Just a little reminder: the Panzerballett tour dates are getting closer:
23.09.2026 FR – Paris, Le Triton
24.09.2026 BE – Ittre, Zik-Zak
25.09.2026 DE – Köln, Euroblast Festival
26.09.2026 DE – Waldbronn, Soundcheck One
27.09.2026 DE – Berlin, Maschinenhaus
28.09.2026 DE – Fürth, Kofferfabrik
29.09.2026 AT – Wien, Porgy & Bess
02.10.2026 DE – München, Jazzclub Unterfahrt
In 2018, Stephen Steinbrink released "Utopia Teased".
The album included a piece entitled 'Zappa Dream'.
Apparently a cover version of song written and previously recorded by Rosie Steffy, telling a surreal, dreamlike, (zappa-esque ?) story.
Here's Stephen Steinbrink's version, also released on CD and on LP.
Andy Edwards' latest release presents five tracks.
Always worth checking out. If you're only going to listen to two tracks, I can recommend the centerpiece, 'Kozmoz', and the final track, 'Chanan's Lost Blues', featuring Chanan Hanspal.
J.M. Smig:
On this day in 2022, I recorded the guitar track for "Curcuma Morta" during a Fingers in the Forest session in Wyman Woods.
"Curcuma Morta" is now combined with "Swiss Lorraine" as a 2-sided single. Previous purchases of separate tracks apply to this re-release.
jmsmig.bandcamp.com/album/swiss-lorraine-curcuma-morta
-- info: Danny Mathys
Graphic artist Andreas Rausch has updated his "Zappaesk" book AND translated it in English !
Frank Zappa, A completely fictional story based on true events in the life of Frank Zappa, Surrealism & Philosophy in the work of Frank Zappa, One Size Fits All & Freak Out! This is the Book. This is ZAPPAesk., Zappaesk - In the spirit of Zappa
Originally released as a paperback book in 2005, in German, the book is now available in an English hardcover edition from BoD.
https://buchshop.bod.de/zappaesk-andreas-rausch-9783696780029
I ordered my copy yesterday.
Really looking forward to this.
From The Metal Collective newsletter:
Kavus Torabi returns with "October by Name", a new solo album from one of the most distinctive voices in modern psychedelic and progressive music.
Best known for his work with Gong, Cardiacs and The Utopia Strong, Torabi has spent decades pushing psychedelic rock into strange, adventurous and deeply personal territory. His solo work brings together psychedelia, progressive rock, avant-garde experimentation and beautifully eccentric songwriting.
"October by Name" continues that journey, delivering an album that feels expansive, otherworldly and unmistakably Kavus Torabi.
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Here's an audio Zappa band live version from 1973 05 12 Boston, MA
Also check out:
https://www.zappa-analysis.com/join-the-march-and-eat-my-starch.htm
P.I.L.'s "Album" is getting re-released on the Elektra label, in the Rhino Reserve series.
Featuring Steve Vai on guitar !
John Lydon would invite warm, eclectic company into the studio in 1986: Steve Vai on guitar, Ryuichi Sakamoto on keys, Ginger Baker behind the kit, and Bill Laswell co-producing. Listen past the leading anti-marketing joke - the vinyl version was called Album, the cassette Cassette, the single Single and the video Video - and you've actually a decent record on your lap here.
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Charles Michael's most recent album, "Crossed Out", presents a set of 20 cover versions, recorded between 2019 and 2026.
It includes Charles Michael's version of Frank Zappa's 'Baby Snakes'.
Check it out, right after 'Making Plans For Nigel' !!
Feat.
Bobby Jameson and his girlfriend at the time Gail Sloatman, and the L.A. freaks / dancing group with Vito Paulekas,
Szou, and Carl Franzoni.
It also briefly shows Frank Zappa and Jimmy
Carl Black.
Revisiting Needlepoint's latest album, "Remnants Of Light'.
Bjørn Klakegg's fragile vocals combined with the melodic, storytelling approach give "Remnants Of Light" its distinctive and recognizable sound.
For fans of the Canterbury scene.
Beautiful.
German psychedelic rock trio The Spacelords are back.
Havin enjoyed their 2023 "Nectar Of The Gods" album, I'm very happy their brand new "Uranus Omnibus Sanctus".
Delivering heavy, hypnotic space rock, the album presents four expansive, long form instrumental tracks spanning roughly 45 minutes.
The Spacelords managed to find the perfect balance between structured progressive rock and gravity defying, sci-fi jam excursions.
Recommended listening !
In an attempt to get my brain and mind prepared for some upcoming John Coltrane tributes (Flat Earth Society, but also Aka Moon), I submerged myself into the latest Ivo Perelman, Matthew Shipp, William Parker and Bobby Kapp collaboration, "Synesthesia".
Sure, "Synesthesia" is not a tribute to the music of John Coltrane, but it's a fine example of intense and spontaneous improvisations. Characteristics that can also be found in John Coltrane's music.
Five extended modern jazz tracks. Great interplay. Beautiful.
"Synesthesia". The album title does the music justice !
Really good interview / discussion. Lots of technical details.
& Josh Smith is playing his signature Ibanez FLATV2-MSN guitar.
"All That", new album by Rachel Flowers.
Bandcamp download / streaming release, but also out on CD.
Rachel is currently gearing up for her appearance at ProgStock with Estronaut! Estronaut is the first all-female progressive rock band and includes Durga McBroom, Julie Slick, Jane Getter, and Camille Gainer! They will be performing on Friday, October 9th, at 4:30 pm.Rachel will also be playing some flute at ProgStock, first with incredible guitarist Andy Graziano (who you may know from Jon Anderson's backing band, The Band Geeks) and with the band Nektar! Both of these performances will take place on Thursday, October 8th.
-- info: André Oomen
Warren Haynes' new album will be called "Dreams & Songs".
It features Warren Haynes, The Asheville Symphony Orchestra, and a nice number of collaborators.
Recorded in Warren Haynes’ hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, Dreams & Songs captures a special night of music alongside the 64-piece Asheville Symphony Orchestra. Spanning 16 tracks, this symphonic journey brings new dimension to Warren’s songs while celebrating the place that has shaped so much of his musical life.
The album features a stellar lineup of special collaborators, including Oteil Burbridge, John Medeski, Jeff Sipe, Greg Osby, Edwin McCain and Jasmine Muhammad, with the Asheville Symphony bringing these songs to life on a grand scale.
Available as a limited-edition 3-LP peach vinyl and in CD format, Dreams & Songs is a special piece of Warren’s story and a must-have for any fan.
From Sand To Stardust is a French heavy psychedelic rock band.
The trio released an EP and 2024 and is now back with a new single: 'Carving Stone From Space'.
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I know, I know.
But I do think it's funny.
(although I haven't listened to everything yet).
Artificial (AI) Zappa Plays Phish
I started my session by checking out the encore (Phish playing The Dead's 'Terrapin Station' in an arrangement by AI Zappa).
Set I
Set II
Set III
The Encore
In 1981, a U.S. bootlegger released "20 Years Of Frank Zappa", a 12 LP bootleg vinyl box set.
People who were subscribed to Society Pages magazine at the time were the first ones to be informed.
The box got released with two different album covers.
All of the 12 LP's also got released separately in silver album covers, hence the name: "the silver edition". Released in a limited edition of 25.
For collectors, as all of the material has been made available (for free) through Zappateers.
Utopianisti meets a 22-member choir in this 6 song entity. True to its name, "Henki" (spirit) reaches for something hard to put into words. Tightly composed material coexists with improvisation, and the soulful music not only moves across the boundaries of different traditions but also evades genre definitions altogether. The result is a work that is at once delicate and massive: fragile, beautiful moods occasionally grow into hair-raising climaxes, with just the right amount of cacophony mixed in.
Out on Bandcamp and on vinyl.
Released on CD and now also out on Bandcamp:
"Dead Creature - Original Soundtrack" by Hardy Fox, the (late) composer for The Residents.
In the (Dutch) series "How so, jazz ?", Kika Sprangers en Koen Graat dive into the jazz corner of FZ's musical universe.
https://www.vpro.nl/vrije-geluiden/artikelen/frank-zappa-en-de-geur-van-jazz
The podcast kicks off with the Wizards Of Ooze. Can't get a better start than that.
Check out Derek Trucks' roaring guitar notes at the start of his solo !!
September 7 will see another Zappanale special on the "Music Across" radio show.
MUSIC ACROSS
Jeden 1. Montag im Monat um 21 Uhr
RADIO ORANGE - ORANGE 94.0
https://o94.at/de/sendereihe/413/music-across
https://cba.media/podcast/music-across
Folge 139 – Zappanale 2026 – #1
Frauenpower im Zappa-Universum
Pamela des Barres, Tante Tofu & VKB
07.09.2026, 21 Uhr
Eine detaillierte Inhaltsbeschreibung mit Playlist ist hier zu finden:
A couple of years ago, I mentioned the excellent "ZZAJ - Jazz From The 23rd Century" compilation album.
It was the first of three proposed "various artists" releases in the series “23rd Century Music”.
Released on CD by the Jazzprint label in 2007, The Wrong Object's "Platform One" got a digital platform release on the Off Records label earlier this week
Just look at this line-up !!
Mike Keneally just released "Wine And Pickles" on Bandcamp.
It includes a bonus track compared to the original 2008 release.
More vintage vinyl.
Just for fun.
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The third Red Rocks concert by Goose is also up on Bandcamp.
https://www.westword.com/music/photos-goose-closes-out-three-nights-at-red-rocks-40930069/
Every now and then, we have to talk about pure, uncut funk. When we do, we inevitably look toward Minneapolis and its absolute ruler, Prince.
Candy Dulfer's "We Never Stop" (released via Mascot Label Group) proves that the groove did not freeze in 2016.
This is superb !!
Here's a complete concert from 2023, including a guest appearance of her dad (and jazz legend) Hans Dulfer.
-- info: Harald Haering
The 2 CD set that recently got released by JMCC Media Group, presenting material that was previously available only to pledgers of the 2017 Tales from the Vault PledgeMusic campaign, has now been made available as a download:
https://jmccmediagroup.gumroad.com/l/allanholdsworth
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/secretchiefs3/secret-chiefs-3-act-iii
NPG Records has just released "Timeless", which is an album title that raises certain expectations.
Is it a timeless album? One of the best albums ever released by Prince (or NPG Records)?
I guess not, but it does present a fine selection of songs from Prince's entire career, including a superb live version of 'How Come You Don't Call Me Anymore', recorded March 2016, only weeks before his passing.
Vintage vinyl !
* Frank Zappa: Hot Rats At The Olympic
(t.m.o.q. - green vinyl)
* Various Artists: Schischgebab (Wino Man)
((bm1020)
