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Goblin Rebirth – The Safari Explores Italian Prog Again!

Goblin Rebirth – Rock Progressivo Italiano • Italy

It seems that lately I have been enjoying more and more bands that fall into the sub-genre of Rock Progressivo Italiano (See Armonite, Unreal City). The latest one is Goblin Rebirth. Their self-titled debut album has been in my rotation for a few days. It was even the soundtrack for a walk yesterday, back from the garage that was repairing my daughter’s car! It is a really good instrumental album. Read More

Colin Edwin – Explorations of his Music on His Birthday – July 2nd!

Colin Edwin –  fretted and fretless bass guitar , double bass and guembri. –Born July 2, 1970

I have explored the music of Colin Edwin, not through the band that he has been a member of since 1993 Porcupine Tree; but through his collaborations with Jon Durant and more recently with Armonite. So today July 2nd is his birthday. So, I thought it may be a good day to more extensively explore the man and his music.  What I discovered is that Colin Edwin, like many talented musicians has many different outlets for his musicianship! In addition to his work with Porcupine Tree, Edwin has released solo albums. He has also collaborated many artists and been a member of several bands! Some basics from Wikipedia. Read More

Colin Edwin – Explorations of his Music!

Colin Edwin –  fretted and fretless bass guitar , double bass and guimbri. –Born July 2, 1970

Ihave explored the music of Colin Edwin, not through the band that he has been a member of since 1993 Porcupine Tree; but through his collaborations with Jon Durant and more recently with Armonite. So today July 2nd i thought it may be a good day to more extensively explore the man and his music.  What I discovered is that Colin Edwin, like many talented musicians has many different outlets for his musicianship! In addition to his work with Porcupine Tree, Edwin has released solo albums. collaborated many artists and been a member of several bands! Some basics from Wikipedia. Read More

Terence Blanchard – Breathless

Terence Blanchard

Terence Blanchard’s – Breathless – leaves me just that way!

One of the  albums that has spent considerable time in my music rotation over the last few weeks is Breathless the latest release from Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective. Terence Blanchard’s music career started in the 1980s first touring with Lionel Hampton and then replacing Wynton Marsalis in Art Blakey‘s Jazz Messengers. Since then he has been a prominent force in the jazz community.with 5 career Grammys out of his 13 career Grammy nominations, Terence has released twenty albums since his debut in 1984. Blanchard has probably reached his widest audience through his work as a film composer. His trumpet can be heard on nearly fifty film scores; with more than forty of the films scores were composed by Blanchard. As if all that was not enough to do, since 2000, Blanchard has served as Artistic Director at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.and in August of 2011, he was named the Artistic Director of the Henry Mancini Institute at the University of Miami Frost School of Music! Some people can do it all!. Read More

Eidos – Kingcrow – Great Prog Rock from Italy!

Eidos ****- Kingcrow – Progressive Metal – Italy

Over the last few days the album Eidos the latest release from Kingcrow has been in my music rotation and I like it more every time I give it a listen. Kingcrow is a progressive metal band from italy. The band was originally formed iin Rome, Italy in 1996 by guitarist Diego Cafolla and drummer Manuel Thundra Cafolla. The band was originally called Earth Shaker, but was changed to Kingcrow. The name was inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s poem the Raven. Eidos is the band’s sixth album. The band members have changed over the course of the band’s existence. In 2001 Ivan Nastasi joined the band providing guitar & backing vocals. Then in 2009 current lead singer Diego Marchesi joined the band. The musician line-up for Eidos looks like this…. Read More

Dark Intelligence – Neal Asher

Dark Intelligence – Transformation Book One – Neal Asher

Rating *****

Several weeks ago I picked up Neal Asher’s latest book Dark Intelligence in the library and read these quotes, first on the back cover.

“What has six arms, a large beak, looks lie a pyramid, has more eyes than you’d expect, and talks nonsense? If you don’t know then 1) you should 2) you haven’t been reading Neal Ashers (see point 1)” – Jon Courtenoy Grimwood, author of The Fallen Blade. Read More

Lawrence Block “A Walk Among the Tombstones” Plus…

Lawrence Block – Mystery Writer’s Grand Master – Born June 24, 1938

Lawrence BlockA few weeks ago when we were visiting with Peter, Missy and Zoe, Missy’s mom was looking for a movie to watch. She said to Peter we don’t want A Walk Among the Tombstones because it wasn’t very good. I commented that the books was really good! She looked at me quizzically and said “there’s book” Yeah, I said by the great Lawrence Block. I bring this up today because today is Lawrence Block’s birthday. Block was born in Buffalo, New York on June 24th in 1938. Read More

Armonite -The Sun is New Each Day

Armonite: Rock Progressivo Italiano • Italy  –  Rating ****

Over the last few days, the album The Sun is New Each Day from the band Armonite has been in my music rotation. It is an interesting instrumental progressive rock album. The band has a distinctive sound generated mostly by the sound of an electric violin. That violin is being played by one of the two founding members of Armonite, Jacopo Bigi. Bigi and composer Paolo Fosso. Together they founded Armonite in 1996, while they were still in school.The band released its first album Inuit in 1999. After which the band broke up. Jacopo pursued a career as a classical violinist and violin teacher, while Paolo started working in music administration. In 2015 they reunited and formed a new band, but used the old name. Read More

Armonite -The Sun is New Each Day

Armonite: Rock Progressivo Italiano • Italy  –  Rating ****

Over the last few days, the album The Sun is New Each Day from the band Armonite has been in my music rotation. It is an interesting instrumental progressive rock album. The band has a distinctive sound generated mostly by the sound of an electric violin. That violin is being played by one of the two founding members of Armonite, Jacopo Bigi. Bigi and composer Paolo Fosso founded Armonite in 1996 while they were still in school.The band released its first album Inuit in 1999. After which the band broke up.Jacopo pursued a career as a classical violinist and violin teacher, while Paolo started working in music administration. In 2015 they reunited and formed a new band, but used the old name. Read More