Douglas John Parkinson (born 30 October 1946) is an Australian pop and rock singer. He led the band Doug Parkinson in Focus from 1968 to 1971. Their cover version of the Beatles' track "Dear Prudence" (May 1969) peaked at No. 5 on the Go-Set National Top 40. The follow up single, "Without You" / "Hair" (October), also reached No. 5. Between 1966 and 1997 he had six hit singles. Australian musicologist Ian McFarlane has said that Parkinson "conveyed considerable charisma with his imposing presence, 'Lucifer' beard and gruff, raspy voice. He also surrounded himself with mature, seasoned musicians who added to his appeal.
Probably the best Brazil project in the world! Featuring an all-star line-up of the label’s closest friends, (as well as some new faces) Friends From Rio is a fresh take on our original idea of recording tunes from Brazil for the dance floors of London.
It was one of the first projects the label endeavoured upon way back in 1994 and after 20 years, Far Out is back with this new release of varied, yet consistently danceable bossa grooves, Brazil funk and scorching batucadas. It’s just the kind of music that has defined the label over its two-decade history, which makes it the perfect way to mark 20 years of Far Out Recordings!
In keeping with the very ethos of Far Out, The Friends From Rio Project cements the bonds originally welded by a young Joe Davis, when he set off to Rio, in search of the mysterious sounds of Brazil. Coming from the heart and soul of Rio de Janeiro, the album features some of the most accomplished legends of Rio’s musical underground, including Alex Malheiros, Hyldon, Aleh, Robertinho Silva, Sabrina Malheiros and a host of other Far Out favourites.
Since the group’s formation in 2011, Brian and Alex have gained a reputation for featuring some of the best players in Boston, great compositions, and being undeniably unique. By taking the tradition of the big bands of Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Thad Jones and infusing it with funk music of their idles like Parliament Funkadelic, The Crusaders, The Meters, James Brown & the JB’s, and many more, they have created a sound that pushes the art of big band forward, while still being pure entertainment for both the band and the audience.
'Blindside Blues Band' is led by Mike Onesko who is the band's guitarist and lead singer. Mike grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and was an Elvis fan. His journey began at age 17 when he left his city for San Francisco. Influenced by 'Black Sabbath' he founded 'Sundog', with the end of it in 1974 and after playing in several bands, was discovered by Mike Varney in a club. The two founded the Blindside Blues Band in 1993. Mike Varney today is best known as a producer, publisher and founder of Shrapnel Records. Mike Varney also discovered Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, Tony MacAlpine, Greg Howe, Marty Friedman, Vinnie Moore and Jason Becker. 'Blindside Blues Band' is a band with a refined hard rock and blues-influenced sound. Despite being on the road since 1993, it is difficult to find any comment about the band. Mike Onesko, a veteran on guitar, is also little known, but enjoys much prestige among the American bluseiros.
In addition to the band's success, Aynsley Dunbar, Jeff Martin, Gregg, James Lomenzo, and many others, including Mike Onesko (guitar / vocals), Scott Johnson (guitar), Kier Staeheli (bass), Emery Ceo ). During this period, Mike Onesko joined bassist Tim Bogert (Cactus, BBA) and drummer Emery Ceo (Blindside Blues Band) for two projects in honor of 'Cream': featuring Leslie West, Pat Travers, Glenn Hughes, Rick Derringer and others on the album 'Cream Of The Crop' which is the fifth volume of the series' LA Blues Authority 'of 1994, where the musicians pay tribute to great blues rock; and in 2009 on the album 'Big Electric Cream Jam', recorded live and only with the trio of excellent musicians. The two albums feature the sound of the '70s and pay tribute to one of the biggest rock bands. For those who like Cream, Hendrix, Deep Purple, Robin Trower, the Blindside Blues Band are the keepers of this flame.
Mojo Stu is the real-deal, retro-revivalist Black Belt Bluesman. Entertaining audiences in theaters, festivals, and venues across the country, Mojo Stu’s ‘country delta-blend’ music and solo performances are authentic and engaging. Stu has shared the stage with tons of music luminaries such as: Robert Cray, Joe Bonamassa, Dr. John, Kim Wilson and the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Johnny Winter, Leon Russell, The Village People, Shemekia Copeland, Maria Muldaur, John Hammond Jr., Big Bill Morganfield, Tommy Castro, David Bromberg, Kim Simmonds (Savoy Brown), John Mayall, Dana Fuchs, Randy Skirvin Band (Iron Butterfly), and more… not to mention a gazillion regional/local artists.
Mojo Stu’s music has been licensed by more than a dozen major cable TV networks for use in their TV productions including: Discovery Channel, History Channel, Home Network, A&E, and more. Also, Brittany Spears, Dave Mathews, Gene Simmons, and Jesse James are among just a few artists/celebs that have used Mojo Stu’s footstomping, gutgrabbing, historically relevant and genuinely accessible Blues music.
The West African Blues Project is a meeting of minds, a meeting of cultures and two styles of music. Played with artistic skill that superbly blends these qualities and characteristics together, this collaboration has resulted in a high-energy blend of intoxicating rhythmic music. Modou Touré is heir to the 1980s first world music superband from Senegal, Touré Kunda. Modou has created a strong personal style, based on a refreshing and original take on traditional West African folk music. A songwriter at heart, Modou (short for Mamadou) also composes and arranges his music, and plays guitar and percussion. The British-born Ramon Goose has toured all over Europe, performed with Pee Wee Ellis and also worked with Chris Thomas King. Ramon Goose is a superb guitarist; and produces his own material with a maturity well beyond his years. (Blues Matters) cream of the UK's emerging blues stars (BBC Radio Suffolk)...
Featuring Senegalese vocalist Modou Touré and Ramon Goose, it presents a broad range of West African melodies fused with blues, which may not appeal to all fans. If they’re looking for American-style stomps and boogies, they shouldn’t look here. However, if their search encompasses blues from around the world, with truly native influences, they’ve found gold.
This CD, made in Austria via a Canadian production company, consists of eleven original songs sung in Wolof, Mandinka (two languages spoken in the African country of Senegal) and French. Modou Touré inherited his incredible vocal prowess from his father, Ousmane Touré, who sang for a time with the band Touré Kunda. Collectively, they were noted for popularizing Senegalese world music, performing and singing in six languages during a career that spanned thirty years. They even collaborated with American bands Carlos Santana and Talking Heads. British guitar maestro Ramon Goose has toured with Louisiana blues legend Chris Thomas King, James Brown’s saxophonist Alfred “Pee Wee” Ellis, Eric Bibb and harpist Charlie Musselwhite.
Performing along with Modou Touré on vocals and Ramon Goose on acoustic, electric and slide guitar are Malcolm Miles on saxophone, Ákos Hasznos on electric and double bass, Eric Ford on drums, Abdoulaye Samb on guitar, Joe Goose on electric bass, Diabel Cissokho on kora, Ed Van Der Mark on electric bass, Tim Hillsdon on drums, and Papa Omar on percussion.
Review
"...One of the most spellbinding of all blues and world music mergers..." --Frank-John Hadley, Downbeat!, December, 2015
Eyeillusion, the company that previously staged a tour around a holographic Ronnie James Dio, has now revealed details of “The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa.” The hologram tour kicks off with a nine-date US leg beginning in April before heading to the UK in May for further performances.
Hours of never-before-seen Zappa performance footage from the early seventies will serve as the basis of concert. This footage, locked away in the Zappa vaults for 44 years, will be juxtaposed with “outrageous visuals that offer a striking view into his complex musical works.”
Joining Zappa’s hologram on stage will be longtime Zappa players including Ray White, Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes, Robert Martin, and Joe “Vaultmeister” Travers.
In a statement, Zappa’s son, Ahmet, said his father was a “hologram enthusiast” prior to his death in 1993. “My father and I actively discussed 3D and ‘holography’ and it was a concept he actively engaged in. He actually devoted half a chapter of The Real Frank Zappa Book (1990) to this subject. This is a love letter and a journey celebrating the genius artistry of Frank Zappa. On a personal note, I feel like I am finishing something my father started years ago.”
In 1974, FRANK ZAPPA transformed his Los Angeles rehearsal space into a sound stage and cranked out some unbelievable performances seen and heard only by the camera operators in the room. The audio from these performances--locked away in the ZAPPA vaults for 44 years--will serve as the basis for what will be the world’s most ambitious hologram tour to date. The “can’t miss” concert spectacle is being produced in close cooperation with the ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST.
The “Bizarre World of Frank Zappa” hologram tour band is comprised of former ZAPPA bandmates for this monumental series of shows. The touring unit boasts guitarists Ray White and Mike Keneally, bassist Scott Thunes, multi-instrumentalist Robert Martin, percussionist Ed Mann, and drummer and ZAPPA archivist Joe “Vaultmeister” Travers.
“As a futurist, and hologram enthusiast, Frank fearlessly broke through boundary after boundary as an artist and in honouring his indomitable spirit, we’re about to do it again, 25 years after his passing,” said Ahmet Zappa, EVP of business development for Eyellusion and co-trustee of the ZAPPA FAMILY TRUST.
“We’re excited to world premiere a handful of Frank Zappa compositions; these mind-melting concerts we’re putting together celebrate the music, often surreal imagery and humour synonymous with Frank. We will be pushing the limits of what anyone has seen holographically on stage before in a live venue. Circumstances, objects, places and subject matter from Frank’s songs and imagination will be brought to life for the first time on stage. We are anthropomorphizing Frank’s music utilizing various visual techniques, art styles, classic imagery from his album artwork and characters from his songs, culminating in one extremely bizarre, live music experience.
“My father and I actively discussed 3D and ‘holography’ and it was a concept he actively engaged in. He actually devoted half a chapter of his The Real Frank Zappa Book to this subject. This is a love letter and a journey celebrating the genius artistry of Frank Zappa. On a personal note, I feel like I am finishing something my father started years ago. And let’s not forget, Frank himself will be rocking his fans, alongside his bandmates like nobody’s business.”
Frank's timeless masterpiece was, of course, recorded pre-CD [compact disc - Ed.], and had to restrict its length to album sides. There was more material recorded during the Hot Rats sessions, but not enough to fill a double disc, so Frank [Zappa - Ed.] made the necessary editorial decisions and left some fine, fine music wriggling like baby snakes on the cutting-room floor.
What we have here, dear friends, is an assemblage of the available music from those sessions, artfully programmed to deliver the quality experience today's hi-fi enthusiasts demand. One hour and change crammed with the modern jazz-rock stylings for which Mr Zappa [Frank - Ed.] became the audio entertainer of choice for the smarter consumer. Be it patio barbeque, poolside brunch, cocktails when unexpected guests drop by, or simply getting blown by a toothless crack-whore in the back of the family Camry, you'll find Hotter Rats the ideal musical accompaniment!
Don't you wish there was a Frank Zappa record you could play at any time, from your son's B'rit Milah [Britney/Miley pop duet album - Ed.] to your own funeral? Something nice n' easy, like Sunday morning? Something that wouldn't bring a blush to the cheeks of the gurl next door? Well, this ain't it, but it's close. No lyrics, so nothing sweat-inducing here. No actual rawk music, nothing atonal or challenging. Almost.
This is a single-track compilation/mix/edit of Frank's chamber music pieces, the sweet little melodic moments he'd throw into the mix just to show he could do this stuff standing on his head. You try standing on your own head sometime, and you'll get a glimpse of his genius. Being Frank, of course, there's still beaucoup of weird-ass chord changes, time signatures more complex than algorithms, and tunes that sound as if they're being played sideways by tin toys.
The cover - one of my very favorite images of Frank - was taken as part of a Life magazine photo-feature about rock stars and their parents. There was a swell shot of Grace Slick with her mom in their palatial home, too. I could be wrong about all this.
Anyway, here's thirty minutes - Verve album length - of Frank's cocktail audio. A little nostalgia for the old folks.
