The Safari revisits Finland and Explores the Music of Cardiant – Verge

Today the Safari returned to Finland and explored the music of Cardiant a power metal band that was formed in the city Hämeenlinna by Antti Hänninen and Dave Alberti in 2000. Today I listened to Verge the third album from the band. The line-up of the band has changed drastically from the first album when the band didn’t have a lead singer and was forced to use a session singer. This resulted in the album Midday Moon only being released on Japan! Current band members bassist Mikko Mänttäri, keyboadist Marko Lindroos, and vocalist Erik Karhatsu joined Antti in a revamped…

Continue reading

The Safari explores the Progressive Metal of America’s – Thought Chamber – Psykerion!

As I listened to Psykerion the second album from Thought Chamber, I came to the realization that maybe the best way to listen to Thought Chamber is with headphones on, because with headphones on you can catch all of the intricacies of their music!. I am listening to the track “Transcend” and the music is coming at me from each side,guitars in the left ear, drums in the center, it’s great! Thought Chamber is a progressive metal group from the US founded by guitarist Michael Harris. I discovered the band last year prior to the release of Psykerion, so I listened…

Continue reading

2014 Jazz from New York native, Jersey City resident Tim Hegarty – Tribute!!

Tim Hegarty’s new album is titled Tribute which was released by Miles High Records on in January of 2014. the album is Tim’s way to say thanks to those who taught him and influenced his playing. Tributees include: Dexter Gordon; Frank Foster ; George Coleman; Jimmy Heath; Joe Henderson; John Coltrane; Sonny Rollins; and Thelonious Monk. After listening to the album, I’d say he done them proud. Currently, the album is lucky #13 on the JazzWeek Jazz Chart this week and rising! On the album, Hegarty plays both tenor and soprano saxophone and his fine sax is accompanied by the piano…

Continue reading

XNA – When We Changed You – Symphonic Prog from the USA!!

XNA is a Symphonic prog/Progressive Rock band from the United States. For the last few days their debut album When We Changed You has been in my listening rotation. As I listened to the album, it was obvious that these guys were heavily influenced by Genesis and other early prog bands. On several tracks images of Jethro Tull popped into my head! My wife listened to a short portions of the album, didn’t really like the lyrics and thought that the singer was a little too theatrical. But how can music that is influenced by Genesis not be theatrical! When…

Continue reading

Today in Music – Feb 10, 1961 – Jazz Trumpet Player Paolo Fresu was Born!! (Video)

This morning the name that caught my attention on the list of birthdays at All About Jazz was Paolo Fresu,a trumpet player. Paolo is in fact not only a trumpet and flugelhorn player, but he is also an arranger and composer. And an award-winning  one at that!!  Paolo was born in Berchidda, Sardina on February 10, 1961 and he his musical career has spanned the last 30 years in which he has performed on over 300 albums.many as a sideman and lots as a leader of his quintet.But wait there’s more…(if you call now – just joking) He is also  according…

Continue reading

Today in Music – Feb 9, 1982 – Vibraphonist Behn Gillece is born in New Jersey! (with video)

One of the reasons that I explore the daily birthdays at All About Jazz is that it gives me names of musicians that I don’t know, like yesterday, when I discovered  Pawel Kaczmarczyk the great young Polish jazz pianist. The odds of coming across his name elsewhere are pretty low. Anyway, the first name on the birthday list is actually someone I already knew, but only because when I was checking the birthdays at All About Jazz, I  saw his latest album on the same page! That artist is  Behn Gillece and the album is Top Shelf. Behn Gillece was born on this…

Continue reading

Today in Music – The Safari wishes a Happy 30th Birthday to Polish jazz pianist – Pawel Kaczmarczyk!

Today Polish jazz pianist, Pawel Kaczmarczyk celebrates his 30 birthday. Pawel was born in Krakow of Feb 8, 1984. By the time he was in high school Pawel and his band, began to participate in jazz festivals, winning first prizes and awards and he hasn’t stopped since! In 2001 he founded the KBD trio with Michael BaraÅ„ski and Paul Dobrowolski. Were inspired music in the style of Bill Evans , Herbie Hancock andWayne Shorter . A year later, the trio took first place at the 26th International Competition for Young and Debuting Jazz “Jazz Juniors”, and he was recognized as the best instrumentalist of the competition. Trio won the Grand…

Continue reading

The Safari Explores the Music of Terrence Blanchard – Magnetic!

I’ve written it before and I am sure I will write it again during the years from 1980 to 1995 there was so much going on in my life that there was little time for musical explorations. During that period our family grew to include four children Nick (1979), Andrew (1982), Peter (1986) and Elizabeth (1990). Along the way our family lost my wife’s mother to breast cancer (1982 at the age of 48), my wife’s grandmother, and father, my father (1984) the way our sons Nick and Andrew both had medical problems, and mu wife had to miscarriages!! Anyway you…

Continue reading

The Safari finds more Finnish Progressive Metal – Anthriel – The Pathway!!

Antreil = Progressive metl from Finlad

Anthriel – Progressive Metal – Finland The other day I was surfing MOG looking artists who are like ones that I like and I came across Anthriel and their 2010 release The Pathway. I gave it a 30 second test and I liked what I heard so it went on the iPhone. This morning it was part of the soundtrack playing while I did some work around the house.  What a fine progressive metal album this is, with a little bit of everything – there’s some hard-driving guitar work from Timo Niemsto, drumming from Jari Kuokkanen. which often flows into some melodic…

Continue reading

Crossover Prog from Poland’s Iluzjon – Silent Andromeda!

One of the albums that I’ve listened to over the last week is Silent Andromeda from the Polish crossover prog band Iluzjon (yes, in Polish Illusion is the translation) From Wikipedia: Grupa czynnie dziaÅ‚aÅ‚a w latach 2000-2010. ZaÅ‚ożona przez wokalistÄ™, klawiszowca, aranżera, kompozytora i autora tekstów – MichaÅ‚a Dziadosza. Od 2006 jako kwartet. Iluzjon w swojej konwencji, w której punktem wyjÅ›cia jest art rock, nawiÄ…zywaÅ‚ do jazzu, ambientu, popu, hard rocka, rocka psychodelicznego i poezji Å›piewanej. W muzyce zespoÅ‚u usÅ‚yszeć można echa takich wykonawców, jak King Crimson, David Sylvian, Peter Gabriel, Marillion. WiosnÄ… 2005 zespół zadebiutowaÅ‚ na oficjalnym rynku swoim…

Continue reading