Henrik Freischlader – Blues For Gary (2017)

And now … White Boy Blues from Germany:

Henrik Freischlader (born 3 November 1982) is a German blues guitarist, singer-songwriter, producer, and autodidactic multi-instrumentalist from Wuppertal, Germany.

Henrik Freischlader has been the supporting act for Joe Bonamassa, B.B. King, Gary Moore, Peter Green, Johnny Winter and other blues legends.

His style of music cannot be considered pure blues. He often blends in musical styles such as rock, jazz, soul, and funk, even though blues is the basis of all of his songs. His guitar-playing is influenced by Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, Peter Green, Albert Collins and Albert King.As he grew up, Freischlader taught himself how to play drums, bass guitar, guitar and other instruments.

Since his first album, Henrik Freischlader has been using Realtone amplifiers culminating in a signature amp. Freischlader’s main guitar is a Haar Stratocaster copy in sunburst that has a Fender decal on its headstock. Further, he uses various Gibson Les Pauls and a Fender Telecaster.

During his teenage years, he started his career as a blues guitarist and singer in bands such as Lash and Bluescream. In 2004, he formed the Henrik Freischlader Band and released his first album The Blues in 2006. The follow-up album “Get Closer” was released a year later in 2007. A live album then followed in 2008 entitled Henrik Freischlader Band Live. On his studio album Recorded by Martin Meinschäfer (2009) he plays all instruments – guitar, bass guitar, drums, percussion and Hammond organ. In addition to this, he composed the songs, wrote the lyrics, produced the record and released it on his own record label, Cable Car Records. A second live album – Tour 2010 Live – was published in late 2010 after a tour through Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.

In 2011, Freischlader released the album Still Frame Replay on which he again plays most of the instruments. Moritz Fuhrhop (Hammond organ) and Max Klaas (percussion) joined him in the studio. As special guest, his friend Joe Bonamassa plays the solo guitar on the title track. Henrik Freischlader has played with his band throughout Europe. Current band members are Theofilos Fotiadis (bass guitar, backing vocals), Björn Krüger (drums, backing vocals), and Moritz “Mo” Fuhrhop (Hammond organ).

In September 2012, the Henrik Freischlader Band released their latest album House in the Woods which was recorded live by all four band members at Megaphon Tonstudios with additional vocal recordings. In fall 2012, they went on an extensive tour through Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, the Netherlands, and Belgium; in 2013: the UK, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic and Hungary. (wikipedia)

And here´s his 6th solo album:

Henrik Freischlader pays tribute to one of his biggest influences the late Gary Moore with his latest release, Blues for Gary. This time his band includes his longtime collaborator Moritz Meinschäfer on drums, however he adds some members of Gary Moore’s band with Vic Martin on keys, and Pete Rees on bass. While this is titled as a Henrik album it’s more of a guest affair with a host of musicians he lets share some of the guitar chores and all the vocals for most of the album.

This album is not a rocker. Henrik focuses on the more instrumental, spiritual, and ballad driven portion of Gary’s work. Do not let that fool you into thinking that this is a snooze fest. These are some of Gary’s more melodical, and emotional songs with some excellent playing by everyone. The album starts off the first three songs featuring just Henrik and the band and are all instrumentals, “The Prophet,” “The Messiah Will Come Again,” and the stunning twelve minute long ballad “Blues for Narada” where Henrik has a chance to really stretch out and even gets some of that amplifier growl between notes that he’s known for.

Hungarian guitar player Zsolt Vámos steps up to give us another instrumental with a cover of “Intro,” which is what Gary played live as an intro to his hit “Separate Ways.” Ben Poole steps up to mic and uses his smooth voice to cover the laid back “Where Did We Go Wrong” along with some guitar work thrown in for good measure. Then Gary’s brother and guitarist Cliff Moore joins them to play “Where Are You Now,” which as far as I know was only released on Gary’s Montreaux Live 2010 album.

A pair of Henrik’s Cable Car Records label artists are up next. First, Dane Mike Anderson steps up to the mic for “Jumping at Shadows,” which is probably one of Gary’s more recognizable tunes on this collection and he does justice to the slow blues; and after that Italian Linda Sutti and her smoky smooth vocals deliver the appropriate atmosphere on “With Love.” A cover of the traditional Irish folk tune “Johnny Boy” is next with the German string outfit “Royal Street Orchestra” and vocals provided by Harrison Larner-Main from the English Pop Rock Band Zeals. Henrik closes the album out with Harrison on vocals a second time and a decidedly short version of Gary’s hit “Parisienne Walkways,” which emulates all of the soaring and sustain filled majesty of the original.

This album is perfect for when you want to just kick back and listen to some beautiful bluesy guitar work over some wonderful melodies. When you play Gary’s version followed by Henrik’s you can clearly hear the respect that everyone has for the songs since they do not stray very far from the tone and feel of Gary’s recordings. You can clearly hear Gary’s influence in Henrik’s recorded work and with this collection of Gary’s songs, he does a fitting job of paying a proper tribute to one of his idols. (Kevin O’Rourke)

Personnel:
Armin Alic (bass)
Mike Andersen (vocals)
Roman Babik (keyboards)
Christopher Esch (guitar)
Henrik Freischlader (guitar, vocals)
Christopher Huber (violin)
Harrisen Larner-Main (vocals)
Vic Martin (keyboards)
Moritz Meinschäfer (drums)
Cliff Moore (guitar, vocals)
Mickey Neher (drums)
Ben Poole (guitar, vocals)
Pete Rees (bass)
Linda Sutti (vocals)
Cornelius Thiem (cello)
Vámos Zsolt (guitar)
+
Royal Street Orchestra

Tracklist:
01. The Prophet (Moore) 6.29
02. The Messiah Will Come Again (Buchanan) 10.13
03. Blues For Narada (Moore) 12.16
04. Intro (Moore) 4.37
05. Where Did We Go Wrong? (Moore) 9.01
06. Where Are You Now? (Moore) 6.32
07. Jumping At Shadows (Bennett) 5:00
08. With Love (Remember) (Moore) 7.02
09. Johnny Boy (Moore) 4.15
10. Parisienne Walkways (Moore/Lynott) 3.46

*
**

The official website:

Strawbs – The Ferryman’s Curse (2017)

Strawbs (or The Strawbs) are an English rock band founded in 1964 as the Strawberry Hill Boys. The band started out as a bluegrass group, but eventually moved on to other styles such as folk rock and progressive rock.

They are best known for their hit “Part of the Union”, which reached number two in the UK Singles Chart in February 1973, as well as for “Lay Down”, a popular progressive rock hit from the same LP. Strawbs toured with Supertramp in their “Crime of the Century” tour, doing their own “Hero and Heroine” tour, which drew musical similarities and themes.

…

The November 2012 tour featured a line-up of Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, Adam Wakeman and Adam Falkner. In February 2014 the band gigged with a line-up of Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, Wakeman and Fernandez. Their album Prognostic was issued in October 2014.

In 2017, the band released The Ferryman’s Curse with a line-up of Cousins, Lambert, Cronk, Fernandez and Dave Bainbridge.

The band toured the US in 2019 as part of their 50th Anniversary Celebration. The tour included a special three day event in Lakewood, New Jersey, featuring former members along with special guests/friends appearing (Annie Haslam, Larry Fast, Tony Visconti, Wesley Stace among others).

The Strawbs were among hundreds of artists whose material was destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.

The band released Settlement on 26 February 2021. (wikipedia)

The new album The Ferryman’s Curse is the first new Strawbs album since 2009’s Dancing To the Devil’s Beat, and it features a solid version of the electric five-piece band. In addition to the stalwart three, this includes long-time on-and-off-again-but-mostly-on-member Tony Fernandez (occasional drums from 1977 onward) and Dave Bainbridge (keyboards since 2015). This is a reasonably consistent band and I would have no problems with this being the line-up of the band for the rest of their careers (unless Wakeman should very unexpectedly offer up his services again).

This version of the band draw on all of their previous musical incarnations, mixing them together to create that unique Strawbs sound. They have one foot firmly in their past, never forgetting where they come from. While they aren’t necessarily trying to sound like it is 1972 any longer, they certainly remember what they used to sound like and draw from that while updating it to a present day version.

The music on The Ferryman’s Curse is ranging from progressive rockers to slow building epics. Some delve into emotional/spiritual ballads, and others are very guitar driven. Often a song will change character mid-stream to support the narrative. A Strawbs song is never pedestrian. It always does what it needs to do for the sake of the narrative.

Legendary producer Chris Tsangarides (previous productions include Judas Priest, Gary Moore, Thin Lizzy, Helloween, Angra, Depeche Mode, Yngwie Malmsteen, Tom Jones, and… well, Anvil) is as experienced as they come. His production is fantastic, making sure the music stays imaginative with very satisfying arrangements throughout. His biggest contribution may still be the lovely sound. There is a warm glow throughout this album, with each track having an immediate and warm sonic appeal.

The band is allowed to evolve and play naturally. This album sounds very Strawbs-y from the get-go, and they seriously mean business. I think this is the best album they have produced in decades.

The title track deserves a special mention. The Ferryman’s Curse is the much-heralded sequel to the 28-verse epic Vision of the Lady of the Lake on the 1970 album Dragonfly. This is a chilling and sinister tale with many lyrical and musical twists over the course of its nine minutes. It builds tension as it works it way into an electric break, more atmospheric wailing, and a lot of musical and lyrical tension.

Dave Cousins is my favourite lyric writer in the world, with Stuart Adamson from Big Country being the closest to being on par with him. Adamson was ultimately slightly less consistent than Cousins over the course of his full career. Cousins never stopped being consistently brilliant from the first album all the way up to now. Even if I should dislike a song musically, or find the performances pedestrian (it happens), the lyrics can be enjoyed on their own and hardly ever lets me down. Cousins’ writing is insightful, inspiring, poetic, deep, often emotional, and contains a lot of life wisdom.

Cousins has always written like that – this is after all the guy who when he was 21 wrote a song called Of Growing Old, making it feel like a credible poem written by a 90-year old. Some years earlier, he wrote Where Is the Dream of Our Youth.

While I really enjoy this album, lyrically is where it shines the brightest. This album is bursting at the seams with very interesting subject matter, as is evident from song titles like The Nails From the Hands of Christ, The Familiarity of Two Lovers and The Song of Infinite Sadness. If there is one person you will never see write songs called I Love You Baby or Yeah Yeah Yeah it is our Dave.

This is a deep album which yields incredible returns if you invest in it. For me, it has been impossible not to dig deep. This is one of my favourite bands, and they have delivered an incredibly strong statement with The Ferryman’s Curse.

If you are new to Strawbs the new album is well worth checking out, but you should definitely investigate the classics too. I would start with From the Witchwood (1970), Grave New World (1972), Ghosts (1974) and Burning For You (1978).(norselandsrock.com)

Personnel:
Dave Bainbridge (keyboards, guitar, bouzouki)
Dave Cousins (guitar, vocals, autoharp, dulcimer)
Chas Cronk (bass, guitar, vocals)
Tony Fernandez (drums, percussion)
Dave Lambert (leadguitar, vocals)

Tracklist:
01. In the Beginning (Bainbridge/Cousins/Cronk) 2.01
02. The Nails From The Hands Of Christ (Bainbridge/Cousins/Cronk) 6.08
03. The Song Of Infinite Sadness (Cousins) 5.02
04. The Familiarity Of Old Lovers (Cousins/Cronk) 6.09
05. When The Spirit Moves (Bainbridge/Cousins/Cronk) 6.50
06. The Ten Commandments (Lambert) 5.34
07. The Reckoning (Bainbridge/Cousins) 1.54
08. The Ferryman’s Curse (Bainbridge/Cousins) 8.59
09. Bats And Swallows (Cousins) .03
10. We Have The Power (Cousins/Cronk) 3.59

*
**

THE FERRYMAN CURSE:

The boatman lived in a stone-built house
Three score years and ten on earth
His wife was younger by several years
They lost their only child at birth

Father raised the house with his bare hands
Mother toiled the fields by day
He never spoke of the lady of the lake
The brush with death which caused him sway

The boatman made an honest living
Along the river’s south-side bank
Family gatherings, household trips
From time to time the river grew dank

One such day when the river was foul
The boatman took his wife to town
Breathing heavy on the journey home
Fever struck as the sun went down

The sickness raged for several days
The doctor rambled in despair
The old priest read the sacraments
Decay and death hung in the air

A coin for the mouth of his dying wife
Was duly placed beside the bed
A knock on the door on that moonless night
The boatman feared the word had spread

A stranger stood on the front porch step
Stovepipe hat and long black coat
“I come from the other side” he whispered
“I carry souls in the ferryman’s boat”

The ferryman growled, “I’ve come for your wife”
The boatman said, “She ain’t dead yet”
The ferryman raged, “I need her now
It’s time that you repaid your debt”

The boatman tried to make the peace
The ferryman spat and cursed and swore
As evil speaks as evil must
He called the boatman’s wife a whore

“You lusted for my daughter fair
Betrayed her in a mire of sin
You married, knowing of her fate
Time has come for the reckoning”

The boatman said “No debt is due”
The ferryman’s rage could get no worse
“It was me who caused you suffering
The still-born child of the ferryman’s curse”

“I ain’t yet put the coin in her mouth”
The boatman said with rising fear
“That job is mine” the ferryman said
And slashed the boatman on the ear

The ferryman held a wicked knife
Razor sharp, serrated blade
Stabbed at the boatman’s arms and face
Terrifying were the screams he made

The boatman reached for his Bible
To shield him in the violent fight
He reached for a log from the open fire
And set the ferryman’s hair alight

The ferryman fell to the floor in agony
Dropped the knife on the boatman’s bed
The boatman stabbed him in the gut
The screams died as the floor turned red

The boatman sat beside the bed
Holding his young wife’s tiny hand
Her eyes opened wide as the fever left
He gently stroked the wedding band

She sat up slow, looked all around
Bared her pointed teeth and smiled
Flung herself in the boatman’s arms
“I am with child, I am with child”

They dragged the ferryman to his boat
Placed the coin in the deadman’s mouth
They silently rowed to the other side
The ferryman’s curse was the boatman’s prize

More from The Strawbs:

The official website:

Roving Crows – Bury Me Naked (2017)

A really great new discovery for me:

Roving Crows are an English four-piece folk fusion band, based in Worcestershire, England. Since forming in 2009, they have released two albums and received a number of awards.

Singer-Songwriter Paul O’Neill and fiddle player Caitlin Barrett first performed as a duo in 2007, under the name Elysian. In 2009 they decided to expand the line up and change the name to The Roving Crows (the word ‘The’ was later dropped from the name). The band went through several line-up changes early in its life. A self-titled demo album was recorded and released in 2010 with John David at Berryhill Studios with the addition of Mark Miletich on double bass and Phil Hall on drums.

Greg Wilson-Copp joined Roving Crows in 2010 on trumpet, bringing Ska and Soul influences to the sound. By this point the rhythm section had changed to Joe Ball on bass guitar and Josh Balen on drums, and in 2011 this line-up self-recorded and released an EP previewing the new musical style since the debut album.

Tim Tolhurst was recruited on drums after Josh Balen stepped down in 2011, bringing his Jazz influenced percussion to the group. In the same year they won two Irish Music Awards; ‘Top Celtic Rock Band’ and ‘Top Fiddle Player’, accredited to them by the Irish Music Association.

In late 2011 Roving Crows went into Rockfield Studios to record their debut album with producer Nick Brine (who also worked with acts such as Ash, Oasis, Bruce Springsteen, Seasick Steve and The Darkness). Bacchanalia was released on 17 March 2012 with a release party at Gloucester Guildhall and an ensuing tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland including performances at Cambridge Folk Festival, Trowbridge Village Pump Festival, Lakefest, Ireby Folk Festival, Wychwood Festival and Cheltenham Jazz Festival.

In 2012 they won ‘Best Folk Act’ at the Exposure Music Awards as well as being noticed by both national and regional BBC radio stations, including airplay on Mike Harding’s Folk Show and The Paul O’Grady Show

After spending much of 2012 without a bass player, Loz Shaw joined Roving Crows in October 2012 whilst the band were half way through the writing process for their second album. A self-recorded EP simply entitled EP 2013 was released in February 2013 with four new tracks including a live recording of Roving Crows’ arrangement of “Music for a Found Harmonium”. Roving Crows returned to Rockfield Studios in March 2013 to record Deliberate Distractions, again with producer Nick Brine. The album was released on 4 November 2013, attracting 4- and 5- star reviews from publications such as The Financial Times, R2 Magazine and Maverick Magazine. The band was awarded ‘Band of the Year 2013’ in the 2014 Fatea Music Awards, as well as ‘Best Live Band’ in the 2014 Spiral Earth awards.

As a follow-up to Deliberate Distractions, a 15-track live album was recorded at the Watson Hall, Tewkesbury on 21 December 2013. It was released in a limited press at the St. Paddy’s Day Extravaganza on 15 March 2014 at the Gloucester Guildhall, and digitally through Bandcamp on the same date.

Up Heaval is the five track EP released on Saturday 14 March 2015 to coincide with their final concert with Greg Wilson-Copp and Tim Tolhurst. Tolhurst provided session drums on several tracks on the EP, although the use of electronic percussion and synthesizers was prevalent for the first time. The band continued as a trio for several months until recruiting Tim Downes-Hall to play a variety of percussion outside of the constrictions of a traditional Drum kit.

After two years of constant touring including breakthrough tours in France, there was increasing demand for new music. Recording of the group’s third album began in late 2016. This was the first recording to feature Tim Downes-Hall on percussion as well as being the first self-recorded album from the group, with Loz Shaw bass and vocals also handling the recording and production. Many different locations were used for the recording of the large number of layered sounds that feature on the album. Bury Me Naked was released on 8 April 2017 with a launch party at Gloucester Guildhall.

During the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, the band, like all musicians worldwide had all their gigs and tours cancelled. They decided in this time to be productive and remotely record a 5-track EP. Each member recorded their own parts and sent them to Jim Smith who then produced and mixed the EP. Lockdown consisted of 2 new tracks and 3 revamped tracks featuring the foundation line-up of Paul O’Neill and Caitlin Barrett and new additions Jim Smith on bass guitar and Laurence Aldridge on drums. Lockdown was released on 17 July 2020 on CD and online streaming platforms.

Awaken was created from both sides of the Irish Sea – recorded by Simon O’Reilly in Doolin, County Clare, Ireland and mixed by their own Jim Smith in Great Malvern, England. The writing and arrangements were completed by Caitlin and Paul on the west coast of Ireland, in order to further encapsulate the essence of the wild Atlantic represented in the new tracks, it continues the themes and raw feel of Roving Crows’ last album, Bury Me Naked, focusing on the band’s personal outlook on life. All songs are self-penned with the exception of two sets of traditional tunes, Phoenix and Rise. Awaken is set to be released on 4 March 2022 with a launch party at Malvern Cube shortly followed by a tour across the UK.
Sound
Due to differing musical backgrounds between band members, the band’s musical influences have varied widely throughout the band’s history and have included traditional Celtic music, Klezmer, Tribal House, Ska, Latino, Jazz, Reggae, Country, Americana and traditional Folk Music. (wikipedia)

It was a few years ago I saw the Roving Crows now. I remember in Bromsgrove.

Not far from Ledbury (their home turf) andalso not far from where I spent my youngest years (in Kidderminster); it was an interesting experience when I was relatively new to folk.

It was not just an introduction to the band and the genre but also the Artrix, a venue that looked like it had descended from space. Modern with sleek edges, its appearance did not match my initial thoughts and with it I brought home a new interest that had developed far away. This was a surprise.Another surprise is Roving Crows’ new album “Bury Me Naked”. I liked the Roving Crows when I saw them but I can’t say I loved them. However, coming one full circle (with many more to go) I can see now that their new album (along with their music) reminds me that social and environmental issues can be “rocked” and “jammed”in music as much as quieter acoustic numbers in the corner of a pub and still be polished and interesting. And so a change of heart has taken place.

“Bury Me Naked” is a fun album. It doesn’t just stick to folk, it goes on a whirlwind tour of pop, rock, and reggae blending it together in an attractive package. There is a mix inside the packaging too. I like the rather earthy photography within the album sleeve; bright and bold it is a contrast to the sharp dark lines and concert photography across the front of the album. It is almost telling you that they are live performers first of all with a hat tip to the social causes they are supporting with their music and tour (drinking eco-friendly water, recycling and vegetarianism). When listening to the album along the way these themes do explicitly rise on the disc. “Refugees”, “Revolution” and “human Regret” you could say the three R’s.

The title track of the album “Bury Me Naked” is great folk rock. After the introduction segment of the song, it really gets going, punching the air as it continues. The fiddle ambushes from the side and an early listen to O’Neill’s voice is smooth and spectral giving it a slightly otherworldly feel. Instrument-wide there is a nice variety between the drums and wooden percussion (Tim Downes-Hall) that scatters down the tracks like the softer patter of a wolf. There is also a bit of menace from the electric guitar as the singer croons, “you said love was a weakness, you’ve got me on my knees.” Taking influence from Native Americans and their suffering it sounds like a scene on prairie land with nature and wildlife all around. It is quite interesting, it changes pace as it casts it’s entrancing spell; it has an epic Celtic Rock spirituality with it’s reverb and hefty backing sound. The same atmosphere calls over to track 2, “New York Love Song” except of course more suburban and with a greater interplay between singers Paul O’Neill and Caitlin Barrett in the vocal department.

“Refugee” is reggae. It doesn’t disguise this, it just is. Sometimes the best things in life are clear and straight and it works a treat here where opulent drums meet with an unabashed fiddle. Being uplifting and a part of a time in history that is still dealing with refugee affairs and how they impact on society, it does stand out as being different to the rest of the current crop of songs about refugees with it’s more sunny outlook. This might bother some people but not me. It does kind of appear from nowhere, you don’t automatically expect reggae but there is a cold place in your heart if the upbeat “sail away.. war-torn refuge.. world does not understand me” rhyming scheme does not put a smile on your face. With a great harmony (the best harmony) on the disc and exquisite fiddle from Caitlin Barrett (as always) it is more than a great addition. “Passing on the Love” is similarly like an Irish Coffee and a Bahama Mama being spilt together by the waiter in this joyous Caribbean mashup. Later on it descends into a kind of Celtic Dancehall track you could do some ska stomping to, it all civilised though and is a treat.

“If I had to choose” is an example of a standout track from the album’s which appeals to a slower, more considered melody. Paul O’Neill sounds at his best and the instruments blend together for a lyrically short, but expansive feeling piece of penultimate entertainment with lines such as, “If I may be so bold; all that glitters is not gold.” It’s rock sound appeals more to me than the more monologue sounding “The Last Breath”, though the latter does carry some beauty with it. Quite distinctly introspective when the track comes on the album it is like that moment you drop a needle on an old Blues record and await the the searching intake of breath before the evocative lyrics.

As previously mentioned the identifiable sound spiritual Rock permeates through many of the tracks here. With this we don’t get the same kind of feeling of remembrance you find in a lot of folk music where a story is told, the moral is clear (or hazy) and we never forget what has happened. Instead much of their sound is like an echo of a unifying cosmic energy that people can approach and understand on their own terms. It all comes to a head with their working of an old folk staple “Ride On”, the final track on the disc.

It is large scale, it is quite resounding and heart-pounding and the arrangement brings a lot, burning an impression like an Eastern Desert’s winds on your face. Barrett captures the ballad sensibility well, wearing influences of alt-rock and dare I say, a quiet grunge in her consistent vocal performance that rises and falls delightfully. One of my favourites, it demonstrates that Roving Crows are not just a band striving for identikit energy tracks that you cannot distinguish on an album, but instead considering fast and slow, thoughtful and energetic in equal measure.

A nice mix of genre and with an spirituality and concern for the world, the Roving Crows set out and have a good time with it, which many would consider contradictory. But it’s not, they entertain and achieve buckets and buckets of likeability along the way.

There is also a good range of tracks with some being more about melody and others more about the words. Jovial and wide-reaching in scope the quality of the music production is second to none. There has certainly been a progression.

More importantly for me, they have dragged me out of the chair, unfolded my arms and invited me to dance. (by Blueestai)

Pesonnel:
Caitlin Barrett (fiddle, vocals)
Tim Downes-Hall (drums, percussion)
Paul O’Neill (vocals, guitar)
Loz Shaw (bass, keyboards, syntheziser, guitar, clarinet, banjolin, kalimba)
+
Bast Shaw (accordion on 03.)

Tracklist:
01. Bury Me Naked (O’Neill) 5.31
02. New York Love Song (O’Neill) 4.26
03. Refugee (O’Neill) 3.33
04. Riverside (Barrett) 4.11
05. Fire Sky (Barrett/Ferry) 4.23
06. If I Had To Choose (O’Neill) 4.04
07. Passing On The Love (O’Neill) 4.43
08 The Last Breath (O’Neill(Barrett) 4.48
09 Revolution Is Now (O’Neill) 5.234
10. Glory Bound (O’Neill) 9.59
11. Ride On (MacCarthy) 4.41

*
**

The official website:

Mike Oldfield – Return To Ommadawn (2017)

Michael Gordon Oldfield (born 15 May 1953) is a British musician, songwriter, and producer best known for his debut studio album Tubular Bells (1973), which became an unexpected critical and commercial success. Though primarily a guitarist, Oldfield plays a range of instruments, which includes keyboards, percussion, and vocals. He has adopted a range of musical styles throughout his career, including progressive rock, world, folk, classical, electronic, ambient, and new age music.

Oldfield took up the guitar at age ten and left school in his teens to embark on a music career. From 1967 to 1970, he and his sister Sally Oldfield were a folk duo The Sallyangie, after which he performed with Kevin Ayers. In 1971, Oldfield started work on Tubular Bells which caught the attention of Richard Branson, who agreed to release it on his new label, Virgin Records.

Its opening was used in the horror film The Exorcist and the album went on to sell over 2.7 million copies in the UK. Oldfield followed it with Hergest Ridge (1974), Ommadawn (1975), and Incantations (1978), all of which feature longform and mostly instrumental pieces.

In the late 1970s, Oldfield began to tour and release more commercial and song-based music, beginning with Platinum (1979), QE2 (1980), and Five Miles Out (1982). His most successful album of this period was Crises (1983), which features the worldwide hit single “Moonlight Shadow” with vocalist Maggie Reilly.

After signing with WEA in the early 1990s, Oldfield’s most significant album of the decade was Tubular Bells II (1992) and he experimented with virtual reality and gaming content with his MusicVR project. In 2012, he performed at the opening ceremony for the 2012 Olympic Games held in London. Oldfield’s discography includes 26 studio albums, nine of which have reached the UK top-ten. His most recent album is Return to Ommadawn (2017).

Return to Ommadawn is the twenty-sixth studio album by English musician and songwriter Mike Oldfield. It was released on 20 January 2017 on Virgin EMI Records and is the sequel to his 1975 album Ommadawn. The CD/DVD-Audio set contains a 5.1 surround sound mix of the album.

In March 2014, Oldfield released his album Man on the Rocks, which marked a diversion from his traditional long-form, instrumental style of music as it comprised standard rock songs with vocals. When Oldfield started on his next album he took to social media, asking fans what sort of album they would like from him. He found that the majority of people who responded wished for a long-form, acoustic-oriented one similar to that of his first three: Tubular Bells (1973), Hergest Ridge (1974), and Ommadawn (1975), and learned that the latter had become a particular favourite among fans. This influenced Oldfield to record a sequel to Ommadawn which had been on his mind for some time; his 1990 album Amarok was originally going to be Ommadawn II before the material “went off in its own direction” and the idea was shelved. In addition, Oldfield wished to make the sequel after he logged into an online chat with French musician Jean-Michel Jarre, who said that he was a fan of Oldfield’s music and wished to collaborate with him, but considered his music “too acoustic”. Oldfield recalled: “This got me thinking. If someone like him believes I’m an acoustic musician, then it showed how important that part of my career has been.”

On 16 October 2015, Oldfield posted on his Twitter account that he had started working on music for “a new Ommadawn” for the past week to see if the concept “actually works”. Oldfield was aware of the popularity of Hergest Ridge and used the album for inspiration for Return to Ommadawn. This was the case for the introduction, whereby a folk melody was to start the piece before Oldfield changed it to a more atmospheric one. Ideas were explored further in subsequent weeks, and Oldfield began recording in December 2015 at his home studio in Nassau, Bahamas. Early on, Oldfield realised that he was out of practise in his guitar technique, as his fingertips had softened, causing pain when playing. He focused on the instrument for three weeks to get up to scratch.

Oldfield began by gathering the necessary instruments that he intended to play on the album and arrange his studio into an environment that he could work in. This involved the purchase of a mandolin, ukulele, and bodhrán. He then decided to record in time with a wind-up metronome, as opposed to a programmed click track, and set up his workspace and Pro Tools software to resemble a 24-track machine that he had used in the 1970s. Oldfield had used Logic Pro software but found it increasingly unreliable, which prompted him to switch to Pro Tools and invest in larger, 4K resolution screens, which allowed him to view a 20-minute piece on one display without scrolling. Oldfield played sections of the album to his two sons for feedback; one suggested that a part sounded too busy and should instead feature just one instrument, which Oldfield took onboard and has bits that feature one guitar.[9] As with the original Ommadawn, Oldfield left mistakes in the recording to retain a human quality to the music as opposed to a highly produced sound.

In May 2016, Oldfield stated on Facebook that the album was finished and that an official release date had yet to be confirmed. Towards the end of recording in late 2016, the Bahamas suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Matthew, which caused extensive damage to Oldfield’s home, resulting in loss of main power for three weeks. When the album was finished, Oldfield delivered the recordings to Virgin EMI using a backup Internet connection through a small satellite dish installed on his roof. The transfer took around 24 hours due to the low speeds. On 7 December 2016, Oldfield announced a release date of 20 January 2017. On the same day, a 3-minute excerpt aired on Steve Wright’s afternoon show on BBC Radio 2.

Return to Ommadawn is Oldfield’s first album since Incantations (1978) that follows the format of having one track per side of vinyl simply titled “Part One” and “Part Two”.[1]
Reception

On Metacritic the album has a score of 64 out of 100 based on reviews from 7 critics, indicating “generally favorable reviews”. It charted at number 1 in Spain. (wikipedia)

British multi-instrumentalist Mike Oldfield offers up this warmly crafted sequel to his 1975 classic Ommadawn, marking a return to a more organic style of composing. After polling fans online about what type of approach they’d like to hear, Oldfield was overwhelmingly urged to revisit the acoustic style heard on his first three albums. Eager for the challenge, he spent nearly a year in his studio crafting what would become 2017’s Return to Ommadawn, an instrumental meditation on the prog-folk fantasy world he’d originally imagined four decades prior. A true solo effort, Oldfield plays every instrument on the record, which is divided into “Part I” and “Part II,” each lasting about 20 minutes in a nod to the original’s vinyl format.

A pleasing blend of Celtic, folk, and rock elements using a multitude of acoustic and electric guitars, old-school keyboards, mandolins, whistles, and hand drums, Return to Ommadawn is thoughtful in its construction, unfurling in a dreamy fantasia that indeed recalls Oldfield’s early days, but softened with the nostalgia of accumulated age. The emotional arc of the album is subtly instituted with the gentler peaks of “Part I” eventually becoming quite majestic in the final two movements of “Part II.” Oldfield’s Ommadawn is an enchanted place and this lush revisitation both honors his initial creation and neatly extends its boundaries. (by Timothy Monger)

Personnel:

Tracklist:
01. Return To Ommadawn Pt. I 21.09
02. Return To Ommadawn Pt. II 20.58

Music: Mike Olfield

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More from Mike Oldfield:

The official website:

Black Patti – Red Tape (2017)

The duo of Peter Crow C. and Ferdinand “Jelly Roll” Kraemer from Munich, Germany focuses on the sound of prewar blues… either covers or originals. The name Black Patti is taken from a short lived Chicago record label from 1927 that lasted less than a year. Their intent is sincere. The instrumentation of acoustic guitars, mandolin and harmonica is great.

Both musicians sing, often in harmony, and wrote all the material themselves on this excellent release. The only other musicians involved are double bassists Ryan Donohue and Uli Lehmann who add a bottom line pulse to several songs. The material is traditional in terms of styles with ragtime and Piedmont well represented.

The mandolin is not often heard in modern blues though there are exceptions such as Rich Del Grosso and specialist guitarists who play occasionally, such as Billy Flynn. As such this disc is a real change and the jingling tone of the mandolin on opener “Ask Your Mama” sounds great. The two voices combine well and there is no issue with accents as both sing well in an adopted language. Lyrically “Evil Queen Of Diamonds” harks back to earlier traditions of the good man being done down by an evil girl (and the gambling allusion does no harm either!).

Peter had a hand in writing all songs bar one here, the exception being Ferdinand’s’s “Good Bye Little Baby” which borrows the riff (and some of the lyrical theme) of SBW’s “Good Morning Little Schoolgirl” with the two vocalists singing in a call and response style. The album title comes from “Red Tape Blues” which brings age-old concerns about money up to date with reference to ‘plastic card’ with a chorus that reprises the ‘Glory Hallelujah’ refrain in a deceptively jaunty presentation of some tough facts about debt.

“I Shouldn’t Have Done It” is an attractive tune with another good chorus as the pair confess to a number of misdemeanors involving alcohol and an unlikely partner: “She was six feet four had no front teeth, she took off her wig and there was nothing beneath”. Peter’s harmonica is featured on the hillbilly tune “Wooten Stomp” and the fast-paced “I’ll Never Come Back Home”. “Frenchmen Street Rag” takes us on a trip to New Orleans while “A Stroll With Mr Roll” is an autobiographical piece about mandolin player Ferdinand of whom it is said (perhaps tongue in cheek) “when he is on tour he buzzes like a bumble bee”. The album closes with “Nagging Blues” that could quite easily pass as a vintage song but is another of Peter’s tunes.

This is a well recorded disc that will be of definite interest to acoustic blues fans, especially those who appreciate the mandolin. (bluesblastmagazine.com)

Personnel:
Ferdinand „Jelly Roll“ Kraemer (mandolin, guitar, vocals)
Peter „Crow C.“ Krause (vocals, guitar, harmonica)
+
Ryan Donahue (bass, background vocals)
Uli Lehmann (bass bei 05.)

Tracklist:
01. 01. Ask Your Mama (Krause/Kraemer) 3.29
02. Evil Queen Of Diamonds (Krause/Judge) 3.53
03. Good Bye Little Baby (Kramer) 3.15
04. Red Tape Blues (Krause) 3.37
05. A Little Bit Friday (Krause/Kraemer) 4.08
06. I Shouldn’t Have Done It (Krause/Judge) 3.39
07. Wooten Stomp (Krause/Kraemer) 2.48
08. Frenchmen Street Rag (Kramer) 2.36
09. That’s My Sugar (Krause) 2.01
10. I’ll Never Come Back Home (Krause/Judge) 3.01
11. A Stroll With Mr. Roll (Krause) 2.53
12. The One That Is Always True (Krause/Kraemer) 2.33
13. Nagging Blues (Krause/Judge) 2.10

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Black Patti with Robert Crumb (May 2022):

Live November 2021:

The official website:

Beth Hart – Bang Bang Boom Boom (2017)

Beth Hart (born January 24, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter and musician from Los Angeles, California. She rose to fame with the release of her 1999 single “LA Song (Out of This Town)” from her second album Screamin’ for My Supper. The single was a number one hit in New Zealand, as well as reaching the top 5 of the US Adult Contemporary and Top 10 on the Billboard Adult Top 40 charts.

The albums Seesaw and Live in Amsterdam by Hart and Joe Bonamassa debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Blues Album Chart, a chart she has now topped six times. Hart has had two number 1 singles in Denmark, “As Good as It Gets” and “Learning to Live”, as well a double platinum-selling album, Leave the Light On.

Hart’s first album with Bonamassa, Don’t Explain, went gold in the Netherlands, while their 2014 collaboration Seesaw was nominated for a Grammy Award, and gave Hart her first Blues Music Award nomination in the category ‘Best Contemporary Blues Female Artist’.

Bang Bang Boom Boom is the sixth studio album by American singer-songwriter Beth Hart, released on October 5, 2012 by Provogue/Mascot Label. (wikipedia)

Beth Hart received a considerable boost from her collaboration with guitarist Joe Bonamassa, but her 2013 album, Bang Bang Boom Boom, finds the blues-rock belter returning to her comfort zone, working with producer Kevin Shirley and running through a selection of songs that are originals; songs that emphasize Hart’s range and power. In some ways, this is the purest record Hart has yet recorded; there is a real sense of what she can sing and how she lays back, waiting for the moment when her wailing would create the strongest disruption.

That means Bang Bang Boom Boom feels familiar without being complacent: there is no surprise in style but rather in attack, how Hart waits for the precise moment to unleash her fury. Sometimes, it seems that Hart would be well-served by stretching herself just a bit, but Bang Bang Boom Boom isn’t an album that’s meant to surprise. It’s supposed to hit its mark with precision and minimal flair, and that’s exactly what it does. [The American edition contains a bonus track: the stellar live version of “I’d Rather Go Blind,” that Hart performed with Jeff Beck at the 2012 Kennedy Center Honors in tribute to Buddy Guy. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Personnel:
Curt Bisquera (drums)
Joe Bonamassa (guitar)
Lenny Castro (percussion)
Ron Dziubla (saxophone)
Anton Fig (drums)
Randy Flowers (guitar)
Beth Hart (piano, vocals)
Herman Matthews (drums)
Michael Rhodes (bass)
Arlan Schierbaum (organ)
Lee Thornburg (trombone, trumpet)
+
Jeff Beck (guitar on 12.)

Tracklist:
01. Baddest Blues (Hart) 4.49
02. Bang Bang Boom Boom (Hart/Westberg) 3.38
03. Better Man (Hart/Byrom) 3.48
04. Caught Out In The Rain (Hart/House) 7.13
05. Swing My Thing Back Around (Hart) 3.37
06. With You Every Day (Hart/Winans) 3.04
07. Thru the Window Of My Mind (Hart/Westberg) 4.22
08. Spirit Of God (Hart) 4.53
09. There In Your Heart (Hart) 4.32
10. The Ugliest House On The Block (Hart) 5.13
11. Everything Must Change (Hart) 3.48
+
12. I’d Rather Go Blind (Jordan/Foster) 5.01

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More from Beth Hart:

Christmas 2021 (08): Tarja – From Spirits and Ghosts (Score For A Dark Christmas) (2017)

Tarja Soile Susanna Turunen-Cabuli (born 17 August 1977), known professionally as Tarja Turunen or simply Tarja, is a Finnish heavy metal singer-songwriter. She is a soprano with a three and a half octave range.

Turunen studied singing at Sibelius Academy and Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe. She is a professional classical lied singer, and the former lead vocalist of the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, which she founded with Tuomas Holopainen and Emppu Vuorinen in 1996. Their combination of hard and fast guitar riffs with Turunen’s dramatic, “operatic” lead vocals quickly achieved critical and commercial popularity. Their symphonic metal style, soon dubbed “opera metal”, inspired many other metal bands and performers.

Turunen was dismissed from the band on 21 October 2005 (just after the performance of the band’s End of an Era concert) for personal reasons. She started her solo career in 2006 with the release of a Christmas album called Henkäys ikuisuudesta. In 2007, Turunen released My Winter Storm, an album featuring various styles including symphonic metal, and started the Storm World Tour. She performed several concerts in Europe, playing in metal festivals including the Graspop Metal Meeting and the Wacken Open Air, before releasing her third album, What Lies Beneath, supported by a tour, which lasted until April 2012.

Her first live DVD Act I was filmed during this tour on 30 and 31 March 2012 in Rosario, Argentina. Act I was released in August 2012. Turunen started the Colours in the Dark World Tour in October 2013 to promote her new album Colours in the Dark. Her second live DVD was filmed during the events of Beauty and the Beat and was released in May.

In September 2015, Tarja Turunen released her first classical studio album, Ave Maria – En Plein Air. In August 2016 she released The Shadow Self with a prequel EP The Brightest Void released on 3 June. Her latest album In the Raw, was released on 30 August 2019.

From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas) is the second classical and Christmas album, and the seventh studio album released by the Finnish soprano Tarja Turunen.

On the 22 September 2017, earMUSIC released a video announcing the existence of the album. A music video was released on the 6th of October, with Tarja singing “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”.

With the album release comes also Tarja Turunen’s first graphic novel, From Spirits and Ghosts (Novel for a Dark Christmas). The 40-page novel is about the world of dark Christmas scripted by Peter Rogers with accompanying art by Conor Boyle. The “novel for a dark Christmas” revolves around Tarja’s two characters, the dark and light one, bringing together lonely souls during the festive season.

The album has been critically acclaimed by critics and fans alike, who have noted the dark twist Turunen achieved on the album and the combination of different languages; however, critics have commented that the album will be largely forgotten after the Christmas holidays.

The album was re-released in November 6, 2020, the reissue includes 3 versions in alternative languages plus the collaboration with Tarja´s friends Cristina Scabbia, Doro Pesch, Elize Ryd, Floor Jansen, Hansi Kürsch, Joe Lynn Turner, Marco Saaresto, Michael Monroe, Sharon Den Adel, Simone Simons, Timo Kotipelto and Tony Kakko for the beloved “Feliz Navidad”. Further to the additional studio recordings, the reissue comes with the previously unreleased live album “Christmas Together: Live at Olomouc and Hradec Králové 2019”

The album includes 11 Christmas classics combined with darker gothic influences. Utilizing the sound of a grand orchestra, traditional songs such as “O Tannenbaum”, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” and “Feliz Navidad” are included. Besides covering classic carols, “From Spirits and Ghosts” also features a 12th track, the original track “Together”. This song continues the dark sound of the album and embodies the theme of ghosts and mysticism throughout.

On December 8, Tarja released a second, “charity” version of “Feliz Navidad” as a way to help raise funds for Barbuda, an island that was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma.[4] The track features guest vocals by Doro Pesch, Michael Monroe, Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica), Elize Ryd (Amaranthe), Marko Saaresto (Poets of the Fall), Timo Kotipelto (Stratovarius), Simone Simons (Epica), Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Floor Jansen (Nightwish), Hansi Kürsch (Blind Guardian) and Sharon Den Adel (Within Temptation).(wikipedia)

While Finnish vocalist and songwriter Tarja Turunen is well known for wedding the operatic to symphonic metal, she forgoes the latter entirely on From Spirits and Ghosts (Score for a Dark Christmas). Recorded during the summer of 2017 in the Caribbean, mixed in Texas, and mastered in New York, the set includes 11 classic carols and other songs associated with the season as well as a new track recorded in the same manner. Turunen produced the collection with the American, Emmy Award-winning film score composer Jim Dooley — who also handled arrangements — and British producer Tim Palmer (Pearl Jam, David Bowie, U2, the Cure, et. al).

Though Turunen’s voice is characteristically crystalline, the gothic orchestral treatments of the traditional holiday material, beginning with downright spooky album-opener “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” are sometimes akin to the gloomy and monumental atmospheres created by Dead Can Dance. This feel saturates other tunes here such as the heartbreakingly lovely “Pie Jesu,” the wildly dramatic “O Tannenbaum,” and amazingly enough, the album’s greatest surprise “Feliz Navidad.” The melancholy in the relatively sparse charts on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” creates an even greater sense of intimacy, while closer “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” is drenched in echo and electronics aside a celeste and chamber instruments, creating an eerie feel to send the album off. “Together,” the lone new track, is a bittersweet seasonal song with Turunen fronting a full chorus, as triangles, swelling strings, and tympanis fill up the space behind and around her — it’s as lovely as it is sad. The outlier is the hymn “Amazing Grace,” stitched together with pulsing synths, low-end brass, and reverb before the entire orchestra floods the foreground. Somehow Turunen’s aesthetic principles shoehorns the tune to fit seamlessly into the mix. Given the absence of metal on Spirits and Ghosts, it will be interesting to see how it sits with her legions of fans. For the rest of us, however, this is a gorgeous left-field addition to the Christmas canon. (by Thom Jurek)

Personnel:
Jim Dooley (James) (keyboards)
Peter Gregson (cello)
Tarja Turunen (vocals, keyboards)
+
unknown orchestra
+
Naomi Eerika Alexia Cabuli Turunen (vocals on 04.)

Tracklist:
01. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel (Neale) 4.57
02. Together (T.Turunen) 3.21
03. We Three Kings (Hopkins) 3.54
04. Deck The Halls (Oliphant/Thomas/Talhaiarn) 2.45
05. Pie Jesu (Webber) 3.28
06. Amazing Grace (Newton) 4.43
07. O Tannenbaum (Anschütz/Franck) 3.38
08. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (Martin/Blane) 3.40
09. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional) 4.14
10. Feliz Navidad (Feliciano) 5.49
11. What Child Is This (Dix) 4.56
12. We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Traditional) 4.07

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Christmas 2021 (01) – Pentatonix – A Pentatonix Christmas Deluxe (2017)

All years again … I want to present Christmas songs of all kinds this December as well.

Pentatonix (abbreviated PTX) is an American a cappella group from Arlington, Texas, consisting of vocalists Scott Hoying (baritone), Mitch Grassi (tenor), Kirstin Maldonado (alto), Kevin Olusola (vocal percussion and vocals), and Matt Sallee (bass). Characterized by their pop-style arrangements with vocal harmonies, basslines, riffing, percussion, and beatboxing, they produce cover versions of modern pop works or Christmas songs, sometimes in the form of medleys, along with original material. Pentatonix formed in 2011 and subsequently won the third season of NBC’s The Sing-Off, receiving $200,000 and a recording contract with Sony Music. When Sony’s Epic Records dropped the group after The Sing-Off, the group formed its YouTube channel, distributing its music through Madison Gate Records, a label owned by Sony Pictures. Their YouTube channel currently has over 19 million subscribers and 5 billion views. The group’s video tribute to Daft Punk had received more than 355 million views as of November 20, 2021.

Their debut EP PTX, Volume 1 was released in 2012, followed by their holiday release PTXmas the same year, with Pentatonix’s third release, PTX, Vol. II, debuting at number 1 on Billboard’s Independent Albums chart and number 10 on the Billboard 200 in 2013. In May 2014, Pentatonix signed with RCA Records, a “flagship” label of Sony Music Entertainment, while in the same year, the group released their fourth EP, PTX, Vol. III, and two full-length studio albums; PTX, Vols. 1 & 2, a compilation album released in Japan, Korea and Australia, and their second holiday release, That’s Christmas to Me, with the album certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), platinum on December 24, 2014, and double platinum on February 11, 2016, becoming the highest-charting holiday album by a group since 1962, and the fourth-best-selling album in the United States in 2014. The following year, Pentatonix released their eponymous album, their first consisting mostly of original material, which debuted atop the US Billboard 200 chart for the first time in their career, followed by a third Christmas album, A Pentatonix Christmas, in 2016, and a new EP, PTX, Vol. IV – Classics, the year after.

In September 2017, Avi Kaplan, the group’s original bass, left the group amicably and was replaced by Matt Sallee, who was featured on their next album PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I.

Pentatonix have won three Grammy Awards: they were the first a cappella act to win Best Arrangement, Instrumental or A Cappella, doing so in 2015 and 2016, and Best Country Duo/Group Performance in 2017

A Pentatonix Christmas is the fifth studio album by American a cappella group Pentatonix. It is also their second full-length holiday album since That’s Christmas to Me in 2014. Featuring two new original songs, “Good to Be Bad” and “The Christmas Sing-Along”, A Pentatonix Christmas debuted on the Billboard 200 at number three with 52,000 albums sold in its first week, and later peaked at number one, selling 206,000 units in its best week. A Pentatonix Christmas marks as their second number one album on the Billboard 200 after Pentatonix. The album also debuted atop the Billboard Holiday Albums chart, their second number one on that chart after That’s Christmas to Me. The deluxe edition of the album dropped from number 6 to 200 on the Billboard 200 in 2018, the greatest drop for an album that still remained on the chart, in Billboard history. The album also, with a guest appearance by The Manhattan Transfer, marked the first recording by the fourth iteration of the group, as this was Trist Curless’ first participation with the group in a recording since the death of Tim Hauser, whom Curless officially replaced in 2014.

As of November 2017, 938,000 units of A Pentatonix Christmas have been sold in the US and 1,400,000 units worldwide. A deluxe edition was released on October 20, 2017, almost a year after the original’s release. The deluxe edition additionally marks the first appearance of replacement bass Matt Sallee and the second to last appearance of Avi Kaplan. (wikipedia)

The second full-length holiday outing from the Arlington, Texas-based, 2011 Sing-Off-winning a cappella group, A Pentatonix Christmas delivers a colorful set of Yuletide emissions with ample amounts of spirit and a truly impressive command of harmony. Acrobatic takes on “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “O Come, All Ye Faithful,” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” fit nicely alongside highlights from 2014’s double platinum-selling That’s Christmas to Me, but where the former only yielded one original offering, A Pentatonix Christmas unleashes two self-penned Santa jams into the world, the winking “Good to Be Bad” and the festive “The Christmas Sing-Along.” Also notable is a soulful rendering of “White Christmas,” which sees the quintet teaming up with a cappella, jazz fusion, and pop legends Manhattan Transfer. (by James Christopher Monger)

This is the third festive album from the incredibly talented and versatile Pentatonix. Each track has a different style or vibe, sometimes more than one in each track, and each sounds wonderful when you listen for the first time, then as you listen again and again (which you will, I have been playing this CD constantly since it arrived!), there are even more fine details to notice. These five exceptionally skilful young people are not only charming in person, but have a wealth of musical backgrounds and skills, and chose to bring them together to create groundbreaking a cappella performances. I can’t praise them highly enough, and am so grateful that my daughter heard about them – another bonus is that they appeal to all generations. (Dawn S)

Personnel:
Mitch Grassi (tenor lead)
Scott Hoying (baritone lead)
Kevin “K.O.” Olusola (tenor vocals,  percussion)
Avi Kaplan (bass lead)
Kirstin Maldonado (alto lead)
+
Jennifer Hudson vocals on 13.
The Manhattan Transfer (choir on 03.)
The String Mob (strings on 16.)
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background vocals:
Kala Batch – Jessi Collins – Luke Edgemon – Anthony Evans – Missi Hale – Keri Larson –  David Laucks – Tiffany Palmer – Brandon Winbush

Tracklist:
01. O Come, All Ye Faithful (Traditional) 3.36
02. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Traditional) 2.30
03. White Christmas (featuring The Manhattan Transfer) (Berlin) 3.19
04. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (Gannon/Ram/Kent) 3.27
05. Up On The Housetop (Hanby) 2.15
06. The Christmas Sing-Along (Olusola/Hoying) 3.17
07. Coventry Carol (Traditional) 3.02
08. Hallelujah (Cohen) 4.29
09. Coldest Winter (Orzabal/West/Wilson) 2.28
10. Good To Be Bad (Hoying/Maldonado) 2.07
11. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays (Chasez/DeGiorgio/Timberlake) 3.56
12. Deck The Halls (Traditional) 2.47
13. How Great Thou Art () Traditional 4:08
14. Away In A Manger (Traditional) 3.04
15. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Cahn/Styne) 2.01
16. Hallelujah (Cohen) 4.31

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Wishbone Ash – Sweden Rock Festival (2017)

Wishbone Ash are a British rock band who achieved success in the early and mid-1970s. Their popular albums included Wishbone Ash (1970), Pilgrimage (1971), Argus (1972), Wishbone Four (1973), There’s the Rub (1974), and New England (1976). Wishbone Ash are noted for their extensive use of harmony twin lead guitars, which had been attracting electric blues bands since Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page had played together in the Yardbirds in 1966. Their contributions helped Andy Powell and Ted Turner to be voted “Two of the Ten Most Important Guitarists in Rock History” (Traffic magazine 1989), and to appear in the “Top 20 Guitarists of All Time” (Rolling Stone). Melody Maker (1972) described Powell and Turner as “the most interesting two guitar team since the days when Beck and Page graced The Yardbirds”. Several notable bands have cited Wishbone Ash as an influence, including Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Thin Lizzy, Metallica, Dream Theater, Overkill and Opeth. (wikipedia)

And the group went through many, many various line.ups ..

… And then, there was one. After various changes over the years – British rock band Wishbone Ash was formed in 1969 – only guitarist/vocalist Andy Powell remains from the original lineup.

And on this really brilliant show they play of course a lot of their old hits from the Seventies … enjoy the power of Wishbone Ash

Recorded live at the Sweden Rock Festival. Sweden Stage, Sölvesborg, Sweden
June 9, 2017. Very good FM broadcast.

Personnel:
Mark Abrahams (guitar, vocals)
Joe Crabtree (drums)
Andy Powell (guitar, vocals)
Bob Skeat (bass, vocals)

 

Tracklist:
01. The King Will Come (Powell/M.Turner/T.Turner/Upton) 7.47
02. Eyes Wide Open (Andy Powell/Aynsley Powell/Manninen) 4:24
03. Warrior (Powell/M.Turner/T.Turner/Upton) 5.40
04. Throw Down the Sword (Powell/M.Turner/T.Turner/Upton) 5.54
05. Open Road ((Upton/Wisefield/Powell) 9.41
06. Jail Bait (Powell/M.Turner/T.Turner/Upton) 7.27
07. Phoenix (Powell/M.Turner/T.Turner/Upton) 14.52
08. Blowin’ Free (Powell/M.Turner/T.Turner/Upton) 5.55

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More Wishbone Ash:

Stills & Collins – Everybody Knows (2017)

Everybody Knows is an album by Stephen Stills and Judy Collins, credited to “Stills & Collins”. It marks the first collaboration between the former lovers and longtime friends. It was financed through a crowdfunding campaign on PledgeMusic.

From 1968 to 1969, Stills and Collins were romantically involved. Stills wrote several songs about Judy, most notably “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” and “Judy”. But despite Stills playing on several of Collins’ recordings, they never recorded as a duo or performed on stage together.[2] Stills said that he and Collins “…talked over the years and muddled through conversations about if we did make a record together…”, ultimately releasing Everybody Knows and going on tour. (by wikipedia)

50 years ago, singer-songwriter Stephen Stills met singer-songwriter Judy Collins, known for her piercing ocean blue eyes. Their tumultuous love affair would later be immortalized by Stills with his composition “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” performed by Crosby, Stills & Nash on their landmark debut. Both artists would go gone to shape modern music with visionary approaches, but Stills and Collins’ short fiery union remains a transformative era for the two artists.

This summer, the two icons of folk will celebrate the golden anniversary of their formative time together. Their joint summer tour marks the first time ever Stills and Collins have been onstage together. For this once in a lifetime experience, the two music legends will pull from their rich catalogs, debut songs from their upcoming album, due out Summer of 2017, and share warm and intimate stories from their journeys and the1960s folk and Laurel Canyon scenes they helped build.

Stills and Collins met in 1967 and dated for two years. Stills wrote and demoed his legendary love song to Collins right after he left Buffalo Springfield, before he joined CSN. “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” is a five-section romantic epic brimming with heartfelt sincerity. The song has been ranked #418 in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time Poll.

​                                                                                                                                                                     Stills is known for his work with Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and his solo work. In addition to “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” Stills is best known for the hits “ For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield and “Love The One You’re With” from his solo debut, Stephen Stills. He’s a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and ranked #28 in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “The 100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time.” He also has the added distinction of being the first artist to be inducted into the Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame twice in one night (for his work with CSN and Buffalo Springfield). He recently released a sophomore album with The Rides, the blues-rock supergroup he formed in 2013 with Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Barry Goldberg, and is currently putting the finishing touches on his long-awaited, much-anticipated autobiography.

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‘Stills & Collins’ will be released on the heels of a very busy period for Collins, who released an album in 2015 and 2016. 2015’s ‘Strangers Again’ earned Judy her highest Billboard 200 debut in almost 30 years, and 2016’s ‘Silver Skies Blue’ duets album with Ari Hest earned a GRAMMY nomination for Best Folk Album. She’s recently been described by the NY Times as the “ageless wild angel of pop,” appeared in HBO’s Girls, and released the book ‘Cravings: How I Conquered Food’ earlier this year. (press release)

Judy Collins provided Stephen Stills with the inspiration for “Suite: Judy Blue Eyes,” a song he composed in 1969 as their relationship was coming to an end. Lovers no more, the two remained friends over the years and decided to strike up a musical partnership nearly 50 years later, releasing Everybody Knows in September of 2017. The album deliberately plays off their past, with the duo reviving songs from their individual albums — “Who Knows Where the Time Goes” from Collins; “So Begins the Task” from Stills — and selecting covers from their peers, including the Traveling Wilburys’ “Handle with Care,” Tim Hardin’s “Reason to Believe,” Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country,” and Leonard Cohen’s “Everybody Knows,” which also lends its name to the album title. It’s a clean and crisp production, so much so that its transparency reveals the disparity between Collins’ sweet voice and Stills’ scraggly singing, a pairing that can sound as smooth as sandpaper. Nevertheless, there’s an inherent warmth to Everybody Knows. Stills and Collins have a gentle, easy chemistry and the studio-slick supporting performances provide a nice bed for a project that is less nostalgia than a reassuring reminder of the comfort of growing old together. (by Stephen Thomas Erlewine)

Personnel:
Tony Beard (drums)
Judy Collins (vocals, guitar)
Kevin McCormick (bass)
Stephen Stills (vocals, guitar)
Russell Walden (keyboards)
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Marvin Etzioni (mandolin, mandocello on 05.)

Tracklist:
01. Handle With Care (Dylan/Lynne/Petty/Harrison/Orbison) 3.43
02. So Begins The Task (Stills) 3.36
03. River Of Gold (Collins) 3.37
04. Judy (Stills) 4.03
05. Everybody Knows (Cohen/Robinson) 5.27
06. Houses (Collins) 4.37
07. Reason To Believe (Hardin) 2.57
08. Girl From The North Country (Dylan) 3.26
09. Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Denny) 5.41
10. Questions (Stills) 3.45

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