The Muses Within

Tali Atzmon recently uploaded her film "The Muses Within" to YouTube. Nice!

"A close look into the making of "The Ghosts Within", a 2010 co-production by Robert Wyatt, Gilad Atzmon and Ros Stephen. The film brings to light the unique relationship between the three artists and explores some of the underlying substances that brought this project to life".

Moldejazz

The Moldejazz festival opened this Monday with a parade in honour of Lionel Batiste, who recently passed away. He used to lead the parade in Molde for several years, and was a very popular guest here.

I attended the opening of festival artist Kjell Bjørgeengen´s exhibition, where he did live video to the music of Keith Rowe. Loads of electronics for a minimalistic concert!

The sculpture outside the gallery is made by Atle Selnes Nielsen, and is called "Lümpf Tümpf Trll?". Of course!

In the evening I heard Gilad Atzmon Orient House Ensemble, who played a fine and energetic set, with a mix of jazz, folk and even a take on Ravel´s "Bolero".

They had obviously been in contact with Norwegian prices for food, claiming you could buy a house in other parts of the world, for the money that would buy you a bowl of soup here. (It´s not THAT bad, really, but we are stinking rich, are we not?).

The Orient House Ensemble ended their show with "What a wonderful world", Atzmon saying that the world might get better, even ending up like "one big fucking Molde"!
The only thing I missed was Robert Wyatt´s vocals on that last song.

For The Ghosts Within - Video

Great! Domino Records uploaded Tali Atzmon´s video that accompanied one of the CD versions of Robert Wyatt, Gilad Atzmon and Ros Stehen´s album "For the ghosts within" (Domino 2010).

A Christmas Video Festival

I´m not sure you will all agree about this being Christmas music, but then it´s my blog anyway, so here we go!

On the first video you will not recognize Nils Økland (fiddle), Ørjan Haaland (drums), Per Steinar Lie (guitar) and Rikke Westerlund Lie (dance), being part of the art project "Please Disturb".

Next ones out are C. Spencer Yeh, Stine Motland and Ben Hall (Dense Mesh 12/16/11 Brooklyn), followed by Terje Isungset and the dancers of Carte Blanche.

ISUNGSET og CARTE BLANCHE. Bimf2010 from leonardo cuevas on Vimeo.

And finally, you may walk on over to Gilad Atzmon´s site for a full concert with Gilad and The Orient House Ensemble at Black Mountain Jazz.

Corroncho

I have had Phil Manzanera and the Columbian artist Lucho Brieva´s album "Corroncho" on my iPod for a long time already, and now it seems like it will be released in the USA too (8 Nov). "Corroncho" is a name given by people from the capital Bogota, to people from Barranquilla, and the Spanish lyrics tells the tale of two latino males. I don´t speak Spanish, but still smile from these songs, and please be careful, I guess the weak ones might start humming or dancing too!

These musicians participate: Robert Wyatt, Paul Thompson, Enrique Bunbury, Chrissie Hynde, Annie Lennox, Quimi Portet, Gilad Atzmon og Aldo Lopez Gavilan.

Orient House Ensemble in Trondheim

Gilad Atzmon and Orient House Ensemble have been to Trondheim. here is a video from 1 November. Musicians: Gilad Atzmon (sax), Eddie Hick (drums), Frank Harrison (piano) and Yaron Stavi (bass).

And I allow myself to remind you of the very fine Wyatt/Atzmon/Stephen´s "For the ghosts within" (2010) too.

Oh no! Another list!

I´m sorry, I made a list! The best records from 2010? Perhaps. It may be jazz, improv, noise, folk or soul, but at least they deserve some listening. Another day, and the list may have looked slightly different, but that´s life. No links to Spotify, but search my blog, and you will probably find some info on most of these releases.

Albatrosh "Mystery orchestra with Grenager & Tafjord" (Inner Ear)
Angles "Epileptical West, Live in Cumbria" (Clean Feed) (with Magnus Broo)
Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet + 1 "3 nights in Oslo" (Smalltown)
Jan Bang "And poppies from Kandahar" (Samadhisound)
Nels Cline "Dirty baby" (Cryptogramophone)
Lisa Dillan "Arousal" (AIM)
Dreams of tall buildings "Drowning the heart sounds” (MuseuM) (with Arve Henriksen)
Joanna Newsom "Have one on me" (Drag City)
Lean Left "Vol. 1" (Smalltown) (Vandermark, Nilssen-Love, Moor, Ex)
Mop Meuchiine plays Robert Wyatt (Le chant de Monde)

Phonophani: "Kreken" (Rune Grammofon)
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings "I learned the hard way" (Daptone)
Supersilent "10" (Rune)
Stian Westerhus "Pitch black star spangled" (Rune)
Susanne Sundfør "The Brothel" (EMI)
Richard Thompson "Dream attic" (Proper)
Ultralyd. "Inertiadrone" (Rune) (Møster, Hana, Olsen, Brandsdal)
Ingar Zach "M.O.S." (Sofa)
Various artists: "Compendium Records - Norway´s First Progressive Record Store & Label 1974-1977" (Plastic Strip)
Robert Wyatt/Gilad Atzmon/Ros Stephen "For the ghosts within"(Domino)

Emptying my in box

Robert Wyatt Démons et Vermeil (Liberation 8 November 2010).
Robert Wyatt and the need to classify (A blog supreme 5 November 2010).
For the ghosts within (Soundlab 11 October 2010).
Jazza festival review (Guardian 14 October 2010)
Robert Wyatt & Gilad Atzmon in Haaretz (Creative-i 15 October 2010).
Haunted by ghosts (Haaretz 15 October 2010).
Critic´s Coice (NYT 25 October 2010).
For the ghosts within (Washington City Paper  22 October).
Pierre Bastien: The man who makes mekano sing (Guardian 18 October).
Kenny Wheeler: Quiet man on the cutting edge (Guardian 14 October 2010).

I sneak in an extra reference from 9 November 2010:
A great review of "...for the Ghosts Within" from Pop Matters.

Re-Arranging the 20th Century

Gilad Atzmon & the OHE, Re-Arranging the 20th Century, Video Art by Yeast from Gilad Atzmon on Vimeo.

Yeast made a video for Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble´s "Re-Arranging the 20th Century". The opening voice is of course Robert Wyatt´s, and the band is filmed on stage at the London Jazz Festival in 2005.

mp3, CD, CD + DVD, Dobbel LP

I have already posted (of course!) the new album by Wyatt/Atzmon/Stephen (Domino 2010), so here is just a reminder that you may want to buy more than one version of it!
You can get the CD and mp3, but also a double vinyl LP (with download voucher), where Alfie´s cover art is at it´s best, and it is also available as a limited edition package with CD and DVD (now, how limited, I don´t know). The DVD is a film made by Tali Atzmon, where we see the musicians during rehearsals and recordings.
The record is (as we all know) called ".. for the ghosts within" and the movie "The Muses Within". The movie is really great, and I hope they upload it for all the interested fans to see, when the special edition is sold out.
I know it´s out there, hidden on Vimeo!

Haunted by ghosts

Gilad Atzmon and Robert Wyatt are presented in a pretty long interview in Israeli haaretz.com.  They talk about music, Israel and Palestine (of course!).  The interview is posted on Atzmon´s own site too, where he says he is a bit surprised he wasn´t censored.

Wyatt/Atzmon/Stephen

Robert Wyatt, Gilad Atzmon and Ros Stephen are more than ready with their new album "For the ghosts within" (Domino 2010).
We get some new songs, written by Alfreda Benge with Stephen and Atzmon ("Lullaby for Irena", "The ghosts within"), a couple of new versions of songs from older Wyatt albums ("Where are they now" and "Maryan"), Chic´s "At last I am free" (sung by Wyatt  in the 80s too) and standards like "In a sentimental mood", "Lush life", "Round midnight" and (yes, it´s true) "What a wonderfull world"!
Wyatt´s voice (enough said!), Atzmon´s strong alto and clarinet and Stephen´s (not too sweet) strings make this a wonderful album. Sometimes here I feel like I´m in a black & white movie soundtrack, but today´s realities shine through still. "Where are they now?" even got some Palestinian rap.

On "Round Midnight" and "In a sentimental mood" Robert Wyatt is just whistling and humming, and Tali Atzmon sings on the title track. She also uploaded some photos from the recordings on Flickr and filmed the DVD you get if you buy the limited special edition of the CD. (That´s what I believe at least, I´m waiting for my copy from Amazon).

The strings are handled by The Sigamos String Quartet, and Alfreda Benge made the cover illustrations, nice as always.

Come on, buy the CD, the limited edition CD with DVD, LP or mp3.

"...For The Ghosts Within will act like a foot spa upon your soul". (Record Collector).

Gilad Atzmon and Robert Wyatt

Visit Gilad Atzmon´s site, and read  "Gilad Atzmon: A conversation with Robert Wyatt on cultural resistance" (and other stuff too!).

-- On planet Wyatt almost everything is magically simple but at the same time profound and compassionate.  “My politics is clear”, he says,  ‘I am an anti racist’. “The idea” he continues, “that some people believe others to be inferior is plain silly.” 

Don´t forget that Gilad Atzmon & The Orient House Ensemble is all ready with "The Tide Has Changed" (World Village 2010).

Laura

As mentioned several times already, Domino will release  Robert Wyatt, Gilad Atzmon and Ros Stephen's  "For the ghosts within" 11 October 2010.  You may listen to "Laura" over at  Domino.

Cover: Alfreda Benge

Robert Wyatt on the Jazza Festival 2010

 
Robert Wyatt talks to Gilad Atzmon on the Jazza Festival 2010.

Jazza

Please note: The "Jazza Festival - Music for the people of Palestine" is happening in London 12 October. Wyatt, Atzmon & Stephen´s album "For the ghosts within" will be launched here.
Artists playing: Nizar Al-issa, Sarah Gillespie Quartet, Gilad Atzmon and The Unthanks.

Run on over to Domino to take a look at the album cover, and pre-order too if you like.

Info added Sunday August 29:
Please note - Robert Wyatt will not be singing himself, but  Cleveland Watkiss is singing with Atzmon and Stephen.

Ros Stephen

I admit it (but I´m not sure I´m sorry), we do not often dance tango in this blog. Still, I´ll make an exception today, and dance to Tango Siempre (OK - you may dance), since I had to read up on violin player Ros Stephen. She is working with Robert Wyatt and Gilad Atzmon on "For The Ghosts Within", the new album scheduled for October 2010 release.

For The Ghosts Within

Robert Wyatt, Gilad Atzmon and Ross Stephen will release the album "For The Ghosts Within" on Domino Records 11 October! There are several standard tunes on the album, and Wyatt will sing with strings. I just can´t wait for this! Here are all the tracks:

1. Laura
2. Lullaby For Irene
3. The Ghosts Within
4. Where Are They Now
5. Maryan
6. Round Midnight
7. Lush Life
8. What’s New
9. In A Sentimental Mood
10. At Last I Am Free
11. What A Wonderful World

Read more on Domino´s web site and over at FACT Mag.

I stole this info from Domino:
"The project was very much a collaboration between the three of us and many of our friends: Alfie wrote beautiful lyrics for ‘Lullaby for Irena’ and the title track ‘The Ghosts Within’, Tali Atzmon sang the title track, Shadia Mansour and Stormtrap (Ramallah Underground) sang on ‘Where Are They Now?’, Frank Harrison played piano on several tracks and Julian Rowlands played bandoneon on ‘At Last I Am Free’."

Sarah Gillespie

I just read an interview with Gilad Atzmon in Cyprus Mail today, and realize that I have never heard Sarah Gillespie, one of the artists he has produced (one other being Robert Wyatt). That song and the video is just fine, and I will have to find more music by Sarah Gillespie, no doubt about that. You may spot Gilad Atzmon in the video too, playing accordion and harmonica.

The interview is not only about music, because Gilad Atzmon (describing himself as a "proud self-hating jew") is a critic of Israel´s politics towards the Palestinians. Follow his writings on http://www.gilad.co.uk/.

Gilad Atzmon is producing Wyatt

Robert Wyatt seems to be working on a new record! Gilad Atzmon is interviewed in Norwich Evening News and they say : "This year Atzmon added the role of producer to his CV, recording and playing singer-songwriter Sarah Gillespie's debut LP, Stalking Juliet, and is currently producing an album by Robert Wyatt". Glad to hear that!

Added 27 November, after comment from Gilad Atzmon:
"A minor correction... the album is a product of collaboration between Ros Stephen who takes care of the string parts and some compositions, Robert who sings and inspires and myself who take care of woodwind and musical production. a lot of other people are involved. I just mentioned it because it is kind of a collaboration rather than G produces Y"