Canadian Brass & The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra – Celebration (2003)

The Canadian Brass is a Canadian brass quintet formed in 1970 in Toronto, Ontario, by Charles Daellenbach (tuba) and Gene Watts (trombone), with horn player Graeme Page and trumpets Stuart Laughton and Bill Phillips completing the quintet. As of 2018, Daellenbach is the sole original member in the group, with the other members being trumpeters Caleb Hudson and Chris Coletti, hornist Jeff Nelsen and trombonist Achilles Liarmakopoulos.

The group is known for the use of humor in their live performances, and an irreverent attitude that includes their signature attire of formal black suits with white running shoes. They have performed internationally and have recorded more than 130 CDs and DVDs. They have commissioned, performed, and recorded hundreds of transcriptions and original works for brass quintet. Canadian Brass has a library of more than 600 compositions and arrangements specially written for them.

The quintet was named the “one of the most popular brass ensembles in the world” in 2015 by The Washington Post. They have appeared on all the major North American TV networks, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, CBS Sunday Morning and Hunan TV in China.

The Canadian Brass originally included “ensemble” in its name, but in 1971, the Hamilton Philharmonic’s then-music director Betty Webster suggested that the quintet should be officially named the Canadian Brass.

Canadian Brass made its American debut at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. in 1975. A significant international visit was made in 1977 when they were sent to mainland China as a cultural exchange between Canada and China.[2] The ensemble was chosen and sent on this cultural mission by then-Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. They are now remembered in China as the first Western musicians allowed into China after the Cultural Revolution had suppressed Western art and music.

In 1979, the Canadian Brass became the first chamber ensemble to solo the MAIN stage at Carnegie Hall. As The New York Times reported, their sold-out performance “clearly establishes the Canadian Brass as a main-stage attraction.” In addition to their heavy international touring schedule for nearly 50 years, and their extensive recording catalog, they have been on the Billboard charts in each decade of their existence, recording for RCA Records, BMG, Columbia Records, SONY, Philips Decca, Steinway Label and Opening Day Entertainment occupying virtually all the spots open to brass players. As of 2018, the Canadian Brass recordings have been released by Toronto-based Opening Day Entertainment Group (ODEG), headed by the Daellenbachs.

The first recordings the Brass created were for the CBC radio transcription service, including their very first major concert in Toronto the summer of 1971. Record producer Eleanor Sniderman discovered the group and put the group on its first commercial LPs in 1973 and 1974, which then attracted major artist management in New York City. In 1977, the same year the Brass represented North America in the People’s Republic of China, a live radio broadcast on WQXR was heard by multi-Grammy award-winning producer Jay Saks, who was impressed, and brought the group to the prestigious RCA Red Seal label. The ensemble was then scouted by CBS records, soon to be Sony, where they recorded with the Berlin Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony brass players, establishing a repertoire that is now standard for expanded brass ensembles.

When the group’s former manager, Costa Pilavachi, assumed the post of “Head of A&R” at Philips Records in the Netherlands, he lured the Brass to his new label, establishing a new European presence for the group. In 1992, the Brass returned to RCA, releasing fourteen albums in eight years, including Bach’s Goldberg Variations, for which the group won a German Echo award.

Stuart Laughton founded Opening Day in 1993, as a recording company specializing in Canadian performers and compositions (five JUNO nominations and a win resulted). By 2003 Laughton was seeking a partner for the heavy work load, and in talks with Chuck Daellenbach agreed to share, then relinquish control. Daellenbach extended the scope of the company, creating Opening Day Entertainment Group and entering into partnership with producer Trey Mills later that year. Mills signed over to Mary Beth Daellenbach in December, 2007. Opening Day Entertainment Group remains an independent recording label now directed by Mary Beth Daellenbach. As of 2014 ODEG has released over 70 CDs for artists in a variety of genres. (wikipedia)

The durable Canadian Brass has been among the quickest of small groups to jump on the bandwagon of releasing its own music; various discs have shown that the group’s ability to forge a distinctive and seamless combination of classical, jazz, and pop numbers is unimpeded by the appearance of a host of competing groups on the scene. The same stylistic mixture is evident on the present Celebration disc, ostensibly a celebration of Canadian-Polish friendship. While that friendship is undoubtedly lasting and deeply rewarding, the budget prices at which good Eastern European orchestras tend to come these days might have played a role in the planning of the project as well. Be that as it may, this isn’t one of the more successful releases of the current Canadian Brass set — even in spite of the fact that it focuses on the combination of brass quintet and orchestra — virtually an original Canadian Brass innovation. The centerpiece is a new composition by Lukas Foss, also entitled Celebration.

The idea of the work is a good one; like others by Foss, it grafts subtle abstract effects onto easy-on-the-ears neo-Classic concepts. Here, in the outer movements, Foss explores the ways the brass quintet reorients the listener’s perceptions of the basic musical material when it repeats that material in a straightforward concerto structure. But the work depends on the kind of peppy syncopations that are common in Foss and in a great deal of other neo-Classic music, and the Warsaw Philharmonic’s renderings of these are unenthusiastic. The same problem plagues the segment of the program devoted to Duke Ellington (tracks 8-11). The three Beatles pieces included (tracks 5-7) have a different problem — limp swing rhythms that distort the melodies and bring to mind nothing so much as Lawrence Welk’s attempt to get with the rock revolution in the 1960s. Nothing the Canadian Brass does is without exciting features, and here those exciting features include the all-out slow introduction to Come Together and a straightforward Fats Waller medley. The door is open, however, for a younger group to attempt a more refined version of the ideas here. (by James Manheim)

To hear the Canadian Brass tell it, the ensemble was — and I quote — hijacked by the Canadian Embassy (in Warsaw, Poland) to add culture to a Team Canada delegation" in January 1999. Bearing in mind the Canadian Brass approach to everything its members do, I am inclined to believe their version is a bit heavy on hyperbole.

Still, whether planned in just a few hours, as the ensemble claims, or the result of slightly more structured planning, the resulting concert was a triumphant, ceremonious affair marking the first visit to Poland by a Canadian Prime Minister. This live recording was cut from that very concert.

What sets this recording apart from so many others that have preceded it is the group's collaboration with The Warsaw Philharmonic. The concert itself marked the world premiere of a three-movement piece for orchestra and a brass quintet titled "Celebration" by the German-born American composer Lukas Foss. And while the entire work is lovely, it is the last movement, the "March" in which the Canadian Brass truly shine, laying the groundwork for the remainder of the program.

In a three-song tribute to The Beatles, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the group interjects whimsy and irreverence into these otherwise respectful arrangements of Penny Lane, Blackbird& Come Together. From the applause that follows, it is clear the audience truly appreciated their efforts.

The remainder of the disc features long-time collaborator Luther Hendersons arrangements of works by Duke Ellington and Fats Waller, which have been modified only minimally to accommodate the full orchestra. Of course, no concert is complete without the Canadian Brass beloved traditional encore, a medley of When the Saints Come Marching and Handels Halleluiah Chorus, which will leave you laughing, singing and clapping along. (Musical Heritage Society)

Recorded live at the National Philharmonic Hall in Warsaw, Poland, 24th January 1999

Personnel:
Christopher Cooper (french horn)
Charles Daellenbach (tuba)
Jens Lindemann (trumpet)
Ronald Romm (trumpet)
+
The Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Krzesimir Debski

Tracklist:
01. Little Fugue In G Minor (Bach) 3.49
02. Celebration (Foss)
02.1. Fanfare 5.19
02.2. Choral 5.24
02.3. March 5.22
03. McCartney & Lennon Tribute:
03.1. Penny Lane 3.16
03.2. Blackbird 3.55
03.3. Come Together 4.22
04. Classical Duke
04.1. Harlem Sunday Morning (Ellington/Dawson) 5.16
04.2. Cotton Tail (Ellington) 3.28
04.3. Sophisticated Lady (Ellington/Mills) 3.41
04.4. It Don’t Mean A Thing (Ellington) 4.02
05. Mostly “Fats”
05.1. Lookin’ Good, Feelin’ Bad (Waller) 2.19
05.2. Handful Of Keys (Waller) 2.59
06. When The Saints (Traditional) / Hallelujah (Händel) 4.32

*
**

More from the Canadia Brass in this blog:

The official website:

Chico Garcia Guitarra y Orquesta + Guitarra Espanola – Pasion Latina (1997)

I don’t know anything about this music, this Chico Garcia (an unknown guitar player from Spain) … but I do know that it’s a wonderful album.

And I would love to sit with my lady at a Spanish stand one evening … drinking a cocktail and listening to this music to the sound of the waves.

So … close your eyes …

… Please enjoy this beautiful Spanish music of passion, romantic  & love.

Personnel:
Chico Garcia Guitarra y Orquesta

Tracklist.
01. Solamente Una Vez (Lara) 2.33
02. Amapola (Lacalle) 3.00
03. Te Quiero Dijiste (Grever) 2.24
04. Perfidia (Dominguez) 3.04
05. Aquellos Ojos Verdes (Utrera/Menez/Rivera) 1.48
06. La Paloma (Yradier) 4.02
07. Cucurrucucu Paloma (Mendez) 2.45
08. Quizas-Quizas-Quizas (Farres) 2.13
09. Quien Sera (Ruiz) 2.20
10. Amor (Ruiz) 2.25
11. Maria Elena (Barcelata) 3.13
12. El Mar (Trenet) 3.12
13. Tema De Lara (Jarre/Webster) 3.10
14. Taba (Lecuona) 3.20

*
**

The Bigroup – Big Hammer (1971)

This album was a project by Johnny Scott

John Scott (born Patrick John O’Hara Scott, 1 November 1930), also known as Johnny Scott and Patrick John Scott, is an English film composer and music conductor. Scott has collaborated with well-known directors and producers, including Mark Damon, Richard Donner, Charlton Heston, Mike Hodges, Hugh Hudson, Norman Jewison, Irvin Kershner, Ilaiyaraaja, Daniel Petrie, Roger Spottiswoode, and Norman J. Warren.

Scott was born in Bishopston, Bristol, England. His father, a musician in the Bristol Police Band, gave him his first music lessons. At the age of 14, he enrolled in the British Army (in the Royal Artillery Band, Woolwich) as a Boy Musician in order to continue his musical studies of the clarinet, harp and saxophone.

Later, Scott toured with some of the best-known British bands of the era. He was hired by EMI to arrange and conduct some of its most popular artists and, during this time, worked with Beatles producer George Martin (playing flute in the band’s 1965 recording “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”). Scott also recorded such artists as Tom Jones, Cilla Black, and The Hollies. As a musician, he played with The Julian Bream Consort, John Dankworth, Cleo Laine, Yehudi Menuhin, Nelson Riddle and Ravi Shankar.

Credited as Johnny Scott, and playing flute, he led a jazz quintet, quartet and trio during the 1960s: his three part Study for Jazz Quintet was included on the 1962 compilation album Jazz Tête-à-Tête recorded by Denis Preston. He played for Henry Mancini and was principal saxophonist in John Barry’s soundtrack to the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964).

Since the 1960s, Scott has composed for more than 100 film and television productions. Some of Scott’s most praised and recognized scores are Antony and Cleopatra (1972), England Made Me (1973), North Dallas Forty (1979), The Final Countdown (1980), Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) and The Shooting Party (1985).

His TV work includes the themes to the BBC current affairs programmes Nationwide and Midweek, incidental music for the ITV series Rosemary and Thyme, and documentaries by French explorer Jacques Cousteau. He also composed the instrumental piece “Gathering Crowds” for a stock music library. While the opening bars of the piece were used briefly in 1976 by ABC for its nightly national news program, the piece would later become iconic in the US for its use as the closing theme for the long-running syndicated Major League Baseball highlights show This Week in Baseball.

Scott is also active as a classical composer (having written a symphony, a ballet, four string quartets and a guitar concerto) and as a conductor. Orchestras that he has conducted include the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Munich Symphony Orchestra, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Budapest Opera Orchestra, the Lubliana Radio Orchestra and the Prague Philharmonic.

In 2006–2008, Scott served as the artistic director of the Hollywood Symphony Orchestra.

On 16 October 2013 Scott was presented with a BASCA Gold Badge Award in recognition of his contribution to music. (wikipedia)

Underrated jazz prog from 1971. “Big Hammer” is an all instrumental exploitation psych album features fuzz and wah-wah guitar, organ, flute and sitar. Musically, they sound more like a late 60s group than a pioneering cutting edge post-Swimming London progressive band from 1971. Big Hammer has been much in demand by progressive rock collectors and one listen to it will tell why – pretty much every track is a killer ! (by Doug Larson)

Peer International Library Limited was a London based production music library company that was established in the late 1960s by Dennis Berry (aka Peter Dennis). It was closely affiliated with the other library company Southern, – which was also run by Dennis Berry. They often shared releases and that’s why certain titles appear on both Peer and Southern catalogue. This album here, called Big hammer, was credited to a band called The Bigroup, but without a doubt it was some studio musicians group with a made up name for the album. And it was also released on Southern.

The Spain edition:

The opening track “Big hammer” starts the album strongly. It’s a banging midtempo psych funk track with a hint of oriental vibe every now and then. A stronger oriental vibe comes with the next one, a downtempo sitar and flute driven mellow groover “Anna purna”. I’m not exactly sure if it actually is a sitar but sounds a lot of it. After the dramatic “Devil’s stronghold”, comes “Rolling”. It starts promisingly with a nice break, but then turns into a melancholic midtempo groover. Next up are two quite heavy downtempo psych funk tracks called “Beat norm” and “Heavy lift”. After them comes one of the best tracks on the album, “What’s coming”. It’s a strong upbeat track with heavy breakbeat drums and some wailing melodies on top. Then there’s again two mellow but psych heavy tracks called “Blow-suck blues” and “Gentle swell” before we get to the last track, “Bombilation”. “Bombilation” is a great midtempo organ driven psych funk groover with some electric guitar work (I’m still not a fan of those) and banging beats. All the songs are relatively long for a library record, all the tracks except one are over three minutes what makes it a more pleasant one to listen. (by Mista Tibbz)

In today’s culture, one might presume the Bigroup to be some sort of avant garde transsexual troupe. But most likely in 1971, it stood for nothing more than “The Big Group”. Then again, they do have a composition entitled ‘Blow-Suck Blues’, so perhaps they were ahead of their time after all? Musically, however, they sound more like a late 60s group than a pioneering cutting edge post-Swinging London progressive band from 1971. “Big Hammer” is, in effect – if not actually the case – an all instrumental film library psychedelic album with copious flute, sitar, surf guitar, and roller rink organ. There’s not much in the way of compositional development, which would be typical of the incidental film music genre. Somewhat similar to the groups like Blue Phantom, Hungry Wolf, The Underground Set, Psycheground Group, or Fourth Sensation. Great stuff! (by Ashratom (RYM).

And … a real strong bass !

Personnel:
Anthony King (keyboards, synthesizer)
Johnny Scott  (saxophone, flute, clarinet)’
+
a bunch of unknown studio musicians

Alternate front+ backcover:

Tracklist:
01. Big Hammer 4.11
02. Annapurna 3.39
03. Devil’s Stronghold 3.24
04. Rolling 3.15
05. Beat Norm 3.15
06. Heavy Lift 4.15
07. What’s Coming? 3.46
08. Blow-Suck Blues 2.37
09. Gentle Swell 3.21
10. Bombilation 3.41

Music composed by Johnny Scott
except 08. composed by Anthony King

*
**

Another edition from Spain:

Anthony King (real name Anthony Frederick Lilly)
British songwriter and arranger, active since ca. 1960s. Often collaborated with John Schroeder. In the late 1960s, Status Quo recorded some of his songs. He was a library music composer and a prolific arranger of strings for reggae records intended for pop market (often spelled Tony King). Not to be confused with reggae singer Tony King  who was only a performing act.

Pic of the day: A real rare pic …

… Alvin Lee, Mylon LeFevre & Steve Windwood during the sessions for the Avlin Lee album “On The Road To Freedom” (1973):

Richard Barnes & Pete Townshend – The Story Of Tommy (1977)

Tommy is the fourth studio album by the English rock band the Who, first released on 19 May 1969. Primarily written by guitarist Pete Townshend, Tommy is a double album and an early rock opera that tells the story of the fictional Tommy Walker.

Townshend came up with the concept of Tommy after being introduced to the work of Meher Baba, and he attempted to translate Baba’s teachings into music. Recording of the album began in September 1968, but took six months to complete as material needed to be arranged and re-recorded in the studio. The Who promoted the album’s release with an extensive tour, including a live version of Tommy, which lasted throughout 1969 and 1970. Key gigs from the tour included appearances at Woodstock, the 1969 Isle of Wight Festival, the University of Leeds, the Metropolitan Opera House, and the 1970 Isle of Wight Festival. The live performances of Tommy drew critical praise and revitalised the band’s career.

Upon its release, Tommy was acclaimed by critics, who hailed it as the Who’s breakthrough. Its critical standing diminished slightly in later years; nonetheless, several writers view it as an important and influential album in the history of rock music. In 1998, Tommy was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Subsequently, the rock opera was developed into other media, including a Seattle Opera production in 1971, an orchestral version by Lou Reizner in 1972, a film in 1975, and a Broadway musical in 1992. Tommy has been reissued several times on CD, including a remix by Jon Astley in 1996, a deluxe Super Audio CD in 2003, and a super deluxe box set in 2013, including previously unreleased demos and live material. (wikipedia)

Ad from 1969:

And ..

… Tommy is a 1975 British musical fantasy drama film written and directed by Ken Russell and based on the Who’s 1969 rock opera album Tommy about a “psychosomatically deaf, mute, and blind” boy who becomes a pinball champion and religious leader.[5] The film featured a star-studded ensemble cast, including the band members themselves (most notably, lead singer Roger Daltrey, who plays the title role), Ann-Margret, Oliver Reed, Eric Clapton, Tina Turner, Elton John, and Jack Nicholson.

An independent production by Russell and Robert Stigwood, Tommy was released by Columbia Pictures in the US on 19 March 1975 while in the UK it was released by Hemdale Film Corporation on 26 March 1975. Ann-Margret received a Golden Globe Award for her performance and was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Pete Townshend was also nominated for an Oscar for his work in scoring and adapting the music for the film. The film was shown at the 1975 Cannes Film Festival, but was not entered into the main competition. In 1975, the film won the award for Rock Movie of the Year in the First Annual Rock Music Awards. (wikipedia)

And then

… this book was published in 1977 … It not only tells the story of this rock opera, but also the background to the Ken Ruselll film.

It became a full illustrated book with lots of information …

This book is a must for every The Who fan !

The book was written by Richard Barnes:

Richard Alan Barnes (born 3 October 1944) is an English author, best known for his association with the mod subculture and the rock group The Who, including his book on the group Maximum R&B. He gave The Who their name when he was roommates with Pete Townshend, after the group had originally been called The Detours.

Barnes started a course at Ealing Art College at the same time as Townshend and the two of them shared a flat together,[3] bonding over their mutual love for old R&B and soul records. Townshend subsequently said that Barnes was “very important to The Who’s thinking process in the early days. He and I used to sit around and talk about The Who as an installation, we wrote a manifesto for the group together.” When Townshend’s group, The Detours, needed a new name, the pair sat up all night suggesting joke names, until Barnes came up with The Who. The group’s singer, Roger Daltrey endorsed the new name the next day.

The High Numbers, accompanied by their friend Richard ‘Barney’ Barnes and their publicist Pete Meaden, dancing at the Scene Club in Soho in 1964.

The Scene Club was considered London’s key mod venue. Soon after this particular night the High Numbers were granted a residency at the Scene. An honour indeed.

In this photo from left to right are, John Entwistle, Keith Moon, Richard Barnes, Pete Townshend, Pete Meaden (looking sideways) and Roger Daltrey:

In early 1964, Barnes was working as a promoter for the Railway Hotel, Wealdstone. He removed all the lights in the pub apart from two pink ones, and turned up the heating to create a sweaty atmosphere. He managed to achieve average audience attendances of between 500 – 1000, including a weekly residency by The Who every Tuesday. Barnes believed The Who should have split up around the mid-1970s, and believes the only reason they stayed together was for the money.

In 1977, Barnes & Townshend collaborated on a book to coincide with the Ken Russell film of The Who’s rock-opera Tommy, entitled The Story Of Tommy.

1982 saw the first publication of The Who: Maximum R & B, an officially authorised biography of the band with photographs. After multiple pressings, the book is still in print.

In 1993 Barnes was listed as director and collaborator on Townshend’s “Psychoderelict solo album and theatrical American solo-tour that followed. Barnes was featured in the official and definitive documentary of the group: Amazing Journey – The Story Of The Who, directed by Murray Lerner and given a 2007 worldwide theatrical release.

Barnes was featured in the 2013 documentary on the making of the band’s 1973 Quadrophenia album: Quadrophenia: Can You See the Real Me, as well as many other documentaries focussed on the band’s and also specifically the members Pete Townshend and Keith Moon.

In 1979 Barnes wrote and compiled the book Mods!, in which he described the mod movement with particular emphasis in London.(wikipedia)

As a supplement to this presentation, I have included the official film book from 1975.

*
**

The back of the book:

More from The Who in this blog:

The olfficial website:

Gregorian – Dark Side Of The Chant (2010)

Gregorian is a German band headed by Frank Peterson that performs Gregorian chant-inspired versions of modern pop and rock songs. The band features both vocal harmony and instrumental accompaniment. They competed in Unser Lied für Stockholm, the German national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, and placed 5th in the first round of public voting with the song “Masters of Chant”, failing to make the Top 3 with 9.06% of the public vote.

Originally, Gregorian was conceived as a more pop-oriented group in the vein of Enigma. Under this concept, Peterson together with Matthias Meissner and Thomas Schwarz, recorded the 1991 album Sadisfaction, with lead vocals provided by The Sisters of Oz: Susana Espelleta (Peterson’s wife at the time) and Birgit Freud. However, this was the only album by the trio in that style.

In 1998, Peterson and his team of Jan-Eric Kohrs, Michael Soltau and Carsten Heusmann re-invented the project to perform popular songs in the Gregorian style. The criteria for song selection were strict; in order to be considered, a song needed to be translatable into the 7-tone scale. For each album, songs were carefully chosen in addition to original songs written by Jan-Eric Kohrs, Amelia Brightman and Carsten Heussman. Twelve vocalists – previously acclaimed session and choir singers – were then hired to record the tracks.

Each Gregorian album was initially digitally tracked at Nemo Studios, Peterson’s Hamburg studio. The vocalists then record their parts in a church atmosphere with dimmed lights and candles, in order to escape what Peterson referred to in a 2001 interview as the “cold and technical” studio atmosphere.

The concept proved to be successful, and the group proceeded to record several more albums in the same style as Masters of Chant. Known as the ten “Chapters”, said album releases primarily featured covers of well-known or popular songs (ex. Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight”, Alphaville’s “Forever Young”; Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On”, etc.) done in the group’s chant-inspired style,[1] though occasionally the group would release original compositions as well.[3] Their 2004 album, The Dark Side, was a slight departure from the others, featuring a darker repertoire; similarly, the group has released themed albums such as the Christmas-themed Christmas Chants, another dark-repertoire album with The Dark Side of the Chant (2010), and the themed Epic Chants (2012). In 2005, The Masterpieces, a compilation album accomanied by a live DVD, was released.

Gregorian has toured parts of Europe, China, Russia and Japan; according to one report, the band has performed over 3,000 concerts in 106 countries to 12 million fans.[3] Live concert DVDs have also been released.

Gregorian has released ten albums in their Masters of Chant series and a number of other albums, including a Christmas album and several compilations. They have also released two types of video album; live concerts and music video albums featuring the singers in various surroundings. (wikipedia)

Gregorian sounds what can i say about it, these type of music gives a new meaning to music. A hint of church acoustics with a modern twist in the songs that are being used. Classic songs that are brought in a new way to the world. It’s gives you rest to your body and soul. (by Anne Meinema)

Gregorian is a German rock band, who performs covers of popular songs and original material in the Gregorian chant style. That being said, if you are looking for traditional Gregorian chants, this may not be for you. If you enjoy great music that is performed by musicians who really know their craft, and are open to something different, you will enjoy Gregorian.. The music is soothing and relaxing. The cover of Unheilig’s “Geboren zu Leben” sung in English as “Born to Fell Alive” is simply amazing. The album”Dark Side of the Chant” is a more up tempo collection from other Gregorian works.This album includes a unique and enjoyable cover of ACDC’s ” Hell’s Bells” I believe this cover rivals the original. Overall, this album is a solid piece of work. (by Johann der Deutscher)

Well, I like Gregorian chants, so I can actually live with this modernisation quite well. And putting compositions by Carl Orff, Tim Rose and Ac/DC on an album is really clever.

However, I find the fuss about her outfit silly and ridiculous, to say the least.

Personnel:

Gregorian Tenors:
Andy Busher – Paul Badley – Johnny Clucas, – Stevie Jeffes, – Rob Johnston – Matt Long – Gary O’Beirne – Ashley Turnell
Gregorian Basses:
Richard Collier – Rob Fardell – Simon Grant – Chris Tickner – Lawrence White
Additional Vocals:
Amelia Brightman – Anna Lena Strasse – Anette Stangenberg – Holly Kedrowski – Alannah Myles – Fernando Lima Additional Vocals
+
keyboards + programming:
Carsten Heusman – Jan-Eric Kohrs – Alex Pfeffer, – Toni Pintos
+
Carl Albrecht (keyboards, programming, guitar)
Alex Grube (bass)
Reiner ‚Kallas‘ Hubert (drums)
Jan-Peter Köpfel (trumpet)
Gunther Laudahn (keyboards, programming, guitar, flute, piano harp)
Peter Weihe (guitar)
+
violin:
Stefan Pintev – Rodrigo Reichel
cello:
Charlotte Kracht – Boris Machin
+
Mädchenchor Hamburg (Children’s Choir) unter der Leitung von Hesa Werhahn
+
whispered voices
Lina, Robert & Max Heusmann

Musical director: Frank Peterson

Tracklist:
01. O Fortuna (Orff) 4.21
02. Stripped (Gore) 4.09
03. All I Need (d.Adel/Westerholt) 5.40
04. Hells Bells (A.Young/M.Young/Johnson) 5.42
05. Born To Feel Alive (Geboren um zu leben) (Der Graf/Verlage) 4.25
06. Morning Dew (Dobson/Rose) 5.17
07. My Heart Is Burning Gregorian (Peterson/Laudahn) 6.58
08. Bring Me To Life (Hodges/Lee/Moody) 5.31
09. Dark Side (Brightman/Kohrs/Heusmann) 5.04
10. Frozen (Madonna/Leonard) 6.07
11. Black Wings (Brightman/Heusmann) 4.18
12. Lucifer (Parsons/Woolfson) 4.30
13. Dark Angel (Laudhan) 4.06

*
**

The official website:

Pic of the day: A rare pic of …

… Eric Clapton … during his time with Cream:

Nightwish – Highest Hopes- The Best Of Nightwish (2005)

Nightwish is a Finnish symphonic metal band from Kitee. The band was formed in 1996 by lead songwriter and keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen, guitarist Emppu Vuorinen, and former lead singer Tarja Turunen. The band soon picked up drummer Jukka Nevalainen, and then bassist Sami Vänskä after the release of their debut album, Angels Fall First (1997). In 2001, Vänskä was replaced by Marko Hietala, who also took over the male vocalist role previously filled by Holopainen or guest singers. Although Nightwish have been prominent in their home country since Angels Fall First, they did not achieve wider success until the release of the albums Oceanborn (1998), Wishmaster (2000) and Century Child (2002).

Their 2004 album, Once, has sold more than one million copies and was the band’s breakthrough in the United States. Their biggest US hit single, “Wish I Had an Angel” (2004), received MTV airplay and was included on three US film soundtracks.

The band produced three more singles and two music videos for Once, as well as a re-recording of “Sleeping Sun” for the compilation album, Highest Hopes: The Best of Nightwish (2005), before Turunen’s dismissal in October 2005. In May 2007, Nightwish announced Anette Olzon as Turunen’s replacement. That September, the band released their sixth album, Dark Passion Play, which has sold almost 2 million copies. The album’s lead single, “Amaranth”, became one of Nightwish’s most successful in Europe. Their seventh studio album, Imaginaerum, was released globally on various days in late 2011/early 2012. On October 1, 2012, Nightwish announced that they had parted ways with Olzon and would be finishing the tour with at that time ReVamp vocalist Floor Jansen.

In October 2013, Nightwish made Jansen and longtime session uilleann pipes player Troy Donockley permanent members of the band, and they were featured in the acclaimed album Endless Forms Most Beautiful, released on March 27, 2015. In July 2019, Nevalainen who had been inactive since 2014 due to severe insomnia issues, announced that he would not be returning to the band, with Kai Hahto, who had acted as his replacement since 2014, being promoted as the official drummer. After twenty years of performing with the band, bassist Marko Hietala had parted ways with the band in January 2021, and Jukka Koskinen was later announced as Hietala’s replacement in August 2022.

Nightwish is the third-best-selling band and musical entity in Finland with certified sales of nearly 900,000 certified copies. The group is also the most successful Finnish band worldwide, selling more than 10 million records and receiving more than 60 gold and platinum awards, having released six Number 1 albums and thirteen Number 1 singles. On October 26, 2018, Nightwish was inducted into the Finnish Music Hall of Fame, becoming the honorary gallery’s 11th member. (wikipedia)

Highest Hopes: The Best of Nightwish is the fourth compilation album by Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish. Their first, Tales from the Elvenpath, was considered incomplete by many fans as it contains only tracks from Oceanborn, Over the Hills and Far Away, Wishmaster and Century Child, leaving out Angels Fall First. This compilation, though, contains songs from all previously released Nightwish albums, plus a live cover of Pink Floyd’s “High Hopes”.

Highest Hopes was released in three different formats: Standard, Special Edition and Extended 2 CD. In addition to the normal version, a special edition was released, omitting the song “Deep Silent Complete” and replacing it with the popular cover version of The Phantom of the Opera theme, it also contains a bonus DVD containing three full songs filmed live at the Mera Luna Festival in Hildesheim, Germany in 2003.

The Extended Version is a 2-CD compilation with CD1 the same as the Standard Version plus a 2nd CD of eight audio tracks from the Tarja Turunen period and includes a bonus DVD containing ten video tracks; Three full songs ( Tracks 1-3 ) filmed live at the M’era Luna Festival in Hildesheim, Germany in 2003 ( Identical to the Special Edition Bonus DVD but in an altered running order), three studio videos ( Tracks 4-6 ) and a further four full live songs (Tracks 7-10 ) filmed live at the Summer Breeze Festival in Germany in 2002 . All versions feature a new (2005) recording of the song “Sleeping Sun” and a live version of Pink Floyd’s “High Hopes” from which this compilation takes its name.

The album was certified platinum in Finland – for sales exceeding 40,000 copies – the same day it was released, and also was gold in Norway with more than 20,000 sold copies.[6] It was also Finland’s best-selling album of 2005, having sold more than 65,000 copies, certified with double platinum. Today, it has sold more than 103,000 copies. (wikipedia)

Released at a time when Nightwish’s future appeared uncertain because of the shocking departure of charismatic frontwoman and de facto band calling card Tarja Turunen, Highest Hopes is a comprehensive greatest-hits collection spanning the chart-topping Finnish pop-metal act’s entire first decade. Summarized in one convenient CD at last, the 16-song set proves that Nightwish were nothing if not consistent — both in terms of quality and overall style — throughout the five and a half studio albums recorded during that period. Yes, enduring early numbers like the Tolkien-esque “Elvenpath,” the somewhat preposterous, narration-embellished “The Kinslayer,” and the neoclassical metal-by-numbers of “Stargazers” eventually gave way to slightly more refined (and restrained) pop-metal singles like “Ever Dream,” “Wish I Had an Angel,” and “Nemo” (which, one presumes, was about the submarine captain, not the fish), but the relatively seamless transition between them all is made abundantly clear by the non-chronological order in which they are presented here.

Likewise, with the exception of their still tentative (and therefore, on this collection, mostly ignored) first album, Nightwish showed equal mastery at composing potent power metal (“Sacrament of Wilderness,” “Wishmaster,” “Dead to the World”) and tear-jerking ballads (“Walking in the Air,” “Dead Boy’s Poem,” “Sleeping Sun”) in all phases of their career. They even took Gary Moore’s generally forgotten ’80s nugget “Over the Hills and Far Away” for their own, recording a debatably definitive version that is wisely included in this disc, alongside a brand new recording of Pink Floyd’s “High Hopes.” Also keep in mind the band’s immaculate instrumental execution through the years, and what this collection proves above all else is that, though they’ve inspired quite literally dozens of imitators, Nightwish’s groundbreaking fusion of melodic power metal, symphonic orchestration, theatrical lyrics, and (of course) Turunen’s classically trained, operatic soprano, has arguably yet to be equaled. Whatever becomes of the group’s trajectory following its popular singer’s exit, you can at least take this statement to the bank. (by Eduardo Rivadavia)

Personnel:
Marko Hietala (bass, vocals)
Tuomas Holopainen (keyboards, spoken parts and background vocals on 05. + 10.)
Jukka Nevalainen (drums)
Tarja Turunen (vocals)
Emppu Vuorinen (guitar, bass on 05.)
+
Sam Hardwick (spoken parts on 06. + 15.)
Marko Hietala (bass, vocals on 01., 04., 06. – 09 + 16.)
Tony Kakko (background vocals on 10.)
+
London Philharmonic Orchestra – Choir (on 01. + 07.)

Tracklist:
01. Wish I Had An Angel (Holopainen) 4.04
02. Stargazers (Holopainen) 4.26
03. The Kinslayer (Holopainen) 4.01
04. Ever Dream (Holopainen) 4.44
05. Elvenpath (Holopainen) 4.38
06. Bless The Child (Holopainen) 6.12
07. Nemo (Holopainen) 4.35
08. Sleeping Sun (2005 version) (Holopainen) 4.24
09. Dead To The World (Holopainen) 4.19
10. Over The Hills And Far Away (Moore) 5.00
11. Deep Silent Complete (Holopainen) 3.57
12. Sacrament Of Wilderness (Holopainen/Vuorinen) 4.10
13. Walking In The Air (Blake) 5.27
14. Wishmaster (Holopainen) 4.23
15. Dead Boy’s Poem (Holopainen) 6.48
16. High Hopes (live) (Samson/Gilmour) 7.20

*
**

More from Nightwish in this blog:
The official website:

Tyla Gang – Yachtless (1978)

Sean Tyla (born John Michael Kenneth Tyler, 3 August 1946 – 17 May 2020) was an English rock guitarist, keyboardist, vocalist and songwriter, sometimes known as the “Godfather of Boogie”. Best known for his work with Ducks Deluxe and Tyla Gang, he also played with Help Yourself, Joan Jett, and Deke Leonard, and appeared solo.

Following the break-up of Ducks Deluxe, Sean Tyla formed Tyla Gang in late autumn of 1975 with his brother Gary, Phil Nedin (drums) and Peter O’Sullivan (bass) from Welsh band Jack Straw. In the spring of 1976, Richard Treece from Help Yourself joined the band. Within a few months Gary Tyler and Treece left the band and Welshman Tweke Lewis, formerly of Man, became the new guitarist.

They went into Pebble Beach studio in Worthing, and under the guidance of producer Tony Platt recorded 6 tracks including “Suicide jockey” and “Cannons of the Boogie Night” as well as “Styrofoam” and “Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie”. These latter two tracks were released as the “double B-side” 4th single on the legendary Stiff Records label. Tyla also produced Stiff’s eighth single Plummet Airlines’ “Silver Shirt” / “This Is The World”.

In April 1977, two further tracks from that session were released (“Cannons of the Boogie Night” and “Suicide Jockey”) on Skydog Records. In 1977 the second Tyla Gang band were formed consisting of guitarist Bruce Irvine, bassist Brian “Kid” Turrington and drummer Mike Desmarais; Turrington and Desmarais having played together in The Winkies.

Although unsigned, the Gang attracted critical attention and played two Peel Sessions in 1977 (30 May and 4 October).[7] They eventually signed a contract with the California-based Beserkley label in 1977 and released their first album, Yachtless in 1978. Reviewing the LP in Christgau’s Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: “Punk has not been good for former Duck Deluxe Sean T. because it’s meant urbanization. I have nothing against the slick, hooky power chords his pub-rock has evolved into, not in theory. But when his charming if overly mythic tales of fireballs and West Texas running boards evolve into ‘The Young Lords’ (give me a break, Bruce Springsteen) and ‘On the Street’ (give me a break, Bob Geldof), I begin to crave recognizable human detail.”

Part way through recording their next album Moonproof, Turrington left and Whaley joined to finish the album; this line-up recorded a Peel Session on 9 August 1978. Richard Treece also rejoined but Beserkley’s UK operation went bankrupt in 1979, and Tyla disbanded the Gang shortly after.

In 2010, the Tyla Gang reformed in their original line-up, touring Sweden during the fall. In 2013, they added John McCoy of Gillan and Mammoth fame to replace original member, Brian Turrington who had taken a leave of absence for personal reasons. The Gang have released two albums since their reformation, 2010’s “Rewired”, a compilation of lost studio and live recordings and as of 18 March 2013, a new studio album, Stereo Tactics. In 2015 The Tyla Gang released a live set, Live In Stockholm recorded at the Akkurat Bar in Stockholm, Sweden in 2013 on Angel Air Records and will be releasing a 3-CD anthology, Pool Hall Punks through Cherry Red Records in May 2016 to coincide with Sean’s 70th Birthday Tour.

Tyla died on 17 May 2020. According to an appreciation by British music journalist Will Birch, Tyla had chronic liver disease. (wikipedia)

And here´s the first album by Tylan Gang:

It’s an album of straight ahead, driving blues rock – not unlike classic Quo circa ‘Piledriver’. ‘Hurricane’ sets the scene nicely complete with slide guitar and ‘Lost Angels’ will get your foot tapping! There is even a touch of country rock on the mellow ‘New York Sun’. This release also adds no less than six bonus tracks, including the smokin’ ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie’. Some great guitar playing on here from Tyla and fellow guitarist Bruce Irvine.

A worthy album and if your bag is the blues rock of George Thorogood, get hold of a copy of this CD. (Jason Ritchie)

Excellent album , I own it since the early 80’s and I still listen to it … I love “speed ball morning” among the others songs . I warmly recommand this album. (by Mycolin)

Damn impressive album that I bought on pretty much a whim. Great hard boogie with some fine songs, and a real pre-punk kind of bash about it. Produced by Deke Leonard of Man fame. (by Bnoring)

Indeed: a really strong album that you can still listen to today.

Personnel:
Michael Desmarais (drums, percussion., vocals)
Bruce Irvine (guitar)
Brian Turrington (bass, percussion)
Sean Tyla (guitar, vocals, keyboards)

Tracklist:
01. Hurricane (Tyla/Irvine) 3.17
02. Dust On The Needle (Tyla) 4.37
03. On The Street (Tyla) 2.58
04. New York Sun (Tyla) 3.16
05. Speedball Morning (Tyla) 3.04
06. Don’t Shift A Gear (Tyla) 3.03
07. Lost Angels (Tyla) 3.44
08. The Young Lords (version 2) (Tyla) 3.20
09. Whizz Kids (Tyla/Irvine) 3.30
10. Don’t Turn Your Radio On (Tyla) 3.45
+
11. Amsterdam Dog (Tyla) 3.30
12. Cannons Of The Boogie Night (Desmarais/Irvine/Turrington/Tyla) 3.28
13. Suicide Jockey (Desmarais/Irvine/Turrington/Tyla)  4.53
14. Styrofoam (Tyla/de Vore)
15. It’s Only Rock And Roll (But It Gets Up Your Nose) (Tyla) 4.29
16. Texas Chainsaw Massacre Boogie (Tyla) 3.31

*
**

More from Tyla Gang in this blog:
2 websites that have since been deleted:

Lenny MacDowell – Retrospective (2011)

I don’t quite understand why he hasn’t achieved a higher profile in Germany. I’m talking about Friedemann Leinert.

Lenny Mac Dowell’s (* 1950) music career began in 1978 with his album “Flute Power”, when he recorded an instrumental rock version of Jethro Tull’s „Locomotive Breath“. With this track, he reached a successful week-long direct entry in the charts. 1979 Mac Dowell released „Flexible“, two years later, a live record (1981). His breakthrough came with the album „Magic Flute“, produced in 1983 as the first rock-instantaneous disk ever. The music magazines „Audio“ and „Stereo Play“ titled Lenny Mac Dowell as „rock flutist number one in Germany.“ After countless tours with musicians from the Band „Birth Control“ – Manni von Bohr, Horst Stachelhaus or Zeus B. Held and repeated major productions with musicians such as Pete York (Spencer Davis Group) and Wolfgang Schmid (Passport), Mac Dowell decided to start his own label „Blue Flame Records“.

An era of musical experimentation continued – under his own production. After „Flying Torso“ came „Balance of Power“, which went more into the esoteric realms – finest meditation music with new age elements. The album „The Farthest Shore“ also reflected the more meditative and esoteric sounds. In 1987 Lenny Mac Dowell released „Autumn Breath“ in a collaborative project with Christoph Spendel and during the 90’s he re-released past productions again under his own flag.

With the project „Blue Planet“, Lenny Mac Dowell creates a musical ethnic experiment. Flute combined with arabic and percussion elements. Together with the musicians Hakim Ludin and Dhafer Youssef, „Peace for Kabul“ was released – an Oriental trip; with „Masala“, Mac Dowell tripped around India. As a producer, Lenny Mac Dowell made himself a name with the Uzbek superstar Yulduz Usmanova, Nasiba and Mokhira; also with countless compilations.

During Lenny Mac Dowell’s music studies in Freiburg, Germany and before the first production in 1978 was released, he often played with gypsy musicians such as Daniel Patay and Zipflo Rheinhardt and many other formations at home in funk, soul and jazz. With the album “Launch Control” Lenny Mac Dowell goes back to those roots when he began to experiment with flute and jazz. Mac Dowell felt primarily inspired by artists such as Jeremy Steig or Roland Kirk. Even Herbie Man’s „Memphis Underground“ got a new “sound coat” on „Launch Control“ and also belongs to artists that influence him a lot. Covers, such as „Summertime“ and „Ain’t it Sunshine“, performed with the formation Jazzamor, belong to his extended repertoire. The jazzy interplay with pianist Christoph Spendel is always so in chime, that Mac Dowell works with him over and over. Flute and piano is a focal point in the music of Lenny Mac Dowell.

With the production „Get Ready“ Lenny Mac Dowell once again explores other ways of how to embed flute as a classical instrument into the Pop environment. Soul, funk, jazz and jazz-rock elements are found in such titles as the cover of Donny Hathaway’s song „The Ghetto”. How to connect flute with African-American styles, such as funk and soul, if one does not have any African-American roots, but a sophisticated understanding of music? How does your own culture best blend into such a musical environment and still sound harmonious? To discover this musically, Lenny Mac Dowell never tires of new opportunities.

„Retrospective“ is the latest double album reflecting the times Mac Dowell spends discovering the musical diversity of his classical instrument, the flute in popular music. Orchestral recordings with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and live recordings from the 80′, plus the legendary „direct cut“ recordings, where bands played live in the Studio directly onto the matrix of the vinyl – back then a novelty – all this are essential components of this double album. This recording technology promised an extraordinary dynamism and was also regarded as so-called “speaker killer” in the audiophile scene, because of the high dynamic. The studio recordings of the 70’s to the present time represents the spectrum of Lenny Mac Dowell’s music from past to present. A “Retrospective” is the result.
A connection of electronic possibilities ranging from the classical flute, alto, bass or Bamboo all the way to his owndeveloped Synth Flute equipment, Lenny Mac Dowell has a further infinite creative field for his music. In live and studio recordings, he shows how to conjure extraordinary sounds with the „Magic Flute“. (Press release)

After twenty records you can already look back on your own career with a “retrospective”. Flute player Lenny MacDowell spreads his musical career out to us on two CDs in over one hundred and fifty minutes, which does some justice to his extensive output. After all, the musician started in 1978 with his “Flute Power” and the album of the same name, on which he shone with songs like “Bouree” and “Locomotive Breath”.

MacDowell quickly established himself as the number one rock flutist in Germany, a reputation that he solidified with records such as “Magic Flute”, for which he won the Birth Controllers Zeus B. Held, Manni von Bohr and Horst Stachelhaus. This “Retrospective”, including his contributions to the Jazzamor project (the cover versions “Ain’t No Sunshine” and “Summertime”), is dedicated above all to this rocky phase. And of course the coupling also contains mentioned Tull classics, but above all own material, which connects rock with esoteric kitsch with “Old Turkish Bath”, “Deep Sea Bed” and “Golden Flute Mantra”. (eclips.de)

Conclusion: An exemplary retrospective! (The accompanying booklet contains an extensive interview with him and the music journalist Siegfried Schmidt-Joos and lots of useful detailed information). However, I can’t understand why not a single song from the three albums with Pete York and Wolfgang Schmidt is included.

Personnel:

Tracklist:

CD 1:
01. The Creation of Earth (Leinert/Kolovonitis) 4.02
02.  Summertime (feat. Jazzamor) (Gershwin) 4.47
03. Get Ready (Leinert) 5.34
04. Is It Funky (Leinert) 6.45
05. Ain’t No Sunshine (feat. Jazzamor) (Withers) 3.42
06. Ocean Drive South Beach (Leinert) 6.37
07. Solar Energy Solution (Leinert) 5.26
08. To Remember (Leinert) 7.33
09. Flight Gear Launch Control (Leinert) 6.37
10. Radioactive Live (Leinert) 10.23
11. Memphis Underground (Mann) 5.51
12. Golden Flute Tantra (Leinert) 7.32

CD 2:
01. Bouree (Bach) 3.45
02. Flute Power Part 2 (Leinert) 5.26
03. Please Fasten Your Seat Belts (Leinert) 4.47
04. Thai Stick Restaurant (live version) (Leinert) 7.01
05. Waves XXL (Leinert) 6.30
06. Straight On Your Way (Leinert) 7.01
07. Old Turkish Bath (Leinert) 5.58
08. Crosswind Forever (Leinert) 6.24
09. Sing-Sing in Papua (Leinert) 6.34
10. Flying Torso (live) (Leinert) 9.50
11. Locomotive Breath (Anderson) 4.22
12. Deep Sea Bed (Leinert) 10.16

*
**

Lenny MacDowell with Wolfgang Schmid & Pete York:

The official website: