Luca Zabbini - "Spring Comes Early" - Composition for piano

Barock Project's Luca Zabbini has recently posted a recording of a new composition on Youtube. It's audio only, but is quite beautiful. The recording features Zabbini on piano accompanied by a synth orchestra.



If you enjoy it, see my other video posts about the Barock Project:
Barock Project
Barock Project Revisited

Khachaturian's Toccata

I've loved this piece ever since I first heard my sister play it years ago when we were at college together. She recently discovered this beautiful performance and recording of the piece and shared the link with me. Well worth watching.

Revisiting an old favorite: Yes "Gates"

Every once in a while I listen to the band Yes again to remind me of why they're my favorite band. I've listened to them so much in the past that I don't listen to them as much any more--but so far I've always had no trouble remembering! Still my favorite.

Today I listened to the Relayer album--twice--as I drove to Dallas Oregon and back for a consulting appointment. I've never heard any other band take melodic themes and weave them together in such a way; usually we only find this sort of thematic development in classical music. The album contains three pieces of music: The 20 minute epic "The Gates of Delirium" which deals with the pointlessness of war, as well and the two 10 minute pieces "Sound Chaser" and "To Be Over." What incredible music!

A few years ago Yes released a wonderful DVD entitled "Yes Symphonic Live." It features most of the classic line-up, with the exception of the keyboardist slot, which is more than adequately covered by a young keyboardist by the name of Tom Brislin. As the title indicates, the band is backed up for the entire concert by a symphony orchestra. It's one of my favorite music DVDs.

So here is "The Gates of Delirium" taken from the DVD. It's 24 minutes, split across 3 youtube videos, presented here in a playlist. As you listen to it, imagine two groups of people, tensions rising, then breaking out into a battle, the battle reaching its climax, and then the quiet aftermath in which we reflect on what just transpired and think, "Soon, oh soon the light..." Just amazing.

If you enjoy it, please get the DVD, it's truly wonderful.

April Fool's PDQ Bach Day

What better to share on April 1st than some PDQ Bach? Along with Itzhak Perlman, John Williams and the Boston Pops.

Jad&Den Jazz Quintet perform ELP, Yes, Queen

I made the most interesting musical discovery today, thanks to YouTube. The Jad&Den Quintet is a French jazz ensemble that appears to have a penchant for progressive rock music—they have a full concert posted on YouTube, and among the tracks performed are Emerson, Lake & Palmer's "Trilogy," Yes' "Owner of a Lonely Heart," and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." Their arrangements are imaginative, their performace exciting, and the cinematography artistic. The overall effect is quite astonishing.

Barock Project Revisited

When I first started this blog I wrote a post about one of my favorite new discoveries: the Italian band Barock Project. They have released two studio albums and will (hopefully) soon be releasing a DVD of a live performance featuring the band plus a string quartet (the video I posted previously is taken from this DVD). Their website also states that they are working on a new album.

The Barock Project is led by Luca Zabbini, who is also pianist and composer in residence at the "O.Vecchi" musical institute in Modena. I recently found this rough video of a rehearsal of Zabbini's Concerto for Piano and Orchestra. It's not a very good recording, but you can still get a nice sample of Zabbini's playing and composition skills.



One of Zabbini's major influences is Keith Emerson. Here is a clip from a live performance of Emerson's Piano Concerto, rearranged for band and string quartet.



And I'll wrap it up with a video the band just posted a month ago.

Dredging the Dregs...

Every once in a while I make a musical rediscovery. I'll re-listen to something that I've heard before, but I'll really LISTEN, and it makes an impression. Well, that happened to me yesterday. I've had the music of the Dixie Dregs in my iTunes for years, and I've known they were a great band ... but I didn't really discover them until yesterday, when I listened to their album "What If" over 5 times in a row.

The Dixie Dregs are an instrumental band that got their start at the University of Miami in the '70s. Don't let let their appearance fool you; they might look rather like your average rock band in their manner of dress and long hair, but these are highly trained and respected musicians, several of them with college music degrees.

I went on YouTube and was happy to find some great videos displaying their ecclectic range of music:

CLASSICAL: (well, loosely classical) a beautiful duet for violin and acoustic guitar called "Little Kids" (audio only).


A nice duet with Steve Morse and Dave LaRue playing a piece entitled "Point Counterpoint."



PROGRESSIVE ROCK: "Odyssey" -- there's a LOT going on in this piece. I love how all the different themes fit together.


JAZZ FUSION: Leprecaun Promenade


COUNTRY: Wrap it all up with a great country-style shred fest.