Showing posts with label ELP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ELP. Show all posts

Thursday, December 08, 2016

Greg Lake remembered

Singer-bassist Greg Lake
Can 2016 get any worse in terms of legendary musicians lost? Today comes sad word that Greg Lake, the famed English musician recognized for his work with progressive rock troupes King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer (ELP) has died. He was only 69.


Greg Lake performing in England in 2005.
According to news reports, he died on Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2016 after a long-time battle with cancer. His death came nine months after the death of his bandmate Keith Emerson in March 2016.

Lake had been a leader on the prog-rock scene since he co-founded King Crimson with guitarist Robert Fripp in 1968. Lake played bass and was lead singer of that band. After he left King Crimson, Lake and the other members of ELP released a number of seminal albums including Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Trilogy, Tarkus and Brain Salad Surgery.

He also achieved fame as a solo artist, and scored a timeless hit with his original "I Believe In Father Christmas." Watch the embedded video below:



Drummer Carl Palmer posted the following statement about his bandmate earlier today:

"It is with great sadness that I must now say goodbye to my friend and fellow band-mate, Greg Lake.

"Greg's soaring voice and skill as a musician will be remembered by all who knew his music and recordings made with ELP and King Crimson. I have fond memories of those great years we had in the 19770s and many memorable shows we performed together.

"Having lost Keith this year as well, had made this particularly hard for all of us. As Greg sang at the end of Pictures At An Exhibition, 'death is life.' His music can now live forever in the harts of all who loved him."


Robert Kinsler


Saturday, March 12, 2016

Sights and Sounds: Keith Emerson remembered; Paul McCartney to tour; George Harrison-minded Fender electric guitar

Keith Emerson, left and Greg Lake. Photo: Neal Preston
The music community continues to mourn another rock 'n' roll legend. Just days after everyone reflected on the life of producer-composer George Martin, we learned that Emerson, Lake and Palmer (ELP) keyboardist Keith Emerson had died. He was only 71.


"I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend and brother-in-music, Keith Emerson. Keith was a gentle soul whose love for music and passion for his performance as a keyboard player will remain unmatched for many years to come. He was a pioneer and an innovator whose musical genius touched all of us in the worlds of rock, classical and jazz.  I  will always remember his warm smile, good sense of humor, compelling showmanship, and dedication to his musical craft. I am very lucky to have known him and to have made the music we did, together. Rest in peace, Keith."
Carl Palmer
March 11, 2016

"To all ELP friends and fans all over the world, I would like to express my deep sadness upon hearing this tragic news. As you know Keith and I spent many of the best years of our lives together and to witness his life coming to an end in the way that it has is painful, both to myself and to all who knew him. 

As sad and tragic as Keith’s death is, I would not want this to be the lasting memory people take away with them. What I will always remember about Keith Emerson was his remarkable talent as a musician and composer and his gift and passion to entertain. Music was his life and despite some of the difficulties he encountered I am sure that the music he created will live on forever.

My deepest condolences go to Keith’s family. 

May he now be at peace."
Greg Lake
London - March 12, 2016

Sir Paul McCartney has announced he is embarking on a new tour, titled One On One. Check out writer George A. Paul's post on his Music Minded site for all the details, including announced tour dates and more information. You can view the post here.

While we are on the subject of former members of the Fab Four, Fender has announced the production of the George Harrison Tribute Rosewood Telecaster. Here is the media release:
Fender Custom Shop Announces
The George Harrison Tribute Rosewood Telecaster®
2016

Preserving the Legacy of George Harrison Through One of the Most Famous Guitars in Music History

Fender pays homage to what is arguably the most famous Telecaster in musical history, George Harrison’s Rosewood Telecaster, with a limited-run series of 100 guitars. Created with and fully supported by the Harrison family, Master Builder Paul Waller was given access to George’s original guitar from 1968 to examine, disassemble and reverse engineer for a truly accurate recreation. 

This was a challenging process since the original guitar, given away by George to Delaney Bramlett, had gone through a series of modifications over the years.  Through a meticulous process, Fender was able to create the guitar as it was in its glory days, before any of these changes were made.

George Harrison performing on the Abbey Road
Studios rooftop.
Documenting every detail step by step, Master Builder Paul Waller was able to re-create this guitar the right way – even closely matching the tight grain of the rosewood that was in the original. Each of these tribute models is as close as humanly possible to the guitar that George Harrison recorded the album Let It Be with, and played during the band’s final performance on the Abbey Road Studios rooftop.

The George Harrison Tribute Rosewood Telecaster features a very light version of the Custom Shop’s “Closet Classic” finish, to approximate the condition it would be in if someone had used it for a single recording session, and to play a single concert. The Harrison family felt that this would be the most genuine way to honor George, his fans and collectors.



Thursday, August 06, 2015

Sights and Sounds: Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Shemekia Copeland, Silversun Pickups

Here is a timely roundup of news related to upcoming releases and tours just announced...

EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER
LIVE AT MONTREUX 1997 2CD
 
Eagle Rock Entertainment to issue first-ever audio release from this classic concert featuring rare ELP tracks

Eagle Rock Entertainment is proud to announce the release of Emerson, Lake & Palmer Live At Montreux 1997 on 2CD and Digital Formats -- September 11, 2015 [MSRP $15.98]. 
 
This is the first ever release of the audio from this concert, which includes ELP classics from across their career including “Karn Evil 9” (“Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends”), “Hoedown,” “Take A Pebble,” “Lucky Man,” “Tarkus,” “Pictures At An Exhibition,” and “Fanfare For The Common Man.” Live At Montreux 1997 also boasts rare tracks that have never appeared on ELP studio albums such as “Touch And Go,” “Creole Dance,” and “Carmina Burana.”
 
In addition to the incredible set list, the included booklet features individual sleeve notes from Keith EmersonGreg Lake and Carl Palmer.
 
Emerson, Lake and Palmer, known to all as ELP, were progressive rock’s first supergroup. Keith Emerson (keyboards) came from The Nice, Greg Lake (guitar, bass & vocals) from King Crimson and Carl Palmer(drums) from Atomic Rooster. Formed in 1970 they were an instant success and went on to have a series of huge selling albums throughout the seventies before splitting up in the early eighties. Reunited in the early nineties, they produced a new album, Black Moon, and began to tour again. In 1997 they embarked on a world tour which included this superb performance at Montreux on July 7.
 
Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV and Digital Media in the world.  Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney, Ozzy Osbourne, Genesis, Alice Cooper, Eric Clapton and Aerosmith. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 40 multi-platinum, over 80 platinum and over 144 gold discs, worldwide.  Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Paris and Hamburg.
 
Follow Eagle Rock Entertainment at:
 

TRACK LISTING
 
DISC ONE:
1) Karn Evil 9 – 1st Impression, Part 2  
2) Tiger In The Spotlight                
3) Hoedown  
4) Touch And Go
5) From The Beginning 
6) Knife Edge
7) Bitches Crystal  
8) Creole Dance  
9) Honky Tonk Train Blues  
10) Take A Pebble  
 
DISC TWO:
1) Lucky Man  
2) Medley: Tarkus / Pictures At An Exhibition  
3) Medley: Fanfare For The Common Man / Rondo / Carmina Burana / Carl Palmer’s Drum Solo / Toccata In D Minor

 
SHEMEKIA COPELAND ANNOUNCES FALL TOUR

Outskirts Of Love Set For September 11 Release

Award-winning, trailblazing vocalist Shemekia Copeland has announced plans for her Fall 2015 North American tour in support of her new Alligator Records album, Outskirts Of Love. The genre-smashing CD is set for September 11 release. With a voice that is alternately sultry, assertive and roaring, Shemekia’s wide-open vision of contemporary blues, Americana, roots and soul music showcases the evolution of a passionate artist with a modern musical and lyrical approach. Whether she’s belting out a raucous blues-rocker, firing up a blistering soul-shouter, bringing the spirit to a gospel-fueled R&B rave-up or digging deep down into a subtle, country-tinged ballad, Shemekia Copeland sounds like no one else. The Chicago Tribune said Copeland delivers "gale force singing and power" with a "unique, gutsy style, vibrant emotional palette and intuitive grasp of the music." NPR Musiccalls her “fiercely expressive.”
 
Copeland’s return to Alligator Records with Outskirts Of Love (she recorded four albums for the label from 1998 through 2006) finds her at her most charismatic, performing roots rock, Americana, and blues with power and authority, nuance and shading. Produced by The Wood Brothers’ Oliver Wood, Outskirts Of Love is a musical tour-de-force, with Copeland rocking out on the title track, taking charge in Crossbone Beach, honoring her father, the late Johnny Clyde Copeland with her Afrobeat-infused take on his Devil’s Hand, tackling homelessness on Cardboard Box and showing off her country swagger on Drivin’ Out Of Nashville. She puts her stamp on songs made famous by Solomon Burke (I Feel A Sin Coming On), Jesse Winchester (Isn’t That So), Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (The Battle Is Over), Creedence Clearwater Revival (Long As I Can See The Light), ZZ Top (Jesus Just Left Chicago), Albert King (Wrapped Up In Love Again) and Jessie Mae Hemphill (Lord Help The Poor And Needy). Friends including Billy F Gibbons, Robert Randolph, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Will Kimbrough and Pete Finney all add their talent with unbridled enthusiasm. The result is Copeland’s most decidedly contemporary and musically adventurous album of her still-evolving career.
 
Copeland has performed thousands of gigs at clubs, festivals and concert halls all over the world and has appeared on national television, NPR, and in newspapers, films and magazines. She is a mainstay on countless commercial and non-commercial radio stations. She's sung with Eric Clapton, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Carlos Santana, James Cotton and many others. She opened for The Rolling Stones and entertained U.S. troops in Iraq and Kuwait. Jeff Beck calls her “f*cking amazing.” Santana says, “She’s incandescent…a diamond.” In 2012, she performed at the White House for President and Mrs. Obama. Afterward, Jagger (with whom she sang) sent her a bottle of champagne.
 
With Outskirts Of Love and a packed tour schedule, Copeland has her eyes fixed firmly on the future as she continues to break new musical ground. "I want to keep growing, to be innovative," she says. “I’m a lifer, singing about things that are important to me, using my music to help people. My dad always said ‘we’re all connected.’ I’m an old soul marching to the beat of my own drum,” she continues, “And right now I’m making the most exciting music of my career.”
 
Tour dates are as follows:
Aug 14, 2015    Calabogie Blues & Ribfest, Calabogie, ON, CANADA
Aug 15, 2015     Festival de Blues de Donnacona, Donnacona, QC, CANADA     
Aug 29, 2015     Paola Roots Festival, Paola, KS
Sep 11, 2015     Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield, ME     
Sep 12, 2015     The Colonial Theatre , Bethlehem, NH     
Sep 13, 2015     Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA
Sep 16, 2015     The Foundry, Athens, GA     
Sep 17, 2015     Music City Roots, Live From The Factory, Franklin, TN
Sep 19, 2015     Hot Springs Blues & BBQ Festival, Hot Springs, AR     
Sep 23, 2015     Redstone Room, Davenport, IA
Sep 24, 2015     Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, Minneapolis, MN     
Sep 26, 2015     Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL
Sep 29, 2015     Grand Theatre, Frankfort, KY     
Oct 01, 2015     Sellersville Theater, Sellersville, PA     
Oct 02, 2015     City Winery, New York, NY     
Oct 04, 2015     Daryl's House, Pawling, NY     
Oct 06, 2015     MexiCali Live, Teaneck, NJ     
Oct 07, 2015     Rams Head On Stage , Annapolis, MD     
Oct 09, 2015     Richmond Folk Festival, Richmond, VA     
Oct 10, 2015     Richmond Folk Festival , Richmond, VA     
Oct 11, 2015     Pleasure Island Seafood Blues & Jazz Festival, Kure Beach, NC
Oct 13, 2015     Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Fort Myers, FL (with Buddy Guy)
Oct 14, 2015     Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL (with Buddy Guy)
Oct 17, 2015     Maxwell C. King Center for the Performing Arts, Melbourne, FL (with Buddy Guy)



SILVERSUN PICKUPS TURN ON "NIGHTLIGHT"

RADIANT NEW SINGLE AND EXTENDED VIDEO BOTH UNVEILED THURSDAY, AUGUST 6th

HALLUCINATORY MUSIC FILM WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MARK PELLINGTON
PREMIERES AT SILVERSUNPICKUPS.COM

"NIGHTLIGHT" HERALDS MODERN ROCK ICONS' EAGERLY AWAITED NEW ALBUM,
TO BE RELEASED VIA BAND'S OWN NEW MACHINE RECORDINGS

FULL-LENGTH EPISODE OF DIRECTV'S GUITAR CENTER SESSIONS
SET TO DEBUT ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 7TH

ALBUM PRE-ORDERS AVAILABLE NOW

BETTER NATURE ARRIVES EVERYWHERE ON SEPTEMBER 25TH

Silversun Pickups will herald their much-anticipated fourth studio album with an array of high profile activity.BETTER NATURE will be released September 25th via the band's own New Machine Recordings.

BETTER NATURE is preceded by the incandescent new single, "Nightlight," debuting Thursday August 6th. "Nightlight" also arrives accompanied by a hallucinatory music film, written and directed by legendary filmmaker Mark Pellington (Foo Fighters, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam). The extended video - produced by Braxton Pope (Passion Pit, MGMT) and featuring Meg Steedle (Boardwalk EmpireThe Mysteries of Laura) - builds upon the track's resonant emotional and sonic core to explore the darker recesses of one young woman's subconscious, a fever dream of guilt, desire, and identity. "Nightlight" is now available to watch at silversunpickups.com and YouTube.

As if all that weren't enough, August 7th will see the debut broadcast of Silversun Pickups' full-length appearance on DIRECTV's Guitar Center Sessions. The all-new episode sees host Nic Harcourt sitting down with the band to discuss their formation, creative process, and what's next for the band's future. The episode is highlighted by exclusive performances from Silversun Pickups' recent set at the world-famous Guitar Center Hollywood, including such iconic classics as "Lazy Eye," and "Panic Switch," and also features the first live performance of "Nightlight." Guitar Center Sessions premieres Friday, August 7th at 9 pm ET on DIRECTV Audience Channel 239 (check local listings); exclusive clips - including a special behind-the-scenes featurette - can be viewed now at sessions.guitarcenter.com.

BETTER NATURE is available now for pre-order in a variety of formats, including a limited edition signed 2 disc 180g vinyl (black) bundle, signed handwritten lyric sheets, art proofs, exclusive T-shirt, and customized SSPU nightlight. For details, please visit silversunpickups.com.

Silversun Pickups' first new album in more than three years, BETTER NATURE sees the Silverlake, CA-based band partnering once again with producer Jacknife Lee (U2, Two Door Cinema Club, Crystal Castles), with whom they so successfully collaborated on 2012's visionary NECK OF THE WOODS. Songs like "Friendly Fires" and "Cradle (Better Nature)" were created and crafted in Lee's Topanga studio, the band building out organically from Silversun Pickups singer/guitarist Aubert's spare songwriting demos. The result is fluid and freewheeling, "oozy," in Aubert's words, with heavily cranked guitars, propulsive rhythms, and seemingly infinite textures.

GRAMMY® Award-winning mix engineer Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, Nine Inch Nails, Royal Blood) brings maximum sonic power to the proceedings, but at the album's beating heart is Silversun Pickups' remarkably intuitive interplay, as ever providing panoramic musical counterpoint to Aubert's incisive, increasingly self-exploratory lyricism. Richer, warmer, and more evocative than anything in their prior canon,BETTER NATURE is Silversun Pickups' most human music thus far.

"This album is like its own quantum universe," Aubert says. "It's kind of unstable."

Silversun Pickups will celebrate BETTER NATURE with an epic North American tour to be unveiled soon. In the meantime, the band will make a number of special showcase appearances, beginning with a headline performance at FM 94.9's Independence Jam, set for September 12th at Oceanside, CA's Junior Seau Pier Amphitheatre. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit silversunpickups.com/tour.

BETTER NATURE marks the debut release from Silversun Pickups' own New Machine Recordings. The independent label takes its name from the PIKUL favorite, "...All The Go Inbetweens."

* * * * *

Silversun Pickups is among the most dynamic and creative rock bands of the contemporary era, hailed far and wide for their inimitable merging of ethereal melodies and pure sonic force. From the opening indie rock salvo of 2005's PIKUL EP to 2012's far-reaching NECK OF THE WOODS, each successive release has seen the Silverlake, CA-based band boldly venture into uncharted terrain, bravely pushing their imagination and ability towards new and surprising summits. Ambitious and anthemic, tracks like "Panic Switch" and "Lazy Eye" have proven modern classics, a guarantee of rare danger and invention amidst the anodyne dross of post-millennial rock. What's more, the indefatigable quartet have made it their mission to bring their unique music to the people, touring the planet nearly non-stop to reach a devoted and ever-growing international fan following.

Silversun Pickups is: Brian Aubert (guitar, vocals) * Nikki Monninger (bass) * Joe Lester (keyboards)  * Christopher Guanlao (drums).

SILVERSUN PICKUPS
BETTER NATURE
(New Machine Recordings)
Release Date: September 25th

TRACKLISTING
1.     Cradle (Better Nature)
2.     Connection
3.     Pins & Needles
4.     Friendly Fires
5.     Nightlight
6.     Circadian Rhythm (Last Dance)
7.     Tapedeck
8.     Latchkey Kids
9.     Ragamuffin
10.  The Wild Kind

All Songs Written by Silversun Pickups and Jacknife Lee

Produced by Jacknife Lee
Mixed by Alan Moulder

# # #

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Sights and Sounds: Deep Purple, Carl Palmer

More good news for fans of classic rock to be sure...



DEEP PURPLE
LIVE IN CALIFORNIA 74 
~40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THIS EPONYMOUS CONCERT~
~ON CD AND DIGITAL FORMATS APRIL 1, 2014~
New York, NY (March 12, 2014)—In honor of the 40th Anniversary of the historic California Jam Festival, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Deep Purple Live in California 74 for the first time on CD and Digital Audio on April 1. [MSRP $13.98]
By the mid-seventies, Deep Purple was one of the biggest selling rock acts in America, and Live In California 74 demonstrates exactly why. Taking place at the end of their 28-date tour promoting Burn, the CD showcases the band performing before 200,000 people as the headliner of the Cal Jam Festival. Closing their trek with a triumphant climax, the potent line-up of Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), David Coverdale (vocals), Glenn Hughes (bass), Jon Lord (keyboards), and Ian Paice(drums) pummel through an explosive set of songs from Burn, as well as classics like “Space Truckin’” and “Smoke On The Water.”
40 years later, this set still resonates as a concert for the ages. Previously released on DVD in 2006, the Live In California 74 album is an absolutely must-have for any Deep Purple fan’s collection.
Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world.  Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide.  Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.
Follow Eagle Rock Entertainment at:
Track Listing:
1.) Burn
2.) Might Just Take Your Life
3.) Lay Down, Stay Down
4.) Mistreated
5.) Smoke On The Water
6.) You Fool No One
7.) Space Truckin’
Acclaimed British Rock icon and drummer CARL PALMER's
DECADE concert DVD, THE SOLO art film, and newly expanded
2 CD CARL, DO YA WANNA PLAY? ANTHOLOGY out now

Carl Palmer, among the most renowned drummers in rock history and a founding member of both ELP and ASIA will be featured in three global releases by Music Video Distributors. Being released worldwide on March 11 will be DECADE (which chronicles the 2011 tour show and celebrates the 10 year anniversary of Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy band); THE SOLO, (an acclaimed art film by British director Andrew Cross which presents Carl Palmer's drum solo as a form of physical art); and the newly expanded 2 CD anthology, CARL, DO YA WANNA PLAY?, a compilation covering 50 years of recordings band by Carl Palmer with Emerson Lake & Palmer, ASIA, Carl Palmer Legacy, The Craig, PM, Mike Oldfield, and other acts he has worked with.
"I am very excited to have these titles coming out and available finally for my fans," says Palmer, who has been touring since his group launched its 2014 tour with a sold out show in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, on January 18. "Decade is a complete show by my band, and features our power trio interpretations of the greatest songs of ELP and select classical composers. If you loved ELP but want to hear these songs done in a completely different musical environment, this DVD is something you will want to see and own. We are extremely proud of the final product, which was captured at one of our shows on the 2011 tour."
Adds Palmer: "The Solo was an art film I was asked to be involved with by film maker Andrew Cross. The idea was to show the audience that a drum solo and exploration of various percussion instruments could be positioned as a work of art."   The film has received rave reviews at screenings done in art museums in England, with critic Stephen Lee in his review, saying, "The Solo transforms an unassuming landscape into the spatial re-enactment of music as pop idyll."
The newly expanded version of Palmer's UK-only released two disc CD compilation, Carl, Do Ya Wanna Play- The Carl Palmer Anthology, features many of the greatest recorded works of Palmer's career with ELP, ASIA, Atomic Rooster, Mike Oldfield and as a solo artist. It even includes a rare track of Palmer performing with the Buddy Rich Orchestra, at the insistence of the famed jazz drummer and long time friend of Palmer's.
Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy is a red-hot power trio that features Palmer on drums and percussion; guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bassist Simon Fitzpatrick. "Since 2001, I have been playing with my own power trio, replacing the keyboards with electric guitar," says Palmer. "I felt that was the only honest way to approach the music of ELP. I didn't want to have a singer trying to sound like Greg Lake. ELP did so much instrumental music, this format made sense to me.  Hearing the keyboard parts done on guitar is certainly different, but just as satisfying. The idea was to re-invent the music; there will be several new classic ELP tunes this time around."
As for ELP, Palmer closed that chapter of his life when the band played a final show in 2010 at London's High Voltage Festival, where they celebrated their 40th Anniversary. "ELP has ended its on again off again existence when we did High Voltage.  We had a great run and remain friends, but the best way I can honor our musical legacy is to present that music the way I do with my own band.
These MVD releases come in conjunction with the release of a new ASIA studio album, Gravitas (and 2014 tour), and Palmer's acclaimed second collection of modern art available at www.CarlPalmerArt.com.
On tour Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy will play nearly two hours and drum enthusiasts can expect an evening of compelling percussive skills, from the man who brought the drum set to the forefront of rock n roll music.
FOR ALL THINGS CARL PALMER: www.carlpalmer.com