MWE3.COM
MUSIC NEWS & NOTES
The
WINTER 2019 RECORD LABEL SPOTLIGHT
POP
& ROCK
CYMBALICK
MUSIC - Renowned among progressive rock fans for Yes Stories,
his acclaimed 1996 book about music legends YES, author and singer-songwriter
Tim Morse gets back to his music roots with the 2018 CD release
of III. The Northern California based composer
has long been on the prog music scene and in 2015 he released the
self-titled album by his band 
The
Mangoes. That CD featured a number of other musicians including Mangoes'
Bret Bingham, who also appear here on several tracks. Morse
cites his work with the Mangoes as well other music influences like
the band Field Music and the late great rock artist Kevin Gilbert.
Speaking about the creation of III, Tim adds, “The
challenge of playing all the instruments appealed to me, especially
having to perform the drums. I’m not a drummer and so I had to
do some wood-shedding to get it down. But I discovered in the demo
process that I missed the input of others, so I decided to bring in
some of my favorite musicians for cameo appearances. I did want to
get to the emotional core of the songs, where the lyric and melody
were very clear."
With Tim’s keyboards and guitars receiving solid backing from
a number of players including Bret Bingham, the songs themselves,
and splendid keyboard-based arrangements are the real stars of the
album. Perhaps the credits tell part of the story as well, with Tim
mentioning his biggest influences including the late great rock legends
Chris Squire and Keith Emerson along with the many fine musos who
back him up throughout the seven track, 46 minute album. Progressive
rock fans who enjoy catchy pop melodies and complex, uptempo arrangements
will find much to like about Tim Morse III. www.timmorse.com
CLOUTIER
MUSIC - Fans
of 21st century blues-rock sounds must check out the albums of the
well-regarded Upstate New York based guitarist Mark Cloutier.
Back in 2011, mwe3.com helped spread the word about Wings Of Fire,
which was a CD compilation of assorted instrumental blues and
rock tracks first brought to light on Mark’s various self-produced
album releases. Time flies as they say and now in 2018 Mark returns
to the music world with Thunder ‘N’ Lighting,
an album of all new material written and recorded with Mark his brother,
singer and lyricist Myke Cloutier. The resulting ten track
album by their 
band
Cloutier, the ten track Thunder 'N' Lightning rocks
up quite a storm and will quickly find a home among fans of finest
rockin' blues being recorded today. Commenting on this first ever
album release from Cloutier, Mark tells mwe3.com, “This is
our first release together and I owe it to brother Myke for instigating
this project by simply saying let’s do some jamming and see what
happens. I’m very proud of this album.” Mark Cloutier’s
previous albums, including Deep Down Blues and Attitude
With Gratitude, were clearly inspired by the rock, blues and instrumental
guitar music of guitar giants like Buddy Guy, Stevie Ray Vaughan,
Freddy King and Jimi Hendrix and after a few spins it’s quite
clear that Thunder ‘N’ Lighting keeps the timeless
blues-rock genre going strong. As Mark notes in the following 2018
interview with mwe3.com, in addition to his new album with brother
Myke in Cloutier, he’s also still quite busy with his Syracuse,
N.Y. based band, The Double Barrel Blues Band, and fans of his work
with DBBB will equally enjoy this first Cloutier album. And, considering
the sonic diversity that Mark brings to the blues and rock guitar
world, there’s always the chance in the future for a follow-up
album to his groundbreaking instrumental guitar album Wings Of
Fire. There's plenty of trailblazing, rockin’ big-beat electric
guitar
sounds on
this first Cloutier album, and with
one killer track after the next, Thunder
‘N’ Lighting is a stunning mix of solid blues-rock at
its finest. www.cloutiermusic.com
ERYN
MUSIC – There’s plenty of white hot, smokin’ R&B
flavored pop and rock on the 2018 CD release of Lady E by
the singer who goes by the name of Eryn. In the spirit of blue-eyed
soul masters like Hall & Oates, Eryn’s new single off the
seven track CD EP is called “Hallelujah You’re Gone”,
which comes across as a bittersweet bluesy track featuring long gone
wrong lyrics that cuts to the quick. Eyrn’s band features some
great musicians, some of whom contribute to the song writing while
backing vocalists add more fuel to the album’s musical fires.
Produced and mixed by bassist Jack Daley, the album also features
song writing by Bon Jovi keyboardist David Bryan. Eryn has
been compared to U.K. blues belter, the late great Amy Winehouse,
yet with its mix of blues, soul, jazzy pop, rock and even country,
Lady E combines R&B with a modern pop approach that is
greatly enhanced by a potent live music feel. With its appealing cover
art and tasteful album packaging, Eryn’s music is a welcome addition
to the 21st century music scene. www.erynofficial.com
GONZO
MULTIMEDIA – Multi-instrumentalist and sonic visionary Don
Marino Falcone is the brain-trust that produced the 2018 CD release
of An Alien Heat by Spirits Burning And Michael Moorcock.
With most of the lyrics penned by Michael Moorcock, the album features
music written by Don and a range of writers, including backing vocalist
Albert Bouchard and a litany of other writers. The vocals are
handled by a number of singers and, in fact almost each of the 16
tracks here features a different lead vocalist. With over 30 musicians
taking part, the music is quite eclectic and the content almost dizzying.
One look at the Spirits Burning web site will attest to the band’s
enduring legacy, and of course Falcone’s alliance with electronic
music legend Cyrille Verdeaux is the stuff of legend and, in
fact, Cyrille also appears on the Spirits Burning album. Albert Bouchard
is another fine multi-instrumentalist here although the album does
feature a number of lead guitarists, along with a mix of drummers,
bass players and more. Album mastering by electronic music icon Robert
Rich adds further uniqueness to the whole thing. Interesting to
note that an essential edition of the album also comes with a second
bonus CD—a bonus all-instrumental album, featuring the same album
and songs, sans vocals, that serves as a kind of companion piece to
the main album with the vocals and lyrics. Although the main focus
is on the vocal album version, there’s no denying the coolness
of the instrumental version—especially when considering Don’s
long time alliance with the legendary Cyrille Verdeaux. Either way,
An Alien Heat is strong, heady stuff with a definite link to
21st century progressive rock music. www.spiritsburning.com
MUSEA
RECORDS -
Signed
to the legendary French Musea label, Finland native Toni Jokinen
returns in 2018 with, Views, Fears & Stories,
his latest album as the leader of the band Riveryman. Toni
is in fact Riveryman, with his songs, guitars, keyboards and vocals
backed up by the late, great drummer Mika “Pikkis” Korkeamäki,
who sadly died after these sessions were completed. Toni first came
to the attention of mwe3.com with his 2009 first Riveryman album Magic
World and although it’s been nine years, the release of Views,
Fears & Stories is worth the wait. If anything, the
Riveryman sound has evolved and improved and the combined effort features
a range of progressive rock vocals and instrumental tracks that serves
to establish him as a bona fied contender in the industrious progressive
rock world. Some older music fans have compared Toni to both 
Finnish
progressive rock legends Pekka Pohjola and Jukka Gustavson, both early
members of Finland’s most acclaimed progressive rock band Wigwam.
As Toni expresses in the following interview, Pekka Pohjola is a clear
influence, you can hear it in the way the guitars are recorded, although
with Riveryman’s emphasis on long, winding lyrical and vocal
ideas, Gustavson’s influence can’t be understated. In fact,
Toni’s voice even sounds like Jukka Gustavson too. Commenting
on the title of the new Riveryman album, Toni tells mwe3.com “I
came up that title because these three words set kind of the right
scene when you think about the big picture of this Riveryman album.
Views is how you can read the lyrics from different perspectives and
how these lyrics are talking to you. Fears are more like the fear
of knowledge, fear of the unknown, and fear of the afterlife, which
are also things the lyrics are speaking of. Stories describes the
whole story of this album, that it is telling. These three words are
kind of subjects that the album lyrics/songs are offering.” With
Toni’s guitar work and keyboard arrangements floating on top
of his intricate lyrics, it's certain that music fans who were lucky
enough to hear the 2009 Riveryman album will equally enjoy the sounds
in play on the deep musical grooves of Views, Fears & Stories.
www.facebook.com
PARAPLY
RECORDS – The Swedish record company Paraply Records struck
pop-rock gold in 2018 with their III album by Citizen K and
later the same year, group founder Klas Qvist is paid another
honor by his fellow countrymen on the 2018 CD release of I Huvet
På Varann by Swedish pop-rock artist Mikael Ramel.
With a number of albums out under his own name, Ramel is something
of pop-culture icon in Sweden and the eleven cut I Huvet På
Varann features Swedish language versions of music from Citizen
K’s second album, Second
Thoughts, that featured a double album’s worth of music
that was originally written by Citizen K with English lyrics. Of course,
this music is so great that they could have done instrumental versions,
and maybe one day that will happen, as the songs contain a number
of indelible melodies. Klas plays on the I Huvet På Varann
album too, along with a range of Swedish music legends including guitar
legend Kenny Håkansson with appearances from a number
of other top-tier musicians. Co-production by Peter Holmstedt puts
the seal of approval on the album. Commenting on his music being translated
into Swedish language for the first time, Klas tells mwe3.com, “It
was Peter Holmstedt who sent Mikael a copy of Second Thoughts shortly
after its release in 2017. I had no idea of it until I got an email
from Mr. Ramel himself which really made me pinch myself in the arm
a couple of times.” Having released a number of fine albums,
Ramel himself should be applauded for doing a fine job, reintroducing
Citizen K’s music to any Swedes who don’t instantly get
his English lyrics to which Klas further adds, “Ramel told
me during our following correspondence that he'd already began translation
work on some songs and that he wanted to record them. He suggested
I do the lead vocals to which I was reluctant. I told him I had just
done the album, and that I was less than interested in doing them
again. I was on the next train with III and all that. But if he wanted
to sing, I'd help him, act like a backup musician, provide him with
the already existing backing tracks and put harmonies to it.”
So are lyrics in English a deal-breaker in Citizen K’s own land?
Klas further informs us adding, “I don't think English lyrics
is a career block here in Sweden. Very few singers record their material
in Swedish these days, which is a bit of a drag. I find it hard to
make my Swedish attempts sound relevant, though. Mikael on the other
hand, did a great job. I still haven't understood the event. I actually
don't know what to do with it. Confusion is my middle name.”
Sung with English or Swedish lyrics, these songs from the highly underrated
Second Thoughts album still sound great and besides, anything
to further praise Sweden’s greatest pop-rock artist of the 21st
century is quite all right by me. www.hemifran.com
PARAPLY RECORDS – Near
the end of 2009, I had the rare chance to discover a brilliant album
by an artist called Citizen K—essentially the work and
vision of singer-songwriter, guitarist and general multi-instrumentalist
Klas Qvist. And so once again making a strong musical connection
courtesy the country of Sweden, that first Citizen K album that signalled
the end of the decade, Somewhere Up North made a big impact
on my musical and personal identity at that time. When one thinks
of Sweden, I personally look back and remember the first of the original
progressive rock bands of the 1970s like Bo Hansson with guitarist
Kenny Håkannson, Zamla and Peter Bryngelsson’s band Ragnarök
to name some of the originals. Although huge in 
Sweden,
pop music sung in English has always taken a back seat in a world
dominated by American and British pop giants, the rare exception being
ABBA of course. Yet, in coming up with that 2009 breakthru album,
Somewhere Up North set Citizen K out on a most unique musical
journey, a journey that was, after years of waiting, finally brought
to fruition with the long awaited follow up that in 2017 of a double
CD called Second Thoughts. Less than a year later, now in early
2018 Citizen K has released a third album, simply called III
(as in the Roman numeral 3). As the album credits indicate,
Klas performs all the guitars, keys, bass, percussion, lead and backing
vocals with key assistance from III co-producer Andreas
Holmstedt, who adds in programming and drums on a track along
with some effective sound effects on a range of tracks here. Also
on hand is Citizen K drumming ace Kim Gunneriusson, Gudmundur
Bragason (orchestral arrangements), along with several other contributors.
The photography and a&r work of Peter Holmstedt (founder
of Swedish music information website Hemifrån)
is always excellent as is the album cover painting by his gifted wife
Petra Holmstedt. Even if you discount the fact that Klas was
born blind and is blind still, and even more you consider that he
has turned out to be among the most informed pop statesmen in Sweden
today and, then that his electric guitar work is on par with some
of the best players in rock today; consider still that as a collection
of indelible pop melodies and timeless rock arrangements, III is
a breathtaking music classic of the highest magnitude. www.paraplyrecords.se
PROVOGUE
/ MASCOT RECORDS – Provogue and Mascot Records moves
on up to even further musical greatness with Shades,
the 2018 CD by guitarist / composer Doyle Bramhall II. The
12 track CD is truly spellbinding in scope and features Doyle’s
music which includes a stunning mix of stellar blues, grunge rock,
psychedelia and even soulful pop ballads on an album that never fails
to amaze. Assisting Doyle are some top names like Eric Clapton,
Norah Jones along with Austin band The Greyhounds and
The Tedeschi Trucks Band. Doyle’s core band also features
excellent musicians including Adam Minkoff (keys, guitars),
Tchad Blake (percussion), Carla Azar and Abe Rounds
(drums) and much more including guitarist Chris Bruce.
Clearly, the songs Doyle has composed are the main stars of the album
and many of the tracks are co-writes by Doyle with various band members
although the CD closes out with a Bob Dylan cover of “Going,
Going, Gone”, produced by Doyle and guitarist Derek Trucks.
Doyle explains, “As an artist, writer and producer, I'm in
a good place, and I think I can allow this flow of music to come out
and form a real body of work that my fans can appreciate. I'm thrilled
to have them go on this journey with me." Clapton’s
influence, as both songwriter and guitarist, is quite clear although
Doyle’s own vocals and electric guitar work are excellent throughout,
with track 10, “Parvanah” a standout psychedelic tour-de-force.
Recorded in Brooklyn, Jacksonville, Austin and L.A., Doyle Bramhall’s
Shades album sounds great and is clearly one of the finest
pop-rock albums of 2018. www.db2music.com
PURPLE
PYRAMID RECORDS – It’s been light ages since Jethro
Tull released an album as great as their 1968-78 heyday, but within
and without Tull, the band's fabled guitar legend, Martin Barre
carries his legacy forward with the 2018 CD release of Roads
Less Travelled. Rock fans who grew up with Tull back
in the late 1960s and most of the ‘70s were quite fortunate to
witness the birth and culmination of a rock legacy. Featuring Martin’s
guitar skills still operating at an extremely high velocity, Roads
Less Travelled carries his guitar legend onward as a solo
artist. Although not as essential as early Tull, the album does have
its moments and of course the electric guitar sound is great. With
Martin’s guitar as the central focus, Roads Less Travelled
features some competent vocalists who share the spotlight. Martin’s
other solo albums were much more geared to the instrumental crowd
but speaking about his latest foray into vocal rock, he adds, “I’ve
concentrated on improving my song writing over the last few years
and as a result, I am really pleased with this new CD. Roads Less
Travelled
reflects my belief in taking music somewhere new.” Track
ten, “Trinity” harks back to Martin’s instrumental
based sound while the other tracks are all vocal rock. Starting with
Stand Up in 1969, it was clear that Martin Barre was the perfect
guitarist for Tull’s burgeoning progressive rock sound. He was
the band's guiding guitar light for decades. With a fresh batch of
bluesy, straight ahead hard rock tracks, Martin’s legion of guitar
disciples will find much to appreciate on Roads Less Travelled.
www.CleopatraRecords.com
PURPLE
PYRAMID RECORDS – Many YES fans have certain memories
of the late, great Chris Squire. One of my favorites is from
the summer of 1999, around the time when Chris and Billy Sherwood
finally put out the first Conspiracy album. As we stand of the
doorstep of 2019, the shattered, ultra dreams of twenty years ago
are nowhere near as memorable as that golden summer itself. And now
with Chris existing only in the afterlife, Billy has finally taken
it on himself to release what is, to my knowledge the only Chris Squire
tribute album to gain prominence. For the 12-track, 2018 CD release
of A Life In Yes: The Chris Squire Tribute, Billy
has assembled a wide range of great pop and rock musicians including
Todd Rundgren singing “Roundabout” no less, keyboardist
Brian Auger, YES founding keyboardist Tony Kaye and
a host of other timeless rock legends. The current bass anchor in
the 2018 YES, Billy does a great job on “South Side Of The Sky”,
while current YES singer Jon Davison takes lead vocals for
“On The Silent Wings Of Freedom”, backed up by Patrick
Moraz. Jazz legend David Sancious adds in some amazing
piano work and synth legend Larry Fast is also in attendance,
along with so many others! True, Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman
and Alan White are not on this superb CD, but Chris Squire is—yes
incorporeal yet also basking in a timeless state of his indestructible
sonic majesty. www.yesworld.com
ROCKVILLE
MUSIC – For fans who grew up during the era of the great
progressive rock band Procol Harum, the song writing team of Gary
Brooker and Keith Reid will forever live in the music hall
of fame. After writing song lyrics for Gary Brooker’s Procol
Harum classics for decades, Keith stretches out in 2018 with the second
album from his offshoot band The 
Keith
Reid Project. The ten track In My Head is a fine
singer-songwriter showcase for Keith and his current group of pop-rock
co-writers including a number of known and lesser known, though quite
gifted songwriters and vocalists, including John Waite, Maya
Saxell, Chris Merola and others. More low-key in sound
and style than what music fans might have expected, In My Head
is still a worthy follow up to the 2009 release of the first KRP
album The Common Thread, also released on the Germany-based
Rockville label. You won’t be able to ignore this wonderful little
CD thanks in part to the humorous cover art, which kind of parodies
Procol Harum’s 1969 classic A Salty Dog. Backed by a range
of co-writers and top-rated musicians, In My Head is a notable
album from one of rock’s most illustrious songwriter / lyricists
Keith Reid. www.rockville-music.com
RPM
MUSIC - Australian singer-songwriter / guitarist Gus McKay
continues making a lot of blues-rock fans very happy with his
2017 CD called Talisman. With a guitar-centric sound that is
kind of similar in scope to J.J. Cale, mixed in with some Peter Green
meets ZZ Top inspired vocals, Talisman is a fascinating spin
start to finish. In some ways, the lead off track “Art Of Living”
perfectly captures Gus’ sound. In his February 2018 mwe3.com
interview, Gus says the track is about “Getting closer to
the ideal, of getting through this life with purpose and dignity and
still be inspired”. Songs about purpose and dignity are at
the core of Talisman, which also has a deep connection to rural
life in Australia. A sense of sparseness permeates Talisman and
the album is a very graphic sonic postcard from Australia, which Gus
describes in songs like “Murchison Sequel” and GinGin Morning”.
Gus has perfectly tailored the sound and vision of Talisman very
much around his own ideas of life and his lyrics are totally underscored
by the excellent sound that Gus receives from his band, which includes
Ronan Charles (drums, keyboards, and tenor sax) and Phil Waldron (bass,
double bass, bozouki, fiddle, trumpet, cello, banjo, pedal steel and
tin whistle). The album also features some intriguing album art to
which Gus adds, “I 
found
a particular design that caught my eye and created it from wood and
old tin, for the inside sleeve of the CD.” Such attention
to detail is rare and doesn’t go unnoticed, although the first
thing that grabs you about Talisman is the sonic depth of these
songs, which take some time to get into fully, but it’s very
much worth it. Guitar fans will be amazed at the sound that Gus coaxes
from his many fine instruments, which includes Teles and Strats—as
well as a 1940’s Dobro and an Australian “Galvo” tricone
resonator made from 100 year old galvanized roof tin/iron. Fans of
Peter Green, J.J. Cale, Billy Gibbons, as well as other influences
from blues legends like Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters, will totally
dig where Gus McKay is coming from on Talisman. The art of
modern, electric blues is alive and in fine form on Gus McKay’s
Talisman. www.gusmckay.com
RUSH
MUSIC - I found out about Alan Clayson back in the 1980s.
I had formed a record company called Breakthru’ Records back
in the early ‘80s and licensed an Lp vinyl album called Traffic
by Swedish guitarist Janne Schaffer. Unbeknownst to me, a label
in the U.K. called Shanghai Records had also licensed a vinyl album
for Traffic from Janne, at the same time for the same release
for the U.K. Of course it was Breakthru’ that released the first
ever CD by Janne Schaffer of that same album, a year later. Anyway,
through all of this karmic revival I became friendly with the owner
of the label, a well-respected music exec called Brian Leafe, and
he sent me an Lp of an album he released (and now considered a very
important album of its time) called Hostage To The Beat by
British invasion superstar called Dave Berry. As I found out around
early 1986, key to that album was songwriter Alan Clayson,
who befriended Dave and was a key factor in the creation of his brilliant
comeback album. I found Alan several years ago and we became kindred
spirits. In 2012 mwe3.com reviewed Alan's solo album One Dover
Soul and now five years after Alan released a great rock album
called This Cannot Go On by his band Alan Clayson
And The Argonauts. The free form rock album is very much in the
Dave Berry spirit circa 1985 and the album was tastefully released
in effective digi-pak album art. His band, with Pete Cox on
guitars and John Harries (on sax) is quite effective. As Alan
writes in his credits, John Otway is credited too (he also adds in
theremin too) and fans of Otway’s Syd-Barrett inspired pop music
will find a home on Clayson’s new one. Very Bowie-inspired, and
since his work with Dave Berry in the mid ‘80s, Clayson has remained
as a hero of the underground U.K. pop-rock scene, and being a musicologist,
writer and producer, Alan Clayson's new album This Cannot Go On
is among the top esoteric rock CDs of 2018. www.rushmusic.co.uk
SCIENCE NV MUSIC - The best progressive rock bands have proven
time and again to be masters at a range of genres. Those prog fans
looking for a band with unbelievable chops and musical vision should
give a listen to ScienceNV. The four-piece Northern California
band turned heads around earlier in 2018 with The Quest For Prester
John Volume 1 and late in 2018 they fulfill the Prester John tale
with The Quest For Prester John Volume 2. The
second CD picks up from where Volume 1 leaves off with a fresh range
of mythological tales of Prester John put to music. Actually, the
tale of Prester John dates back 500 years ago so Science NV really
stretches the listener’s musical imagination with their Prester
John saga put to music. ScienceNV puts the tale to bed for the most
part with “Roderick’s Tale” and following that 25 minute
opus they complete volume 2 with a fresh set of mostly instrumental
music that mixes jazz-rock with progressive rock and beyond. Where
“Roderick’s Tale” features several guest vocalists
and truly out-there lyrics, the remaining tracks are truly mind-blowing
in their scope. Prog fans may 
relate
this album to, believe it or not, the fabled Henry Cow album from
1975, In Praise Of Learning, which combines antiwar lyrics
with some truly avant gard instrumental rock. As on The Quest For
Prester John Volume 1, the band lineup remains the same, including
Jim Henriques (guitars, vocals, keys), Larry Davis (guitars),
David Graves (keys, vocals) and Rich Kallet (drums).
The lead off piece on Volume 2, a multipart progressive rock epic
called “Roderick’s Tale”, features some of the most
impressive antiwar lyrics and imagery ever put into a rock-based concept
album and as the band's scathing lyrics proves, the more things change,
the more things stay the same. Speaking about the complexities of
putting the famous mythology of Prester John into the concept of a
rock track, the group's guitarist Jim Henriques tells mwe3.com, “I
think we’re done with Prester John. It was an exhausting effort,
and we will likely try something with less pressure next. Phew!”
That sense of sonic completion, of a musical mission fulfilled, secures
a place for The Quest For Prester John Volume 1 & 2 among
the most impressive sounding and the most unique sounding rock albums
of the 21st century. www.sciencenv.com
SKY
WITH STARS MUSIC - New Jersey’s finest singer-songwriter,
Michal Towber returned in 2018 with yet another groundbreaking
album of memorable compositions entitled No Resolution.
Hard to believe it’s been 19 years since Michal’s big
breakthrough on Columbia Records, back when she was a teenager. Raising
a family and balancing a rock star career in more recent years ain’t
easy, yet Michal rises to the occasion on a superbly packaged CD that
tastefully blends rock, pop, singer-songwriter style sounds to great
effect. Several semi-acoustic, piano-based, unplugged tracks near
the end of the album changes the vibe of the 14 track album yet, for
most of its 45 minute, with tracks 1-10 rock sound, No Resolution
really hits home with Michal’s soaring vocals and manic presence
and kinetic vibe. One new surprise here is that No Resolution marks
the first collaboration with gifted guitarist / saxophonist and songwriter
AR. Co-production by Kazim Zaidi is further enhanced
by his crisp sounding drumming, guitars and bass guitar skills. With
14 memorable pop-rock tracks, No Resolution is an excellent
follow up to Michal’s 2012 album One Immortal Day, and
the album goes the distance to further her already impressive repertoire
of recorded music. www.facebook.com/MichalTowberOfficial
TWANKY
RECORDS – To be filed under the 21st century jazz/pop and
Americana sound, Rediscovered is a great way to check
out the music of L.A. based singer-songwriter Judith Owen.
On her 2018 album, Judith hands the creative reigns over to the music
gods on an album that takes on the form of a tribute album to Judith’s
biggest songwriter influences. Backed up by some great musicians including
bass legend Leland Sklar, Pedro Segundo (percussion)
and Spinal Tap / SNL icon Harry Shearer, Rediscovered
features a few surprises, including covers of “Smoke On The Water”,
“Play That Funky Music White Boy”, “Black Hole Sun”,
“Dream A Little Dream Of Me”, a pair of Joni Mitchell covers,
a Beatles cover of “Blackbird” and many other fine tracks.
The key here is that it’s all done with the utmost taste and
in a kind of low-key, late night jazz club kind of way—without
pretense and production overkill. In Judith Owens' hands, less is
more so only the great music and melodies come shining through on
an album that will seduce you in the finest, musical kind of way.
Produced by Ms. Owen and recorded in L.A., and featuring excellent
album art and track-by-track notes, Rediscovered is a great
late night spin and serves as a fabulous introduction to the sound
and style of singer, pianist and arranger Judith Owen. www.judithowen.net
INSTRUMENTAL
ALBA
RECORDS – Finland’s world renowned classical guitarist
Otto Tolonen continues releasing excellent albums in his native
country and in 2018 he issued a CD entitled Retratos.
Recorded in Finland between August and October 2017, the 58 minute,
15 track Retratos finds Otto performing original music by composing
legends such as Argentine tango composer Astor Piazzolla, who Otto
covers astutely with a Sérgio Assad arrangement of Piazzolla’s
“Four Seasons” (“Las Estaciones Porteñas”).
Other composers put into the spotlight by Otto include Giulio Regondi,
who composed “Nocturne” (“Reverie") way back in
1864. 20th century composers covered here, including Alvaro Company,
Nuccio D’Angelo and Ariel Ramirez, are more recent composers
brought to light under Otto’s magical guitar sound. Like the
finest albums by top classical artists, the Retratos CD booklet,
printed in both Finnish and English, is exemplary and is packed with
information about the guitarist complete with a concise, detailed
history of all the composers featured here. A gifted performer, recording
artist, music instructor and a guitarist / musicologist, Finland’s
great classical guitar icon Otto Tolonen brings his recording career
to new levels of sonic perfection with the critically acclaimed Retratos.
www.ottotolonen.net
BASILICA
MUSIC - Instrumental music composer and keyboardist Paul Kirkpatrick—recording
as a solo artist under his stage name Paul K—has
released three critically acclaimed solo albums in England during
the past 5 years, starting with his first solo album, Soul Connection
in 2015, followed by Omertà in 2017. 
During
this time Paul also released the 2016 debut album by his rock band
with singer Rachel Harvey, in the band, Glitch_Code. Now in the Fall
of 2018, Paul K has released his third solo album, a powerful concept
album called The Fermi Paradox. The anticipated
follow-up album to Paul's critically-acclaimed 2017 album Omertà,
The Fermi Paradox is a progressive music opus that merges 21st
century instrumental rock with an avant-garde neoclassical edge. A
tribute album with a twist, Paul K's album, The Fermi Paradox pays
an instrumental prog-rock homage to Italian scientist / physicist
Enrico Fermi and his famous 1950 quote “So, where is everybody?”
also known as "Where Are They?" – a question
that sparked a pop culture revolution in the middle of the 20th century.
The Fermi Paradox literally renewed a quest to search for life beyond
Earth. As written about in greater detail in The Fermi Paradox
CD booklet liner notes, Enrico Fermi’s question was, quite subliminally,
first introduced to the pop culture masses in 1968, by way of Stanley
Kurbrick’s acclaimed masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey.For
more background, Kubrick is interviewed here
at the grand opening of the movie in New York in 1968—half a
century ago. As more astute listeners and critics will note,
Paul K’s 2018 concept album, The Fermi Paradox is among
the most unique sounding and unparalleled instrumental albums released
thus far in the 21st century. Paul K explains, “This album
is about the vastness of the universe and if we are alone or not and
about the evolution of life.” Paul K also implements spoken
word tracks on several songs here that serves, from a historical viewpoint,
to underscore a cosmic connection to the expansive scientific concepts
of The Fermi Paradox. The track “The Great Silence”,
features cellist / vocalist Rachel Dawson reading a poem by the late
holocaust poet Abraham Sutzkever. The Fermi Paradox also features
spoken word tracks of rare recordings, from the Oxford University
Fine Tuning Workshop videos, featuring esteemed Oxford professors
Joe Silk and Mario Livio as they deliberate upon the Fermi Paradox
and Enrico Fermi’s famous 1950 quote “So, where is everybody?”
Musicians performing on The Fermi Paradox include: Paul
K: Piano, Synths, Theremin, Percussion, Mellotron, Programming
- Julian Todd: 4, 5, 6 String and Fretless Bass - Gordon
Foley: Guitar, Ebow - David Williamson-Smith: Drums
- Rachel Dawson: Cello, Narration and Backing Vocals - Corinna
Jane: Backing Vocals. In addition to his core band with keys,
drums, guitars, cello, bass and spoken word vocals, The Fermi Paradox
also features diverse instrumentation such as electric violin, theremin,
pipes and more, giving the album an ancient yet futuristic feel. The
most ambitious album so far by music maestro Paul Kirkpatrick, The
Fermi Paradox propels progressive music forward into a deep and
dark sonic future. www.paulk-music.com
BOMBORA
RECORDS – Australia’s surf-rock guitar hero Martin
Cilia returns in 2018 with a solid CD of splendid instro guitar
magic called Espresso Martino. With pictures
of coffee beans lurking around the cover art, the music is equally
stimulating and even legendary. Several originals dot the musical
terrain although the covers here are totally spot on, including new
takes on classics by The Shadows, Santo & Johnny, Joe Meek, Fleetwood
Mac and more. The backing tracks are very good although from the layout
of the CD art, it’s unclear as to who is playing drums but it
could very well be Martin himself! Although Martin earned a solid
reputation as a relatively new member of Australia’s famous surf-rock
legends The Atlantics, his impressive output as a solo artist is greatly
enhanced with the 2018 CD release of Espresso Martino. Instro
rockers will lap up the frenetic, wild space action of Martin Cilia’s
latest guitar masterpiece. www.martincilia.com
BORDERLINE
MUSIC / DISCMEDI BLAU – Based in Madrid Spain, pianist
/ composer Paz del Castillo is making sound waves on the New
Age scene with her 2018 CD called Tres. Essentially
a thirteen track best of, the music contains tracks from her various
albums along with several newer tracks. Essentially a well-recorded
solo piano album, it’s quite unique with its New Age meditative
tone with a kind of jazz-tinged Vince Guaraldi style of impressionistic
minimalism. Although Paz has performed a variety of classical musical
concerts in Europe with her duo or trio lineup, Tres is very
much a piano centric recording from an obviously gifted composer and
pianist. Commenting on her new CD, Paz adds, “My album, Tres:
The Best of Paz del Castillo is a summary of my life, a self-portrait
like brushstrokes on a white canvas which completes a painting that
portrays Paz del Castillo.” www.pazdelcastillo.com
GONZO
MULTIMEDIA – Multi-instrumentalist and sonic visionary Don
Marino Falcone is the brain-trust that produced the 2018 CD release
of An Alien Heat by Spirits Burning And Michael Moorcock.
With most of the lyrics penned by Michael Moorcock, the album features
music written by Don and a range of writers, including backing vocalist
Albert Bouchard and a litany of other writers. The vocals are
handled by a number of singers and, in fact almost each of the 16
tracks here features a different lead vocalist. With over 30 musicians
taking part, the music is quite eclectic and the content almost dizzying.
One look at the Spirits Burning web site will attest to the band’s
enduring legacy, and of course Falcone’s alliance with electronic
music legend Cyrille Verdeaux is the stuff of legend and, in
fact, Cyrille also appears on the Spirits Burning album. Albert Bouchard
is another fine multi-instrumentalist here although the album does
feature a number of lead guitarists, along with a mix of drummers,
bass players and more. Album mastering by electronic music icon Robert
Rich adds further uniqueness to the whole thing. Interesting to
note that an essential edition of the album also comes with a second
bonus CD—a bonus all-instrumental album, featuring the same album
and songs, sans vocals, that serves as a kind of companion piece to
the main album with the vocals and lyrics. Although the main focus
is on the vocal album version, there’s no denying the coolness
of the instrumental version—especially when considering Don’s
long time alliance with the legendary Cyrille Verdeaux. Either, way
An Alien Heat is strong, heady stuff with a definite link to
21st century progressive rock music. www.spiritsburning.com
GREENLEAF
MUSIC – With a stellar mix of instrumental jazz, folk music,
Americana, European classical and more, Flatbed Buggy makes
for a stunning intro to the music of drummer / composer Rudy Royston.
Backed up by some excellent players, including Gary Versace (accordion),
Hank Roberts (cello), Joe Martin (bass) and John
Ellis (clarinet, sax), Rudy paves a new sonic road with his unique
take on 21st century jazz. The all-acoustic groove gives the album
a kind of timelessness and the all-original set of tracks is filled
with a kind of splendid originality. As a drummer, Rudy brings a unique
sense of timing and as such, the music has a very steady beat and
rhythm throughout, even despite the near avant-garde nature of the
music. Versed with a solid background in jazz, rock, gospel and classical
music, Rudy Royston makes the most of his offbeat approach to recording
with the genre-defying groove of Flatbed Buggy. www.rudyroyston.com
GREYDISC
– Guitarist / music conceptualist and guitar innovator Kevin
Kastning sure had a busy year in 2018. The follow-up solo album
to his 17/66 album from early ’18, the December 2018 CD
release of 30/66 was recorded at the same sessions and
features further explorations on his 36-string Double Contraguitar
and his 30-string Contra-Alto guitar. Kastning considers both albums
to form a kind of giant 66 string instrument and the sounds he gets
on this latest album continues his unique multifaceted approach to
his recorded repertoire. Asked about why he preferred the sound of
those two guitars, Kevin explains, "The 30- and 36-string
instruments were used on this record because the compositions on this
album were planned for those two instruments. "30/36" is
an extension or continuation of "17/66" in that it furthers
the harmonic blocks concept into compositions for 30- and 36-string
instruments. And I had not done a solo project wherein I used only
the 30 and 36, so these pieces were ideal for that direction."
At times the sound evokes the experimental guitar style of masters
like John Fahey and Leo Kottke, and other times the sound is so far-out
that it defies mere description. Once again working with music producer
Sandor Szabo, Kastning keeps the listener on the edge of their
seat with the haunting, avant garde scope of 30/66. For the
untrained ear of the casual listener, the sound might appear to be
otherworldly or even disconcerting yet, for long time followers of
Kevin Kastning’s unique guitar-centric approach, 30/66 provides
yet another puzzle piece in the unique sonic vision that is Kevin
Kastning. www.kevinkastning.com
JAZZ
HANG RECORDS – Utah-based Jazz Hang Records is on the ball
with the 2018 CD release of Sonic Paragon from drummer
/ composer Jay Lawrence. Somewhat of a jazz superstar jam,
the twelve track CD features top musicians backing up Jay’s drums
and compositions, including John Patitucci (bass), Renee
Rosnes (piano), guitarists Romero Lubambo, Yotam Silberstein
and Anthony Wilson, along with other fine musicians including
horn man Harry Allen. The album has a very straight-ahead,
post-bop jazz tinge to it but it’s never at a loss for expressive
sounding melodic arrangements that spotlight Jay’s deep approach
to his art form. Mostly Lawrence originals, the eleven cut album also
features several eclectic covers written by Irving Berlin (“What’ll
I Do”), Leonard Bernstein (“Maria”) and Jimi Hendrix
(“Crosstown Traffic”). Co-production by Michael Gibbons
is excellent. Recorded in Brooklyn, NY and mixed and mastered
by Barry Gibbons in Utah, Jay Lawrence and his Sonic Paragon
moves contemporary jazz into the future with renewed style and
finesse. www.jaylawrencedrums.com
RYAN
JUDD MUSIC – It is true that much of the New Age music being
recorded and released today is directly related to musical therapy.
One artist breaking through the borders of New Age and musical therapy
is finger-style guitarist / composer Ryan Judd. Ryan’s
company called The Rhythm Tree specializes in that aspect of using
peaceful music to teach young kids social skills, which focuses on
music therapy and psychology. Kids could learn a lot from Ryan’s
approach, which creates musical experiences while focusing on speech,
physical, behavioral goals and more. On top of all his work, Ryan
Judd also has a new solo CD out called An Open Sky.
Fitting in with his musical therapy approach, the ten track CD
features an all-original approach to music and he receives excellent
support from cellist Kristen Miller. Much more New Age and
peaceful than say some of the other acoustic guitarists recording
today, on An Open Sky the approach is deep and meaningful,
less absorbed with technique and more dedicated to a more deeply understand
type of sonic science that is channeled through the acoustic steel
string guitar. Very slow, stately and deeply felt music, Ryan Judd’s
An Open Sky is a trip into the peaceful regions of your musical
soul. www.ryanjuddmusic.com
KERANI
MUSIC PRODUCTION – Holland-based
keyboardist and composer Kerani is a true renaissance artist
of the early 21st century instrumental music world. Having released
five critically acclaimed albums since 2011, Kerani returns in 2018
with her sixth release, Small Treasures. There’s
plenty of New Age instrumental music that tastefully blends in a European
inspired musical style in the spirit of the iconic composers of centuries
past, and played and recorded with sonic precision and wonderful intention.
Free from electronic keyboards and synth backing, Small Treasures
is mostly a fine showcase for Kerani’s exquisite grand piano
skills. Small Treasures begins with a track called “Temple
Of Roses”, a song that features a rare vocal performance from
Chanele McGuinness, who also is featured adding spoken word
poetry on the track “Celtic Mystery”. 
With
elegant sound contributions from Arno Op den Camp, Small
Treasures also features a number of guest artists, including flute
maestro Ron Korb and Carla Maffioletti (guitar), along
with several other musicians, with a high point being a full-bodied
string quartet. Enhancing the musical majesty on Small Treasures
are Kerani’s wonderful paintings, which are reproduced in
the CD booklet along with excerpts from her favorite poetry. Commenting
on the album in her memorable CD booklet liner notes, Kerani notes,
“This time, I have chosen to write music that is closer to
myself; music which describes memories and feelings that left an imprint
on my heart forever.” An impressive follow-up to her 2017
album Stardust, 2018’s Small Treasures is overflowing
with wondrous and majestic instrumental music that will impart an
instant sense of sonic relief to the most seasoned 21st century New
Age / Neoclassical music lover. www.kerani-official.com
LOUD
FOLK RECORDS – Hipped to mwe3.com by Minnesota’s esteemed
musicologist and record company maven Ken Onstad, the Loud
Folk label unveiled a new for 2018 album, entitled Revel &
Ritual by multi-instrumentalist and composer Greg Herriges.
Back in 2015, Greg released his Artifacts album and, subtitled
Holiday Music For The World, the nine track Revel &
Ritual features Greg’s band, Stella Roma, which features
Greg on guitars, bouzouki, guitalele, hoses and even a vocal track,
backed up by his band mates including Michael Bissonnette (drums),
Rundio (chapman stick, atmospherics) and more including vocalist
Pooja Goswami Pavan, an Indian vocalist who appears on a pair
of Indian music flavored tracks. As he’s so fond of doing, on
his latest release, Greg take the listeners on a worldwide musical
trek, offering new arrangements of traditional music from a range
of cultures and putting a hip kind of World Music groove to the whole
thing. Hindu flavored sounds merge with Chinese and Japanese music
as well as Hebrew, Muslim and even Ukrainian style music. What ever
your musical bag is, Greg’s guitar and bouzouki sounds lead the
Stella Roma sound into some truly inventive global grooves. Mostly
instrumental music with a couple of vocal tracks to enhance the vibes,
Revel & Ritual is a fascinating sonic peek into the musical
imagination of Greg Herriges. www.gregherriges.com
/ www.facebook.com/StellaRomaMusic
ORIGIN
RECORDS – Origin continues onward as one of America’s
finest jazz and jazz-fusion labels. Origin’s 2018 CD release
of Petite Fleur: The Music Of Sidney Bechet is an excellent
duo album by Dave Liebman and John Stowell. The combination
of Dave’s soprano sax, wood flute and piano with John’s
various guitars is pure magic. What’s new in the jazz world is
that Sidney Bechet’s music is getting some fresh coverage. New
Orleans native Bechet was born in 1897 and he was often referred to,
especially in Europe, as a jazz version of J.S. Bach. The third album
on Origin featuring these two excellent players, Petite Fleur starts
off with the famous Bechet 1952 original that serves as the album
title track here and that is featured in three different versions.
The music on this CD are all Bechet originals, save for a nearly seven
minute cover of George Gershwin’s “Summertime”. The
music is quite low-key in scope yet between both Liebman and Stowell,
there’s quite a stellar sounding jazz focus in play. Produced
by Stowell, and recorded in Pennsylvania in 2017, Petite Fleur
also features fresh liner notes by both Dave Liebman and John
Stowell. Commenting on the album from his liner notes, Dave surmises,
“This recording with John is about Sidney as a composer, an
area that I did not really know about until I researched material
for this project. His compositions are extremely lyrical, quite straightforward
and of course, as a New Orleans native, tinged with the blues.”
Jazz fans need to experience the magic of Sidney Bechet’s
music in 2018 as performed by seasoned jazz hands of Dave Liebman
and John Stowell. www.johnstowell.com
/ www.daveliebman.com
/ www.originarts.com
ORIGIN
RECORDS – Origin Records keeps dazzling jazz fans and guitar
fans will especially savor Decade: Memoirs, the
2018 CD by Chicago-based guitarist / composer John Moulder.
Backed by a range of stellar players, including Steve Rodby (acoustic
bass), Paul Wertico (drums), Gwilym Simcock (piano),
Tim Garland (sax, clarinet) and Ernie Adams (percussion),
this album swings with some intense playing and memorable compositions.
With so many excellent musicians on hand, John’s guitar is sometimes
subdued but when he cuts loose, he all but steals the show. Recorded
in 2009, 2017 and 2014, the nine cut CD is reflective of meaningful
events and cherished individuals in the guitarist’s life. Decade:
Memoir is a memorable and intensive album of all original music
by one of the most committed guitar virtuosos on the current worldwide
jazz-fusion scene. www.johnmoulder.com
/ www.originarts.com
JOHN
PETRUCELLI MUSIC – Blurring the borders between jazz, classical
and electronic music, sax master / composer John Petrucelli strikes
jazz fusion gold with his 2018 double CD called Presence.
Echoes of Coltrane combine with more hybrid-sounding jazz-fusion
forces on a fabulous double live album that features a range of jazz
players and classical style string musicians. Leading a fine band
of like-minded musicians, Petrucelli’s sax wails and Coltrane’s
influence is noted and there’s plenty of white hot musical sounds
courtesy of Peter Park (electric guitars), Paul Thompson
(bass), Gusten Rudolph (drums) and of course, guest sax
player Melvin Butler (on a track here) plus, the addition
of a very effective four piece string section. Currently the director
of jazz at Northeastern State University, and with now, four wonderful
albums to his credit, jazz composer John Petrucelli adds to his rock
solid jazz reputation with a range of wonderfully diverse instrumental
sounds on the brilliantly executed sounds of Presence. www.johnpetrucellisax.com
ROPEADOPE
RECORDS – The distillation of 21st century instrumental music
proceeds onwards with the 2018 CD release of Persistent Fancy
by horn man and composer Kyle Nasser. Ostensibly a
modern, post-bop cool jazz album, the fourteen track CD not only features
a new hybrid jazz sound but also incorporates elements of fusion and
even touches of baroque rock fusion. Some tracks, perhaps subliminally,
feature a kind of influence by the late, great Pekka Pohjola—the
influential Finnish composer who was the master at combining jazz,
rock and classical music for much of the 1970s and ‘80s. Key
to the sound of Persistent Fancy CD are the great musicians
Kyle has tapped to explore his sound, including Jeff Miles (electric
guitars), Allan Mednard (drums), Dov Manski (keys) and
other fine players. As a tenor / soprano sax player and composer,
Kyle Nasser is a 21st century recording artist to watch and his musical
career takes off into the sonic stratosphere with Persistent Fancy.
www.kylenasser.com
7D
MEDIA – Featuring a range of musicians—including Jason
Everett (fretless / acoustic bass), V. Selvaganesh (drums),
Trey Gunn (guitars), Radhika Iyer (violin) and many
others—the ensemble known as Deep Energy Orchestra released
Playing With Fire in 2018. A free-form kind of progressive,
World Music groove permeates the sound of the superb sounding and
looking CD and the group even take on a cover of the John McLaughlin
/ Mahavishnu Orchestra fusion classic “Lotus Feet”. Created
and composed by group mastermind Jason Everett, who also goes by the
name Mister E, Playing With Fire was recorded live at
the Jack Straw Cultural Center in October 2017. It’s hard to
tell it’s live in a venue as there’s hardly an audience
sound. With several Indian musicians on hand, the music has a kind
of far-out exotic, World Beat kind of feel yet with so much musical
joy in the air, the album holds up quite well, spin after spin. With
King Crimson’s Trey Gunn appearing on his patented Warr Guitar,
there’s also a clear progressive rock edge even though the all
instrumental album is quite far from traditional prog. The tracks
are quite involved and lengthy with one three part track closing in
on twenty minute in length. Like much Indian music, there’s plenty
of improv and back and forth dialog among the musicians. Playing
With Fire by Deep Energy Orchestra is a brilliant and quite
refreshing sounding album you could spin all day or night and constantly
find something new to appreciate. www.7dmedia.com
RICK
SPARKS MUSIC - With a timely dose of sonic brain relief, Rick
Sparks channels the music gods on his 2018 CD, Half Moon
Bay. A fine follow up to Rick’s 2017 CD Nightfall
London, the ten track Half Moon Bay features a wealth of
new original music along with a decidedly Southern California influence,
especially when you consider there’s several Brian Wilson classics,
redone here in Rick’s New Age / contemporary instrumental music
style. Fascinating to note here is the album title track, “Half
Moon Bay”, itself a cover of a Brian Wilson instrumental from
2015’s No Pier Pressure, Rick adds, “How natural
that Brian titled his song “Half Moon Bay” after a little
surfing community on the California coast. That song was the perfect
choice to be the title cut on my new album.” 
Rick
cites his strong religious beliefs as the foundation for his spiritual
approach to music to which he adds, "I
can’t imagine not having the inner peace and assurance that comes
from my Christian faith. It’s so natural that whatever is in
the heart of an artist will be evident in his or her music. In a world
that is increasingly dark and worrisome to all of us, producing music
that helps the hearer experience peace and beauty is such a privilege
for me… it’s basically an outgrowth of the peace that comes
from my faith in Jesus Christ. He created the universe, He gave us
the priceless gift of music, and He proved His love for us a long
time ago on an old rugged cross."
A
gifted musician who grew up in the heartland of the American south,
Rick Sparks transcends musical borders on the brilliant and soothing
instrumental sound of Half Moon Bay, an album that, as Rick
appropriately states, “feeds the soul, inspires and uplifts.”
www.ricksparksmusic.net
SPHERE
MUSIC / NEW VISION PROMOTION – Brought to the attention
of mwe3.com by New Age recording artist Kevin Wood, The Accomplished
View is a fine introduction to the music of keyboardist and
composer Forrest Smithson. The ten track CD is superbly packaged
and sounds great. Forrest’s soaring synth keyboards leaves little
doubt as to the nature of this sublime sounding and supremely relaxing
musical experience. Little was known previously about Forrest and
his music, but a look at his online presence shows that he has a number
of albums already released under his own name and The Accomplished
View is being heralded as his finest and most accessible yet.
Comparisons to Kevin Wood’s music, as well as other artists working
in the same sonic arena may ring true, but more to the point, Forrest’s
album is very much dedicated to his peaceful, New Age, multi-textured
and atmospheric ambient instrumental sound. Spending some quality
time listening to The Accomplished View is a good way to lower
your blood pressure while adopting a kinder, gentler outlook on life.
www.newvisionpromotion.com
SPHERIC
MUSIC – The Spheric label keeps Teutonic electronica alive
and well with a 2018 CD release entitled Seashore by
the artist known as Axess. Very accessible in sound, the music
on this 7 track, 70+ minute CD is composed by Axel Stupplich and
features an array of sublime electronic instrumental music that combines
modern New Age vibes done in a vintage sounding Berlin-school style.
Axess actually has several album releases on Spheric and for fans
of electronic music, Axess makes for a very rewarding listening experience.
As Axel states in his liner notes, the album has a very gentle ebb
and flow that is reminiscent of the way the ocean waves break on the
seashore. Low key in a very pleasant way, Seashore makes for
a sublime, meditative listening experience. With this latest release
from Axess as well as their 2018 reissue, Harmonic Decadence by
Robert Schroeder, Spheric Music stays on the cutting edge of mainstream
German instrumental electronic music. www.sphericmusic.de
SPOTTED
PECCARY MUSIC – When it comes to progressive New Age and
ambient electronica, few labels do it better than Spotted Peccary
Music. A good example of where the label is at in 2018 is The
Truth Of Being from Austin, Texas based Madhavi Devi.
Released by the artist known as Cheryl Gallagher, the six cut CD blends
all kind of synths along with grand piano, electric harps, ambient
guitar and more. The album breathes naturally as they say and also
mixes in what is being described as ethnic and ceremonial undertones
along with sounds of nature. As a musician, harpist and meditative
sound painter, Ms. Gallagher’s intent all along is to promote
inner growth and development through her intimate and celestial music.
Also featuring contributions from label head Howard Givens (ambient
guitar, synths) and Stephanie Britten Phillips (viola), The
Truth Of Being is the first Madhavi Devi album on Spotted Peccary,
which also features excellent album art and booklet with paintings
by Ms. Gallagher. www.spottedpeccary.com
/ www.madhavidevi.com
STINGRAY
SOUNDS – There’s plenty of surf-rock action on the Stay
Gold, 2018 CD by Canada’s best instro band The
427’s. Guitarists Chris van Keir and Rob Day have
penned 14 instro originals and the results combine 1960s beach culture,
West Coast jazz, B-movie soundtracks, tropical tiki sounds, pop art
within the without the tried and trusted surf-rock sound started by
The Ventures back in the late 1950s. The two guitarists get great
backup by Eve Hell (bass) and Wayne Ramone (drums).
The band is great sounding and there’s excellent co-production
by Pat Palardy and fine CD mastering by Don Grossinger.
Fans of the genre will flip for the fab CD cover artwork and packaging,
which covers all the bases. Close your eyes and think about the vintage
year of 1961, and let the timeless instrumental surf rock sounds of
the 427’s fill your senses. www.the427s.com
STONE
TONE RECORDS – The
instrumental R&B / blues band known as Big Apple Blues keeps
the feel good energy flying high with their 2018 album called Manhattan
Alley. By day, a well respected doctor based in the
NY/NJ area, Admir Hadzic doubles both as bass player and co-producer
of the five piece Big Apple Blues, which also features a great lineup
of musicians including Zach Zunis (electric guitars), Barry
Harrison (drums), Jim Alfredson (keys) and Anthony Kane
(harmonica). Back in 2015, mwe3.com reviewed the band's CD Energy,
and the 2018 CD release of Manhattan Alley keeps their
high-flying, soul-funk, instrumental sound moving right along. The
soulful Big Apple Blues approach to funky, groove-
based
instrumental music should find a home among a diverse group of music
fans, including but not limited to fans of organ-based soul / funk
/ jazz but Manhattan Alley is clearly not a jazz album, per
se. Speaking to mwe3.com about the band's unique approach to the blues
and instrumental rock, and a comparison to the best 1960s instrumental
R&B groups on the fabled Stax label, keyboardist Jim Alfredson
explains, "I
consider Big Apple Blues akin to Booker T. & the MG’s for
sure. All of us have worked as sidemen backing up singers across genres
like jazz, blues, R&B, etc. just like the MG’s and the Bar-kays
did back in the '60s. Once you remove the singer from the equation,
the result is something different, something special. We play a lot
of numbers with vocals in our live shows, but on our albums the instruments
themselves are the vocalists. That makes us distinctly different from
many other blues bands." Perhaps
the coolest thing about Big Apple Blues is the rock-solid chemistry
between the band members who seem to revel in their unique approach
to loud, funky, guitar-centric blues. Instrumental rock music fans
with open ears will embrace the diversity of Big Apple Blues and their
feel-good NYC vibes. The city that never sleeps, New York City has
a trademark band with a sound to match, and they’re called Big
Apple Blues. www.bigappleblues.com
TWANGSVILLE
PRODUCTIONS – Finland continues onward as a main hub for
21st century instrumental rock with two new notable releases. First
off is a 2018 CD by the group called Pekka Tiilikainen & Beatmakers
called Live In Holland. Recorded live at
the Cliff & The Shadows fan meeting in Holland on October 28th,
2017, the 15 track CD features rousing live versions of song classics
that are mostly well done cover versions penned by guitar rock legends
like Martin Cilia of The Atlantics, Danny Amis of Los Straightjackets
and more including a fine instro rendition of “Let It Be Me”,
first heard as a pop vocal by The Shadows back in early 1965. Also
here are several instrumentals of rock classics by Finnish composers,
including Finland’s great rock band The Hurriganes, highlighted
by the CD closing “Bourban Street” from 1980, done here
unexpectedly as a cool instrumental. The sound quality of Live
In Holland makes it one of the best live albums in recent memory.
Guitarists Pekka Tiilikainen and Juha Heinonen, group
bass player and album producer Jori Venemies and drummer Mikko
Lund are in fine form throughout Live In Holland. Another
fine new rock instro album on Twangsville comes by way of Soldiers
Of Fun And Joy! by the Finnish band The Cheemoes. Featuring
a dozen instrumentals, the album is a fine showcase for the four piece
band, that features the excellent guitar work of Kimmo Kalaja and
Jaako Kiikeri, who are backed up by the rhythm section of Kai
Haikonen (drums) and Timo Korhonen (bass). There are several
oldies vocals that seem to fit in with the overall retro spirit of
the album. Both of these excellent rock instrumental CDs sound great,
are both superbly packaged and are a welcome addition to the prolific
catalog of the excellent Twangsville label. www.vlmedia.fi
TWO
FACES MUSIC CO. – Guitarist/musicologist Mike Vernon is
best known among music fans as Burnin’ Mike Vernon, the leader
of the instro rock band 3 Balls Of Fire and his work annotating
the work of guitar pioneer Jerry Cole. On his 2018 solo album Guitars
After Dark, Mike delves into a quieter, gentler type
of guitar album, patterned kind of in a primarily acoustic-based surf-style
album, albeit with some tasty Chet Atkins style electric guitar sounds
as well as some well-honed classical guitar pieces, executed to perfection.
The perfect after hours spin for guitar fans, the 15-cut album features
a range of Vernon originals alongside covers of The Shadows, Antonio
Carlos Jobim and classical guitar masters such as Fredrico Torroba
and Manuel Ponce. L.A. pop maestro Nelson Bragg appears on
percussion but the show is primarily Mike and his after-hours guitar
magic. Liner notes by Mike shines a light on this excellent instrumental
guitar CD. www.3ballsoffire.com
REISSUES
& RETROSPECTIVES
ASTRAL
RECORDS – The music of Argentine musician Guillermo Carlos
Cazenave was introduced to more ears in a bigger way thanks to
his recordings with Michigan-based pop / instrumental composer Jeremy
Morris, on his Jam Records label. Both guitarists and musical
conceptualists, Cazenave is one of those artists that can do it all—from
sonic guitar-based instrumentals to New Age and even pop. With a wide
diversity of music to draw on, music fans should check out a reissue
of Cazenave’s mid 1990s double disc set called The Meadows
Of Englewood, features Cazenave with legendary guitarist
/ keyboardist Anthony Phillips. The double disc features a
CD and a DVD featuring classical inspired instrumental and vocal music
recorded by the duo over the summer of 1995. With some pastoral sounding
vocals featured, the best parts are the very progressive, spacy guitar
/ keyboard instrumentals that are quite deep and meditative. The double
disc set features in depth liner notes and vintage and new photos
of the pair recording together. Music fans that enjoyed Phillips in
Genesis will find much to like about this set. Also related is another
Cazenave / Phillips CD called Live Radio Sessions,
with music recorded live in Spain, the U.S. and U.K. by the pair
in the mid 1990s. Like The Meadows Of Englewood, this live
radio features both instrumental and vocal music. Checking out Cazenave’s
prolific back catalog, it’s also worth exploring other albums
he released including the pop-friendly Pack, recorded
in 1998. Although he’s very much steeped in progressive instrumental
and New Age sounds, Cazenave is also a devout pop enthusiast who released
a tribute to his musical hero Syd Barrett, called El Es Syd,
featuring seven Cazenave versions of Syd Barrett classics, sang
and recorded by Cazenave. Another intriguing Cazenave album, Aqui
was recorded in the later 1990s and features some soaring
New Age style prog-rock and pretty much the same thing can be said
for Cazenave’s live album Tower, which is
another mind–boggling mix of prog instrumental and vocal music.
Visiting Cazenave’s web site provides a virtual musical education
about his history as it’s filled with all his many intriguing
music releases, in depth musical biography, discography, social network
contacts, you tube links, his blog, including his ongoing work as
a 21st century New Age music therapist and much more insight into
this lesser known, yet quite deserving to be heard musician and composer.
www.guillermocazenave.com
BGO
RECORDS – If you’re old enough to remember The Young
Rascals and their ground shaking mid 1960s hits, you might also remember
when they matured a bit and changed to just The Rascals and
you also might remember lesser known Rascals’ albums like See
(1969) and also Search And Nearness (1971).
Although both albums didn’t produce big AM radio hits, clearly
the music scene had changed and The Rascals didn’t exactly fit
in anymore. Looking back on that obscure period, BGO Records reissued
a 2018 double CD set featuring both albums. Produced by the band in
association with the late great Arif Mardin, the albums have
a kind of FM radio vibe yet without the hits the albums didn’t
stand a chance back then. Still, new liner notes by musicologist Charles
Waring puts a new spin on both See and Search And Nearness
and long time fans of late ‘60s and early ‘70s rock
may still catch a buzz. With songs written by group founding members
Felix Cavaliere, Dino Danelli and Gene Cornish,
(Eddie Brigati left after See), this package strikes
a vintage rock vein that is both haunting and revelatory. Cavaliere’s
composition on See, called “Death’s Reply” is
a definite highlight. www.therascalsarchives.com
BGO
RECORDS – BGO continues delving into the CTI Records catalog
with a 2018 double CD set by the late great jazz guitar maestro Jim
Hall. Hall’s 1975 album Concierto was titled
after his jazz remake of the fabled “Concierto de Aranjuez”,
here reviving the famous “second movement of the classical favorite.
As musicologist Charles Waring points out in his astute liner
notes, much of the classical / jazz connection was made by album producer
Creed Taylor. With disc 1 of the 2 CD set featuring the entire
Concierto album, disc 2 features Big Blues,
a 1978 duo album between Jim Hall and flugelhorn master Art
Farmer, with the second half of disc two featuring the entire
Studio Trieste album with Hall, trumpet / flugelhorn
master Chet Baker and flute legend Hubert Laws. All
three albums also feature some of the biggest names in jazz as sidemen.
The classical themes are reprised on disc two with several jazzy versions
of classical favorites from Maurice Ravel and Peter Tchaikovsky. That
said there’s plenty of classic jazz and covers of Duke Ellington
& Billy Strayhorn, Thad Jones, John Lewis, Miles Davis and more.
Disc 1, with Concierto album features a number of bonus tracks
and alternate takes. BGO’s double Jim Hall collection features
liner notes by Charles Waring along with original album notes by Leonard
Feather (1975) and Ira Gitler (1978) and detailed discography
info on all three of these jazz classics. Although he passed away
in 2013 at 83, Jim Hall’s legacy of guitar greatness lives on
this classic jazz CD reissue on BGO. www.bgo-records.com
/ www.jimhall.com
BGO
RECORDS – One of the great modern jazz meets bossa nova albums
of all time, the 1970s album release of Tide by Antonio
Carlos Jobim is paid a fine reissue honor by the legendary reissue
label BGO. As the great English musicologist Charles Waring points
out in his detailed liner notes, Jobim actually released two albums
that year of 1970, including Stone Flower which fits
nicely following Tide on a 78 minute album that features 18
great songs Jobim released that year. Back then, Tide was released
on the A&M label and for contractual reasons, Stone Flower
was release on the CTI imprint of Creed Taylor. Recorded in the
tri-state NY / NJ area under the auspices of Creed Taylor and engineer
Rudy Van Gelder, the album also features some of the best session
musicians of the era, all of whom went on to create their own careers
as CTI recording artists. Arranger Claus Ogerman was a key factor
in the success of Jobim’s 1967 classic Wave but as the
minimalist bossa nova beat of this music has really never gone out
of style and both albums are rightfully considered classics of the
genre. Although Tide was possibly Jobim’s zenith as a
serious high point of bossa nova jazz, just the title track of Stone
Flower is well worth the price of admission alone. www.bgo-records.com
EAGLE
VISION – Although he’s still loved and missed as the
key, founder and master hit-maker of The Beatles, in his short 39
complete years on Earth, John Lennon will also be remembered
best, by those who lived through it, as a peace activist who was a
key cultural icon and component in ending the Vietnam War. John Lennon’s
first solo studio album, the now historic 1970 album with “Mother”
and “God” was a raw, scaled back affair with Ringo that
depicted John as both a musical avatar and generational figurehead
but it was the 1971 Lp release of Imagine that
cemented his legacy as a peace activist and social media pioneer.
Most of today’s youth take Imagine, especially the song
and its dramatic baggage, for granted now or they misconstrue
it and tie it in with whatever war or oppressed people in any country
or any counter culture argument they can find. Ironically, today’s
youth, both in the U.S. and all over the planet, have no idea how
the Vietnam War era with its forced drafting of college entry kids
was changing American and worldwide culture, all the while rampantly
killing tens of thousands of young American soldiers and many more
Vietnamese. As early as the fall of 1968, Lennon clearly saw ending
The Vietnam War as his call to arms, and with sound of “Revolution”
still blasting “Hey Jude” off the map, he three years later
took his God-given mission to its clear-headed conclusion with the
Imagine album. Key to Imagine was Lennon’s wife
Yoko Ono, whose influence on The Beatles goes back to the post-Brian
Epstein death era and less then a year to the White Album days.
Even though the Plastic Ono Band was celebrated on the Live Peace
In Toronto concert from the summer of 1969, there was hardly even
a video or film from the first Lennon solo album. Instead, starting
with "Give Peace A Chance" in the summer of '69, John's
breakthrough solo hits, "Instant Karma" and "Power
To The People" became global happenings and in the case of "Instant
Karma" was an actual filmed event. That was to be modified with
the Imagine album, which produced two films starring John &
Yoko, including the “Imagine” film and the “Gimme Some
Truth” movie—both of which are revisited and restored on
an excellent 2018 DVD release from Eagle Vision entitled Imagine
By John & Yoko and Gimme Some Truth: The Making
Of The Imagine Album. Beatles fans will want this DVD
as it features truly rare live footage of John Lennon in the recording
studio accompanied by George Harrison and rock legends Nicky
Hopkins, Alan White, Klaus Voorman, producer
legend Phil Spector and more. Harrison’s guitar work is
magnified intensely on the DVD and watching Lennon scream his way
through “Gimme Some Truth”—coaxed on by Phil Spector—is
a completely haunting revelation. In fact, both movies are incredible
to watch and for those lucky enough to have lived through that harrowing
and incredible era, the feeling of Deja-Vu is almost paralyzing. There
are other incredible segments that feature Lennon at work in the studio
and even more avant garde videos chronicling his historic love affair
with Yoko Ono. As the producer and creative director of this two and
a half hour DVD, Yoko Ono has done a spectacular job, even adding
in the well-designed booklet, all the credits of all the brilliant
musicians who took part in the creation the original Imagine album—including
Moody Blues founder Mike Pinder, Stackridge founder Andy
Davis, Buddy Holly sax player King Curtis, session legend
Jim Keltner and many others. Early 1973 saw the release of
Mind Games followed by John’s short separation from Yoko
Ono, which in turn led to the Walls & Bridges era, and
as I found out, the rest of John’s too short-lived, and soon
to end tale. The spirit of Imagine was to be short-lived and
will be viewed in the next century a key catalyst that helped inspire
a generation of high school and college age kids to end the Vietnam
War, while also providing a cogent, cultural argument pretext for
the impeachment of President Nixon, and so on... So the album turned
out to be a good omen until the Iran hostage crises tipped the scales
to CIA mastermind Bush and the movie star Reagan, which now too surprisingly
with 20/20 hindsight led to John's murder. Ironically, by the end
of the 1970s, Vietnam was all but forgotten, yet for a fleeting moment
in the early 1970s, Imagine gave birth to a key anthem of hope
during the turning point of war and peace. www.johnlennon.com
ELEKTRA
RECORDS – 1968 was truly a year to remember. Having made
their big breakthrough in 1967, and with the Vietnam War raging harder
then ever, Jim Morrison and The Doors made an album
that truly captured the moment. With the teenybopper anthem “Hello
I Love You” blasting from every radio in the country, and the
war in ‘Nam killing hundreds of young American boys every week,
Waiting For The Sun came forth like a torrential rain
after a drought. As bad as 1967 was for the antiwar counterculture,
1968 was much worse with more political assassinations during a political
campaign and 
The
Doors really took the lead with their most iconic song “The Unknown
Soldier”. Destined to wake the teenyboppers up to the horrors
of Vietnam War, the song helped to spur on the entire antiwar movement,
which was being fueled by the massive killing of young Americans every
day at the time. So here we are 50 years, a whole half century after
Waiting For The Sun. Jim Morrison is long gone and sadly Ray
Manzarek too making Robby Krieger and John Densmore
the sole survivors of the band. No doubt Robby and John are applauding
the 50th Anniversary Edition CD edition of Waiting For The Sun,
presented here on the Elektra imprint in an undeniably superb
sounding stereo mix. When it first came out on Lp, some fans preferred
side 1 of the Lp, at the time, featuring the leadoff “Hello I
Love You” and ending in “The Unknown Soldier.” Side
2 is more impressionistic with exotic songs and the harrowing specter
of “Five To One.” Rhino’s excellent 2018 50th anniversary
also features a excellent sounding though rarely heard mix of the
album that are labeled as “rough mixes” yet make no mistake,
these are more like an alternate mix with somewhat less studio polish
attached. Plus there’s a pretty cool mono bootleg mix of The
Doors performing “Hello I Love You” and “The Unknown
Soldier” and several other tracks recorded live in Copenhagen
on September 17, 1968. For those ancient audio purists looking for
a time-capsule experience, there’s also a third disc—an
actual vinyl 33 1/3 pressing and the two CDs and vinyl are packaged
in a huge box set with a full reproduction of the original album art
encasing the discs. For some, the icing on the cake will be in depth
liner notes by rock scribe David Fricke and even more mind-blowing
first hand info from the Doors’ long time engineer Bruce Botnick,
who kept the tapes and other artifacts well intact. Los Angeles in
1968 was a key center of recording innovation and presenting a complete
picture of a key American pop culture moment, the whole picture of
this box set version of Waiting For The Sun smacks of cultural
posterity at its finest. 50 years after they set the music world on
fire with Waiting For The Sun, the Doors are open again. www.thedoors.com
EXPERIENCE
HENDRIX / LEGACY RECORDINGS – Jimi Hendrix died at
age 27 on September 27, 1970 yet his legacy continues burning brightly
with the 2018 CD release of Both Sides Of The Sky.
Experience Hendrix was started by Jimi’s sister Janie
Hendrix back in 1997 and they’ve been going like gangbusters
ever since. Both Sides Of The Sky is considered the third in
a series of unreleased archive recordings and follows Valleys Of
Neptune (2010) and People, Hell And Angels (2013). Most
of the tracks feature Jimi along with Billy Cox (bass) and
Buddy Miles (drums) although there’s plenty of surprises,
including Experience band legends Mitch Mitchell and Noel
Redding. Also appearing are Stephen Stills and Johnny
Winter along with cameos from drummer Dallas Taylor and
sax player Lonnie Youngblood from Jimi’s days with Curtis
Knight & The Squires. Recorded between 1968 and 1970, Both
Sides Of The Sky features loads of rare pictures along with in
depth liner notes from Hendrix musicologist John McDermott and
engineering by the legendary Eddie Kramer is just as sonically
revealing now as it was way back then. Both Sides Of The Sky proves
that, even in the afterlife, Jimi Hendrix remains the consummate rock
guitar innovator and trendsetter. www.jimihendrix.com
MANFESTO
RECORDS – In 2017 Manifesto released their historic Lee
Michaels CD box set and in 2018 they follow up with two stand
alone titles by Lee released during his hardly noticed Columbia Records
tenure. Nowhere near as important as his fabled A&M albums, the
as of yet never before reissued Nice Day For Something (1973)
and Tailface (1974) nevertheless receive the classic
reissue treatment from Manifesto. No booklets or detailed info history
but the packaging is excellent the CD sound is first rate. With the
exception of Lee’s 1982 album Absolute Lee, released on
his own Squish label, these two early ‘70s albums mark the tragic
end of his all too brief recording career. Fans who thrilled to Lee’s
first two albums Carnival Of Life and Recital might
have overlooked these two Columbia albums yet considering the dearth
of anything new from Lee Michaels, it’s clear these two reissues
are like long lost postcards from an old friend. Lee gets solid backup
from his long time drumming buddy Frosty (on Tailface),
while on Nice Day For Something, Keith Knudsen gets
behind the kit. The bass on Tailface is played by Frank
Smith, aka Rank Frank. In addition to his legendary keyboards,
the albums also feature Lee’s guitar work. Even though he’s
still walking the planet, losing Lee Michaels as an American pop music
hero was a hard pill to swallow, especially for early fans who thrilled
to Recital, yet Manifesto puts the history of rock into further
focus with, not only their Lee Michaels box set but these two last
gasps from the musical genius of Lee Michaels. www.manifesto.com
SPHERIC
MUSIC – With a long legacy of synth-dominated instrumental
music, the Germans invented electronic music. Tangerine Dream springs
to mind yet other artists, such as Klaus Schulze and Michael Rother
also had major roles in 20th century German electronic music history.
Another artist that comes into focus is Robert Schroeder, an
artist that worked with Klaus Schulze and his esteemed IC Records
label. In 1979, Schulze and IC released Schroeder’s album Harmonic
Ascendant. Although presumed lost to the ages, tapes of Schroeder’s
Harmonic Decadence was found and in 2018 has found the
light of day as a CD remaster on Germany’s Spheric Music label
with the prefix title D.MO Vol 4. Much of what
made Schroeder’s music so appealing on his Harmonic Ascendant
album can be heard on this 2 part 50 minute, 2018 Spheric Music
CD reissue. Broken into two 25 minute parts, D. MO Vol. 4 Harmonic
Decadence features brief 2018 liner notes by Schroeder along with
state of the art digital mastering. www.news-music.de
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