Like a phoenix rising from the ashes, or maybe King Crimson rising from Robert Fripp‘s mind, NEARFEST, the venerable progressive rock festival, will return in 2012 after cancelling the 2011 show due to poor ticket sales. With the original founders back at the helm, look for the festival to return to it’s mix of vintage…
Tag: Progressive Rock
Reviews & Commentary
Sleepy Hollow Prog Rock Playlist
This past Sunday I participated in WXPN‘s Highs in the 70s 24 Hour Progressive Rock Marathon. In addition to co-hosting with Dan Reed & Biff Kennedy from 11AM-3PM, I also produced a special two hour Prog edition of Sleepy Hollow, XPN’s wake up and stay in bed weekend morning show, or “The quiet sounds of…
Reviews & Commentary
Keith Emerson-A Different Knife’s Edge.
Keith Emerson, founder of The Nice, the Emerson in Emerson, Lake and Palmer and destroyer of Hammond B-3’s undergoes colon surgery. From Keith Emerson’s Facebook page: I would like to thank all those well-wishers that wrote to me during my recent hospitalisation. I would also like to thank the doctors, surgeons and nurses of The…
Program Highlights
Chapman Stickman-Rob Martino
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. …
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…
Reviews & Commentary
TEN TANGERINE DREAM ALBUMS TO BLOW YOUR MIND
We pick ten favorite albums from over a hundred by legendary German electronic band, Tangerine Dream.