April 2004

with The Subterraneans

Hazel O'Connor gets together with Coventry home boys The Subterraneans to bring a melding of her superb vocals with soaring sax, guitars, bass and drums – the full band sound. Breaking Glass territory meets Hazel's Celtic Soul Beat roots. You know this must be something VERY special.…And you'd be right

In 1994, the American Cinemateque and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts teamed up in Los Angeles to do a 25th Anniversary retrospective of Monty Python's Flying Circus (The retrospective was called "Monty Python: Lust For Glory"). The program covered the group, both pre- and post-Python. Several members of the group participated in discussions during the fest. Python regulars Carol Cleveland and Neil Innes were on hand as well. All You Need Is Cash was screened as part of the program looking at Eric Idle's work after Python.

As part of the activities surrounding "Monty Python: Lust For Glory," a concert performance by Ron Nasty and The New Rutles was announced at The Troubador, the legendary club in West Hollywood, California. The seeds for the concert had been planted at the Chicago Beatlefest in August of that year. Neil Innes was a guest at that gathering of Beatles fans, and his solo performances of Rutles tunes were enthusiastically received. Martin Lewis was at that Beatlefest as an emcee, and noticed the reception given Innes. As one of the organizers and hosts of the "Monty Python: Lust For Glory" festival, he arranged the Ron Nasty and the New Rutles show as one of the adjunct activities. The concert, set for September 8, sold out so fast that a second show was quickly arranged for the following Saturday, September 10. That show also quickly sold out.

The concert was a stunningly good time. Neil Innes was the well-received opening act, playing audience favorites. But the greatest enthusiasm was reserved for the breathlessly-awaited appearance of Ron Nasty and the New Rutles.

Applause and cheers shook the house as Ron Nasty and the New Rutles (actually a very good Beatles sound-alike group called The Moptops) took the stage. Backed by the Rutland Symphony Orchestra, they launched into spirited renditions of most of the Rutles classics that the audience knew and loved.

The response to this undertaking so took Innes by surprise that he began to think seriously of recording new Rutles music, 20 years after The Rutles made their first appearance.

OSIBISA exploded onto the music world in 1971 with a pulsating and vibrant sound that was to engulf the tired post 60's rock scene. Translated from Ghanaian OSIBISA means "criss-cross rhythms that explode with happiness".

The band's percussive influence began to manifest itself within the music of their contemporaries. The OSIBISA poly-rhythms and percussive breaks were to be an integral feature of the disco boom that was to follow in the late 1970's.

OSIBISA's unique fusion of Africa, Caribbean, rock, jazz, Latin and R&B paved the way for other potent music force such as Bob Marley and the emergence of African music in the 80's.Indeed OSIBISA are seen by many as the Godfathers of World Music.

One of the important reasons for OSIBISA's enduring success has been their highly energetic and extravagant stage show. However their music is still an influential factor in dance music of today with no fewer than a dozen covers of "Sunshine Day" which was also used for the Euro 2000 football tournament.

Mostly Autumn's music can be described as powerful atmospheric rock with a Celtic edge, influenced by Pink Floyd, Deep Purple and Genesis, and reminiscent of 70's Fleetwood Mac and Fairport Convention - difficult to pigeon hole, and although Mostly Autumn wears its influences on its sleeve, the originality far outways this.

Mostly Autumn's sound incorporates the uses of flute, low and penny whistles, violins and vocal harmonies - over a powerful band, existing of keyboards, two guitarists, bass and drums.

Juliet Turner has recorded two albums – her 1996 debut "Let's Hear it for Pizza" with Sticky Music and "Burn the Black Suit" on her own label "Hear This!" She built up her audiences in Ireland through support slots with artists such as Natalie Merchant, Tracy Chapman, Brian Kennedy, Gabrielle, Sting and Bryan Adams and shared a billing with Bob Dylan in Kilkenny. She also spent two summers touring in the UK with ex-Bryds singer Roger McGuinn.

"Burn the Black Suit" went double platinum in Ireland and Juliet signed to EastWest Records in June 2001. Since then she has been working steadily to build up a fan base in the UK.

The Grooviest Man In Town Tonight!

James has been the guv'nor of the Hammond groove since he was rocking with Eighties band The Prisoners - of whom the White Stripes' Jack White is a fan. He's still making lush records such as last year's Room At The Top and while he's in an experimental mood here trackes like Jim's Semolina and Bossaoscillator are still pretty damn funky.

OK! Mag - June 2003

Distorted Hammond freak-outs from the band for whom the term "acid jazz" was coined.

Originally the organist in '80s garage punk legends The Prisoners (whose debut album A Taste of Pink! is available again with extra tracks) James Taylor has pursued his obsession with the Hammond organ beyond all reasonable boundaries. Cut virtually live The Oscillator blasts off with an implausibly dynamic cover of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar reaching the stratosphere with a set of distorted R&B funk workouts that explode in shards of '60s spy themes, psychedelia and free form jazz.

Paul Johnson - Uncut Mag - July 2003

Cult Punk Rock since 1978

A member of Small Faces, which became Faces when Rod Stewart and Ronnie Wood joined the band, Ian 'Mac' McLagan is a rock'n'roll icon. Mac co-wrote many Faces hits, including Cindy Incidentally, You're So Rude and Three Button Hand Me Down. His distinctive Wurlitzer electric piano can be heard on the Faces Stay With Me and the Rolling Stones' smash Miss You. It was Mac's trademark B3 you heard on Small Faces' Itchycoo Park, Rod Stewart's Maggie May and You Wear It Well.