JOHN LITTON BAROÏ AND PIERRE VERVLOESEM - ZALA ZALA

• john litton baroï & pierre vervloesem: zala zala
  (2000, cd, bel, carbon 7)

A bit over ten years ago, the Brussels-based Carbon 7 label released an album by John Litton Baroï.
John Litton Baroï was born in Bangladesh but lived in Brussels at the time. I don't have a clue where he lives nowadays. He might still live in Brussels. I don't have a clue.
"Zala Zala" featured Pierre Vervloesem who played a lot of freaky guitar, who also arranged all of Baroï's songs and who produced the disc. Besides John Litton Baroï and Pierre Vervloesem (who also played the bass), the album also featured Sandip Bhattacharva on tablas, Peter Vandenberghe on keyboards, and Didier Fontaine on very powerful, machine-like drumming.

Pierre Vervloesem's influence is very present. Presenting this album as a Baroï / Vervloesem collaboration was the least that they could do.

Picture and data have been added to the United Mutations Archives.

JIMMY HERRING & ZOOT ALLURES

A little while ago, I linked to a YouTube movie of Jimmy Herring, performing Zoot Allures.
The actual date of this performance was 2009/04/24. Here's the complete listing for this concert.

• 2009/04/24 Jimmy Herring Band - concert 'The Handlebar', Greenville, SC, usa

line-up
Jimmy Herring - guitar * Oteil Burbridge - bass * Jeff Sipe - drums * Greg Osby - saxophone * Scott Kinsey - keyboards

setlist
New Moon, Transients, Speak No Evil, Augusta's Ankle, Utensil Oceans, Sophie, Zoot Allures (Frank Zappa), Splash, Grey Day, Scapegoat Blues, What If
encores
Band Intros, Rainbow

A recording of this concert can be found on etree:
http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=524670

-- link: Jan van Kemenade

SUN RA ARKESTRA IN ISRAEL & ENGLAND

from the Saturn Newsgroup - Greg Drusdow says:

The Sun Ra Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen will conclude its 2011 World Tour with appearances in Israel and England. Details about this exciting manifestation of the Arkestra, which includes the 4th residency of the Sun Ra Arkestra at the Cafe Oto, are below:

December 3 - Barbie Club, Tel Aviv, Israel

December 6, 7, & 8 - Cafe Oto, London, England [December 8 is sold out]
http://www.cafeoto.co.uk/programme.shtm

December 10 - Band on the Wall, Manchester, England
http://bandonthewall.org

December 11 - Butlin's Holiday Resort, Somerset, England
http://www.butlins.com/resorts/minehead

A very interesting interview with current Sun Ra Arkestra member Knoell Scott regarding his experiences with Sun Ra can be found at:
http://www.soulandjazzandfunk.com/interviews/1444-sun-ra-a-me-saxophonist-knoel-scott-tells-sjf-about-his-time-with-the-legendary-bandleader.html

Also, Sun Ra Arkestra alumni Vincent Chancey discusses his introduction to Sun Ra, his first Arkestra rehearsal, and his first Arkestra gig in an interview in the December 2011 edition of The New York City Jazz Record. The article is on page 6 and can be downloaded at:
http://nycjazzrecord.com

MORAINE - METAMORPHIC ROCK

• moraine: metamorphic rock
  (2011, usa, cd, moonjune records)

When the Moonjune Records released Moraine's "Manifest Density" in 2009, I was quite impressed.
We're 2011 now, and Moraine is back with "Metamorphic Rock", another excellent album.

Moraine plays fusionlike, instrumental progressive rock with a dash of world and eastern flavours.
Compared to their first release, the colour of their sound has changed a little bit, and the line-up did slightly change as well. Dennis Rea on guitar, Kevin Millard on bass & NS/stick, Alicia DeJoie on violin, James DeJoie on sax and flute and Stephen Cavit on drums and percussion.

The album was recorded live in concert at the 2010 edition of NEARfest. The sound is great and the performance is excellent. It's hard to believe that this was recorded live. The band plays very tight, very powerfull.

NEARfest, is one of the biggest festivals for progressive rock music fans. I'm pretty sure that Moraine made quite an impression. 2012 will see the last edition of NEARfest, byt the way, which is a shame as many great bands have performed there.

Moraine has a very unique and recognisable sound and "Metamorphic Rock" gives a perfect description of what you will get. Just listen to the below clip, and you'll immeditately hear what I mean.
Recommended !

www.moonjune.com

Here's 'Save The Yuppie Breeding Grounds' from the very same NEARfest concert. The track could be already be found on "Manifest Density" and is now available on "Metamorphic Rock" in a live version.

ZPZ FEAT. MATTIAS IA EKLUNDH

And while ZPZ is touring the UK, here's some great looking footage from last year's show in Gothenburg.
With Freak Kitchen guitar master Mattias IA Eklundh as special guest !!

THE RESIDENTS - COOCHIE BRAKE SPECIAL EDITION

• the residents: couchie brake special edition
  (2011, 2cd, usa, ralph rz1110)

The Residents released "Couchie Brake - Special Edition" only a couple of weeks ago. This is the so-called special edition because it's a two CD set. The regular (single CD album) will be out next february.
There are two remarkable things about this album: one: it features Chuck, Bob and Carlos (plus special guests Nolan Cook and M.Villalobos), and second: it's not only subtitled "Sonidos De La Noche", but the story is told in Spanish, which adds some sort of other dimension...

I do like it, but I had not expected this.

The horrible thing about this release, however, is that it's a limited edition of 444 copies that is completely being sold through ebay. I don't like that. I like to buy my albums in a regular shop.

I wasn't too happy when I found out that The Residents were selling some of their new albums only at their shows. They didn't tour Yurrip, so how are we Yurripean fans going to get a copy? And now things are even getting worse with this ebay mess.
I don't like where this is going.

ZAPPA THE HARD WAY GETS PAPERBACK EDITION

"Zappa The Hard Way", Andrew Greenaway's essential book on the what and why of Frank Zappa's 1988 tour, has been made available as a paperback.

FZ's 1988 tour not only was Zappa's final tour, it also was an exceptional tour musicwise. Superb horn arrangements of classic Zappa tunes; fun with Beatles songs, and much, much more.
The book made me go back to a couple of Zappa albums (and concert recordings) that I hadn't listened to in a while.

Featuring new interviews with the surviving band members, a Foreword by Frank’s sister Candy, and an Afterword by his former secretary, Pauline Butcher (who interviewed Frank during the tour) - this is a must-read not only for Zappa fans but for anyone with an interest in playground psychology.

The book can be purchased from:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Zappa-Hard-Way-Andrew-Greenaway/dp/1908724005/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1321633455&sr=1-2

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/zappa-the-hard-way-andrew-greenaway/1107168814?ean=9781908724007&itm=1&usri=zappa+the+hard+way

Wymer: http://www.wymeruk.co.uk/Store/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=1366

Andrew adds:
For more details - including excerpts, reviews and other nonsense - visit: http://www.facebook.com/ZappaTheHardWay

'NEW' SUN RA 7" ON NORTON RECORDS

• sun ra: sun ra presents the qualities
  (2011, 7", usa, norton records norton 169ep)

Originally issued in 1955, this rare doo-wop single now gets a re-release on Norton Records.
Norton already released a similar 7" two years ago with "I Am Strange / I Am An Instrument".
Vinyl isn't dead !!

ALESSANDRA CELLETTI - CRAZY GIRL BLUE

• alessandra celletti: crazy girl blue
  (2011, cd, usa, transparency 0362)

Italian pianist Alessandra Celletti has a new album out. "Crazy Girl Blue" is a collection of solo piano pieces.
As the album cover, the album title, and the titles of the various compositions suggest, "Crazy Girl Blue" invites you to an intimate world, Alessandra Celleti's fairyland.
The compositions are very melodical, very lyrical.
Noteworthy is track 5, 'Tra Una Stella E L'altra' that features Maurizio Mansueti on theremin. Excellent.

"Crazy Girl Blue" is a narrative and entertaining album.
I found it quite restful.
Nice. Very nice.
Out on the Transparency label.

TIM KEIPER

Tip Keiper appeared on dutch tv on 2011/11/20 as part of Cyro Baptista's Banquet Of The Spirits band.
The band performed two compositions on "Vrije Geluiden".

Tim Keiper appeared in a Captain Beefheart t-shirt.