The Edgetone New Music Summit Continues with "Beat and Beyond; Critical Mass..."

The week-long Edgetone New Music Summit moves from San Francisco to Oakland, and continues tonight through Sunday with panel discussions and performances by Pamela Z, Lx Rudis, Wobbly, Lance Grabmiller, Robert Anbian and the UFQ, Eddie the Rat, Jesse Quattro, Bruce Anderson and Gowns. If you haven't had a chance to see some the Bay Area's greatest sound artists, come to 21 Grand Gallery in Oakland for what promises to be another year of wonderful performances.

Every year the Edgetone New Music Summit showcases some of the most innovative and pioneering new music that is happening in California and beyond. The Festivals’ expanded performance schedule includes music and sound from raging free improvisation, electronic manipulation, to harsh noise reflecting an incredible range of genre busting exploration and sonic creativity. In addition, the festival seeks to promote intermedia arts, fostering cross-pollination between music/sound art and experimental flim/ visual arts.

The festival also pays homage to local as well as California’s central role in the development of invention and cutting edge concepts. Historically dating back to the inception of the Barbary Coast of San Francisco in the early 20th century, the San Francisco Bay Area has been and still is the location where many of the founders of new ideas in sound live and have lived including Ives, Pauline Oliveros, Glenn Spearman, Lisle Ellis, and Terry Riley to name a few. Today, the SF Bay Area, in the heart of California, is home to one of the most bustling and expanding new music scenes fostering the next generation.


Robert Anbian and the UFQ

This year's Summit is sponsored in part by KFJC 89.7 FM, SF Bay Guardian, Elastic Creative, Bayimproviser.com, Harshnoise.com, KUSF 90.3 FM, Studio 401, and the Luggage Store Gallery. A special thank you surely must go to our individual donors: Roderick Repke, John Lee, Scott Biggs, Linda and David Repke, Suki O’Kane, Matt Davignon, Mark Miller, Philip Everett, Ray Schaeffer, Peter Martin, John Vaughn, & Bill Noertker.

OUTSPOKEN SCHEDULE

Pre-Concert Composer Q&A
Interactive discussions of techniques and influences with composers, who will share context and insight into the performance work.

Friday July 27 at 8:30 pm 21 Grand, Oakland Speaker: Bevin Kelley

Panel Discussions
Drawn from Sources:
Inquiries into the sources, intent and challenges inherent in experimental music, and its place in our creative and social fabric.

Sunday, July 22nd 7pm in association with SIMM Series
Ethnic Tradition and Experimental Music
Musicians Union Hall 116 9th St. San Francisco
Moderated by Greg Beuthin (Balé Techlorico)
Artists speak out about how they balance their work to preserve and extend traditions in ethnic music.

Saturday, July 28th 3pm location TBA
This Music Defies Categorization
21 Grand Gallery 416 25th St. @ Broadway Oakland
Moderated TBA
with Peter Martin (Eddie the Rat), Jake Rodriguez (The Bran… POS) and artists TBA
Artists reflect on individual strategies, and the challenges, for creating work from multiple traditions of music, theater and movement.

Friday, July 27th Pre-Concert Composer Q&A 8:30pm, Performance Starts 9pm
21 Grand Gallery
”Beat & Beyond, a night extending rhythm and sound”
416 25th St. @ Broadway Oakland
Lx Rudis, Wobbly, Lance Grabmiller, Robert Anbian & the Unidentified Flying Quartet with
E. Doctor Smith & Charles Unger
General $12, Seniors/Students/Artists $8

Saturday, July 28th doors 8pm show starts 9pm
21 Grand Gallery
”Critical Mass, Sounds on the gritty side of the fence...”
416 25th St. @ Broadway Oakland
Jon Brumit & Wayne Grim: Van Boven, Eddie the Rat, Jesse Quattro,
Bruce Anderson Bill Raymond & John Moreman: High Vulture, the Gowns
General $12, Seniors/Students/Artists $8

OUTSPOKEN EVENTS
OUTSOUND, in addition to being one of the largest new music presenters on the West Coast, is also presents the OutSpoken Education Series consisting of pre-concert Q&A, master classes and artist panel discussions during the Summit event. This year’s presentation is dubbed Drawn from Sources: Inquiries into the sources, intent and challenges inherent in experimental music, and its place in our creative and social fabric.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Tickets are currently on sale to the public. Schedule and artists are subject to change.
There are two ways to purchase tickets:
• Visit www.edgetonemusicsummit.org
• Purchase tickets at the door on the night of the performance

The 2007 Edgetone New Music Summit, July 22-28

This year, I am once again honored to be a part of the Edgetone New Music Summit, a fantastic series of concerts featuring some of the Bay Area's best and brightest sound artists, electronic and experimental musicians. Last year's festival ran the gamut: from the eclectic visual sound artist Pamela Z and the afro-jazz of Positive Knowledge; to the other-worldy tinkerings of Bob Marsh and master sound scuptors like Steven Baker and Tom Nunn. There were 16 piece Kelp orchestras and 6 piece Crank ensembles; the "field-scapes" of percussionist Marcos Fernandes, and the wonderfully cacaphonous music of "saxophonists who play other things." This one-of-a-kind festival truly lives up to it's name, "the inner groove on the edge of tone."

Outsound Presents, the leading emerging artist collective and non-profit organization for new and experimental music and sound, returns for their 6th festival, beginning July 22nd and running through July 28th. The festival will feature artists such as Liz Allbee, Tatsuya Nakatani, Marielle Jakobsons, Tom Nunn, Matt Davignon, Bob Marsh/David Michalak, Rent Romus, Thollem Mcdonas, Jon Brumit, Jim Ryan, Wynn Yamami, Lx Rudis, Wobbly, Lance Grabmiller, Robert Anbian and the UFQ, Eddie the Rat, Jesse Quattro, Bruce Anderson, and Gowns.

Every year the Edgetone New Music Summit showcases some of the most innovative and pioneering new music that is happening in California and beyond. The Festivals’ expanded performance schedule includes music and sound from raging free improvisation, electronic manipulation, to harsh noise reflecting an incredible range of genre busting exploration and sonic creativity. In addition, the festival seeks to promote intermedia arts, fostering cross-pollination between music/sound art and experimental flim/ visual arts.

The festival also pays homage to local as well as California’s central role in the development of invention and cutting edge concepts. Historically dating back to the inception of the Barbary Coast of San Francisco in the early 20th century, the San Francisco Bay Area has been and still is the location where many of the founders of new ideas in sound live and have lived including Ives, Pauline Oliveros, Glenn Spearman, Lisle Ellis, and Terry Riley to name a few. Today, the SF Bay Area, in the heart of California, is home to one of the most bustling and expanding new music scenes fostering the next generation.

This year's Summit is sponsored in part by KFJC 89.7 FM, SF Bay Guardian, Elastic Creative, Bayimproviser.com, Harshnoise.com, KUSF 90.3 FM, Studio 401, and the Luggage Store Gallery. A Special Thank You to our individual donors: Roderick Repke, John Lee, Scott Biggs, Linda and David Repke, Suki O’Kane, Matt Davignon, Mark Miller, Philip Everett, Ray Schaeffer, Peter Martin, John Vaughn, & Bill Noertker.

EDGETONE NEW MUSIC SUMMIT ARTIST LINEUP

A complete detailed list of the 6th Annual Edgetone New Music Summit events can also be found at www.edgetonemusicsummit.org.

OUTSPOKEN SCHEDULE

Pre-Concert Composer Q&A
Interactive discussions of techniques and influences with composers, who will share context and insight into the performance work.

Wednesday July 25 at 7:30 pm Community Music Center, San Francisco Speaker: Marielle Jakobson
Thursday July 26 at 7:30 pm Community Music Center, San Francisco Speakers: Wynn Yamami, Jim Ryan and Tatsuya Nakatani
Friday July 27 at 8:30 pm 21 Grand, Oakland Speaker: Bevin Kelley

Panel Discussions
Drawn from Sources:
Inquiries into the sources, intent and challenges inherent in experimental music, and its place in our creative and social fabric.

Sunday, July 22nd 7pm in association with SIMM Series
Ethnic Tradition and Experimental Music
Musicians Union Hall 116 9th St. San Francisco
Moderated by Greg Beuthin (Balé Techlorico)
Artists speak out about how they balance their work to preserve and extend traditions in ethnic music.

Saturday, July 28th 3pm location TBA
This Music Defies Categorization
21 Grand Gallery 416 25th St. @ Broadway Oakland
Moderated TBA
with Peter Martin (Eddie the Rat), Jake Rodriguez (The Bran… POS) and artists TBA
Artists reflect on individual strategies, and the challenges, for creating work from multiple traditions of music, theater and movement.

SUMMIT PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Wednesday, July 25th Pre-Concert Composer Q&A 7:30pm, Performance Starts 8pm
Community Music Center
”Time in Transmission, a night of electro-acoustic performance”
544 Capp St. @ 20th St., San Francisco
Darwinsbitch, Tom Nunn/Matt Davignon, Nihil Communication & butoh danceer Laurie Buenafe Krsmanovic,
Bob Marsh/David Michalak: Doctor Bob
General $10, Seniors/Students $5

Thursday, July 26th Pre-Concert Composer Q&A 7:30pm, Performance Starts 8pm
Community Music Center
”Fields of Flowers , a night of spontaneous composition”
544 Capp St. @ 20th St., San Francisco 8pm
Rent Romus, Steven Baker, Thollem Mcdonas, Jon Brumit: BLOOM with guests
Liz Allbee & Tatsuya Nakatani (PA), Wynn Yamami, Christopher Ariza, Ali Sakkal: KIOKU (NY),
Jim Ryan's Forward Energy Trio featuring Robert Jones(OR) & Andrew Wilshusen(OR)
General $10, Seniors/Students $5

Friday, July 27th Pre-Concert Composer Q&A 8:30pm, Performance Starts 9pm
21 Grand Gallery
”Beat & Beyond, a night extending rhythm and sound”
416 25th St. @ Broadway Oakland
Lx Rudis, Wobbly, Lance Grabmiller, Robert Anbian & the Unidentified Flying Quartet with
E. Doctor Smith & Charles Unger
General $12, Seniors/Students/Artists $8

Saturday, July 28th doors 8pm show starts 9pm
21 Grand Gallery
”Critical Mass, Sounds on the gritty side of the fence...”
416 25th St. @ Broadway Oakland
Jon Brumit & Wayne Grim: Van Boven, Eddie the Rat, Jesse Quattro,
Bruce Anderson Bill Raymond & John Moreman: High Vulture, the Gowns
General $12, Seniors/Students/Artists $8

OUTSPOKEN EVENTS
OUTSOUND, in addition to being one of the largest new music presenters on the West Coast, is also presents
the OutSpoken Education Series consisting of pre-concert Q&A, master classes and artist panel discussions during the Summit event. This year’s presentation is dubbed Drawn from Sources: Inquiries into the sources, intent and challenges inherent in experimental music, and its place in our creative and social fabric.

TICKETS AND INFORMATION
Tickets are currently on sale to the public. Schedule and artists are subject to change.
There are two ways to purchase tickets:
• Visit www.edgetonemusicsummit.org
• Purchase tickets at the door on the night of the performance

Brian Eno's "77 Million Paintings" Comes to Yerba Buena

A few weeks ago, I was in Cannes, France with ex-patriate cellist-bassist Stanley Adler, reminicsing on our 25 plus year friendship and our time spent performing with Brian Eno and the NYC group "The Same", featuring Clodagh Simonds, Carter Burwell, Chip Johannsen and Stephen Bray. (Eno and Burwell recently reunited with Simonds on her new CD, "Fovea Hex"). Our association with Eno was perhaps the most influential musical force of our lives, and steered us along a creative path we still trod today.

In those halcyon days, Eno was pioneering his video art; a dozen or so video monitors and computer generated images in a SoHo gallery, accompanied by his wonderfully ambient music. This weekend, Eno's vision comes full circle to the Yerba Buena Center with his North American debut of "77 Million Paintings", a video tour de force, art installation and ambient soundscape all rolled into one.

In late 2006, Eno released "77 Million Paintings", a program of generative video and music specifically for the PC. As its title suggests, there is a possible combination of 77 million paintings where the viewer will see different combinations of video slides prepared by Eno each time the program is launched. Likewise, the accompanying music is generated by the program so that it's almost certain the listener will never quite hear the same arrangement twice.

Conceived by Eno as "visual music", his latest artwork, 77 Million Paintings is a constantly evolving sound and imagescape which continues his exploration into light as an artist's medium and the aesthetic possibilities of "generative software". He first created 77 Million Paintings to bring art to the increasing number of flat panel TV's and monitors that often sit darkened and underutilized. Now Eno is also showing large installations of this work, recently at the Venice Bienniale and Milan Triennale, and in Tokyo, London and South Africa. The installation at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts will be the North American Premiere of his work.



The installation is indeed mesmerizing; the kaleidoscopic display of the projected images and slow, rhythmic evolution of the artwork create a singular experience for the viewer

The North American Premiere 77 Million Paintings will be held at San Francisco's foremost venue for contemporary art, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The art installation will be up for only three nights, and is presented by The Long Now Foundation, a San Francisco non profit dedicated to fostering long-term responsibility. Two evenings are open to the general public and the final night is set aside for members of Long Now, in appreciation of their support for the organization.

In addition to the 77 Million Paintings installation in the Forum, the Grand Lobby will be set up for conversations and refreshments, including a full bar, and will also have demonstrations of Long Now's Clock and Library projects. The Long Now Foundation was established in "01996", (the Long Now Foundation uses five digit dates, the extra zero is to solve the deca-millennium bug which will come into effect in about 8,000 years), to develop the Clock and Library projects, as well as to become the seed of a very long term cultural institution.

The Long Now Foundation hopes to provide counterpoint to today's "faster/cheaper" mind set and promote "slower/better" thinking, and they hope to creatively foster responsibility in the framework of the next 10,000 years. The term was even coined by one of their founding board members: Eno. When Eno first moved to New York City, he found that in New York here and now meant this room and this five minutes, as opposed to the larger here and longer now that he was used to in England. They have since adopted the term as the title of their foundation, and are trying to stretch out what people consider as now.

There is also a Limited Edition 77 Million Paintings DVD available, featuring an exclusive interview in which Eno discusses his creation of the 77 Million Paintings software, the next evolutionary stage of his exploration into light as an artist's medium and the aesthetic possibilities of "generative software." A bonus software disc creates a constantly evolving, slowly changing "light painting" on the screen of your computer or TV with a virtually infinite number of variations accompanied by his music. Also included in this deluxe package also is a 52-page book, featuring an extensive essay by Eno.

Brian Eno's "77 Million Paintings"
The Yerba Buena Center
701 Mission Street, San Francisco
$25, $20 for students and seniors

Friday, June 29th from 8pm till 2 am - general admission
Saturday, June 30th from 8pm till 2 am - general admission
Sunday, July 1st from 7pm till midnight - Long Now Members

Victor Wooten Returns to the Fillmore

I first saw the world renowned bassist Victor Wooten in 1996, and actually got to spend time with him during his tour with Bela Fleck in 2000. What struck me most was not just his unbelievable talent, but his utter joy in playing the bass, and a genuine sense of humility; Wooten truly redefines the word musician. Regaled as the most influential bassist since Jaco Pastorius, Wooten is known for his solo recordings and tours, and as a member of the Grammy-winning supergroup, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. He is an innovator on the bass guitar, as well as a talented composer, arranger, producer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. But those gifts only begin to tell the tale of this Tennessee titan. On May 4th, he and his band will return to the Fillmore, in what can only be described as another "don't miss this" performance.

Wooten is the loving husband and devoted father of four; the youngest sibling of the amazing Wooten brothers (Regi, Roy aka "Futureman", Rudy and Joseph), and the bassist in their famed family band; the student in the martial art of Wing Chun and the nature survival skill of Tracking; the teacher of dozens of bass players at his acclaimed annual Bass & Nature camp; and the master magician.

Wooten got to music early, growing up in a military family in which his older brothers all played and sang. By the time he was 3, Victor was being taught bass by his oldest brother Regi, and at age 5 he was performing professionally with the Wooten Brothers Band. He recalls, "My parents and brothers were the foundation. They prepared me for anything by teaching me to keep my mind open and learn to adapt." Working their way east from Sacramento, the band played countless clubs and eventually opened concerts for Curtis Mayfield and War.

Wooten was influenced by bass mentors, Stanley Clarke, Larry Graham and Bootsy Collins, while learning about the music business at a wildly accelerated pace. By the early '80s, with the family settled in Newport News, Virginia, the brothers became mainstays at Busch Gardens theme park in nearby Williamsburg, making numerous connections with musicians in Nashville and New York.

In 1988 Wooten moved to Nashville, where he worked with singer Jonell Mosser and met New Grass Revival banjo ace Bela Fleck. A year later, Fleck enlisted Vic, his brother Roy (a.k.a. Future Man) and harmonica-playing keyboardist Howard Levy to perform with him, and the Flecktones were born. After three highly successful albums, Levy departed in 1993, and the band's new trio format enabled Victor to develop and display a staggering array of fingerboard skills that turned him into a bass hero of Pastorian-proportions and helped earn the band a Grammy.

With the Flecktones in full flight, Wooten set his sights on a solo career, first forming Bass Extremes with fellow low-end lord Steve Bailey (leading to an instructional book/CD and two CDs, to date), and finally releasing his critically-acclaimed solo debut, A Show of Hands, in 1996. Soon after, Vic took his solo show on the road with drummer J.D. Blair. Momentum and accolades built with successive tours and the release of What Did He Say? in 1997, the Grammy-nominated Yin-Yang in 1999 and the double CD, Live In America in 2001.

Wooten won two Nashville Music Awards for Bassist Of The Year and is the only three-time winner of Bass Player magazine's Bass Player Of The Year. With the honors came sideman calls, leading to recordings and performances with artists like Branford Marsalis, Mike Stern, Bruce Hornsby, Chick Corea, Dave Matthews, Prince, Gov't Mule, Susan Tedeschi, Vital Tech Tones (with Scott Henderson and Steve Smith), the Jaco Pastorius Word Of Mouth Big Band, and the soundtrack of the Disney film Country Bears.

Fresh off sold-out tours with the Flecktones and Bass Extremes (with Bailey, Watson and Oteil Burbridge) in 2004, Victor is re-focusing on his solo side in 2005 thanks to a remarkable new CD, his Vanguard Records debut, Soul Circus. A three-ring affair, the disc boasts such guests as the Wooten brothers, Bootsy Collins, Arrested Development rapper/vocalist Speech, Howard Levy, Dennis Chambers, Saundra Williams, J.D. Blair, Derico Watson, Flecktone Jeff Coffin, and a who's-who of bassists, including Bailey, Burbridge, Will Lee, Rhonda Smith, Christian McBride, T.M. Stevens, Bill Dickens and Gary Grainger.

On Soul Circus, Wooten performed his usual high-wire act on a bevy of basses, but the real ringmaster was his collection of songs: The poignant "Prayer" and Prince-charged flipside "Natives" provide a thought-provoking look at our native Americans. The epic "Bass Tribute" pays homage to great thumpers past and present. "On and On" is an instant soul classic. "Cell Phone" makes a chuckle-filled, cutting-edge connection. "Higher Law" stands as a stadium-ready, rock-funk protest anthem in the best Sly Stone tradition. "Back to India" currys up simmering musical flavors. And the hip hop/jazz title track marks the sonic coming-out of the long-rumored eight-armed character seen on the CD's cover and in the liner notes: "Yes, Virginia (and the rest of the world), there is a funktopus!"

Victor Wooten has the rare ability to continuously raise the bar, always growing as an artist, and taking us to new heights. His last visit through the Bay Area was in Santa Rosa with the Flecktones; don't miss another chance to see him when he comes to the Fillmore.

The Victor Wooten Band World Tour '07
The Fillmore, San Francisco
Friday, May 4th @ 7:00 pm

Futureman's "Black Mozart Ensemble"

Often described as both enigmatic and eccentric, and without a doubt, musical genius, Roy "Futureman" Wooten is one of the most innovative, forward thinking figures in modern music. Part of what makes Wooten such an innovative musician is the incorporation of science and invention into his work. His first invention, called the "Drumitar" is used extensively in the music of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, which allows him the ability to replicate the sound of an entire contemporary drum kit, with the movement of just a few fingers on a guitar shaped instrument.

Wooten has embarked upon a new creative journey with "The Black Mozart Ensemble." Bridging the past with the present for a better future, Wooten is composing, producing, and directing a visionary new album/DVD entitled “The Black Mozart.” This project celebrates the life and music of the Black Mozart; Joseph Boulogne de Saint Georges. This 18th Century maestro and swordsman made contributions that revolutionized the world of musical creation. St. Georges used his abilities to find fame and fortune, yet as the son of a slave, remained an outsider. He fought against racism all his life, and can serve as a powerful hero for all of us as we struggle against the racism and divisiveness of today.

Although Wooten is generally considered a background performer, his desire to express his thoughtful meditations often brings him to the forefront, and due in large part to both the Wooten brothers, (his brother Victor is their famed bassist and innovator in his own right), Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' performances are always fresh and alive with improvisation and experimentation.

Wooten's Black Mozart Ensemble is comprised of young virtuoso violinists and cellists under Wooten's direction. The music is complemented by the addition of hip hop artists, and actors/narrators. The music of Black Mozart has a message for the ears, eyes and moves of today’s modern world, and Wooten states that this composition, "The Black Mozart", is a personal statement of New American Classical Roots and Dance Music with social aspirations that embraces all races of humanity.

Using Saint Georges as his inspiration, Wooten has made many innovations in the field of percussive music, having invented a keyboard technique which "utilizes modern science, dynamics and rhythms as melodic elements which draw from Africa to America, Baroque to bluegrass, classical to contemporary... and jazz to juicy funk."

Many may wonder what Wooten alludes to when he speaks of an archetypal principle. An archetype is an idealized model of a person or a copy of a concept or object. Therefore, the words of Wooten are words of a personality that connects to life through his music. Some may question music's ability to affect lives, but Wooten seems to be evidence that it does.

The great jazz drummer Max Roach once said of Wooten, upon seeing him perform, that he knew that “that was the most creative approach to drumming he had ever seen.” His second invention, the “RoyEl,” resembles a piano but plays notes not found in the traditional western music scales. His third invention, the Dorothy Graye, also resembles a smaller piano and is dedicated to his mother Dorothy who inspired a practice method to learn the keys. This instrument is based to play off of the composer’s scriabin color to sound keys, with the universal mathematics guiding the exploration of tunings, such as the periodic table of elements and the golden ratio.

In the wake of the Don Imus-Rutger's Women's basketball scandal, and the every growing debate over hip-hop and rap lyrics and it's use of degrading and debasing words, it's refreshing to find a merging of the modern and classical world in a truly innovative and positive way. Saint Georges himself might well agree.

Cas Lucas Comes to Cafe Du Nord

Readers of BeyondChron may recall my columns about the young bluesman and songsmith Cas Lucas, and his work with the incredible Palm Wine Boys that first brought him to my attention. Since then, I've delved deeper into his music and his repertoire. His freshman outing, "Giving it Back" in 2006, put him squarely on a path trod by other up-and-coming acoustic guitarists before him; a bit of Dave Mathews, a dash of John Prine's wit and sobering reflection, a touch of the great Michael Hedges, and one of my favorites; Washington, D.C.'s Ben Andrews.

Andrews studied and performed the works of Blind Willie Jefferson, Leadbelly, Taj Mahal, and Hound Dog Taylor, and through them, he ultimately found his own voice. "Roads", Cas Lucas' new CD shows a similar maturity, one borne of his travels, tours, trepidations, and tenacity. Lucas will be bringing his blend of acoustic guitar and band to Cafe Du Nord on Friday, March 30th. "Roads" is indeed a much-anticipated album and from what I've heard, well worth the wait.

Tracks from "Roads" first appeared on Lucas' MySpace page in 2006, and "instantly garnered an outpouring of fan support." "Feel You", for example, is one such track, and a personal favorite. It's grooving and playful, yet extremely thoughtful, and captures much of Lucas' spirit, talent and flavor. Lucas isn't all blues however, as he and his band step out on "Dream A Window"; a lovely little rocker that lifts you up and makes you want to clap your hands and dance.

Another absolute winner for me is the Hedges-like "Home". I literally found myself hitting the rewind button on my iPod more than a few times. A beautiful Steve Miller-esque keyboard fill, used ever so sparringly, and that infectious groove...

Lucas co-produced "Roads" with Bay Area producer and engineer Adam Rossi, well known for his work with another local sensation, LUCE. Rossi and Lucas combined members of both Lucas' band, as well as LUCE for "Roads", and the collaboration was definitely well worth the effort. Alongside Lucas and Rossi, (on keyboards), are a few seasoned, session musicians who've collaborated on albums with John Mayer, Chuck Prophet, Counting Crows and Boz. Scaggs.

Some of the other guest contributors included members of his Cas Lucas Band; LUCE; The Palm Wine Boys' stellar percussionist Q.B. Williams even added vocals on a track or two, and Lucas' "other half", the exceptionally talented Stephen Inglis, really helped round out this wonderful recording. "This is the album I always wanted to make," recalled Lucas. "My first opportunity to present my music the way it was meant to sound from the beginning."

I'm feelin' you Cas.

"Roads" CD Release Party / Concert
@ Cafe Du Nord, Friday, March 30th
San Francisco, CA
Cas Lucas Band & LUCE
Plus the debut of Brad Wolfe & Megan Slankard's duet show
www.myspace.com/caslucas

Voiceprint UK: Great British Music on DVD

Ever wondered where to find classic DVDs of British rock, blues, or the progessive works of Pink Floyd, Yes, or Tangerine Dream? Look no further than Voiceprint UK, home to an ever growing and an incredible array of vintage music from the British Isles. One of the best and most revered music documentaries of the 1960's enjoys it's long awaited release in this spring.

"All My Loving" was filmed and produced in the late sixties and was one of the early directorial films from celebrated director Tony Palmer. The film features rare footage of the Beatles, Pink Floyd, The Who, Cream, Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix. Considered a landmark release at the time, (1968), this film is shortly to be available on DVD.

There are so many near forgotten greats of the sixties and seventies, that it's amazing so much of that footage has even survived and been digitally remastered by Voiceprint. Fans can visit their website, http://www.voiceprint.co.uk. One needn't worry too much about figuring out the pounds vs. dollars, they do it for you and the DVDs actually arrive in a reasonable amount of time. (16 pounds for a DVD comes to roughly around $30).

Guitar greats like John Martyn, Steve Hackett of Genesis; Hawkwind; King Crimson and Asia alumni John Wetton and Steve Howe, are captured in a variety of live performances, and lovingly restored.

Howe's fellow Yes alumni have been busy as well; Bill Bruford released his "BBC-Rock goes to College" DVD; and pianist Patrick Moraz has an archive release from 1995 and a live solo performance. The concert took place at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey and captures Patrick’s piano work perfectly. Tracks include Blue Monk and the Intro from Best Years of Our Lives which was originally from epic "The Story of I". As with many of the albums in the Voiceprint series of re-issues, the artist have signed as well as personally overseen the re-mastering process for their releases.

Rick Wakeman, who shot to fame playing the Mellotron behind Elton John, David Bowie, The Strawbs and Yes, had been "trawling" through his personal video archive in order to see just what he has got in there. As it happened there was quite a lot of footage, and he made a decision to release them as an “Official DVD Bootleg” in the forthcoming “Rick Wakeman DVD Archive Series”. The shows will include performances from the 70’s,80’s and the 90’s. There will also be one or two surprises and certainly some footage that was thought to have been lost. More details of the series and the contents will be released early in 2007 and it's hoped to launch the series within the first six months of the year.

Tyneside legends "Martin Stephenson and the Daintees" are also recording a new studio album; their first since The Boy’s Heart album from 1992. The album although only in the early stages should be finished by March 2007 and a release date shortly after in spring. The album will feature Martin Stephenson alongside fellow founder members Anthony Dunn and Gary Dunn. The band also played a couple of pre Christmas gigs at the Cluny in Newcastle; the first of which was filmed for future release as a DVD.

The enigmatic band Gentle Giant are even on a DVD. Gentle Giant were rarely seen in the U.S.; I managed to catch their show only by accident, as an opening act for Jethro Tull at Washington, D.C.'s Capitol Centre.

Leslie West and the legendary Rock band "Mountain" will also release a signed limited edition of their forthcoming live DVD. The DVD was filmed in 1985 in Paris when the band were special guests on the Deep Purple European tour. The performance includes Mountain classics such as Theme For An Imaginary Western, Nantucket Sleighride and a version of the West Bruce and Laing song Why Doncha. The signed edition signed personally by both Leslie West and Corky Laing will be limited to just 500 Copies.

A film featuring the music of Mike Oldfield is also finally finding its way onto DVD. "The Space Movie" chronicles man’s longing for the stars and his dreams of journeying into space. The progress from weird and wonderful contraptions which barely got off the ground to man’s first moon landing is one of the most amazing of man’s achievements in the 20th Century. This film is a celebration of that achievement. All the footage in the film has been made specially available by NASA and The United States National Archive and includes never before seen footage of the lunar landscape. The films soundtrack was written and performed by Mike Oldfield and the films Space Symphony will have just as much appeal as Tubular Bells, Ommadwn Hergest Ridge and Incantations.

These long awaited DVDs coming out, may only be a tip of the iceberg, and a trend many in the music world predict will be with us for the foreseeable future. At a recent show at N.Y.'s Iridium Jazz Club, I asked British drummer Bill Bruford if he was coming out with any more new CDs. "No, I will actually be releasing two DVDs of my Earthworks bands..." he replied. "Not even a companion CD?" I asked.

"People now want to hear you AND see you," he said. "iTunes, DVDs... That's what they tell me anyway." He may be right.