Toni Eberle (electric guitar) and Markus De Pretto (electric bass) released a CD with various (mostly) jazz standards in 2005. Track number 9 is Frank Zappa's 'Blessed Relief'. Great version.
Earlier this year, John Trubee released three records.
"Gloop Nox And The Stik People" was a collection of material that John Trubee and Jim Nevius had written in the seventies. It got re-recorded and put on an album. It sounded good. Very seventies, but good.
"A Blind Man's Penis And Other Smash Hits" had us listening to recordings from 1999 and 2004. Sounded really good. It made me wonder what JT had been up to lately, music-wise.
But there's also "Nude Woman Exdocrius", presenting recordings from 2013 and 2014, and that's just awesome.
This is it. This is the real deal. This is the brand-new John Trubee album that we've been waiting for. Parts recorded in L.A. and parts in San Francisco, the album sounds heavier and funkier than what I've heard before.
Excellent vocals by Mark Langton and by Laurie Amat. Superb guitar playing by John Trubee.
I love it.
Swiss jazz quintet Le Rex has been making music since 2009. "Wild Man" is their third album.
Their combination of two saxophones, a trombone, a tuba and drums results in a very specific brass sound.
Instrumental jazz.
Joyful. Playful. Energetic.
Worth checking out.
After two well-received CDs recorded with transportable gear on different specifically chosen locations in Corsica (the group named themselves after an abandoned cinema they found on the island) and Switzerland, the Swiss quintet, decided to take it one step further. The material on this third record is inspired by a very successful first tour through the United States of America, composed and then rehearsed in Chicago, premiered on their second U.S. tour and then recorded in Chicago by the sound engineer Griffin Rodriguez, who has recorded most of the exponents of the vibrating Chicago jazz scene as well as more rock oriented projects like Beirut and his own Icy Demons. Griffin was a perfect fit for the band, understood the preferred rawness and directness the group was trying to achieve and therefore suggested recording in his father's garage. Without trying to imitate the great American jazz innovators but to give them tribute, Le Rex found their own, European approach to the inspirations provided by the people, places, parties, stories, styles, long car drives, food and life they encountered as musicians on the road.
I mentioned the John Trubee / Jim Nevius collaboration, Gloop Nox & The Stik People a couple of weeks ago, telling you that John Trubee had recentely released three records.
Here's "A Blind Man's Penis And Other Smash Hits", presenting a fabulous bunch of new material next to some older songs. The older songs being 'A Blind Man's Penis' and 'Your Stupid Friends' from the excellent "World Of Lying Pigs" album.
The new material is from a December 1998 / January 1999 session and from the 2004/2005 project "Satan Killed Me Today".
I'm playing the album right now (and pretty loud too, if I may add) and it is great.
Honest album artwork (you see what you get), excellent info on the different recordings sessions and the participating musicians, and printed-out lyrics... Great package.
An excellent job by John Trubee. Featuring Richie Hass, Marc Mylar, Kurt McGettrick (who recorded an toured with Zappa in 1988) and Laurie Amat (who recorded and toured with The Residents).
A recent visit to Brussels had me spot two new Frank Zappa vinyl bootleg albums.
Sort of counterfeits as they're vinyl versions of the "Roxy By Proxy" CD.
Both limited to 150 copies. On clear and on blue vinyl.
Compiled by BBC DJ Gilles Peterson.
Impressive booklet with lengthy sleeve notes and nice pictures.
Includes, as one could imagine, two previously unreleased tracks.
Also out on vinyl, but different.
Earlier this year, the Ozit record label released another album with various live recordings from Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band.
Ozit adds: Batlight Clearkid 1970's is an LP compilation of great Captain Beefheart live material recorded in the UK and in Europe. The tracks are taken from John Peels personal collection of live reel to reel tapes and this album was put together by John Peel in 2002 and passed across for release on the Dandelion label. The gatefold sleeve contains many previously unseen Captain Beefheart images. The initial pressing will be 1000 units in 180 gram yellow vinyl.
June 1973, the New Trier West High School jazz ensemble performed a concert in which they played Frank Zappa's 'Peaches En Regalia'. It got recorded and released the very same year by the school as a private release.
I remember reading about this album in Nobbie's Zappalog. The album got mentioned but he did not have all the data. Years (and I mean 'years') later, I got some extra info (and the above picture of the album cover) from Hans-Peter Schmidt who had been able to acquire a copy.
I contacted the school and I even exchanged e-mails with someone who had worked on the project. They told me that they could hardly remember the project as they had done so many... Anyway, I was finally able to obtain a copy a couple of weeks ago. Happy me.
The ensemble plays a fine version of Zappa's most famous tune. Re-arranged and very nice.
Robbie 'Seahag' Mangano brought along a new release on his recent tour with The Banned From Utoppia. "Full Moon Fever" actually is his second solo album, his first one being "We'll Got To Be About Da Bidnus".
"Full Moon Fever" is a great album. And not just because it has Betty Page on the album cover.
The disc presents 15 tracks plus about 12 demos. It displays an excellent mixture of styles including some very zappa-esque pieces and guitar solos. Lots of guest appearances as well. Lots of familiar sounding names including former Project/Object colleagues, but also Don Preston, Napoleon Murphy Brock and Ed Mann.
Subtitled "Limited European Edition", this might not be the easiest album to track down once the BFU tour finishes, so get it while you can !
Recommended.
Unfortunately, the Seahag's first album is sold out (which is not too surprising if you consider that it was released in 2002).. It's still available as a download, but those of us who like to surround themselves with the real deal physical object will not have an easy task tracking it down.
Robbie was telling me that he was considering to remix his first album as it was very lo-fi. That would be nice. And even nicer if it would get a CD-release.
In the meantime, "Full Moon Fever" will do nicely.
The Seahag has performed with Project/Object, The Grandmothers and witih The Banned From Utopia (and I'm just mentioning the Zappa tribute bands).
Here's a guitar solo from a concert with The Grandmothers !!
You might already have encountered Fred Händl as joined forces with Zappatika about a year or two ago. He also hosted last year's Frank Zappa Day in Tilburg, NL.
All this to say that Fred Händl is familiar with the music of Frank Zappa.
"Fred Händl Plays The Music Of Frank Zappa".
Mixed between a couple of original compositions, we get to experience Fred Händl's view on the music of FZ.
Mixed with some spoken word fragments, and with the help of the Giacomo di Lindini Trio, Herrie Friend, Fuckpig and Paul Walford, we're treated to an orchestrated, yet chaotic world where Fred Händl pays tribute to the music of Frank Zappa.
I like it a lot.
