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:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :: :: :: - WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? - :: :: The Weekly Digest for Canterbury Music Addicts :: :: Issue # 128 :: :: Monday, May 24th, 1999 :: :: :: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- GONG ON TOUR IN EUROPE 1999 AN ACCOUNT I wrote a whole story but my system crashed just as I was saving it. Computers are lovely, as ever. Well... I'll write it again ! On Sunday 16th May I drove to Valence, and more precisely La Voulte, a village in the Ardeche region, not too far incidentally from Gong's old headquarters in Montaulieu, on the other side of the Rhone river a further down South. By American standards you could probably say it's within walking distance ! Anyway, my expectations for the gig were somewhat hesitant following the news that Pierre Moerlen had suddenly left the band after the first two gigs of the tour. By the time the Gong tourbus had arrived in Berlin on May 3rd, Pierre had driven back home to Strasbourg without telling anyone, it seems. I've since heard from him via e-mail; he says he really couldn't take the tour lifestyle any longer, which probably is an explanation but not an excuse if he really did behave accordingly to Daevid Allen's account. In any case I didn't sense any strong bitterness towards Pierre when I met the band during soundcheck. Tour manager (and former bassist) Keith Bailey had deputised for Pierre on two gigs (!), until a replacement could be found, in the shape of one Chris Taylor, a nice black guy previously of Soul II Soul if I got it right. In the meantime, Pip Pyle was called to rescue, but turned down the offer, understandable since he had unceremoniously been deprived of the drum stool on this tour at the last minute, when apparently due to pressure from German promoters, Pierre was chosen, leaving Pip without the expected work schedule, not to mention income. Again, from my point of view, not a very nice thing to do... Pip is justifiably bitter, and decided to pull out of the Brainville project. He will be replaced by Chris Cutler. Anyway, back to the gig... Having not two, but three totally new members in Gong is quite exciting even though the talents of Didier Malherbe (who will be back in the fold for the US tour due to start on Wednesday), Pierre Moerlen and Steffi Sharpstrings can be missed. All three new recruits have their own unique style and although the setlist was largely similar to that of last year (with the exception of some "Camembert" stuff like "Selene" in the encore that I mistook for new songs - must revise my classics !), they were a breath of fresh air with their own personal approach to the classic Gong material. Theo Travis will be known to some of us as a third of the Marshall-Travis-Wood trio alongside legendary Soft Machine drummer John Marshall, and guitarist Mark Wood. He's also on the new Porcupine Tree album, an evidence that he's interested in both jazz improvisation and contemporary prog/pop. In fact I had a long conversation with him on the subject of progressive rock, which he proved very knowledgeable about. Before the tour, he'd actually heard only one Gong album, "You", which he incidentally rated very highly. Theo's playing style is very different to Didier's, and lacks the 'world-music' influence, but he has a great instinct for improvisation and confessed that the spacey jamming parts were pure delight to him. He also did his own version of Didier's "Flute Salad", and his overall contribution was evidently enjoyed by the audience. Mark Hewins is a newcomer to Gong, but is certainly no newcomer to lovers of the Canterbury scene. His work with Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Richard and David Sinclair, is familiar to most of us as is his Musart website. He is also the musical mastermind of Lady June's ongoing "Rebela" project which became a meeting point for many key figures of the Canterbury scene, including a lot of Gong folk. As a guitarist, Mark is totally unique; although his mastery of the instrument's technique is evident during his occasional solo spots, his intent lies more in the atmospheric side of things, via the extensive use of the Midi technology, not to mention more unconventional ways of 'playing', like caressing the body of the guitar to obtain almost surreal layers of sounds. Mark also hopes to introduce the acoustic guitar to the Gong sounds, but hasn't so far, confessing modestly that he's "still learning the songs". Another great aspect of Mark's contribution to the current Gong is his obvious enthusiasm on stage - you can feel he's happy to be there when you see him leaping about during the climax of "Isle Of Everywhere" ! Chris Taylor deserves huge praise for what he did on this tour. Apparently he had no prior knowledge of Gong's music, yet his performance was virtually faultless. Chris is especially good when it comes to jamming and has a great sense of groove. Obviously his weakness lies in the more written/arranged stuff. He apparently had trouble learning the fiendish breaks in the middle part of "Master Builder", and in spite of going through that part many times during the soundcheck, he still didn't get it quite right during the gig. I don't mean to criticize here, mastering a 2-hour set while facing the stress of daily gigging is something I can't even imagine possible, and the quality standard Chris managed to achieve under these circumstances really says how good he is. The most striking memory of the gig is probably my astonishment at how well the newcomers mixed well, musically, with the three veterans - Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth and Mike Howlett. Everyone obviously had equal status, and the audience seemed to understand, and even appreciate that. The music was good, the Gong vibe was there, it's the most important thing... as long as Daevid and Gilli are there to ensure the Gong legitimity. Now it's off to America for the first Gong tour since 1996. Let's wish them all a very nice transatlantic trip... Aymeric ------------------------------------------------------------------------- AN INTERVIEW WITH HUGH HOPPER on the occasion of the release of HUGHSCORE's third album "Delta Flora" on Cuneiform Records Following last issue's interview with Pip Pyle, here is another short discussion with a Canterbury veteran. Hugh Hopper is releasing his third album with US group Caveman Shoestore under the collective banner Hughscore. The most striking thing about "Delta Flora" is how contemporary it sounds, both in the production and musical approach. As evidenced by his other new release, the "Different" CD with Lisa S. Kloessner, Hugh is interested in the song form again these days, and apart from his unfinished album with Richard Sinclair from 1983, this is his first substantial foray into this area since the golden days of Soft Machine circa "Volume Two". Keyboard player Elaine Di Falco is a fine vocalist, and I think with this album the project has finally found its feet with an inspiring mixture of spacy atmospherics, infectious grooves and beautiful melodies. A surprise for those of us only familiar with the instrumental rock/jazz mixture of his Franglodutch band, and further evidence that Hugh won't rest on his laurels and is still willing to move forward. Q: Hughscore is an occasional project with an existing American group (originally Caveman Shoestore). Generally, your bands and projects in recent times associate you with people from far away, and as a result seem more and more "virtual", I mean this in opposition to the classic idea of a band with everyone living next door to each other. Is this a further evidence of the world being a true "global village" at last, or more prosaically of England being a shittier place than ever before for musicians like you to get together and make music? A: Hughscore started after a chance connection with Fred Chalenor, who asked for the music of an old piece of mine, 'Sliding Dogs', that he wanted to play with Caveman Shoestore in Oregon. I am very open now to chance beginnings of projects. The records with Kramer began in the same way - I didn't know his work but Macioce the photographer introduced us. Q: Doing projects this way - working only occasionally and over a long period of time -, would you say this is a totally different way of making music than with your previous bands? What new perspectives does it offer to your creative process? Is it only made possible by the new computer technology, which enables you to work on compositions and arrangements on your own before the actual collective process? A: Musically, the 3 Hughscore records have evolved: the first was based almost totally on my compositions (and they were Cubase-evolved computer compositions for the most part that I had never played live). Fred, Elaine di Falco and Henry Franzoni worked hard to arrange, rehearse and record the basic tracks after getting my written parts (printed out by the computer - thank you Cubase!). I then went to Oregon for a week and added some Hopperfuzzbass and other madness; the second record was more loosely based on my Cubase sketches with more and more input from Fred and Elaine and Wayne Horvitz as producer; finally the new CD, "Delta Flora", continues that evolution - by now we are all involved in composing, arranging and playing. I often can't remember which parts of some tunes were written by me - Elaine writes melody lines over ideas of mine that have already been rearranged by Fred ... Q: There is a more "trippy" quality to this album than previously, with in particular more use of repetitive rhythmic patterns, which almost make "Facelift" something one could dance along to! Was new drummer and producer Tucker Martine influential in that evolution ? Would you say it makes the music more in tune with current musical trends? A: Tucker Martine has had a very important influence as producer - he laid down the basic drum tracks/loops that give the pieces their feel and texture. Cuneiform Records are getting excited - they think some of the tracks will get a lot of FM radio play in the States because although the CD still has that Hughscore weirdness, it has a contemporary sound. Overnight radio fame for old grey fox from the 60's... (smiles) Q: Have you played live a lot with Hughscore? Do they play without you when you're away? How do you see this collaboration evolving in the coming years? A: I have played exactly one gig with Hughscore! When we finished recording the first CD in 1995, we did a short gig in a bookshop in Portland. They did one other gig, I think, after that. I don't see it as a live band, although Elaine always says she'd like to do some gigs. But with two bass players...? Anyway, I like to have it as a studio project, to do things that are impossible live. I like both sides of music - studio construction music and live adrenalin playing. Composition and improvisation. Q: Why did you change labels from Tim/Kerr to Cuneiform (which in recent times has been your main label, and is more generally the leading label in this field of music)? A: Caveman had a contract with Tim/Kerr Records to do more records, so we did the second CD with them. But I have a much closer relationship with Steve Feigenbaum at Cuneiform - I can call him in the States and have an honest conversation. He's an old Soft Machine fan, but if he doesn't like an idea he'll say so. I've released a lot of records during the last four or five years with Cuneiform in USA and Voiceprint in Europe - many more than in all the early days of my career... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: SPACETUNES@aol.com Subject: Gong / Pierre Moerlen Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 10:30:47 EDT Greg the jersey Gypsy here, Please tell me it ain't so, no Pierre Moerlen in Gong! I am going to see them in New York at the Knitting Factory, and Pierre was listed as drummer, he is my all-time favorite drummer, I got at least 7 drummers going to see him and then I read it WR that he dropped out due to exhaustion. In the 1st part of the story a guy talks about just seeing Gong and how great Pierre Moerlen was and then a few lines later I read he dropped out. This is bullshit, exhaustion my ass take a nap and get your ass over to America Pierre I have been waiting since around 1982 to see you again come on man suck it up and lets play some music,to many people have been looking forward to this for a long time, someone talk some sense into pierre please. Help I'm a Rock GREG ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Helmut Koch <h.koch@styria.com> Subject: L.A. Spinetta/Invisible Date: Sun, 16 May 1999 17:40:33 +0200 Just recently I dropped on a very fine Canterbury inspired album by Argentinian keyboardplayer Luis Alberto Spinetta: A 18' del sol (Columbia 1977, CD reissued by Sony Music Argentina). Unfortunately my CD's booklet doesn't provide any detailed credits. Can anyone recall who played on this album? Before that Spinetta played with a trio called "Invisible", releasing three albums between 74 and 76, which are described as beeing close to National Health. Any comments on those? Helmut ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Olaf Seidel <olaf.seidel@rocketmail.com>Subject: Dean/Hopper/Marshall/Tippett - Concert 04th Sept. 99 Date: Mon, 17 May 1999 06:17:29 -0700 (PDT) Dear people at Calyx, I'm writing on behalf of a friend of mine (Thomas Mueller), who is currently in close contact with Mr. John Marshall in order to get a concert organised on 4th of September in Germany near Chemnitz. This concert will feature Mr. Marshall as well as Mr. Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper and Keith Tippett. As far as I know all of them have already agreed to participate. The concert will be part of a opening ceremony for an exhibition of about 10 East German painters (one of them is Dr. Thomas Mueller alias T.M. Rotschoenberg, the main organizer of the event). Would you like to be informed about the progress of the concert preparation or even participate in the advertising campaign? Any feedback from your side would be very much appreciated. Best regards Olaf Seidel ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "MARCHON, Xavier" <Xavier.MARCHON@RP-RORER.FR> Subject: Robert Wyatt discography Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 11:22:38 +0200 [In WR#127 Terry Collins wrote:]>(...) And while on the subject of compulsive completism - has anyone >compiled a discography of Robert as contributor ? >eg. Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports> Various ECM albums by Carla Bley and Michael Mantler > Hatfield and The North> Eno's 'Taking Tiger Mountain (by Strategy) etc. (...) Apart from Mike King's book "Wrong movements", you can also find a complete (?) discography of Robert Wyatt (solo and contributions) on the Internet at www.thebeesknees.com. This is the site of Fledg'ling Records, specialized in folk music, but they have (who knows why ?) a page devoted to Robert Wyatt, with an interview about the making of "SHLEEP" and a very well done discography. I must add to this discography a totally forgotten album (and after listening to it, I understand why) of a French artist called Serge FAUBERT, on which Robert Wyatt sings vocals on 2 tracks (it's rather backing vocals than lead vocals). The album is simply called "FAUBERT" and was issued in 1993 by BMG. If you're more than a fan, a real completist, I have one copy of this album for you. Xavier Marchon ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Terry Collins" <terryc@indosat.net.id> Subject: Reply to the message just above Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 12:18:38 +0700 [Note: Xavier also sent a copy of his message to Terry] Thanks. I'm a fan - but a completist ? Not really.I've been out of the UK too long, and both my income - I'm an English teacher with a local family to support - and music resources are minimal here in Indonesia.I'm trying to replace my old vinyl collection with CDs, and a long-term fan, so obviously I really appreciate WR for the latest news and that almost lost sense of 'family' which was enjoyed - and hopefully still is - at Canterbury family gigs. Nostalgia is still what it was. Best wishes. Terry Collins ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: ROBERT IAN ILLINGWORTH <rii98@aber.ac.uk> Subject: Peter Blegvad's Dad! Date: Tue, 18 May 1999 19:03:54 +0100 Don't know whether you'll be interested, but here is a lovely story aboutPeter Blegvad's which is (totally wabbed) from Publishers Weekly Children's * * * * Erik Blegvad Comes Full Circle for His 100th Book Jennifer M. Brown -- Nov 30, 1998 His illustrations are a tribute to a lifelong friendship Erik Blegvad loves his work, and his passion shows in his books. He says he's "extra lucky to make an income from something that's a wonderful thing to be doing." In the course of his esteemed career, Blegvad has illustrated the works of Hans Christian Andersen, O. Henry, Myra Cohn Livingston, Judith Viorst, Jane Langton, Charlotte Zolotow, and his wife, Lenore Blegvad, among many others. Born in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1923, Blegvad has always made his living as an artist, working in advertising in Copenhagen, as a freelance artist in London and illustrating magazines and books in Paris. But not until he crossed the Atlantic to New York City in 1951 did he illustrate his first children's book, The Story of Peace and War, by Tom Galt (Crowell, 1953). Forty-five years later, Blegvad is publishing his 100th children's book. The story of this milestone event began more than half a century ago, at the School of Applied Arts in Copenhagen in 1941. There, as a young man of 18, Blegvad met a fellow student named N.M. Bodecker, or "Bo," as his friends called him. The two embarked on a lifelong friendship that would last until Bodecker's death in 1988, and would serendipitously precipitate the unique creation of Hurry, Hurry, Mary Dear, with text by N.M. Bodecker, illustrated by Erik Blegvad (S&S/ McElderry). In addition to their artistic talents, the two men had much in common: they had similar senses of humor; they both sported handlebar mustaches; they met their respective wives (from America) while living in Paris; Blegvad emigrated to the United States in 1951 and Bodecker followed in 1953. The two even shared a studio together in Westport, Conn. Bodecker's son Neils, who grew up watching Fourth of July fireworks and trick-or-treating with Blegvad's sons and Richard Scarry's children in Westport, says that the two men shared a Danish "straight-faced, wry sense of humor" and balanced each other's temperaments. While his father could be moody, he says, "Erik doesn't like to dwell on melancholy. He would say, `Aw, Bodecker, come on.' " In a foreword to Hurry, Hurry, Blegvad wrote that his friend often invented "fierce competitions" between them, but confesses that they were really no more than "schoolboy pranks. It never occurred to us to compete in any way [in our careers]." Blegvad recalled just one occasion when a project he was working on seemed to upset Bodecker: in the late 1950s, Blegvad accepted an offer to translate and illustrate their compatriot Hans Christian Andersen's The Swineherd (Harcourt, 1958), a project Bodecker admitted he had always wanted to do. Hurry, Hurry is not the first book on which the two collaborated. In the early 1970s, Bodecker asked Blegvad to illustrate his book The Mushroom Center Disaster (Atheneum, 1974). Chuckling, Blegvad recalls, "That was the first and last time he ever asked me to illustrate a book of his." Like Hurry, Hurry, the other text of Bodecker's for which Blegvad also drew pictures was published after Bodecker's death: Water Pennies and Other Poems (McElderry, 1991). The Original Mary In the 1970s, Bodecker had created several pen-and-ink drawings of Mary for a collection of his poetry also called Hurry, Hurry, Mary Dear, published in 1978 and still in print from McElderry. But Margaret McElderry, editor for both Bodecker and Blegvad, had always wanted a full-color picture book of the poem and asked Blegvad to take on the project after Bodecker's death. "Erik is the only artist Bo would ever allow to touch his things," McElderry says. Blegvad told McElderry he would agree to the project on one condition: he felt that Bodecker had already done "a wonderful series of pictures for the poem," and said he would do the book only if he could preserve Bodecker's original conception of Mary. Neils Bodecker says that his father was very particular about his poetry: "[To my father,] word and image were one thing together. You couldn't print his text [in an anthology] without using his images." Yet he, like McElderry, believes that Blegvad has vividly captured Mary's spirit. Hurry, Hurry describes the relationship between a husband anxiously advising his wife about how to properly prepare the homestead for winter, and the obliging spouse who finally delivers his comeuppance. Blegvad's paintings of Mary convey a posture and facial expressions nearly identical to the originals. "I copied her closely, but of course with colors on her cheeks," Blegvad says. Blegvad, who remembers Bodecker as "great fun, a stimulating and amusing friend to be near," says he felt very close to Bodecker while at work on the project: "[Bo's] poetry made me laugh all over again." In 1988, Neils Bodecker recalls, when his father was dying of cancer, he notified Blegvad in London that his father had taken a turn for the worse, and Blegvad boarded the next plane for Hanover, N.H., to be at his friend's bedside when he passed away. Over the years, McElderry became more than an editor to Bodecker and Blegvad; she, too, was a part of this unique friendship. For her, "Working with Hurry, Hurry was a labor of love for Erik and for me. It made us think of Bo and all the funny times we had. And then to see what [Erik] turned in -- in some ways it's his best work." Blegvad's 100th book brings a consummate artist's body of work full circle, honoring not only the spirited character of Mary, but that of a lifelong friendship that began 57 years ago. Asked what she thinks Bodecker's reaction might have been to Blegvad's picture-book version of his poem, McElderry says, "I think he'd be amused; he would have been pleased. I wish he could see it." Float, float on (You better float with me now) Float on, float on (Float on) Float, float, float on (Yeah, yeah) (You better float on) (Float on) (Ah) Float On Floaters (M. Willis/A. Ingram/J. Mitchell) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: philT <pturnbul@bigpond.com> Subject: Re: This Heat Date: Fri, 14 May 1999 20:13:19 +1000 > I note that Charles Heyward spent a lot of time with "This Heat". A band I> know nothing about. Any one tell me what their stuff is like? Absolutely nothing like Quiet Sun, that's for sure, but they're also one of my favourite bands - well ahead of their time. Some people have said that they're a later day Faust, which isn't too far wrong, although their politics are more self evidently left-wing and their impact is more of a live, playing entity. It's almost impossible to describe fully but they use tape loops; hard, fuzzed and scratchy guitar; electronics; strangled vocals and manic percussion. Definitely not for the faint hearted. I'd suggest "Made Available - Peel Sessions" for an outstanding overview and a suggestion of their powerfull live performance then, most assuredly, the "Health & Efficiency" EP for, simply, one of the best left-field rock songs ever written and, what the hell, get the rest if you like 'em cause they really are that fab... <philT> ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: dashcraft@mindspring.com Subject: Outré Music Update Date: Sat, 15 May 1999 20:34:38 -0500 Aymeric, Any web publicity that you could give to these shows would be much appreciated! Thanks, David * * * * Hi all, The following trio of shows will be happening at MARTYRS'. The club is located at 3855 N. Lincoln Ave. on Chicago's north side. The phone number is (773) 404-9494 and you must be 21 or over to get in. Tickets for these shows are available through Ticket Master and at the door. SPOCK'S BEARD/THE HAND FARM: MAY 22nd As the fine line between commercial and abstract narrows, the progressive sound of Spock's Beard comes one step closer to capturing the mainstream rock audience on their new release "Day for Night". With their signature brand of musically expressive and exceptional vocal and harmonic style of prog/pop rock, "Day for Night" thrusts this band of ultra talented musicians into the new millennium with a barrier breaking collection of their most accessible material to date. There are lots of harmonic and vocally challenging sections on several tracks like "Gibberish" and "The Distance to the Sun" that stand out as some of the most creative moments in SB's history. Neal Morse, the lead vocalist, (who also doubles on acoustic guitar and keys) says, "We're not so much interested in writing great prog songs as we are in just writing great songs. That's usually when we end up writing our best stuff, and I feel that we've done that on this record." This disc hasn't strayed to far from my cd player since I picked it up about 3 weeks ago. It's the kind of music that, while sounding extremely radio friendly on first listen, (nothing wrong with that by the way) has slowly burrowed it's way into the deeper and darker recesses of my head. Lately I find myself coming home from work craving a Beard fix. Go figure. Backing up the Beard will be Laser's Edge recording artist Scott McGill's Hand Farm. I've been raving about these guys for a while now. When they were here last time, about 4 months ago, just about everyone in the audience bought a cd. He has a new one out now called "Ripe" and guess what... you're gonna want that one too. Scott does some mind-blowing things on the guitar in a jazz fusion vein. With the rhythm section of Chris Eike on bass and Vic Stevens (of Bon Lozaga fame) on drums things are going to get a tad intense... and that could possibly be the biggest understatement I've ever made. Don't miss this one!! The Farm starts at 10pm followed by the Beard at around 11:15pm. MAGMA: MAY 28th The following is taken from a retrospective written by Michael Draine... "Magma formed in 1969 around the creative linchpin of drummer/vocalist Christian Vander, who came from a professional jazz background including study with Elvin Jones and work with Chick Corea and Mal Waldron. Borrowing a concept from Pharoah Sanders and scat vocalist Leone Thomas, Vander coined the synthetic language Kobaian, a vaguely Franco-Teutonic codification of his own guttural vocal style. The abstraction provided by the Kobaian verse seems to inspire Magma's singers to heights of emotional abandon rarely permitted by conventional lyrics. With Magma, Vander brought forth a body of work distinguished by levels of energy, inspiration and spiritual power unprecedented in progressive rock. Operatic vocals, pulsing bass lines, jazz sonorities, mystical science fiction themes and large-scale compositions influenced by Carl Orff, Igor Stravinsky and John Coltrane are the individual facets that make up the canon that Vander refers to as 'Zeuhl music', music that aspires to goals beyond the material world." Tickets for this show are (finally) available through Ticket Master as well as at the door. There is loads of out-of-town interest so it might be a good idea to act sooner rather then later to catch this rare and wonderful event. PORCUPINE TREE: JUNE 4th For the past 14 years, Porcupine Tree has been at the forefront of yet another wave of British innovation, beginning in 1985 when multi-instrumentalist Steven Wilson started on the path that eventually led to the self-release of a pair of eclectic cassettes under the Porcupine Tree moniker. Working out of a studio that occupies a room in his parent's home-the same studio that he works out of today, Wilson's work attracted the interest of British label Delerium Records, and resulted in a deal with them in 1989. Over 6 albums and a handful of EP's, (including 1992's "Voyage 34", one 30 minute long track) Wilson has taken his ambient beginnings into an enrapturing sound that mixes vintage Pink Floyd and King Crimson with the latest sampling and looping technology. Though Wilson started Porcupine Tree on his own, the project grew to become a true band just prior to the recording of the fourth album "Signify". The band now incorporates the talents of Colin Edwin (bass), Chris Maitland (drums) and keyboardist/atmospherist Richard Barbieri (ex Japan). Porcupine Tree are a band who are prepared to ignore conventions and trappings of current musical trends, and reach out for something altogether more rewarding. They set no limits in their exploration, taking their influences and blending them with a sense of musical adventure and unpredictability. On May 25th, WXRT will be airing their musical talk show "Sound Opinions" from 10pm to midnight. The show will be concentrating on prog and I will be in the studio joining Greg Kot of the Tribune, Jim DeRogatis of the Sun Times and Professor Bill Martin to discuss... well... prog. So everyone tune in, where else are you going to hear Magma played over the airwaves in Chicago!! Thanks everyone for your support in this continuing series, and as always... PASS THE WORD! (A few new e-mail address's would be nice too.) Cya at Martyrs' Michael Eisenberg -- Outré Music Music Beyond Boundaries ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Manfred Breß <manfred.bress@cityweb.de> Subject: WYATT news Date: Wed, 19 May 1999 15:36:53 -0500 Here are some news for the Robert WYATT friends: "Robert WYATT E NOI- The different you", released in Italy by CPI 300 496-2. 17 covers of Robert WYATT`s songs by italian musicians and one new track by Robert WYATT: "Del mondo". Robert sings and plays keyboards, the song was recorded at his home, edited in MANZANERA`s Gallery Studios in spring `98. The booklet has all the lyrics in english, except of course "Yolanda" in spanish and "Del mondo" in italian. contact: http://www.cpi.it, email: mailto:cpi@cpi.it. From Spain comes: F. G. L. (= Federico Garcia Lorca) - "De Granada a La Luna" on Sombra Records SRCD 002 (SPAIN, 1998) - it`s a double-CD with a.o. Michael NYMAN, John CALE, Chucho MERCHAN, Neneh CHERRY. Robert WYATT is on one track "La cancion de Julieta" (music by WYATT, lyrics by LORCA, a spanish writer) on: vocals, keyboards, percussion, trumpet. The song was recorded again in the Gallery Studios, February 1998. The CD has a beautiful booklet with all the lyrics (in english and spanish), many pictures and bananamoons on the cover.contact: SOMBRA RECORDS, Cerro de los Machos No 55 Edf. El Tobosco 10 C. 18808 Granada, ESPANA, Tel: (9)58 - 13 55 55, Fax: (9)58 - 13 55 56 Internet: http://atico7.com/federicogarcialorca Lastly, from Italy: Maurizio CAMARDI - "Nostra patria" on Il manifesto CD 032 (ITALY, 1998), again with one track with Robert WYATT on vocals. The track is "Hasta siempre comandante".Contactaddress: Maurizio CAMARDI, Via San Giovanni da Verdara 26, 35100 Padove, ITALIA, Tel: 0039 - 49 - 872 17 97 or Tel: 0039 - 368 - 22 95 18 On Monday, 17.05.1999 there was an interesting concert in Bonn, in the "Club Session": KATARAKT a new project by german pianist Wolfgang MIRBACH and Dick HECKSTALL-SMITH, with guest musicians from Hungary, Spain, England, Germany, the english guests should have been Lol COXHILL and Richard SINCLAIR, what a nice surprise!, but Richard couldn`t come, as I was told, he's in Canterbury again now, and Lol was sick so he couldn`t play, but instead of him, Jimmy HASTINGS came, which was as good of course. I saw him playing live for the first time! What a fantastic player and what a fantastic concert of more than 2 hours. The concert was recorded and will be released soon on CD. For information about more interesting concerts and the coming CD stay in touch with:IFRO - Institut für Rockmusik, Ermekeilstr. 15, D - 53113 Bonn, Tel: 0228 - 26 23 32, Fax: 0228 - 21 24 35.There are more CDs available in the series "Links" with a lot of famous guest musicians like Edgar BROUGHTON, Mark CHARIG, Clem CLEMPSON, Jon MARSHALL, Lindsay COOPER and others. Infos at the IFRO. Best wishes from Duisburg Manfred BRESS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Theo Travis" <travis@travis33.demon.co.uk> Subject: Re: hi Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 12:25:40 +0100 Dear Aymeric I was wondering whether you could include the following two gigs in your Canterbury related concerts section in Whats Rattling Fri 11 June 8.30pm - Marshall Travis Wood (only 1999 live appearance) intimate club gig featuring John Marshall on drums and percussion The Shed, Brawby, Malton, Yorkshire, England (Tel 01653 668494) Sat 12 June 8.30pm - Theo Travis/ John Etheridge Band University of Warwick Arts Centre, Coventry, England (Tel 01203 524524) Thanks and best wishes. Yours Theo ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "JOHN MORAN" <johnamoran@esatclear.ie> Subject: CARAVAN Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 23:43:17 +0100 Hi there is Caravan and the New Symphonia available on CD ? If so where and how Regards John Moran. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Earl Rapp <donnamx@waterw.com> Subject: Gong in Wheaton Md. Date: Sat, 22 May 1999 23:20:50 +0400 Hello Rattlers: Anyone here planning on seeing Gong at the Phantasmagoria in Wheaton Md. May 26th ? I can't wait !! I am excited !! Earl Rapp ------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Michael Wedgwood Subject: News from a former Caravan bass player Date: Mon, 24 May 1999 00:39:22 +0100 Dear Aymeric Just an update... My studio is finished and we're swamped with work, which of course is great. Already recorded two Cd's (local stuff) in the four weeks we've been open, and there's plenty more booked. My own next solo album will get started in about two months. Got some great Danish musicians to help me. I'm anticipating something exciting.....we'll see! Michael ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** FORTHCOMING CANTERBURY-RELATED CONCERTS ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * [for more info : check out the 'Concerts' page of CALYX] http://www.alpes-net.fr/~bigbang/concerts.html ==> GONG / AMERICAN TOUR <=============================================== [D.Allen-G.Smyth-D.Malherbe-M.Hewins-M.Howlett-C.Taylor] May 26 - Wheaton (MD), Phantasmagoria [info: 301-949-8826]May 27 - New York City (NY), Knitting Factory [info: 212-219-3006]May 29 - San Francisco (CA), Palace of Fine Arts [Progfest'99] [info: 831.425.0434] Jun 02 - West Hollywood (CA), House Of BluesJun 03 - San Juan Capastrano (CA), Coach House [info: 949-496-8930]Jun 05 - Mexico City, Teatro Bella Epoca [double header with Magma]Jun 06 - Mexico City, Teatro Bella Epoca [double header with Magma] Jun 08 - Milwaukee (WI), Shank Hall [info: 414-332-3061] Jun 09 - Chicago (IL), House of Blues [info: 312-923-2029]Jun 11 - Cleveland (OH), Phantasie Theatre [info: 216-229-0508] Jun 12 - Philadelphia (PA), TLA [info: 831-425-0270] ==> CARAVAN <============================================================ [P.Hastings-G.Richardson-D.Sinclair-R.Coughlan J.Leverton-D.Boyle-S.Bentall] Jun 12 - Diss (Norfolk), The Park Hotel Info: Ron Keenes <mailto:sugarshack@netcom.co.uk> Phone: (0)137 985 4206 or (0)137 985 4513 ==> GONG GLOBAL FAMILY <================================================= GODDESS T [G.Smyth-D.Allen-O.Allen-T.Wandella] GONG TRIO [ex-Brainville] [D.Allen-H.Hopper-C.Cutler] Jun 23 - Tokyo, On Air West (tbc) Jun 24 - Tokyo, On Air West (tbc) Jun 26 - Kyoto, Taku Taku (tbc) Jun 27 - Okayama, Pepperland (tbc) Jun 28 - Osaka, Club Quattro (tbc) The album "The Children’s Crusade" by Brainville (Daevid Allen, Mark Kramer, Hugh Hopper and Pip Pyle) will be released by Knitting Factory Records on May 18th. ==> PETER BLEGVAD / SOLO GIGS <========================================== Jun 27 - Paris, Hotel du Nord [with Robyn Hitchcock] (8pm) Jun 28 - Paris, Hotel du Nord [with Robyn Hitchcock] (8pm) Info: http://www.anythingmatters.com or <mailto:matters@wanadoo.fr> ==> THEO TRAVIS / MARK WOOD / JOHN MARSHALL <============================ Jun 11 - Brawby / Malton (Yorkshire), The Shed (8pm) Info: 01653 668494 ==> JOHN ETHERIDGE BAND feat. Theo Travis <============================== Jun 12 - Coventry, University of Warwick Arts Centre Info: 01203 524524 ==> MAGICK BROTHERS (D.ALLEN/G.CLARK/M.ROBSON) <========================= Aug 11 - Cornwall (tbc) Aug 13 or 14 - Wimbourne, Gaunt's House Gathering [more dates t.b.a.] ==> E.DEAN / H.HOPPER / K.TIPPETT / J.MARSHALL <========================= Sep 04 - Chemnitz (Germany) (tbc) ==> ANNIE WHITEHEAD / ROBERT WYATT PROJECT <============================= Oct 10 - Nottingham / Nov 12, 13 or 14 - London, QEH (Jazz Festival) This project will consist of Robert Wyatt compositions performed by a 10-piece band featuring Julie Tippetts (vocals), and Ian Maidman (vocals/bass), Didier Malherbe (sax/fl), George Khan (sax), Harry Beckett (tpt), Jeanette Mason (kb), Liam Genockey (d) and Gazy Azuks (pc). Please note that Robert Wyatt *will not* be appearing, although he will be attending various rehearsals to lend his ideas and direction. ==> BARBARA THOMPSON'S PARAPHERNALIA - UK TOUR <========================= [B.Thompson/B.Thompson/P.Lemer/D.Ball/J.Hiseman] May 26 - Taunton, Brewhouse Arts Centre (Coal Orchard) [7.45pm] / May 28 - Norwich, Arts Centre / May 29 - Brentwood, Hermit Club (plus drum workshop) / May 31 - Bridport, Arts Centre / Jun 02 - Hayward's Heath (West Sussex), Clair Hall (Perrymount Road) [8.00pm] / Jun 03 - Poole (Dorset), Arts Centre (Kingland Road) [8.00pm] / Jun 04 - Gravesend (Kent), Woodville Halls Theatre (Woodville Place) [8.00pm] / Jun 06 - London, Barbican Centre (Foyer concert) [12.30-2.30pm] / Jun 06 - Bracknell, Wilde Theatre [7.45pm] / Jun 08 - Cardiff? / Jun 09 - Exeter, Arts Centre / Jun 10 - Cardiff? / Jun 11 - Milton Keynes, Wavendon Arts Centre / Jun 12 - Colchester, Arts Centre plus drum workshop? / Jun 13 - Nottingham, Bonington Theatre (Jazz Club) [8.00pm] / Jun 15 - Newport, Corn Exchange? / Jun 16 - Camberley (Surrey), Arts Link (Knoll Road) [8.00pm] / Jun 18 - Kendal, Brewery Arts Centre / Jun 20 - Manchester, Royal Northern College of Music [afternoon concert] / Jun 24 - Cambridge, Eley? / Jun 25 - Halstead / Jun 27 - Lichfield Real, Jazz & Blues Festival [6pm] (2 sets) ==> INVISIBLE OPERA COMPANY OF TIBET <=================================== May 27 - Exeter, The Bowling Green (Blackboy Rd.) / May 29 - Carhampton, Recreation Hall / Jun - Glastonbury Festival, Wise Crone Stage (Field of Avalon) ==> GLOBAL <============================================================= Jul 10 - Salisbury, Lama Tree Festival / Aug 14 - Devon, Arlington Court Festival (near Barnstable) / Sep-Oct - small tour of Scotland/Ireland ========================================================================= * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ** AND OTHER GOOD GIGS... ** * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ==> BRAND X - CALIFORNIAN DATES <======================================== [J.Goodsall-K.Sjobring-M.Stevens-J.Holmes] May 29 - San Francisco (CA), Palace of Fine Arts [Progfest'99] / May 31 - Hollywood (CA), The Baked Potato [6266 1/2 West Sunset Blvd] / Jun 02 - Hollywood (CA), House of Blues [8430 Sunset Strip] [with Gong] / Jun 03 - San Juan Capastrano (CA), The Coach House [with Gong] ==> BILL BRUFORD'S EARTHWORKS / UK TOUR <================================ May 25 - Newbury (Berks.), Corn Exchange / May 26 - Aldershot (Hants.), West End Centre / May 27 - Banbury (Oxon), Mill Arts Centre / May 28 - Brentford, Watermans Arts Centre / May 29 - London, Blackheath Concert Halls / May 30 - Heath (W.Sussex), Clair Hall Haywards / Jun 02 - Swindon, Arts Centre / Jun 03 - Southampton, Gantry Arts Centre / Jun 04 - Staffs, Lichfield Arts Centre / Jun 05 - Trowbridge (Wilts), Arc Theatre / Jun 06 - Wavendon (Bucks), The Stables ==> MAGMA / US TOUR <==================================================== May 28 - Chicago, Martyrs Club / May 30 - San Francisco, Palace of Fine Arts / Jun 01 - Los Angeles, House of Blues / Jun 04 - Mexico City, Teatro Angela Perarlta / Jun 06 - Mexico City, Teatro Angela Perarlta / Jun 08 - New York City, JVC/Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival ==> JAC LA GRECA [Holdsworth-style fusion] <============================= Jun 03 - Peniche "Le Six-Huit" ================================================================================================================================================== END OF ISSUE 128 _________________________________________________________________________ WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? - WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? - WHAT'S RATTLIN' ?_________________________________________________________________________ CALYX - The Canterbury Website http://www.alpes-net.fr/~bigbang/calyx.html THE ULTIMATE ONLINE CANTERBURY DISCOGRAPHY http://www.alpes-net.fr/~bigbang/cantdisco.html WHAT'S RATTLIN' ? 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