Echoes has an interview tonight, 9/20/2010, with Rob Martino who talks about his progressive rock approach to the Chapman Stick, an instrument invented in 1969 by Emmett Chapman. Hearing Rob play, it’s sometimes difficult to understand quite what’s going on, so, here’s a couple of videos of Rob Martino in action with the Chapman Stick. …
Tag: Progressive Rock
Reviews & Commentary
NEARfest 2010 Finale: Eddie Jobson’s Cover Band
A Rock Orchestra playing the music of the Masters or A Glorified Tribute band. I was telling my friend that I thought it would be compelling if some of these NEARfest bands would occasionally play cover tunes, paying homage to the masters with modern interpretations. As they say, be careful what you wish for, because…
Reviews & Commentary
NEARfest Day Three: Pineapple Thief Steals the Show.
Surprising sets from a lost elder statesman and a band that should be much bigger, The Enid & The Pineapple Thief. They were only the third act on the bill, but The Pineapple Thief stole the day for me with the most atypical set of NEARfest 2010. No extended guitar solos, keyboard orchestrations or complex…
Reviews & Commentary
The Ghost of Gentle Giant Haunts NEARfest 2010
Three Friends, Iona, Forgas Band Phenomena and Astra Supercharge Saturday’s NEARfest. It was a day of nostalgic memories, faithful recreations, and technical ferocity on the second day of NEARfest 2010 Three Friends is essentially a reconstituted Gentle Giant, the venerable 70s progressive rock band who played some of the most complex music of the era.…
Reviews & Commentary
Nearfest 2010 Tix Go On Sale Sat.
Nearfest Tix go in 30 minutes so start your Engines Tickets for Nearfest, the North East Art Rock Festival, go on-sale this Saturday 3/20/2010. Taking place June 18-20 in Bethlehem, PA, Nearfest this year includes Steve Hackett, Eddie Jobson, Three Friends (Gentle Giant off-shoot), Riverside and a host of prog rockers past, present and future. …
Reviews & Commentary
King Crimson ala Doc Severinsen
In the Court of the Tonight Show Those of you old enough to remember the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson will recall his trumpet-playing and fashion-challenged band-leader and court jester, Doc Severinsen. Doc became kind of a joke on the show, but, he came from serious jazz background and played with the Clarke/Boland Big Band…
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TEN TANGERINE DREAM ALBUMS TO BLOW YOUR MIND
We pick ten favorite albums from over a hundred by legendary German electronic band, Tangerine Dream.
Reviews & Commentary
Harold Budd-Post Miles Improvisor
For a totally different side of Harold Budd, check out this YouTube video of him in a fairly free form blowout with Bill Laswell, Jaki Liebezeit, Graham Haynes and Jah Wobble. This isn’t your father’s ambient chamber music and you wouldn’t hear it on Echoes, but wow! Harold et al: Put this out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FXshOTaGsg&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xcc2550&color2=0xe87a9f…
Reviews & Commentary
R.I.P. WBCN in Boston
A Warrior for New Music finally fades away. The station that made me the music junky I am, for better or worse, has left the airwaves. WBCN in Boston, the first full-time “underground” rock station in Boston, originally broadcasting from a backroom at the The Boston Tea Party club, will switch to mainstream rock format…
Reviews & Commentary
NEARFEST 2009 REFLECTIONS and 10 Classic Progressive Rock Albums
Is Progressive rock progressing? Another year, another NEARFEST and the 2009 edition was as good as any, and much better than 2008, which, as I wrote then, was overlong and overwrought. In ’09 I rarely looked at my watch, there were several acts that excited and you heard nothing but brilliant musicianship. Van Der…