Author Archive: dereksmusicblog
THE LIFE AND CAREER OF BOO HEWERDINE.
The Life and Career Of Boo Hewerdine There aren’t many people who have spent the past four decades doing something they love. Nowadays, they’re in the minority, and are the lucky ones. Award winning singer-songwriter Boo Hewerdine is one of the lucky ones, and has been fortunate enough to spend the last four decades fulfilling …
THE REMARKABLE STORY OF THE SOULJAZZ ORCHESTRA.
The Remarkable Story Of The Souljazz Orchestra. When The Souljazz Orchestra was founded in Ottawa, Canada, in 2002 none of its members had any idea where they would or what they would be doing in fifteen years time. They didn’t even know if The Souljazz Orchestra would still be together? The Souljazz Orchestra could’ve been consigned …
VAN HALEN-THE DAVID LEE ROTH ERA AND BEYOND.
Van Halen-The David Lee Roth Era and Beyond For any successful band, losing their lead singer can prove disastrous. Suddenly, the very future of the band is at risk.The band has two options, to and find a replacement or call it quits. However, this isn’t really an option for a band whose first six albums had sold …
HENRY GROSS-HIS SEVENTIES SOLO YEARS.
Henry Gross-His Seventies Solo Years. When Henry Gross took to the stage with Sha Na Na at ‘7.30pm’ on Sunday, August the ‘17th’ 1969, the eighteen year old made history, he became the the youngest person to perform at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. Despite his relative youth, Henry Gross took playing in front of 400,000 people in his stride during Sha Na Na’s thirty-minute …
JEANETTE-SPAIN’S SILKY VOICED SONGSTRESS 1967-1983.
Jeanette-Spain’s Silky-Voiced Songstress 1967-1983. Label: Ace Records. During the sixties, seventies and eighties, Jeanette’s quiet, tender and languorous vocal was something of an anomaly in Spain, and was the polar opposite of many singers including Rocío Dúrcal, Massiel, Encarnita Polo, Marisol and Karina who had deep, raw, blazing, and powerhouse vocals. Jeanette’s unique style proved …
OSC MEETS BMC-FREAK OUT IN THE FJORD
OSC Meets BMC-Freak Out In The Fjord. Label: Space Rock Productions. Some seven years ago, brothers Øyvin and Vemund Engan founded the psychedelic space rock band Black Moon Circle, and since then, this talented band from Trondheim, in Norway, have released six albums. Six became seven when Black Moon Circle and Øresund Space Collective released their first collaboration …
KABASA-AFRICAN SUNSET.
Kabasa-African Sunset. Label: BBE Music. Kabasa was formed in Soweto by vocalist and bassist Tata “TNT” Sibeko and percussionist Oupa Segwa and guitarist Robert “Doc” Mthalane who previously had been members of the iconic Afro-rock band Harari, who the first ever local black pop band to appear on South African television. Despite Harari being regarded …
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF VICTOR ASSIS BRASIL
The Life and Times Of Victor Assis Brasil. Victor Assis Brasil was born into a middle class family in Rio de Janeiro, on the ‘28th’ of August 1945, and from an early age, expressed an interest in music. Seeing their son’s interest in music, Victor Assis Brasil’s parents decided to foster an environment that was …
ORNETTE COLEMAN’S ATLANTIC YEARS.
Ornette Coleman’s Atlantic Years. Just under four years ago, on June 11th 2015, that Ornette Coleman passed away, aged eighty-five. Music had lost a true legend, whose album Free Jazz: A Collective Improvisation lent its name to a musical genre, free jazz. It’s the genre that Ornette Coleman became synonymous with. However, two years earlier, …
LITTLE FEAT’S GLORY YEAR’S: THE LOWELL GEORGE YEARS.
Little Feat’s Glory Years: The Lowell George Years. Before founding Little Feat in 1969, Lowell George was a member of Frank Zappa’s Mothers Of Invention. Then in 1969, Lowell met Bill Payne who previously, had auditioned for The Mothers Of Invention. Bill however, never joined The Mothers Of Invention. No. In 1969 pianist Bill Payne …
GEORGE HARRISON’S APPLE YEARS.
George Harrison’s Apple Years. On the 10th April 1970, Paul McCartney announced his departure from The Beatles. A week later, he released his debut album McCartney. Meanwhile, The Beatles were in the process of releasing their swan-song, Let It Be. Just a month later, the Phil Spector produced Let It Be, and the single The …
FOTHERINGAY-SANDY DENNY’S SOMETIMES FORGOTTEN AND SHORT-LIVED GROUP.
Fotheringay-Sandy Denny’s Sometimes Forgotten and Short-Lived Group. When Sandy Denny left Fairport Convention in December 1969, the reason she gave, was that the wanted to hone her skills as a songwriter. However, less than a year after her departure from Fairport Convention, Sandy Denny formed a new group, Fotheringay. Although Fotheringay were a short lived band, …
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOGWAI.
The Life and Times Of Mogwai. The Mogwai story which began in 1991, when Stuart Braithwaite and Dominic Aitchison met in Scotland’s musical capital, Glasgow. Four years later, they met drummer Martin Bulloch and formed Mogwai, which film buffs will remember, is a character from the movie Gremlins. Mogwai was always meant as a temporary name, …
STEVE TIBBETTS-HIS ECM RECORDS YEARS.
Steve Tibbetts-His ECM Records Years. Ever since Minnesota born composer and guitarist Steve Tibbetts signed to ECM Records in 1981, the pioneer of sound-forming has only released nine albums for Manfred Eicher’s Munich-based label. These albums document the career of a musical innovator who was introduced to music at an early age. Steve Tibbetts was born in Madison, Wisconsin, in 1954, and …
THE LIFE AND TIMES Of LARAAJI.
The Life and Times Of Laraaji, Laraaji’s career has spanned five decades, and during that period, the American multi-instrumentalist has released around forty albums and countless collaborations. Many of these albums were self released by Laraaji on cassettes, and feature his unique and inimitable genre-melting sound. This is best described as a fusion of ambient, …
MOUNTAIN-THEY COULD’VE BEEN GIANTS OF ROCK.
Mountain-They Could’ve Been Giants Of Rock. Mountain were the band who could’ve and should’ve become one of the biggest hard rock band of the seven tie but left the field clear for the unholy trinity of hard rock. Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Deep Purple continued to write their way into musical history while Mountain would …
THREE DECADES OF POPOL VUH.
Three Decades Of Popol Vuh. In West Germany in the early seventies, a number of groundbreaking bands were formed including one of the most important, innovative and influential bands in the history of German music, Popol Vuh. Over the next three decades Popol Vuh. established a reputation for releasing ambitious and innovative music that influenced the next generation of musicians. This was the case from the release of Popol Vuh’s 1970 debut …
ØYWIND TORVUND-THE EXOTICA ALBUM.
Øyvind Torvund-The Exotica Album. Label: Hubro Music. With some albums, nothing is as at seems as a myriad of disparate sounds assail the listener leaving them wondering what was that I heard? It was, wasn’t it? Surely not? It was. This argument rages on as they contemplate the music that they’ve just heard. That is …
dereksmusicblog
dereksmusicblog 