MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
SPRING
2015 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
ANDY STACK MUSIC - The band known as Buffalo Stack are
based in the NYC area, just up north in the Hudson Valley. The whole
Upstate N.Y, area has a rich history of fine pop and rock music making,
most notably The Band lived and thrived within an earshot of the same
area. Buffalo Stack do have a bit of The Band in their own sound.
Led by guitarist / singer-songwriter Andy Stack, Buffalo Stack
is very rootsy sounding and would be a fine choice for fans of The
Band, Van Morrison and other bands, especially those who made a name
for themselves in the upstate New York region. Andy Stack gets great
backup from his band mates including Lee Falco (drums), Brandon
Morrison (bass) with a whole range of fine players helping out.
As they say on their Facebook page, Buffalo Stack’s CD debut
is time well spent for anyone who enjoys old-school rock ‘n’
roll, blues and Americana. Buffalo Stack make fine vintage sounding
bluesy rock and are clearly a band well worth keeping your eyes and
ears on. www.BuffaloStack.com
ANGEL AIR RECORDS - Angel Air may be best known for their CD reissues
but they come back strong with The Great And Secret Show,
the first album in 17 years by the U.K. band known as Red Jasper.
With 5 albums to their credit, this 7 track, 40 minutes return to
form from Red Jasper still features the lead vocals and songs of David
Clifford. The sound of Red jasper is very much rooted in the driving
mid ‘70s prog-rock sound of both Pink Floyd and Uriah Heep. Clifford
gets solid support from his band mates with production handled by
band members Lloyd George (keyboards) and Robin Harrison
(guitars). All in all Red Jasper’s The Great And Secret
Show is a good choice for fans of 21st century prog-rock. www.RedJasperBand.com
BEETROOT RECORDS - Among the the bands currently making the rounds
with debut albums from the U.K. is Jouis. The band’s 2014
CD is called Dojo and it’s packed with a range
of effective progressive rock elements. With each member also adding
in vocals, the five part harmonies kind of evoke early America (the
band, not the country) while the complex arrangements are infused
with jazzy tendencies making them also sound a bit like Steely Dan
at times. The CD packaging is great but there’s not much indication
as to who plays what, but the musicianship is first rate as is the
production by Phill Brown. The lyrics are printed on the back
cover of the CD so you can read along as you marvel at the wealth
of musical ideas in motion here. With Dojo, the band known
as Jouis carries the spirit of 21st century progressive rock well
into the future. www.jouis.co.uk
BIG
OAK RECORDS - At the end of 2014, rock legend Dwight Twilley
released Always. Produced by Dwight and Jan
Twilley, the 12 track CD touches on a number of Twilley’s
patented musical signposts. Mixing elements of Del Shannon, Tom Petty
and Dave Edmunds on Always, Twilley puts together another pop-rock
masterpiece that resounds with a deja-vu kind of classic rock essence.
Hard to believe it’s been 10 years since Twilley’s all time
classic album 47 Moons, but on Always Dwight continues
at the top of his game. On Always, Dwight puts together a pretty
impressive lineup of recording accomplices including his late, great
guitarist Bill Pitcock IV, Leland Sklar, Susan Cowsill,
Mitch Easter, Ken Stringfellow, Tommy Keene,
Steve Allen and others. Marked by incredible cover artwork, Always
is a welcome addition to the Dwight Twilley catalog of pop magic.
www.DwightTwilley.com
BLUE NOTE RECORDS - The venerable Blue Note Records label is the
most prestigious jazz label in the world and has been for decades.
Although they’ve been veering more into pop and even rock over
the years, with the release of All Rise by pianist /
composer Jason Moran, Blue Note reaches yet another pinnacle
of 21st century jazz. The 12 track All Rise is actually Moran’s
self-styled tribute to the legendary Fats Waller and the CD features
several Waller tracks mixed in with Moran’s own music. Waller
would be knocked out by Moran’s barrelhouse boogie jazz sound.
Waller is best remembered for his tunes “The Joint Is Jumpin’”
and “Ain’t Misbehavin’” and those are just a couple
of the covers Moran includes here. Another cover of “Two Sleepy
People”, written by Hoagy Carmichael is another highlight. All
Rise may be construed as retro-jazz by some but it’s all
done so well and the production by Blue Note honcho Don Was and
Meshell Ndegocello is first rate while, on the album Moran
has chosen to surround himself with some first rate jazzers. All in
all, All Rise is 21st century jazz at its best and more importantly,
the CD is a lot of fun to listen to. www.JasonMoran.com
CLENCHED WRENCH - Definitely an essential album of 21st century
experimental music-making, the Italian-American band, Il Sogno
Del Marinaio released Canto Secondo, their
second album, in 2014. The three piece band features Minuteman founder
Mike Watt (bass) who is backed up here by Andrea Belfi (drums)
and Stefano Pilia (guitar). The album is clearly influenced
by avant gard rock bands like Captain Beefheart and other out there,
on the edge artists but it’s played with a rare depth of precision
that makes for a riveting spin. It’s interesting that while it’s
a mostly instrumental album, there’s a lot of Beefheart-ian vocalizing.
Fans of Beefheart, Zappa and of course Watt’s punk-pop work in
the Minutemen, will enjoy the sonic pyrotechnics that are key to the
making of this off-the-wall, yet sonically appealing CD. There’s
certainly some fine electric guitar work from Stefano to put Il Sogno
Del Marinaio into the realm of the 21st century avant-gard
jazz-rock fusion genre. www.ClenchedWrench.com
CLEOPATRA
RECORDS - The music credits for Chris Spedding reads like
a who’s who of U.K. guitar greats. First really appreciated for
his mercurial guitar work on the 1970 Jack Bruce album Harmony
Row, Spedding might have never been able to top that (and I feel
Jack always liked that album best too) but decades of musical greatness
has resulted in his 2015 CD on Purple Pyramid Joyland.
With a creepy looking cover of a roller coaster, Spedding’s
Joyland features his guitar and vocals alongside a range of
music greats including vocals with singers Bryan Ferry, Robert
Gordon and the great Arthur Brown (of “Fire”
fame) as well as several instrumentals with fellow guitarists Glenn
Matlock and Johnny Marr. Spedding’s choice of music
is quite eclectic —from the doo-wop sound of “I Still Love
You” with rockabilly crooner Robert Gordon to the spaghetti western
surf-rock instrumental sounds of “Cafe Racer” (with Glen
Matlock) and “Heisenberg” (with Johnny Marr). There’s
also a cool retro cover of the ‘60s pop classic “The Pied
Piper” with Spedding on vocals backed by some very John Cale
inspired guitar work. There’s many other highlights too but if
you enjoy tasty electric guitar played by a veritable master of both
prog and punk, while backed by a great band, Chris Spedding’s
Joyland should be right up your street. www.CleopatraRecords.com
CRAMMED DISCS - The venerable Crammed Discs Records label is known
for releasing some truly off the wall music and they continue with
more fascinating and bizarre sounds with the 2014 CD from Jozef
van Wissem.. The Brooklyn, NYC based van Wissem released It
Is Time For You To Return and overall it’s a very unique
sounding album of mostly acoustic based lute music, that kind of evokes
the gothic music of John Cale and Nico. Some instrumental and some
vocal tracks collide on a truly avant garde album. The cover has van
Wissem dressed up like a priest with a big cross around his neck that
is really creepy. Van Wissem’s calling card is his fascinating
medieval sounding lute work. The Holland born / NYC based composer
will frighten some with this album but those undaunted brave souls
who seek it out will be rewarded with some elegant, stately lute based
minimalism. Van Wissem has recorded over a dozen albums including
some with co-creators like guitarist Gary Lucas and Jim Jarmusch,
as well as a number of collaborative albums, and It Is Time For
You To Return is yet another solid effort from Dutch lutist Jozef
van Wissem. www.JozefVanWissem.com
ESOTERIC ANTENNA - The coolest thing about the band Schnauser
is that you never know what kind of sound they’ll go for
next. Mix in various parts of early 1970’s U.K. prog-rock, some
Brian Wilson style ‘60s pop chord patterns and some off the wall
post-punk art-rock and you come up with the beauty that is Schnauser.
Also, mwe3.com was hip to Schnauser long before Esoteric Antenna released
Protein For Everyone in late 2014. Some might long for
the early Schnauser works on the famous Pink Hedgehog label but upon
further inspection, Protein For Everyone will more than fill
the bill for Schnauser converts of which there will hopefully be many
more after reading this review. As Protein For Everyone indicates,
the Schnauser sound still is filled with all kind of prog-rock and
artsy Wilsonian inspired rave-ups. Like usual, the CD cover art is
totally off the wall. Commenting on the CD cover art for Protein
For Everyone, group founder / guitarist Alan Strawbridge tells
mwe3.com, “The cover art is a tongue in cheek take on the
lyrics for the title track, about selling body parts for use as meat
due to the rapidly decreasing resources for supplying food for the
masses. It's part Hipgnosis and part Jan Svankmajer, a Czech animator
who influenced Terry Gilliam and always has a streak of sarcastic
humor running through his films, as well as an obsession with meat!”
Of course, music fans often have more than just meat on their
minds and concerning the deftly performed music on Protein For
Everyone, Alan further tells mwe3.com, “The album is quite
a step forward for us, as we recorded most of it live in the studio
so it's more representative of how we sound as a band on stage. Jasper's
drumming evokes both Robert Wyatt and Bill Bruford so his influence
has developed the prog elements. The 17 minute track which closes
the album “Disposable Outcomes” points towards where the
sound of the band is heading now: music which is developed through
improvisation but tightly arranged so melodically it retains the concise
pop song feel from our previous albums.” Of course, after
the Pink Hedgehog years, Schnauser signed with the world famous Esoteric
label to which Alan also tells mwe3.com, “Esoteric Antenna
have been fantastic to work with and opened up the band to a whole
new audience. Their enthusiasm for our new material means we don't
feel pressured to follow a certain style and has given us the impetus
to work on material in a much freer way.” Attention: pop
fans with a bent for catchy prog and tongue in cheek U.K. humor -
the time for Schnauser is now. www.schnauser.co.uk
FIREFLY MUSIC - The U.K. based duo of Anne-Marie Helder and
Jonathan Edwards form the duo known as Luna Rossa. With
their 2013 album Sleeping Pills And Lullabies in the rear view
mirror, Luna Rossa strike sonic gold with their 2014 CD Secrets
& Lies. Recorded in South Wales and mastered at
Abbey Road studios in London, Secrets & Lies is filled
with sumptuous mix of folk-rock and light rock that conjures a kind
of mid period Renaissance sound. The mostly original album also features
several covers of music by Randy Newman and Todd Rundgren. Anne-Marie’s
voice is right up there in the Annie Haslam range of greatness and
the songs on Secrets & Lies are both evocative and memorable.
Between them, Anne-Marie and Jonathan play a range of instruments—from
6 & 12 string guitars, piano, organ and percussion and the CD
sound is filled out by several artists including guitarist Tim
Hamill, who also adds in programming. Fans of English folk-rock
will completely enjoy Luna Rossa and their easy on the ears brand
of progressive pop. Secrets & Lies comes with excellent
album artwork and packaging including an oversize poster with complete
lyrics.www.LunaRossa.co
FOD RECORDS - Producer Bob Rose hipped mwe3.com onto Essence,
the 2015 album by the group called The Rua. Bob was the producer
/ string orchestrator on the Julian Lennon album Photograph Smile
and you can hear his expert hands all over this first album from The
Rua. Fans of the younger Lennon will more than likely enjoy The Rua.
Featuring the music and vocals of three siblings —Roseanna
Brown, Alanna Brown and Jonathan Brown—the
U.K. based band mix a whole lot of pop and rock influences on their
CD. Some signposts include influences from Blondie, Phil Spector,
late period Fleetwood Mac and more. One time Blondie bass player Nigel
Harrison (who co-wrote the Blondie smash “One Way Or Another”)
works with the band as does Rose, who adds in some fine string arrangements
as well. With a little more refinement, and even bigger hooks, The
Rua just might take off but Essence is a fine start. www.TheRua.com
FOOLS PARADISE RECORDS - Featuring the lead vocals of Allan
Crockford, the U.K. band known as The Galileo 7 serve up
a heady dose of retro-tinged psychedelia with their 2014 CD False
Memory Lane. Taking a cue from the spicy “Nuggets
Era” West Coast rock sound and the mod scene of late ‘60s
London, The Galileo 7 brings the sound up to date and into the mainstream
of the 21st century and even add in a tasty country rock edge. Otherwise
known as as paisley pop, the sound echoes the XTC spinoff Dukes Of
Stratosphere CD and even groups like the late ‘60s Who and the
Move for that matter. False Memory Lane maybe sounds like a
tribute to a kinder and gentler time in pop history but there’s
also some original ideas in play. Crockford gets fine backup from
his band mates and the whole album cooks right along. It’s a
good feeling knowing that bands are still in awe of the classic rock
from yesteryears. www.TheGalileo7.co.uk
4AD
- The 4AD label can always be counted on for a winner and the 2014
Ariel Pink album, Pom Pom more than fits the
bill. Self-produced and performed by Ariel, and featuring a wide range
of musicians, the 17 track “double album” fits neatly on
one CD. Sounding somewhere between Smile era Brian Wilson and
Joe Meek, the sound is very varied and you could call it L.A. rock
for the future. Famed producer Kim Fowley appears on a couple
tracks, recorded shortly before his passing. A bunch of adjectives
come to mind including beatific, windswept pop, scuzz-punk face melters
and carnival dub psychedelia. Track seven “One Summer Night”
is among the many highlights, here with a quasi-Japanese melody attached
to an early 1960s era rock and roll arrangement. Pop fans who like
their music eclectic and very colorful with a dose of good humor,
will like Pom Pom.
www.Ariel-Pink.com
FUZZBEE MUSIC - An unexpected super-star session by L.A. based
singer-songwriter Fuzzbee Morse, the 10 ten track CD release
of Dreams And Other Living Things pairs Fuzzbee with
studio legends like Tony Levin (bass), David Sancious (keyboards)
and Jerry Marotta (drums). Fuzzbee's music veers from Rundgren-esque
blue-eyed soul to a more hypnotic jungle groove that spotlights some
inventive instrumental passages. Track 4, the instrumental jam called
“Zonga!” gets a cool fusiony surf-jazz thing going amid
the bubbling funk. Same with track 7, “Onward”, another
Focus like instrumental and then there's the instrumental Hendrix
tribute with “Angel”. Fuzzbee more than acquits himself
on vocals and guitars, echoing greats like Holdsworth and Beck. From
Rundgren-esque soul pop to instrumental guitar fusion workouts, featuring
backing by top names in the biz, Fuzzbee Morse covers all the bases
on Dreams And Other Living Things. www.fuzzbee.com
HEDFONIK RECORDS - Based in the NYC area, Lostdog In Loveland
is a new band featuring the songs and vocals of Robert Mag.
Backed here by John Winhimmer (guitars, programming) and Robert
Bunnyman Rocco (guitars, keys) and several guests, Mag’s
rock sound is very much rooted in the early 1970s, especially Hunky
Dory to Low era Bowie. Lending credence to that notion
on this first ever Lostdog In Loveland CD, entitled Sadanthem,
is a cameo from Aladdin Sane era Bowie ivory tinkler Mike
Garson. The songs hold up well and bring back good memories of
the creative early ‘70s heyday of glam rock and all its daring
dynamics, sights and sounds. Speakinig to mwe3.com about the CD, Mag
states, "We got together back in 2007, Our goal was to bring
back, not necessarily the sound, but the emotion and feel of the great
albums that we grew up with. Bowie, Roxy Music T. Rex as well as bands
like XTC, The Beatles and so on. We hope fans will find this CD a
complete musical experience, from the package design concept to the
strong melodies, intricate arrangements and lush sound." Mag
has a unique way with his lyrics, often pairing quirky lyrics with
dynamic melodic moves. The Sandanthem CD is well recorded and
features a cool poster and complete lyrics. In addition to his work
in Lostdog In Loveland, Mag is also a fine graphic designer and you
can readily see the other side of his art on his personal website.
www.robertmag.com
/ www.facebook.com
IME RECORDS - Over in the U.K, the band known as The Mighty
Bard are carrying on the tradition of progressive rock with fine
results on their 2015 CD Blue God And Other Stories.
Going on ten years as a band, The Mighty Bard was formed by guitarist
Dave Clarke and keyboardist Neil Cockle and is currently
a six piece with the band rounded out by Gavin Webb (vocals),
Mark Cadman (bass), Andy Dovey (drums) and Mark Parker
(violin). Speaking about the process during the 
recording,
Neil Cockle tells mwe3.com, “The majority of musical ideas
come from myself and Dave, but the whole band has an input at the
later stages of song development, when things start to get ‘serious’,
when we think an idea is worth pursuing! Sometimes, the song is still
evolving at the recording stage. Someone might play something when
we’re recording, that will spark an idea for someone else.”
The sound of The Mighty Bard explores the domain of progressive rock
while implementing a more harder rock edge, yet it’s done very
tastefully and the progressive elements seem to win out over the harder
rocking elements. Perhaps the coolest thing here is that The Mighty
Bard sounds like they’re having fun playing their progressive
rock meets hard rock mix. Pundits might notice historic U.K. bands
like Jethro Tull and even Pink Floyd as influences but even with all
these past influences creeping into their sound, The Mighty Bard makes
a unique prog-rock statement of their own on the creative and engaging
Blue God And Other Stories. www.TheMightyBard.com
MARCASITE ENTERTAINMENT - Singer-songwriter and bass ace to
the stars, Kasim Sultan lives up to his multi-decade legacy
with his 2014 album, simply called Three. Best
known as a member of Todd Rundgren’s Utopia. On 3, Kasim
writes in the best Todd spirit and he even has a memorable voice like
Todd too. Todd plays on the album as does a whole crew of talented
musicians, including members of Blue Oyster Cult and The Cars and
The New Cars, the latter band of which Kasim was a member of in 2006.
At times on 3, Kasim sounds like McCartney or even better like
a supercharged Emitt Rhodes and the album production as equally as
good. Kasim Sultan’s 3 is 12 tracks of pure pop magic.
www.KasimSulton.com
MERLIN BIRD - Progressive rock is alive and well on Chapter
And Verse, the 2014 CD by the up and coming Australian
prog-rock band The Merlin Bird. Central to the Merlin
Bird sound are multi-instrumentalists Geoff Dawes (vocals,
guitars, keys) and Dan Moloney (drums), with Geoff also
contributing the lyrics. A number of female vocalists, including Teleri
Holton, adds an interesting counterpoint to the music, giving
the band’s sound a Renaissance meets Kate Bush kind of effect.
Other musicians guest on the CD which also features a number of sound
shapers, including various engineers and co-producers. Funny enough,
on the Merlin Bird Facebook page they describe themselves as being
like Pink Floyd meeting a bad-tempered Enya in an Irish pub. With
some further honing of their melodic ideas, The Merlin Bird stands
poised to further their progressive rock vision but clearly Merlin
Bird are on the right track with Chapter And Verse. www.MerlinBird.com.au
MINTY FRESH - The record label Minty Fresh is one of those
holdout institutions from the 1990s. Their specialty has always been
state of the art pop-rock, mostly bands of younger musicians many
of whom weren’t yet born when albums like Pet Sounds through
Notorious Byrd Brothers were being made. The Northern California
based band called The Orange Peels serves up a most worthy
pop album with the 2015 CD Minty Fresh release of Begin The
Begone. Group founders, singer songwriter Allen
Clapp and bass player Jill Pries carry forth the group
sound. Brian Wilson is the most immediate influence here but think
more of the side of Brian that was wildly experimental while spearheading
the entire West Coast pop explosion of the 1960s. The album isn’t
quite as well recorded as Wilson’s orchestral tones although
Begin The Begone nearly qualifies as a lo-fi Pet Sounds.
In fact a cool instrumental here called “New Moon” almost
qualifies as a modern day Pet Sounds out take. The music veers
from cool detached pop to a more artsy type of instrumental music
on other tracks. Excellent electric guitar work from John Moremen
and drumming from Gabriel Coan adds to the sonic vision.
West Coast pop fans won’t go wrong with The Orange Peels. The
CD cover, and presumably vinyl pressing, has some eye-popping cover
art. www.TheOrangePeels.com
MISHAPED PEARLS - Fans of classic U.K. folk-rock bands such as
Fairport Convention should give a listen to Thamesis,
the third album from the 21st century English folk music band known
as Mishaped Pearls. Arranged and produced by Gerry Diver
and Ged Flood, the ten track Thamesis CD features
solid musicianship all around, all the while spotlighting the band’s
lead singer Manuela Schuette. Perhaps the most striking thing
about the sound of Mishaped Pearls are the striking wall of sound
vocal harmonies. Upon perusing the album’s attractive CD packaging,
I count 13 different musicians on album who add in distinctive vocal
harmonies as well as a range of strings and various percussion instruments.
Between the two of them, Gerry Diver and Ged Flood add in a wide range
of instruments including all manners of stringed instruments, percussion
and even loops, which add in a slight electronica edge. German born
/ U.K. based Ms. Schuette has a wonderful voice, evoking a younger
Maddy Prior or Sandy Denny. The songs are quite memorable with the
standout being track two, “Cornish Girl”. Simply put, on
Thamesis Mishaped Pearls take state of the art folk-rock to
new and vital heights again. www.MishapedPearls.org
MUSEA
RECORDS - Back in 1997, the California band called Blue Shift
released an excellent album called Not The Future I Ordered.
The album made waves in the progressive rock community but following
that, not much was heard of the band... until now. In 2015 Blue Shift
returns with Levels Of Undo. The band now features
a new singer named Denise Chandler, while the core of
the band still includes founding members Joey Backenstoe (guitars),
Mark Barton (keyboards) and drummer Steve Sklar. A sonic
masterpiece, Levels Of Undo sounds great on CD and veers all
over the musical map, taking well into consideration the band's roots
in progressive rock, jazz and electronica. The diversity really shines
through on a 
Blue
Shift cover of the Rolling Stones 1967 classic “2000 Light Years
From Home” while “I Remember Ted” is Backentoe’s
warm-hearted solo jazz guitar instrumental tribute to the late great
jazz guitar icon Ted Greene. As Levels Of Undo points out,
Joey Backenstoe is truly one of the most gifted guitarists on the
music scene and as such, he’s kind of the American version of
Steve Howe. Like Howe, Backenstoe is proficient in both the jazz-rock
and prog guitar worlds. Keyboardist Mark Barton is kind of the American
Keith Emerson and like Emerson, Barton is very influenced by both
prog-rock and jazz with special leanings towards the world of electronica
and especially 20th century innovator Wendy Carlos, who in fact used
to be Walter Carlos. Speaking to mwe3.com about the creation of Level
Of Undo, Joey Backenstoe explains “We would each work
on ideas individually, and then come together periodically to present
our demos to one another. We would then hash out the details and work
on the arrangements together. Steve and Denise had some valuable input
when it came to the arrangements”, with Mark Barton adding
“Let’s put it this way. L.O.U. is a product of the modern
computer age. As much as we love to play together as a band, that
wasn’t always possible during recording. The computer also allows
us to agonize over and discuss every note. We have come to the conclusion
that this is actually a good thing. I’m sure Beethoven did the
same.” Whether your tastes lean towards progressive rock,
instrumental jazz fusion, mainstream guitar jazz or classic experimental
keyboard electronica, Blue Shift covers all the sonic bases in style
on their long awaited masterpiece
comeback,
Levels Of Undo.
MUSIC ROAD RECORDS - Singer-songwriter Jackson Browne is
paid the ultimate honors on a 2014 album called Looking Into
You - A Tribute To jackson Browne. The 23 track double
CD set on the Austin based Music Road Records, features a number of
today’s artists and a whole range of bigger names covering a
favorite Brown original. The sound of Looking Into You is very
much rooted in the FM radio based country rock sound Browne helped
pioneer back in the early 1970s. Among the artists taking part are
Don Henley, Bonnie Raitt & David Lindley, The
Indigo Girls, Bruce Springsteen, Joan Osborne, Bruce
Hornsby, JD Souther and many more. The double CD set comes
with a well designed booklet filled with information on all the artists
here as well as including anecdotes by the artists on Jackson’s
music and how it influenced them. There’s no denying the significance
Jackson Browne had on a whole generation of singer-songwriters back
in the 1970s and those influences can be fully appreciated on Looking
Into You. www.MusicRoadRecords.com
MUTE RECORDS - Singer-songwriter José Gonzáles
was born in Sweden in 1978. Thanks to his solo work and music
released as a member of the pop group Junip, music fans have long
held José in high regard. For the better part of the last decade,
José has carved out a niche for himself as a pop music contender
and his stellar reputation should only increase with his 2015 solo
CD, Vestiges & Claws. Ostensibly folk-pop
with a slight bossa nova edge, José’s music features him
playing mostly finger style classical guitar backed up by light synth
and programming accompaniment. Even though José’s songs
are fairly lightweight and innocuous sounding, it’s really his
voice, the melodic content and arrangements of his songs that hold
fascination. In fact, the closest comparison would be to compare José
to the early ‘70s music of Cat Stevens. Being that Cat Stevens
is half Swedish, that comparison seems to make the most sense. Easy
on the ears, simple but understated, the music of José Gonzáles
is a taste well worth acquiring. An enchanting hour of music, Vestiges
& Claws is the finest solo CD yet by singer-songwriter José
Gonzáles. www.mute.com
NAROOMA
RECORDS - An album of rare beauty and sonic finesse, Chamma
is a stunning set of new music by singer-songwriter Jenny
Gillespie. Based in the Northern California area, Ms. Gillespie
proves a real sonic ground-breaker, adding in hip-hp beats amid an
album where New Age meets Trip-hop that would make Brian Eno blush.
There’s plenty of great players aiding Ms. Gillespie as she shines
amid the sonic pageantry. One minute dreamlike, the next sonically
scintillating, the album is the prefect CD made to bring out the best
in a world class audio system. Interestingly, Jenny has also just
finished up new album called Dhyana By The Sea, which
was created with top players like Gerry Leonard and Greg Leisz. She
describes it as a pop-hippie-jazz ‘70s kind of album which will
be out sometime before early summer 2015. One can hardly wait to hear
this rising new artist make some new and different albums. www.naroomarecords.com
PINDER BROTHERS MUSIC - Back in 2012, The Pinder Brothers
released a 5 song CD EP called Speeding Cars, offering a preview
of what was to become their next full length album. In 2015, The Pinder
Brothers once again speed forward with Melancholy Sea—a
CD featuring 11 tracks that are sure to impress fans of this radio-friendly
pop-rock band. Start to finish, Melancholy Sea highlights some
of the finest music yet from Michael Lee Pinder (guitars, vocals)
and Matt Pinder (bass, vocals). For fans who’ve followed
the Pinder Brothers since they arrived with Jupiter Falls in
2006, the 2015 release of Melancholy Sea showcases an even
more assured approach from earlier classics like their all time epic,
“Jupiter Falls”, "Inside Me" and “Waves Crash”.
Several tracks here conjure an even more solid rock vibe. With Melancholy
Sea being their most realized album yet, the music of Michael
Lee Pinder and Matt Pinder carries forth a logical extension of the
Pinder musical legacy that their father predestined when he founded
progressive rock icons The Moody 
Blues
50 years ago. Moody Blues founder Mike
Pinder produced the 2006 Pinder Brothers CD debut, Jupiter
Falls, and Mike and Moody Blues producer Tony Clark produced
Ordinary Man—the second Pinder Brothers album from 2008.
Also of note here is that while Michael Lee Pinder is recognized as
the main composer on a number of Pinder Brothers classics, younger
brother Matt Pinder also shines on Melancholy Sea as a fine
singer-songwriter, with both brothers also sounding very competent
as lead vocalists on different tracks here. Backing up Mike and Matt
on Melancholy Sea are ace musicians, including guitarist Stef
Burns. A first rate guitarist, Stef Burns truly blazes his way
through a number of classic guitar solos here, while Mike Lee adds
another sound on electric guitars. Also on board is producer Scott
Reams, who adds in keyboards, including mellotron, bringing in
further classic Pinder-esque and Moody Blues type mellotron flavors.
Of course, Mike Pinder, the legend, and his Moody Blues cofounding
band mate Ray Thomas are also here, most notably on the CD
closing "Summer Moon". There’s eleven good reasons
why fans of the Moody Blues will enjoy Melancholy Sea, and
in fact one could surmise that the Pinder name is once again making
music history. www.PinderBrothers.com
RED HOUSE RECORDS - Guitar legend Jorma Kaukonen is
still at the top of his game. 45 years after that first fabled Hot
Tuna album, Jorma is back with a 2015 solo album called Ain't
In No Hurry. Jorma’s third release for Minnesota
based Red House Records, eleven track CD combines original tracks
with songs that go all the way to the “Depression Era”.
Playing his patented traditional blues sound while backed by a range
of notable players Jorma explains, “You just can’t go
backward. The arrow of time only goes in one direction. At this point
in my life perhaps I should be in more of a hurry, but for me it’s
more important that each piece fits in the right place at the right
time. The songs you hear in this album cover a lot of ground for me.
Some are very old, and some are quite new. From where I came from
to where I am today... it is all here.” Mixing blues with
a kind of country skiffle jazz and pop has always been Jorma’s
trademark and on 
Ain’t
In No Hurry the guitar legend gets tasty backup by Jack Casady
(bass), Barry Mitterhoff (mandolin), Terersa Williams
(vocals), Larry Campbell (guitar, pedal steel) and the
rhythm section of Myron Hart (bass) and Justin Gulp
(drums). It’s been quite a while since Jorma stunned rock
audiences with his electric guitar work in Jefferson Airplane. Far
away from the cosmic guitar sounds of the late 1960s, Ain’t
In No Hurry is much more of a mature musical statement from a
veteran guitar ace with 50 years of musical mileage to his credit.
www.jormakaukonen.com
ROBAR MUSIC RECORDS LTD. - U.K. based singer-songwriter Matt
Woosey is making waves with his 2014 CD Wildest Dreams.
The ten track CD features Matt’s bluesy, acoustic gitar and
vocals backed up by drummer Dave Small. The sound is hardly
small though as Matt fills up the soundstage with some creative overdubbing
and some excellent guitar work. Like John Martin before him, for example,
Woosey creates mesmerizing songs bolstered by his strong voice and
memorable melodies. Several other players assist and there’s
also some excellent overdubbed backing vocals. The CD booklet is packed
with color photos and complete lyrics. Several critics have been touting
Woosey as an act that‘s lighting up the British blues and R&B
scene. There’s a couple of bonus cuts and a single edit remix
of the lead off track “Exactly As We Please”, which is a
definite highlight of the CD. True, there’s a definite bluesy
feel to Woosey’s music but it’s much more creative and guitar-centric
than just being called blues or R&B. Matt Woosey redefines the
spirit of adventurous U.K. folk-jazz with Wildest Dreams. www.MattWoosey.co.uk
ROCKWERK
RECORDS - The band known as KariBow is making waves with
their 2015 CD entitled Addicted. Featuring the
songs, vocals and guitars of Oliver Rüsing, the 16 track,
79 minute Addicted CD is filled with all sorts of progressive
rock signposts, most notably 1980's YES and late 1990s YES, the latter
(Ladder?) period sometimes referred to as the Billy Sherwood
era. Even vocally, Rüsing sounds influenced by both Billy Sherwood
and Chris Squire and Oliver's guitar work also gets good exposure
on the CD. Although Rüsing performs the bulk of the Addicted
album in the studio by himself, in a live setting he gets solid
backup from his band mates. Speaking about the difference between
recording the CD and the live 
Karibow
band in the following interview, Oliver tells mwe3.com, "Karibow
is a five piece band and it consists of Markus Bergen (keys),
Gerald Nahrgang (drums), Chris Thomas (guitars),
Thomas Wischt (bass) and myself (vocals, guitars). These guys
are skilled and ambitious musicians, and they are good friends at
the same time. You're right about my key role in writing and producing,
but the band does also have an impact on what Karibow sounds like
on stage because everyone of us feels responsible for the live arrangements."
Regarding the title of the CD, Oliver adds, "The
album title originates from a song named “Addicted”. It
was supposed to be the title track and it's funny that the song itself
didn't make it onto the album. There's a line in it that goes “The
shape of the wind and the moving water, I'm addicted to it all.”
It's that kind of addiction. It's the addiction to life and to the
beauty of it."
Another
fact worth mentioning to music fans is the superb layout and artwork
/ concept of the Addicted CD packaging. A good choice for progressive
rock fans, KariBow combines plenty of dynamic rock elements on their
critically acclaimed Addicted CD. www.karibow.com
SEACREST RECORDS - The Finns are meticulous when it comes to
producing fantastic albums. Drummer Kimmo Pörsti is a
key member of the Finnish rock group Paidarion and in 2014 his Seacrest
imprint released The Imperial Hotel - the new
album from The Samurai Of Prog. A world wide floating prog-rock
consortium, The Samurai Of Prog features key members Kimmo Pörsti,
Marco Bernard (bass) and Steve Unruh (vocals, violin,
flute, guitars), backed up by additional musicians such as Robert
Webb (vocals) and a wide range of electric guitarists. Eye-popping
artwork by Ed Unitsky is phenomenal while the album packaging
is brilliant. Using the miracle of the internet and artists zinging
thousands of megabytes of recording files through the web, the CD
was recorded all over the world. The sound is truly something to marvel
at and the progressive rock fans will flip for this latest release
by The Samurai Of Prog. www.seacrestoy.com
SHOOGLE RECORDS - In 2014, folk-rock singer Kaela Rowan
released her debut solo CD Menagerie. Featuring
Kaela’s vocals and songs, Menagerie is described as a
combination of both Scottish and World Music sounds. Kaela gets excellent
backup from her co-producer and arranger James Mackintosh.
Between Kaela and James, the instrumentation blends 
acoustic
guitars and classical guitars with exotic World Music instruments
like pandeiro, kalimba, berimbau as well as a variety of percussion
instruments. Kaela’s voice is front and center throughout the
11 song CD and her captivating vocal mannerisms and the intriguing
instrumentation make Menagerie an excellent album start to
finish. Commenting on the wide range of musical influences on Menagerie
Kaela tells mwe3.com, "Scottish traditional music has doubtless
informed the music of Menagerie. And for my part, I had a deep love
for Gaelic song, Scots and Irish Ballad singing from a young age,
so the melodies definitely have this influence in them, as I would
naturally gravitate towards this sound." Speaking about working
with Kaela Rowan and the creation of Menagerie, Kaela’s
co-producer and band mate James Mackintosh tells mwe3, “It
was good to sit down and make our own album. Speaking as someone who
has spent so many years working in the studio on other peoples projects
it was a real treat to make one where we both were able to make the
artistic decisions. We made it in our own time and in our own space,
and that is a real treat... no rush, although deadlines can be good!”
Featuring 11 tracks, Kaela Rowan’s Menagerie is an enchanting
album by a rising artist to keep your eyes on. www.KaelaRowan.com
SONY MUSIC - 21st century trance and dance music takes a turn
for the better with the 2014 CD from France based singer Owlle.
Entitled France, the eleven cut CD is filled
with a range of catchy upbeat, dance type grooves that spotlight Owlle’s
hypnotic vocals. The CD is well recorded and features a number of
musicians backing up Owlle, including a pair of powerhouse drummers.
With a hint of the progressive sprucing up the grooves, France
is reminiscent of some of Anna Domino’s music from the late
1980’s. The CD also comes with a cool poster of Owlle showing
showing off her body while also including all credits and song lyrics,
which are sung by Owlle in English and printed in English. If you
gave up on dance music, catchy pop with a disco beat, then give Owlle
a chance. Owlle’s France reinvigorates the power of the
big beat in dance music. www.owlle.com
TBE RECORDS - The band known as Twombley Burwash are
keeping the spirit of progressive rock alive and well on their 2015
CD entitled Grak. Essentially the brainchild
of Kevin McDade (guitars, lead vocals) and his son Bruce
McDade (guitars, programming), the album manages to combine the
finest elements of U.K. progressive rock from 1968 to 1973 while also
adding elements of modern prog too. The McDade's get ace backup from
drummer Gareth Roberts and backing vocalist Helen Forbes.
There’s plenty of great sounds on hand and Kevin sometimes sounds
like a modern day Robert Wyatt, while the music here would bring a
smile to the face of the Soft Machine drummer. There’s also free
elements of early Traffic and Atom Heart Mother-era Pink floyd,
with the accent on catchy pop tracks played like XTC or mid ‘80s
YES. Extra points must go to the overall quality of the recording
and the amazing cover art and CD packaging, which greatly enhances
the sonic spectacular experience. Anyone who thinks the spirit of
inventive prog is lacking will get a buzz from Twombley Burwash. www.facebook.com
THIA SEXTON MUSIC - Based in the Los Angeles area, singer-songwriter
Thia Sexton is making waves with Ever, her
debut solo album. The sound of Ever is quite unique as it centers
around Thia’s songs and vocals as well as her unique approach
to cello playing, which she plays remarkably around her neck with
a guitar strap like an oversized bass guitar. As you might imagine
the sound is very rhythmic and overall, her voice evokes a similar
sound as Suzanne Vega, Anna Domino and even some of Joni Mitchell’s
jazzy music. Throughout the album, Thia receives solid support from
a range of musicians, including top name guitarists such as Lyle
Workman, Nels Cline and Eric Liljestrand as well
as a number of drummers and producer Dan Schwartz. Although
she began writing songs while sitting straight up like a cellist,
Thia discovered the “slouching” position became essential
to her song-writing. Thia explains, “So I pulled the cello on
my lap and began finger picking like a guitar. Chords came out that
I’d never heard before and the sound was beautiful.’ You
can see the unique manner of her cello work on her videos, which shows
her wearing a guitar strap while she picks out her songs. With the
release of Ever, Thia Sexton proves to be a uniquely refreshing
composer and singer-songwriter. www.ThiaSexton.com
VIRAL DISCS - Paul Brett is a name that many fans of progressive
guitar music remember from the 1970s. Similar in scope to Gordon Giltrap,
Brett’s instrumental albums were favorites among prog-rock fans
in the know back in the mid 1970s. Brett appeared as guitarist on
the Dragonfly album by The Strawbs back in 1970. Fans of Dave
Cousins and The Strawbs will enjoy Brett’s 2014 comeback album.
Entitled Emergence 2014, Brett’s music is
aging like a fine wine and the 14 track CD is a vocal album from Brett,
filled with imaginative vocal arrangements and his patented 12 string
acoustic guitar sound, which rings out clear and true. Like Cousins,
sonically Brett simply pulverizes the listener. There’s a song
called “666” that sounds like Phil Ochs on steroids and
a song called “Fracking” that will stun you with its sharp
political environmental insights. “Psychedelic Pauline”
is a refuge from the folk-rock anarchy. With his biting sense of social
satire, Brett is not a happy camper but the album really evokes the
finest spirit of English folk-rock circa 2014. www.viraldiscsanddownloads.com
INSTRUMENTAL
AD MUSIC - State of the art electronic instrumental music, the
AD Music label features a number of recording artists, including label
founder David Wright. Based in the U.K., Wright has documented
his music on a range of CD titles under his own name as well as with
the band Code Indigo and, as label chief, Wright has signed
a number of artists for albums as well. Wright’s latest solo
CD titles include Beyond The Airwaves Volume 2 (2015),
Connected (2012) and In Search Of Silence (2011).
All of Wright's albums offer sublime electronic music experiences
with the near supernatural In Search Of Silence being a classic
of the genre. Wright and AD have been releasing music on CD since
1989, covering all types of electronic instrumental including chill-out,
down tempo, space music, ambient and even instrumental rock styles.
Currently on AD Music there’s over 30 artists from around the
world including Robert Fox, Bekki Williams, Code Indigo, Glenn Main,
Steve 
Orchard
and founder Wright. On Take The Money & Run—the
2014 CD by the instrumental rocktronica band Code Indigo, Wright
serves as band member, arranger, producer, mixer and mastering engineer.
Wright has said that this is to be the final Code Indigo album to
which he tells mwe3.com, "Take The Money & Run was intended
to be the final album, I think at that time I had personally just
had enough. The band was always a huge strain and it was always me
leading it and organizing everything, often to the detriment of my
solo work. I thought the time was right to end it. So the title, everything
about the album seemed right to take a look back over all the Code
Indigo albums and a way of featuring everybody who was ever involved
with the band. I was actually very pleased at how we were able to
achieve that through the music that we featured. We were able to record
some brand new music alongside some really good reworkings of older
tracks and a really nice live section that we all wanted to see released.
And it was nice looking through all the photos to put in the CD booklet.
But I suppose most importantly it showed just what Code Indigo can
do and has done." The sound of Code Indigo is very electronic
with the added wordless vocals of Louise Eggerton and Carys,
giving the music and added ethereal layer. With Code Indigo, New Age
meets Nu Wave as electronic music morphs again thanks to Wright’s
inventive musical mind. Decked out with very appealing artwork and
factory pressed discs, the albums on AD Music are an excellent choice
for fans of creative 21st century electronica.
www.admusicshop.com
ALT
ROCK - Many American bands have their roots in the field of jazz
and fewer in the realm of progressive jazz. That place where the American
free jazz of the 1950s meets the progressive U.K. jazz-rock of the
late ‘60s and early ‘70s can be heard on Ancestors’
Tale, the 2014 CD from the Kentucky based band known
as Ut Gret. Fittingly, Ut Gret cite Zappa, Soft Machine, Coltrane,
Hatfield & The North and others as big influences. The music of
Ut Gret centers around the music of Joee Conroy (bass, guitars)
and Steve Roberts (keyboards). Much of the music is instrumental
freeform fusion but several tracks add in the vocals of Cheyenne
Mize and in that respect you can hear the influence of the U.K.
fusion band Hatfield And The North. Ut Gret’s CD sounds great
and the booklet adds in all the credits and lyrics on the vocal tracks.
Very entertaining from start to finish, Ut Gret lets their talent
shine forth on Ancestors’ Tale. www.UtGret.net
APOTHECARY PRODUCTIONS - Keyboardist / composer Jeremy Cubert
was one of the first artists reviewed on the mwe3.com web site.
It’s been way too long since 2000 but in 2015 Jeremy reconnected
with mwe3.com and we’re proud to tell our readers about two new
albums he’s produced in recent times. First, Apothecary
is a fantastic jazz-fusion rock CD that features a wide range
of instrumental sounds that veers from jazzy instrumentals to near
heavy metal instrumental sounds. The CD features Jeremy’s trademark
keyboards and stick sounds paired with other musicians including Mike
Galway (electric bass), Anna Koropchak (electric violin)
and Gary Venable (drums). The interplay between these four
musicians borders on ESP. Featuring nine tracks, Apothecary is
21st century jazz-rock fusion at its best. Also new from Cubert and
company is the album Formativ. More of a rock
fusion set, Formativ, the band and the CD features Cubert and John
Beagley (vocals, keyboards, lyric) backed up by a range of players.
Cubert has always been a big progressive rock fan and he’s worked
with YES founder Jon Anderson in the past so this 21st century progressive
rock outing with Beagley makes a lot of sense. Beagley is a fine singer
/ lyricist and as such, Formativ makes a good choice for fans
of YES and watchers of state of the art, 21st century progressive
rock. As both CDs portend, Jeremy Cubert is still quite active and
busy in the worlds of instrumental fusion and prog-rock. www.ApothecaryBand.com
CONSIDER THE SOURCE MUSIC - Brooklyn based Consider The Source
released World War Trio Part 1 in 2014. The CD EP
consists of a five part, 24 minute piece of music called “Put
Another Rock In That Bag”. The results are quite amazing, revealing
a jazz-rock power trio going after a melodic and highly structured
kind of sound. Funny how they describe the sound as being “Sci-Fi
Middle Eastern Fusion”. On the CD, guitarist Gabriel Marin
joins forces with John Ferrara (bass) and Jeff Man (drums).
The music is highly eclectic as it contains a range of contrapuntally
engaging orchestrated sounds that harks back to the late ‘70s
music of Pekka Pohjola and even the early 1980s music of Mike Oldfield.
Even with so much youthful diversity, a slight metal edge and occasional
trip-hop beats pouring through the grooves, there’s plenty here
to marvel at. The better news is this track is just a prelude to a
further 3 disc set encompassing the entire World War Trio
album. www.considerthesourcemusic.com
COYOTE FLOE MUSIC - A 21st century CD masterpiece of New Age,
ambient and World Beat flavored instrumental sounds, Summon
The Wind is a fine introduction to the music of multi-instrumentalist
Timothy Wenzel. Wenzel uses the wind as a metaphor to describe
the changes in our lives adding ‘We speak of the wind of change,
or politically a new wind is blowing, or new ideas blew in. On a personal
level, sometimes it feels like our minds, our lives, are a whirlwind,
and we need to still that wind by stilling our mind, either though
meditation or listening to gentle music.’ The main instrument
on Wenzel’s 21st century instrumental music classic is the piano
and he fills out that sound with a variety of synthesized sounds that
echo the sounds of violins, cellos, bass, drums and the wordless sound
of human vocal choirs. A couple of guests add in guitars and drums
on a couple tracks but mostly the CD is a fantastic album of haunting
melodies and dreamy arrangements that evokes a perfect sense of peacefulness
and relaxation. Interestingly, early in his life, Wenzel was greatly
inspired by progressive rock bands like Jethro Tull and The Moody
Blues and you can hear the influences of master prog-rock keyboard
innovators such as the great Mike Pinder throughout Wenzel’s
keyboard work. In fact, Wenzel carries the tradition of classic progressive
rock into the realm of 21st century New Age symphonic music with rare
precision and sonic expertise. New Age rock fans looks for state of
the art instrumental music should give a listen to Timothy Wenzel’s
Summon The Wind. www.TimothyWenzel.com
CRAMMED DISCS - The venerable Crammed Discs Records label is known
for releasing some truly off the wall music and they continue with
more fascinating and bizarre sounds with the 2014 CD from Jozef
van Wissem.. The Brooklyn, NYC based van Wissem released It
Is Time For You To Return and overall it’s a very unique
sounding album of mostly acoustic based lute music, that kind of evokes
the gothic music of John Cale and Nico. Some instrumental and some
vocal tracks collide on a truly avant garde album. The cover has van
Wissem dressed up like a priest with a big cross around his neck that
is really creepy. Van Wissem’s calling card is his fascinating
medieval sounding lute work. The Holland born / NYC based composer
will frighten some with this album but those undaunted brave souls
who seek it out will be rewarded with some elegant, stately lute based
minimalism. Van Wissem has recorded over a dozen albums including
some with co-creators like guitarist Gary Lucas and Jim Jarmusch,
as well as a number of collaborative albums, and It Is Time For
You To Return is yet another solid effort from Dutch lutist Jozef
van Wissem. www.JozefVanWissem.com
CRANKTONE RECORDS - The ghosts of guitar monsters Les Paul and
Chet Atkins are to be found on Alone, the 2015
CD by guitar virtuoso Carl Verheyen. Both Chester and Lester
were gifted guitar soloists who could entertain with just a solo guitar
(electric or acoustic) and that’s exactly what Carl gets up to
on the 14 track Alone. Kicking off with a memorable cover of
the Pat Metheny classic “Last Train Home”, Carl moves into
sacred sonic terrain offering up covers of Lennon & McCartney,
Norman Petty, Jimmy van Heusen, Luiz Bonfa, Mark Knopfler and more.
Key to the sound of Alone is Carl’s uncanny ability to
entertain listeners with just one acoustic guitar. This after all
was the trademark ability of both Les Paul and Chet, who often used
solo guitar chord melody arrangements of song classics to dazzle listeners.
Commenting on the mode of operations on Alone, Carl adds, “My
goal is simple: I only cover a song by another composer if I feel
I have something new to say about it.” Beguiling, haunting and
all together memorable, the sound of Alone is yet another musical
milestone for one of the America’s greatest, though most underrated
fretboard masters. www.carlverheyen.com
DAN
SIEGEL MUSIC - Based in Southern California, keyboardist Dan
Siegel is breathing fresh energy into 21st century jazz with hs
2015 CD entitled Indigo. The CD cover art is
excellent and likewise, the music maintains a cool, sophisticated
approach to instrumental jazz
music.
For Indigo, Dan has chosen to work with some renowned backing
musicians, including 
co-producer
Brian Bromberg (bass), Lenny Castro (percussion), Allen
Hinds (guitars), Bob Sheppard (sax), Will Kennedy (drums)
and other fine players. Overall, the Indigo CD is quite upbeat,
with Dan’s acoustic piano driving the sound. The lead off track,
“To Be Continued” is highly atmospheric and the album soon
settles into solid jazz groove. Recording and mixing by Tom McCauley
is great while superb CD mastering by Bernie Grundman elevates
the CD sound to a very high level. Speaking about Indigo in
the following interview, Dan tells mwe3.com "The Indigo album
was five years in the making. I’m very obsessive in the writing
process, and I struggled to get together ten songs that I thought
were good enough. The truth is that the tenth tune, “Spur Of
The Moment”, was completed in the studio. Once the music was
written, I thought about the concept and who would be the best players
for the project." Over the years, Dan has worked with music
legends like Larry Carlton, Joe Sample, Patrick O’Hearn and Herbie
Hancock to name just a few. Clearly, that same high level of jazz
professionalism has carried over to Dan’s solo output. After
releasing 20 albums, Dan Siegel hits a real sweet spot with the relaxing
and deep jazz sounds of Indigo. www.DanSiegelMusic.com
DAVE BAKER GUITARS - Nashville based guitarist Dave Baker is
one of the rare breed of guitarists who can do everything. From blues
to rock to jazz and Les Paul style, Dave’s all instrumental guitar
CD features him backed up by fine players including Rich Redmond
(drums), Gregg Lohman (drums) and Jay Gorman (bass)
and other players. The sound is electric and even minus synths and
keyboards, except piano, the sound is very pure. There’s even
Latin jazz stylings on some tracks. On 71 South, Guitarist
Dave Baker makes the art of instrumental music look easy and effortless.
www.DaveBakerGuitar.com
DEKATRIA RECORDS - On
his 2015 CD, entitled Liars Incorporated, guitarist
Strat Andriotis redefines the role of the guitar in classical
music. The twelve track Liars Incorporated CD clocks in at
just under 28 minutes but it’s filled with some breathtaking
guitar-centric, classically inspired music. Assisting Strat on this
CD are some gifted accompanists—Jeff Vidov (piano) and
Adrianna Lee (violin). Also on the CD are Katie Avery (violin)
and album co-producer Bob Doidge (cello). 
Although
Strat grew up in Canada listening to Cream and Jimi Hendrix, his love
of jazz was ignited by the Miles Davis album In A Silent Way. His
early solo albums featured nylon string guitar and piano with samples
and, following another venture into the realm of hard rock, in early
2015 Strat returned to the neoclassical guitar style. Inspired by
classical music greats—such as Paganini, Satie and Beethoven—Strat
recorded Liars Incorporated. The results are truly striking
and quite satisfying, both from a guitar perspective and a neoclassical
music perspective. Strat’s fluid guitar work is in total sync
with the other musicians and instead of stealing the spotlight with
his mercurial guitar skills, he acts as the central cog in a well
oiled musical machine. Perhaps the most fascinating thing is that
Strat has written all the music here, so while it may sound like it
was composed in another century, the music here is actually a well
honed representation of 21st century neo-classical guitar-centric
music at its finest. Another good thing is, how often you play this
amazing CD, it never seems to wear out its welcome. Liars Incorporated
is a masterful guitar statement from neoclassical / rock guitar
maestro Strat Andriotis. www.StratMusic.net
EARTHSCAPE MEDIA - Canadian guitarist Johannes Linstead continues
to make nuevo flamenco guitar fans happy with the 2014 CD release
of Midnight Rhumba. Skillfully written and performed
by Johannes and his band, the eleven cut Midnight Rhumba CD
features a fascinating mix of instrumental Spanish guitar sounds accompanied
by the sound of Gypsy violin, Afro-Cuban percussion, piano and accordion.
Supporting Linstead’s Spanish guitar, piano, ukulele, percussion,
bass and keys are a range of musicians who help to flesh out the soundstage.
With track titles like “Calypso Island” and “Pineapple
Grove”, there’s a definite tropical sound on this album.
The perfect guitar album to blow away your cold weather blues, Midnight
Rhumba is accurately described on Linstead’s website as being
a “go-to album for any fiesta.” Midnight Rhumba is
a welcome addition to Linstead’s ever growing catalog of instrumental
guitar albums, that now totals eight albums released since 1999. www.JohannesLinstead.com
ESTHEMA - Based in the Boston area, the band known as Esthema
features the sound and vision of guitarist Andy Milas.
An excellent example of music based upon 21st century progressive
instrumental and World Beat sounds, Esthema gets it all together on
their 2014 CD Long Goodbye. The sound of the
eight track CD is often times deep and mournful, with the band creating
somber moods offset by dazzling musicianship and dramatic music. Backing
Milas are some fine players including the string sounds of Naseem
Alatrash (cello) and Onur Dilisen (violin), while
Mac Richey adds in oud and bouzouki for an even more exotic
effect. The rhythm section of George Lernis (drums) and Tom
Martin (bass) provides a wonderful anchor to the band’s often
soaring sound. Esthema has composed some excellent music on Long
Goodbye that matches the skillful craft of these musicians. World
Beat sounds with a penchant for exotic instrumental jazz-rock sounds,
Esthema builds a new bridge for 21st century instrumental music. www.esthema.com
FERNWOOD MUSIC GROUP - Acoustic music takes a turn for the strange
with the 2014 CD release of Arcadia by the California
based band known as Fernwood. As indicated on the back of the
CD art, “All music played by hand, on instruments made out of
wood.” Essentially the brainchild of Gayle Ellett (guitarist
of the legendary instrumental prog-rock band Djam Karet) and Todd
Montgomery, this third album by Fernwood sounds like it might
have been written and performed in a different century, yet the quality
of the recording is very much state of the art. Just about every known
acoustic instrument under the sun seems to have been included on the
making of Arcadia, with the accent clearly being on World Beat
instruments from exotic countries including Greek and Irish bouzouki,
the Indian sitar, Chinese Ruan, Turkish cumbus, Moroccan oud. Interestingly,
all these instruments seem to sit well with good old acoustic guitars,
banjo, mandolin, acoustic piano, upright bass and much more. Also
blended in for effects are field recordings and other sounds. Gayle
Ellett is renowned for his jazz-rock and avant gard fusion sounds
with Djam Karet so it’s a little surprising hearing him in such
a blissful acoustic, World Beat moment on this third Fernwood album.
With Ellett and Montgomery joined together in such a harmonious sonic
moment, Fernwood’s Aradia redefines the essence of acoustic,
World Groove inspired music. Audio buffs can either choose between
the CD and vinyl LP to hear Fernwood’s Arcadia. www.FernwoodMusicGroup.com
FORWARD FALL MUSIC - On the 2013 CD release of Field
Studies, multi-instrumentalist Ben Cosgrove creates
instrumental music that truly goes beyond words. Much like a lone
man band, Ben performs all the keyboards, guitars, horns, electronics
and more with some help from a couple of players. Clearly, Field
Studies is the work of a one man band with a lot of resourceful
imagination. Indicating the work of a traveling musician Ben explains,
‘More so even than most of my previous work, this is a record
about places.’ Although the album veers in its moods, one constant
here is Ben’s acoustic piano, with some of the sounds making
Ben sound like a modern day New Age Vince Guaraldi. Even so, there’s
some fine guitar work played by Ben and there’s even his banjo
and other fretboard instruments too. One look at the credits, it’s
clear Ben is something of a musical prodigy but it’s his compositions
that will hold your imagination and keep you coming back for more
of Field Studies. Just like the CD cover art of the wide open
spaces, Ben Cosgroves’ music is panoramic and atmospheric. www.BenCosgrove.com
FRESH SOUND RECORDS - Based in NYC by way of Haifa, Israel,
guitarist Rotem Sivan offers up a fresh guitar vision on his
2014 CD For Emotional Use Only. Featuring a mix
of originals and covers, the ten track all instrumental CD is a trio
affair featuring Rotem’s six string electric guitar backed by
Mark McLean (drums) and Haggai Cohen Milo (bass). Musically,
Rotem’s CD mixes in a range of traditional jazz with a free fusion
bop sound that is marked by a unique approach to improvisational jazz.
Featuring quotes by Peter Bernstein and Ari Hoenig, the CD adds in
liner notes by Rotem and Brent Black—the latter accurately
describing Rotem’s sound as “a six string attack that is
accessible and melodically driven while embracing the zen-like approach
that simplicity is indeed the ultimate in sophistication.” Growing
up listening to a mix of rock and jazz, Rotem cites both Led Zeppelin
and J.S. Bach as well as fretboard jazzers like Metheny and Scofield
among his big music influences. A fresh voice in the 21st century
jazz guitar front, Rotem Sivan stakes out a musical vision of his
own with this vibrant musical masterpiece. www.RotemSivan.com
HAVEN TONE RECORDS - Fans of instrumental New Age and healing
meditation music will completely enjoy the 2015 CD release of Spiritual
Haven by composer / multi-instrumentalist Russell Suereth.
Created, mixed and produced by Russell, the Spiritual Haven
album really takes the listener out there with its mix of unusual
World Beat rhythms and other intriging 
sounding
instruments such as oboe and other relaxing instruments with further
musical flavorings from modern sounding synth beats, guitars, zither
and much more. Commenting on the meaning of the album title, Suereth
explains, ‘I believe people all over the world need spiritual
havens. I believe music can help people connect to their own spirituality,
which, in turn can contribute to a healthier lifestyle and a fuller
sense of well being.' In the following interview Suereth further
explains his sonic mission by adding, 'When I created this music,
I set out to create New Age songs that have a certain feel to them.
To me, that feel is imagery of ancient places combined with modern
relaxing tones. I also like to have a fair amount of rhythm and percussion.'
On Russell Suereth’s Spiritual Haven, modern technology
meets traditional ancient instrumentation and the results are timeless
music magic. www.RussellSuereth.com
MEN IN GREY SUITS - Musicologist Michael Clare has been
a mainstay on the progressive rock scene for decades. Having worked
with Gong founder, the now late great Daevid Allen and, having worked
at the fabled Caroline Records in NYC in the past, Clare sets his
sights on new musical frontiers as the bass player in the group Men
In Grey Suits. 
Anyone
expecting prog-rock might be in for a jolt as the band’s 2015
CD Return Of The Cnidarians is a mix of surf-rock etched
with some near progressive elements, but only as a adorning. Perhaps
it has something to do with Clare moving to Hawaii several years ago,
but the ocean flecked instrumental surf-rock vistas have more to do
with The Ventures and New York’s surf-rock heroes The Supertones,
than it does with full Gong-esque prog. With Clare handling the electric
bass, the 14 track, 55 minute CD features excellent support from his
MIGS cohorts, including guitarists Robbin Henley Jr. and Chad
T. Hamman with drums handled by Seann Carroll and Alvin
Fejarang. In the spirit of Los Straitjackets and The Raybeats,
Men In Grey Suits keeps the spirit of Hawaiian style instrumental
surf-rock alive and well. www.MenInGreySuits.com
MOONJUNE RECORDS - U.K. based guitarist Mark Wingfield
strikes jazz fusion gold with his 2015 CD entitled Proof Of
Light. Joined by the currently hot rhythm section of
Yaron Stavi and Asaf Sirkis, Wingfield pulls out all
the stops on a CD of daredevil jazz-fusion pyrotechnics. Speaking
to mwe3.com about working with Yaron and Asaf on Proof Of Light,
Wingfield adds, “I have been playing with Yaron for quite
a while now, as you know he was on my previous two band albums. I
like Yaron’s approach, he is an emotional player with a beautiful
singing tone. He loves to play the rockier side of jazz but also has
a strong sensibility for ECM style jazz. This combination is perfect
for what I do. Asaf is someone I had been thinking about playing with
for some time and a year before we recorded Proof Of Light, I got
together with Asaf and Yaron for an exploratory session. This session
went so well that as a result I started writing material for a recording
session, which resulted in the album. Asaf shares my deep interest
in Indian music and he also likes to cross over between rock and more
ECM style jazz. He has a lot of very distinctive rhythmic ideas in
his playing, so I was very keen to record with him. Yaron and Asaf
have been playing together in various groups for years so I knew they
had a strong musical connection. So these guys were the perfect combination
for Proof of Light.” In contrast to Wingfield’s ongoing
recordings with guitarist Kevin Kastning, Proof Of Light is
a much rhythmical affair, mixing moods and improvisations that were
clearly meant to be played loud. The CD liner notes puts together
a complete interview with Wingfield discussing working with his rhythm
section and his composing and guitar style. Compared to other guitar
melodicists, Wingfield’s thing was always about the sound and
the now, while taking guitar improvisations to the next level in the
spirit of the classic jazz masters. As such, Wingfield’s distinctive
horn-like electric guitar sound is as much Coltrane as it is Holdsworth,
both clearly having influenced him to achieve his own one of a kind
sound. www.MarkWingfield.com
MOONJUNE - Moonjune has a 2014 CD out by Israel-U.S. based
rockers Marbin. Named after the band’s guitarist Dani
Rabin, the quartet features a range of tracks written, arranged
and produce by both Rabin and the band’s sax player Danny
Markovitch. Following the success of the bands 2012 CD entitled
Last Chapter Of Dreaming, the band released a live album in
2014 called The Third Set. Recorded on their
ongoing tour of the U.S., Marbin make very hot instrumental jazz-rock
in the spirit of classic 1970s era bands like Mahavishnu Orchestra,
yet there’s also a solid rock element in play. Rabin is shaping
up to be one of the finest of the new breed of fusion guitarists and
backed up by a rock solid band, he cuts loose on a CD bound to please
jazz-rockers and instrumental guitar fans worldwide. Another live
release on Moonjune is Live At Orion by Indonesian jazzers
simakDialog. The six piece band features solid musicianship
from composer Riza Arshad (keyboards) and Tohpati (electric
guitars), who are both backed up by bass guitar and a range of Sundanese
percussionists, who add in some exotic sonic trimmings. The double
CD set was recorded in September 2013 at the Orion theater in Baltimore
Maryland and captures this adventurous band in fine form. Moonjune
continues to corner the Indonesian jazz-rock scene with the self-titled
2015 CD release from guitarist Tesla Manaf. Tesla has been
described as a young guitar prodigy, and his mainly instrumental CD
borders on chamber jazz with a free form, avant garde edge. Featuring
extensive liner notes by Dan Burke, the 14 track, 79 minute
CD is attractively packaged while the music within features Tesla
backed up by a range of Indo-jazzers. One of the more established
acts on Moonjune, the band known as Morain, released Groundswell
in 2014. Musically Morain sound very influenced by the 1970s
Rock In Opposition movement and their free jazz meets chamber rock
should have appeal among adventurous fusioneers. At the helm of this
five piece, Seattle based band is guitarist Dennis Rea, who
receives solid backup from his band mates as well as production aid
from Steve Fisk. Highly adventurous music with no borders or
parameters, Morain takes jazz-rock to the outer limits with the full
bodied sonic barrage of Groundswell. For something completely
different on Moonjune give a listen to to the album called Kai
from the NYC duo called Yagull. Featuring the combined
talents of guitarist Sasha Markovic and piano player Kana
Kamitsubo, the album is quite different from the other Moonjune
titles as it borders on easy listening, smooth guitar/piano jazz the
blends in elements of New Age. The music is quite evocative in places
combining jazz, neo-classical, flamenco and even soundtrack sounds.
Sasha’s guitar is multi-tracked on various tacks adding to layers
of sound. Several guests appear including Moonnjune guitarists Belado
and Dewa Budjana. Like most Moonjune titled Yagull is intriguing
music and well worth a listen. www.moonjune.com
MUSEA RECORDS - Back in 1997, the California band called
Blue Shift released an excellent album called Not The Future
I Ordered. The album made waves in the progressive rock community
but following that, not much was heard of the band... until now. In
2015 Blue Shift returns with Levels Of Undo. The
band now features a new singer named Denise Chandler, while
the core of the band still includes founding members Joey Backenstoe
(guitars), Mark Barton (keyboards) and drummer Steve
Sklar. A sonic masterpiece, Levels Of Undo sounds great
on CD and veers all over the musical map, taking well into consideration
the band's roots in progressive rock, jazz and electronica. The diversity
really shines through on a Blue
Shift cover of the Rolling Stones 1967 classic “2000 Light Years
From Home” while “I Remember Ted” is Backentoe’s
warm-hearted solo jazz guitar instrumental tribute to the late great
jazz guitar icon Ted Greene. As Levels Of Undo points out,
Joey Backenstoe is truly one of the most gifted guitarists on the
music scene and as such, he’s kind of the American version of
Steve Howe. Like Howe, Backenstoe is proficient in both the jazz-rock
and prog guitar worlds. Keyboardist Mark Barton is kind of the American
Keith Emerson and like Emerson, Barton is very influenced by both
prog-rock and jazz with special leanings towards the world of electronica
and especially 20th century innovator Wendy Carlos, who in fact used
to be Walter Carlos. Speaking to mwe3.com about the creation of Level
Of Undo, Joey Backenstoe explains “We would each work
on ideas individually, and then come together periodically to present
our demos to one another. We would then hash out the details and work
on the arrangements together. Steve and Denise had some valuable input
when it came to the arrangements”, with Mark Barton adding
“Let’s put it this way. L.O.U. is a product of the modern
computer age. As much as we love to play together as a band, that
wasn’t always possible during recording. The computer also allows
us to agonize over and discuss every note. We have come to the conclusion
that this is actually a good thing. I’m sure Beethoven did the
same.” Whether your tastes lean towards progressive rock,
instrumental jazz fusion, mainstream guitar jazz or classic experimental
keyboard electronica, Blue Shift covers all the sonic bases in style
on their long awaited masterpiece
comeback,
Levels Of Undo.
NAÏVE MUSIC - Master percussionist Steve
Shehan is well known for his prolific output of solo albums as
well as his appearances on albums from a variety of artists. Steve
appeared on the 2014 CD by synthesist Thierry David and amazingly,
Steve has recorded and released a dozen solo albums, including a number
of film soundtracks. Back in 1999, Steve toured with rock legend Paul
Simon. Steve’s most recent CD, Hang With You features
19 tracks of mostly instrumental pieces that feature his patented,
exotic sounding percussion work. A number of musicians appear including
Gong legend Didier Malherbe. Hang With You is mostly
jazzy sounding music but there’s also a cool New Age / World
Beat sound in play too, making it a very well rounded sounding album.
www.SteveShehan.com
NEW EARTH RECORDS - The New Earth Records label has been
releasing high quality music for quite some time and they live up
to their reputation as one of the top New Age labels with the 2015
CD release of Reiki Hands Of Love by the German artist
known as Deuter. One of the mainstays on the instrumental New
Age / healing music scene since the 1970’s, Deuter has released
over 60 albums during the past 45 years and Reiki Hands Of Love
contains more of his patented instrumental music stylings. The
practice of Reiki is a long held relaxation and healing technique
involving the laying of hands on the body of the patient and has long
been held as a healing technique by New Age medical people in the
know. Deuter taps into the healing aspects of Reiki and harmonizes
his vision by combining a flow of haunting ambient instrumental music
that features his piano, synths, flute, guitars violin, cellos and
more, all played by Deuter. Deuter lives in the desert Southwest of
America and on Reiki Hands Of Love he continues to use his
music as a force for good to support the act of calming and healing.
Although Deuter’s music can be appreciated anytime, the best
time to listen to his music is often late at night when the mind and
body seek the refuge of peace and tranquility as the soul travels
towards the dreamy land of slumber. www.NewEarthRecords.com
ORIGIN RECORDS - Seattle based Origin continues to refine
and redefine the spirit of 21st century jazz with a number of releases
that borders on prodigious. Among their many fine recent titles is
The Stillness Of Motion by The Scott Hesse Trio.
Chicago based Hesse has composed a range of instrumental trio tracks
while receiving support from his trio mates, Clark Sommers (bass)
and Makaya McCraven (drums). The sound of this CD is very improv
based free jazz. A guitar educator by profession, Hesse approaches
his guitar like a sonic architect, building layers of guitar sounds.
The sound of The Stillness Of Motion is very experimental -
no chord melody music or easy listening stuff here. Perhaps Hesse
sums it up best in his CD liner notes when he says, ‘I love
the space provided in a trio setting and love working with Clark and
Makaya. The music on The Stillness Of Motion is fluid, yet still.
It contains several captured moments in time that will never happen
the same way again.’ One of the best jazz guitar albums of
2014, The Stillness Of Motion is very hard core instrumental
guitar jazz played by masters of the art form. www.ScottHesse.com
RAVCON - The band known as The Man From RavCon is
essentially the brainchild of North Carolina based Mike Brown.
A gifted multi-instrumentalist who can do it all, Brown and The Man
Fro RavCon have released seven albums over the past six years. Following
the critical acclaim of the 2013 CD release of Skyscraper, The
Man From RavCon is back with The Puzzle Master. The
13 track CD continues onwards with a wide range of instrumental music
that smoothly transitions from progressive rock to 1960’s inspired
pop, ‘60s / ‘70s soundtracks to surf-rock inspired guitar
music. Proficient both as a guitarist and keyboardist, Brown always
gets the best sounds from his wide arsenal of keyboard sounds, especially
his mellotron samples which evoke the heady heyday of YES and the
Moody Blues, sans vocals of course. Back in the late 1990s, Brown
made waves with the band The Ravelers but clearly since forming his
own sound with The Man From RavCon, he’s taken his sound into
the stratosphere and he just continues to improve. Although the music
of The Man From Ravcon is shrouded in an air of mystery, it’s
worth noting that Brown is a fantastic guitarist as well and he has
a wide range of electric guitars to help him realize his progressive
visions. So here you have a gifted American artist who can not only
play keyboards, guitars and drum programming and fit them seamlessly
together but you also have an artist with a unique musical vision,
one who is worth hearing by fans of guitar music, soundtracks and
progressive rock. When you need the magic of instrumental music to
take you into the wonderful land of sonic intrigue, call on The Man
From RavCon. www.CDBaby.com
REAL MUSIC - California based Real Music released part
five in the Elements Series by keyboardist / composer
Peter Kater. Featuring 7 tracks, and clocking in just under
one hour, the 2015 CD release of Etheria is filled
with memorable and enchanting instrumental music from the Hawaii based
Kater. Following in the footsteps of Kater's earlier Elements CD
titles 
Air,
Fire, Water and Earth, Etheria is actually the 5th album
in the series even though there are only four elements so far known
to man. Commenting on the album in the Etheria CD liner notes,
Real Music director Terrance Yallop explains, “Wanting
to create a new project, Peter and I kept referring back to the series
until realizing the answer was right there in part of our conversation.
If only there was a fifth Element! From that arouse the concept of
creating an album representing the vast environment containing both
our planet and its elements. And so Etheria came to be.” Peter
Kater’s Etheria is overflowing with majestic instrumental
music made crystal clear with his signature piano / synth sounds and
enhanced by Native American and bamboo flutes and other heavenly effects.
The cover art of Etheria is quite intriging and overall, the
entire CD fits in well within Real Music's celestial
approach
to ethereal and healing New Age instrumental music. www.RealMusic.com
REAL MUSIC - Continuing to pave the way for world class, state
of the art New Age instrumental music, Real Music released a new CD
in 2015 entitled Crosswinds - World Flute Conversations
by Indian flutist Rajendra Teredesai. The subject of Rajendra’s
latest masterpiece is various flute melodies from around the world,
including melodies from the Middle East, China, India, America and
Bali. The windswept qualities of the flute are quite pronounced in
Rajendra’s music. From his liner notes for the Crosswinds
CD, Rajendra explains, ‘Most tracks on this album have
a story to tell. If you listen intently you will discover that each
track has the flute whispering deep mysteries and singing intriguing
tales from the exotic and distant land of India, China, Tibet, Bali,
Arabia and America.” Every song on Crosswinds has
something unique to offer the listener. Of particular note is the
lead off track “The Road To Byblos”, conjuring up images
of Arabian nights and a song which expertly combines Rajendra’s
flute with punctuated synth keyboard effects. The Indian flavored
percussion keeps this track moving at a swift pace. From his original
liner notes, Rajendra states, “This track is about a weary
soldier returning after a long, hard-waged battle to his quaint little
home in the picturesque Byblos, Lebanon.” Many of the tracks
on Crosswinds are deeply meditative sounding, including track
four “Jaisalmer Moon”. The track runs almost ten minutes
and is one of the most sublime 
tracks
on the Crosswinds CD. Commenting on “Jaisalmer Moon”,
Rajendra states, “This haunting composition depicts the tranquility
of the desert and the deep emotions experienced by the lovers as they
sit by the darting flames of the bonfire in the golden sands, under
the starlit sky.” Perhaps the coolest thing about Crosswinds
is its offering a unique take on 21st century Indian music. Many
Western music fans are familiar with Ravi Shankar and the unique contributions
of his sitar in pop and World Beat music but the flute’s reappearance
in Rajendra’s Real Music albums shines a light on a lesser known
instrument that also has a rich history in the path of Indian music.
Accompanying himself on flute, light percussion and a variety of synth
keyboard programming, Rajendra made a lot of New Age meditation music
fans quite happy with his first two Real Music titles, Divine Dimension
and Path Of The Divine and, with Crosswinds he brings
his artful musicianship to an even higher level. On Crosswinds,
Rajendra Teredesai proves that the flute is a worldwide phenomenon
that truly speaks the language of music. www.RealMusic.com
RESILIENT RECORDS - U.K. instrumental folk music is alive and
well on the 2014 self-titled CD from Kathryn Tickell & The
Sides. A Northumbrian piper, fiddle player and composer, Ms. Tickell
has won numerous awards and has worked alongside artists such as Sting
and more tellingly, Irish music legend The Chieftains. Like The Chieftains,
the music here is highly evocative instrumental folk music that evokes
music of the Scottish highlands and Wales and the overall solemn beauty
of the English countryside. The CD is kind of reminiscent of the legendary
Penguin Cafe Orchestra and even the Barry Lyndon soundtrack
to Stanley Kubrick’s movie of the same name, which interestingly
also featured music of The Chieftains. With Ms. Tickell’s pipes
and fiddles assisted by a range of musicians on cello, accordion and
harp, the twelve track CD also features Sting guitarist Dominic
Miller on several tracks. The CD booklet is filled with all kind
of information about the music here. Although the music does feature
a cover from the pen of 17th century English musician Henry Purcell,
most of the music here are originals which only serves to underscore
an air of authenticity and devotion by Ms. Tickell and her band of
merry folk music makers. www.KathrynTickell.com
7D MEDIA - A superstar filled CD/DVD set by Matte Henderson,
The Veneer Of Logic is adventurous, daring rock-fusion
music that borders on the avant garde side of jazz-rock. Mostly instrumental
music, with voices that appear out of nowhere, mostly for effect,
the music features Matte’s searing and soaring guitar sounds
joined forces with drumming wizard Marco Minnemann (who is
also listed on the front cover) as well as numerous other prog-rock
legends including King Crimson members Tony Levin, Trey
Gunn, Pat Mastelotto, David Torn and a range of
other musicians. Astute music fans have heard Matte’s guitar
playing before thanks to his work with John Medeski, Screaming Headless
Torsos, Henry Kaiser and much more. The CD speaks for itself but the
DVD is really spectacular stuff, with the music mixing in the wildest
types of treated, eye-popping video footage to fit the soundtrack.
The Veneer Of Logic is overflowing with great sonic ideas,
making Matte Henderson’s double disc CD/DVD a must for experimental
music fans. www.7dMedia.com
SILBER RECORDS - North Carloina based Silber Records is making
ambient guitar fans happy with Closer To The Sea Without Moving
is the 2014 CD by the band known as Yellow6. Strange
name for a band and even stranger as far as the guitar music within.
Also, the packaging is highly unusual. Track this down if you can
find it. Just the packaging alone is amazing but the music really
evokes amazing instrumental guitar bands like Explosions In The Sky,
Noveller and for those who can remember the late 1980s and the band
Love Tractor, this is for you. Essentially the brainchild of U.K.
guitarist Jon Attwood, the band Yellow6 started out way back
in 1998. Although he grew up listening to punk-rock, on this Yellow6
CD Attwood is clearly inspired by all forms of space rock, post rock,
electronica, shoegaze sounds. Using a number of pedals and other high
tech gear, Yellow6 blends a wide range of guitar sounds with sonic
drones, pianos, synths, drum machines and more. Fans of ambient instrumental
guitar soundscapes check out Jon Attwood and Yellow6. www.SilberMedia.com
SOUNDSCAPE PRODUCTION - A pioneer of the worldwide electronic
music scene, guitarist Robert Rich has recorded over 40 albums
spanning four decades. Although he began building modular synths back
in the 1970s, as a teenager, Rich is perhaps best known for his multifaceted
instrumental albums filled with otherworldly guitar sounds and sonic
electronic treatments. On his 2015 CD, entitled Filaments,
Rich combines a wide range of instruments including modular synths
with a added flavors of lap steel guitar sounds and that’s just
the tip of the sonic iceberg. A complete list of all the instruments
on the CD is listed on the back cover of the CD. Thanks to the guitarist’s
ceaseless ability to amaze his listeners, on Filaments, waves
of sound combine for the aural equivalent of a trip into deep space.
In the CD liner notes, Rich goes into depth about physics and cosmology
as well as his theories of life on other planets and the possibilities
of other forms of intelligence in worlds we do not even know about
yet. The CD sounds dynamic and the cover art is truly other worldly.
Even if Rich takes it to the extreme in his intriguing liner notes,
the music on Filaments stands on its own as a strange and surreal
sonic journey into the unknowns depths of deep space. A must for fans
of techno guitar wizards such as Robert Fripp and adventurous electronic
music, Filaments delivers a potent sonic charge from master
synthesist / guitarist Robert Rich. www.RobertRich.com
SUGO MUSIC GROUP - Known formally as Dr. Pascal Bokar Thiam
because of his book writing and musicology skills, guitarist Pascal
Bokar released Guitar Balafonics in 2014. The ten
track CD is a real mainly instrumental affair, mixing original songs
with covers of Duke Ellington, MIlt Jackson, Horace Silver, Lester
Young and others. The Paris born guitarist does everything in a tasteful
way and the album has a very cool Wes Montgomery kind of vibe. Some
of the more tropical flavored tracks feature a laid back Hawaiian
reggae vibe. With his African connection and professional background,
Bokar has written extensively in his books about the African connection
in blues, jazz and beyond. Pascal Bokar moves colorful and upbeat
guitar based instrumental jazz a step further with Guitars Balafonics.
www.PascalBokarThiam.com
SURF MUSIC UNLIMITED - Anytime
The Supertones release a new album is primetime for surf-rock
guitar fans. On the band’s 2015 CD Going To A Rock &
Roll Dance Party, guitarist Tim Sullivan and
company summon up 17 vintage instrumental rock classics played Supertones
style. The Supertones have always featured top musicians and the current
band seems to have hit a groove with Tim getting solid support from
band mates, Simon Chardiet (bass, guitar, 
production),
Seth Lipscher (guitars) and on drums Sammy Baker and
Tommy Mattioli. Although clearly a great composer of the instrumental
rock genre, on Going To A Rock & Roll Dance Party Tim Sullivan
and company have chosen to cover 17 songs everyone seems to know and
love including “Tequila”, “La Bamba”, “Yellow
Jacket” and “Tel-Star” while including lesser known
songs that work well played Supertones style. From the following March
2015 interview with mwe3.com Tim explains, “These are tunes
we play at gigs that get people movin’ and groovin’. So
far this has been a very popular record and people dig it." The
CD artwork is colorful, featuring pics of the band in action. Although
Going To A Rock & Roll Dance Party is a veritable party
album filled with golden chestnuts from the heyday of surf-rock, there’s
also another Supertones album worth hearing called All For A Few
Perfect Waves that features 19 Supertones originals. As noted
earlier, The Supertones are also planning another CD of all original
music to be released in later in 2015 called The Sweet Ride. In
the meantime, Going To A Rock & Roll Dance Party is another
superb Supertones CD that will rock your socks off.
www.DoubleCrownRecords.com
3 KNOCKS ENTERTAINMENT - Based in Miami Florida, Hot Club
Of The Americas combines a wealth of musical styles. From Jobim
inspired tracks to music inspired by Django Reinhardt and the original
hot club sound, Hot Club Of The Americas released a 2015 album called
Federico Britos Presents Hot Club Of The Americas.
The group centers around the sound of Latin and Gypsy Jazz led
by legendary violinist Federico Britos and the album is subtitled
“When Grappelli Meets Latin America.” Grappelli of
course means Stephan Grappelli of Django’s band and in that sense
Federico’s violin is a good match here with the guitars of Jorge
Garcia, who are joined by a range of fine players including Carlomagno
Araya (drums) and Edwin Bonilla (percussion). The album
is very playful and the Latin / Miami connection sound seems to permeate
the tracks here which includes covers of favorites like “The
Sheik Of Araby”, “Djangology”, “Nuages”,
“La Vie En Rose” and more. Several vocals spice up the proceedings
of this mainly all instrumental album. Liner notes by Paquito D’Rivera
gives a good indication of the music within. Django’s Hot
Club Of France is alive and well and living in Miami’s own Coconut
Grove. www.HotClubOfTheAmericas.com
TRITONE RECORDS - The band known as Los Coronas aren’t
usually thought of when it comes to instrumental surf-rock guitar
music but fans of the genre are advised to give them a listen. Coming
out of the Madrid, Spain region, Los Coronas boldly carry forth the
instro rock tradition of legends like the Ventures, Dick Dale and
The Shadows. Having a guitar-centric sound at its core, the five piece
Los Coronas livens things up even more with the addition of a Mariachi
style trumpet player, which when combined with the the surf-rock instrumental
sound gives the music a kind of 1960’s style spy-surf sound.
The band’s 2013 CD/DVD, entitled Adiós Sancho,
features an album of all original material on disc one combined
with a DVD disc of various live performances. Interestingly, the CD/DVD
set was released by Sony Legacy Spain, which is I suppose Spain’s
branch of Legacy. Even more interestingly, the music was recorded
in Tucson, Arizona and mastered in Los Angeles. Not bad for a band
from Spain. Clearly, the music on Adiós Sancho is highly
imaginative, timeless sounds perfectly built by dedicated musicians
for today’s surf-rock sound. The double CD/DVD of Adiós
Sancho is superbly packaged with a color booklet of the band in
Arizona. Vinyl fans may want to check out another recent Los Coronas
release on vinyl called El Extraño Viaje as well.
Spain has always been a great place for guitar sounds, now with Los
Coronas, it’s even more of a guitar haven. Surf-rockers don’t
miss Los Coronas. www.LosCoronas.com
VIRAL DISCS - Multitalented music producer / engineer Tom
Newman was one of the early architects of the Virgin Records studio
sound. Having worked closely with Mike Oldfield on Tubular Bells,
Tom Newman is no stranger to making great albums himself. He does
so few of them so the 2014 CD release of The Secret Life Of
Angels is a most welcome return to form. Taking a kind of
Oldfield-esque approach this time around, the all instrumental sound
of TSLOA, four years in the making, is filled with all
kinds of studio wizardry as Tom performs everything on the CD. The
studio sound, as you would expect is first rate, veering from Oldfield-esque
type musical wizardry to a more progressive / experimental type of
sound. Interesting to note, that the Viral label, owned by label head
and guitar legend Paul Brett, features a logo that looks kind
of inspired by the Virgin Records logo from the late 1970s. Anyway,
Richard Branson isn’t putting out records that sound anywhere
near this good anymore but thankfully we have Tom Newman around to
show everyone just how it should be done. The Secret Life Of Angels
is a 21st century masterpiece of dreamlike and very pleasurable
instrumental music. www.ViralDiscsAndDownloads.com
WHIRLWIND RECORDINGS - One of the rising groups on the current
U.K. jazz scene, Partisans strike jazz gold with their 2015
CD entitled Swamp. On their Facebook page, the
band describes their music as being “a trademark shot of gritty
bebop marked with hard bop, early electric Miles, ballads with sustained
delicacy, and rock riffs mixed with P-Funk grooves with fresh departures
into electronic.” That’s a mouthful, but the quote is pretty
accurate. Heading up the Partisans’ sound is guitarist Phil
Robson, horn man Julian Siegal (sax, clarinet) and the
rhythm section of Thaddeus Kelly (bass) and Gene Calderazzo
(drums). The Partisans bring 21st century jazz to life on an album
that has already been getting lots of rave reviews by a number of
UK music insiders. The Swamp album is so expertly written and
performed that you could leave the replay button on for hours and
constantly be amazed by the sheer variety of progressive musical ideas
in motion here. On Swamp, Partisans bring 21st century jazz
to life with a vital shot in the arm. Jazz and fusion fans will not
be disappointed with Swamp by Partisans. www.partisans.org.uk
ZYGMATRON - The Germans can be relentless when it comes to
music. Modern day masters of Krautrock and the harrowing essence of
industrial strength electronica, the band Kalamata lives up
to the legacy of intense German music. The all instrumental power
trio is centered around the guitarist of Peter Jaun, who gets
solid support from a tight rhythm section. The sound of the self-titled
Kalamata album draws on stoner-rock, psychedelic, doom, industrial
and post-progressive rock. Not surprisingly, Kalamata list influences
like King Crimson, Black Sabbath and Grand Funk Railroad, which appear
often in the space of a single track. This is clearly disturbing music
that will take you to the edge of musical madness. Only the strong
of heart need apply for the Kalamata experience. www.kalamata.bandcamp.com
REISSUES
& RETROSPECTIVES
ACROBAT MUSIC - When chronicling the history of rock & roll,
the name that will always be agreed upon among music aficionados and
historians alike is Chuck Berry. Berry was born in 1926 and
through the good graces of God almighty, Chuck is still with the living
in 2015 making him 89 years young. Over the past 30 years, there's
been so many great collections on CD of Chuck’s music and with
the release of The Complete Chess Singles A’s & B‘s
you can chalk up another fine Berry CD collection. Released
on the U.K. based Acrobat label, the 50 track, double CD set features
both the A side and the B side of every single released - from “Maybelline”
in 1955 through till “Come On” in 1961. It’s true,
as indicated in the informative CD booklet and liner notes, that Chuck
endured a lot of unjust hardships in late 1950’s America, yet
through his natural gift for writing a great song, he and his music
were able to endure and thrive for these past 60 years. Another cool
thing is that these tracks sound great in mono. All the hits are here,
logically sequenced, making The Complete Chess Singles A’s
& B‘s one of the finest Chuck Berry collections ever
released on CD. Excellent discography info, while historical liner
notes by Paul Watts ends with a quote from the late great John
Lennon which reads, “If you tried to give rock ‘n’
roll another name, you might call it Chuck Berry.” Enough said.
Why stop at Chuck Berry? U.K. based Acrobat has so many amazing CD
titles in their catalog and they continue to plunder the vaults of
the biggest names in 1950s and 1960s pop music. High on the list of
Acrobat remasters is The Complete US & UK Singles And EPs
- As & Bs - 1955-62. Duane Eddy was such
a huge influence on bands from both the US and the UK, including The
Ventures and The Shadows, so this 66 track double CD set is a must
hear for instrumental guitar fans of all persuasions. Complete discography
info and 2014 liner notes by Paul Watts seals the deal on this
most welcome Duane Eddy retrospective on Acrobat. The name Scott
Walker will be known by fans of the music of 1960s pop wonders
The Walker Brothers but not too many know that before The Walker Brothers,
Scott was a bit of a teenage heart throb and those early rock ‘n’
roll years are covered on The Early Years. The music
on this 18 track, single disc CD goes all the way back to 1958 and
May 2005 liner notes by Austin Powell goes to great lengths
to put Walker’s historic career into a timely perspective. Another
fine double CD set on Acrobat is The Complete Singles And Eps
- As & Bs by early rock ‘n’ pioneer Neil
Sedaka. Complete discography information and 2014 liner notes
by Paul Watts reads like a textbook on the history of one of the greatest
singer-songwriters to ever emerge from the borough of Queens NYC.
The hits keep coming on Acrobat, including a double CD set by Hawaiian
music legend Arthur Lyman, entitled The Singles Collection,
while early rock ‘n’ fans will no doubt want to hear
a new for 2015 triple CD set by The Everly Brothers entitled
The Complete US & UK Singles - As & Bs & EPs: 1956
- 62. www.AcrobatMusic.net
EXPERIENCE HENDRIX - The death of Jimi Hendrix in September
1970 was a completely unique jolt, especially for the teenyboppers
who were just turning on for the first time. Like the shocking death
of Brian Jones the year before, Jimi’s equally shocking death,
left a void but, at the same time his genius was still being discovered,
kind of like Buddy Holly. No one will ever grasp the why’s and
how’s of Jimi’s death but one thing is sure - his greatest
music was clearly ahead of him, especially upon revisiting The
Cry Of Love, the first post-Hendrix album that contained
a number of (what are now considered) standards that, at the time
were also being played almost religiously on FM radio, way back then.
So many Hendrix tracks, albums and live shows have been issued and
reissued time and again but The Cry Of Love is/was still the
album that best calculated who Jimi was and that also demonstrated
the advancement in sonic technology that were being unveiled at Jimi's
Electric Lady Studios on 8th Street in the Village. For those who
don’t know, 8th Street, as it properly begins at 6th Avenue in
Manhattan, was the center of recorded music culture in 1970. Electric
Lady Studios was there true, but it was also the great music stores
of 8th Street that will be forever etched in the memories of music
fans. The record store, Discophile was the finest of all the downtown
NYC stores in the early 1970s, just a half a block up the street from
Electric Lady studios. Discount Records, at the corner of 8th and
Broadway, was another central location for music lovers as was, a
little later, Revolution Records, which was directly across the street
of Electric Lady studio. That had to be, partly, the environment within
which Jimi's music was created. No doubt, Jimi loved 8th Street and
like me probably made that trip over to Discophile a number of times.
Although much of the music on The Cry Of Love has come out
over the years on other collections, like South Saturn Delta,
it’s really that album, The Cry Of Love, with that artwork,
that really hit the fans so hard back in 1971. Jimi really loved hanging
out with Eddie Kramer and Buzzy Linhart, the latter
of whom plays on a Cry Of Love session here. I remember Buzzy
telling the story of how Jimi had just walked out of the studio and
Buzzy put him in the car that took Jimi on that final one way trip
to London. What’s even more amazing is the night before he died,
Jimi was sitting with Mike Pinder of the Moody Blues in a club in
London, before Jimi went home and died. Buzzy’s vibes on “Drifting”
remains classic. One listen to “Angel” confirms that Electric
Lady studio had the best studio sound in New York back then and The
Cry Of Love remains a testament to that statement. As if that
wasn’t enough, in addition to the 2014 remaster of The Cry
Of Love, Janie Hendrix and Electric Lady mastermind Eddie
Kramer have also reissued the original 8 song Rainbow Bridge
album on CD which, like The Cry Of Love, is featured
in a straight 2014 CD remaster. As great as his early work was with
the Experience, the music on both of these original rock classics
leaves no doubt as to the incredible new heights Jimi Hendrix was
reaching for in 1970. www.JimiHendrix.com
FRÉMEAUX
& ASSOCIÉS - The French clearly love American and U.K.
guitar instrumental music. The French label Frémeaux puts that
love to the test with a 2014, 66 track, 3 CD box set called Rock
Instrumentals Story 1934-1962. CD 1 (1934-1956) starts
off with various early guitar centric instrumentals by Les Paul, Chet
Atkins, Bob Wills, Arthur Smith, Willie Dixon, Django Reinhardt, Speedy
West & Jimmy Bryant and a whole lot more early guitar pioneers.
CD 2 (1955-1959) follows the course with more early guitar instrumental
sounds from legends like B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Duane Eddy, Link
Wary, Santo & Johnny and others. CD 3 follows the guitar twang
sound into the early 1960s with The Ventures, The Shadows, Dick Dale,
Booker T. & The MG’s, Freddie King, Bo Diddley, The Chantays
and many others. The three CDs are divided into 22 track segments
making for a neat primer on the history of how guitar instrumental
music became rock & roll instrumental music. The 3 CD set features
nice clamshell packaging while the 28 page booklet is filled with
rare pics, musical discography, assorted album cover artwork and in-depth
liner notes by musicologist Bruno Blum, written in English.
Rock Instrumentals Story 1934-1962 provides an insightful course
on the history of how the instrumental rock and roll guitar sound
changed the course of 20th century music forever. www.fremeaux.com
RAVEN
RECORDS - Australia's finest reissue label Raven Records has a
mini-box set by The Box Tops. Featuring four albums and 7 bonus
tracks, The Original Albums 1967 - 1969 recalls
The Box Tops and their young singer, the late great Alex Chilton.
By the Fall of 1969 it was all but over for The Boxtops but for
that 2 or 3 year period they cranked out four albums of timeless top
40 tracks including “The Letter” and “Cry Like A Baby”
that holds up today as pop standards from the 1960s. Albums here include
The Letter-Neon Rainbow (1967), Cry Like A Baby
(1969), Non Stop (1968) and the final Boxtops
album Dimensions (1969). The in depth liner notes by
Keith Glass takes you down memory lane back to the teenybopper
daze when you were only as cool as your Top 40 hit played on AM radio.
And from that perspective, it doesn’t get much better than The
Boxtops. Combining stereo mixes with bonus tracks of “The Letter”
and “Cry Like A Baby” in mono, Raven’s Box Tops double
CD set is a must for fans of 1960s Top 40 pop. www.RavenRecords.com.au
STRATOTESTER RECORDS - Not only is U.K. based Paul Simon a
great musician and songwriter, a cofounder (along with his brother
Robin Simon) of the band AjantaMusic and head of his own Stratotester
Records label, but he’s also a musicologist. Having honed his
skills in the late 1970s, Simon was affiliated with a range of artists
as well as having put together a band called The Civilians.
Way back in the late 1970's, The Civilians were slated to work with
producer Trevor 
Horn
yet, because Horn was busy rising to fame with his band The Buggles,
the Civilians pressed forward without him and the rest is history.
A lack of haste might have made all the difference but, missing the
chance to work with famed producer Horn has led to a near cult like
remembrance of The Civilians among certain music cognoscenti. With
drummer Simon the core of the band, the quartet also featured lead
singer Trevor Herion, who unfortunately would later go on to
take his own life. The songs featured on a 2015 release of the till
now unreleased Civilians album, A Taste Of The Future are
packed with memorable and quite original sounding New Wave, synth
flavored raveups that are highly reminiscent of that frenetic 1977-1980
period. So many great bands came out of that era and you can add The
Civilians to that list. Explaining the story of The Civilians in the
following interview, Paul Simon tells mwe3.com, “The Civilians
lineup was Paul Simon, drums and synthesizer, Michael French, bass
and saxophone, Mark Scholfield, guitar, and Trevor Herion, vocals.
Of all the lineups I have worked with over many years, the chemistry
between Michael, Mark and me was for me the best ever.” Fans
of New Age and post-punk synth rock will enjoy The Civilians CD A
Taste Of The Future. Perhaps Simon sums it up best adding, “It
was a very innovative time for music as a new generation arrived on
the scene.” www.AjantaMusic.com
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