Percy Jones / Alex Skolnick / Kenny Grohowski / Tim Motzer - PAKT Live In Buffalo (February 15, 2022 MoonJune Records)

In December of 2021, PAKT has performed 4 shows in Rochester, Cleveland, Buffalo, Catskill Village and Piermont, and has recorded a studio album at Scott Pettito's studio in Catskill Village. Buffalo show at the Tralf venue was particularly inspiring.

1. City Of Light 16:47

2. Riviere Aux Chevaux 04:48

3. The Ghost Mills 09:21

4. Last Man Standing 11:12

5. Tobacco Peoples 11:43

6. Beau Fleuve 12:11

7. Minimums 15:21

8. Buffalo Blues 12:08

PERCY JONES - bass guitar

ALEX SKOLNICK - guitar

KENNY GROHOWSKI - drums

TIM MOTZER - guitars, electronics

Recorded live at the Tralf Music Hall, Buffalo, NY, December 15, 2021.

Recorded and mixed live by Steven Supparits.

Mixed and mastered by Markus Reuter.

Digital editing by Tim Motzer.

PAKT logo paintings/design: Tim Motzer

Produced by PAKT and Leonardo Pavkovic.

Executive production by Leonardo Pavkovic.

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Stephan Thelen - Fractal Guitar 2 Remixes (December 2021 MoonJune Records)

24bit DIGITAL FILES

CD + LIMITED EDITION LP

From STEPHAN THELEN

Fractal Guitar 2 remains one of my own favorite albums, not just for musical reasons, but also because it was such an enjoyable working experience in which many of my musician friends sent me file after file after file of amazing and spellbinding music. In the end, there were so many tracks that ultimately did not make it to the album, but were simply too good to just let go of. A good example ist Andi Pupato’s Middle Eastern percussion track for my remix of 'Point of Inflection’ which wasn’t quite right for the main album, but set the stage for the very different vibe of the remix.

Also, while preparing the mixes for Fractal Guitar 2, it became clear that the extensive material for this album had the potential to be remixed and remodeled in many different ways. Knowing that some of my friends were excellent and creative remixers, I reached out to see who would be compelled to re-imagine the pieces. A big thank you to Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, David Torn and Barry Cleveland for their incredible remix skills and musical imagination. In an e-mail written after hearing Bill Laswell’s remix, Barry wrote to me: „This is fascinating on multiple levels. A sort of master class, really …Even King Tubby would raise his eyebrows at that schnizzle.“ Of course, he’s right.

01 POINT OF INFLECTION (Stephan Thelen Remix)

David Torn: electric guitar, live looping

Jon Durant: fretless guitar, cloud guitar

Barry Cleveland: 6 &12-string guitars, bowed guitar, chopped guitar, fuzz orchestration

Markus Reuter: soundscapes

Tim Motzer: electric guitar

Andi Pupato: percussion

Andy Brugger: drums

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, fender bass, granular synth, mix translation

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen and Barry Cleveland.

02 LADDER TO THE STARS (Jah Wobble Remix)

Henry Kaiser: electric guitar

Chris Muir: electric guitar, live looping

Markus Reuter: touch guitar U8, soundscapes

Jon Durant: filtered and sliced cloud guitar

Fabio Anile: electric piano

Andy West: bass guitar

Andi Pupato: percussion

Manuel Pasquinelli: drums

Jah Wobble: mix translation

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, keyboards

Mix translation by Jah Wobble at Airtight Productions, Manchester,

England, July 2020. Engineering by Seadna McPhail.

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen and Fabio Anile..

03 CELESTIAL NAVIGATION (Stephan Thelen Remix)

Markus Reuter: touch guitar U8, soundscapes

Bill Walker: electric guitar, lap steel

Andi Pupato: percussion

Manuel Pasquinelli: drums

Stephan Thelen: fractal guitar, fender bass, e-bow, keyboards, mix translation

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen.

04 POINT OF INFLECTION (David Torn Mix)

David Torn: electric guitar, live looping, mix

Jon Durant: cloud guitar

Barry Cleveland: 6 &12-string guitars, bowed guitar, chopped guitar, fuzz orchestration

Markus Reuter: soundscapes

Andi Pupato: percussion

Andy Brugger: drums

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, fender bass, granular synth

Mixed and Mastered by David Torn.

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen and Barry Cleveland.

05 MERCURY TRANSIT (Barry Cleveland Remix)

Barry Cleveland: 6 & 12-string guitars, bowed guitar, revox loops, zither, singing bowls, bowed cymbal, electronics, mix translation

Jon Durant: VCS3 guitar

Markus Reuter: soundscapes

Michael Manring: bass guitar

Andi Pupato: percussion

Andy Brugger: drums

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, e-bow, keyboards

Mix translation by Barry Cleveland.

Mastered by David Torn.

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen.

06 POINT OF INFLECTION (Bill Laswell Mix Translation)

Bill Laswell: bass, electronics, mix translation

David Torn: electric guitar, live looping

Jon Durant: fretless guitar, cloud guitar

Barry Cleveland: 6 &12-string guitars, bowed guitar, chopped guitar, fuzz orchestration

Markus Reuter: soundscapes

Andi Pupato: percussion

Andy Brugger: drums

Stephan Thelen: electric guitar, fender bass, granular synth

Mix translation by Bill Laswell, Orange Music, West Orange, New Jersey, June 2020. Engineering, editing and processing by James Dellatacoma.

Original Version written by Stephan Thelen and Barry Cleveland.

All tracks written by Stephan Thelen except Ladder to the Stars

written by Stephan Thelen & Fabio Anile and Point of Inflection

written by Stephan Thelen & Barry Cleveland.

Recorded at various locations across Europe and North America

between November 2019 and July 2020.

Recording engineer at MegaSonic, Oakland, California: Jeremy Goody.

Andy Brugger’s drums recorded by Reto Muggli at Powerplay Sudio B,

Zürich, Switzerland. Manuel Pasquinelli’s drums recorded by Benno

Kaiser at his studio in Aarau, Switzerland.

Jah Wobble’s remix performed at Airtight Productions,

Manchester, England, July 2020. Engineering by Seadna McPhail.

Bill Laswell’s mix translation performed at

Orange Music, West Orange, New Jersey, June 2020.

Engineering, editing and processing by

James Dellatacoma.

David Torn appears courtesy of ECM Records.

PRE ORDER

Beledo - Seriously Deep (November 16, 2021 MoonJune Records)

BELEDO is Uruguayan born, NYC based multi-instrumentalist, predominantly guitarist and pianist, who grew up in Montevideo and was a prominent player on the jazz scene in his native Uruguay, is joined by drummer Kenny Grohowski, who in addition to taking part in several MoonJune recording dates, has worked with John Zorn, John Medeski, Imperial Triumphant, as well as the most recent incarnation of Brand X. Completing the core trio for the record is bassist Tony Levin, whose stellar list of credits includes Paul Simon, John Lennon, Peter Gabriel, David Bowie and King Crimson.

The centerpiece of the album is Beledo’s arrangement of Eberhard Weber’s composition, Seriously Deep. Originally appearing on the ECM album, Silent Feet, the album and that track in particular had a huge impact on Beledo and his friend Jorge Camiruaga when they first heard it upon its release in 1978.

Lasting over 14 minutes the track, with its graceful gently unfurling melody, features Beledo on electric guitar and acoustic piano. Beledo’s high-end undulating solo is complimented by Levin’s ruminative response at the opposite end of the tonal, adding up to a beautifully balanced performance.

A different kind of emotion lies at the core of Mama D, a track dedicated to the late South African singer, Dorothy Masuka and performed here by Botswanese vocalist Kearoma Rantao. With lyrics written by Beledo that chronicles Masuka’s life from the oppression of the apartheid regime to the struggle for a more equitable existence in the modern South Africa, Rantao’s powerful performance glows like a beacon shining at the center of the track’s complex, shifting arrangements.

A very different vocal is heard on A Temple In The Valley with Italian composer and singer Boris Savoldelli adding his athletic wordless singing to a track whose wistful, bitter-sweet melody sounds like a hidden gem from the Canterbury Scene. A gorgeous song-without-words, it’s a tune you might find on an album by Hatfield And The North or Caravan.

That the album features both written and improvised music is very much the core of Beledo’s approach. “I like to make sure that the musicians have all the materials in advance and that the arrangements are already digested by the time we get to the studio. Then the improvisations will flow without stress. I tend to write everything, but it is not to box people into what’s written but in the hope that it will create a frame of infinite points that will expand the possibilities of expression. The improvisations are an aspect that takes more than a 50% of my compositions and when it comes to my guitar playing it is the aspect that I feel it allows me to express my true self,” says the guitarist.

While the core trio worked live face-to-face in the studio, COVID meant that the vocal contributions had to be done remotely. Beledo is especially pleased with the results. “Boris and Kearoma gave a 200% to their performances, sang their lines soulfully and masterfully, and they created their own arrangements such as where they overdub more than one voice. It is amazing how two people singing two different songs in different parts of the world added extra choir parts at the end of certain phrases. I’m so pleased my music inspired them in the same way.”

His writing either for instrumental or vocal settings exhibit a supple eloquence. Coasting Zone and Maggie’s Sunrise both feature Jorge Camiruaga on vibraphone, a life-long friend of Beledo who shared a passion for that Eberhard Weber Colours album back in 1978. Both of these tracks suggest reflective moods with a yearning quality redolent in their melodies and solo lines. The latter in particular enhanced by Beledo’s piano work and his guitar’s yearning quality that occasionally brings to mind Allan Holdsworth’s plangent tones.

Yet it’s a characteristic of Beledo’s finely honed approach to guitar playing that he isn’t concerned with any kind of obvious showboating or gratuitous displays of technique. Dexterous bursts of speed can be at their most engaging and exciting when they are deployed sparingly, that is, as and when the music demands it. Beledo is just as likely to be carefully crafting atmospherics as undertaking unnecessary dashes up and down the fretboard.

Good examples of this are found on Knocking Waves and Into The Spirals, two tracks that were improvised live in the studio between Beledo, Grohowski and Levin and which demonstrate his textural approach as a means of enhancing the moment, showing real empathy with the work of his colleagues.

 1. Seriously Deep 14:15

2. Mama D 07:50

3. Coasting Zone 05:07

4. Maggie's Sunrise 08:38

5. Knocking Waves 09:48

6. A Temple In The Valley 10:57

7. Into The Spirals 04:16

BELEDO - guitars, acoustic piano, synth

TONY LEVIN - upright bass, bass guitar

KENNY GROHOWSKI - drums

with special guests

JORGE CAMIRUAGA - vibraphone (1, 4)

KEAROMA RANTAO - vocals (2)

BORIS SAVOLDELLI - vocals (6)

All compositions and arrangements by Beledo, except 'Seriously Deep', composed by Eberhard Weber, and 'Knocking Waves' and 'Into The Spirals', composed by Beledo, Levin, Grohowski.

Produced by Leonardo Pavkovic & Beledo.

Executive production by Leonardo Pavkovic for MoonJune Music.

Recorded by Scott Petito at NRS Studio, Catskill Village, NY, USA, on September 22 & 23, 2020. Mixed by Scott Petito & Beledo at NRS Studio on December 19 & 20, 2020 and April 30, 2021.

Mastered by Stefano Castagna at Ritmo & Blue Studio, Pozzolengo, BS, Italy, between May 14-19, 2021.

Jorge Camiruaga's vibraphone rs recorded by Rogelio Lago at Grind Sound Studio, Montevideo, Uruguay, December 2, 2020.

Vocal parts by Kearoma Rantao were recorded by Francois Arthur Titus and Prestley Metsheat at Kalakuta Heartbeat studio, Gabarone West, Botswana, on March 19, 2021.

Boris Savoldelli's vocal parts were recorded by Boris Savoldelli at Insanology Studio, Sotto Colina, BG, Italy, on April 21, 2021.

PREORDER

Nicolas Meier World Group / Magnificent - Live - Stories (3 albums bundle) October 2021 MoonJune Records

Nicolas Meier's brand new TRIPLE CD album on his own label MGP Records (UK). Promoted and marketed by MoonJune Music.

Nicolas had the chance to tour the world with guitar legend Jeff Beck, he been busy making 4 albums with jazz guitarist Pete Oxley, record and tour with Indonesian guitarist and composer Dewa Budjana, project which included bassist Jimmy Halsip, producing singer Gabrielle Ducomble, and experimenting in the instrumental metal world with his project (My Dark Side). He also had the chance to record his album “Infinity” with Vinnie Colaiuta on drums and Jimmy Haslip on bass, worldwide distribution through Favored Nations (Steve Vai's Label) which led to international touring, Europe and USA tours.

All this gave Nicolas new inspirations to continue working and producing the 2nd album of the Nicolas Meier World Goup. Last alum “Peaceful” received great reviews and feedbacks and the group played a 55 dates tour supporting the album. The band includes: percussionist Demi Garcia from Barcelona, violinist Richard Jones from Wales and bassist Kevin Glasgow from Scotland. The new album “Magnificent” is again music taken from many travels, listening to different folk music… Spanish, Turkish, Balkanic, Middle-eastern, north African, South American all in an improvised music. Enjoy the sound of Nicolas’ guitars (glissentar, fretted and fretless nylon strings, 12 strings) all with the sound of the violin, accompanied with a strong rhythm from Demi and Kevin.

The band played a wonderful concert on February 16th 2020 in Colchester Arts Centre Jazz Club, UK. It was filmed and recorded. A new album is out called “LIVE” and videos are being released from this concert. This Live album is included in the 3CDs package of “Magnificent” which also includes the solo guitar albul “Stories”.

1. Mesudiye (Magnificent) 06:40

2. Semur's Bridge (Magnificent) 06:19

3. Hip (Magnificent) 06:20

4. Stories From The Garden (Magnificent) 07:39

5. Sous le ciel de Fribourg (Magnificent) 05:03

6. Villa Olivio (Magnificent) 07:32

7. The Pond (Magnificent) 06:48

8. Under An Olive Tree (Magnificent) 08:25

9. La Vie en Rose (Stories) 03:16

10. Blues for Alice (Stories) 02:31

11. The Godfather (Stories) 03:42

12. Kismet (Stories) 06:04

13. Mona Lisa (Stories) 03:23

14. Goodbye Pork Pie HatBrush with the Blues (Stories) 03:19

15. My Foolish Heart (Stories) 02:27

16. October In Ankara (Stories) 04:51

17. Nothing Else Matters (Stories) 03:43

18. C'est si Bon (Stories) 02:47

19. Sous le Ciel de Fribourg (Stories) 03:27

20. Night & Day (Stories) 03:06

21. Stories From The Garden (Stories) 04:20

22. Esmeralda (Stories) 04:07

23. Manzanita Samba (Live) 08:19

24. Besiktas Cafe (Live) 05:50

25. Caravan Of Anatolia (Live) 09:45

26. City Of Rivers (Live) 09:06

27. Riversides (Live) 08:45

28. Prince's Island (Live) 07:54

29. Water Lillies (Live) 08:19

30.Tales (Live) 06:14

31. Adiguzel (Live) 09:28

NICOLAS MEIER - Acoustic fretless and fretted nylon string string guitars, glissentar and 12 string guitar

DEMI GARCIA – Percussion

KEVIN GLASGOW – Bass

RICHARD JONES - Violin

PREORDER

Percy Jones / Alex Skolnick / Kenny Grohowski / Tim Motzer - PAKT Live in Pawling (August 2021 MoonJune Records)

Eleven months before this July-22-2021 performance - on August-15-2020, the very first  PAKT performance - playing masked and distanced to a dimly lit empty venue in the midst of the pre-vaccine pandemic era - had  a surreal quality that informed the music. Now here we were about to make our our debut to a live audience at Daryl’s House in Pawling, once again playing completely and spontaneously improvised music. To be honest, we weren’t 100% sure how it would turn out. Would a comparatively normal situation - a room full of music lovers enjoying beverages and bites while listening intently - inspire us to go on similar spontaneous journeys? If so, would our audience go there with us? As soon as the lights went down, the travelling began. Throughout the evening, there were cheers and responses from our first crowd. It was as though we’d planned our arrangements as meticulously as a tune by Hall & Oates. 

By the time it was over, the answer to those questions had been a clear and resounding “yes.” We are grateful the Daryl’s staff and a sizable audience for taking a chance on a project that is thoroughly uncharted (in more ways than one) and proving to us that the PAKT experience has a life beyond one strange night in the midst of a pandemic. More live music to be released, enjoy!  - Alex Skolnick

In July of 2021, the newly formed supergroup PAKT - featuring bassist Percy Jones, guitarist Alex Skolnick, drummer Kenny Grohowski and guitarists and soundscapist Tim Motzer - have performed 4 shows promoting their debut album on MoonJune Records. For all 4 musicians that was the first time playing in front of the real audience, in 16 months, 

JULY 22 - PAWLING, NY (Daryl’s House) 

JULY 23 - KENNETT SQUARE, PA (Kennett Flash Rooftop Series) 

JULY 24 - BROOKLYN, NY (ShapeShifter Lab) 

JULY 25 - SELLERSVILLE, PA (Sellersville Theater) 

Every show is different from each other, and PAKT and MoonJune Records are recording every show, and every show will be released digitally on BandCamp. 

This coming Winter  PAKT will record studio album to be released in the late Spring of 2022. 

Upcoming shows: 

SEP 10 (Fri) - TBC 

SEP 11 (Sat) - Syracuse, NY (Epic Fest) 

SEP 12 (Sun) - Hudson Falls, NY (Strand Theater) 

1. Inception 17:29

2. Variant P - Part 1 & 2 11:16

3. Paisley Sphere 13:56

4. Fonk Junket 07:43

5. Harlem Valley Medication 11:38

6. Restore Order in the Gallery 13:40

7. Gateways and Goodbyes 08:26

PERCY JONES - bass guitar

ALEX SKOLNICK - guitar

KENNY GROHOWSKI - drums

TIM MOTZER - guitars, electronics

Recorded live at the Daryl's House, Pawling, NY, July 22, 2021.

Recorded and live mixing during the live performance by Jessica Klee. 

Mastered by Markus Reuter. 

Digital editing by Tim Motzer.

PAKT logo paintings/design: Tim Motzer

Produced by PAKT and Leonardo Pavkovic.

Executive production by Leonardo Pavkovic.

Pre-order

Percy Jones / Alex Skolnick / Kenny Grohowski / Tim Motzer - PAKT (July 20, 2021 MoonJune Records)

PAKT is made up of fretless bass guitar icon Percy Jones, guitarists Alex Skolnick and Tim Motzer, and drummer Kenny Grohowski. They are all very experienced players. Skolnick is best known as the lead guitarist in the thrash metal band Testament; he went on to freelance work, playing jazz with his Alex Skolnick Trio, and experimenting with World Music and Progressive Rock.

Welsh bassist Jones (a New York resident) is known for his tenure in the jazz fusion group Brand X, as well as extensive studio work with Brian Eno, Kate Bush, Suzanne Vega, David Sylvian Motzer has a long background in free improvisation as well, including the bands Bandit65 (with fellow guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel) and Orion Tango, plus many other recorded collaborations for his 1k Recordings label. 

Grohowski is one of the busiest drummers in business, and his recent associations include John Zorn, Brand X, Imperial Triumphant, Kilter, Felix Pastorius & Hipster Assassins, John Medeski, Lonny Plaxico, Tony Levin, Beledo, Markus Reuter, and many others.

PAKT recalls the fearless attitude and daring approach that originally defined progressive music: where the magic of the moment always triumphed over preconception. Templates be damned ... this music blazes its own path! This is truly exquisite fare, serving as a reminder to aficionados of what initially drew them to this most creative, visionary of genres.

1. Emergence

2. Over Strange Lands

3. The Mystery

4. The Unsilence

5. Brothers Of Energy

6. Perseverance

7. The Sacred Ladder

8. Drifts & Alignments

9. Nigh Crossings

10. The Great Spirit

11. Departure Sanctuary

12. Cosmic Fire

PERCY JONES - bass guitar

ALEX SKOLNICK - guitar

KENNY GROHOWSKI - drums

TIM MOTZER - guitars, electronics

Recorded live at the ShapeShifter Lab, Brooklyn, NY, August 15, 2020, during the lockdown. 

Mixed and mastered by Benjamin Schäfer and Markus Reuter. Mastered by Fabio Trentini and Markus Reuter. 

Produced by PAKT and Leonardo Pavkovic.

Executive production by Leonardo Pavkovic.

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Dewa Budjana - Naurora (June 2021 MoonJune Records)

Naurora is undoubtedly Dewa Budjana's most ambitious work yet. Progressive, fresh, engaging, technically brilliant. Budjana’s tunes consistently clasp his listeners in a drape of gorgeous melodies, showpiece guitar parts and astounding ensemble passages that have a spacious air. Naurora, has is an exhilarating mix of styles, it delivers a succession of memorable motifs. It melds East Asian music with progressive jazz fusion and some occasional elements of rock, but most of all it delivers an idiosyncratic sound that is instantaneously identifiable as Dewa Budjana’s own.

1. Naurora 11:03

2. Swarna Jingga 06:51

3. Kmalasana 07:05

4. Sabana Shanti 07:50

5. Blue Mansion 07:48

DEWA BUDJANA - guitars, soundscapes

with

BEN WILLIAMS - upright bass (Sabana Shanti)

CARLITOS DEL PUERTO - bass guitar & upright bass (Naurora, Kmalasana, Blue Mansion)

DAVE WECKL - drums (Swarna Jingga, Sabana Shanti)

GARY HUSBAND - piano, synth (Blue Mansion)

IMEE OOI - vocals (Naurora)

JIMMY JOHNSON - bass guitar (Swarna Jingga)

JOEY ALEXANDER - acoustic piano (Naurora, Sabana Shanti)

MATEUS ASATO - guitar intro & guitar solo (Swarna Jingga)

PAUL MCCANDLESS - soprano sax (Sabana Shanti)

SIMON PHILLIPS - drums (Naurora, Kmalasana, Blue Mansion)

Naurora was recorded remotely during the pandemic in 2020 and 2021.

All recordings were done by featured musicians, except:

Simon Phillips' tracks were recorded by Jason Mariani at Carbonite Sound, Ojai, CA, USA.

Paul McCandless' track was recorded by Dan Feiszli at What’s For Lunch Studio, San Fransisco, CA, USA.

Joey Alexander's tracks were recorded by Raymundus Dimas Daniswara at iCanStudioLive Jakarta, Indonesia.

All songs are composed, arranged, produced and edited by Dewa Budjana at Temple Island Studio, Jakarta.

Executive Producers: Dani Rahadian & Willawati for Mehsada.

Mixed & Mastered by Rich Breen at Dogmatic Sound, Burbank, CA, USA.

Photo Cover by Tompi. N Studio & Carly Bloom Team (Nesha Aurea Hanzdima Chritine Yuniarti)

Artwork by Aga Dilaga, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

Dewa Budjana exclusively uses Kiesel guitars, D’Addario Strings, Palmer Musical Instruments.

Jopey Alexander appears courtesy of Verve Records.

International album release executive producer by Leonardo Pavkovic for MoonJune Records.

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Gary Husband - A Meeting of Spirits: Interpretations of The Music of John McLaughlin (June 16, 2021 MoonJune Records)

“Gary Husband the pianist has long been overshadowed by Gary Husband the drummer.  I can personally testify to it.  However, here we have a recording which will probably achieve the reverse of what I just wrote.

In addition, he has chosen to base this recording primarily on my compositions.  I am honoured.  This is a recording that is full of surprises, and the fact that I have difficulty recognising one or two of my own compositions is only one of them!

But Gary is no ordinary musician, full of invention and surprises, modulations and inversions of melodic, harmonic and rhythmic content abound.  This is Gary Husband in full bloom.  Wonderful!”

John McLaughlin

"GORGEOUS, supreme inventiveness, absolute creativity, unique and deeply moving piano music!! Truly inspiring!!"

Chick Corea

“After hearing his The Things I See, I was immediately struck with his novel, almost orchestral approach to layering multiple piano takes over one another to create his dense tapestry of sound.  Gary plays with a lot of heart and clearly doesn’t rely on licks and preconceived bags of tricks in his solos. When he improvises he’s creating in the moment.  A few days ago I received this new CD. I was very impressed again with his wonderful dense layering approach and super interesting new harmonisations and contrapuntal detail.  Being a drummer, his timing is rock solid, and throughout, his improvisations are fresh and interesting. I respect his “no compromise” approach to his music.”

Stu Goldberg (Keyboardist with Mahavishnu Orchestra and John McLaughlin’s One Truth Band)

* SPECIAL NOTE

Tracks 1-2, 5-6 and 15-16 are joined. To ensure you experience the consecutive playback uninterrupted in correct form it is highly advisable you opt for the download of this album and check you have “gapless playback” enabled on your player.

The second in a series of two “interpretational” endeavours (based on music of two respective artists), exploring ways my imagination and their imagination can meet. This one - “the younger brother”, as it were, of The Things See * Interpretations Of The Music Of Allan Holdsworth - very much the very same kind of method, arrangement approach and mission. So these two recordings have a very strong affinity with each other.

Here I’m presenting a reimagining material of my hero, colossal early inspiration (and boss in the 4th Dimension since 2005!) you’ll find material here stemming from many varying periods of John McLaughlin - from Mahavishnu Orchestra eras, original Shakti, Heart Of Things band, the 1970s “Electric Guitarist” album ... even earlier recordings such as John’s debut “Extrapolation” and the wilder project a short time later with John Surman “Where Fortune Smiles”.

Similarly again with “The Things I See” you’ll note composition credits correspond when shared compositional input is involved. Noticeably in these cases the composition’s name is a variation on the original.

I hope very much you’ll enjoy the reimagining and the creative journey.

Gary Husband- 16/06/21

1/ Spirits Opening (John McLaughlin))

2/ A Meeting Of Spirits (Gary Husband)

3/ Vision Is A Naked Sword (John McLaughlin)

4/ You Know, You Know/ Are You The One?/ Miles Beyond (John McLaughlin)

5/ Maya Prologue (Gary Husband)

6/ The Dance Of Maya (John McLaughlin)

7/ It’s Funny (John McLaughlin)

8/ Lotus Feet Reflections (Gary Husband)

9/ Celestial Terrestrial Commuters (John McLaughlin)

10/ Jazz Jungle (Excerpt) (John McLaughlin)

11/ Joyful (Gary Husband)

12/ Song For My Mother (John McLaughlin)

*Epilogue*

13/ Alap (Gary Husband)

14/ Lotus Feet (Reprise) (John McLaughlin)

15/ Earth Bound Hearts (John McLaughlin)

16/ Development And Closing (Gary Husband) 

All arrangements and performance by Gary Husband - Piano, in-piano percussion, voice and bells

Produced by Gary Husband

Recording engineer: Toby Wood, NuCool Studio, London, November 9th & 10th 2005

Mixed and mastered by Toby Wood and Gary Husband at North Seven Studios, London, April 13th & 14th 2017

Optimisation and Remastering: Markus Reuter, June 2021

Dedicated to John McLaughlin

Pre-order

Soft Machine - Hidden Details (MOONJUNE RECORDS September 8, 2018)

Hidden Details is a new studio album of Soft Machine, recorded at the late great Jon Hiseman's Temple Studio in Surrey, England, last December 2017, and it will be released in September 2018 on MoonJune Records (North America; on CD and HD Download), on John Etheridge's Dyan Records (UK/Europe on CD, and iTunes), and on Vivid Records (Japan), exactly 50 years since the release of the band's 1968 debut album The Soft Machine. Limited and highly collectible vinyl edition of only 200 coloured vinyl (orange, blue and tour edition orange & blue marbled) will be released on the Dutch label Tonefloat, on September 8, 2018. 

“'Hidden Details' is very much the product of an active, contemporary sounding outfit striking out with its own agenda. Though informed by the past, the music here is neither weighed down nor beholden to it. Animated with the same ineffable and inquisitive spirit that has always made this group throughout its fifty years such a compelling experience, it’' good to have a new Soft Machine with us in 2018. The yearning tenderness of 'Heart Off Guard' and the come-down reveries of 'Broken Hill' and 'Drifting White' showcase the more intimate aspects of Soft Machine's personality while in contrast, 'One Glove' gives the more pugilistic side of John Etheridge's playing an outing. 

The terse angularities of the title track and 'Life on Bridges' highlight a fearless disposition, as does the buzzsaw interplay heard during 'Ground Lift' and 'Flight of the Jett,' both featuring Roy Babbington's decisive interventions. The surging lyricism of 'Fourteen Hour Dream' flirts with an almost popish sensibility, underscoring the sense that this is a quartet that is fundamentally at ease with itself. The return of what some older fans of the band have called 'cosmic tinkles’'– the appearance of layers of cyclical electric piano motifs – is especially welcome. Their brief manifestation on 'The Man Who Waved at Trains' and Third-era, 'Out-Bloody-Rageous,' both stone-cold Mike Ratledge-composed classics, adds an extra spacey dimension to the overall sound.

Travis' use of looping technology with his flutes creates its own beguiling world and can be heard to powerful effect on the beautiful and enigmatic 'Breathe,' where his hovering notes are underpinned by Marshall's oblique yet atmospheric percussion.” - Sid Smith 

Soft Machine is a legend and an institution of British music, a band who included Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen, Mike Ratledge, Kevin Ayers, Andy Summers (later of The Police), Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Roy Babbington, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Allan Holdsworth, John Etheridge, Percy Jones, Rick Sanders, Dave McRae and Jack Bruce among others (Jimi Hendrix briefly jammed with the band in 1968!). Since its creation in 1966, this band pioneered Psychedelic and Progressive Rock, led the 'Canterbury' trend, pioneered jazz-rock, and then guitar-led fusion (launching the guitar god Allan Holdsworth in 1974), influenced generations of musicians.

Disbanded in 1978, recreated in few occasions in 1981 and 1984, the band resurfaces in 1999 under the name of Soft Ware. Much was said about this band with a very complex intriguing history of constant personal changes during the 1966-1978 period.

The band resurrected in 1999 under the name of Soft Ware, then as Soft Works 2002-2004 and Soft Machine Legacy 2004-2015. In December 2015, it was confirmed that the band had dropped the “Legacy” tag from their name, as the band featured three of the group's 1970s era members – guitarist John Etheridge, drummer John Marshall and bassist Roy Babbington (from the seminal 1976's album Softs), in addition to flute and sax player Theo Travis – returning to the original name from 2015, and performing numerous concerts all around Europe, South America and Japan.

Mark Wingfield - Tales From The Dreaming City (MOONJUNE RECORDS 2018)

With 2015’s Proof of Light, the forward-thinking British electric guitarist Mark Wingfield showed that he was following in the impressionistic footsteps of such adventurous six-string explorers as David Torn, Terje Rypdal, Adrian Belew, Steve Howe and Allan Holdsworth. That stunning release, his seventh overall and first for MoonJune Records, garnered critical raves from the music press. “Wingfield’s guitar playing is mysterious, majestic and blazing in turns,” wrote Guitar Player while All About Jazz crowed, “Wingfield makes his guitar howl, sing and cry for mercy amid flickering single note runs.” Improvijazzation Nation opined that “Mark’s guitar is going to take you to spaces you’ve never explored before” while Music That Matters simply called him a “six-string winged, improvising shaman.” 

With Tales From The Dreaming City, the intrepid sonic innovator pushes the envelope even further in the company of his regular rhythm tandem of fretless bassist Yaron Stavi and powerhouse drummer Asaf Sirkis, who are both back from Proof of Light. Belgian keyboardist Dominique Vantomme plays melodies, provides extra textures, colors and exotic voicings and solos on four tracks on this hard-hitting offering, which carries elements of prog-rock, jazz and world music. “I wouldn't put it in any specific category” says Wingfield. “Most of the tracks on Tales From the Dreaming City are based firmly around a central melody and chord progression. To my ears, the melodic approach has something in common with the open lyricism of a lot of ECM jazz and harmonically it's somewhere between that and classical music. There are elements of rock, and with the classical influences I guess you could say it crosses over into progressive rock. But there's also a lot of improvisation going on.” 

He also hesitates to call it ‘fusion.’ “I don't hear what I think of when most people say fusion," says the guitarist who lives in the countryside just 45 minutes outside of central London. “The chords progressions and voicings are completely different, the rhythms are different, the structures are different. The pieces on this album are more openly melodic than most fusion, and the sounds too are very different from what I've heard from that genre. Having said that, to my mind jazz has always been a fusion of styles ever since they started playing swing or bebop versions of popular show tunes. And it just continued to fuse with new influences from there. Sketches of Spain fused Spanish influences with jazz. Bitches Brew mixed various of elements and styles. Art Ensemble of Chicago mixed African and other influences with jazz. Or in more recent times, Jan Garbarek often uses synth textures fused with Norwegian folk melodies. The list goes on and on. Every era of jazz has evolved into something new, and more often than not that has been a fusion of styles and influences.” 

Whether it’s the violin-sounding volume swells he affects on the evocative “At A Small Hour of the Night,” his screaming legato lines on “The Fifth Window,” his frantic picking on “I Wonder How Many Miles I’ve Fallen” or his uncommon lyricism on pieces like “Looking Back at the Amber Lit House” and “Sunlight Cafe,” Wingfield delivers with an abundance of facility and rare authority throughout Tales From the Dreaming City. His playing is no less stunning and expressive on “Ten Mile Bank” (featuring some absolutely wild fusillades at the tag), “This Place Up Against the Sky” (imbued with his signature whammy bar articulations), the up-tempo romp “The Way to Hemingford Grey” and the anthemic “A Wind Bows Down Turnpike Lane,” the latter a seeming tip of the cap to the late, great British guitar hero, Allan Holdsworth. 

The guitar innovator explains that his latest outing is a distinct departure from his previous MoonJune release. “Whereas Proof of Light was a collection of tunes I had written at the time, Tales From the Dreaming City is more of a concept album. It’s a set of tunes which all share a common inspiration, an album of musical stories. For me, these stories are about a time or an event in someone's life, or a time shared by a group of people. The pieces are not about anyone in particular, they could be about many different people, real or imaginary. Similarly, there is no specific time frame, so some of the stories might be happening now, others might have happened a long time ago. The specifics may be different every time you listen or might remain the same and are bound to vary from listener to listener.” 

While Wingfield continues to mine the richness of his ongoing encounters with guitarist Kevin Kastning (who specializes in the 36-string Double Contraguitar, 30-string Contra-Soprano guitar and 17-string Hybrid Extended Classical guitar), he explains that Tales From the Dreaming City is by nature coming from a radically different place than that intimate duet. “With completely improvised music like I do with Kevin, you never know what's going to happen next. The point in that setting is to make something together in the moment out of the ether. With music like Tales From the Dreaming City, on the other hand, the music is telling a specific musical story which I've composed. When we play this music, the point is to interpret it with the intention of telling those musical and emotional stories as best as possible. When it comes to the solos, that's an opportunity to expand on the story, to improvise something in the moment about the musical story that the composition is telling. With completely improvised music like I do with Kevin or as I did with Markus Reuter, Asaf and Yaron on The Stone House or Lighthouse, you have to react at every moment to every new thing which is happening. Whereas, with composed music when you improvise the solo, you know the chords you'll be playing over. So it's more about telling a story within those chords and about the feeling created by the composition.” 

Of course, any talk of sonic exploration on the electric guitar must begin with Jimi Hendrix, who wrote a virtual manifesto on the subject with his riveting performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” at Woodstock on August 18, 1969 and added on to his sonic legacy with an onomatopoeic performance of “Machine Gun” the Fillmore East on New Year’s Eve, 1970. Wingfield acknowledges the towering influence of Hendrix on his own six-string explorations. “Jimi Hendrix was my first major influence, and interestingly he has remained a major one,” he told All About Jazz’s John McGuire. “For me, Hendrix's ‘Star Spangled Banner’ at Woodstock is one of the greatest works ever performed on electric guitar; it is utter sonic genius.” 

The music press has been nearly as effusive in praise of Wingfield’s astounding virtuosity and unique voice. As Glenn Astarita opined in All About Jazz: “Akin to guitar heroes Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix, Wingfield makes his guitar howl, sing, and cry for mercy amid flickering single note runs.” Jeff Tamarkin wrote in Relix: “Wingfield and his bandmates are ridiculously gifted craftsmen, but also because they crave innovation and risk. You simply never know what sonic treat is around the next corner.” Rob Hudson from Australia’s Modmovemagazine added to the choir with: “His superb phrasing is just the start. It’s his choices in tone and the way his notes spill into unusual areas that make the biggest impression. They just coat your ear holes with gooey goodness — the chops of god. A unique voice, singular approach and defined sense of journey. This work takes you to places serene and stimulating.” But perhaps it was Jerry Gordon of Princeton, New Jersey radio station WPRB who really hit the nail on the head in his assessment: “Mark Wingfield’s music soars high above the subliminal, the terrestrial, the mundane, transporting us with his musical voyage. His guitar takes on the role of a vocalist or a horn – shimmering and sometimes bellowing with expression and imagery of profound beauty. Progressive innovative guitar at its finest!” 

Wingfield explains that in developing his singular six-string vocabulary over time, he was indeed standing on the shoulders of giants who came before him. “When I was learning to play I was influenced by John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Pat Metheny, John Abercrombie, Terje Rypdal, Robert Fripp, Jimi Hendrix and others. But a long time ago I decided to stop listening to guitarists and start listening to other instruments instead. So John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Kenny Wheeler and other non-guitarists became my main influences along with various vocalists, in particular Indian classical singers and the Qawwali devotional singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.” 

Regarding his own remarkable technique on the instrument, he adds, “Most of the unusual tones I get are from the way I play. I use a lot of unusual slurs, attacks, vibrato and pitch bends. I often don't play any notes in a normal way. And because I'm not using the expected phrasing and I'm concentrating on creating different tones with my fingers, it tends to sound like I'm using a really unusual guitar sound or a lot of effects, whereas in fact I'm not. My approach to phrasing and tone is something I've worked on for a long time and continue to work on. And the key to finding my sound was learning how to really let go when I played and then teaching my fingers how to create the sounds I was hearing in my head.” 

Wingfield’s more lyrical, melodic approach to the guitar allows him to truly express what he feels in the music. “I have no interest in playing fast for the sake of it or using technique to impress,” he says. “For me technique is always in service of the music. I might play something fast but only if the feeling in the music demands it in that moment. For example, if the energy level of the music or the emotion at that point in the chord progression has built to such a degree that the only way to release it is through flurries of notes, then I’ll do that. Or if the music calls for a sudden build up of energy or intensity, I might play a fast series of notes to build up to that intensity. These fast passages are part of the natural flow of emotion in music and they happen from time to time, but they are never a constant. I tend to hear melodies a lot when I play because the feeling of the moment for me can often be best expressed as a melodic phrase rather than a riff or a run.” 

You can hear that sense of melodicism and lyricism amidst the displays of fretboard flash on Wingfield's Tales From The Dreaming City, his most potent offering to date.

1. The Fifth Window 05:09
2. I Wonder How Many Miles I've Fallen 07:19
3. The Way To Hemingford Grey 05:54
4. Sunlight Cafe 05:57
5. Looking Back At The Amber Lit House 06:47
6. This Place Up Against The Sky 05:46
7. At A Small Hour Of The Night 08:03
8. A Wind Blows Down Turnpike Lane 04:27
9. Ten Mile Bank 05:36
10. The Green-Faced Timekeepers 07:52

Mark Wingfield guitar, soundscapes 
Yaron Stavi fretless bass guitar 
Asaf Sirkis drums, konakol singing (10) 

special guest
Dominique Vantomme synth soloist (3, 5, 9, 10) 

All compositions by Mark Wingfield, except "At a small hour of the night" by Wingfield/Stavi/Sirkis

Executive production Leonardo Pavkovic for MoonJune Records and Mark Wingfield for Dark Energy Music

Recorded by Jesus Rovira at La Casa Murada Studios, Banyeres del Penedés, Catalunya, Spain, on February 19 & 20, 2016. Mixed and mastered by Mark Wingfield at Heron Island Studio, Cambridgeshire, England

Cover image by Jane Wingfield. Album artwork by Aleksander Popovic

Photo of Mark Wingfield at Grey Manor by Storm Tree Productions. Studio photos of musicians by Xavier Parcerisas

"Each track on this album tells a different emotional story, perhaps about a time or event in someone’s life, or moments shared by a group of people. They weave together specific moods and atmospheres which could connect to the experiences of many people both real and imaginary. I sometimes glimpse atmospheres of mystery and subtle magic in streets of 19th century buildings and old villages hidden in the countryside. So many different people's lives and experiences have filled these old places, past and present. I wanted to capture this in the texture of the music." - Mark Wingfield

"Since discovering genius guitarists Jimi Hendrix, Terje Rypdal and Allan Holdsworth, some decades ago, no other guitarist, old or young, known or unknown, shook my senses more than Mark Wingfield. His adventurous, pioneering guitar work transports listeners to destinations previously unreachable, he is among the instrument's most radically unconventional practitioners and its most forward-thinking tone architects. An innovative guitar impressionist who carries an unprecedented expansion of the electric guitar's sonic palette of sounds and expressions into further uncharted dimensions." - Leonardo Pavkovic, MoonJune Records

"Sounds spectacular!" - Alex Skolnick (guitarist of Testament)

Mark Wingfield’s music soars high above the subliminal, the terrestrial, the mundane, transporting us with his musical voyage. His guitar takes on the role of a vocalist or a horn – shimmering and sometimes bellowing with expression and imagery of profound beauty. Progressive innovative guitar at its finest!” - Jerry Gordon, WPRB Radio, Princeton University

Dominique Vantomme (feat. Tony Levin, Michel Delville) - Vegir (MOONJUNE RECORDS 2018)

Dominique Vantomme of VANTOMME, is a pianist, keyboardist, composer, band leader, music educator and producer, equally well known for his work with many European pop and rock acts as for being the jazz piano instructor at the Music Conservatory in Kortrijk, Belgium. This album was born from his nomadic adventures: traveling in 2016 to see Stick Men, in Holland, and meeting up with old pal, MoonJune's Leonardo Pavkovic; and shortly thereafter befriending the legendary bassist/stickist Tony Levin of the King Crimson, Peter Gabriel and Stick Men hall of fame. In the studio session which shortly followed, Dom and Tony were joined by veteran MoonJune artist, also from Belgium, Michel Delville (The Wrong Object; douBt; Machine Mass), who was recruited on guitar, and another Belgian musician, Maxime Lenssens, tasked with holding down the timekeeping duties. The spontaneity and freshness of this sizzling, high-altitude set reflects the equally unpretentious manner in which the session itself came together.

Tackling some decidedly hip musical sketches of  Dominique Vantomme, the band is given full artistic liberty – and with all participants in top form, the resulting music weaves and winds its way across paths previously untrodden ... in stunning fashion, and with sure footing! In the truest MoonJune tradition, "Vegir" thumbs its nose at convention and showcases these seasoned veteran musicians at the top of their game: with the skill set, bravery and chutzpah to follow their instincts and, in the process, allow the music to seek out and ultimately capture its own form. It slinks; it growls; it stalks; it devours! It grooves; it stutters; it holds you in suspense, then explodes! (... think 'juggling chainsaws' in the sonic realm.

1. Double Down 07:36

2. Equal Minds 10:19

3. Sizzurp 10:45

4. Playing Chess With Barney Rubble 09:04

5. The Self Licking Ice-cream Cone 13:08

6. Plutocracy 04:38

7. Agent Orange 09:46

8. Emmetropia 09:00

9. Odin's Wig 01:54

DOMINIQUE VANTOMME: Fender Rhodes Electric Piano, Piano, Mini Moog, Mellotron

MICHEL DELVILLE: Electric Guitar

TONY LEVIN: Bass Guitar, Chapman Stick

MAXIME LENSSENS: Drums

Produced by DOMINIQUE VANTOMME

Recorded by Pascal Deweze at Studio Jezuz, Hoboken, Belgium, October 29th 2016

Mixing by Fritz Sunderman

Mastering by Mark Wingfield

Photos by Perry Schrijvers

Artwork by Marcel van der Heyden

Dominique Vantomme first studied classical piano, then switched to jazz at the age of 20. He took lessons from pianists Mike Del Ferro and Marc Matthys at the Royal Music Conservatory in Ghent and attended workshops given by Mark Levine and Rob Madna. 

In 1996, he attended another workshop with Andy Laverne and David Baker at the University of Louisville, Kentucky (USA). 

From '96 to '98 he had electric jazz bands 'Fuzzlite' and 'Jazziz' together with one of his best friends and musicians Tom Mahieu. In 98, he studied in New York with US pianist Kenny Werner. In 99, he received a Prize at the Europ' Jazz Contest in Hoeilaart (B) and was laureate of the Torneo Internationale Musicale (Jazz) Rome. 

Dominique Vantomme leads his own bands and works as a freelance pianist and keyboard player for various bands, including work in recording studios for jazz and folk/world. He has played with Toots Thielemans (B), Judy Niemack (USA), Theresa Malenfant (Can), Laurent Maur (Fr), George Kilby Jr. (USA), Aidan Burk (Irl), David Ray Hadley (USA), Jakob Rostoll (Dan), Louisiana Red (USA), Hans Van Oost (B), Rietta Austin (NZ), John O'Leary (UK), Daithi Rua (Irl), Pascal Schumacher (Lux), Rufus Stone (UK), Jules Fothergill (UK), Coco Jr. (B), Laïs (B), Cosmo St.-Clair (USA), Plane Vanilla (B), Boo Boo Davis (USA), Ana Popovic (Yo), Junior Jazz (B), Roland Van Campenhout (B), Viktor Lazlo (B), An Pierlé (B), PJDS (B), Ronny Mosuse (B), etc.