LAZULI CONCERT DATES

LAZULI 

NEXT CONCERTS

• 07. 03. 2025 – FUSION Festival – Stourport (UNITED KINGDOM)
• 08. 03. 2025 – Neuadd Ogwen – Bethesda (UNITED KINGDOM)
• 09. 03. 2025 – Sound House – Dublin (IRELAND)
• 11. 03. 2025 – Local Authority – Sheffield (UNITED KINGDOM)
• 12. 03. 2025 – Half Moon – Putney (UNITED KINGDOM)
• 13. 03. 2025 – 1865 – Southampton (UNITED KINGDOM)
• 14. 03. 2025 – Trading Boundaries – Fletching (UNITED KINGDOM)
• 16. 03. 2025 – Sudbury Arts Centre – Sudbury (UNITED KINGDOM)
• 20. 03. 2025 - Gebläsehalle – Neunkirchen (GERMANY)
• 21. 03. 2025 - Rathaushalle – Haßfurt (GERMANY)
• 22. 03. 2025 - PaderHalle – FESTIVAL – Paderborn (GERMANY)
• 12. 04. 2025 - Casino De Paris – Lazuli guest for MARILLION (FRANCE)

FRANK ZAPPA ON THE COVER OF THE ITALIAN "CLASSIC ROCK" MAGAZINE

December 2024

DWIKI DHARMAWAN - SO FAR SO CLOSE

• Dwiki Dharmawan: So Far So Close
      (2015, cd, USA, moonjune records)

Indonesian's jazz keyboard player and composer Dwiki Dharmawan's "So Far So Close" album got released in 2015.
Next to Jimmy Haslip on bass, Dewa Budjana and Tohpati on guitar, and Jerry Goodman on violin, the album also features Chad Wackerman. On the drums.

Dwiki Dharmawan has several albums out on the MoonJune Records label, but "So Far So Close" was his first album for Leonardo Pavkovic's MJR label.
Recommended listening.

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH - FLAT TIRE - MUSIC FOR A NON-EXISTENT MOVIE

• Allan Holdsworth: Flat Tire - Music For A Non-Existent Movie
      (2013, cd, USA, moonjune records)

Moonjune records' re-release of Allan Holdsworth 2001 "Flat Tire" album comes in a fold-out cardboard cover.
SynthAxe (synthesizer guitar) and drum grooves.
Hard to imagine that this is played on a guitar, but it sounds amazing.

TO YO - STRAY BIRDS FROM THE FAR EAST

• Tō Yō: Stray Birds From The Far East
      (2023, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)

I'm assuming that the title of  Tō Yō's 2023 album, "Stray Birds From The Far East" refers to Rabindranath Tagore's "Stray Birds" collection of poems.

If so, it cannot be a coincidence that I received this beautiful music on this very day, November 11, Remembrance Day.
Let's enjoy the beautiful things in life and in nature and let's hope that the future will bring peace again.

"Stray Birds From The Far East" is a celebration. Bandcamp calls it:
Psych from Tokyo's Underground.
Chill acid world vibes.

I can only tell you that I enjoy it a lot.
Check it out:

LA STPO - LE COMBAT OCCULTE / TRANCHES D'OMBILIC

• La STPO : Le Combat Occulté / Tranches d’Ombilic
      (2006, cd, USA, beta-lactam ring records mt047b) – limited edition of 500 copies

La Société Des Timides Á La Parade Des Oiseaux released "Le Combat Occulté" as a 12" EP in 2005.

In 2006, the tracks got combined with another set of alternate, unreleased, rare & live tracks for "Le Combat Occulté / Tranches d'Ombilic" CD, released in a limited edition of 500 copies.

The first 11 tracks ("Le Combat Occulté") got recorded in 1992-1993.Tracks 13-22, "Tranches d'Ombilic", in 1984-1989.

Experimenal / dada / ...
A fine discovery !!

Here's 'Dada Max Stellt Loplop Vor', from 1995. (Not on the above mentioned album)

REGAL WORM - WORM !

The day kicked off with an album by Regal Worm, a UK-based psychedelic progressive rock band.
= a Jarrod Gosling project. 

I enjoyed "Worm !", from 2022, an album that I received as a digital download.
My ears and my mind had to get used to the upbeat drum machine electronics. It's a strange mix, but it works somehow.

JOHN TABACCO - WUSB 90.1 FM

 A new and funny release by John Tabacco.

John's brand-new “WUSB 90.1 FM” album collects a set of jingles for Stonybrook’s “WUSB 90.1” radio station.
No clue if they're real and if these were actually used, or just produced for the fun of it, but they sound great.

• WUSB 90.1 FM (station i.d. No. 1)
   - uses parts of Brown Shoes Don’t Make It

NEEDLEPOINT

Norwegian band Needlepoint mixes rock and jazz with references to 60s and 70s psychedelic and progressive rock.

I was familiar with their "The Diary Of Robert Reverie" and "Walking Up That Valley" albums, so I was quite happy with the additional two digital downloads that I received.

• Needlepoint: In Concert
      (2023, cd, Norway, bjk music)
      (2023, lp, Norway, bjk music)
  
  

• Needlepoint: Remnants Of Light
      (2024, cd, Norway, bjk music)
      (2024, lp, Norway, bjk music)

True, the vocals are a bit shaky at times, but the music is great !!
Check them out.

BELEDO - FLOTANDO EN EL VACIO

• Beledo: Flotando En El Vacío
      (2024, cd, --, moonjune records)

Leonardo Pavlovic recently hosted the MoonJune Records Festival in Toledo, Spain.
We hesitated but finally decided not to attend. It just didn't fit too well in the schedules.

To make up for it, I ordered a bunch of MoonJune artist albums. One of these was José Pedro Beledo's latest album, "Flotando En El Vacío".

On the MoonJune bandcamp page, Beledo adds:
It was really a wonderful surprise when Leonardo told me that he wanted me to record an album with Carles Benavent and Jorge Pardo. Leonardo always comes up with ideas that make my head spin for a good reason. It was almost too good to be true.

After pinching myself to make sure I was not dreaming I had to navigate through the idea and figure out what kind of material I would bring to the table. Carles and Jorge participated on Paco de Lucia’s “Solo Quiero Caminar” which is one of the best albums ever made and Carles and Paco duo “Monasterio de sal” is not only an extremely difficult song but it is one of the most impressive compositions ever written. That said, I knew that my album had to be completely different than that but my extreme desire for excellency would find a common ground where these exceptional musicians would feel comfortable using their amazing skills over my compositions. On top of that, we were going to have the incredible amazing Asaf Sirkis on drums who can jazz and rock hard but has an incredible vast knowledge of diverse ethnic music from around the world. We could not go wrong.

And Beledo was right. It did not go wrong.
With Carles Benavent on the bass, Jorge Pardo on the flute, and Asaf Sirkis on the drums, Beledo had the perfect team.
Add special guests Gary Husband and Ramon Echegaray for the some additional flavor and you get an amazing album.

A beautiful mix of world music and fusion jazz.

Love it.

QUARTET DIMINISHED - DEERAND

• Quartet Diminished: Deerand
      (2024, cd, USA, moonjune records)

Quartet Diminished was established in Iran in 2013 by guitarist Ehsan Sadigh. This is their fourth album. Their music is stylistically diverse, drawing freely from contemporary jazz, art rock, and avant-garde music. The membership has been relatively stable. Sadigh (electric guitar) has had bandmates Soheil Peyghambar (woodwinds), Mazyar Younessi (piano, voice), and Rouzbeh Fadavi (drums) on most of the group’s albums.

The instrumentation suggests many possibilities, including chamber jazz, Rock In Opposition-style art rock, and free improvisation, and the compositions have often been credited to Sadigh. But here the music is credited to the entire band, just as it was on the previous album. The practice of adding players from outside the quartet to the sessions was also repeated: the personnel includes bass guitarist/Chapman stick bassist Tony Levin, and touch guitarist Markus Reuter–who are also given co-composer credits. It makes for a bigger sound–the quartet is effectively a sextet most of the time–and clearly, the situation was an inspiration for all of the players.

The music that's presented on "Deerand" is quite diverse. Some parts sound like improvised soundscapes while other parts seem to have been written out for the entire ensemble.
Unfamiliar with their previous albums, this was a fine introduction.

NEW RELEASE BY MEN & VOLTS

More music from the Men & Volts archives: a new album entitled "Red Hair Girl".

You get 17 versions of 'Red Hair Girl', from the original album track (from 1983) to various live recordings.

For those who are into the music of Captain Beefheart !!

MOON ZAPPA AUDIOBOOK

• Moon Zappa: Earth To Moon – A Memoir
      (2024, mp3 cd, --, harper audio)

There's an Audiobook of Moon Zappa’s “Earth To Moon”.
Read by the author.

84 chapters, 101 mp3 media files.

It was (still is?) available from Amazon.

Yes, this is an audiobook about growing up in the shadows of Frank Zappa, in a sexually free, but also dysfunctional world in 1970s LA.

DWEEZIL ZAPPA'S "ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA" BAND

Dweezil says:

WATCH MY BAND SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2kvyWI_e3I

QUANTUM FANTAY - LIVE AT MIMESIS CLUB (BARCELONA)

• Quantum Fantay: Live At Mimesis Club (Barcelona)
      (2020, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)

Belgian space rock band Quantum Fantay release "Live At Mimesis Club (Barcelona)" in April 2020.

This live show was recorded during the protests in Barcelona on October 18th, 2019, during one of the psychedelic nights of Mimesis in the Wolf Club.

DUSAN JEVTOVIC - NO ANSWER

• Dusan Jevtovic: No Answer
      (2017, cd, USA, moonjune records)

I admire Dusan Jevtovic's guitar playing.
On "No Answer", Dusan is joined by Vasil Hadzimanov (piano, rhodes & moog) and Asaf Sirkis (drums).
Instrumental jazz-rock.

There's some excellent music to be found on "No Answer", my favorite tracks being the more up-tempo ones.
The CD got released in 2017 and the album was made available on Bandcamp as well (in 2019).
Recommended listening.

DIE HUSOS - ZAPPANALE #33

• Die Husos: Zappanale #33
      (2024, cdr, Germany, private release)

Die Husos, better known as Die Miserablen HuSos, presented a CDR recording of their 2024 Zappanale concert (previously only available as a digital download on Bandcamp) as an exclusive for the Heubacher Zappanacht, a German festival that took place on October 19, 2024.
Limited, numbered edition.

Featuring Sascha Krieger (v, g), Sebastian Schaub (keys, backing v), Benedikt Seidel (bass), Florian Aul (g, backing v), Alice Vornwald (trumpet), Niels Wagner (d, backing v).

1. Intro – Erbarme, Jim Kommt
   
2. Mir Sinn Die Band
    = I’m The Slime
3. Kerbmädsche Girls
    = Catholic Girls
4. Alugenie
    = Cosmik Debris
5. Am Hang Da Zieht’s, Betty
    = Hungry Freaks, Daddy
6. Senf Im Stuhl
    = Dancin’ Fool
7. Riesenglied (Incl. Uah Uah Uah)
    = Easy Meat
8. Dusel Im Dorf
    = Bamboozled By Love
9. Tequila Tötet Deine Mudder
    = My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama
10. Son Of Mr. Worschtsupp
     = Son Of Mr. Green Genes
11. Die Rache Vom Chunga
     = Chunga’s Revenge
12. Du Vieh Bleibst Schö Im Dorf
     = Dirty Love
13. Die Alde Frisst Nur Light
     = Why Don’tcha Do Me Right?
14. Son Of Orange Stammheim
     = Son Of Orange County
15. Die Katastrophe
     = Trouble Every Day
16. Zieh Dich Beim Tanzen Kemplett Aus / The Ugliest POYB
    = Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance /  What’s The Ugliest Part Of Your Body?
17. Schaub’s Garage
     = Joe’s Garage
18. Warum Tut’s Weh Wenn Ich Piss?
     = Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?
19. Lucille
     = Lucille Has Messed My Mind Up

THE RESIDENTS - THE RESIDENTS ARE FACELESS

• the residents: the residents are faceless
      (2024, 2cd, Austria, klanggalerie)
      (2024, download / streaming, --, bandcamp)

Released as a 2 CD set earlier this year, and now also available for download & streaming through Bandcamp: "The Residents Are Faceless".
Recorded in Hamburg on February 7, 2023.

I caught them about week earlier in Brussels.
Next to The One Who Cannot Be Named, the band featured Eric Drew Feldman on keyboards, Warren Huegel on drums, and Nolan Cook on guitar.

I liked the concert. I liked it a lot. Nolan's guitar playing was up front in the mix, just how I liked it.
And the same is true for this album.
Sure, it's some sort of 'best of', brought live, but that's just perfect for me.

A couple of days ago, the album was also made available through Bandcamp !
Reason enough the give the CD another spin.

Give it a listen.
My favorite track is the final one: 'Nobody Laughs When They Leave'.

LA STPO - TRANCHES DE TEMPS JETÉ

• La Stpo: Tranches de Temps Jeté
      (2006, cd, USA, beta-lactam records)

By the time of the release of "Tranches de Temps Jeté", La Société Des Timides À La Parade Des Oiseaux had already shortened their band name to La Stpo (or La STPO).

French ensemble La STPO started out in the early eighties. The band has released 10 albums in various configurations.

Experimental, avant-garde, whatever one might call it, this is excellent.

I discovered the band through my friend Uli who is listing (and commenting) all the concerts he visited.
La STPO performed at Charly's Freakshow ArtRock Festival at least once. Also a perfect reason to check them out.

Next to the CD, the (U.S. based) Beta-Lactam Records label also issued the album as an LP + 12" picture disc. I couldn't resist and ordered a copy of it. It looks great !!
CD's are comfortable, easy to use and easy to stock but when it comes to artwork, nothing can beat an LP, especially with an added picture disc...

La STPO.
Check them out !

OTPMD - VENTRE UNIQUE

• Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp: Ventre Unique
      (2024, cd, Switzerland, bongo joe)

My CD copy of "Ventre Unique" arrived earlier this week.

I discovered the OTPMD's music when they performed at Zappanale in 2017.
I've been buying their albums ever since.

"Ventre Unique" is (another) fine album.
Eclectic, a beautiful combination of instruments, and cheerful vocals.
The perfect start of the weekend.

Also out on LP, and even in a colored vinyl edition.

ZAPPOSTROPHE 153

Issue 153 of Zappostrophe, produced by the the Czech Frank Zappa Fan Club, is out.

EIDON - MICROSONATINA NO.2

Eidon has just released 'Microsonatina No.2' through Bandcamp.

SKORDATURA CONCERT IN OOSTENDE, BE, ON NOVEMBER 17

On Sunday 17 November 2024, Skordatura, flanked by Fender Rhodes wizard Jozef Dumoulin and Mâäk horns Laurent Blondiau, Sylvain Debaisieux, Grégoire Tirtiaux and Michel Massot, will proudly present their latest album ‘Beefkat’ (W.E.R.F. Records) live at KAAP in Ostend, BE.
Appointment at 5pm. 

Line-up:

• Laurent Blondiau - trompet
• Grégoire Tirtiaux - altsax
• Sylvain Debaisieux - tenorsax
• Michel Massot - tuba
• Jozef Dumoulin - Fender Rhodes
• Jakob Haghebaert - gitaar
• Joshua Dellaert - bas
• Sebastiaan Vekeman - drums

Tickets & info: https://www.kaap.be/toont/skordatura-dumoulin-maak-werf-records-release

BUCKETHEAD

Buckethead
full halloween show at The Fillmore in San Francisco.

 

ALAN JENKINS AND THE KETTERING VAMPIRES

From the album "Painting the Horse's Nose in the Wrong Place"

Not from the album "Painting the Horse's Nose in the Wrong Place"

BEEFHEART POEM V.2

Byron Coley and Ted Lee released "As Seen In Your Wildest Dream" on LP, on cassette, and as a Bandcamp digital download in December 2022.

Check out track two, 'Beefheart Poem V.2'.

KEVIN KASTNING & CARL CLEMENTS - PARTITAS, BOOK 1

• Kevin Kastning & Carl Clements: Partitas, Book 1
      (2024, cd, UK, greydisc)

Master (and designer) of multi-string guitars, Kevin Kasting, has collaborated with different musicians over the years.
On his latest album, "Partitas, Book 1", Kevin is joined by Carl Clements, an artist with whom he has been working for quite some years. Carl already participated on the eponymous 1988 jazz album "The Kevin Kastning Unit".

"Partitas, Book 1" presents music from a different world. It's contemporary classical guitar music interwoven with beautiful saxophone jazz lines.
It goes together extremely well, creating beautiful soundscapes and atmospheres.

The album is being released on the Greydisc Records label next week.
http://www.greydisc.com/

Check it out. Give it a listen.

THE COLLECTED ZAPPANALE UPATES

The Zappanale team has been sending out regular updates the last couple of months.

So far, the following bands are scheduled to play at the next edition of the Zappanale festival 

• Polka Streng
  
  
• ZAPPALOT - performing the music of FZ
• TREACHEROUS CRETINS - Amazing UK band, performing the music of FZ. The toured the UK with Robert Martin earlier this year.
  
• Z3 - a crowdfunding exercise has been started to get Z3 at Zappanale to perform their funky takes of FZ music
• Cheap Thrills - (Straight-forward) Dutch FZ cover band. They performed at the Mosae Zappa festival in Heerlen last year. Or was it the year before...
• CIARDELLI-DRAGO-STRANO - magnificent classical music interpretations, including Zappa
• TÕ YÕ
• DET SCANDALÉSE ORKESTRA - Zappa-esque Scandinavian rock band. Recommended !!
• Paul Green's Rock Academy feat. - Robert Martin - Scott Thunes - Ray White - a headliner. Rock school students with alumni, performing FZ
• The Breed
• Silas & Saski
• The Dorf
• YUVAL RON - excellent fusion
• Monika Roscher Bigband - big band music with a twist
• OZRIC TENTACLES - space rock

A SPANISH FRANK ZAPPA SONGBOOK

 Actually, it will be a bilingual book: English + Spanish.

"Zappa - Obra Lirica Completa"

By Manuel de la Fuenta.

To be published later this month.

MICK FARREN - - - VAMPIRES STOLE MY LUNCH MONEY

Mick Farren''s "Vampires Stole My Lunch Money" got released in 1978.
It included a fine version of FZ's 'Trouble Coming Every Day".

The album got reissued on CD in 1988.
Also noteworthy is the 2018 re-release by the Gonzo Multimedia label.
The album cover only differs slightly from the original one (as it has a larger font), but the rest of the artwork is completely different.

-

-

-

DWEEZIL ZAPPA RELEASED TWO TRACKS OF HIS RECENT PHILADLPHIA CONCERT

Dweezil Zappa has just released two tracks of his recent Philadelphia concert to his Silver-Subscribers.

https://www.dweezilzappa.com/

He added:

Happy Halloween Everyone!

I just posted 2 FREE SONGS for all of the Silver Subscribers. Both are from Philadelphia on the recent Rox-Postrophy Tour.

While I'm home in between tours, I'm starting the process of adding a lot of new music to my website and doing massive amounts of video editing for killer new content.

Enjoy the free "Silver" audio treats and stay tuned for much more cool new stuff! As Always, I greatly appreciate your support! Best, DZ

NEW RELEASE FROM BLACK FLOWER

Belgian Ethio-jazz ensemble Black Flower has just announced their new album, "Kinetic".

 

NEW ALBUM BY THE WRONG OBJECT

The Wrong Object has just released "In And Outflown Tapes" as a download / streaming release by the Off Records label.
I'm not sure if it will also be out on CD, but I do hope so.

“The new 'The Wrong Object' album is a collection of unreleased and lost recovered tracks in the various formations the band went through the years. Prog and avant jazz at his best. Enjoy!”

STEWART COPELAND - TALK RADIO

Stewart Copeland - TALK RADIO

-- link: Harald Häring
 

TWO MORE ZAPPA RADIO SHOW ALBUMS ANNOUNCED

Two more Zappa radio show albums were announced.
LP, coloured inyl, 500 numbered copies.

"Sinister Footwear"

"Zoot Aloors"

THE NEW RESIDENTS EP GOT RELEASED TODAY

 10" EP
"Dookietown"

ANOTHER FRANK ZAPPA RADIO SHOW ALBUM ANNOUNCED

With the catchy title, "Greatest Hits Broadcast Collection", this 2 CD set will be released somewhere later this month.

WARREN HAYNES (& DEREK TRUCKS) - - - REAL REAL LOVE

Behind the Song video for "Real Real Love” by Warren Haynes from his new album “Million Voices Whisper.”

 

UK JAZZ BAND FLOCK HAS JUST RELEASED THEIR SECOND ALBUM

UK supergroup Flock return with their anticipated sophomore album ‘Flock II’.

Comprising an exceptional line-up featuring Bex Burch (fresh from her debut solo album on International Anthem), Sarathy Korwar, Tamar Osborn (Collocutor, Dele Sosimi, Unknown To Known), Danalogue (The Comet Is Coming / Soccer96) and Al MacSween (Kefaya), the new recordings showcase Flock’s ability to push the boundaries of the composition process and craft unique tracks based on their collective spirit.

 

THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND IN CONCERT AT THE IRIDIUM ON NOVEMBER 18

ORCHESTRE TOUT PUISSANT MARCEL DUCHAMP - VENTRE UNIQUE

The new album by the Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp is out !

"Ventre Unique".

Available on LP, on CD and through Bandcamp.

A MESSAGE FROM THE Z.E.R.O. ENSEMBLE

A message from the Z.E.R.O. Ensemble

Happy November!

The postal rates keep going up, but our prices keep coming down.

In celebration of the ensuing Holiday chaos, we are pricing all of the Z.E.R.O. CD's st $5.00 each through Xmas 2024! (while supplies last) Fill out your Z.E.R.O. catalog! Buy a disc for a friend! Do it your way!

https://zeroensemble.bandcamp.com/community?