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 działała w latach 2000-2010. Założona przez wokalistę, klawiszowca, aranżera, kompozytora i autora tekstów – Michała Dziadosza. Od 2006 jako kwartet. Iluzjon w swojej konwencji, w której punktem wyjścia jest art rock, nawiązywał do jazzu, ambientu, popu, hard rocka, rocka psychodelicznego i poezji śpiewanej. W muzyce zespołu usłyszeć można echa takich wykonawców, jak King Crimson, David Sylvian, Peter Gabriel, Marillion. Wiosną 2005 zespół zadebiutował na oficjalnym rynku swoim…

Continue reading

The Safari has Adventures in Kali City with Karim Baggili

So yesterday when I visited the World Music Chart Europe and listened to the Number 1 album, I also spied an interesting mix at Number 4. The album was Kali City(featuring Trio Joubran) from Karim Baggili. The countries listed after the title and artist were Belgium and Palestine. I gave the album the thirty-second test which it passed with flying colors. I downloaded it onto the iPhone, and listened to it later in the day. After listening and enjoying the Middle East tinged music, I went to Karim’s website where I discovered, that Karim is Belgian of Jordanian and Yugoslavian…

Continue reading

The Safari Explores the Mixing of a Balkan brass band and a Canadian Guitarist – Devil’s Tale!!

If, how much my feet tap while I am listening to an album is a measure of how much I like an album, then I really must love the number 1 album on the World European Charts Devil’s Tale! Because I do not think that those toes did not stop tapping through the entire length of the album!! The album is a union of a Canadian guitarist Adrian Raso and the Romanian group Fanfare Ciocărlia based on their mutual love of the music of Django Reinhardt. Ok so who are these artists and what have they created first Adrian Raso, from his…

Continue reading

The Safari goes “into the morning” with some ROCK PROGRESSIVO ITALIANO From Austria’s Three Monks!

So back in October I was searching for the new release from The Three Monks – The Legend of the Holy Circle. I was unsuccessful in my search so I listened instead to their 2010 release Neogothic Progressive Toccatas, which I found different in a good way. They are to say the least unique. Their music falls into the sub-genre of ROCK PROGRESSIVO ITALIANO or RPI according to ProgArchives. They are a pipe-organ based band from Arezzo composed of organist composer Paolo Lazzeri, bassist/engineer Maurizio Bozzi, and drummers Roberto Bichi and Claudio Cuseri. Lazzeri began his musical journey as a prog-rock organist, then…

Continue reading

Today in Music – Feb 1, 1959 – Ottmar Liebert’s Birthday!!

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite acoustic guitarists Ottmar Liebert. From Wikipedia: Ottmar.. ….was born February 1, 1959 in Cologne, West Germany to a Chinese-German father and a Hungarian mother. As a child, he spent most of his time traveling throughout Europe and Asia with his family. He began playing classical guitar at 11, and flamenco guitar at 14, after he “found a Flamenco LP in the bargain bin at a local supermarket”.[1] After performing rock music in his native Germany, he moved to the United States and settled in Boston for a few years, performing in various rock clubs.[2] In 1986…

Continue reading

Janiva Magness – Blues’ Superstar Voice and more!

Janiva Magness – Detroit Michigan Born: January 30, 1957 (age 58), United States of America Albums: Stronger for It, What Love Will Do, Original…… Record labels: Northern Blues Music, Alligator Records Janiva Magness celebrated her birthday on Friday, January 30th. If you do not know about her,Janiva is a blues superstar. She was named the Blues Foundation’s B.B. King Entertainer of the Year in 2009, becoming only he second woman, after Koko Taylor, to be so honored. She was also named the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year in that same year! She had won that award in both…

Continue reading

Yesteday in Music – Jan 30, 1957 Happy Birthday, Janiva Magness!!

Yesterday Janiva Magness celebrated her 57th birthday. If you do not Janiva is a blues superstar. She was named the Blues Foundation’s B.B. King Entertainer of the Year in 2009, becoming only the second woman, after Koko Taylor, to be so honored. She was also named the Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year in that same year! She had won that award in both 2006 and 2007. In 2012 she was nominated for that award again. All ototal since 2006, she has had 22 similar nominations! This year she won the 2013 Blues music Award: for Contemporary Artist of…

Continue reading

The Safari Rediscovers Serenity from Austria and visits Death & Legacy!!

Back in October I came across the band Serenity, I listened to and really like their current release War of Ages. Yesterday I thought about the band and went back in time and listened to their 2011 release Death & Legacy and  I liked that album just as much as War of Ages, maybe more!! As I am writing this I just put on their 2008 release Fallen Angel.…. sounds just as good. Hard driving metal, good vocals, good guitar, etc… Like I do always when I’m listening to a band like this, I went to Prog Archives to see…

Continue reading

The Safari finds Progressive Metal? in France from Spheric Universe Experience – Mental Torments!

One of the albums that has been on the iPhone for a while now is Spheric Universe Experience‘s 2005 debut album Mental Torments. I had started my explorations of the band’s music with their 2012 release New Ere  and after the fist listen I wasn’t quite sold on the band. So I went back and listened to Mental Torments, which was their highest rated album at the  Prog Archives. I liked that album a lot more. Now I need to explore the two albums released in between number one and number four to know if I’m completely sold on the…

Continue reading

This Day in Music – January 30, 1930 – Wes’ baby brother – Buddy Montgomery was born!

On this day in 1930, Charles “Buddy” Montgomery, the youngest of the Montgomery Brothers was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. Buddy was nine years younger than Monk, the oldest of the three musical brothers and seven years younger than Wes, the most famous of th brothers. Buddy played both piano and vibes, but is primarily known for playing vibes. His career started in 1948 and in 1949 he played with Big Joe Turner followed by a stint with Slide Hampton. In 1957, after serving several  years in the Army, he joined older brother Monk, Richie Crabtree (piano) and Benny Barth (drums)…

Continue reading