"Captain
Beefheart's music is the quintessential 'outsider art music' of the
second half of the 20th century. Despite the fact that he retired
from music over 25 years ago, his music resonates more strongly than
ever as an influence on contemporary music. Fast 'n' Bulbous offer a
unique slant on the songbook of one of contemporary music's most
idiosyncratic musical figures. The band features seven great,
well-regarded musicians drawn from the rock and the jazz worlds:
co-leaders guitarist Gary Lucas (who was in the final incarnation of
Beefheart's Magic Band) and saxist/arranger Phillip Johnston (of the
Microscopic Septet) as well as drummer Richard Dworkin, and baritone
saxist Dave Sewelson (both also of the Micros), trombonist Joe
Fieldler (Ed Palermo Big Band and Satoko Fujii's big band), bassist
Jesse Krakow (of Time of Orchids and Doctor Nerve) and trumpeter Rob
Heinke (also of Doctor Nerve). With a strong, creative line-up like
this, you know that you will be getting something more than just a
'cover band' and you indeed are. Heartfelt, exciting and it both
rocks and swings!\
As with their first
album Fast 'n' Bulbous take on a fascinating selection of songs from
the Beefheart songbook covering albums from Safe As Milk through to
Ice Cream For Crow.
The familiar tunes are redefined for a brass section and Don's voice
is echoed by horns as the band grapple with the mysteries of the
Beefheart rhythm and add their own compelling improvised
embellishments taking the songs to a new place. And it's all done
with an obvious love of the music and a sense of fun." –
beefheart.com
"...a perfect fit
for hungry Beefheart fans the world over...Fast 'n' Bulbous have
painstakingly retooled the Captain's best-known works as big-band
instrumental compositions. The results are fairly staggering...this
collection is a masterful reinterpretation of rock's Grand
Surrealist's best work. Brilliant!" – The Big Takeover
Your host...
Chris B.
Your host...
Chris Bent at Radio
Monte Carlo tx site
Album
of the Year 2008 There is an awful lot of good new music around so I hesitate to
suggest that album of the year for 2008 is a collection of rare recordings
from Albert Ayler, who actually died in November 1970. This 10CD
limited edition deluxe box set with book and goodies was issued in 2004
and it took until December 2008 for the Unknown Region to obtain a copy.
Albert
Ayler Box Set - Holy Ghost - grab it while it's still available. Of
course, the album of the year could just be the Fast Camels with their
Magic Optician CD.
OK, this is Album of the
Year 2008:
The Lovers "Pardon My French"
Featured extensively in the
25 Jan 2009
show
ALBUM OF THE YEAR
2007
On Planet Earth the Album of the Year for 2007 could well be Robert Plant
and Alison Krauss with their collaboration on Raising Sand. In another
universe, as we head Toward The Unknown Region, it would undoubtedly be
The Songs Of Albert Ayler performed by a collective of musicians known as
Healing Force.
Cuneiform Records
give us the hard sell, "Seven major figures from the art-punk, free-jazz,
brutal prog, improvisational and modern jazz world come together for a
ROCKING tribute to the unfairly ignored, misunderstood and vilified late
period works of Albert Ayler."
Producer and guitarist for Healing Force, Henry Kaiser, writes: “Albert
Ayler's later works (Love Cry, New Grass and Music is the Healing Force of
the Universe) seem to be generally reviled. Through meditations, dreams,
and visions, the players on this project were given the message to once
again attempt to send the people of earth a message of love, peace, and
spiritual understanding. We selected a representative set of tunes for
this material and essentially let it play itself through us. We hope you
will be as surprised as we still are by the results of this invocational
experiment. We hope you will like this record.”
Chris McGregor's
Brotherhood Of Breath have a
couple of albums available on Cuneiform Records: Click on the above pix to hear sample
tracks Toward The Unknown Region, courtesy of the Geronimo archives, has
exclusive access to the
Chris McGregor Memorial Concert recorded at the 100 Club, London,
on Mon 30th July 1990.
Also on Cuneiform, the
amazing FAST 'N' BULBOUS
Aficionados of Captain Beefheart will instantly
recognise Fast 'n' Bulbous as a phrase uttered on the
Trout Mask Replica album. Guitarist Gary Lucas, Magic
Band member in the latter Beefheart musical years, has
gathered together a fine set of musicians, including
jazz saxophonist and improviser Philip Johnson, and
presents us with 'big band' versions of classic Don Van
Vliet hits from the past. The horn section replaces
Uncle Don's inimitable vocals... Listen out for their
superb renditions of 'When Big Joan Sets Up' and 'Kandy
Korn'.
Meanwhile, click on the CD cover to hear a sample from
this album>>>>>>>>>>>
Electronic Erotica with guest appearances from Brian Molko,
John Cale, Jean-Louis Murat, Cozette, Alison Shaw and Lian.
Initially a France only release, this sensual collection from Trash
Palace received a brief UK release in 2004 and has subsequently been
withdrawn. Catch it if you can.
Moving sideways to
Electronic Exotica, in the great tradition of duos such as Sparks
and Erasure, imagine the original 60's Nirvana picking up White
Noise and crashing headlong
into Soft Cell...
Neveroddoreven from
I Monster
is a great collection of songs.
The announcements you hear in the programmes are voiced by
Amy Bargeron
Talis Kimberleywho, with Rika Koerte, sang her heart out for three hours from midnight
in an earlier
programme. Recently Talis again performed live on air for us with
'Divine Strumpet'. Click on 'GALLERY'
button for pix. <Talis MM chapter III> Going back in
time, the playing of tracks from Manfred Mann Chapter III (just two albums
released in 1969 & 1970) has provoked a significant amount of interest. I'm
pleased to report that these are now available on CD with bonus tracks. Well
worth buying at just £9.77 + VAT from
www.manfredmann.com where
you'll need to
click on the Earthband links to find these elusive Chapter III albums.
Here's something
that may have escaped your attention: Michael Nesmith
with a collection of videos, based mainly around the album
'Infinite Rider On The Big Dogma' but also including the
celebrated 'Rio'.
