National Health

Despite locating its releases in places requiring a journey off the beaten path, the music of Next Order has always been well worth the trip. Live-Refined represents a further honing of the Next Order sound, its fourth in a series of live recordings.

With a strong Canterbury influence implanted into their sound, Egg's first album has the band looking to establish their niche as a progressive group, with Dave Stewart's sharp, effective keyboard work outlining much of the album's overall feel. Mixing jazz and progressive rock drifts, the tracks on Egg contain rhythms and meters that are never at a standstill, with ongoing instrumental action encompassing nearly every track. Numerous classical overtones make for a familiar listen against a backdrop of loose-ended jazz fusion and an unordered yet inviting array of haphazard progressive spillages. The fragmented instrumentals sport an attractive inexperience, especially on "Bulb" and "The Song of McGillicudie the Pussilanimous," which also introduce Egg's lighthearted whimsy. Both "Blane" and "I Will Be Absorbed" represent the most colorful example of Egg's progressive rock fundamentals…

As long-time fans of the 'Canterbury School' style of jazz/rock, a very appealing, very English, sometimes slightly whimsical blend of electric jazz with complex rock have sadly learned, this style and sound is rarely invoked nowadays. Planeta Imaginario are a creative and extraordinary six piece Spanish jazz/rock band that take some of the best influences from Canterbury style music and blend it with an original, very Mediterranean feel for a end result that is strongly their own but that is also redolent of 40 years of creative work in bringing jazz and rock together. To get an idea of what their third album, Optical Delusions, has to offer, think of a great rhythm section of keyboards (Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes piano, acoustic piano, synths), electric bass and drums, influenced by creative rock bands like The Muffins, Hatfield, Caravan, National Health…

The last international band to lay claim to the mantle of such illustrious '70s improvisationers as HATFIELD AND THE NORTH, NATIONAL HEALTH and the original GONG, GONGZILLA is a muscular quartet that traffics in the kind of music once mislabeled as fusion. Sure to surprise twentysomethings who think jam bands invented adventurous instrumental passages, odd meters and searing melodies, GONGZILLA's latest album East Village Sessions does more with vibraphone, bass, drums and guitar than an entire Vans Warped Tour of pierced-nosed freeloaders could imagine…

Zopp is the brainchild of composer and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Stevenson, with collaborations from Andy Tillison of prog legends The Tangent, and drummer Andrea Moneta (Leviathan). Here we are getting close to a genuine canterbury sound, while showing strong roots back into the 1970s.
With nine tracks that are just shy of a 45 minute playing time, Zopp keeps the classic feel of a 70s album but benefits from the professional experience from a seasoned prog veteran such as Moneta as well as a modern seamless production job by Andy Tillison…

Asaf Sirkis & The Inner Noise - We Are Falling (2005) {Konnex KCD5150}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 308 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 115 Mb
Full Artwork @ 300 dpi (jpg) -> 35 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 2005 Konnex | KCD 5150
Jazz / Fusion / Spiritual Jazz / Progressive / Drums / Keyboards

Israeli ex-pat Asaf Sirkis has been gradually insinuating himself into the UK scene since moving to London in 1999. His most visible work to date has been with the controversial saxophonist Gilad Atzmon's Oriental House Ensemble where, in addition to playing drums, he's been able to take advantage of his background in ethnic percussion instruments. His broad orchestral approach to kit and hand percussion may, however, be best heard on woodwind multi-instrumentalist Tim Garland's sweeping and ambitious If the Sea Replied (Sirocco, 2005).

After playing in the Italian art pop band "Showmen 2", James Senese and Franco Del Prete formed what would become one of the most intriguing and unique bands of the early 70's. Centered around a fusion rock core, Napoli Centrale's debut album convincingly combined Jazz and Progressive rock. Once again this album defies simple categorization, but the music is highly exploratory and very progressive in approach. Kind of a mix of National Health with Gentle Giant, Herbie Hancock and a good dose of Weather Report. Instrumentally these guys love to groove with lots of sax, fender electric piano, bass and drums. Vocals are not central but are well done and sung in native Italian… kind of a nice full soulful voice.