News
July 28, 2008
HELP SING THE SONG OF FREEDOM
Here's the letter DME received from, of all the places, Iran. The great country during the Shah's reign and now downtrodden by ayatollahs and mad Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, it still has the free-thinking people such as Kaveh Ayati who sent this in. In music lies a future so, please, lend a hand to the soul brother! The e-mail's below - click on the name.
I am an Iranian bass player active in jazz style and working in an underground rock band called FONT (www.fontband.com). As you know, in our country this kind of music is forbidden and we have too many difficulties our job.
The most important problem is the lack of instrument caused by different restrictions in the importing permits. In addition to this, custom fees are too high and it is not possible for music stores to involve themselves in this kind of problems. Therefore, you can not find any professional bass guitar here and if you want you have to go abroad and bring the instrument by yourself.
After supplying the instrument with above mentioned disasters the problem begins, since the playing is forbidden as well and the government will arrest the people who want to work in this field. To tell an example, we had a very simple concert with 400-500 audiences to play some of our tracks, but suddenly we faced the police attacks and all the people were arrested, as you can see the news in the news link of our website.
In addition to this, there is no place to go and learn this kind of music academically, where private classes don't have enough knowledge. In this situation I have reached my knowledge to a specific level and I can't go ahead any more.
I am writing this e-mail to you asking your advice how to improve my knowledge and, if it's possible for you, to introduce or invite me to an academy or college that teaches bass guitar in order to continue my education.
Thank you in advance.
Best regards,
Kaveh Ayati
MAKE IT ALL SEEM RIGHT
If you think there was a fuss too much regarding "Spirit Of Night", a single Mario Parga recorded with Tony Martin who came up with fantastic set of lyrics and vocal melody to add to the instrumental piece from Mario's "Entranced" album, you should hear it to understand how deserved is the praise heaped on the song. Now out and available for purchase, the single has both versions of the ballad plus its additional section. Having talked to Parga, now there's a chance we'll know Tony's take on what's going on.
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1. Spirit Of Night (with Tony Martin) |
July 19, 2008
FLY ON THROUGH THE SKY
It's been 10 years since Mario Parga worked with Graham Bonnet, on the latter's "The Day I Went Mad" album, but now old friends are to team up again to lay down a special single which will be made available as a CD and download later in the year. Called "American Angel", originally it was Parga's unreleased instrumental that is turned into a proper song now.
Meanwhile, the guitarist has found a keyboard player for SAVAGE PARADISE, the band Mario formed with another old buddy, Tony Martin: the ivory-tinkler's name's Eric Ragno who's made quite a name as a sessioner.
THIS BIRD YOU CANNOT CHANGE
There was a tragedy and there was a legend but the music of LYNYRD SKYNYRD still rocks it hard, and any given show, as this scribe readily admits, is a jumping treat. So a new two-hour long DVD, "Sweet Home Alabama: The Rockpalast Collection", out on October 6th, will be a great addition to not only Southerners' fan's collection. Recorded in June 1996 at the Loreley Festival, it features the band at their best, and three songs from the original line-up gives even more weight to the package.
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1. Working For MCA |
July 4, 2008
BROKEN-HEARTED PEOPLE STARING
He was such a strong man, Mel Galley. The guitarist famed for his work with TRAPEZE that he co-founded with Glenn Hughes back in the late '60s and WHITESNAKE, the Englishman was to tour earlier this year when he was diagnosed with cancer but spread the news with immense dignity hoping only he'd make it to his 60th birthday. God gave Melville this privilege and he celebrated the anniversary with old friends while David Coverdale dedicated "Love Ain't No Stranger" to Galley on the current tour. Still, on July 1st the veteran lost his battle. So, please, turn on PHENOMENA's "Phoenix Rising" - without Mel, his brother Tom wouldn't have realised this project - and remember the great man.
SOMETHING IN THE AIR
It's been reported before that Sonja Kristina and Darryl Way have resurrected CURVED AIR and the band's show on the Isle of Wight festival launched the veterans' new tour. And here's a new album recorded while getting ready for the action. Well, "Reborn - Classic Curved Air Revisited", at the moment available only from the band's website and at their concerts, doesn't contain new material, but to hear new versions of the old gems is a real treat. That's what it is:
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1. Stretch |
CAN'T GET ENOUGH?
However unlikely it may seem, yet BAD COMPANY are to play again. The one-off concert will take place on August 8th at the Seminole Hard Rock & Casino in Hollywood, Florida - yes, Florida, not California - and will feature three of the four original members Paul Rodgers, Mick Ralphs and Simon Kirke who prevously stated he wouldn't work with the singer again. But there's a serious cause: the show is in memory of Steve Weiss, the longtime attorney for the Swan Song label, Peter Grant's house to BAD CO, LED ZEPPELIN and STONE THE CROWS, who died recently in Florida. The place of Boz Burrell who passed away two years ago will be taken by Rogers' band's bassist, Lynn Sorenson. The performance is to be recorded for a DVD, a companion piece to a BAD CO compilation pencilled in for this year's end.
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