS
*******************************************************

RAY WHITE – vocals, guitar (Frank Zappa 1976-84 / Edwin Hawkins Singers, Zero)

ROBERT (BOBBY) MARTIN – vocals, keyboard, saxophone, French horn, harmonica (Frank Zappa 1981-88 / Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James, Wilson Pickett, Eric Burdon, Leo Kottke, Prince, Stevie Nicks)

TOM FOWLER – bass, violin (Frank Zappa 1973-78 / It's A Beautiful Day, Captain Beefheart, Jean-Luc Ponty, Ray Charles, Steve Hackett, Hildegard Knef, Elton John)

ALBERT WING – saxophones, flute (Frank Zappa 1988 / Johnny "Guitar" Watson, Diana Ross, Flo & Eddie, Rosanne Cash, Shuggie Otis, George Benson)

Joel Taylor – drums (Stanley Clarke, Allan Holdsworth, Al Di Meola, Robben Ford, Herb Alpert)

Jamie Kime – guitar (Zappa Plays Zappa, Michelle Branch, Jewel)

Frank Zappa is one of the twentieth century’s most important composers. His works of more than eighty albums is by far the most voluminous and versatile of the entire generation rock (encompassing of course jazz as well as avant-garde, contemporary classical and orchestral music!) – even though his untimely death in 1993 left him with only half the time that was allowed to the Dylan-Jagger-Bowie-or-Springsteens.

In 2015 Frank Zappa would have turned 75. High time to acknowledge his emormous legacy! And who would be as fit to do so as the incredible musicians he himself had recruited for his band?

For this special anniversary a whole bunch of the most popular Zappa collaborators are back to turn the complexity of his compositions from syllabus material at the music academies into blistering experiences in the world’s concert venues again. Including Ray White and Bobby Martin, two lead singers who were held in high esteem by the great master for many years. Or Tom Fowler, the man who opened Zappa’s door for three brothers before he went on to become Ray Charles’ last bass player for well over a decade...

As Banned From Utopia, referring to Frank Zappa's album "The Man From Utopia", they please the connoisseurs and convert the curious into dedicated fans. Having played on innumerable Mothers / Zappa albums, the musicians of this virtuoso fusion ensemble are performing classics from all eras. Suffused with the authenticity of their deep Zappa history. They can do that on stage still. And there's no way of getting closer to the original!


IFA Y XANGO TENTET - TWICE LEFT HANDED / SHAVINGS


Ifa Y Xango formed in 2010 and released their first album, "Abraham", in 2013. The, at that time, septet combined jazz, improvised jazz, classical music and rock.

In the meantime, the septet grew to a tentet and the band has just unleashed a new album.
Released by the El Negocito label, "Twice Left Handed / Shavings" presents 5 compositions. Recorded live in one room, as the CD adds.

The result is beautiful. Itimate moments are juxtaposed with high energy soundscapes.
  • Bert Cools: guitar
  • Sep François: percussion
  • Seppe Gebruers: keyboards and electronics
  • João Lobo: drums
  • Ruben Machtelinckx: guitar and electronics
  • Filipe Nader: alto sax
  • Ruben Pensaert: drums
  • Viktor Perdieus: tenor sax
  • Laurens Smet: bass and electronics
  • Niels Van Heertum: euphonium
http://elnegocitorecords.com/releases/eNR033+.html



STICK MEN ON TOUR

MoonJune Music in association with our European associate Swex Booking & Productions, is pleased to announce the STICK MEN 2015 WORLD TOUR.

TONY LEVIN - stick
MARKUS REUTER - U8 touch guitar
PAT MASTELOTTO - acoustic and electronic drums & percussion

Tony, Markus & Pat are working on the new studio album of STICK MEN
Stay tuned for more exciting news!

Confirmed 2015 STICK MEN dates (more to come):

JAPAN
with special guest DAVID CROSS (violin)
April 9 - Osaka, Japan (Billboard Live Osaka) - 2 shows
April 10 - Tokyo, Japan (Billboard Live Tokyo) - 2 shows

LATIN AMERICA
May 14 - Escazú, San José, Costa Rica (Jazz Caffe Escazú)
May 15 - Escazú, ​San José, Costa Rica (Jazz Caffe Escazú)
May 16 - San Salvador, El Salvador (venue TBA)
May 18 - city and country TBC
May 20 - Santiago, Chile (Teatro Nescafé de las Artes)
May 22 - Mendoza, Argentina (Nave Cultural)
May 24 - Mar del Plata, Argentina (Centro de Arte Radio City)
May 26 - Bahia Blanca, Argentina (Teatro Municipal)
May 27 - Santa Rosa, Argentina (Teatro Español de Coronel Pringles)
May 29 - Buenos Aires, Argentina (ND Teatro)
May 30 - Montevideo, Uruguay (Las Trastienda)
June 1 - Buenos Aires, Argentina (Instituto Tamaba - workshop)
June 3 - Cordoba, Argentina (Teatro San Martín)
June 5 - city and country TBA
June 6 - city and country TBA
June 7 - city and country TBA

(August 1-14: possible dates for STICK MEN)

EUROPE 1
September 29 - Lugagnano, Verona, Italy (Il Giardino)
October 2 - Delemont, Switzerland (Festival, venue TBA)
October 13 - Reichenbach, Germany (Bergkeller)
October 15 - Bonn, Germany (Harmonie)
October 16 - Zoetermeer, The Netherlans (Cultuurpodium Boerderij)
October 17 - Muenster, Germany (Hot Jazz Club)
October 18 - Hertogenbosh, The Netherlands (W2 Poppodium)
October 20 - Verviers, Belgium (Spirit Of 66)
October 21 - Karlsruhe, Germany (Substage)
October 22 - Reutlingen, Germany (Kulturzentrum Franz.K)
more dates to be announced sooN

NORTH AMERICA
2016 - Dates are still Work-In-Progress
Accepting inquiries from USA, Canada, Mexico, The Caribbean.
Stay Tuned For More Info

EUROPE 2
2016 - Dates are still Work-In-Progress
Stay Tuned For More Info


CHUNKY, NOVI AND ERNIE

The 1969 release by Rebecca and the Sunny Brook Famers, entitled "Birth", might be considered the birth of Chunky, Novi and Ernie as all three were part of this band.

The trio released their first album in 1973 on the Reprise label (and Frank Zappa contributed backing vocals to 'Rosalie').

Here's Rebecca and the Sunny Brook Farmers' "Birth" album:
http://boyzmakenoyze.blogspot.nl/2015/03/rebecca-and-sunny-brook-farmers-birth.html

On http://www.thecomposerscorner.com/video/vis-video-artists/vis-video-alle-artister.htm,
go to artists: "String Planet"
and be sure to look at Parts 2 (early years) and 5 (mentioning Frank Zappa).

-- info: Jan van Kemenade

EDDIE JOBSON UPDATE

The Ward Records label has recently released two boxes that feature Eddie Jobson.

The first one is "Curtain Call" by U.K.
It's a Blu-Ray (or DVD) set that includes live performances of the "U.K." and the "Danger Money" album.

The second one is "Four Decades" by Eddie Jobson.
This is also available as a Blu-Ray (or DVD) set and presents the retrospective concert that Eddie Jobson did. "Four Decades" includes material from his time with U.K., some solo material and even a Frank Zappa tune !!

Here's a review by Galeans, at the Zappateers website:
http://www.zappateers.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=29252&sid=25e56265d31e02fa5f82a81fdd91deac

And here's the link to the various editions and packages at the Ward Records label shop:
http://wardrecords.com/SHOP/136233/list.html

Thanks to Galeans for his fine post at Zappateers. I wouldn't have known about it otherwise.


THE WRONG OBJECT IN CONCERT IN BRUSSELS - MARCH 31, 2015


THE WRONG OBJECT in concert in Brussels

@ L'Os à Moelle
Av. Emile Max 153
B – 1030 Brussels

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

-- info : Philippe Lamoot


GENE PRITSKER'S MANHATTAN IN CHARCOAL

Gene Pritsker's is about to release a new chamber opera CD in May 2015 on Composers Concordance Records, distributed by Naxos.

The opera is called ‘Manhattan in Charcoal’.
Music by Gene Pritsker
Libretto/Poem by Jacob Miller.

"Manhattan in Charcoal" explores the life and loves of an artist in New York City in the early days of the 21st Century who struggles to find his way, retain his integrity and, in the meantime, not to go entirely crazy - all the while enduring poverty and lack of recognition. In its dramatic conclusion, the triump of Manhattan in Charcoal resonates in the unanswerable questions the opera leaves us with, regarding art and love, and the survival of both.






NIEUW ENSEMBLE CELEBRATES PIERRE BOULEZ' 90TH BIRTHDAY WITH TWO CONCERTS

The Dutch NE (Nieuw Ensemble) will be celebrating Pierre Boulez' 90th birthday with two concerts:

Pierre Boulez 90

wed 25 march Nijmegen NL Concertgebouw 20.15
thur 26 march Amsterdam NL Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ 20.15

Nieuw Ensemble
Ed Spanjaard dirigent
Cécile van de Sant mezzosopraan

Pierre Boulez Eclat (1964/65)
Pierre Boulez Dérive I (1984)
Anton Webern Fünf Stücke für Orchester op. 10 (1913)
Pierre Boulez Mémoriale (1985)
Pierre Boulez Eclat (1964/65)
pauze
Pierre Boulez Le Marteau sans Maître (1952-54)


As an interesting extra, the ensemble will have a rehearsal that will be open to public.
Sunday 22 march at the Conservatory in Amsterdam, from 15h00 until 17h00, at the Blue Note room.

The very same day, Ed Spanjaard and the NE will be on the Podium Witteman TV-show on NPO2 (Dutch national TV)




DEEP FREEZE MICE


The Mice biography from All Music:
Do-it-yourself post-punk band the Deep Freeze Mice released ten records in their decade-long existence. The original lineup -- guitarist/vocalist Alan Jenkins, bassist Mick Bunnage (of the Statics), keyboardist Sherree Lawrence, and drummer Graham Summers (also of the Statics) -- stayed intact until the release of the band's third record, The Gates of Lunch. After the departure of Summers and the acquisition of replacement Pete Gregory, the lineup remained until their breakup in 1989. Leader Jenkins (who was also involved with the Chrysanthemums and Ruth's Refrigerator during the existence of his primary band) continued afterwards in the Creams and the Thurston Lava Tube. All of Deep Freeze Mice's records were released in small quantities through the band's labels, Mole Embalming and Cordelia.

Alan Jenkins' Cordelia Records recently released the fourth album of the Deep Freeze Mice, "Saw A Ranch House Burning Last Night".
It includes a 20-page booklet and 12 bonus songs.


Saturday, March 14, 2015

RECORD STORE DAY 2015

April 18, 2015
Record Store Day

http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialRelease/7596

Frank Zappa
Overture From Frank Zappa's "200 Motels"

DETAILS
Format: 7" Colored Vinyl
Label: Zappa Records
Release type: 'RSD First' Release
More Info:
In October 2013, the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Essa-Pekka Salonen, recorded the music of composer Frank Zappa which he had originally scored for his cult-classic movie “200 Motels.” This limited-edition, purple-colored 7” single contains the opening piece from the concert, “Overture” (from 200 Motels) and another gem from the Zappa canon on the B-side; the previously unreleased recording of “What’s the Name of Your Group?” from the original score performed in 1971 by Zappa with the Royal Philharmonic.


CAPTAIN CHEESE-BEARD'S SYMPHONY FOR AUTO HORNS

Captain Cheese-Beard announced that the (eagerly awaited) debut album will be released in Spring 2015.
Original material (with zappa-esque twists and turns).
Entitled "Symphony For Auto Horns" !
One of the tracks features Robert Martin on vocals !

Here's the teaser:



SUN RA - SPACE IS THE PLACE

Released in a 'limited' edition of 3000 copies, the San Francisco based Harte Recordings presents this 40th anniversary edition of "Space Is The Place".

- hardcover book,
- DVD of the film with new producer commentary,
(Restored versions of both the original cut of Space Is The Place and the uncut version (both with remixed sound by Gary Hobish))
- CD / soundtrack, including two previously unreleased tracks,
- Sun Ra & Arkestra home movies.

I just finished browsing the 120-plus page book. Fine interviews and gorgeous pictures.

Nice.


Wednesday, March 4, 2015

PIERRE VERVLOESEM'S SIMPLE IN CONCERT NEXT FRIDAY (MARCH 6)

Next Friday, March 6, 2015, at the KVS in Brussels (B):

KEENROH + SIMPLE

http://www.kultuurkaffee.be/en/schedule/keenroh-simple-kvs

BANG! TRAVELING ART FESTIVAL CURATED BY TEUN VERBRUGGEN
FRIDAY 06 MARCH 2015

DOORS : 19:30
TICKETS :  € 6 PRESALE (EXCL. RESERVATION COST) / € 10 AT THE DOOR
LOCATION : KVS - CAFE CONGO

Last summer KEENROH won the prize for Young Jazz Talent at Ghent Jazz festival. This duo brings a sort of instant composing that embodies impressive musical courage and a great variety. Important musical principles of this duo are the large spectrum of sounds and use of intense dialogues. Keenroh integrates this approach into an electric-acoustic setting.

Composer / producer PIERRE VERVLOESEM  (Flat Earth Society, Kings of Belgium, X-legged Sally, A Group ...) returns with a new quartet: SIMPLE. The music of Simple is avery naive, almost grotesque version of jazz. It includes very diverse elements ranging from French film music, over New York's new wave of the '80s and the most miserable prog-rock to the most enlightened modern jazz.




DWALMACAT 598


This week's Dwalmacat radio show :

https://www.mixcloud.com/Dwalmacat/dwalmacat-598/

FRED STEINER – Star trek intro
LEONARD NIMOY – Music to watch space girls by
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART – Electricity
SOMNABULA – Children, learn from the future
MAGAZINE – Permafrost
HIRSCHE NICHT AUFS SOFA – Leckere Krapfen (Die Republik stegt Kopf)
MY ROBOT FRIEND – 23 minutes in Brussels
THE EMPEROR MACHINE – Bloody hell
ONE & POLI – Sie hat nur Einen...
HARRY PARTCH – The letter
POND – Heroic shart
FRED STEINER – Neutralizer
LES CHIENS COMIQUES – The centre of me / It was a copshop / On a ghostship to Hollywood
PANDA BEAR – Mister Noah
SONOKO - Marienbad



A ZITA SWOON UPDATE

Zita Swoon Group presents Nothing That Is Everything : a multidisciplinary performance.
Nothing That Is Everything is based on a short film that reconstructs one of the first performance of Dada at the Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich.
The film contains all the elements Stef Kamil Carlens and his associates use in their performance: costumes, dance, music, rhythm, poetry, a confusion (of tongues) and humour. 



A track from Zita Swoon Group's new performance NOTHING THAT IS EVERYTHING, premiere on March 13 2015 in Kaaitheater, Brussels.



Sunday, March 1, 2015

A RESIDENTS UPDATE


http://www.residents.com/home/

- Shadowland is out !  (MVD)
- God In 3 Persons will get a re-release in April  (MVD)
- Our Finest Flower will get a re-release in May, with a new album cover  (MVD)
- Shadowland" performed live - Santa Cruz CA + CD release March 12
- Shadowland" performed live - Austin TX March 20
- Satisfaction 7" to be re-released in April  (SuperiorViaduct)
- 13th Anniversary Show 2CD to be re-released in April  (Klanggalerie)
- Intermission LP to be re-released on record store day in April

Theory of Obscurity: a film about The Residents - Festival Trailer from Don Hardy on Vimeo.


PETE SWEENEY - SNARE DRUM SOLOS AND ETUDES



Pete Sweeney recorded Frank Zappa's 'The Black Page' on his "Snare Drum Solos and Etudes" album.
And he did not just record "The Black Page #1" as he explains in the liner notes of the album:
"The last track is 'The Black Page #3" which is my reinterpretation of the themes originated in "The Black Page #1". I was half awake from a nap when I got the idea to play 'The Black Page' backwards. This is not a literal retrograde, but my version of one. maybe Zappa would have liked it!"


FLAT EARTH SOCIETY / X-LEGGED SALLY - FES XLS



I finally managed to get all the data of this impressive release in the United Mutations Archives.

Disc one is "Boot & Berg", a collaboration between Peter Vermeersch (music) and Josse De Pauw (texts). Performed by Flat Earth Society, Rolande Van der Paal and Josse De Pauw.

Disc two is a compilation of X-Legged Sally tracks. Taken from the 6 X-Legged Sally albums.



And disc three collects various unreleased recordings by Flat Earth Society, some of them with (very) special guests.




Essential listening !!

Out on Igloo Records.
http://www.igloorecords.be/Iglectic/albums/flat-earth-society-x-legged-sally-box/



DEWA BUDJANA - HASTA KARMA

For his eight solo album, Indonesion guitarist Dewa Budjana went to the East Coast. With the help of Leonardo Pavkovic (of MoonJune Records), Dewa Budjana assembled an impressive band: António Sanchez on drums, Ben Williams on upright bass and Joe Locke on vibraphone.
António Sanchez and Ben Williams played together previously in Pat Metheny's Unity Band project.

"Hasta Karma" got recorded at the Kaleidoscope Sound Studio in Union City, NJ, in one single day which, given the complexity of the music, is quite an accomplishment.
The music itself is excellent. And Joe Locke's vibraphone sounds great next to Dewa Budjana's guitar.

The most endearing track on "Hasta Karma" is 'Ruang Dialisis", a composition that Dewa Budjana dedicated to his late father. The piece includes a sampled recording of the guitarist's grandmother, chanting a traditional funeral song for her son.

Out on the MoonJune label:
http://www.moonjune.com/mjr_web_2013/catalog_mjr/070_DEWA-BUDJANA_Hasta-Karma_MJR070/




VANSINA, VERBRUGGEN, GUDMUNDSSON - TRIO MUSIC



Somewhere around 2003 / 2004, Bruno Vansina and Teun Verbruggen founded the Rat Records label.
In the meantime, some thirty albums have been released, most of these featuring Bruno Vansina  and / or Teun Verbruggen in various line-ups and settings.

The very first Rat Records album saw the light of day in 2004.
"Trio Music" by Bruno Vansina, Teun Verbruggen and Gulli Gudmundsson contains a selection of various live concerts that were done at the Buster jazz club in Antwerp, Belgium, between September and December 2003, including two John Coltrane pieces.
Excellent stuff.

Check it out.
http://www.ratrecords.biz/


NEW BOOK ON CAPTAIN BEEFHEART

"The Music Of Captain Beefheart - Album Reviews and Magic Band Interviews" is a new book on Captain Beefheart in which Chris Wade chronologically talks about every album that Don Van Vliet released.
From "Safe As Milk" to "Ice Cream For Crow"
In-between the album reviews, there are some interviews with former Magic Band members.

Nice.




MATS ÖBERG UPDATE

From Elliot Elliot's upcoming third album...
(and posted in 2013)




MATS ÖBERG TRIO - ONLY LIVE

Musical wizard Mats Öberg released a second album on the Moserbie record label. In 2013 already.
Somehow, it must have escaped my radar...
Together with Filip Auguston (bass) and Sebastian Voegler (drums), Mats Öberg did a concert at the Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm in June 2011. "Only Live" presents a recording of this concert.

Amazing.

The below video should give you a good enough idea of what the trio sounds live.