London, UK - MJ12, featuring Brand X bass legend Percy Jones, will be releasing their eagerly awaited debut album on Gonzo Multimedia UK on June 24, 2016. Recorded in the summer of 2015 at Shelter Island studios in Manhattan, MJ12 is jazz/fusion/prog music at its finest. Featuring virtuosic performances by all four band members, in many ways this album is an extension of what Percy Jones created with Brand X!
Says Percy, “We took the name from Majestik 12, which was supposedly a group of 12 scientists and engineers assembled in the late 40's to investigate UFO's. There is an ongoing debate as to whether this group actually existed or not. Stephen Moses and I had been doing gigs for a while where we would invite guests to sit in. We did all improv, so this was actually M&J +1 or 2. After a while we started using David Phelps and Chris Bacas on a regular basis if they were available. At this point we started writing stuff, but keeping a lot of the improv thing going to keep it spontaneous. The end result was bits and pieces of ideas coming from everybody that were all tied together to try and make a coherent tune, but with lots of blowing inside. By last Summer we felt like it had shaped up well enough to record it, so we went in and recorded it over 2 days.”
Track listing:
1) Call 911
2) Bad American Dream Pt2
3) Magic Mist
4) Talk Time
5) The Wow Signal
6) Big Daddy Road
7) The Phantom Maracas
8) Guns And Pussy
9) Magic Mist Reprise
MJ12 is:
Percy Jones
Percy Jones grew up near Llandrindod Wells, Wales. He studied electronic engineering at the University of Liverpool before joining Liverpool Scene in 1967 He was a member of jazz fusion band Brand X from 1974 to 1980, and a reformed version which lasted from 1992 to 1997. He was in NYC based band Tunnels from 1990 until 2005. Still residing in New York, he is currently a member of MJ12. Jones is best known for his unique fretless bass sound. Jones was also briefly a member of the jazz fusion group Soft Machine, and has contributed to recordings by David Sylvian, Brian Eno, Steve Hackett, Roy Harper, Paranoise, Suzanne Vega, Richard Barbieri, Nova and Fovea Hex, amongst others.
Stephen Moses
After several years playing as part of “the loft jazz scene” in NYC with the likes of James Chance, John Zorn, Phillip Johnston, Ken Simon, Dave Hofstra (and many others) drummer/trombonist Stephen Moses started getting busier with more rock and jazz/rock in the CBGB's scene with Giant Metal Insects and Quality Trio with Jim Matus & Percy Jones. Alice Donut formed after that and took Stephen on the road and the studio for several years and a dozen albums followed by a few tours with Rasputina. Then a few years ago Stephen rejoined Percy to do what we do today.
Dave Phelps
Guitarist David Phelps is currently a member of Peter Apfelbaum's 11-piece band The New York Hieroglyphics, which includes many of today's best creative musicians, including drummer Dafnis Prieto, bassist Patrice Blanchard, trombonist Josh Roseman and vocalist Abdoulaye Diabate. Their newest album “It Is Written” was released in August 2005 on the ACT label. He also leads his own band the Eclectic Troubadours. David grew up in Denton, Texas, the home of the University of North Texas, formerly known as North Texas State. As a youngster, he started playing the bass clarinet and later played in bands with many of the children of North Texas faculty members. David, along with his twin brother, bassist Drew Phelps, attended North Texas, studying with Rich Matheson and guitar guru Jack Peterson, among others. David then traveled to Alberta, Canada where he studied at the Banff Centre with jazz greats Dave Liebman and Dave Holland (both Miles Davis alumni). He also studied with John Abercrombie, Steve Coleman and Kenny Wheeler.
Chris Bacas
Saxophonist Chris Bacas began his career at age fifteen as a sideman with a club band in York, PA, and after attending North Texas State, he began his jazz performance career in earnest. Beginning in 1983, Chris played in the Glen Miller Band, The Tommy Dorsey Band, the Artie Shaw Band, and Buddy Rich's legendary Big Band until Rich's passing in 1987. Over the past twenty years, Chris has appeared at festivals all over the world, including the Nice, North Sea, Cork, Santiago, Montreal, Moers Texaco, Annapolis, JVC New York, and Central PA Jazz Festivals. He has performed in Copenhagen at the Tivoli Gardens; in Los Angeles at The Hollywood Bowl and LA's Comedy Store; in New York's Blue Note and Birdland; at Chicago's Jazz Showcase; and in Washington D.C. at Blues Alley and One Step Down.
In conclusion Percy has this to impart, “Well, I hope people like this record. I have a lot of appreciation for everyone who supported Brand X back in the day, or any of the other projects I was involved in. The band follows on from stuff I've done in the past, trying to keep the music unpredictable, interesting and moving in a new direction.”
London, UK - MJ12, featuring Brand X bass legend Percy Jones, will be releasing their eagerly awaited debut album on Gonzo Multimedia UK on June 24, 2016. Recorded in the summer of 2015 at Shelter Island studios in Manhattan, MJ12 is jazz/fusion/prog music at its finest. Featuring virtuosic performances by all four band members, in many ways this album is an extension of what Percy Jones created with Brand X!
Says Percy, “We took the name from Majestik 12, which was supposedly a group of 12 scientists and engineers assembled in the late 40's to investigate UFO's. There is an ongoing debate as to whether this group actually existed or not. Stephen Moses and I had been doing gigs for a while where we would invite guests to sit in. We did all improv, so this was actually M&J +1 or 2. After a while we started using David Phelps and Chris Bacas on a regular basis if they were available. At this point we started writing stuff, but keeping a lot of the improv thing going to keep it spontaneous. The end result was bits and pieces of ideas coming from everybody that were all tied together to try and make a coherent tune, but with lots of blowing inside. By last Summer we felt like it had shaped up well enough to record it, so we went in and recorded it over 2 days.”
Track listing:
1) Call 911 2) Bad American Dream Pt2 3) Magic Mist 4) Talk Time 5) The Wow Signal 6) Big Daddy Road 7) The Phantom Maracas 8) Guns And Pussy 9) Magic Mist Reprise
MJ12 is:
Percy Jones Percy Jones grew up near Llandrindod Wells, Wales. He studied electronic engineering at the University of Liverpool before joining Liverpool Scene in 1967 He was a member of jazz fusion band Brand X from 1974 to 1980, and a reformed version which lasted from 1992 to 1997. He was in NYC based band Tunnels from 1990 until 2005. Still residing in New York, he is currently a member of MJ12. Jones is best known for his unique fretless bass sound. Jones was also briefly a member of the jazz fusion group Soft Machine, and has contributed to recordings by David Sylvian, Brian Eno, Steve Hackett, Roy Harper, Paranoise, Suzanne Vega, Richard Barbieri, Nova and Fovea Hex, amongst others.
Stephen Moses After several years playing as part of “the loft jazz scene” in NYC with the likes of James Chance, John Zorn, Phillip Johnston, Ken Simon, Dave Hofstra (and many others) drummer/trombonist Stephen Moses started getting busier with more rock and jazz/rock in the CBGB's scene with Giant Metal Insects and Quality Trio with Jim Matus & Percy Jones. Alice Donut formed after that and took Stephen on the road and the studio for several years and a dozen albums followed by a few tours with Rasputina. Then a few years ago Stephen rejoined Percy to do what we do today.
Dave Phelps Guitarist David Phelps is currently a member of Peter Apfelbaum's 11-piece band The New York Hieroglyphics, which includes many of today's best creative musicians, including drummer Dafnis Prieto, bassist Patrice Blanchard, trombonist Josh Roseman and vocalist Abdoulaye Diabate. Their newest album “It Is Written” was released in August 2005 on the ACT label. He also leads his own band the Eclectic Troubadours. David grew up in Denton, Texas, the home of the University of North Texas, formerly known as North Texas State. As a youngster, he started playing the bass clarinet and later played in bands with many of the children of North Texas faculty members. David, along with his twin brother, bassist Drew Phelps, attended North Texas, studying with Rich Matheson and guitar guru Jack Peterson, among others. David then traveled to Alberta, Canada where he studied at the Banff Centre with jazz greats Dave Liebman and Dave Holland (both Miles Davis alumni). He also studied with John Abercrombie, Steve Coleman and Kenny Wheeler.
Chris Bacas Saxophonist Chris Bacas began his career at age fifteen as a sideman with a club band in York, PA, and after attending North Texas State, he began his jazz performance career in earnest. Beginning in 1983, Chris played in the Glen Miller Band, The Tommy Dorsey Band, the Artie Shaw Band, and Buddy Rich's legendary Big Band until Rich's passing in 1987. Over the past twenty years, Chris has appeared at festivals all over the world, including the Nice, North Sea, Cork, Santiago, Montreal, Moers Texaco, Annapolis, JVC New York, and Central PA Jazz Festivals. He has performed in Copenhagen at the Tivoli Gardens; in Los Angeles at The Hollywood Bowl and LA's Comedy Store; in New York's Blue Note and Birdland; at Chicago's Jazz Showcase; and in Washington D.C. at Blues Alley and One Step Down.
In conclusion Percy has this to impart, “Well, I hope people like this record. I have a lot of appreciation for everyone who supported Brand X back in the day, or any of the other projects I was involved in. The band follows on from stuff I've done in the past, trying to keep the music unpredictable, interesting and moving in a new direction.”
Los Angeles, CA - Having explored the intersection of space rock and jazz fusion on his newest solo album, 2015’s Space Fusion Odyssey, Hawkwind co-founder Nik Turner continues his bold expedition into the outer reaches of experimental music, recording a new full-length album of improvisational jazz freakouts with a Seattle-based ensemble including drummer Jack Gold-Molina and guitarist Dennis Rea (both of psych/prog band Spectral Waves), alongside bassist Paul “PK” Kemmish. The group owes its origins to a meeting between Gold-Molina and Turner, when Gold-Molina interviewed the British space-rock legend back in 2009 for an article in All About Jazz magazine. The idea for a musical collaboration between the two emerged, and as Gold-Molina recalls, “I believe Nik’s exact words were, ‘If people have got the balls to come onstage with me, then they are welcome to.’” And so began the journey that would lead these fearless souls from an initial round of freeform demo recording to putting a full blown band together, recording an album, and even performing live at Seattle’s Seaprog Festival in August of 2015. Enlisting Seattle icon Jack Endino, famed producer of Nirvana, L7, Screaming Trees and others, to mix the album, the band is now set to release this self-titled project on May 20 through Purple Pyramid Records.
Track List:
1. Mosquitos
2. Past Lives
3. In The Distance
4. Liquid
5. Organic Truth
6. Tantalium
7. Wild Flower
Los Angeles, CA - Having explored the intersection of space rock and jazz fusion on his newest solo album, 2015’s Space Fusion Odyssey, Hawkwind co-founder Nik Turner continues his bold expedition into the outer reaches of experimental music, recording a new full-length album of improvisational jazz freakouts with a Seattle-based ensemble including drummer Jack Gold-Molina and guitarist Dennis Rea (both of psych/prog band Spectral Waves), alongside bassist Paul “PK” Kemmish. The group owes its origins to a meeting between Gold-Molina and Turner, when Gold-Molina interviewed the British space-rock legend back in 2009 for an article in All About Jazz magazine. The idea for a musical collaboration between the two emerged, and as Gold-Molina recalls, “I believe Nik’s exact words were, ‘If people have got the balls to come onstage with me, then they are welcome to.’” And so began the journey that would lead these fearless souls from an initial round of freeform demo recording to putting a full blown band together, recording an album, and even performing live at Seattle’s Seaprog Festival in August of 2015. Enlisting Seattle icon Jack Endino, famed producer of Nirvana, L7, Screaming Trees and others, to mix the album, the band is now set to release this self-titled project on May 20 through Purple Pyramid Records.
Track List: 1. Mosquitos 2. Past Lives 3. In The Distance 4. Liquid 5. Organic Truth 6. Tantalium 7. Wild Flower
Paris - French-Brazilian guitar virtuoso Marcelo Paganini has been away from his native Brazil for more than 11 years when he booked a last minute tour in December 2014 to release there his critically acclaimed prog rock jazz fusion album “2012 Space Traffic Jam”. Three gigs in his home town Belo Horizonte, including the private party for Marcelo's 50th anniversary, and three gigs in Rio de Janeiro where he has never played before with his band. Being also a film maker, doing what he calls “No BS films” (means “no budget/no script films”) since 2003, Paganini decided to make a rockumentary about the tour: “First time in Rio” (“Primeira vez no Rio”) 34 minutes 57 seconds, color, France, that was concluded in March 2016. There is also one extended version planned, around one hour long, with more live songs. The rock doc will be screened at Portobello Film Festival in London next September. The live soundtrack of the film is being released in April the 14th 2016 on CD Baby “First time in Rio - Marcelo Paganini Band Live”. 49 minutes of music in 6 tracks. 5 from the “2012 Space Traffic Jam” album: "Sphinxes of Babel", “Crying With a Smile”, “Somewhere Somehow”, “B4ever Now”, “Somewhere Somehow” encore and the instrumental bonus track “Trindade” used in the end credits of the film. All songs and lyrics by Marcelo Paganini.
As a film maker Marcelo Paganini participated in festivals in several countries (Brazil, Netherlands, Iceland, France, UK) and made, among others: “Interactivity”, an experimental film in 35 mm in 2003; signed a distribution deal in Hollywood with Big Films Short/Tigris Films in 2007 for his short “The 8th Bullet”; was selected at Short Film Corner, Cannes Film Festival in 2008 with “The 8th Bullet Samba”; got short listed on “Best Musical Film” at Portobello Film festival in 2011 with “2010 Os Mutantes - Back to Paris” and won the “69 Hours Film Challenge” during the same Festival.
Several top Brazilian musicians participated in the documentary “First time in Rio”: the founders (with Milton Nascimento) of the world famous mouvement “Clube da Esquina” (Corner's Club) Marcio and Lo Borges, Claudio Venturini from 14 Bis band, Marcio Buzelin from Jota Quest band, one of the most popular rock bands in Brazil, among others. Also interviewed for the film were two out of three original members of Marcelo Paganini's band in 1983, when he played his first theater show at ICBEU in Belo Horizonte and performed “Sphinxes of Babel” live for the first time, song that opens his “2012 Space Traffic Jam” album released in 2014.
On this tour Marcelo Paganini had a great band in Belo Horizonte with Leo Javali on bass, Walner Lucas on keys and Christian Weber on drums. They played to a full house at Gilboa, the crowd sang along, danced and went wild. There are many videos on-line. They also played the birthday party and the last gig in town at Livraria Status, an open air show which was almost canceled because of the rain. People came anyway with umbrellas and at the end the sun showed up as well.
In Rio, Marcelo Paganini also got some of the best musicians in town, therefore in the country: Milton Nascimento's keyboard player Kiko Continentino, with whom he had a jazz duo back in 1987. Almost 30 years later, they connected together again like no time had passed, and shared adventurous and burning hot improvisations. Kiko Continentino is one of the most exciting keyboard players in prog rock today and joined one year ago legendary Brazilian jazz band Azymuth. Sergio Brandao, the first call Brazilian bass player in New York City, and Paganini's friend for over 25 years also joined his band for the Rio leg of the tour. Cassia Eller's (one of the top Brazilian rock singers who died in 2001) drummer Elcio Cafaro was thrilled to accept the invitation for the shows. Elcio was on the cover of Modern Drummer Magazine Brazil last January. With only two half rehearsals the band fusioned around the complex compositions playing with fire and passion like if they have always played together. The first show was at Audio Rebel on December the 22nd. The 23rd it was at Godofredo Rio and the final gig of the tour was at Vizta on the 27th. The CDs sold out during the tour but are still available on line. Marcelo Paganini came back to France without knowing if or when he will come back to Brazil.
There was an overwhelming response on the Internet when the video of “Somewhere Somehow” on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/13255032254/videos/10153135644402255/ More than a thousand video views in a single day! As Marcelo Paganini puts it: “There are two versions of the song on the live album, completely different from each other, always fresh approach, instant group composition. The encore was melting the walls. Gary Hobish from A. Hammer Mastering in San Francisco did an awesome job, this was one of the best shows in my life and I am glad to share it with the world. Once you walk in the right direction the whole Universe conspires to help you. Sounds like ready-made wisdom, but it turns out to be true. If you try to please everybody you will fail and go crazy. 'My music will please somebody else, at least I now it pleases itself'(from “Somewhere Somehow”). Sometimes when you don't know what are you doing means you also don't know it can't be done. It is all about letting interesting accidents happen. The music industry is obsessed with audio quality, and rightly so. Me too. But in 2016 people are listening to music on their phones, on ear buds and on computer speakers. Some people, me for example, prefer to hear an spectacular performance with less than ideal sound quality, rather than a lifeless musical noise perfectly recorded. Robert Johnson rules. Same thing applies to my film. It is no budget, not Hollywood, capisco? Do it yourself Mode: ON. If you put ten or more people in there with lights, wires and stuff, nothing spontaneous can happen, or rarely happens. It is completely artificial. Everybody else goes around trying to make 'good' films, but we all know most films are 'bad'. I only go around to make 'bad' films. Since I can't do anything right, even starve as a musician/film maker after all these years, maybe at the end my films will be 'good'. At least to the right audience. You can not be everything to everybody. The trouble is not being pretentious, the trouble is being up to the pretension. I went there for one month alone with just one old camera, one suitcase, one guitar, one effects rack, one old laptop computer. I made two bands, rehearsed a little bit, played 6 shows made a film, and a live recording out of it. I edited and posted on line several videos. I also composed a couple of songs and did some recordings. How many people can do that? I mean, most people go to Brazil for a month and do nothing but stay in the beach until they turn red shrimp. And my mom asking when I am going to have a real job... The content is the most important thing, even with rough edges. I make stuff happen in front of my lonely camera, I direct the REALITY. I found my public at Portobello Film Festival, we feel the same way. "
After being added by organizers Rael and JoJo Razor at the last minute to play with the After Hours Electric Prog Jam on the Cruise to the Edge 2015, Marcelo Paganini stunned the audience at the pre-sail party at Magic City Casino in Miami with a very emotional (it was the following day of the Paris Attacks) and breath taking interpretation, even after breaking the D string of his guitar in the middle of a very demanding King Crimson song and keep playing to the end. The performance was shot with 5 cameras and will be available on-line soon. One camera video is already on-line. There was no rehearsals, no scores, no sound check, some musicians met on stage for the first time. They are all passengers of the cruise who organizes themselves over the Internet to play the most demanding prog rock songs without rehearsing. Famous musicians from YES and other bands joined the jam during the late hours.
Cruising from Miami to the Bahamas and back, Marcelo Paganini rocked the ship. Check out the pictures and videos already on-line. Paganini also re-connected with YES bass player Billy Sherwood who agreed to record one song with original YES keyboard player Tony Kaye on the follow up to his album “2012 Space Traffic Jam”. Gary Husband will record the drums once again, with Marc Madore on bass. Eumir Deodato is also expected to come back on keyboards in a couple of songs. The album is still in the early stages, Paganini composed a couple of very promising tracks that gave him the confidence to push the project forward. The idea is to record later this year and release it in 2017. There will be another Cruise to the Edge in February 2017 and Marcelo Paganini is hoping, like all the other prog acts not already in the bill, to be invited with his band by Larry Morand. “Cruise to the Edge was one of the best experiences in my life. It was very touching to see several people asking for my band on the cruise's group, it went straight to my heart. Guitar Player Magazine showed interest in sharing my memories, pictures and videos from CTTE 2015 in a blog that will be on-line soon. They already published an article on my live album,” smiles Paganini. http://www.guitarplayer.com/artists/1013/gp-now-hear-this-alumni-marcelo-paganini-releases-live-in-brazil-film--cd/57587
Marcelo Paganini is currently looking for a singer to record with him, “someone ideally living in France or Europe who loves prog rock jazz fusion, digs my music and has no trouble with odd time signatures and strange melodies and harmonies. I wish Glenn Hughes would be interested, even if he lives in LA. ” Paganini is also looking for a keyboard player to do a couple of gigs in France later in 2016 or early in 2017, “someone glad to learn the parts on the album and who can improvise wildly. The ideal person would also sing to keep the band a quartet and may record on the next album too. If you are interested send me a message on Facebook with some video links”. Paganini recorded most of the keyboards himself on his last album, and wish he had Shiva-like extra arms to play guitar and keys at once. The live band in France has Marcelo Paganini on guitar, Marc Madore on bass and Christophe Bras on drums, they have been together for many years. They will start recording Marcelo Paganini's new studio album later this year, for a release in early 2017. Special guests Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Eumir Deodato will also contribute.
Paris - French-Brazilian guitar virtuoso Marcelo Paganini has been away from his native Brazil for more than 11 years when he booked a last minute tour in December 2014 to release there his critically acclaimed prog rock jazz fusion album “2012 Space Traffic Jam”. Three gigs in his home town Belo Horizonte, including the private party for Marcelo's 50th anniversary, and three gigs in Rio de Janeiro where he has never played before with his band. Being also a film maker, doing what he calls “No BS films” (means “no budget/no script films”) since 2003, Paganini decided to make a rockumentary about the tour: “First time in Rio” (“Primeira vez no Rio”) 34 minutes 57 seconds, color, France, that was concluded in March 2016. There is also one extended version planned, around one hour long, with more live songs. The rock doc will be screened at Portobello Film Festival in London next September. The live soundtrack of the film is being released in April the 14th 2016 on CD Baby “First time in Rio - Marcelo Paganini Band Live”. 49 minutes of music in 6 tracks. 5 from the “2012 Space Traffic Jam” album: "Sphinxes of Babel", “Crying With a Smile”, “Somewhere Somehow”, “B4ever Now”, “Somewhere Somehow” encore and the instrumental bonus track “Trindade” used in the end credits of the film. All songs and lyrics by Marcelo Paganini.
As a film maker Marcelo Paganini participated in festivals in several countries (Brazil, Netherlands, Iceland, France, UK) and made, among others: “Interactivity”, an experimental film in 35 mm in 2003; signed a distribution deal in Hollywood with Big Films Short/Tigris Films in 2007 for his short “The 8th Bullet”; was selected at Short Film Corner, Cannes Film Festival in 2008 with “The 8th Bullet Samba”; got short listed on “Best Musical Film” at Portobello Film festival in 2011 with “2010 Os Mutantes - Back to Paris” and won the “69 Hours Film Challenge” during the same Festival.
Several top Brazilian musicians participated in the documentary “First time in Rio”: the founders (with Milton Nascimento) of the world famous mouvement “Clube da Esquina” (Corner's Club) Marcio and Lo Borges, Claudio Venturini from 14 Bis band, Marcio Buzelin from Jota Quest band, one of the most popular rock bands in Brazil, among others. Also interviewed for the film were two out of three original members of Marcelo Paganini's band in 1983, when he played his first theater show at ICBEU in Belo Horizonte and performed “Sphinxes of Babel” live for the first time, song that opens his “2012 Space Traffic Jam” album released in 2014.
On this tour Marcelo Paganini had a great band in Belo Horizonte with Leo Javali on bass, Walner Lucas on keys and Christian Weber on drums. They played to a full house at Gilboa, the crowd sang along, danced and went wild. There are many videos on-line. They also played the birthday party and the last gig in town at Livraria Status, an open air show which was almost canceled because of the rain. People came anyway with umbrellas and at the end the sun showed up as well.
In Rio, Marcelo Paganini also got some of the best musicians in town, therefore in the country: Milton Nascimento's keyboard player Kiko Continentino, with whom he had a jazz duo back in 1987. Almost 30 years later, they connected together again like no time had passed, and shared adventurous and burning hot improvisations. Kiko Continentino is one of the most exciting keyboard players in prog rock today and joined one year ago legendary Brazilian jazz band Azymuth. Sergio Brandao, the first call Brazilian bass player in New York City, and Paganini's friend for over 25 years also joined his band for the Rio leg of the tour. Cassia Eller's (one of the top Brazilian rock singers who died in 2001) drummer Elcio Cafaro was thrilled to accept the invitation for the shows. Elcio was on the cover of Modern Drummer Magazine Brazil last January. With only two half rehearsals the band fusioned around the complex compositions playing with fire and passion like if they have always played together. The first show was at Audio Rebel on December the 22nd. The 23rd it was at Godofredo Rio and the final gig of the tour was at Vizta on the 27th. The CDs sold out during the tour but are still available on line. Marcelo Paganini came back to France without knowing if or when he will come back to Brazil.
There was an overwhelming response on the Internet when the video of “Somewhere Somehow” on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/13255032254/videos/10153135644402255/ More than a thousand video views in a single day! As Marcelo Paganini puts it: “There are two versions of the song on the live album, completely different from each other, always fresh approach, instant group composition. The encore was melting the walls. Gary Hobish from A. Hammer Mastering in San Francisco did an awesome job, this was one of the best shows in my life and I am glad to share it with the world. Once you walk in the right direction the whole Universe conspires to help you. Sounds like ready-made wisdom, but it turns out to be true. If you try to please everybody you will fail and go crazy. 'My music will please somebody else, at least I now it pleases itself'(from “Somewhere Somehow”). Sometimes when you don't know what are you doing means you also don't know it can't be done. It is all about letting interesting accidents happen. The music industry is obsessed with audio quality, and rightly so. Me too. But in 2016 people are listening to music on their phones, on ear buds and on computer speakers. Some people, me for example, prefer to hear an spectacular performance with less than ideal sound quality, rather than a lifeless musical noise perfectly recorded. Robert Johnson rules. Same thing applies to my film. It is no budget, not Hollywood, capisco? Do it yourself Mode: ON. If you put ten or more people in there with lights, wires and stuff, nothing spontaneous can happen, or rarely happens. It is completely artificial. Everybody else goes around trying to make 'good' films, but we all know most films are 'bad'. I only go around to make 'bad' films. Since I can't do anything right, even starve as a musician/film maker after all these years, maybe at the end my films will be 'good'. At least to the right audience. You can not be everything to everybody. The trouble is not being pretentious, the trouble is being up to the pretension. I went there for one month alone with just one old camera, one suitcase, one guitar, one effects rack, one old laptop computer. I made two bands, rehearsed a little bit, played 6 shows made a film, and a live recording out of it. I edited and posted on line several videos. I also composed a couple of songs and did some recordings. How many people can do that? I mean, most people go to Brazil for a month and do nothing but stay in the beach until they turn red shrimp. And my mom asking when I am going to have a real job... The content is the most important thing, even with rough edges. I make stuff happen in front of my lonely camera, I direct the REALITY. I found my public at Portobello Film Festival, we feel the same way. "
After being added by organizers Rael and JoJo Razor at the last minute to play with the After Hours Electric Prog Jam on the Cruise to the Edge 2015, Marcelo Paganini stunned the audience at the pre-sail party at Magic City Casino in Miami with a very emotional (it was the following day of the Paris Attacks) and breath taking interpretation, even after breaking the D string of his guitar in the middle of a very demanding King Crimson song and keep playing to the end. The performance was shot with 5 cameras and will be available on-line soon. One camera video is already on-line. There was no rehearsals, no scores, no sound check, some musicians met on stage for the first time. They are all passengers of the cruise who organizes themselves over the Internet to play the most demanding prog rock songs without rehearsing. Famous musicians from YES and other bands joined the jam during the late hours.
Cruising from Miami to the Bahamas and back, Marcelo Paganini rocked the ship. Check out the pictures and videos already on-line. Paganini also re-connected with YES bass player Billy Sherwood who agreed to record one song with original YES keyboard player Tony Kaye on the follow up to his album “2012 Space Traffic Jam”. Gary Husband will record the drums once again, with Marc Madore on bass. Eumir Deodato is also expected to come back on keyboards in a couple of songs. The album is still in the early stages, Paganini composed a couple of very promising tracks that gave him the confidence to push the project forward. The idea is to record later this year and release it in 2017. There will be another Cruise to the Edge in February 2017 and Marcelo Paganini is hoping, like all the other prog acts not already in the bill, to be invited with his band by Larry Morand. “Cruise to the Edge was one of the best experiences in my life. It was very touching to see several people asking for my band on the cruise's group, it went straight to my heart. Guitar Player Magazine showed interest in sharing my memories, pictures and videos from CTTE 2015 in a blog that will be on-line soon. They already published an article on my live album,” smiles Paganini. http://www.guitarplayer.com/artists/1013/gp-now-hear-this-alumni-marcelo-paganini-releases-live-in-brazil-film--cd/57587
Marcelo Paganini is currently looking for a singer to record with him, “someone ideally living in France or Europe who loves prog rock jazz fusion, digs my music and has no trouble with odd time signatures and strange melodies and harmonies. I wish Glenn Hughes would be interested, even if he lives in LA. ” Paganini is also looking for a keyboard player to do a couple of gigs in France later in 2016 or early in 2017, “someone glad to learn the parts on the album and who can improvise wildly. The ideal person would also sing to keep the band a quartet and may record on the next album too. If you are interested send me a message on Facebook with some video links”. Paganini recorded most of the keyboards himself on his last album, and wish he had Shiva-like extra arms to play guitar and keys at once. The live band in France has Marcelo Paganini on guitar, Marc Madore on bass and Christophe Bras on drums, they have been together for many years. They will start recording Marcelo Paganini's new studio album later this year, for a release in early 2017. Special guests Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Eumir Deodato will also contribute.
Paris - French-Brazilian guitar virtuoso Marcelo Paganini has been away from his native Brazil for more than 11 years when he booked a last minute tour in December 2014 to release there his critically acclaimed prog rock jazz fusion album “2012 Space Traffic Jam”. Three gigs in his home town Belo Horizonte, including the private party for Marcelo's 50th anniversary, and three gigs in Rio de Janeiro where he has never played before with his band. Being also a film maker, doing what he calls “No BS films” (means “no budget/no script films”) since 2003, Paganini decided to make a rockumentary about the tour: “First time in Rio” (“Primeira vez no Rio”) 34 minutes 57 seconds, color, France, that was concluded in March 2016. There is also one extended version planned, around one hour long, with more live songs. The rock doc will be screened at Portobello Film Festival in London next September. The live soundtrack of the film is being released in April the 14th 2016 on CD Baby “First time in Rio - Marcelo Paganini Band Live”. 49 minutes of music in 6 tracks. 5 from the “2012 Space Traffic Jam” album: "Sphinxes of Babel", “Crying With a Smile”, “Somewhere Somehow”, “B4ever Now”, “Somewhere Somehow” encore and the instrumental bonus track “Trindade” used in the end credits of the film. All songs and lyrics by Marcelo Paganini.
As a film maker Marcelo Paganini participated in festivals in several countries (Brazil, Netherlands, Iceland, France, UK) and made, among others: “Interactivity”, an experimental film in 35 mm in 2003; signed a distribution deal in Hollywood with Big Films Short/Tigris Films in 2007 for his short “The 8th Bullet”; was selected at Short Film Corner, Cannes Film Festival in 2008 with “The 8th Bullet Samba”; got short listed on “Best Musical Film” at Portobello Film festival in 2011 with “2010 Os Mutantes - Back to Paris” and won the “69 Hours Film Challenge” during the same Festival.
Several top Brazilian musicians participated in the documentary “First time in Rio”: the founders (with Milton Nascimento) of the world famous mouvement “Clube da Esquina” (Corner's Club) Marcio and Lo Borges, Claudio Venturini from 14 Bis band, Marcio Buzelin from Jota Quest band, one of the most popular rock bands in Brazil, among others. Also interviewed for the film were two out of three original members of Marcelo Paganini's band in 1983, when he played his first theater show at ICBEU in Belo Horizonte and performed “Sphinxes of Babel” live for the first time, song that opens his “2012 Space Traffic Jam” album released in 2014.
On this tour Marcelo Paganini had a great band in Belo Horizonte with Leo Javali on bass, Walner Lucas on keys and Christian Weber on drums. They played to a full house at Gilboa, the crowd sang along, danced and went wild. There are many videos on-line. They also played the birthday party and the last gig in town at Livraria Status, an open air show which was almost canceled because of the rain. People came anyway with umbrellas and at the end the sun showed up as well.
In Rio, Marcelo Paganini also got some of the best musicians in town, therefore in the country: Milton Nascimento's keyboard player Kiko Continentino, with whom he had a jazz duo back in 1987. Almost 30 years later, they connected together again like no time had passed, and shared adventurous and burning hot improvisations. Kiko Continentino is one of the most exciting keyboard players in prog rock today and joined one year ago legendary Brazilian jazz band Azymuth. Sergio Brandao, the first call Brazilian bass player in New York City, and Paganini's friend for over 25 years also joined his band for the Rio leg of the tour. Cassia Eller's (one of the top Brazilian rock singers who died in 2001) drummer Elcio Cafaro was thrilled to accept the invitation for the shows. Elcio was on the cover of Modern Drummer Magazine Brazil last January. With only two half rehearsals the band fusioned around the complex compositions playing with fire and passion like if they have always played together. The first show was at Audio Rebel on December the 22nd. The 23rd it was at Godofredo Rio and the final gig of the tour was at Vizta on the 27th. The CDs sold out during the tour but are still available on line. Marcelo Paganini came back to France without knowing if or when he will come back to Brazil.
There was an overwhelming response on the Internet when the video of “Somewhere Somehow” on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/13255032254/videos/10153135644402255/ More than a thousand video views in a single day! As Marcelo Paganini puts it: “There are two versions of the song on the live album, completely different from each other, always fresh approach, instant group composition. The encore was melting the walls. Gary Hobish from A. Hammer Mastering in San Francisco did an awesome job, this was one of the best shows in my life and I am glad to share it with the world. Once you walk in the right direction the whole Universe conspires to help you. Sounds like ready-made wisdom, but it turns out to be true. If you try to please everybody you will fail and go crazy. 'My music will please somebody else, at least I now it pleases itself'(from “Somewhere Somehow”). Sometimes when you don't know what are you doing means you also don't know it can't be done. It is all about letting interesting accidents happen. The music industry is obsessed with audio quality, and rightly so. Me too. But in 2016 people are listening to music on their phones, on ear buds and on computer speakers. Some people, me for example, prefer to hear an spectacular performance with less than ideal sound quality, rather than a lifeless musical noise perfectly recorded. Robert Johnson rules. Same thing applies to my film. It is no budget, not Hollywood, capisco? Do it yourself Mode: ON. If you put ten or more people in there with lights, wires and stuff, nothing spontaneous can happen, or rarely happens. It is completely artificial. Everybody else goes around trying to make 'good' films, but we all know most films are 'bad'. I only go around to make 'bad' films. Since I can't do anything right, even starve as a musician/film maker after all these years, maybe at the end my films will be 'good'. At least to the right audience. You can not be everything to everybody. The trouble is not being pretentious, the trouble is being up to the pretension. I went there for one month alone with just one old camera, one suitcase, one guitar, one effects rack, one old laptop computer. I made two bands, rehearsed a little bit, played 6 shows made a film, and a live recording out of it. I edited and posted on line several videos. I also composed a couple of songs and did some recordings. How many people can do that? I mean, most people go to Brazil for a month and do nothing but stay in the beach until they turn red shrimp. And my mom asking when I am going to have a real job... The content is the most important thing, even with rough edges. I make stuff happen in front of my lonely camera, I direct the REALITY. I found my public at Portobello Film Festival, we feel the same way. "
After being added by organizers Rael and JoJo Razor at the last minute to play with the After Hours Electric Prog Jam on the Cruise to the Edge 2015, Marcelo Paganini stunned the audience at the pre-sail party at Magic City Casino in Miami with a very emotional (it was the following day of the Paris Attacks) and breath taking interpretation, even after breaking the D string of his guitar in the middle of a very demanding King Crimson song and keep playing to the end. The performance was shot with 5 cameras and will be available on-line soon. One camera video is already on-line. There was no rehearsals, no scores, no sound check, some musicians met on stage for the first time. They are all passengers of the cruise who organizes themselves over the Internet to play the most demanding prog rock songs without rehearsing. Famous musicians from YES and other bands joined the jam during the late hours.
Cruising from Miami to the Bahamas and back, Marcelo Paganini rocked the ship. Check out the pictures and videos already on-line. Paganini also re-connected with YES bass player Billy Sherwood who agreed to record one song with original YES keyboard player Tony Kaye on the follow up to his album “2012 Space Traffic Jam”. Gary Husband will record the drums once again, with Marc Madore on bass. Eumir Deodato is also expected to come back on keyboards in a couple of songs. The album is still in the early stages, Paganini composed a couple of very promising tracks that gave him the confidence to push the project forward. The idea is to record later this year and release it in 2017. There will be another Cruise to the Edge in February 2017 and Marcelo Paganini is hoping, like all the other prog acts not already in the bill, to be invited with his band by Larry Morand. “Cruise to the Edge was one of the best experiences in my life. It was very touching to see several people asking for my band on the cruise's group, it went straight to my heart. Guitar Player Magazine showed interest in sharing my memories, pictures and videos from CTTE 2015 in a blog that will be on-line soon. They already published an article on my live album,” smiles Paganini. http://www.guitarplayer.com/artists/1013/gp-now-hear-this-alumni-marcelo-paganini-releases-live-in-brazil-film--cd/57587
Marcelo Paganini is currently looking for a singer to record with him, “someone ideally living in France or Europe who loves prog rock jazz fusion, digs my music and has no trouble with odd time signatures and strange melodies and harmonies. I wish Glenn Hughes would be interested, even if he lives in LA. ” Paganini is also looking for a keyboard player to do a couple of gigs in France later in 2016 or early in 2017, “someone glad to learn the parts on the album and who can improvise wildly. The ideal person would also sing to keep the band a quartet and may record on the next album too. If you are interested send me a message on Facebook with some video links”. Paganini recorded most of the keyboards himself on his last album, and wish he had Shiva-like extra arms to play guitar and keys at once. The live band in France has Marcelo Paganini on guitar, Marc Madore on bass and Christophe Bras on drums, they have been together for many years. They will start recording Marcelo Paganini's new studio album later this year, for a release in early 2017. Special guests Billy Sherwood, Tony Kaye and Eumir Deodato will also contribute.
Mike Clark - While often referred to as the “Tony Williams of funk,” Mike Clark considers jazz his first love. He gained worldwide recognition as one of America’s foremost jazz and funk drummers while playing with Herbie Hancock in the early seventies. His incisive playing on Hancock’s “Actual Proof” garnered him an international cult following and influenced generations of drummers. Mike has performed with such well-known jazz greats as Herbie Hancock, Christian McBride, Chet Baker, John Scofield, Nicholas Payton, Tony Bennett, Wayne Shorter, Joe Henderson, Eddie Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Vince Guaraldi, Woody Shaw, Donald Harrison, Albert King, Larry Coryell, Mike Wolff, Wallace Roney, Billy Childs, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Chris Potter, Bobby McFerrin, Nat Adderly, Oscar Brown Jr., and Gil Evans and his Orchestra. For more information go to www.drummermikeclark.com
James Genus - In baseball, “five-tool player” denotes excellence in every aspect of the game—running, throwing, fielding, hitting for average and power. It’s an interesting way to think about the prodigious skills of bass master James Genus, a one-time catcher who eschewed the “tools of ignorance” for music a year before leaving high school. Consider the range of contexts that Genus is navigating during 2013. As electric bassist in the Saturday Night Live house band, his employer since 2000, he propels artists representing a 360-degree range of styles and genres. His pulsing grooves—interlocked with drummer Omar Hakim—animate dance-electronica hitmakers Daft Punk’s chart-topping CD Random Access. With Herbie Hancock, he references an encyclopedic lexicon of harmony and beats on both electric and upright to complement the leader’s anything-goes attitude. For much of this summer and fall he’s showcasing his resonant tone and unfailingly melodic basslines on a world tour with Bob James and David Sanborn behind this year's Quartette Humaine, on which Genus performed with drum grandmaster Steve Gadd.
Dave Stryker - Whether you’ve heard guitarist Dave Stryker leading his own group (with 26 CD’s as a leader to date), co-leading The Stryker/Slagle Band, or as a featured sideman with Stanley Turrentine, Jack McDuff, and many others, you know why the Village Voice calls him “one of the most distinctive guitarists to come along in recent years.” Dave’s new CD “Messin’ with Mister T”, is a celebration of the man he worked with for over a decade-Stanley Turrentine -with ten of the greatest tenor sax players on the scene today. It went to #1 on JazzWeek Radio and stayed in the Top 50 for 20 weeks and has received great reviews including 4 1/2 stars in Downbeat magazine, which picked it as one of the Top CD’s of the year, ran a feature article on Dave, and recently voted him into the 2015 the DB Critics and Readers Poll for the 8th time. For more info on Dave Stryker go to www.davestryker.com
London, UK - Although, typically considered an off-shoot band for Genesis legend Phil Collins, UK fusion group Brand X was much more than that. Featuring several virtuosic musicians (as well as Collins) Brand X took the genre of fusion to a whole new level of expertise. Along with Collins on drums, the band featured Percy Jones (bass), John Goodsall (guitar) and Robin Lumley (keyboards), Morris Pert (percussion), with sometimes Mike Clark, Kenward Dennard (drums), Mike Clark (drums), John Giblin (bass), Peter Robinson (keyboards), and Mike Miller (guitar). Active from 1975-1980, Brand X was another one of those bands who were beloved by other musicians, and the more discerning critics, but despite everything never had the commercial success they deserved. The band released several critically acclaimed albums on the Charisma label in the UK and Passport label in the US, including 'Unorthodox Behaviour', 'Moroccan Roll', 'Livestock' and 'Product'. Now much to the excitement of Brand X fans and fusion music fans worldwide, Gonzo MultiMedia is releasing 3 rare live Brand X titles on CD - “Ronnie Scotts Live 1976”, “Live in San Francisco” and “Live From Chicago 1978”.
Brand X - Ronnie Scotts Live 1976 (CD)
Sometimes the title of a record is self explanatory. Here we have the legendary jazz fusion band at the legendary London club, when both were at their commercial zenith. The band performs with precision and intensity, and the results are extraordinary.
London, UK - Although, typically considered an off-shoot band for Genesis legend Phil Collins, UK fusion group Brand X was much more than that. Featuring several virtuosic musicians (as well as Collins) Brand X took the genre of fusion to a whole new level of expertise. Along with Collins on drums, the band featured Percy Jones (bass), John Goodsall (guitar) and Robin Lumley (keyboards), Morris Pert (percussion), with sometimes Mike Clark, Kenward Dennard (drums), Mike Clark (drums), John Giblin (bass), Peter Robinson (keyboards), and Mike Miller (guitar). Active from 1975-1980, Brand X was another one of those bands who were beloved by other musicians, and the more discerning critics, but despite everything never had the commercial success they deserved. The band released several critically acclaimed albums on the Charisma label in the UK and Passport label in the US, including 'Unorthodox Behaviour', 'Moroccan Roll', 'Livestock' and 'Product'. Now much to the excitement of Brand X fans and fusion music fans worldwide, Gonzo MultiMedia is releasing 3 rare live Brand X titles on CD - “Ronnie Scotts Live 1976”, “Live in San Francisco” and “Live From Chicago 1978”.
Brand X - Ronnie Scotts Live 1976 (CD)
Sometimes the title of a record is self explanatory. Here we have the legendary jazz fusion band at the legendary London club, when both were at their commercial zenith. The band performs with precision and intensity, and the results are extraordinary.
On the new album from Dave "Knife" Fabris titled Lettuce Prey(Great Winds/Musea 3169) we get a taste of the musical garden of delights he has to offer. The track "Michelangelo" combines jazz and rock to make a great fusion of sounds and textures. Fabris mans the guitars and bass while Steve Chaggaris sits behind the drum kit. The two sound like a perpetual motion machine, giving every ounce of energy they can muster to present the song.
This is a fantastic display of top notch musicianship!
