MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
SUMMER 2015 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
AUTOGRAPH
RECORDS - On the 2015 CD release of No Straight Lines,
singer songwriter Bill Gable gets into a solid pop vocal kind
of groove that blends folk, jazz and Brazilian sounds. Gable turned
a few heads around with his 2003 CD, This Perfect Day and in
2015 he’s back with his long awaited follow-up No Straight
Lines. With its jazzy pop approach, Gable sometimes
sounds a mix between Kenny Rankin and Harry Chapin. A fine singer
and songwriter, Gable tastefully combines train of thought folk-jazz
with a solid bent for lyrical content. In the past, Gable has blended
jazz, Brazilian and Afro-Cuban musical influences and interestingly,
the music here was written during travels to Spain, Portugal and Morocco,
lending the music a kind of exotic flavor. Gable’s backing band
is first rate too with Steve Rodby and Jimmy Haslip on
bass with Gable on vocals, guitars and cello with many other players
on hand. The CD packaging is excellent as well featuring all the lyrics.
Bill Gable’s No Straight Lines is a positive merger of
folk, jazz and pop sounds. www.billgablemusic.com
AUTUMN
ELECTRIC - Today’s young prog-rock bands are clearly on the
right path. Even with so much history of great music to learn from,
today's younger bands are ready and willing to take chance and through
their hats into the proverbial sonic arena. One of those new bands
is Seattle-based Autumn Electric who are making waves with
their cosmically titled Star Being Earth Child. Wow,
that’s a mouthful but Autumn Electric back it all up on a CD
that combines the best elements of 21st century pop, rock, prog and
al manners of finely engineered sounds. Guitarist / vocalist Michael
Trew has written some fine lyrics and he gets great backup from
his band including Naomi Adele Smith (keys), Chris Barrios
(drums) and Johnny Unicorn (bass). The CD is imaginatively
packaged and features full lyrics. Catch a wave with Autumn Electric
and find out where progressive rock and pop is heading in the 21st
century. www.autumn-electric.com
BASTA
MUSIC - Pop singer-songwriter Eva Auad lives in Holland
but don’t let that put you off. On her 2015 CD, entitled Rules
Of Romance, her songs are written and
sung in English which more or less means the whole world is her oyster.
What’s even more amazing is that the entire album was written
and performed by Eva and pop-producer genius Ken Stringfellow—singer-songwriter
from The Posies and Big Star (to name just a few bands he’s associated
with). Stringfellow’s deft touch in the studio is just the ticket
to bring Eva’s incredible music into the light. For music fans
looking for some comparison, imagine a Dutch version of Astrid Gilberto,
produced by Paul McCartney and you come close to the eclectic music
magic on Eva’s brilliant second solo CD. There’s hardly
a duff song on the 12 track Rules Of Romance CD. The CD is
impeccably packaged featuring a fine booklet with pics of Eva and
all the song lyrics and credits. www.EvaAuad.com
CLEOPATRA
RECORDS / PURPLE PYRAMID - The 1960s is commonly referred
to as the greatest decade for music during the 20th century. Spearheading
that premise is the music of The Beatles, who are paid another
tribute with the 2015 Purple Pyramid CD release of Keep Calm
And Salute The Beatles. Produced by esteemed YES producer
/ guitarist Billy Sherwood, the 16 track CD features some of
the biggest names in rock music. The CD kicks off with a cover of
“Across The Universe” featuring Ann Wilson on lead
vocals, while other rock legends here include the recently departed
Jack Bruce singing “Eleanor Rigby” and, the late
great Andrew gold with “Norwegian Wood”. Sherwood
himself takes the lead vocal spotlight on the Fab Four’s 1969
single “Something”. Other stars taking lead vocals on different
songs include Judy Collins, Felix Cavaliere, Todd
Rundgren, Leo Sayer and others. Overall, a rewarding experience,
Keep Calm And Salute The Beatles is time well spent among Fab
Four fans. Speaking of the 1960s, rock legends Vanilla Fudge return
with Spirit Of ‘67. Vanilla Fudge had their
breakthrough back in 1967 with a heavy metal rock version of “You
Keep Me Hangin’ On” and true to form, Spirit Of ‘67
features Fudge-ified versions of rock classics from the magical
'66-'67 period, including “Ruby Tuesday”, “For What
Its Worth”, “A Whither Shade Of Pale”, “Break
On Through” and much more. Interestingly, this 2015 version of
Fudge features original members Carmine Appice (drums), Mark
Stein (vocals, keys) and Vince Martell (guitars), assisted
by Pete Bremy (bass). If you enjoyed the many fine Vanilla
Fudge albums from the late 1960s, then you’re bound to love this.
The Spirit Of ‘67 CD is superbly packaged and the music
has the Vanilla Fudge sound written all over it. Retro rock fans need
to check out both of these two essential Purple Pyramid CDs. www.CleoRecs.com
CLEOPATRA
RECORDS - Hard rock guitar has rarely sounded better than it does
on Retro Rocket, the 2015 Cleopatra Records CD
release by classic rock guitar legend Pat Travers. Described
as a mix of “smoking hot guitar licks, powerful vocal performances
and kick ass, foot stomping rock & roll”, the 11 track CD
is clearly not for the faint of heart. Breaking through in the late
1970s with the 1978 album Heat In The Street, Travers has continued
playing and recording over the years and clearly with Retro Rocket,
he shows no signs of slowing down. There’s plenty of solid
guitar action here that accents Pat’s interest in rock and roll
as well hard rock fusion sounds especially on the album’s instrumental
guitar showcase “You Can’t Get There From Here”. With
so much sizzling guitar action in play, Pat Travers will impress his
many long time fans with Retro Rocket. www.CleoRecs.com
COUNTER
RECORDS - Over in the U.K. the band known as Submotion Orchestra
are changing the face of progressive pop-jazz for the better with
their 2014 CD release entitled, Alium. Featuring
the alluring vocals of a singer who goes by the name of Ruby Wood,
the band is filled out by some fine players including Taz Modi
(keys, guitars), Tommy Evans (drums), Simon Beddoe (horns),
Chris “Fatty“ Hargreaves and other cool musicians.
The 12 track CD is never at a loss to showcase amazing arrangements
and in a sense, Submotion Orchestra are kind of in the same league
with Slow Rolling Camera, who are another band reinventing 21st century
jazz. One description is that Submotion Orchestra sounds like Madonna
singing with Miles Davis. They’re that cool and adventurous.
Fans of ambient pop-jazz, miss Submotion Orchestra at your own risk.
www.submotion.co.uk
DOONE
RECORDS - One
of America’s most phenomenal, yet somehow underrated progressive
rock bands, IZZ returned in 2015 with another ambitious CD
called Everlasting Instant. The CD is filled
with imaginative, and memorable songs and complex arrangements certain
to intrigue music
fans. In the following interview with IZZ cofounders Tom Galgano
and John Galgano, mwe3.com was informed about the making
of Everlasting Instant. Speaking about the lineup of talented
musicians involved in the creation of Everlasting Instant,
John Galgano tells mwe3.com, “The lineup of the band for Everlasting
Instant is—Paul Bremner: guitar, Anmarie Byrnes:
vocals, Brian Coralian: electronic and acoustic drums 
and
percussion, Greg DiMiceli: acoustic drums and percussion, Tom
Galgano: keyboards and vocals, Laura Meade: vocals and
me on bass, vocals and the odd bits of keyboards and guitars. The
lineup has changed a few times over the years, but really since 2002,
it is has been fairly consistent. I really think every member of the
band brings in a key component of the sound that makes up IZZ.”
The eleven track Everlasting Instant features key contributions
from all the talented IZZ band members, without any one of the musicians
taking the spotlight for long. Commenting on the unique approach involved
in making IZZ a kind of prog big band, Tom Galgano tells mwe3.com,
“I think of our band as an orchestra. Not everyone is on every
second of every song. The great thing about our band is that everyone
is comfortable with this scenario. This allows every instrument to
be heard because every instrument has a specific role.” Progressive
rock fans will find Everlasting Instant to be a rewarding listening
experience worth repeating. Clearly, IZZ have hit a spectacular sonic
high note with Everlasting Instant. www.izzmusic.com
DRAG
CITY - U.K. folk music maven Alasdair Roberts released
his self-titled 2015 album on Drag City. Filled with imaginative,
original compositions, the ten track CD is very quaint English folk
songs. Several guest artists drop by but the CD is mostly Alasdair
accompanying himself on vocals, acoustic / electric guitars, snare
drum, and keyboards. Alasdair’s Scottish accent is quite thick
so thankfully the CD includes all the lyrics so you can keep pace
with his imaginative and plaintive musings. Of note is Alasdair’s
excellent guitar techniques which blend in perfectly with the variety
of tin whistles, clarinets and occasional harmony vocals supplied
by the guest artists here. Drag City has a number of albums and related
titles by Alasdair, who has clearly amassed a sizable repertoire.
Alasdair Roberts brings the spirit of Scottish folk music to the fore
again on an album that recalls the very early sounds of Donovan. www.AlasdairRoberts.com
ERIC
BAULE - As the different elements of progressive rock influence
pop bands the world over, various countries are turning out to be
hot spots for progressive music. Spain, for example has a fine new
Barcelona-based guitarist composer Eric Baule. Marked by a
prominent cover and CD packaging, Revelations Adrift
combines a near split of lengthy instrumental tracks and several vocals.
It’s an even split but Baule and his band come up with a very
entertaining album that sparks with a range of progressive rock in
the spirit of Hackett-era Genesis. With just a slight Spanish accent
in his impressive English sang lyrics, and an even more pronounced
Spanish music influence in his dynamic arrangements, Baule proves
a triple threat as a guitarist, singer and songwriter. Guitar fusion
fans will flip for track 4, the nearly nine minute, Al DiMeola influenced,
“Flying High”. Baule’s guitar work is electrifying,
making Revelations Adrift is an excellent choice for fans of
timeless progressive rock. www.ericbauleband.bandcamp.com/releases
ESOTERIC
ANTENNA / VIBROLA RECORDS - In late 2014, U.K. based Esoteric
Antenna label released Scorch by power poppers Tin
Spirits. The eight cut CD features a wealth of all original material
that combines rock with pop in the spirit of Tin Spirits guitarist
Dave Gregory, and his former band of revered rockers, XTC. On
Scorch, Dave gets ace support from band mates Daniel Steinhardt
(guitar), Mark Kilminster (bass) and drummer Doug Mussard.
Album songwriting is shared by all four members. Another key point
is that the album was was mixed and co-produced by guitar ace Paul
Stacey, who was a key member / producer of the SYN on their 2005
reunion album. There’s even a couple of atmospheric rock-driven
instrumentals on the CD but overall, it’s mainly pop-rock and
power pop that rules the day here. Music fans who enjoyed Dave Gregory’s
work with XTC will find much to like about Scorch by Tin Spirits.
www.tinspirits.co.uk
F2
MUSIC - A whole new generation of progressive rock music is is
the process of seizing the reigns as the old guard passes through
the ages. Case in point is The Antechamber Of Being (Part 1).
The 74 minute album is a sprawling rock opera of sorts features
a number of notable progressive rockers, with the entire affair presided
over by composer / keyboardist and vocalist Stewart Bell, of
the band Citizen Cain. The 28 page CD booklet is quite extensive,
featuring complete lyrics and all the parts annotated in great depth
by Bell. With Bell handling the keys, drums and some vocals, the album
features guitarist Phil Allen, along with acclaimed progressive
rock vocalists Simone Rossetti, Arjen Anthony Lucassen,
Bekah Mhairi Comrie, Phil Allen and Bell as well. Overall,
the CD is reminiscent of the complex recorded works of Gabriel-era
Genesis and the musicianship is likewise of a quite high level, with
the sonics imbued with complex time signatures and soaring vocals.
Bell cites Pink Floyd as a big influence, yet his music is much too
complex and spiraling compared to the cosmic, soporific, easy on the
ears mid 1970’s Floyd sound. Part of a planned three part trilogy,
The Antechamber Of Being (Part 1) is getting rave reviews
in the mainstream prog audience. Give a listen and find out why. www.CitizenCain.co.uk
FIRST
SECOND RECORDS - Great singers like Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett
were huge in the 1960s. With the passing of decades, it seemed to
be a long lost art form but, that cool and swinging, big band jazzy
pop sound is alive and well on What Happened To Romance,
the 2015 CD by singer-songwriter Steven Davis. Backed up
by The After Midnight Orchestra, Steven’s swinging jazz
sound is greatly enhanced by great production fromThe 88s,
and song arrangements and conducting by Andy Farber, along
with a fresh batch new songs by Davis and his co-writers Josh Charles
and Alissa Moreno. Recorded in NYC, What Happened to
Romance brings back the spirit of the brassy, big band jazz-pop
sound of yesteryear. Steven Davis will put a smile on your face with
the finely tuned, big band, jazz-pop sound of What Happened To
Romance. www.StevenDavisMusic.com
HILDEGARD - A new band worth keeping your eyes and ears on
is Hildegard, who released their self-titled CD in early 2015.
Based in New Orleans, the music of Hildegard is magnificent and truly
defies description. Led by the song writing team of Cliff Hines
(guitars, vocals) and Sasha Masakowski (vocals), the sound
of Hildegard is a staggering mix of progressive rock and avant gard
jazz rock fusion in the finest spirit of Return To Forever, National
Heath and more recently 21st century art-rockers Blue Shift. Cliff
and Sasha make a formidable team and even though they write their
songs separately, the sound of the CD moves seamlessly from track
to track. Plenty of guest artists drop by and overall, the ten track
CD is greatly enhanced thanks to solid backing from Max Zemanovic
(drums), John Maestas (guitars, synths), Max Moran (bass)
and Andrew McGowan (keys). Whether your tastes run to jazz-fusion
or progressive rock and even hard rock, Hildegard has it all covered
on their impeccably written and produced CD. www.HildegardBand.com
NEIL
BARNES MUSIC - Veteran blues harpist and producer Neil Barnes
released Hyde And Seek on CD in 2015. The 9 track
CD is an all star blues-rock album featuring the cream of the crop
of San Francisco Bay Area blues greats, including singer Earl Thomas,
Lady Bianca (piano, vocals) Rev. Paul Smith (organ),
Ron Thompson (guitars) and much more, all 
backing
up Barnes on his wailing harmonica. For the most part, Hyde And
Seek is mostly a hard hitting blues rock set but a heartfelt cover
of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” (subtitled here as “A
Song For Jill”) adds another dimension to the album. There’s
just one Barnes original here with the CD mostly featuring tracks
penned by Otis Mays, Allen Toussaint and vocalist Earl Thomas. Speaking
about Hyde And Seek, Barnes explains, “I wanted to move
forward with a gospel blues release because these particular songs
resonate with me. I can only begin to tell you how excited we are
to share Hyde & Seek with the world. This is a unique collaboration
of world class musicians.” Music fans take note: Hyde And
Seek is one of the coolest blues-rock albums of the decade. www.NeilBarnesMusic.com
ORGANIC RECORDS - Falling into the alt-country / Americana
music genre, The Honeycutters are making waves with their 2015
CD Me Oh My. The band’s singer-songwriter
Amanda Anne Platt also plays rhythm guitar and she gets ace support
from Tal Taylor (mandolin), Matt Smith (guitars), Rick
Cooper (bass) and Josh Milligan (drums). Heading out of
Asheville North Carolina, the Honeycutters maintains a steady country
pop-rock vibe throughout the album and true to form, band area are
already being compared to country music greats like Hank Williams,
Loretta Lynn and Patsy Cline. Commenting on the new album, Ms. Platt
adds, “The new album is the one I’m most proud of to date.
I took much more of a driver’s seat in its making. I’m very
excited about the lineup of the band, and the song writing includes
some of my very favorites.” With Me Oh My being their
third album to date, clearly The Honeycutters have a very bright future
ahead of them indeed. www.honeycutters.com
PERRY
BEEKMAN MUSIC - Singer-songwriter and guitarist Perry Beekman
is one of those rare breed of music makers who are “making
old school new cool”. Beekman’s forte, so to speak, is to
take the music of timeless songwriters and 
revive
it with new guitar-centric arrangements. Earlier albums from Beekman
include his self-styled tributes to songwriters Rogers & Hart,
on Bewitched and Cole Porter on So In Love. On ‘S
Wonderful, Beekman tackles the music of George Gershwin.
Among the classics revived by Beekman and company here include “I
Got Rhythm”, “Someone To Watch Over Me” and the title
track. Beekman’s calling card is his expert jazz guitar work
and the CD does include several instrumental tracks and overall, the
fare strikes a good balance between Beekman’s vocals and his
skillful guitar work. Beekman’s arrangements are another highlight
as is the interplay between him and his trio band mates, Peter
Tomlinson (piano) and Lou Pappas (bass). The music of George
Gershwin has never sounded as contemporary and timeless as it does
on Perry Beekman’s ‘S Wonderful. www.PerryBeekman.com
PROGRESS
RECORDS - The Swedish based Progress Records released Anima
by the band known as Introitus. Solidly based in the
progressive rock world, the band features vocalist Anna Jobs Bender
and composer Mats Bender and their children Mattias
Bender (drums) and Johanna Bender (vocals) as well
as guitarist Pär Helje and other fine players. The Introitus
sound kind of harks back to the sound of classic late 1970s Euro-rock
bands such as Kayak and Earth & Fire while also retaining an element
of Swedishness too. The band sings and writes their lyrics in English
so the album is clearly poised to become a worldwide favorite among
prog-rock fans. the Introitus CD is yet another fine new album release
on the prestigious Swedish based Progress Records label. www.introitus.se
WAR
OF THE GARGANTUAS OMNIMEDIA - They say talent sometimes travels
in family circles. There are some exceptions to that rule but Astrid
Young is not one of them. The half sister of rock legend Neil
Young, Astrid strikes rock gold on her own with One Night At
Giant Rock. Rock is just one of the elements in play
on Astrid’s eleven cut 
masterpiece.
Her discography goes back all the way to the early 1980s and you can
always see and hear her contributions to some of Neil’s albums
as well as other contributions to albums from Ben Keith, Dramarama,
Nancy wilson and Lee Harvey Osmond. You can blame Neil for this as
he bought Astrid her first amp in the 1970s. Astrid’s music has
been called “psychedelic acid folk” and that’s a pretty
good description but after all she is a Young and the tell tale signs
of greatness can be heard all over One Night At Giant Rock. There’s
some very cool playing by a range of musicians here including former
Go-Go’s guitarist Jane Wiedlin but the songs are the real
stars on this CD, which was superbly co-produced by Astrid and Victor
DeLorenzo. A most memorable set of songs, One Night At Giant
Rock is one giant, fun-filled rock and roll adventure. www.AstridYoung.net
WHITE
SUN MUSIC - I’m not a religious person but sometimes you
don’t need religion per se to have a transcendental experience.
That send of God like existence can be experienced on the 2015 CD
by the musical entourage known as White Sun. The self-titeld
White Sun album is a magical foray into the land of New Age
mediation music. Singer Gurujas is joined by musicians including
guitarist / producer Adam Berry, Harijiwan (gong) and
Abhiman Kaushal (tabla). The Enya-esque, sanskrit vocals of
Gurujas are truly magical and she gets excellent backup from these
amazing musicians. There’s plenty of synth keyboards, that may
or not be triggered by the guitars. Echo abounds and the recording
is first rate. Even those not moved by New Age instrumental and vocal
music will find this CD to be a most revelatory experience. White
Sun transcends musical time and space with their magical, mystical
CD. www.WhiteSun.com
ZIGLAIN RECORDS - Based in the San Francisco area, The Liquid
Scene are keeping the spirits of the 1960s alive and well in the
year 2015 with their Revolutions CD. At first you think
the lead vocalist is singing in an upper register but then find out
the singer is Becki “Bodhi” DiGregorio, who is also
the group’s rhythm guitarist and sitar player. Backing up the
songs and vocals of Ms. DiGregorio are the far-out guitars of Tom
Ayres, Endre Tarczy (bass, keys) and Trey Sabatelli
(drums). The sound is very West Coast ‘60s psych-pop with a solid
rock beat. The Liquid Scene are jump-starting the revival of the paisley
pop generation with the equally dazzling Revolutions. www.TheLiquidScene.com
INSTRUMENTAL
ADAM ANDREWS MUSIC - Pianist virtuoso Adam Andrews made
a ot of music fans happy with his first album Road To Ambo and
in 2015 he continues onward with another fine CD of all original piano
solos entitled A Thousand Springs. Andrews not
only walks the walk but he also talks the talk as he combines his
music by working with local non-profits by assisting at-risk youth
and adoptive families. Musically, A Thousand Springs is all
over the place. Clearly falling into the New Age genre, the 12 track
CD also combines elements of jazz, pop and even neoclassical and it
all comes together thanks to Adams’ wide-screen musical imagination.
The Colorado based Andrews is clearly a man with a mission and his
heartfelt music will have across the board appeal to a wide range
of instrumental music fans. www.AdamAndrewsMusic.com
ALFI
RECORDS - From Morocco by way of Israel, guitarist / composer
Albare steps into a favorable instro jazz spotlight with Only
Human. Recorded in Victoria Australia, the Australian
based guitarist, whose real name is Albert Dadon is backed up by a
solid jazz quartet including Pablo Bencid (drums), Yunior
Terry (acoustic bass) and Axel Tosca Laugar (piano). Only
Human is the first CD release on Alfi Records. The band is truly
international in origin yet they achieve a kindred kind of musical
chemistry as they visit a varied set of divergent musical views. One
minute guitar progressive, the next bop jazz and World Groove, the
sound of Only Human is all over the map with Albare’s
guitar stitching together the weave. Albare and company click on Only
Human, making the album a good choice for listeners of inventive
guitar jazz. www.albare.info
ARIZONA
CLUB RECORDS - Guitarist Jimmy McIntosh keeps the spirit
of good time guitar instrumental music alive and well on his 2014
CD Jimmy McIntosh And... The “and” part of
the album is quite intriguing as joining Jimmy on his latest album
are renowned guest artists, including fellow guitarists John Scofield,
Ronnie Wood and Mike Stern along with Ivan Neville
(keys) and Todd Panos (drums). Musically, the sound is
heavy, bluesy, jazzy and rockin’, often within the space of the
same track. Much more in the spirit of Scofield’s funkier work
than say modern day jazz-rockers like guitarist Scott Bradoka, Jimmy's
CD is well played and the side players alone should make it of interest
among fans of modern day instrumental jazz-blues-rock artists. The
CD booklet features pictures of McIntosh with a number of his superstar
friends. Jimmy McIntosh And... is a modern day instrumental,
superstar-strewn jazz-blues classic. www.jimmymcintosh.com
ATMOSPHERIC
MUSIC - When
it’s done right, the borders between New Age, classical, rock
and jazz music is a nearly invisible line. That’s the case on
The Dream Exchange from multi-instrumentalist John
Luttrell. Recorded at OtterSong Studios in Orange Country, California,
the The Dream Exchange is being described as a composite of
atmospheric New Age ambient and instrumental with intrinsic prog-rock
elements. In a way, John Luttrell’s mix of soaring guitars and
keyboards
echoes the one man band spirit of Mike Oldfield or even Paul McCartney,
albeit instrumental McCartney. Many rock guitarists have a meditative
side like this. The side that allows the more experimental, symphonic
side and this is where John Luttrell brings us to in his music. The
CD closer “With You” is alone worth the cost of hearing
this multi-instrumentalist composer in full flight. Speaking about
The Dream Exchange in the following interview, John tells mwe3.com,
"Like most music projects, The Dream Exchange started out with
an idea and a song. The original idea was to create a collaborative,
ensemble album—a
way for different musicians to come together and exchange dreams.
I also feel there’s a meditative dream state that happens when
composing and performing music, as well as, when listening to music.
So, I feel like I am exchanging that dream state through my music
and that’s the other facet of the concept." What’s
even more interesting is that The Dream Exchange is actually Luttrell’s
fifth solo album. With music this good it's worth going back to see
where Luttrell’s unique musical sound evolved from. With
The Dream Exchange, John Luttrell brings the art of ambient
instrumental symphonic rock music to higher ground. www.AtmosphericMusic.com
AZUL
MUSIC - New Age keyboard maestro Corciolli released an
album of new music called Infinito in 2015. From a sonic
perspective, the album is pure bliss and is filled with a range of
beautiful music motifs with the artist backed up by a range of musicians.
This isn’t space music per se but, rather it’s a very pure
instrumental music album that has more in common with soundtrack composers
like Ennio Morricone and Francis Lai rather than synth music pioneers
like Jean Michel Jarre. That’s not to say that fans of Jarre’s
space music leanings won’t enjoy Corciolli’s more cosmopolitan
instrumental music. On the contrary, there’s plenty here for
both New Age music fans and soundtrack music fans. It’s a bit
surprising that Corciolli is Brazilian. With such compositional proclivities,
he sound more Italian or French, but hey, you learn something new
everyday. It’s very interesting that Corciolli has a number of
album titles on the Azul music label dating back to 1993, this in
addition to a decent number of session credits on various albums,
including many released on Azul. Fans of soundtracks and New Age instrumental
music will enjoy the intricate sonic tapestries of Corciolli’s
Infinito. www.AzulMusic.com.br
BACK
LOT MUSIC / UNIVERSAL PICTURES MUSIC - Having not seen
the movie The Theory Of Everything, I can’t
vouch for the movie but I can say that the CD soundtrack, by film
score composer Jóhann Jóhannsson is a symphonic
masterpiece. The all orchestral score runs 27 tracks and is a moody,
magnificent soundtrack that will enchant listeners. Plus, recorded
at Abbey Road studios in London, the sound is first rate. A number
of arrangers, orchestrators, conductors, music supervisors and engineers
take part in the final album release and there’s also several
other players on board including guitarist Andreas Kaehne and
lap steel ace Adam Wiltzie. In addition to writing the music,
Jóhann also plays all types of keyboards and electronics. That
said, if you enjoy symphonic film scores filled wit lush strings and
other embellishment you’ll enjoy film score composer Jóhann
Jóhannsson’s The Theory Of Everything. www.focusfeatures.com
BAM
BALAM RECORDS - I was going to call this album music to go to
the dentist to as it’s so sonically harrowing but then I thought
that would be a disservice to all that great avant gard rock music
that started back in the mid 1960s with the Velvet Underground. We’re
talking about Spring Grove, the 2015 CD the Portuguese
instrumental art rock band known as Signs Of The Silhouette.
This three piece band centers around the guitarist of Jorge Nuno
and the drums of Joao Paulo, who are aided by the
band’s videographer Miguel Opes. The Lisbon based band
cites a diverse group of influences like John Cage, Miles Davis, and
you can also hear elements of Kraut rock, especially the band Faust
who sound like a big influence on this all-instrumental album. With
their cutting edge metal machine music, Signs Of The Silhouette are
not for the faint of heart. This music will drive you to the extremes
of the sonic spectrum but for adventurous music listeners, Signs Of
The Silhouette will clearly be one hell of a harrowing, yet captivating
sonic joyride. www.bambalam.com
BAJA
/ TSR RECORDS The sound of Rumba Flamenco
guitar instrumental music is alive and well on New Moon - the
2015 album by gifted nylon string guitarist David Correa. Throughout
the 12 track New Moon, Correa’s talent and guitar technique
shines though. He’s clearly a clever composer, finding a number
of new ways to combine his flawless nylon string classical 
guitar
technique within a number of flamenco guitar sounds and styles. A
wide variety of guitar styles float in and out of the CD sound stage
including global guitar fusion, Latin folk, Rumba Flamenco, French
Gypsy and even Middle Eastern sounds. Correa is based in the desert
Southwest region of the U.S. to which he adds, “Most people find
it amazing that I grew up in Southern California and lived in the
Bay Area for years but hadn’t visited the Southwest until 2005.
I was amazed at the Spanish influence and areas that reminded me so
much of Mexico. A number of musicians appear backing Correa’s
guitar on the New Moon CD including Aaron Germain, Ruben
Ramos and Marco Renteria (bass), percussionist Johnny
Sandoval and Surya Prakasha (drums) Several other notable
guitarists appear to lend further fretboard support on New Moon,
including Alfredo Caceres, Jim Stubblefield and Tommy Hill.
Fans of well established flamenco guitar favorites like Govi, Armik,
Young And Rollins, Ottmar Liebert and other will find superb guitar
sounds to enjoy about David Correa’s brilliant New Moon. David
Correa takes the timeless and pleasurable sound of the Spanish guitar
to new heights on New Moon. www.DavidCorreaMusic.com
BOBBY
CORSETTI MUSIC - Long Island N.Y. guitarist Bobby Corsetti
has several recent albums out including his 2013 CD Not
By Chance. From a jazz guitar perspective, Corsetti
keeps the sound upbeat and varied. From smooth jazz and funky grooves
to ballads and jazz-rock fusion, the sound of Not By Chance lives
up to its title. Bobby tastefully accompanies his guitar sounds with
added overdubs of keyboards and drums, getting a full band sound throughout
the 
disc.
Speaking about recording the entire album by himself, Bobby tells
mwe3.com "Most of the instruments on both of my previous projects
were played by me alone, except for a few cameo appearances. Recording
Not By Chance was not easy for me. I played all the instruments except
the trumpet and flugelhorn which were played by the talented Bill
Mobley. Why I played all the instruments on this record is a good
question. The number one reason would have to be the convenience of
being able to make things feel and sound just as close as possible
to what I was trying to achieve. The second reason, honestly, was
the financial aspect of it. I work cheap - and sometimes all night!"
Another recent CD of note by Corsetti is La Dolce Vita,
from 2009. Another colorful snapshot of Corsetti’s eclectic
approach to jazz rock fusion, La Dolce Vita kicks off with
a breezy, instrumental cover of The Young Rascals’ ‘60s
hit “Groovin’” played smooth jazz style and also, amid
the originals, is a Corsetti vocal of the 1960's classic “My
Favorite Things”. While he might not be internationally renowned,
with these two CDs, Bobby Corsetti is clearly a world class guitarist
deserving further acclaim. www.BobbyCorsetti.com
CLEOPATRA
RECORDS / PURPLE PYRAMID - Cleopatra Records keeps the
sprit of the progressive rock alive and well with the 2015 CD release
of The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Plays Prog Rock Classics.
Recorded at Abbey Road studio in London, the ten track CD plays
it safe, offering up orchestral instrumental versions of the biggest
prog-rock classics. Kicking things off with an instrumental tribute
to Emerson Lake & Palmer, the CD goes on to serve up orchestral
covers of Jethro Tull, Focus, Gentle Giant, YES, the Moody Blues and
more. The music of ELP, YES and Tull are quite suitable here and being
all instrumental, the CD allows the sound to live and breathe as orchestral
music in the sprits of Bach, Beethoven and the like. Perhaps in a
hundred years, this is how rock classics of the 20th century will
be played. A number of prog rock legends appear, including Pat
Moraz, Thijs Van Leer and Richard Harvey (from the
band Gryphon), which only serves to lend more credence to this ambitious
but ultimately rewarding album of orchestral prog classics from the
1970s. www.CleoRecs.com
COLLOQUY
RECORDS - The 2015 CD release of Prime Numbers by
guitarist Brad Myers is a wild romp through the art of 21st
century instrumental jazz. Prime Numbers is more like 20th
century jazz but as Brad’s music clearly points out, the best
guitar music is timeless. Brad receives ace back up from his band
mates, Chris Barrick (vibes), Ben Walkenhauer (sax),
Peter Gemus (bass) and Tom Buckley (drums). The sound
of Prime Numbers is so finely wrought that it almost sounds
like chamber jazz and the mix of vibes and jazz guitar is pure magic
the hand of these great players. Along with the originals by Myers
are covers from jazz legends such as Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter.
Clearly Prime Numbers falls into the realm of postmodern bop-jazz,
yet it’s also very well recorded and very contemporary at times,
proving the best musical styles never go out of style, especially
guitar jazz. www.MusicByBrad.com
DAVID
FRANKLIN MUSIC - Although he’s recorded seven albums of original
music over the past 20 years, many music fans are first catching on
to David Franklin thanks to his 2015 CD entitled Playing
With Shadows. The poignant looking CD cover is the
first thing that catches your eye but it’s soon the music that
you draw your attention to. Although Franklin is primarily a pianist,
the CD is also filled with his classy acoustic guitar work. The music
is a fine mix of neoclassical music as well as Americana. A very relaxing
sounding album of finely tuned instrumental pieces for both grand
piano and acoustic guitar, Playing With Shadows also features
a significant contribution from Michael Manring who adds fretless
bass on ten out of the eighteen tracks here, with Franklin adding,
“As time continued and my vision clarified, I realized there
was a lot of chemistry between my piano and guitar pieces, and that
recording with Michael was the perfect glue to hold it all together.”
Franklin is also a therapist and he has recorded and released this
wonderful music as he puts it, so that “people can feel a deeper
sense of connection with themselves and others.” Playing With
Shadows is a wonderful way to use music to find inner peace and
well being. www.DavidFranklin.com
EMERALD
GREEN SOUND PRODUCTIONS - Rusty Crutcher has earned his
stellar reputation as one of the best sax payers in the world. On
his 2015 CD, entitled Romances Latinos, Rusty
is joined by fine musicians including guitarists David Das and
David Pulkingham for an album of modern instrumental jazz that
explores, as he puts it, “The world’s most beautiful Latin
love songs written by the greatest South and Central American songwriters
and composers of the 20th century.” A master of the smooth jazz
genre, Rusty’s sax spearheads the sound of Romances Latinos.
Because of their origins in other countries, most of these songs will
be unknown by American listeners at least, with the one exception
here being a cover of “Black Orpheus (Manha Carnaval)”,
composed by Luis Bonfa. Rusty attributes his fascination with this
music by way of growing up in a semi-rural area of Houston, Texas
which was infused with Hispanic culture. Falling into the smooth jazz
and Latin jazz genres, these songs are so well played that you wouldn’t
guess that they weren’t Crutcher originals. Commenting further
on Romances Latinos, Crutcher adds, ‘I fell in love with
these songs and began researching their origins and original recordings.’
Backed by a hot band of musicians, Rusty Crutcher puts a new and exciting
spin on Spanish music with the sounds of Romances Latinos. www.RustyCrutcher.com
ESOTERIC
ANTENNA - Over in the U.K., Esoteric Antenna is finding new and
vital ways to bring progressive instrumental music further into the
21st century. Case in point is the 2015 CD release of Lucid
by guitarist Matt Stevens. The eleven track CD kicks
off with a track called “Oxymoron” that packs a solid one,
two punch. From there the CD ducks and dives its way through a vast
spectrum of instrumental music making that blends rock, jazz and even
New Age to great effect. Matt gets solid backup from a range of players
including Stuart Marshall (drums) as well as King Crimson thumper,
Pat Mastelotto, who adds his drums on a track here. There’s
no denying the King Crimson connection as sometimes Matt comes across
as a modern day Robert Fripp. There’s no shortage of wild musical
ideas here, many of which turn the proceedings into quite an enjoyable
romp through the realms of 21st century prog. Produced by Kevin
Feazey, Lucid establishes Matt Stevens as a rising
guitar force to be reckoned with. www.MattStevensGuitar.com
FRANK
VIGNOLA MUSIC - There’s a reason why the late great guitar
pioneer Les Paul kept Frank Vignola on hand often as a second
guitarist and 13 of those reasons can be heard on the 2015 CD release
of Swing Zing! Featuring Frank recording alongside fellow
guitarist Vinny Raniolo, the Swing Zing! CD features
the two guitarists romping their way through 13 classic “Swing
Era” classics, including music composed from the pens of legends
like Irving Berlin, Kurt Weill, Hoagy Carmichael and more. Guest artists
include Bucky Pizzarelli, Gene Bertoncini, Julian Lage and
other fine jazz artists. Frank and Vinny are currently one of the
most popular jazz duet teams, having played 1000 concerts in 14 countries
on three continents. Jazz guitar fans will be in music heaven upon
hearing the magic guitars in play on Swing Zing! www.FrankVignola.com
HEART
DANCE RECORDS - Possibly the most relaxing hour you could spend
listening to solo flute music, Sanctuary III - Beyond The Dream
is a fine introduction to the music of Sherry Finzer.
Based in Phoenix Arizona, Ms. Finzer’s music falls neatly into
the realms of New Age / Healing music, as well as jazz and even contemporary
classical yet, Sanctuary III sounds very much rooted in the
New Age instrumental music genre. One look at her back catalog shows
that Ms. Finzer is clearly no newcomer to the world of New Age instrumental
and you can easily discern that after hearing Sanctuary III. Synth
keyboards envelope the flute sounds making for a most sublime musical
experience. Guitarist Darin Mahoney accompanies on a pastoral
sounding version of “Amazing Grace” and another cover, written
by Fiona Joy, fits in well on this mostly all instrumental
CD. New Age fans and fans of light classical will find much to like
about the music of Sherry Finzer. www.sherryfinzer.com
IGUANA
BREATH MUSIC - L.A. based guitarist Byron Fry hits it out
of the park with his 2015 CD, the appropriately entitled Explosive
Calling Byron’s music explosive would be an understatement.
All instrumental and guitar-centric, Explosive walks a fine
line between hard rock, refined heavy metal and a more altruistic
approach to jazz-rock fusion. There’s a lot of different shadings
and atmospheres all over the CD. Covers of “Black Dog” (the
Led Zep favorite) and Herbie Hancock’s “Actual Proof”
mix things up nicely on the mostly original set. A number of guest
artists join in on the music making but Byron takes on the lions share
of the instrumentation, with his guitars solidly in the forefront.
Byron’s experience in orchestration and symphonic works, takes
the CD up another notch as well especially on the more atmospheric
tracks such as track 9, “A Rose, A Flame, A Moth”, which
sounds like George Gershwin composing for hard rock orchestra. With
guitars ablaze, Byron Fry takes the guitar world by storm with the
highly combustible instrumental jazz-rock fusion sound of Explosive.
www.ByronFry.com
INNERVISION RECORDS - With the passing of guitar ace Jeff Golub
in 2014, perhaps it’s up to guitarists such as Blake Aaron
to help fans fill their music desires. In the spirit of Jeff Golub,
Blake released a smooth jazz classic with his 2015 CD Soul Stories.
The sound of the mostly instrumental ten track CD is smooth as
silk and you can’t help but be impressed by Blake’s command
of the modern electric jazz guitar sound. Blake’s band with Spencer
Day (vocals) and Ricky Lawson (drums) is
first rate and he also gets back up from horn legend Najee
(here on flute). A wide range of players appear and sound is quite
lush. In addition to his electric and acoustic guitar skills, Blake
also proves himself as a composer of all original smooth jazz guitar
sounds, while a pair of covers, written by Santana and Hall &
Oates liven things up even more so. Fans of contemporary jazz-rock
and smooth jazz will want to give a listen to Blake Aaron’s Soul
Stories. www.innervisionrecords.com
KERANI
MUSIC - Belgium born / Holland based Kerani is making inroads
in the New Age music world with her latest masterpiece called Equilibrium.
On Equilibrium, lush and scenic soundscapes merge into
a wonderful tapestry of sound making the 9 track CD an instrumental,
neoclassical / New Age wonder. Although she has already released several
albums, 
Equilibrium
is finally the album that may just put this very talented lady
on the musical map. Commenting on her sonic mission with Equilibrium,
Kerani explains, ‘The concept for the Equilibrium album,
and the title track, comes from my dream of a world where the male
and female energies are in balance and in harmony, where men and women
accept and respect each other as they are and treat each other as
equals. The music this album honors is the highest feminine energy.’
Apart from Kerani’s stated concepts, her music truly transcends
words alone. In addition to her keyboards and synths, Kerani sometimes
weaves in subtle, wordless vocals to her music, adding further intrigue
to her already otherworldly instrumental sound. Several musicians
assist Kerani on the CD including guitarist Romain van Beek along
with a range of string players. Fans of Enya, Yanni, Oldfield and
other groundbreaking New Age instrumental music icons will thoroughly
enjoy Kerani’s uniquely deep and meditative approach on Equilibrium.
www.kerani.nl
LECD
- California-based Elise Lebec is turning heads around
with her 2015 CD entitled Heart Song. A CD of
atmospheric piano tracks, the New Age feel is further augmented by
guest appearances from renowned instrumentalists su ch as Jeff
Oster (flugelhorn) and David Darling (cello). The 14 track
CD was tastefully co-produced by Ms. Lebec and Michael Rosen.
and overall, the sound is very stately and even sedate but towards
the end of the CD, Ms. Lebec stretches out with some unique sounding
synth accompaniment that livens things up a bit. Interesting to note
that Ms. Lebec was a member of a pop band in the U.K. which also featured
classical guitar wizard Roland Chadwick. The impeccable engineering
captures all the nuances of Ms. Lebec’s grand piano and the sundry
light accompaniment separates it from other solo piano albums. New
Age and neoclassical fans should give a listen to Ms. Lebec and her
visionary New Age flavored piano-based music. www.EliseLebec.com
MAGNA
CARTA - Upstate New York based Magna Carta have been on the cutting
edge of hard rock and progressive rock for two decades and they extend
their stellar reputation with the self-titled, second CD release from
the band Points North. At the helm of Points North is the guitars
of Eric Barnett, who is joined by Uriah Duffy (bass)
and Kevin Aiello ((drums). The band mostly kicks out a number
of all original instrumental tracks although a couple of vocals do
add to the mix. Rock cogniscenti have drawn comparisons with Cream
and The Police and some have even compared Points North to The Dixie
Dregs. Clearly Barnett has listened to Steve Morse and his own guitar
playing is nothing to scoff at. Some tracks, such as track three,
entitled “Child’s Play” are more atmospheric and offer
a reprieve from the overall hard rock sound. Fans of progressive power
trio rock and hard rock originals, instrumental and vocal, will find
much to applaud about Points North. www.MagnaCarta.net
/ www.PointsNorthBand.com
MAGNATUDE
- A whole lot of guitar fans were greatly influenced by Steve
Howe, the YES guitarist who turned so many prog fans onto the joys
of the nylon string, or classical guitar. One guitarist who went back
to his first love again is Dave Martone, on his CD Nacimiento,
released on the upstate NY based Magna Carta Records and its offshoot
Magnatude. Martone throws his hat into the nueva flamenco ring with
splendid results and the net gain is a very user-friendly album of
originals and covers of music classics played on nylon string guitar.
Among the covers Dave has chosen here include the theme from “Spider
Man”, “Classical Gas”, the theme from “Rocky”,
“Malagueña”, “Besame Mucho” and more. The
whole thing is played so tastefully that you will enjoy spinning this
cool disc on a regular basis. Commenting on his return to the nueva
flamenco guitar sound and style, Dave explains, “My father started
me off at age 6 on the nylon guitar and that is where I needed to
return. I hope you can enjoy this album for what it means to me, and
how I find the sound of the nylon guitar so inspiring, so raw, so
pure, so beautiful.” Martone gets ace support from bassist David
Spidel and percussionist Mike Michalkow. Martone might
have come from a rock background but he’s back in style with
his first love, the classical guitar, on Nacimiento. www.DaveMartone.com
MARVEL
OF BEAUTY RECORDS - The country of Denmark has a rich history
of great music. Part of the Scandinavian group of Nordic nations,
Denmark is also home to guitarist - composer Robin Taylor,
who released his 2015 album From Scratch with
his ensemble Taylor’s Universe on his Marvel Of Beauty
Records label. The From Scratch album kind of mixes progressive
instrumental music ala Bo Hansson, Zamla Mammaz Manna and other progressive
legends but Taylor is truly a one of a kind musician. The seven track
CD finds Robin in the studio with some excellent backing musicians,
including Karsten Vogel (sax) and Claus Bøhling,
from 1970’s Danish jazz-rock legends Secret Oyster. Other players
featured on the CD include guitarist Finn Olafsson (guitars)
and Klaus Thrane (drums) among others. Several female vocalists
supply backing vocals on a couple of tracks. Robin is listed on the
CD as playing both electric guitar and electric bass along with a
wide range of keyboards and percussion. The studio sound of From
Scratch is first rate and the arrangements are wildly imaginative.
From Scratch by Taylor’s Universe is a fine choice for
fans of world classic Euro-flavored instrumental jazz rock fusion.
www.progressor.net
MGP
RECORDS - When he isn’t playing second guitar in the current
lineup of The Jeff Beck Group, guitarist Nicolas Meier is busy
making his own kind of music. Case in point is the 2015 CD release
of Chasing Tales, a 2015 CD of guitar duets by
Nicolas and fellow guitarist Pete Oxley. Recorded in November
2014 and mixed in January 2015, the 12 track CD is filled with all
types of acoustic guitar wizardry. Anyone expecting Beck-inspired
guitar shredding will be in for a jolt as this CD is very relaxing
and pastoral in its scope. With the Swiss born / London based Meier
performing his ultra smooth sounding Godin guitars and U.K. native
Oxley playing a range of acoustic and electric guitars, Chasing
Tales is filled with spontaneous improvisational guitar extrapolations
and is literally overflowing with the fretboard magic that can only
happen when two guitar aces get together for the purpose of taking
the instrument and music to a higher level. Chasing Tales is
time well spent for acoustic guitar mavens. www.mgprecords.com
ORIGIN
RECORDS - Based in the Pacific Northwest, Origin Records continues
breaking down walls for 21st century instrumental jazz with a number
of 2015 CD releases including Cosmogram, by Madrid,
Spain based guitarist Hugo Fernandez. Hugo has been compared
to guitarists such as John Abercrombie and even Pat Metheny and true
to form, Cosmogram is very much a straight ahead jazz affair.
Backed by a fine band, including Antonio Sanchez (drums), Antonio
Miguel (acoustic bass) and Ariel Bringuez (sax), Hugo leads
the proceedings with eight original tracks that are each intelligently
composed and recorded. Timing is everything in instrumental music
and the sonic telepathy of these players is very impressive. It’s
true that the sound is very laid back so that means Cosmogram is
a very relaxing hour of impeccably played jazz guitar sounds. www.HugoFernandez.net
PATRICK’S
SONG FACTORY - Smooth jazz with a solid groove forms the core
of Can You Hear Me by jazz keyboardist Patrick Bradley.
The ten track CD is like a superstar jazz date with Bradley backed
up by Jeff Lorber (guitars, keyboards) Dwight Sills (guitars),
Michael Thompson (guitar) Gary Novak (drums), Jimmy
Haslip (bass), Rick Braun (trumpet) and sax players Dave
Koz and Eric Marienthal. Produced by Lorber, Can You
Hear Me covers a wide range of smooth, radio-friendly instrumental
sounds with each track featuring music that sounds hand crafted for
Bradley’s expertise on pianos, organ, and moog synths. Track
by track notes takes you into Bradley’s head and heart as he
discusses stories behind each track here. Not only can these guys
play and create a unique jazz groove but they’re able to transpose
that energy onto CD. A sonic showcase with great recording, mixing
and mastering, Can You Hear Me is tailor made for 21st century
smooth jazz ears. www.PatrickBradleyMusic.com
PAPER
BAG - Back in 1985, NYC based Breakthru' Records, released Romantic
Piano Dreams, the first ever solo piano to ever come out on CD
by Swedish keyboardist Stefan Nilsson. Thirty years later a new piano
virtuoso from Sweden named Johan Agebjörn has released
a fine album of mainly solo piano, with light electronic touches music
called Notes. Compared to Nilsson’s jazzy
wizardry, Johan is much more eclectic in his approach, incorporating
elements of Swedish folk music and reflective chamber music into his
eclectic piano mix. In addition to the 12 track Notes CD, the
album packaging also features a ten track bonus CD by Johan of early
instrumental music he recorded and released privately in 2006. Entitled
Music With Less Electricity, the keyboard based
music is influenced by a range of light classical, ambient, electronic,
experimental and folk music. All in all, Johan Agebjörn is a
vital new discovery for fans of adventurous instrumental music. www.JohanAgebjorn.info
RETSO
RECORDS - In 2011, Jeff Oster released his album Surrender.
With its mix of ambient / chill-out grooves, the album hit a sweet
spot among fans of modern instrumental sounds. In 2015, Jeff is back
with a new CD, simply entitled next (note correct
spelling with lower case “n”). For those who haven’t
yet heard his music, Oster is a master of the trumpet and flugel
horn as well as his use of looping and electronic percussion. Interestingly,
Oster’s music has been described as Pink Floyd meets Miles Davis,
but that would have to be during Floyd’s most creative, instrumental
Atom Heart Mother era - 45 years ago. Even though Oster is
primarily a horn man who composes lush, imaginative, ambient soundscapes,
next can also be considered a guitar lovers dream. Among the
fretboard legends on next are Nile Rogers, Will Ackerman,
Todd Boston and Carl Weingarten. Instead of making their
presence known with loud soloing, on next, these guitarists
serve to support Oster’s ambient music, tastefully embellishing
the sound. Also on hand are other music greats such as Tony Levin
(bass), Ricky Kej (keyboards), Bernard Purdie (drums),
Michael Manring (bass) and bass ace Chuck Rainey, the
latter who also adds in some additional liner notes. Co-production
by Oster, Ackerman and keyboardist Tom Eaton makes next
a first rate sonic experience. As is the case with all his releases,
next is elegantly packaged, featuring complete discography
information and even a poster too. Fans of 21st century, instrumental,
ambient electronica meets New Age jazz will find much to admire and
appreciate about Jeff Oster’s latest CD masterpiece - next.
www.JeffOster.com
RONDO
PUBLISHING - The coolest instro surf-rock band in the Gulf Coast
region of the USA is Rondo Hatton. Led by guitarist Bruce
Lamb, Rondo Hatton released Destination... Fun!! in 2013
and in 2015 they’re back with another instro surf-rock masterpiece
entitled Breaking The Sound Barrier. The 16 track
CD features another round of Bruce Lamb originals and this time around
Bruce gets solid backup from his Rondo band mates Johnny Rossetti
(guitars), Les LeBlanc (bass) and Chad Solomon (drums)
with the arrival of several new players. With their comprehensive,
user-friendly approach to guitar 
instrumentals,
Rondo Hatton are masters at bringing listeners to a kinder, gentler
place in music history, even in the hair-raising year of 2015. Clearly,
Lamb and his Rondo Hatton band mates are greatly influenced by giants
like The Ventures, The Shadows and Duane Eddy and even their original
tracks sometimes echo that classic surf-rock sound from yesterday
with such authenticity, you’d swear you heard these tracks before,
yet Breaking The Sound Barrier is much more than an exercise
in sonic deja-vu. As on Destination... Fun!! - Rondo Hatton’s
latest CD masterpiece was recorded at KRVS studios with Bill Boelens
producing. Other guest artists stop by, including string arranger
Christy Lee Gandy, whose string sounds help Rondo Hatton echo
some of those classic Duane Eddy tracks from the early 1960s. As in
the case of earlier Rondo Hatton albums, the CD cover art of Breaking
The Sound Barrier is classic. Surf-rock fans will get another
sonic blast from Rondo Hatton’s 2015 CD masterpiece Breaking
The Sound Barrier. www.facebook.com/rondohattonband
SINGLE
LOCK RECORDS / THIRTY TIGERS - Guitar
fans who enjoy albums that span the ages will be in for a treat with
the 2015 CD release of 615 To Fame by the group known
as Steelism. Featuring two guitarists—Jeremy Fetzer
(electric, lead guitar) and Spencer Cullum (pedal
steel guitars), the 11 track 615 To Fame covers all types of
instrumental guitar wonderment—from Nashville style instrumentals
to a darker sound that harks back to original guitar icons like Hank
Marvin and Duane Eddy. On 615 To Fame, Jeremy and Spencer are
backed up by a tight rhythm section of Michael Rinne (bass)
and Jon Radford (drums). One of the many unique things in play
here is that the album features some fitting string arrangements by
Jordan Lehning that almost harks back to the strings that Norrie
Paramor arranged for The Shadows 55 years ago. Of course, 615 To
Fame was recorded in Muscle Shoals and in Nashville in the good
old USA, so there’s also a bit of Southern twang here to balance
out the more complex guitar arrangements. Some tracks (like track
3, “The Landlocked Surfer”), rock hard and even, slightly
mock the surf-rock genre’s long, complex genetics. A winner of
an album start to finish, 615 To Fame will keep surf-rockers
and guitar noir fans happy as heck, at least until Steelism gets to
hopefully make a second album as good as this one. www.steelismmusic.com
STONE
TONE RECORDS - Fans of the instrumental blues-rock sound will
be in for a treat with the 2015 CD release of Energy,
by the band known as Big Apple Blues. The NYC based Big
Apple Blues features an entire band filled with like 
minded
blues musicians and at the helm are producer / bassist Admir “Dr.
Blues” Hadzic, who is joined by Zach Zunis (guitars),
Jim Alfredson (organ), two drummers and much more. The CD simply
smokes and the musical fare more than fits the wide ranging talent
and scope of this band. The Energy CD was expertly produced
by Admir and Matt Becker, who also mixed the sound. Blues rock
fans in the know are already comparing the guitar-centric sound of
Big Apple Blues to notables like Ronnie Earl, Peter Green, Stevie
Ray Vaughan and even Carlos Santana’s instrumental music. With
guitars ablaze, Big Apple Blues lights up the New York skyline on
an album that burns and glows with an impressive and powerful instrumental
blues-rock energy. www.BigAppleBlues.com
STP
RECORDS - Funk is the name of the game on Gotcha Rhythm
Right Here, the 2015 CD by jazz guitar icon John
Tropea. The 13 track CD is a superstar jam featuring Tropea in
the studio backed up by a number of players, including co-production
by Tropea’s long time arranger / orchestrator Chris Palmaro
and other NYC jazz icons like the late Lew Soloff (trumpet),
Shawn Pelton (drums), Will Lee (bass) and much more.
Even with so much straight ahead, funky, jazzy blowing and picking,
Tropea’s funky, rhythmic instrumental jazz is right at the core
of the sound. It’s true that Blood Sweat & Tears legend Lew
Soloff passed away in March 2015 but he would be proud of the jazz
groove of John Tropea’s latest funk-jazz masterpiece. www.JohnTropea.com
SOUNDS
TRUE - The Colorado-based Sounds True music label are making waves
with Heart Of Silence, an album of acoustic piano
and flute meditations by piano ace Peter Kater and wind player
Michael Brant DeMaria. Thanks to his many CD releases, including
his titles on Real Music, Peter Kater needs no introduction
and in light of his reputation as a leading light in the healing music
world, Michael Brant DeMaria is the perfect choice for Kater to work
with. The seven track Heart Of Silence is filled with meditative
soundscapes of acoustic piano and native American flute that will
appeal to Kater’s many fans while opening up new interest among
DeMaria’s standing in the healing music community. New Age fans
are strongly advised to give a listen to Heart Of Silence along
with the many fine CD titles on Sounds True music label. www.SoundsTrue.com
STRIKEZONE
RECORDS - A mainstay of the NYC jazz scene over the past couple
decades, guitarist Dave Stryker is back in 2015 with a tribute
to the late great sax giant Stanley Turrentine entitled
Messin’ With Mister T. Released on Dave’s
Strikezone Records label, the ten track CD features Dave and his core
band joined by some of today’s hottest sax players, including
Houston Person, Mike Lee, Bob Mintzer, Steve
Slagel and many others. Dave’s core band—Jared
Gold (B3), McClenty Hunter (drums) and Mayra Casales
(percussion)—keeps the pace moving right along. Dave played
guitar in Turrentine’s band for over a decade and the CD booklet
features an in depth look at all the guest sax players, with the accent
on Dave’s bond with Turrentine and his music. Although Turrentine
passed away in 2000, on Messin’ With Mister T. there’s
plenty of mighty jazz grooves that live on, inspired by the sonic
sounds of Turrentine’s classic, sax infused instrumental jazz.
www.DaveStryker.com
THE
COLLAPSE OF EVERYTHING - The U.K. based duo known as Kontakte
are making waves in the postindustrial guitar instrumental architectural
world. The music on their 2014 CD, entitled These Machines is
harrowing and spooky at its most extreme. The London based duo of
Ian Griffiths (keys, bass) and Stuart Low (guitars)
have been called “the mystery men of UK post-electronica”.
Imagine Eno producing an instrumental Black Sabbath album and you
might come close but the Kontakte guys are well on their way to developing
a sonic persona all their own. One other thing worth noting is the
care with which these guys have produced their recent CD. The packaging
is first rate and those lucky enough to see it will marvel at the
co-experience of music and artwork. On These Machines, the
guitars grind and twitch and the ambient electronic atmospherics build
to near crescendos. Kontakte take no prisoners and are not for the
weak willed but clearly the sonic experience is well worth being transported
into their sonic blender. These Machines is a dazzling foray
into the land of extreme guitar-tronica. www.KontakteMusik.com
THRILL
JOCKEY - As the instrumental surf-rock genre gets more exposure,
bands are starting to invent new and exciting outlets for their instrumental
guitar inclinations. One band taking instrumental sounds to the edge
is Brooklyn based Rhyton, who are stirring the sonic pot with
their 2014 album called Kykeon. Maybe it’s
from living in Brooklyn, which is a diverse melting pot of all nationalities
but Rhyton (pronounced right-on?) masterfully blend ancient Mediterranean
and Middle Eastern scales and melodies and put a solid guitar beat
to it. Rhyton is more Bill Frisell than say Dick Dale, but that won’t
stop adventurous guitar fans from seeking out their unique approach.
Guitarist David Shuford takes turns on the bouzouki, electro-saz
and guitar to give the sound an exotic edge that demonstrates the
correlation between Greek musical traditions and psychedelic music.
Rhyton introduce an ancient element into their mix of World Beat guitar
flecked instrumental music. Adventurous guitar fans will get a buzz
from Rhyton. Move over Dale Dale and make room for Rhyton. www.thrilljockey.com/thrill/Rhyton
TIM
LERCH MUSIC - Guitar fans will enjoy The Carriage House
Sessions Vol. 1 by the Pacific Northwest-based Tim Lerch
Trio. Produced by Sheldon Gomberg, the ten track CD features
splendid arrangements of jazzy, bluesy guitar instrumentals that range
from Tim Lerch originals, to post-bop covers of standards like “House
Of The Rising Sun”, “And The Beat Goes On”, “Tennessee
Waltz” with another highlight being a tear-jerking Lerch cover
of Cindy Walker’s timeless classic “You Don’t Know
Me”. The originals are very cool too and Tim gets solid back
up from his trio band mates Joe Bagg (organ) and Kendall
Kay (drums). For instrumental jazz guitar fans, it doesn’t
get a whole lot better than The Carriage House Sessions Vol. 1
by The Tim Lerch Trio. www.TimLerch.com
TINY
ISLAND MUSIC - Acclaimed piano virtuoso
and composer Fiona Joy is back in 2015 with a new CD entitled
Signature - Solo. Produced by Cookie Marenco
and recorded in California, the ten track CD is filled with a masterful
array featurng Fiona’s patented piano magic. After recording
numerous albums under the name Fiona Joy Hawkins, Signature - Solo
is her first solo piano release as Fiona Joy. The album does feature
guitarist Lawrence Blatt on a track but the showcase here is
truly Fiona Joy enchanting with just her concert grand piano. That
track with Lawrence Blatt is 
“Once
Upon Impossible”—which also features Fiona’s only vocal
on the CD is being described as “An ethereal voice-piano duet
that lets us see the other side of the artist.” Speaking about
her mission on Signature - Solo and how it ties into her furture
plans for the latest music, Fiona tells mwe3.com, "I write
piano to stand alone as solo, but because I also love to compose and
I often hear or imagine other instruments, I had always recorded with
lots of orchestration. Not because it was required, but because it
added flavor and color to the piano. I thought it was probably time
I released piano on its own. I do plan to release another version
of Signature – Solo as a studio instrumental version called Signature
– Synchronicity next year (2016) – so you will see the difference
and understand how both versions can work equally as well."
Music fans who thrilled to Fiona’s last album 600 Years In
A Moment, will equally enjoy the stately yet dynamic solo piano
sound of Fiona Joy’s Signature - Solo CD. www.FionaJoy.com
TK
MUSIC PRODUCTION - The Scandinavian country of Norway is renowned
for their gifted musicians and you can add the name Tron Syversen
to the list. On his 2015 CD, entitled Piano Meditations,
Tron has recorded an exquisite instrumental album of music
for relaxation, meditation and well being. The CD runs 63 minutes
with four tracks, including 
two
expansive tracks running 20 minutes each. Throughout Piano Meditations,
Tron’s piano work is very stately and he’s joined by the
atmospheric, wordless vocals of singer Helene Edler Lorentzen,
the vocalist he’s recorded with since 2009. As far as sonic signposts
go, Tron’s music is kind of reminiscent of fellow Scandinavian
New Age / jazz musicians such as Stefan Nilsson and Bjorn J:son Lindh,
and like those legends, there’s plenty of of original ideas in
play in Tron's original music as well. Several other artists join
the festivities, adding in a range of strings and horns. The Piano
Meditations CD is tastefully packaged and is filled with a lot
of information regarding the creation of this album. From his liner
notes for the CD, Tron explains, ‘With the music we have released,
our greatest hope is that we can create peace in both the bodies and
minds of the listeners. We know that a lot of people need help to
release stress, so this music is especially intended for that.”
With Piano Meditations, Norwegian keyboardist / composer
Tron Syversen breathes new life into the artistic, piano-based New
Age instrumental music genre. www.TronMusic.com
REISSUES
& RETROSPECTIVES
ANGEL
AIR RECORDS - The late great Jackie Lomax is the subject
of Rare, Unreleased And Live. Angel Air worked
with Jackie on his 2009 comeback CD, The Ballad Of Liverpool Slim,
his final album Against All Odds and now have followed
up in 2015 with this 38 track double CD set. With disc one connected
to 20 of Jackie’s unreleased studio recordings, it’s the
early part of disc two that might prove to be the most historic, featuring
early rarities with The Undertakers, The Lomax Alliance
as well as several BBC tracks including versions of “Sour
Milk Sea” and “The Eagle Laughs At You”. The latter
part of disc two features various tracks from a 1976 concert in San
Francisco but the sound quality is just okay. Still, for those who
want to have a fine selection of rare and unreleased tracks from the
late great Jackie Lomax, Rare, Unreleased And Live is the way
to go. The double CD set also features excellent liner notes and discography
information. www.angelair.co.uk
AUDIO
FIDELITY - L.A. based Audio Fidelity continues making audiophiles
happy with their SACD and 2 channel stereo CD remasters. For an example
of AF’s constant devotion to the recorded medium look no further
than their 2015 CD release of Blood, Sweat & Tears,
the self-titled, second album from the legendary horn-based, jazz-rock
band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Rising out of the ashes of mid
‘60s rock icons Blues Project, BS&T was formed by Al Kooper,
Steve Katz and Bobby Colomby. By the time of the second
BS&T album, Kooper had all but left the band, leaving it in the
able hands of Katz, Colomby and the band’s new lead singer David
Clayton-Thomas, a Canadian singer-songwriter who breathed new
life into the band following Kooper’s departure. Originally released
on Columbia Records, Blood, Sweat & Tears remains a near
perfect example of just how creative and diverse rock music had become
by the end of 1968. The album was so influential and successful that
it beat out Abbey Road, by The Beatles, to win the best album
of the year at the 1970 Grammy Awards. The 2015 SACD remaster of Blood,
Sweat & Tears by Audio Fidelity is a real choice pick for
audiophiles, as it’s clearly the best sounding CD version of
the album yet. The stereo CD and SACD remastering by Steve Hoffman
is state of the art and the CD booklet reproduces all of the original
album artwork. Filled with popular hit singles (“Spinning Wheel”,
“And When I Die”), innovative covers of rock classics, (Traffic’s
“Smiling Phases”), instrumental jazz fusion (“Blues
- Part II”), classic originals and jazz-fusion covers of classical
music (“Variations On A Theme By Erik Satie”), Blood,
Sweat & Tears remains one of the true landmark jazz-rock albums
of the late 1960s. www.AudioFidelity.net
BGO
RECORDS - One of the legendary singer / composers / lyricists
of American pop music, Dory Previn died at age 86 in 2012.
Ms. Previn was perhaps best known as the wife of conductor Andre Previn
and she also had a pretty stellar recording career of her own. Signed
to Warner Bros. Records in the early 1970s she released Dory
Previn in 1974 and We’re Children Of Coincidence
And Harpo Marx (1976). Both albums were reissued in early
2015 on a 19 track CD on BGO Records. The double album CD features
complete lyrics for all tracks along with extensive 2014 liner notes
from John O’Regan. The list of musicians playing on both
albums reads like a who’s who of session greats including guitarists
Peter Jameson, John Tropea and Dan Dugmore, along
with legends like Ron Carter (bass) and Don McLean (banjo).
With 
such
an extended history of musical greatness to her credit, both of these
albums are time well spent for fans of pop music history. Also out
on BGO in 2015 is a double CD set from singer-songwriter Jackie
DeShannon, compiling In The Wind (1965) and
Are You Ready For This? (1967 on disc one) with New
Image (1967) and What The World Needs
Now Is Love (1968 - on disc two). Once again, 2014 liner notes
by John Tobler, along with extensive track / discography information
shines a light on these overlooked pop masterpiece albums. In addition
to her own music, these albums feature key song writing contributions
from pop legends Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Bob Dylan, Jack Nitzsche,
Cole Porter and so much more. 1980 was an upheaval year for guitarist
Steve Morse, who was riding high with the release of Dregs
Of The Earth, by The Dixie Dregs, which featured
Morse on guitar along with soon to be jazz-rock greats Rod Morgenstein
(drums), Andy West (bass) and T Lavitz (keys). Dregs
Of The Earth made a huge impression with fusion fans and literally
put America on the map big time as many of the then jazz-rock bands
were coming from Europe at the time. In 1981 the band changed their
name to The Dregs and released Unsung Heroes and
Industry Standard in 1982. In 2015 BGO released
all three albums on a double CD credited to The Dixie Dregs. This
trio of albums is released all under one roof thanks to this 2015
BGO double CD remaster. BGO has a number of Jefferson Airplane related
titles on their label and you can add in Welcome To The Wrecking
BAll! / Software, the 1981 and 1984 albums, released
on RCA Records by Jefferson Airplane legend Grace Slick. A
number of fine players assist Ms. Slick on these albums including,
on Wrecking Ball Scott Zito (guitars) and Joe
Lala (percussion) and on Software producer Ron Nevison
and guitarists Paul Kantner and Peter Maunu and
keyboaridst / synth programmer Peter Wolf. Before he wound
up playing guitar with David Bowie on the Low album, Ricky
Gardiner was a m ember of the Scotland based band Beggars Opera.
The band released a number of albums and BGO have released two of
them - Act One (1970) with Waters Of Change (1971).
Both rock albums by Beggars Opera were released on the famous
U.K. Vertigo label and are soaring psychedelic rock, instro prog loaded
with soaring mellotron and Gardiner’s famous electric guitar
work. Check out their history at: www.beggarsopera.co.uk
BGO also shed light on the band known as Back Door with a double
CD set featuring three albums including the self-titled Back
Door (1971), 8th Street Nites (1973) and
Another Fine Mess (1975). Featuring font man, Colin
Hodgkinson (bass), these Back Door albums mix a number of bluesy,
jazzy instrumentals and bluesy vocals, notably on 8th Street Nites,
which was co-produced in NYC by Cream producer Felix Pappalardi.
Interestingly, Another Fine Mess, was produced by ELP founder
Carl Palmer. More jazz than rock, more instrumental than rock,
Back Door are ripe for rediscovery thanks to the astute remastering
gurus at BGO. www.BGO-records.com
DECLASSIFIED
RECORDS / SBI MUSIC - 1974 seems like a thousand years
ago. 1994 doesn’t seem that far but in fact, it’s also been
a long time indeed. Music is the one thing that seems to stand up
well against the ravages of time and another case in point is the
2015 album remaster of In Search Of Higher Ground by
L.A. based guitarist Neil Citron. The all instrumental CD,
first released on CD in 1994, has been remastered with 3 bonus tracks
extending the original 13 track album for this 2015 reissue. Citron’s
original album vision ranges from hard rock and guitar-centric heavy
metal music to a more introspective type of instrumental rock, some
with acoustic reveries. In some regards Citron’s music sounds
very influenced by Steve Morse and the original vision of The Dixie
Dregs. Like Morse, Citron is very effective at creating sweeping near
orchestral, instrumental rock soundscapes that are truly moving. As
per the original album, In Search Of Higher Ground features
Citron on guitar in the studio with top musicians including keyboard
icon Erik Norlander, Walter Carces (drums), and Tony
Franklin (bass). One vocal cut does include the renowned singer
Lana Lane. Over the years, an an engineer and producer, Citron
has worked with a number of top artists including Joe Satriani, Larry
Carlton and Steve Vai so it’s good to see him getting some long
overdue recognition for his long lost lost album classic. In
Search Of Higher Ground is time well spent for instrumental
guitar rock mavens who very well might have overlooked this classic
from way back in 1994. The original CD is being rereleased but those
seeking out the remastered version may very well have to pick up on
the digital versions available at the usual sources. www.NeilCitron.com
DUTTON
VOCALION / BRUTON MUSIC - As the drummer in The Shadows
since 1961, Brian Bennett was overlooked as being among the
great film music and soundtrack composers from England. In fact, Bennett
composed and also co-composed a number of great instrumentals for
The Shadows over their multi-decades spanning career. Even as a sideline
to his career in The Shadows and his excellent but infrequent solo
albums, Brian also worked as a soundtrack composer. Some of his work
in films and television from the 1970s can finally be heard again
on Drama Montage Volumes 1 & 2 - a 2 disc
CD set released in 2015 on the Vocalion label. The unique story
as to how Brian Bennett ended up working with the Bruton Music stable
of soundtrack composers can be found in the excellent liner notes
that accompany this 2 CD set. Of course, being considered the first
rock drummer from England, Brian Bennett was originally influenced
by jazz, yet he also went pro back in 1956 when he was just 16 years
old and was involved with the early development of rock and roll music
in the U.K. Much of the music on Drama Montage was aimed at
fans who could appreciate music that would often be found in the world
of “television thrillers and cop shows” and in that respect,
Bennett also was ahead of his time. Bennett would revisit his soundtrack
inclinations on various tracks he wrote for the Shadows, especially
during the 1980s. Both Drama Montage albums, Vol. 1 and 2 were
originally released on L.P. in 1978 and 1979 respectively yet, in
retrospect, they provide keen insights into the way Bennett’s
musical mind works. Much of this music can probably be found in various
TV and movies from England, yet the 57 tracks here also stands up
in its own right as an intriguing look into Brian Bennett’s musical
mind. The liner notes, indicating the history here and the various
musicians who worked with Bennett on his soundtracks over the years,
including future member of the group SKY, are truly fascinating but
more fascinating is this historic foray into film music created by
the legendary Brian Bennett. www.DuttonVocalion.co.uk
ESOTERIC
RECORDINGS - Back in 1979, the progressive rock genre was booming
all across Europe. Even with punk rock and smooth jazz nipping at
its heels, prog was still big business. One band who was bucking the
trend of both punk and prog was the group SKY, featuring guitarists
John Williams and Kevin Peek. Mixing progressive music
with neoclassical inclinations, in SKY, both Peek and Williams made
a formidable guitar tag team. The two guitarists had a fantastic band
to help them realize their brilliant musical ideas, that included
Herbie Flowers (bass), Tristan Fry (drums) and Francis
Monkman (keyboards). The first, self-titled SKY
album from 1979 was a huge success in the U.K., while SKY II
(1980) and SKY III (1981)
further expanded on the band’s original concepts. The original
band achieved a major breakthrough with their fourth album, Forthcoming
(1982). All four of these remarkable albums have been released
on Lp and CD in the past but Esoteric have released all four in 2015
as definitive CD titles, with each album featuring an accompanying
region-free DVD. Each CD/DVD release also features in depth liner
notes by esteemed prog-rock musicologist Sid Smith. For example,
the first SKY CD (1979 album) remaster features a number of
bonus tracks on the CD and an accompanying DVD with interviews featuring
John Williams, Tristan Fry and Herbie Flowers with the DVD also featuring
a number of BBC live performances from 1979. Each live DVD paired
with the CD features period piece live in concert videos of the album's
music, making Esoteric’s SKY series a must for long time fans.
Plus, the 24-bit CD mastering is first rate too. Word has it that
Esoteric has also reissued later period SKY albums, made after John
Williams left, but long time fans will want to start with these first
four SKY CD/DVD classic remasters, which like fine wine, just seem
to sound better with each passing year. http://plum.cream.org/sky/index.htm
/ www.cherryred.co.uk
ESOTERIC
RECORDINGS - The early version of The Moody Blues featured
lead singer Denny Laine, who co-wrote much of the early Moody
Blues originals together with keyboardist Mike Pinder. After
Laine left, and years before Denny went on to form Wings with Paul
& Linda McCartney, Pinder would lead the Moodies on to become
the biggest and most influential progressive rock band in history.
Pinder left after Octave in 1978, and even less is known about
the very early Moody songs recorded in the wake of their first album
The Magnificent Moodies but that whole era is put into
prefect context on the 2014 CD release of The Magnificent Moodies
released by the sound experts at Esoteric Recordings. The early
R&B and British Invasion flavors of that first Moody Blues album
gave way to cooler songs composed by Mike and Denny but the progressive
rock gods had other things in mind for Mike Pinder who enlisted singer
Justin Hayward and the rest is progressive rock history. Esoteric
Recordings founder Mark Powell has been very involved with
the Moodies on many of the band's 21st century reissues and he’s
also a well known writer and musicologist. That said, Powell’s
liner notes and interviews with Mike and Denny and well thought out
booklet is a fascinating trip down memory lane. The Magnificent
Moodies is another classic Esoteric remaster and Moody Blues and
Wings fans will want to hear this timeless slice of rock history.
www.EsotericRecordings.com
MVD
- No one does Dylan docs better than the Brits and to prove it,
critically acclaimed film producers Chrome Dreams serves up Roads
Rapidly Changing featuring Bob Dylan. Subtitled In
& Out Of The Folk Revival 1961 - 1965, the two
hour DVD recaptures a time of never to be regained innocence at the
height of the folk music scene experienced at the dawn of the 1960s.
When Dylan came to NYC in 1961, no one knew his name, but soon that
all changed, and as the DVD points out, by 1962 Dylan became the spearhead
of the folk music protest movement that also featured music icons
like Pete Seeger and Joan Baez. Stunned by the killing of JFK and,
then the Beatles arrival in the USA, a mere 2 months later, Dylan
would soon drop out of the folk movement and help found the original
folk-rock and rock scene that emerged fully formed by early 1965.
But that period in history just before folk music morphed into pop
based folk-rock is fully examined 
on
this fascinating documentary. Dylan’s full contribution and significance
during the folk and protest music of that key period of the early
‘60s just before The Beatles is one of the most fascinating in
the 20th century and no one had a bigger impact than Dylan on the
direction of folk as it changed into rock and this significant DVD
takes your right back to the heyday of early 1960s folk music.
www.mvdb2b.com
MVD - Interest in the late great Lowell George will hit
a new high with the 2015 DVD release of Feats First,
a look back into the career of the Little Feat founder. Released
on the U.K. based Pride label, the DVD runs over 2 hours and features
a wealth of information on George as told through the eyes of those
who knew him best, including rock icon Van Dyke Parks, who
was a little more than responsible for George's success at Warner
Brother Records. Interestingly, in recent years, Van Dyke has worked
closed with George’s daughter Inara George. Feats First is
a first hand look into the life and times of American music hero,
the late, great Lowell George. Another DVD handled Stateside by MVD
is And In The End, a double DVD set going into
the the final days of The Beatles after their first breakup in 1970.
The DVD is actually comprised of two DVD titles that have already
come out—Composing The Beatles Songbook - Lennon And McCartney
1966 - 1970 (released on Pride) and Strange
Fruit, the inside story behind the Beatles’ Apple Records
(released on Sexy Intellectual). Of the two, Strange Fruit is
the more essential, offering a look into the Beatles’ Apple Records
empire during the early 1970s, complete with interview segments with
the late great Jackie Lomax, Fab Four insider Tony Bramwell
and other key Apple Records legends. With both titles available separately,
perhaps the best reason to pick this up is for the ultra cool and
now very haunting outer packaging, depicting a dazed and confused
looking Paul McCartney caught completely in the throes of John &
Yoko. One picture is worth a thousand words, and this picture remains
it. A CD handled by MVD is Palladium Circles by roots
rock legends The Band. Recorded on September 18, 1976, just
before The Band split up, the 17 track CD, released on the Iconography
label, was recorded at the famous Palladium theater on 14th Street
in NYC. Of course, the Palladium was originally The Academy Of Music,
back in the day, the most important concert venue in NYC after Carnegie
Hall. The sound is good but uneven though for the most part, the CD
shows off just how great The Band was. Featuring all the group’s
biggest hits like “The Weight”, “Chest Fever”,
“Stage Fright” and more, Palladium Circles might
not be The Last Waltz, but it comes close, plus there’s
some great artwork in the CD bound to stir up some long forgotten
memories. www.MVDb2b.com
PARLOPHONE
- For some reason, the back catalog of Jethro Tull reverted
to Parlophone Records, original home of the Beatles. Rhino Records
is tasked with the distribution of Parlophone in the U.S. and in the
spirit of Tull’s other recent remasters, Parlophone / Rhino reissued
Minstrel In The Gallery in 2015. This is actually the
40th anniversary edition of Minstrel and a sprawling, four
disc box set puts the 1975 classic into fitting perspective. With
the departure of long time Tull bassist Jeffery Hammond-Hammond,
looking back, Minstrel can almost be deemed as being the end
of Tull Mach 1. Some may say that the departure of Mick Abrahams and
Glen Cornick was equally significant yet, in some ways, Minstrel
fully encapsulated the essence of the early Tull sound in a very
unique way. For example, there were no hit singles per se on Minstrel,
as there was on the 1974 Tull album War Child. In that
regard, Minstrel harks back to magnum opus Tull classics like
Passion Play, with its side long concept pieces. True to form,
Parlophone has pulled out all the stops, reissuing Minstrel as
a four disc box set, with two CDs and 2 DVDs, which should make it
of interest to Tull mavens. The four disc box set includes the original
album and seven bonus tracks remixed by Steven wilson, along with
a second CD featuring Tull recorded live at the Palais Des Sports
in Paris on July 5th, 1975. In addition to the fully remixed studio
album, the first CD also features the legendary Tull B-side “Summerday
Sands” and several Minstrel out takes, as well
as several BBC tracks, including a mind-boggling, definitive version
of “Aqualung”, the song. The two DVD discs here feature
several DVD audio versions of the Minstrel album along with
an eight minute film of Tull performing “Minstrel In The Gallery”
from the Paris concert in 1975. The 80 page booklet is filled with
loads of information, essays and interviews with Ian Anderson and
the Tull gang, making this four disc box set the final word on Minstrel
In The Gallery. Fans looking to hear Wilson’s tasteful remix
of Minstrel In The Gallery without all the hoops and hollers,
may want to check out the single disc stereo remix on CD or the 180-gram
limited edition vinyl pressing. Minstrel In The Gallery is
well deserving of Parlophone’s sonically impressive 2015 box
set. www.rhino.com
RHINO
- With YES in a state of never ending touring, though not yet
in hall of fame mode, it seems the time is ripe for a two disc retrospective
from long time YES guitar great Steve Howe. Simply entitled
Anthology, the 33 track CD set successfully distills
some of Howe’s greatest moments as a solo artist. When Howe joined
YES in 1971, many fans weren’t yet aware that he had been a member
of early prog innovators Tomorrow and Bodast, yet by the time of Fragile
in early 1972, it seemed that Howe was here to stay. Having seen
YES go through a number of musical styles and changes over the past
45 years, clearly the one thing that has remained a constant is Howe’s
seemingly endless ability to delight listeners no matter what guitar
style he plays. Great memories of that Christmas 1975 when Steve’s
first solo album, Beginnings was released led to a vast solo
album output and at least 16 solo albums are featured on Anthology.
Some key moments, like the albums Steve did with Paul Sutin, are
missing but we are talking about Howe the solo artist here and not
the collaborator. Quoting Steve from his short but sweet liner notes,
‘I got together with our son Virgil and listened through, choosing
the tracks we thought best represented the mood of each album. The
fundamental freedom I feel working on my projects keeps them building
in my mind, developing the ideas towards their conclusion.’ The
liner notes are brief but the annotation of the tracks is very good,
letting the listeners know all the relevant names and dates. The credits
at the end of the booklet are also telling, listing Steve’s sons,
Virgil Howe and Dylan Howe, along with old friends like
20th Century Guitar mag founder Larry Acunto, Bill Bruford,
Keith West, Steve’s manager Peter Conway, the legendary
YES road manager Mike Tait and more. The sound, featuring excellent
CD mastering by sound legend Simon Heyworth is first rate.
It’s been a long time since Beginnings amazed YES fans
back in early 1976 but clearly, Howe’s legacy has never been
more ripe on the vine. Steve Howe’s double CD Anthology will
be music to the ears of his many appreciative fans. www.SteveHowe.com
SUNDAZED
- Starting from their British Invasion roots in 1964 and “House
Of The Rising Sun”, The Animals helped usher in the age
of psychedelia in 1967 with great pop singles like “San Francisco
Nights” and shortly thereafter “Sky Pilot” and “Monterey”.
Different from The Animals of the British Invasion era, The Animals
of 1967 still featured singer Eric Burdon, yet boasted a new
lineup featuring guitarist John Weider. Released in 1968, The
Twain Shall Meet remains a psychedelic rock masterpiece
while Winds Of Change, from the year before was
not quite as successful, yet contained the Animals hit single from
the Summer Of Love, “San Francisco Nights”. In 2015 Sundazed
reissued both albums in their original MGM Records packaging. There’s
no liner notes, but the original packaging reproduction and sound
is first rate, presenting Winds Of Change in mono and The
Twain Shall Meet in stereo. Weider’s guitar work is first
rate and Burdon has rarely sounded better than he does on these two
classic, period piece albums. Sundazed has done some excellent CD
reissues from the vaults of MGM and Verve and let’s hope they
continue. www.sundazed.com
UMBRELLO
RECORDS - It’s
incredible to look back at what happened—not only in the music
world, but also in the world overall—since January 1st, 2005.
Four years after 9/11, (aka September 11, 2001)—in 2005 the world
was still locked in the grip of terrorism. This was the global backdrop
as English rock royalty, The Syn reformed for what would turn
out to become Syndestructible—their
all time masterpiece, released in the second half of 2005. Steve
Nardelli had somehow convinced first, Pete Banks, and then
Chris Squire to rejoin (sadly enough) different lineups of
The Syn that produced two unique, yet completely unique sounding progressive
rock albums—Original
Syn (2004) and Syndestructible (2005). Praising the legacy
of the late, great Syn keyboardist Andrew Pryce Jackman, by
mid 2005, The SYN were back on track until the Summer 2005 terror
attacks in London tragically sideswiped and derailed their never to
be Summer 2005 “More Drama” tour of the U.S. The best was
yet to come on October 25th, 2005 when, what would turn out to be
the greatest prog-rock album of the decade, Syndestructible hit
the CD store shelves like a bolt out of the blue. In a snapshot of
time—while
in the way of life changing hurricanes and bad luck in the passing
of generations—unexpected
infighting 
between
the founders all but destroyed the original Syn again, yet, with renewed
listening, the band's music still holds up remarkably well. Then lo
and behold, in the get back spirit of early 2009, Steve Nardelli once
again arrived in New York, putting together another version of The
Syn, assisted by a pair of tri-state prog greats—Francis Dunnery
and Tom Brislin—for
the critically acclaimed Big Sky album. Breaking up
yet again after only a few 2009 shows, this lineup of The SYN was,
fortunately recorded live in concert—performing
the entire Big Sky album and several mid '60s SYN classics
live, during their appearance at the 2009 Rosfest music festival in
the Philadelphia area. The results can finally be heard, after six
long years, on a brilliant 2015 double disc set called The Syn
Live Rosfest. The packaging is tasteful yet straightforward
with bizarre looking artwork from Tommie Molecule that will
intrigue prog fans. In addition to the 78 minute concert, The
Syn Live Rosfest
CD is accompanied by a 45 minute DVD containing two films— the
original and first ever DVD release of The Making Of Big Sky
as well as a more recent Syn documentary, filmed and produced
by Kaz Bieliki, called The Syn In The 21st Century.
Just about everything involving The Syn in the 21st century is in
this film, strangely minus anything about the late great SYN / YES
guitar icon Pete Banks, who became the first founding member of YES
to pass away in March 2013. With the onset of his dreaded illness,
it’s looking more like Chris Squire will probably not get to
record with The Syn again. Even so, Steve Nardelli is promising his
next landmark Syn adventure called Trustworks, recorded during
sessions with Swedish prog-poppers Moon Safari over the past five
years. Coincidentally, The
Syn Live Rosfest
is
arriving into the recorded music pipeline at the same time as 2015
repressings of Syndestructible and The Original Syn.
Yet another sonic bolt out of the blue by the mercurial Steve Nardelli,
The
Syn Live Rosfest
will
do quite nicely until Trustworks reveals the next chapter in
the ongoing story of The Syn. www.synmusic.net
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