Keyboard Maestro 9.0.6

Following release of their latest studio album - “Devil's Dozen” – Royal Hunt participated in three of the widely known festivals around the globe this fall: ProgPower USA, Loud Park Japan and Rockingham UK, performing their energetic brand of symphonic/progressive yet highly melodic and instantly accessible Royal Rock for thousands of appreciative fans. While Royal Hunt´s next tour – sat to the spring of 2016 – is being organized, the band found the time to gather in the studio and pick out the best performances recorded during their festival trek: an hour and a half of Royal Hunt´s trademark sonic assault, skillfully captured on tape.

Lou Busch was a major arranger/conductor who created an alter ego for himself in the guise of Joe 'Fingers' Carr, the ragtime and honky-tonk pianist. Lou Busch, who played piano with Hal Kemp in the '30s, re-emerged in the '50s and '60s as a ragtime revivalist. These 1960 and 1961 LPs (the latter with Ira Ironstrings) capture his finest finger work as you hear six sweet medleys plus Too Fat Polka; Stumbling, and more!

While heavily influenced by Art Tatum, this performer was hardly considered a heavyweight pianist during his career. Born Louis F. Bush, or Busch depending on the source, the keyboard maestro who would also make heavy use of the stage name of Joe "Fingers" Carr managed to make it into Leonard Feather's Encyclopedia of Jazz, but with the following disclaimer: "A novelty performer rather than a jazz artist." The novelty itself was a kind of heavily sexed-up ragtime piano style that caught on in the very dawn of the hi-fi era. The invention was in sharp contrast to lounge music and would most likely have the opposite effect than a seduction if played in a bachelor pad. Carr began driving his piano this way while working as an A&R man for Capitol. In a brainstorm based on a sharp analysis of current trends, he decided to sign himself up as the mysterious "Fingers."

Not too long ago (a year or so) and while Axel Rudi Pell, was touring in support of his latest opus “Into the Storm”, the “25th Anniversary” of his came up and with it, the idea to celebrate the proceedings in a special way, so the stage was set, for a live performance at that years installation of “Bang Your Head” festival in Balingen/Germany, that was special and memorable for a variety of reasons. For the first time in absolutely ages, Axel, did perform a short four song set with his original band Steeler (not to be confused with the Ron Keel led American “Steeler” which also featured guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen) then a set that utilized as many of the studio singers as possible, was performed, with them, singing their “own” era’s material and finally a bunch of classic rock tracks were performed by the band enlisting the aid of some special guests/friends…

There are very few classic rock vocalists that you recognize after hearing just a few notes. The legendary Dan McCafferty, the former front man of Scottish rockers NAZARETH, is one of those vocalists. After nearly 50 years of road work with the band, McCafferty had to retire due to health reasons. However, that unique instrument — his voice — is still capable of blowing the roof off. With 15 tracks, "Last Testament" is a blistering album with a full mix of lyrical and musical styles. It arrives on October 18 via earMUSIC. There are out-and-out rockers, like "My Baby" and "Bring It On Back", for example. But at the core of this release is a newfound freedom to explore avenues of creativity.

This 1996 Streets And Walkways: The Best Of Gary Moore & Colosseum II provides a good overview of Colosseum II 's Electric Savage and War Dance while it also adds some songs from 1978's Back on the Streets by Gary Moore. Gary Moore has earned the status of guitar legend. This disc shows that he was as adept at playing in a jazz-fusion style as he was as a high octane rocker. This is an excellent introduction, for those who have only heard his more famous stuff, to a different side of Gary's playing.