Jolly Unveils Music Video for "Dust Nation Bleak"

In other video news:

With the release of Jolly's new album The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part 2) only a week away, the band has unveiled their first video for their premier single, "Dust Nation Bleak."

The Audio Guide to Happiness (Part 2) has come to symbolize Jolly's triumph over Hurricane Sandy, the devastating storm that wreaked havoc on their studio and left Drummer/Producer Louis Abramson homeless just weeks before its completion. Luckily the album was saved from the disaster, completed in various friends living rooms, and is being released March 5th via InsideOut Music.

 

Jolly's new music video "Dust Nation Bleak" is filmed directly from the eye of the storm- recorded in the ruins of their studio, and home base. From the outside it may appear to be just another rock video in a gritty setting, but this location represents the sacred remains of Jolly's birthplace, and carries deep significance. The band comments: "When God gives you lemons, make a music video. Jolly loves you."

 

In support of the new album, Jolly will join label-mates Riverside on a small tour starting at the end of April, which follows a month of overseas dates with Riverside in March. A list of North American dates can be seen below.

 

The Audio Guide To Happiness (Part 2) Track List:

01. Guidance Three

02. Firewell

03. You Against the World

04. Aqualand and the 7 Suns

05. Dust Nation Bleak

06. Golden Divide

07. Guidance Four

08. Lucky

09. While We Slept in Burning Shades

10. Despite the Shell

11. As Heard on Tape

12. The Grand Utopia

 

Tour Dates with Riverside:

04/30/13 - Charleston, SC @ WindJammer - Isle of Palms

05/02/13 - Atlanta, GA @ Vinyl

05/04/13 - Gettysburg, PA @ RoSFest

05/06/13 - Dunellen, NJ @ Roxy and Dukes

05/08/13 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door

05/10/13 - Raleigh, NC @ The Pour House

05/12/13 - Mexico City - Jose Cuervo Salon

Line-Up:

Anadale - Guitar, Vocals
Joe Reilly - Keyboards
Anthony Rondinone - Bass

Louis Abramson - Drums

For more information on JOLLY, visit:

www.jollyband.com

www.facebook.com/jollyband

www.twitter.com/jollyband
 

New Steven Wilson Video "The Birthday (Ghost Story)"

Steven Wilson, whose new CD, The Raven That Refused to Sing, was officially released this past Monday, has also released a youtube Video intitled "The Birthday (Ghost Story)", a short story featuring music from "The Watchmaker", one of the great songs from his new CD.

Watch it here:



Don't forget, Steven's latest release  is available as a limited 4-disc deluxe edition (Blu-ray, DVD and 2CD) packaged in an impressive 128-page hardback book containing lyrics, short stories by Wilson, and haunting images and illustrations by Hajo Mueller. Standard double vinyl, CD and Blu-Ray editions are also available.

Steve will soon be on tour, so go to his website to find out if he's coming to a city near you.

www.stevenwilsonhq.com

Soft Machine Legacy Release "Burden of Proof"

Soft Machine Legacy makes their most powerful statement to date, delivering an album of epic proportions and their first studio output since 2007's Steam. Infectious grooves, undeniably hip vibes and sizzling performances dominate the outing, as the veteran progressive music masters continue to break new ground and offer listeners yet more previously-unseen facets of their dynamic musical persona. Featuring some intriguingly-inviting new writing, the album is a breath of fresh air for progressive music and a bold furtherance of the true adventurous essence that is the legacy of the great Soft Machine. It doesn't just offer the suggestion of venturing through ground previously untread -- by any of the Soft Machine incarnations -- it levels everything in its path on the way!

Broad in its scope and ambition, but sensitive, probing and playful in its delivery, Burden of Proof provides more than ample evidence that the legends remain at the top of their game, both individually and collectively. The group's two lead voices -- guitarist John Etheridge and saxophonist Theo Travis (currently touring worldwide with Steven Wilson)-- are in exceptionally fine form, whether gracefully enunciating a melody line in the pocket or dancing madly on the fringe. Also evident is the rock-solid anchoring of drummer John Marshall and bassist Roy Babbington, who keep proceedings tight and flowing throughout. Whether tip-toeing or stampeding, Soft Machine Legacy are as unified, focused and finely-honed as they've ever been -- delivering their crispest, most sparkling new material to date, in an undeniably inspired, unrelenting session. This is a fabulous, vital effort: a potent, impacting album encompassing the great spirit and aggressive pioneering approach championed by their namesake predecessors. For all fans of progressive music, the Canterbury scene, and the Softs, this superlative studio session is immediately 'essential' -- and easily the Legacy's finest, most high-reaching outing.

Track listing:

1. Burden Of Proof (5:51) 2. Voyage Beyond Seven (4:54) 3. Kitto (1:51) 4. Pie Chart (5:07) 5. JSP (1:03) 6. Kings & Queens (6:46) 7. Fallout (7:00) 8. Going Somewhere Canorous? (1:14) 9. Black And Crimson (5:05) 10. The Brief (2:28) 11. Pump Room (5:19) 12. Green Cubes (5:33) 13. They Landed On A Hill (3:03)

Personnel

John Etheridge: electric guitar Roy Babbington: bass guitar John Marshall: drums and percussion Theo Travis: tenor sax, flute, Fender Rhodes paino

Production

Recorded by Beppe Crovella, at Electromantic Synergy Studio, San Sabastiano da Po, Italy; August, 2012. Mixed and mastered by Andrew Tulloch, at The Blue Room, London; December, 2012 through January, 2013. Produced by Soft Machine Legacy. Executive Producer: Leonardo Pavkovic

Greg Lake Releases "Songs of a Lifetime" Live CD

Hot on the heels of a successful solo tour of the US, UK and sold out tour of Italy, legendary singer/songwriter Greg Lake has released a new live CD Songs Of A Lifetime on Esoteric Antenna / Manticore Records on February 25, 2013. Capturing all the excitement of Greg Lake live in concert, Songs Of A Lifetime documents Greg's musical history, from his beginnings with King Crimson to super-stardom with ELP to his illustrious solo career, through stories and songs. Performing all his most popular songs including "21st Century Schizoid Man", "From The Beginning", "Still....You Turn Me On", "Lend Your Love To Me Tonight", "C'est la Vie" and "Karn Evil 9", as well as homages to Elvis Presley and The Beatles and Curtis Mayfield, 'Songs Of A Lifetime' is a must have for Greg Lake fans and music fans everywhere!

As a founding member of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Greg Lake has been a major force in music for over 40 years. In 2012 he embarked on a successful solo tour to perform 'Songs Of A Lifetime', a unique concert experience that was conceived whilst Greg was writing his autobiography.

Greg explains, "From time to time during the writing of my autobiography, these songs would crop up that were in some way crucial or extremely important in the development of my career. These were not always songs that I had written myself, but sometimes songs that had been written and performed by other artists as well. I realized that what they actually represented was the journey that I had shared together with the audience over all these years. Behind these songs there were often stories to be told and it occurred to me that the same must be true for the audience as well. It was then that I thought of the idea of doing a series of very small intimate concerts where I could perform these songs and exchange stories with the audience, in a way reliving the time when the music we shared together really became part of our identity and in a way became the backdrop to our lives, a sort of tapestry I suppose."

Greg Lake has long been considered a legendary voice and musical powerhouse whose impact changed the landscape of rock and roll. Many simply refer to him as "The Voice". Visionary and creative, Songs Of A Lifetime provides an evocative, emotional ride into the life and music of one of the world's most popular songwriters in a unique format which relies on audience involvement as well as the artistry of the performer. The recordings on the Songs Of A Lifetime CD were taken from a selection of shows performed on the 2012 tour.

Upcoming Autobiography

The CD release coincides with the upcoming release of Greg Lake's autobiography, 'Lucky Man', and was inspired by it, but the two are not the same. The autobiography is NOT an audio recording of the show, but a narrative of Lake's experiences from childhood to the present, including never before revealed details, funny and poignant moments, and colourful facts of his amazing career as one of the world's leading and influential musicians, songwriters, vocalists and poets. The autobiography will be released both as an audio book read by the author and the complete print edition is anticipated at the end of the year. In support of the release plans for tours in Japan, Europe, South America, USA and Canada are currently in the works and will be announced shortly.

Greg Lake Songs Of A Lifetime CD can be purchased at http://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=3999



For more information: www.greglake.com

Zenit Release Highly Anticipated Third Album

 

One of the most respected progressive rock bands ever to emerge from Switzerland, Zenit, have released their third album The Chandrasekhar Limit on Galileo Records on January 28, 2013. Possibly the most ambitious release of 2013, right from the beginning of Zenit's new 69-minute masterpiece, Andy Thommen (formerly Clepsydra), affixes a seal with his distinctive bass playing on the first song (“Awaken”). Later, with the start of the guitar, you will somewhat be reminded of the Clepsydra sound: awesome guitar-bass team play! Here is the beginning of what to expect from this brilliant album – quality!

 

Says Andy Thommen, “We've chosen The Chandrasekhar Limit as the title because this mathematical threshold defines if a white dwarf star remains a star or becomes a black hole... So, as a band we feel that we are passing a crossroads without knowing where this track leads to. We do not know if we are above or below the Chandrasekhar limit.”

Zenit was founded in Switzerland in 1998 by bass player Andy Thommen, Keyboardist Ivo Bernasconi and drummer Gigio Pedruzzi, based on their wealth of experience with bands like Clepsydra, Changes and Brainstorm. In 2001, now with the addition of singer Lorenzo Sonognini, Zenit released their debut CD Pravritti with Italian and English lyrics, followed by various inspiring live performances in relevant prog festivals. In 2006, with the addition of Luigi Biamino on guitars, the band released the second album called Surrender. With captivating, elaborate songs and music that harkens to the work of bands such as Genesis, Marillion, Supertramp, Kansas and Gentle Giant, Zenit's second album garnered praise from critics and fans alike worldwide.

 

Says Andy, “After Surrender we did several shows, and we already had different pieces of tunes for this new album we were working on or just playing to see how it feels. On our show in Montreux, which was also filmed, we played two songs that made it onto The Chandrasekhar Limit: 'Awaken' and 'PiGreco'. We started writing and demoing the new album with our previous drummer Luigi Pedruzzi. For most of the songs we started on a rough idea by our keyboardist Ivo Bernasconi, then the whole band worked on it, until it was ready for a demo recording. Working on it for us means play it over and over again with absolute freedom to improvise changes, and normally when we get a few 'wow' reactions in the band we know we are close. The longest track 'The Daydream Suite' (25 minutes) was different. Ivo had just a basic idea; we started playing on it, it just came one note after the the other, one chord after the other. This was a magic band experience. When we finished recording the demos our drummer left the band. We made one single call to a friend and drummer. As he was teaching drums in Lausanne (in the French speaking part of Switzerland) we asked him if by chance he knew someone... His answer was 'Me'! Within a bit more than a half a year he was ready to record the drum tracks for The Chandrasekhar Limit with a fresh breath of new energy! In sum, the essence of our way to work is: play it, play it and play it again until it sounds good, and only then you can start recording.”

Zenit's musical influences are varied and diverse and include artists such as Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Flower Kings and Spock's Beard. Stand out tracks on Zenit's new album: The marvelous 17-minute song “Matrimandir” brings a breath of Asian sounds in a very subtle but delicate way without being brash, despite the Sanskrit lyrics now and then. The 25-minute opus “The Daydream Suite” brings to mind the work of Pink Floyd, including all the main elements a prog suite should have: crazy keyboard solos, melodic guitar lines, cool bass parts and complex choirs, harmoniously in action. The rocking instrumental sound of “Pulsar”, the sweet and sinful ballad “Club Lady” and the screaming-jazzy “PiGreco” song, jointly make up an impressive and progressive rock album of the 21st century.

Says Andy, “There was no structured plan for this album. No plan to make it symphonic, epic, neo or retro...it just came out as it is. There are jazzy and samba rhythms, even Sanskrit lyrics bits and Indian sounds and ambiances. The only thing we wanted to create was an ensemble of very different ambiances and feelings, and transmit to the listener the fun we have playing these songs.” Plans to tour in support of the release of Zenit's The Chandrasekhar Limit are currently in the works.

To purchase Zenit – The Chandrasekhar Limit CD: http://cdshop.galileo-records.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=82

For more information: http://www.fragile.net/

Fish to Tour Europe but Not North America

Straight from the Fish's mouth (well, from his blog):

Apart from 4 or so more dates to be added to make up our journey back to the UK and the drop of at home this is the only touring this year and the last touring of this consecutive nature for a while. Please don’t ask “if we can play here/there” or “why aren’t we playing here/there ?”, these are the dates Yatta has managed to put together.If your city isn’t on the list then – we didn’t get an offer from a promoter/ it didn’t fit in with the complex routing required to make sense of the tour or there was an offer but it didn’t cover what we needed to make sense of the budget we needed.I hope we have managed to satisfy most of you. It’s a major undertaking and any support you can provide through spreading the word or promoting locally is most welcome.

I’m sorry to say there are no plans for a North American tour due to economic restraints/ lack of serious offers/ bureaucracy/ visa issues etc etc. It’s impossible to consider at this present moment and is not foreseeable in the near future.I would love to come over to play but it’s just not feasible As for South America I have also not received any serious offers we can consider to put together a tour that makes sense to everyone involved. As the visa situation and the bureaucracy is a lot easier to deal with there may be a chance early next Spring but at the moment there is nothing on the table .

If you want to see Fish during his Moveable Feast Tour 2013, book your flight and see him and his band at one of these cities:

May 17      United Kingdom            Glasgow                       O2 ABC
May 18      United Kingdom            Aberdeen                      Lemontree
May 19      United Kingdom            Gateshead Quays       The Stage
May 21      United Kingdom            Stockton on Tees        ARC
May 22      United Kingdom            Stamford                       Corn Exchange
May 23      United Kingdom            Warrington                  Parr Hall
May 25      United Kingdom            Holmfirth                      The Picturedome
May 26      United Kingdom            Bilston                          The Robin 2
May 27      United Kingdom            Wavendon                   The Stables
May 29      United Kingdom            Islington                       O2 Academy
May 30      United Kingdom            Bath                              Komedia
May 31      United Kingdom            Tavistock                     The Wharf
June 1       United Kingdom            Southampton               The Brook
Sept 15     United Kingdom            Pontardawe                  Arts Centre
Sept 16     United Kingdom            Cambridge                   The Junction
Sept 18     Netherlands                   Amsterdam                   The Paradiso
Sept 19     Netherlands                   Groningen                   Oosterpoort
Sept 21     Netherlands                   Zoetermeer                   Boerderij
Sept 22     Netherlands                   Eindhoven                   Effenaar
Sept 23     Germany                        Hannover                     The Blues Garage
Sept 25     Germany                        Duisburg                       Steinhof
Sept 26     Germany                        Worpswede                 Music Hall
Sept 27     Denmark                         Copenhagen               Viften
Sept 28     Sweden                          Gothenburg                 Tradgarn
Oct 1         Norway                           Oslo                              Rockerfeller
Oct 2         Sweden                          Stockholm                    TBA
Oct 4         Finland                           Helsinki                        Tavastia
Oct 5         Estonia                           Tallinn                          Rock Cafe
Oct 6         Lithuania                        Vilnius                          Club New York
Oct 8         Poland                            Gdansk                        Club Parliament
Oct 9         Poland                            Warszawa                     Club Progresja
Oct 10       Poland                            Poznan                         Club Eskulap
Oct 12       Poland                            Lodz                              Club Dekompresja
Oct 13       Poland                            Bielsko Biala                Club Klimat
Oct 14       Poland                            Krakow                         Club Studio
Oct 16       Poland                            Opole                           Sala Mok
Oct 17       Poland                            Walbrzych                    Club Sala Osir
Oct 19       Hungary                         Budapest                      A38 Boat
Oct 20       Slovakia                         Bratislava                     Majestic Music Club
Oct 22       Germany                        Munich                         Backstage
Oct 23       Switzerland                    Pratteln                         Z7
Oct 25       Germany                        Karlsruhe                      Substage
Oct 26       Germany                        Landstuhl                     Stadthalle
Oct 27       Germany                        Bonn                             Harmonie
Oct 29       Germany                        Aschaffenburg             Colos Saal
Oct 30       Switzerland                    Bern                              Muhle Hunziken
Nov 1        Switzerland                    Zug                               Chollerhalle

Stunning New Video for Steven Wilson's Raven

Here it is, the official promo video for Steven Wilson's The Raven That Refused to Sing. The video was released today and is a beautiful piece of work, directed by Jess Cope and Simon Cartwright, that brings a whole new meaning to this bitter-sweet song. Watch it, you won't regret it.



Steven Wilson's The Raven That Refused to Sing (and Other Stories) is still available for pre-order in a number of different formats and will be released on February 25th. It includes six new songs exploring themes of the supernatural.

Steven Wilson will tour Europe and North America between March and June 2013.
 

March 1                United Kingdom               Manchester                         Academy I (SOLD OUT)

March 2                United Kingdom               Glasgow                                 ABC Glasgow

March 4                United Kingdom               London                                   Royal Festival Hall

March 8                France                                  Paris                                        Le Trianon

March 10             Germany                             Cologne                                 live Music Hall

March 11             Netherlands                       Melkweg                               Rabozaal

March 12             Belgium                                Antwerpen                           Arenberg Schouwburg

March 14             Germany                             Hamburg                               CCH Saal 2

March 16             Sweden                               Stockholm                             Filadelfiakyrkan

March 18             Norway                                Oslo                                         Sentrum Scene

March 19             Denmark                             Copenhagen                        VEGA

March 21             Germany                             Berlin                                      Huxley’s

March 22             Germany                             Essen                                      Colosseum

March 23             Germany                             Frankfurt                               Hugenottenhalle

March 25             Germany                             Stuttgart                                Theaterhaus

March 26             Germany                             Munich                                   Alte Kongresshalle

March 27             Switzerland                        Zurich                                      Volkshaus

March 28             Italy                                       Milan                                       Teatro Della Luna

April 16                 United States                    Tampa, FL                              The State Theater

April 17                 United States                    Atlanta, GA                           The Variety Playhouse

April 19                 United States                    Glenside, PA                        Keswick Theater

April 20                 United States                    Washington DC                   Howard Theater

April 21                 United States                    Buffalo, NY                           Town Ballroom

April 23                 Canada                                 Toronto, ON                         Phoenix Concert Theatre

April 25                 Canada                                 Montreal, QC                       Club-Soda

April 26                 United States                    New York City, NY              Best Buy Theater

April 27                 United States                    Boston, MA                          Berklee Performance Center

April 28                 United States                    Albany, NY                            Upstate Music Hall

April 30                 United States                    Pittsburgh, PA                     Mr Small’s

May 2                    United States                    Cleveland, OH                     House of Blues Cleveland

May 3                    United States                    Chicago, IL                             Park West

May 4                    United States                    Minneapolis, MN               The Fine Line

May 6                    United States                    Boulder, CO                          Boulder Theater

May 9                    United States                    San Francisco, CA               the Fillmore

May 10                 United States                    Los Angeles, CA                  Club Nokia

May 14                 Mexico                                 Mexico City                          Teatro Metropolitan

Mark Murdock Releases CD Featuring Brand X Members

Prog fans worldwide are buzzing with excitement over the new CD release by drummer/songwriter/producer Mark Murdock titled 'Cymbalic Encounters'. Says Mark, "The concept of 'Cymbalic Encounters' represents the 'Encountering of Symbolic Musicians' as my greatest success in music has been keeping company with great musicians."

"Mark Murdock's 'Cymbalic Encounters' fulfills a longtime elusive goal. I tried to feature more the inherent UK prog (progressive rock) element of the fusion band, Brand X - with little success. Mr. Murdock seems to have achieved this combination with remarkable ease." – John Goodsall

The cymbal in 'Cymbalic' symbolizes meeting up with another drummer. "When I was 15, I broke my snare drum head and went into a music store in Phoenix, my hometown, where I was approached by this hippie looking guy with a Liverpool accent, who inquired into the local music scene and identified himself as a drum roadie for a touring band from England and invited me to that evening's concert to meet the drummer and band he was working for. He presented me with backstage passes and tickets." There Mark was introduced to the drummer of the band, a guy named Phil Collins with the band Genesis. "To make a long story short, Phil was keen on American drummers and so we engaged in drummers' talk. I instantly loved Phil's drumming. I met him on every tour that Genesis made to the states and eventually made it over to the UK, just in time to hear Brand X in rehearsal at Islands Studios in Hammersmith, London, where I was introduced to the other members. They were preparing to record their first record. But I thought they were just jamming, so I used to jump on a percussion rig there and jam along. Not realizing what I was jamming to was the material for 'Unorthodox Behaviour'. I also went to their very first gigs at the London School Of Economics and The Marquee Club via Phil. He also used to allow me into Trident Recording Studios where Genesis was recording 'A Trick Of The Tail'. There might have been a hidden motive to this as I was sometimes recruited as the unpaid official Brand X 'Fish And Chips boy' and babysitter for Phil. But in return I used to listen to his personal tapes of the 'Lamb' tours and play his red upright piano with a green painting on the purple walls. It was really an ugly site!" laughs Mark. "At any rate, it made a great musical impression on my life - not the interior design, but the music, the creative element, the energy."

"Rated as '8' out of the 'Best 10 CDs in 2012'! Mark Murdock - 'Cymbalic Encounters': Murdock surrounds himself with a group of outstanding players, delivering one of the best solo albums by a drummer that I have heard in a LONG time. Includes the smooth bass sounds of Percy Jones...the always in the right groove playing of John Goodsall – 'THE CLOSEST THING' to a new Brand X album that you'll come close to, with a twist." - Gary Brown, American Corespondent for Classic Rock Radio Dot EU

 

Mark Murdock started playing drums at a young age in Phoenix, Arizona. He played in a local jazz-rock band 'Seacloud' gaining local recognition and featured on Phoenix radio KDKB sponsored album. Mark's British connections eventually led him to Peter Banks, original guitarist with YES, who he teamed up with in Peter Banks EMPIRE in Los Angeles where he showcased in Empire and recorded a demo which later was released on CD as 'Empire Mark III' on One Way Records. Mark was also mentioned in the Peter Banks biography (co-written by Billy James) 'Beyond And Before'.

And just how did Mark bring Percy Jones and David Sancious together on the bonus track (song 14) "Waters From Marsh Harbour"?

Mark explains:

"In terms of Percy, I have been in touch with him probably the longest out of anyone from Brand X. I moved to New York from Phoenix, only to find that Percy had moved there, as well. So, I just happened to have had the opportunity to write and record three tracks with David Sancious, who I met in Phoenix before moving east. David was touring with Jack Bruce (Cream) and Billy Cobham was their drummer, who had broken his TAMA Octobans stand. The owner of the club called me, knowing I was the only guy in Arizona who possessed one, so I hooked Billy up with my stand and got free tickets and a chance to hang with the band. I played David my recent recording that I had made with keyboardist Allan Zavod (Jean-Luc Ponty, Zappa). I assume David liked what he heard...he suggested that if I was ever on the east coast to look him up, which is exactly what I did shortly afterwards. I spent a few days at David's house writing a three song demo which we later recorded. David's playing is so profound! I quickly invited Percy to record bass on our tracks at Unique Studios in NYC. Brand X was actually scheduled for a 2012 tour with David Sancious, but it fell through. As a result I decided to add the track to 'Cymbalic Encounters' to show that they in fact joined forces below. Percy has supported me on numerous projects including 'Eyes Down' with songwriting, recording and playing live gigs. The 'Eyes Down' CD features guest appearances by violinist Shankar (Peter Gabriel, Frank Zappa, Shakti) percussionist Mino Cinelu (Miles Davis, Weather Report) and drummer/vocalist Tony 'Thunder' Smith (John Mclaughlin, Lou Reed) Percy is a 'one of a kind' bassist. He never plays inside the music, but plays outside just enough to keep within musical constraints in a mysterious way. I have always admired his musical sense."

 

"I met up with John Goodsall after not seeing him since the early Brand X days in London, in 1997 in Tokyo, where I currently reside. John is amazing in the way he understands Percy's playing and visa versus. But more than that, John's chording, melodies and leads are like no other in my book!!! What he contributed to the tracks was so magical! I was also a big fan of Atomic Rooster which was his previous band before Brand X."

Former Brand X/Pat Martino drummer Kenwood Dennard who played in Phil Collins absence of Brand X, due to Genesis commitments, also plays electronic drums on the track 'Unauthorized Recording'. Says Mark, "I had this grand idea of inviting some of the previous Brand X members on board; Robin Lumley and Mike Clark, who had agreed but were swept away with overloaded projects. I later realized I actually had a track of Kenwood playing my old electronic kit at a Tokyo gig that we played together from some years back. I was able to re-trigger the drum sounds and use them on the track. It may be the first time those guys have been on record together since the Brand X 'Livestock' album!"

"Murdock's 'Cymbalic Encounter' is a must hear CD!! Accompanied with Percy Jones, and John Goodsall they made one of the best prog - funk - jazz fusion - adult pop recordings that I heard in ages. Highly recommended!" - Gary Brown -American Corespondent for Classic Rock Radio Dot EU

 Under the microscope, there are eight instrumental tracks and six vocal tracks that Mark is featured on vocals. Instrumental tracks like "Goodsall Funk Railroad/Ballad Of Percy Jones" which gets its name from Grand Funk Railroad and the kid's animation 'Thomas' is very reminiscent of early Brand X with its tight funk groove and soulful guitar melodies. The track "Cymbalic Encounters" has a mellow atmosphere with John Goodsall's signature sound. Vocal songs like 'Artificial Society' which has a pop element of catchy hooks to it, which Mark lyrically describes living in Japan - from a foreigner's view point. "The Manufacturers" is a song about China's manufacturing machine. Mark sings "We are the manufacturers - for better or for worse." Also featured is Spock's Beard keyboardist, Ryo Okumoto, who is no stranger to prog audiences worldwide. Ryo plays some mean MOOG synth on the track "Kaiten Zushi." And guest guitarist, Joe Berger who offers some bluesy/soulful lead guitar on several or more tracks and also mixed and mastered the CD at BEAM AUDIO, NYC. A few of Mark's long time friends, Dave Juteau and Ken Hall helped cover a needed few spots, which Mark is pleased with their contribution.

What does Mark have as a follow-up to this CD? "I am currently working on a follow-up CD with some of the tracks that didn't make this CD, also batch of new songs featuring Percy and John with hopefully some new featured artists - kind of like Ringo's All Stars Band," laughs Mark. "Plus, I plan to release a few other side projects in 2013 as well."

In closing Mark has this to impart to his listeners:

"Percy and John really dedicated their talented writing skills and playing to support this CD. I feel honored to have them as the 'Featured Guests' on 'Cymbalic Encounters'."

To purchase Mark Murdock's 'Cymbalic Encounters': http://www.cdbaby.com/markmurdock2

Digital downloads also available from iTunes and Amazon

For information on purchasing physical CD orders:

www.cymbalicencounters.com

email: cymbalicencounters@yahoo.com

Japan (only) distributor: Disk Union - http://diskunion.net