Music Meridian

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Al Di Meola and Lenny White Planning Extensive North American and European Tour
Tour Sure to Be "THE Jazz Event of 2008" (Beyond Jazz)
Return to Forever, one of the most influential groups of the 1970s, have long heard calls from their many fans for a reunion tour. Now those calls have been answered, with the classic lineup of keyboardist Chick Corea, bassist Stanley Clarke, guitarist Al Di Meola and drummer Lenny White planning a tour across the U.S. and Europe that will be their first performances together in more than 25 years.
The foursome is expected to play 40 to 50 dates across the U.S. and Europe, featuring the classic music from their four chart-topping albums. "It's been a long time coming," says founder Chick Corea, "and I think it's going to be a blast! We plan to take the songs from the albums we made in the '70s and just play them like they've never been played before."
"In retrospect, the '70s were a very powerful time in instrumental music," Stanley Clarke adds. "We're going to go out and play our music as honestly as we did then, and it will be a great thing for all of us."
Return to Forever helped create and define fusion, a new genre that brought multitudes of rock 'n' roll fans into the jazz world for the first time. Their influence is evident today in many musical genres, from the hip-hop samplings of Dr. Dre and Lupe Fiasco to a litany of jam bands to techno and prog bands.
A special Return to Forever anthology featuring remixed and remastered tracks from the classic albums 'Hymn of the Seventh Galaxy', 'Where Have I Known You Before', 'No Mystery' and 'Romantic Warrior' will be released to coincide with the tour.
Al Di Meola says, "This is something we've talked about for close to 30 years... how's that? 30 years! We've come close a few times, but finally the timing was right."
"We all felt the time was right to come back on a grand scale, raise the bar again and show people what serious music is really about," Lenny White concludes.
Ted Kurland Associates is the booking agency for 2008's Return to Forever tour, about which Russ Davis, Program Director for Beyond Jazz on XM Satellite Radio and the Jazz America Program on Voice of America enthuses: "The RTF reunion will be THE jazz event of 2008. Rarely does a magical event like this occur. I'm one of millions of fans who can't wait!"

It's that time of year again. The snow is falling, Christmas is looming and everyone wants to tell you what they listened to all year. I'm no exception. While I don't like to "rank" my albums, I do like to highlight the one's that I enjoyed the most. With my use of iTunes and the iPod this year accounting for most of my listening habits it was easy to see what I listened to the most. That was basically the basis for this list and it expanded out from there. I've also included my favorite live shows for the year, though my attendance was severly down from previous years due to my relocation. Without further ado....

FAVORITE SHOWS OF 2007

1. Mick Barr in Cleveland, OH
A solo set from the Octis/Orthrelm/Ocrilim guitarist that was stunning. A set of non-stop guitar soloing intensity. Bits of familiar material meshed with unheard riffs for a thoroughly engaging set. Clan of the Cave Bear opened and impressed me with their proggy noodling as well.

2. Normal Love in Cleveland, OH
They played their material impeccably. The band was squeezed into a tiny coffee shop, but was still able to navigate their tricky compositions. A couple people I sat with were converted, as they never heard of the band before and was just there for coffee. Clan of the Cave Bear opened again and they were still entertaining.

3. Daft Punk in Chicago, IL
One of the highlights of this year's Lollapalooza. The sound was massive, the stage show was over the top and the crowd was huge. The biggest dance party of the year where even I cut the rug. Reminded me of my days gone by when I would frequent shady warehouse raves and party until dawn and beyond.

4. Femi Kuti in Chicago, IL
The other dance party at Lollapalooza, but of an entirely different color. I lined up early missing other acts I wanted to witness just to be in the front row. Kuti's band was super-tight with tons of intensity. His dancers were amazing and the whole show was a party and a call to arms. Everyone must witness this before they die.

5. Brann Dailor/Bill Kehlor in Columbus, OH
Brann and Bill from Mastodon played a 7 song instrumental set of Mastodon music at PASIC this year. I was right up front for this amazing and unique performance. It was too early in the morning to expect the rock, but they brought it in spades nonetheless. It's been a while since I was able to see Brann play that up close (probably the last time I saw them in Columbus way back before Remission was even out) and he's still a monster behind the kit. Afterwards I got to chit-chat with Brann and Bill and they're very nice, laid back guys.

6. Ettrick in Pittsburgh, PA
I think my face was blown off by the end of the set.

7. Psyopus in Struthers, OH
It was a total mind-melter seeing Psyopus play in a tiny town near my house. The End opened and they were intense, but I don't like their new material very much. Some other local hardcore acts opened that totally sucked. But Psyopus came out and ripped the heads off of everyone in the place anyways.

MY FAVORITE ALBUMS OF 2007

1. Battles - Mirrored
The most unexpected gem of the year for me. The Battles EPs were only so-so to my ears and I still lament the breakups of Helmet and Don Caballero (their current "reunions" don't count as they pale in comparision). This album, however, is incredible. Dancy, proggy and weird. Some of it even sounds like a modernized Captain Beefheart to me with the twangy guitar lines and off-kilter rhythms.

2. Zs - Arms
Bringing a much needed intensity to their sound, this record crushes. Free jazz meets hard rock meets kitchen sink. This one will clear a room if you're not careful (I know firsthand) but way back in Spring I predicted it would be one of my favs for the year and I stand by that statement in December in a big way.

3. Mick Barr - Iohagh Wended
Mick gets wider distribution through Zorn's label Tzadik. I hope it helps as this record is completely killer. A culmination of everything he's been developing in the past. Knotty brutal prog, beautiful solo guitar scapes and intense drum machine programming. Heady, demending and essential.

4. Behold...The Arctopus - Skullgrid
Raising the bar for all tech-metal bands. This album is the one to beat. If I were to choose one record as the absolute favorite of the year, this would probably be it. Mick Barr and Jordan Rudess guest but that's just the icing on the cake. Technical AND melodic, this one kept me coming back again and again and again (and again).

5. Flying Luttenbachers - Incarceration By Abstraction
Squeaking in in the last month of the year, the possibly final Flying Luttenbachers album was worth the wait. Completely solo by Weasel Walter it's perhaps the most complex thing he's done. I'm still digging through all the layers of the compositions and it's intensity and intelligence is beyond reproach. The album even ends with a very Zeuhl-like song (with vocals!!). Don't miss this one.

6. The Bad Plus - Prog
The avant-jazzers return with their own self-financed CD after a major label debacle. They come out triumphant. Strange, alien
sounding sounds, plus some weird covers (Rush's "Tom Sawyer" etc). One time I drove from OH to Chicago and listened to this album for most of the way. That's saying something.

7. Normal Love - s/t
Along with Zs, this Philadelphia band is the future of music. Buckle up and get ready.

8. El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Well worth the long wait, this takes the anger, intensity and weirdness of Fantastic Damage and takes it to another level. Plus a lot of it is catchy as hell ("Up All Night" in particular is flawless). Def-Jux is still getting my stamp of approval on almost everything they release.

9. Marnie Stern - In Advance Of The Broken Arm
After the mildy dissapointing Hella release early this year, this redeems everything for Zach Hill (he plays on every track). A wild ride of guitar and drum shred that still adds a certain amount of catchiness...in a Melt-Banana or Deerhoof kind of way. Marnie is still young and hungry and that's what really lifts this record. Can't wait to see where she goes next.

10. John Zorn - Six Litanies for Heliogabalus
Adding to the trilogy of albums (including "Moonchild" and "Astronome") of heavy rock and intensity this is the crowning acheivement of the set. Mike Patton wails on vocals and the rest of the band shoves the music down your throat weather you like it or not. While it's not Naked City it's dangerously close.

11. Sleepytime Gorilla Museum - In Glorious Times
Sleepytime never disappoints. This is a pseudo-concept album again regarding a lost associate, so there's a chill wrapped around the whole album. But it's still heavy, still weird, and still beautiful.

12. XBXRX - Wars
XBXRX's last album Sixth in Sixes didn't really grab me, so I'm surprised this one did with such fever. I think the band is really hitting their stride now and will be an unstoppable force in the future.

13. Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass
While not as top-shelf as "Bazooka Tooth", nor as strong as El-P's "I'll Sleep When Your Dead", this is still a find work from the masterful Ace Rock.

14. Psyopus - Our Puzzling Encounters Considered
A total brain-exploding trip. I wish there was less screaming, so you can hear the intricate music underneath more. Although there are some amazing instrumentals on here that showcase it fully. Psyopus keeps getting better and better and I'm very fearful of what they're going to fling at me next.

15. The Locust - New Erections
Once they started expanding their pallett The Locust really started winning my heart. Sure, they're live shows of yore were always awesome, but their older records never grabbed me as much. This really started changing with "Safety Second...Body Last" and now the love is complete with "New Erections". Keep it coming, guys.

16. Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb
Man, this band is heavy and intense. This completes a trifecta of masterpieces to my ears (including "Prowler In The Yard" and "Terrorizer"). Now, where's the new Agoraphobic Nosebleed album???

17. Cephalic Carnage - Xenosapian
Another album that completely raises the bar for tech-metal bands everywhere. How do they play this stuff?? Does the drummer have 5 arms or something? They have to be robots, right??

18. Skip Heller - Along The Anchorline
A beautiful jazz-guitar oriented session by the always amazing Skip Heller. This was recorded in Memphis at Sun Studios and the reverence in the playing shows. The best roots-rock/jazz album you're bound to hear in quite some time.

19. Ween - La Cucaracha
Ween return with their wacky stylistic shifts and cornball humor. I've been a fan forever and they'd probably really have to release a stinker to change my mind. New album means new tour with more marathon 3+ hour sets so I'm looking forward to that for sure!!

20. Today Is The Day - Axis Of Eden
Steve Austin is still pissed. You should be pissed right along side him. Derek Roddy (formerly of Nile) explodes behind the drumkit to make this the angriest thing I heard all year. Oh yeah, and the war in Iraq sucks.

From http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5idBKki5GZhppC5ce8we20_x3IJpg

German composer Stockhausen dead at 79

1 hour ago

BERLIN (AFP) - Acclaimed German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen has
died at the age of 79 in Kuerten in western Germany, the Stockhausen
Foundation announced on Friday.

The foundation said Stockhausen, considered one of the most important
composers of the past century, died on Wednesday and would be buried
in a cemetery in the forest outside the small town.