PROJET ROME - 5

• projet rome: 5
      (2016, cdr, fr, projet rome / pom prod)

French band Projet Rome is Nicolas Débard's project. He started it around 2000.
If my info is correct, Projet Rome released a demo in 2005. Three years later, in 2008, Nicolas Débard released a solo album entitled "Prodrome".

More recently, Nicolas (guitar, vocals, keyboard, percussion) teamed up with Pierre-Olivier Morin (guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion). The result can be heard on "5", a 15-minute EP that one can check out on Soundcloud but that also has been offered for sale on CDR at concerts.

As you might expect, "5" presents 5 tracks : four French pop / rock songs and one Frank Zappa tune. All of the original material was written by Nicolas Débard. It sounds pretty good. Check out 'Trop Con !'.
This is the reason why I check out bands that record the music of FZ. This is a nice discovery.

Track 5 is Frank Zappa's 'Why Don'tcha Do Me Right?", a song that got released on 7" in 1967 but that found its way onto the CD-(re-)release of "Absolutely Free".
It's the odd one out on this little disc, but Projet Rome does a fine job.

Check it out.
https://soundcloud.com/projet-rome

PAT METHENY AND PERICO SAMBEAT

Small world.

PERICO SAMBEAT PLAYS ZAPPA

• perico sambeat ensemble: perico sambeat plays zappa
      (2016, cd, spain, nuba records) 

Performing or interpreting the music of Frank Zappa can be two different things. Actually, it can be five or six different things, all depending on how you look at it.
Spanish saxohone and flute player Perico Sambeat shows one of my favourite approaches. Perico uses re-arranged Zappa melody lines as a basis, as a vehicle for his ensemble to improvise on.
And take it from me, when I say "re-arranged", I mean "RE-arranged". This is great !!

It all started at the Jimmy Glass Jazz Bar in Valencia as a project entitled "Frank Zappa's Alchemy", directed by Perico Sambeat as part of the Jimmy Glass Festival on November 18, 2015.
The actual album got recorded in June 2016.

• perico sambeat: alto and soprano sax, flute, tambourine
• javier vercher: tenor and soprano sax
• voro garcia: trumpet
• toni belenguer: trombone
• santi navalon: keyboard
• ivan cabrian: guitar
• julio fuster: banjo, electric banjo
• miquel 'rochet' asensio: drums

I got my copy through http://www.sedajazz.es

Don't hesitate. You need to hear this.

1. zomby woof
2. it must be a camel
3. don't you ever wash that thing?
4. for calvin
5. imaginary diseases / tink walks amok
6. inca roads
7. i promise not to come in your mouth
8. a pound for a brown
9. the eric dolphy memorial barbecue
10. peaches en regalia

Essential listening !!

--

DWEEZIL ZAPPA UPDATE

November 30, 2017, Dweezil will be performing with the Noord Nederlands Orkest (NNO, NN Orchestra) in Groningen.
December 1, the concert will be repeated in Utrecht.


the program

John Adams - Slonimsky’s Earbox
F. Zappa - Bob in Dacron and Sad Jane
F. Zappa - G Spot Tornado
F. Zappa - Peaches en Regalia
Steve Vai - There’s Still Something Dead in Here
Dweezil Zappa - Truth
Dweezil Zappa - Marmux Buhdarux
Dweezil Zappa  - (new piece, world premiere)
F. Zappa - Watermelon in Easter Hay

GONG EXPRESSO

A MoonJune Records newsflash :

Pierre Moerlen’s Gong was a major branch of the massive Gong tree. In the mid ’70’s drummer Pierre Moerlen separated from Daevid Allen marking an end to the Flying Teapot period and a powerful jazz-rock unit was formed and signed to Virgin Records. Pierre’s brother Benoit Moerlen, Hansford Rowe, Francois Causse, Allan Holdsworth were core members. Many major guests joined them both on albums and touring. Mick Taylor, Mike Oldfield, and French violinist Didier Lockwood were key participants. Mike Oldfield occasionally used the PMG rhythm section for touring also calling on members for albums such as Ommadawn, Incantations, Exposed and Platinum. Pierre Moerlen died May 5th, 2005.
 In concert Gong Expresso mines their huge repertoire and has exceptional guests joining them regularly.

Hansford Rowe’s project HRIII merges with Gong Expresso. Gong alumni Francois Causse, Benoit Moerlen and Hansford Rowe join HRIII guitarist Julien Sandiford for the recording of the new album by Gong Expresso titled Decadence.

PM:GONG rehearsing. The title of this piece is "Expresso", which was one of Pierre Moerlens' composition on the album "Gazeuse". 

GLITS - GETTING LOST IN TINY SPACES

• glits: getting lost in tiny spaces
      (2016, cd, bel, el negocito records enr054)

GLiTS is a project by Peter Vandenberghe (Too Noisy Fish, Flat Earth Society) and Bart Maris (Moker, Flat Earth Society,...). GLiTS stands for "Getting Lost In Tiny Spaces" and that's what this duo investigates : playing, improvising and communicating in a restricted musical environment.

Peter Vandenberghe on piano;
Bart Maris on trumpet, piccolo trumpet or flugelhorn

The result is breathtaking: improvisations are intertwined with composed pieces, resulting in beautiful soundscapes.

Mixed and mastered by Pierre Vervloesem.

A must-hear !! Highly recommended !!
Out on El Negocito Records.
http://elnegocitorecords.com/releases/eNR054+.html

FRANK ZAPPA - 1971 - THE SMITH TAPES

Here's the picture of the CD-release of the Zappa interview with Howard Smith from 1971.
It got released on CD in 2012.

• frank zappa: 1971 - the smith tapes
      (2012, cd, usa, private release)

http://thesmithtapes.com/

Album cover has been added to the United Mutations Archives :
http://www.united-mutations.com/z/frank_zappa/frank_zappa_oddities.htm

LUC PILMEYER

"Gong Friends" is a photobook that got published in 2010. Poems by Gilli Smyth, pictures by Luc Pilmeyer. Essential stuff for Gong fans.

Zappa freaks probably will like the fact that Luc Pilmeyer also is a graphic artist.

His current expo at L'An Vert in Liège, BE, displays three Zappa inspired pieces :

frank zappa  -  luc pilmeyer (1994)

zappa's coffee  -  luc pilmeyer (2016)

zappa and girl  -  luc pilmeyer

The pictures have been added to the "References to Frank Zappa" map in the United Mutations Archives.
Over here : http://www.united-mutations.com/z/frank_zappa/frank_zappa_ref2.htm

MOKER - LADDER

• moker: ladder
      (2016, cd, bel, el negocito records enr051)

"Ladder", the latest Moker album, preludes fifteen years of Moker, the Belgian jazz ensemble that consists of:

• Mathias Van de Wiele - guitars and alto horn
• Jordi Grognard - tenor saxophone, clarinets and bansuri
• Bart Maris - trumpet and electronics
• Lieven Van Pee - basses and electronics
• Giovanni Barcella - drums

As if it had been agreed, "Ladder" presents fifteen compositions.
Most of the pieces have been composed by Mathias Van de Wiele and by Bart Maris, but there are also some joint efforts.
Clever compositions, fine interplay, beautiful improvisations,... This is one excellent album.

Check it out at :
http://elnegocitorecords.com/releases/eNR051+.html

STUFF. - OLD DREAMS NEW PLANETS

• stuff: old dreams new planets
      (2017, cd, bel, buteo)

Stuff has just released their second album,
On "Old Dreams New Planets" the Stuff quintet continues their musicial adventure, mixing electronics and jazz with crazy rhythms.

Call it modern jazz, if you like. Or something else.
I love it.

'Strata' should give you an idea :