For whatever reason progressive rock has never established a foothold in Ireland. Just across the Irish Sea, in neighboring England, progressive rock flourished in the 1970s so much that entire “schools” of prog were born. Maybe it was the political climate of the land that kept the often fantasy-themed explorations of prog from finding roots [...]
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Makajodama is a Swedish quartet led by guitarist Mathias Danielsson, who also plays with progressive rockers Gösta Berling’s Saga. Danielsson was seeking a vehicle to perform a mix of improvised and composed music and found a fellow adventurer in drummer Mattias Ankarbrandt (ex-The Carpet Knights). The story goes, as the two were rehearsing in Danielsson’s [...]
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The greatest musical discoveries are always unplanned, and when I come across a great band or artist I have never heard before, I want to share my find. Here are 10 great bands and musicians you’ve probably never heard of, but you should! And there’s another band I’d like to include, but need more info. [...]
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Mörglbl are a three-piece progressive rock outfit from France whose strange name could be construed as an onomatopoeia for the band’s sound. Jazz For The Deaf is an absolutely killer collection of instrumentals fronted by guitar-god-in-waiting Christophe Godin. Remember the name. What’s Mörglbl like? It’s progressive rock with a heavy guitar edge but always with [...]
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The Crimson Jazz Trio’s second album, King Crimson Songbook Volume 2, represents a step forward and a terrible setback at once. Jazz Trio members pianist Jody Nardone, bassist Tim Landers and drummer Ian Wallace recorded the first Crimson Songbook in the spring of 2005, and I had the opportunity to speak with Wallace about Volume [...]
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Anthony Phillips is well known for his stint as guitarist for Genesis, until he left the band after 1970′s Trespass due to bouts of stage fright. Steve Hackett was chosen as replacement, and the band carried on, evolving into one of progressive rock’s greatest outfits. While Genesis were recording such influential albums as Nursery Cryme, [...]
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Pat Mastelotto. Perhaps you aren’t familiar with his name, but trust me you’ve heard him play drums at least 100 times so far in your life. Even if you weren’t aware that he was the other percussionist alongside Bill Bruford in the “double trio” lineup of King Crimson and onward, you’ve still heard him. Maybe [...]
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No-Man’s sixth studio release, Schoolyard Ghosts, is as much a revelation for fans of No-Man’s previous work as it is for fans of the duo’s guitarist, Steven Wilson. Wilson, who started the No-Man project with vocalist Tim Bowness at more or less the same time that he began his better known group Porcupine Tree, in [...]
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Think you know your prog rock? Do you remember the details of every Pink Floyd, Genesis, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Yes, Marillion, ELP album? Well, play along with Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree and Mikael Akerfeldt of Opeth, as they do battle in this prog trivia shootout, and see how you fare.
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Yes, King Crimson, and Earthworks drummer and bandleader Bill Bruford has announced that he will no longer perform in public. After an exemplary 41-year career that has moved through progressive rock to electronic jazz and on to acoustic jazz, Bruford will hang up his sticks and concentrate on “related activities.” “It’s been an exciting four [...]
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