Mothers of Invention Keyboard & Synthesizer Legend Don Preston Embarks on First European Solo Tour September 2024

Pianist & Synthesizer legend Don Preston will be touring Europe starting in September (tour dates below). Don Preston leads a life filled with music, innovation, and experimentation in acoustic and electronic music. “Groundbreaking” is a phrase that is clearly overused. With Don it rings true. One of the first performers to drag a pile of oscillators and filters onstage, he brought his classical training to the Avant Garde. In the early 60s Frank Zappa would come to see Don’s “electronic music with films of bacterial life” shows in Los Angeles. Don was soon in Zappa’s radical new group The Mothers Of Invention, touring and playing on classics like “We're Only In It For The Money” and “Roxy & Elsewhere” from 1966 to 1973.

Don has played with everyone from Elvin Jones, Gil Evans, and Nat King Cole to The Residents, Jack Bruce and Robbie Krieger.  His keyboard solos on Zappa albums, as well as countless soundtracks like Coppola’s “Apocalypse Now,” are considered ground-breaking moments in synthesizer music history.

Still very active in his 90’s, Don was there for the dawn of electronic musical performance, and today grafts new technologies into his experimental palette with software synths & iPhone apps, blending jazz, rock, comedy, magic and ambient synths into a captivating performance.

DON PRESTON SOLO EUROPEAN TOUR
9/24 Porgy & Bess Vienna
9/25 Prague Czech
9/26 Prague Czech
9/27 Broumod Under
9/29 NordHausen, Germany
9/30 Bb (Jazz Club) Berlin, Germany
10/2 Weert, Netherland
10/3 Russelsheim, Germany
10/5 Brussels, Belgium
10/6 Stuttgart, Germany

“The guy that really impressed me was Don Preston, I didn’t know what that stuff was when I heard it on Frank Zappa's records. I said, ‘Man!’” - GEORGE DUKE

“Preston not only brought his skewed piano sensibility into the creative jazz context, he lugged along a little of his zany synthesizer as well…touching on all these associations (Carla and Paul Bley, John Carter, Zappa and Cole Porter), showing what he can do twisting a standard around and delving a bit into his own compositional bag as well. Preston resides on the edge of tonality, toying with it.” – DOWNBEAT

“Revisiting choice moments of weirdness and glory, as well as dig into original works and unlikely standards, is not to be missed. The range of program is somewhat camouflaged by the seamless interplay of Preston and cohorts. They possess a cohesion born of fluidity that is reminiscent of Paul Bley’s 60’s trios, but they have their own crisp edge. It is a high common denominator for such a diverse program.” – JAZZTIMES

“Best known as the first synth wielding Mother of Invention - Frank Zappa’s keyboardist aide de camp, to others he is an avowed New Music experimentalist, whose work in theatre, and with assorted sonic daredevils is the stuff of underground acclaim.......in the jazz orbit Preston’s credits have included Gil Evans, Carla Bley, Buell Niedlinger, Michael Mantler, John Carter, and Bobby Bradford” – DOWNBEAT

“Preston demonstrated anew that he is one of the most consistently exciting keyboardists anywhere, he plays with an intensity and a rhythmic vitality that approached the demonic, at climactic moments smashing the keys with a forearm and elbow, as if the piano were just not instrument enough for him.” - LA JAZZ SCENE

DON PRESTON DISCOGRAPHY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Preston#Discography

DON PRESTON ON FACEBOOK
https://www.facebook.com/don.preston.54540

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Peppos-Jones Band Review and Interview: Life Notes

Genre: Rock-Pop

Release Date: August 29, 2024

Website

I first heard music from Peppos and Jones in 2019. Louis Jones was also in that band. The title was 50/80, 50 Years in 80 Minutes. Additionally, I had a blast interviewing these old high school friends.

The album Life Notes was released a few weeks ago. It opens with a rousing “Don't Waste The Dawn.” Because it was several years back, I did not recall the sound as much as I would have liked, but I know the lead vocals are different. And I don’t mean that in a negative way. It is a great way to kick off the recording. 

“Decisions” is the longest track, clocking in at 6:18 minutes. It starts with a newscast discussing a shake-up in Portland. The tune is well-thought-out, with a saxophone adding unique depth and a guitar wailing away. The male and female vocals are understated, serving the purpose of their message. It's a song about brotherhood and understanding, reminiscent of a '60s protest song. The focus here is to take the advice and make a firm “Decision” to do so.

 

“Music In Heaven” starts with a soft acoustic guitar. I started thinking about how this music reminded me of something. The band America came to mind rather quickly because of the gentle but effective vocal style and rhythmic guitar playing in this track. As always, this was my take on what I heard; everyone can listen to it and be engaged differently. Music triggers things in a listener, whether an emotion is connected to a memory, a person, an event, or anything in life. The female vocals are a nice touch, and the partnership works well.

 

“350 Degrees” begins with excitement and rocking sounds and quickly changes to a more mellow sound, with acoustic and electric guitar still a factor but tastefully. The track is about the circle of life and how quickly it completes that circle, with the hope that goals will be reached.

 

“A.I.” is present-day, which makes no sense to these folks. The guitar is rocking out on this track (Courtesy of Barry Scott). There are many opinions about artificial intelligence, and you hear a powerful take on this subject set to some incredible musicianship. It's a straight-ahead rocker that might not make sense to some due to its content. I like the line, “Man or machine, you just never know.” And that is so true.

 

“This Isn't A Love Song” tells you what they are singing about right up front. Just some random thought I decided to put to ink,” the singer explains. He talks about a lovely woman who moves and sways and how breathtaking it is. Some nice guitar lines populate the track with some honest vocals that are just right to emphasize the lyrics. It’s a real toe-tapper. It's like the smooth sailing sounds of a Jimmy Buffet number.

 

“Back To The Bullet” certainly is a change in direction for track titles! It starts with a strumming acoustic and electric slide, giving it a blues-country feel. It's about a convicted person for murder singing that they are innocent and to be hanged and on the run to get back to his family. He sings, asking, “What is free?” and the sound of a prison cell door closing ends it.

 

“The Musician” had a record collection when he was three years old, and he saw The Beatles on Sullivan. After that night, he and thousands of other kids knew what they wanted to be. The only thing I remember about watching that is getting mad at all the girls screaming because I could not hear them playing! It is a touching song about sweet memories and how music made the singer whole. That combination of rhythmic acoustic guitar and tasteful electric is added to give the song a rich, layered sound. The vocals are soft and thoughtful, as they are on many of these tracks.

 

“Expanding Shadows” starts with an old-fashioned organ playing to give it that Halloween sound and perfect lyrics. The track is much different than all the previous tracks. It's dark but light-hearted, a step away from the other tracks' message. However, that is the point; it sounds like the band is having fun with all the different types of music and scary lyrics. It is my favorite track on the album.

 

“Where Would I Be” returns to a softer approach to people, love, and emotion. The track could be about a significant person—whatever the listener wants to interpret it, as is always the case with any song. The lead guitar and piano playing on this track add a layer of emotion. The lyrics and vocals are heartfelt and moving, resonating with the listener personally.

 

Now it's time to close the recording with the title track, “Life Notes.” After all, this entire album is about a lifetime of memories, events, and the feelings that surrounded that. This one is thoughtful and about the meaning of life, and the message is clear: it's about whatever we hold dear. And that, to me, resonates. The music is well played, and the lyrics are expressive, with that ever-present strumming acoustic, but, this time, an electric slide for some more flavor and emphasis is added.

 

Life Notes is a versatile album that will resonate with music listeners who like to reflect upon their lives and those who could use a little push to do so. The album's soft approach and the moments they decided to cut loose and rock keep the listener engaged. The exemplary musicianship, thoughtful lyrics, and vocals that place enough emphasis on the words when needed make for an absorbing listening experience from start to finish.

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-MuzikMan.net Founder

September 13, 2024

Tracks:

01. Don't Waste The Dawn 04:12

02. Decisions 06:18

03. Music In Heaven 04:11

04. 350 Degrees 03:13

05. A.I. 04:32

06. This Isn't A Love Song 03:53

07. Back To The Bullet 03:20

08. The Musician 05:15

09. Expanding Shadows 02:30

10. Where Would I Be 03:58

11. Life Notes 02:51

AMERICA “Live at the Palladium Deluxe Limited Edition Triple Vinyl LP Released October 25, 2024

Includes a reproduction tour programme!

First 250 copies in PURPLE 180gms vinyl. Contains the full show.

Deluxe Limited Edition of 1000 units.

America, the band that is, will have been together for half a century next year. Dewey Bunnell, Dan Peek, and Gerry Beckley were sons of US Air Force personnel stationed in London, where they began performing live. Their signature song, “A Horse With No Name, in many ways sums up what the band are all about; close vocal harmonies, acoustic guitars, and – if I may misquote Pete Atkin – a journey through “mythical America” and a vaguely rural ethos. “A Horse With No Name was their first international hit, and was taken from their debut album, a self-titled record which came out on Warner Brothers in 1971. Since then, there have been over thirty more records, but the one that I want to talk about today is a very special live album, recorded on stage at one of London’s most iconic venues.

The Palladium became a major rock music venue in the years to come, and last year, this message was plastered across the internet: “The Multi-platinum and Grammy Award-winning band America will be giving an exclusive performance at the London Palladium on Friday 19th October 2018. With huge hits including ‘A Horse With No Name’, ‘Tin Man’ and ‘Ventura Highway’, forty plus years later Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell are still making music, touring the world and thrilling audiences with their timeless sound. The combination of Beckley’s melodic pop rock and Bunnell’s slinky Latin-leaning rhythms has proven that America’s sound can transcend borders with their uplifting music and positive message.”

...and this release serves as an invaluable document of an extraordinarily transcendent evening of peerless music.

To pre-order:
https://www.musicglue.com/america-palladium/products/live-at-the-palladium-triple-vinyl-lp

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

NEW ‘SPECIAL EDITION’ OF GONG’S ‘UNENDING ASCENDING’ SET FOR RELEASE ON KSCOPE SEPTEMBER 20, 2024

INCLUDES 6 BONUS TRACKS RECORDED LIVE FROM EDINBURGH IN 2024

Progressive, psychedelic rock pioneers Gong have announced a new special edition of their highly praised 2023 release Unending Ascending today. The new release, a CD package with an 8-page booklet, includes 6 previously unreleased bonus tracks recorded live from the band’s superb 2024 show at Edinburgh’s Summerhall as part of the ‘Gong + Ozric Tentacles UK Tour’.

The release coincides with Gong’s extensive late-2024 North American & European tour which will see them play shows across the USA, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Poland, amongst others. “It’s been a long time coming but, following the release of Unending Ascending, Gong are delighted to be playing in the US. No minds left unblown or else” says Kavus Torabi.

“Cosmic rock of the highest order” - PROG

“If Unending Ascending is your first time encountering Gong, this is a spectacular introduction” - LOUDER THAN WAR

PRE-ORDER GONG UNENDING ASCENDING SPECIAL EDITION CD DIGIPAK WITH 8-PAGE BOOKLET: https://gong.lnk.to/UA_special_edition

GONG UPCOMING SHOWS
15/08 Woodstock Forever ’24, Eisfeld - DE
16/08 The Forum, Tunbridge Wells - UK
17/08 A New Day Festival, Hernhill - UK
24/09 Chapel at Muhlenberg College, Allentown PA - USA
25/09 The Southern Music Hall, Charlottesville VA - USA
26/09 King's Raleigh, Raleigh NC – USA
27/09 The Grey Eagle, Asheville NC – USA
28/09 Mockingbird Theater, Franklin TN – USA
30/09 The Pyramid Scheme, Grand Rapids MI – USA
01/10 Reggie’s, Chicago IL – USA
02/10 Shank Hall, Milwaukee WI – USA
03/10 Token Lounge, Detroit, Westland MI – USA
04/10 Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati OH – USA
05/10 Irving Theater, Indianapolis IN – USA
06/10 Beachland Ballroom, Cleveland OH – USA
09/10 75 Stutson Street Auditorium Stage, Rochester NY – USA
10/10 Homer Arts Center, Homer NY – USA
14/10 Space Ballroom, Hamden CT - USA
15/10 The Iron Horse, Northampton MA – USA
17/10 The Strand Theater, Hudson Falls NY – USA
19/10 Orion Studios, Baltimore MD – USA
20/10 Progstock Festival @ Williams Center, Rutherford NJ – USA
07/11 O13, Tilburg - NL
08/11 Boerderij, Zoetermeer - NL
10/11 MS Stubnitz, Hamburg - DE
11/11 Hotel Cecil, Copenhagen - DK
12/11 Babel, Malmö - SE
13/11 Musikens Hus, Goteborg - SE
15/11 Debaser, Stockholm - SE
16/11 Rockland, Sala - SE
18/11 Validi Karkia Club, Pori - FI
19/11 Louhisali, Espoo - FI
21/11 Hybrydy, Warsaw - PL
22/11 Kuźnia, Bydgoszcz - PL
23/11 CK Zamek, Poznan - PL
24/11 Rialto, Katowice - PL
26/11 Kofferfabrik, Fürth - DE
27/11 KuBa, Jena - DE
28/11 Akropolis, Prague - CZ
29/11 Kino Ebensee, Ebensee - AT
30/11 Porgy & Bess, Vienna - AT
03/12 Backstage, Munich - DE
04/12 Das Rind, Rüsselsheim - DE
05/12 Jubez, Karlsruhe - DE
06/12 Cafe de la Danse, Paris - FR
07/12 Le Grillen, Colmar - FR
09/12 Harmonie, Bonn - DE

TICKETS: https://www.gongband.com/shows/

The universe of Gong began in 1969 when visionary Daevid Allen was inspired by a profound psychedelic vision. A founder member of Soft Machine, Allen incorporated his spiritual and metaphysical leanings into an evolving collective. More a mythology than a band in the conventional sense, Gong established itself as one of the most unique, innovative, and experimental rock groups of the seventies, through an exploratory mix of rock, jazz and psychedelia with elements of mysticism and surrealism, unafraid to deliver its messages directly, obliquely or whimsically.

Watch the videos for:
My Guitar Is A Spaceship - https://youtu.be/RrJRaWzXvW8
Tiny Galaxies - https://youtu.be/jqoFLJlxpWw
All Clocks Reset - https://youtu.be/PVjU7LX0YiQ

The current incarnation, who were put together by Daevid for his swansong album with Gong, I See You, honour his intention that Gong do not die with him, urging the band to “carry it on into new unknown heights and depths far beyond anything I could ever imagine myself”.

Photo credit – Layla Burrows

For promo photos and further media please head to: https://kscopemusic.com/media/gong/

The current lineup of Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Fabio Golfetti, Ian East and Cheb Nettles is the most stable in Gong's illustrious history, having written, recorded and toured together for eight years since Allen's passing. A dynamic, powerful and explosive live band, their music draws from the credo of the original Gong while remaining committed to pushing the composition, performances and message into new realms, paying no mind to nostalgia.

The Unending Ascending Special Edition will be released on Kscope on 27th September on digipak CD with an 8-page booklet. Pre-order: https://gong.lnk.to/UA_special_edition

GONG ONLINE:
https://www.gongband.com
https://gongband.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/officialgong
https://twitter.com/gong_band
https://open.spotify.com/artist/47yvARr7dCOKqvjDVwfbf3
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/gong/6663678
https://kscopemusic.com/artists/gong
https://linktr.ee/gongband

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com

Be-Bop Deluxe Legend Bill Nelson “Quit Dreaming & Get On the Beam” 3CD/1Blu-ray Deluxe Box Set Available December 6, 2024

• DELUXE 3CD + 1 BLU-RAY LIMITED EDITION BOX SET OF THE CLASSIC 1981 ALBUM BY BILL NELSON.

• FEATURING AN ADDITIONAL 53 BONUS TRACKS DRAWN FROM NEW 5.1 SURROUND SOUND & STEREO MIXES OF THE QUIT DREAMING SESSIONS FROM THE ORIGINAL MULTI-TRACK MASTER TAPES BY STEPHEN W TAYLER & RARE SINGLES & RADIO SESSIONS.

• INCLUDES A LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED BOOK WITH MANY PREVIOUSLY UNSEEN PHOTOGRAPHS & NEW ESSAY, PLUS POSTCARDS AND A REPLICA POSTER.

• DO YOU DREAM IN COLOUR - PROMOTIONAL VIDEO

The album was originally recorded in 1979 with sessions taking place for an intended follow up album by Bill’s recently formed group RED NOISE. However, EMI Records, Bill’s then record label, declined to release the recordings and the material remained unreleased. Four recordings appeared as the ‘Do You Dream in Colour’ EP on his Cocteau label in 1980. The following year Bill licensed the original stereo mixes of the album to Mercury Records who issued the album in the Spring of 1981. A ground-breaking record, “Quit Dreaming & Get On the Beam” reached a peak of number seven on the UK charts and is to date Bill’s most commercially successful album.

This limited and expanded edition boxed set features a newly remastered version of the original album mix, but also features an additional 53 tracks drawn from new stereo & 5.1 Surround Sound mixes by Stephen W Tayler of all the surviving recording sessions from 1979, along with a previously unreleased radio session from March 1981, a BBC JOHN PEEL session from June 1981 and a collection of rare single tracks from the era. Also included is the rare promotional film of ‘Do You Dream in Colour?'

The box set has an illustrated 68-page book and an essay and also includes postcards and a poster, making this release the definitive statement on one of Bill Nelson’s great works.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

QUIT DREAMING & GET ON THE BEAM THE ORIGINAL STEREO MIX

1 Banal
2 Living in My Limousine
3 Vertical Games
4 Disposable
5 False Alarms
6 Decline and Fall
7 White Sound
8 Life Runs Out Like Sand
9 A Kind of Loving
10 Do You Dream in Colour
11 U.H.F.
12 Youth of Nation on Fire
13 Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam

DISC TWO

SINGLES & RADIO SESSIONS 1980 - 1981

1 Ideal Homes (original single mix)
2 Instantly Yours (original single mix)
3 Atom Man Loves Radium Girl
4 Dada Guitare
5 Banal (extended mix)
6 Turn to Fiction
7 Hers is a Lush Situation
8 Mr. Magnetism Himself
9 Youth of Nation on Fire (extended mix)
10 Be My Dynamo
11 Rooms With Brittle Views
12 All My Wives Were Iron
13 Living in My Limousine (remix)
14 Birds of Tin
15 Love in the Abstract
16 Konny Buys a Kodak (radio session 1981)
17 After Life (radio session 1981)
18 Boom Year Ahead (radio session 1981)
19 Art of Vision (radio session 1981)
20 Rooms With Brittle Views (radio session 1981)
21 Stay Young (radio session 1981)
22 Sleep Cycle (radio session 1981)
Jazz (radio session 1981

DISC THREE

QUIT DREAMING & GET ON THE BEAM SESSIONS - NEW STEREO MIXES BY STEPHEN W TAYLER

1 Banal
2 Living in My Limousine
3 Vertical Games
4 Disposable
5 False Alarms
6 Decline and Fall
7 White Sound
8 Life Runs Out Like Sand
9 A Kind of Loving
10 Do You Dream in Colour
11 U.H.F.
12 Youth of Nation on Fire
13 Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam

Bonus tracks

14 The World and His Wife
15 Dancing Music

DISC FOUR

QUIT DREAMING & GET ON THE BEAM SESSIONS – HIGH RESOLUTION 5.1 SURROUND SOUND & NEW STEREO MIXES BY STEPHEN W TAYLER - BLU-RAY

1 Banal
2 Living in My Limousine
3 Vertical Games
4 Disposable
5 False Alarms
6 Decline and Fall
7 White Sound
8 Life Runs Out Like Sand
9 A Kind of Loving Do You Dream in Colour
10 U.H.F.
11 Youth of Nation on Fire
12 Quit Dreaming and Get on the Beam

Bonus tracks

13 The World and His Wife
14 Dancing Music
15 Do You Dream in Colour video

For more information: https://www.cherryred.co.uk/bill-nelson-quit-dreaming-get-on-the-beam-3cd-1blu-ray-deluxe-box-set

Press inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, PH: 828-350-8158 (USA), glassonyonpr@gmail.com