JETHRO TULL'S IAN ANDERSON AT THE MCCAW HALL 

IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON ON 12 SEPTEMBER 2014

Jethro Tull’s legendary “Prog God” Ian Anderson and his band of talented musicians made their way into Seattle, Washington to perform at the elegant McCaw Hall Friday, 12 September 2014.

For over 40 years, Ian Anderson has been enchanting people from all over the world with his unique style and forming his flute sound as the main attraction in a rock and metal arena. With his 5th solo studio album ‘Homo Erraticus’ just being released on 14 April 2014, Ian filled the seats of McCaw Hall with an anxious audience waiting to see the theatrical performance of his new concept album of British History.

The show opened with a pre recorded, short skit of Ian Anderson confined to a hospital bed being treated by his bandmates, turned doctors. The hilarious skit proves that the diagnosis is Ageism and Ian Anderson is NOT too old to rock! The show on the huge projection screen ends and Ian’s band - Ryan O’Donnell (vocals, stage antics), Florian Opahle (guitar), John O’Hara (orchestral conductor, piano, keyboards, and accordion) David Goodier (bass and double bass guitar) and Scott Hammond (drums and percussion) continue the skit on stage in medical wear, chasing poor Ian around with a bedpan.  The skit ended and the band took their places behind their instruments, still in medical wear for the first few songs.

Ian Anderson and his guitarist Florian Opahle kicked it off with “Doggerland,” which starts off with a brilliant flute and electric guitar bicinium. The show continued on with the new album, ‘Homo Erraticus’ brought to life in its entirety, as a theatrical/concert performance. Ryan O’Donnell made his way around the stage acting as co-frontman to Ian Anderson and was very entertaining as a singer, mime, and poet, bringing lightheartedness to the somber message of war, religion, and history.

With an incredible performance by the entire band, we were launched into a World War II battle with an instrumental called, “Tripudium Ad Bellum.” The song has an urgent delivery of marching drums, bass and flute that lead us into battle. The middle of the song is an amazing melodic flute solo with sounds of percussion and a fantastic riff! Having to take the good with the bad, the screen behind the band displayed real images of a horrific war that took the lives of many. For me, this was a highlight and unforgettable moment of the entire performance.

For the second half of the show, we were promised some classic Jethro Tull songs. After twenty minutes, the band came back and with the years rolling back to 1969 they enraptured us with the first song, “Living In The Past.” To the delight of everyone, on the huge screen behind the band were images of a young Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull performing somewhat, in sync with the live performance.

Ian took us from 1969 all the way to 1987 thrilling us with hits “Teacher,” “Too Old To Rock N Roll; Too Young To Die,” and “Aqualung,” amongst many other classic Tull tunes that haven’t been performed in quite some time. “Sweet Dreams” which was written as a single at the request of Jethro Tull’s management, was a big hit with the audience, as well.

The encore was AMAZING! The audience stood up immediately at the astounding piano intro to “Locomotive Breath!” Florian Opahle came in with a blistering solo that would make him a worthy opponent of Martin Barre’s. We cheered and hollered throughout this performance and it wouldn't shock me if the band had trouble hearing themselves play!

Some of the wonderful characteristics of Ian Anderson is how he expresses himself lyrically, musically, and while performing. His soul is stitched around his music and the message is very clear, he has a lot to say and he’s definitely not too old to rock n roll!

Setlist:

Homo Erraticus Album: 1st half of show

Doggerland
Heavy Metals
Enter the Uninvited
Puer Ferox Adventus
Meliora Sequamur
The Turnpike Inn
The Engineer
The Pax Britannica
Tripudium Ad Bellum
After These Wars
New Blood, Old Veins
In for a Pound
The Browning of the Green
Per Errationes Ad Astra
Cold Dead Reckoning

The Best of Jethro Tull: 2nd half of show

Living in the Past
(Jethro Tull song)

With You There to Help Me
(Jethro Tull song)

Sweet Dream
(Jethro Tull song)

Teacher
(Jethro Tull song)

Critique Oblique
(Jethro Tull song)

Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll: Too Young to Die
(Jethro Tull song)

Songs from the Wood
(Jethro Tull song)

Farm on the Freeway
(Jethro Tull song)

Aqualung
(Jethro Tull song)

Encore:
Locomotive Breath
(Jethro Tull song)

Review by:
Jill Maciel/West Coast Correspondent

Photo Courtesy of http://jethrotull.com/

Johnny Winter Remembrance Tour

Join The Johnny Winter Band in an emotional remembrance concert that promises to be a blues bash like no other. Amazing musicians and fans alike will have a chance to gather and celebrate the music and spirit of one of the greatest Blues Guitarists of all time. If you’re a fan of Johnny and/or the Blues in general, you can’t miss this...

Due to the tremendous outpouring of emotion from Johnny Winter's Fans since we lost him, this official "Johnny Winter Remembrance Show" has been put together with the approval of his brother, Edgar Winter and Johnny's family. The show features original members from Johnny's band which include Johnny's guitarist Paul Nelson, Scott Spray on Bass and Tommy Curiale on Drums, all of whom had toured with Winter and recorded on his last album, "Step Back" due out September 2, 2014.

Fronted by Jay Stollman on vocals the show will also consist of Special Guests as well as a screening of Johnny's documentary, "Down & Dirty: The Johnny Winter Story"

Remembrance show Vids

Dust My Broom -w'Sonny Landreth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7vDhNaKR5w

Don't Want No Woman - w/Lance Lopez
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6zPxQRScxs


Hwy 61 - Sonny Langreth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4siqzCmgQAI

Johnny B Goode - w/Lance Lopez Sonny Landreth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2I1cqBd_VMg

Key to the Hwy - W/Sonny Landreth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69wDxEF9Nfw


Pollstar Tour Dates:
http://www.pollstar.com/resultsArtist.aspx?ID=306128&SearchBy=remembrance+show

Guest artist List:
http://www.piedmonttalent.com/artists/artist.cfm?id=194

Sonny Landreth
Gary Hoey
Lance Lopez
Jason Ricci
Arlen Roth
Jeff Pitchell
Debbie Davies
James Montgomery
Joe Louis Walker
Edgar Winter
and Growing...

MIKE OLDFIELD: THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1992-2003

 All Of The Musician’s Warner Bros. Albums Come Together For An Eight-CD Set

 Available On October 20^th From Rhino

Select Albums Will Also Be Released On 180-Gram Vinyl (10^th November)

Mike Oldfield is best-known for his 1973 one-man symphony, Tubular Bells, a chart topper in his native England and a Grammy^® winner in 1975. During his decade-long stint at Warner Bros., the musician and composer released four sequels, as well as four eclectic studio albums.   

Rhino collects all eight albums for an anthology presented in a clamshell box.

THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1992-2003 will be available on October 20^th at retail outlets as an eight-CD collection. A digital version can be downloaded. Additionally, Tubular Bells II, The Songs Of Distant Earth, Voyager, and Tubular Bells III will be available individually on 180-gram vinyl, on 10^th November.  

After leaving Virgin Records, Oldfield joined the Warner Bros. roster in 1992 and released his first sequel, Tubular Bells II, which climbed to the top of the chart in England. Tom Newman (who engineered the original) and Trevor Horn joined Oldfield as producers for the album, which includes the singles “Sentinel,” “Tattoo” and “The Bell.” Another sequel arrived in 1998 with Tubular Bells III, which was followed a year later by another installment in the series, The Millennium Bell. With Tubular Bells 2003, Oldfield revisited the original album and re-recorded it so he could take advantage of technological advances in the studio that were unavailable to him in the early Seventies.

The other four albums heard in this collection reflect a wide range of musical styles, starting with his follow-up to Tubular Bells II, 1994’s The Songs of Distant Earth. A novel by the same name inspired him to record the album. The book was written by sci-fi master Arthur Clarke. Clarke approved of the results and even wrote a forward for the album.

Oldfield returned in 1996 with an album that marked a dramatic stylistic departure. Voyager is a Celtic-themed album that’s filled mainly with traditional Scottish and Irish songs. To record the music, Oldfield used a mix of traditional, acoustic instruments as well as synthesizers. For 1999’s Guitars, the musician recorded all of the music using only electric, acoustic and synthesizer guitars. The millennium Bell was written to usher in the new Millennium at a live concert in the center of Berlin in front of 500,000 people.

THE STUDIO ALBUMS 1992-2003: COMPLETE ALBUMS BOX

Album Listing

Tubular Bells II

The Songs Of Distant Earth

Voyager

Tubular Bells III

Guitars

The Millennium Bell

Tr3s Lunas

Tubular Bells 2003

Albums Also Available On 180-Gram Vinyl

Tubular Bells II

The Songs Of Distant Earth

Voyager

Tubular Bells III

Yes “Songs From Tsongas – 

The 35th Anniversary Concert” – Special Edition BluRay/2DVD/3CD release – Coming 22 Sept 2014

This Special Edition of “Songs From Tsongas” contains a concert from YES’ 35th Anniversary Tour in 2004, the last tour by the band to feature the classic line-up of Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, Rick Wakeman and Alan White.  The DVD & BluRays also contain a second live show.

Disc One of the DVD [the single Blu-ray contains all the same material as the double DVD set]  contains the whole of the concert from the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, Massachusetts, previously spread across two discs. This epic show features tracks from across the band’s career including an extensive acoustic section (tracks 11 – 18) and some tracks that have rarely been performed live.

Disc Two contains 70 minutes of highlights from a very different concert on the same tour filmed at Estival in Lugano, Switzerland. This outdoor concert sees a stripped down stage and full on rock versions of the acoustic tracks from Tsongas whilst the crowd wield a multitude of umbrellas against the pouring rain, which is clearly not preventing them having a great time!

As Bonus Features [on the visual formats] we include another track “Ritual”, also filmed at the Tsongas Arena, and an insightful interview with legendary designer and Yes collaborator Roger Dean who created the brand new stage set for the shows.

TRACKLISTING:

SONGS FROM TSONGAS
(on Disc One DVD / Part One Blu-ray)
1) Intro/Firebird Suite
2) Going For The One
3) Sweet Dreams
4) Your Move / All Good People
5) Mind Drive Parts 1 & 2
6) South Side Of The Sky
7) Turn Of The Century
8) My Eyes
9) Mind Drive Part 3
10) Yours Is No Disgrace
11) The Meeting (Piano Solo)
12) Long Distance Runaround
13) Wonderous Stories
14) Time Is Time
15) Roundabout
16) Show Me
17) Owner Of A Lonely Heart
18) Second Initial (Guitar Solo)
19) Rhythm Of Love
20) And You And I
21) Every Little Thing
22) Starship Trooper


LIVE IN LUGANO
(on Disc Two DVD / Part Two Blu-ray)
1) Intro/Firebird Suite
2) Going For The One
3) Sweet Dreams
4) Your Move / All Good People
5) Long Distance Runaround
6) The Fish
7) Owner Of A Lonely Heart
8) And You And I
9) Starship Trooper
10) Roundabout

This Special Edition of the very successful ‘Songs From Tsongas’ DVD is packed with an additional 70 minutes of highlights from Lugano being released for the first time.

This release offers a fantastic setlist of favourites and rarities including ‘Going For The One’, ‘Roundabout’, ‘Owner Of A Lonely Heart’, ‘And You And I’, ‘Starship Trooper’, ‘Wonderous Stories’, ‘I’ve Seen All Good People’, ‘Yours Is No Disgrace’, ‘Ritual’, ‘Turn Of The Century’ and many more, captured here in all their glory.

Order Here:

http://yesworld.com/2014/07/yes-songs-tsongas-35th-anniversary-concert-special-edition/

New DVD/CD By Santana 

Corazon: Live From Mexico - Live It to Believe It

September 9, 2014 Release!

Ten time GRAMMY®-Award winning rock icon and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer, Carlos Santana and his band SANTANA will be releasing a special concert event entitled "CORAZON, LIVE FROM MEXICO: LIVE IT TO BELIEVE IT," which includes the concert film and a "making of the concert" 30 minute documentary film shot in Puerto Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, and Guadalajara, entitled "Live It To Believe It," in DVD format.

Combined with 40 years of hits, Santana performed many of the songs from his double-platinum US Latin-certified and critically-acclaimed album CORAZON at a once in a lifetime concert event in December 2013, accompanied by many of his album special guests, all celebrating their Latin music heritage in Guadalajara, Mexico (in his native state of Jalisco) at Arena VFG in Guadalajara in conjunction with the Mexico Tourism Board. Superstar performances at this concert event include Elan Atias, Chocquibtown, Lila Downs, Gloria Estefan, Juanes, Miguel, Fher Olvera (of Mana), Nina Pastori, Samuel Rosa (of Skank), 

Cindy Blackman Santana, Salvador Santana, Romeo Santos, Soledad, and Diego Torres.

Order Here:

http://santana.hifi247.com/santana-corazon-live-from-mexico-live-it-to-believe-it-blu-ray-preorder.html

George Harrison ~ The Apple Years (7 CD-1DVD) Box Set 

Pre Order now for September 23, 2014 Release!!

In November 1968, George Harrison released 'Wonderwall Music'. A soundtrack to an art film called 'Wonderwall' this predominantly Indian music collection was the first solo album to be released by a Beatle and also the first album on the newly formed Apple Records.

 

George would continue to release albums on Apple (and EMI) through to 1975's soul-influenced 'Extra Texture (Read All About It)' touching on experimentalism with 'Electronic Sound', the magnificent triple album 'All Things Must Pass', the chart-topping 'Living In The Material World' and the, perhaps, less well-known 'Dark Horse'. 

This box brings all these eclectic albums together in one set that mirrors 2004's 'Dark Horse Years' box set and will contain a perfect bound book with a DVD. All albums have been remastered by Dhani Harrison and Paul Hicks and all will be packaged in high-quality card packs and all albums, apart from 'All Things Must Pass' and 'Living In The Material World' contain newly written notes by Kevin Howlett. The DVD contains a brand new, never before seen video which has been painstakingly overseen by Olivia Harrison and all packages contain new photos many never seen before.

Buy It Here:

http://georgeharrison.shop.bravadousa.com/Product.aspx?cp=63257_67340&pc=BGCDH219

BUDDY GUY AND DAMN RIGHT BLUES BAND 

AT THE CHATEAU STE MICHELLE IN WOODINVILLE, WASHINGTON  

24 AUGUST 2014

Buddy Guy and his Damn Right Blues Band fired up the show at the Chateau Ste Michelle for Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus 24 August 2014.

Seven PM Buddy Guy came walking out on stage looking sharp in his white shirt with black polka dots wailing on his guitar. He greeted the audience and asked, “Have you ever had the blues?” and we all responded with high energy, “YEAH!” Buddy then told the crowd he’s had the blues from his head to his shoes and went on to play, “Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues.”

Buddy Guy has a message and that message is part of Buddy’s show in the form of music and stories. Nothing like a great blues tune, “So funky that you can smell it,” as Buddy Guy put it, for the intro to his next song, “Five Long Years.” Buddy performed this song with all the passion he could muster and his band, Marty Sammon-piano, Ric Hall-guitar, Orlando Wright-bass, and Tim Austin-drums, were right there holding it down until Marty Sammon opened up with an incredible piano solo.

As a 78 year old blues legend, Buddy has been around some of the greatest blues musicians in the business, BB King and Muddy Waters just to name a few and Buddy has many stories about his friendships and influences by them. Buddy told us a story about a poor life in Louisiana with no running water or TV and finally at age 17 his parents came home with a radio and he heard Johnny Lee Hooker for the first time. “Boom Boom Boom Boom, I like It Like That” (Buddy performed the first bit of the song), that’s the great Johnny Lee Hooker,” Buddy said. “Now here’s how the late Albert King did it.” Buddy started playing the guitar solo to Albert King’s, “Drowning On Dry Land” and the audience showed their love by standing up and shouting. This turned into an outstanding, ten minute solo with Buddy Guy walking off of the stage onto the lawn surrounded by adoring fans, cheering and taking photos.

Buddy, being 78, has not weakened in his ability to put on a great show! He’s just as strong as ever, playing his guitar with power and skill! He’s got a few tricks up his sleeve using a towel and drum stick (Jimmy Page look out!) to play his guitar instead of a pick. Now for the sad part of the show, “Why,” Buddy wonders, “Doesn’t the radio play my music or the blues?” I wonder that myself! Buddy Guy just released a fantastic album, “Rhythm & Blues” teaming up with the likes of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry from Aerosmith, Kid Rock, Beth Hart, and Keith Urban. Three genres of music on his CD and none played on the radio!

Buddy closed the show with a lovely story of his mother’s advice to him when he was a boy, that beauty is skin deep. Buddy Guy performed his 2008 song, and a favorite of mine, “Skin Deep.” I don’t believe there was a dry eye in the audience during this performance.

It was an honor for me to be a part of this incredible show and to share in Buddy’s life experiences through music and stories. He is a wise man with a message we all can learn from. The blues are an important part of history told by the best storytellers and musicians of the world so let’s forever keep the blues alive!

Setlist:

Damn Right I Got The Blues

Five Long Years

Someone Else Is Steppin’ In

(You Give Me) Fever

Boom Boom (Intro-Johnny Lee Hooker)

Drowning On Dry Land (Guitar Solo-Albert King)

74 Years Young

Skin Deep

Tour Dates:

http://www.buddyguy.net/events

Review by:

Jill Maciel/West Coast Correspondent

Photos by:

Scott Banning