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The Ed Palermo Big Band – The Adventures of Zodd Zundgren – Cuneiform

The Ed Palermo Big Band – The Adventures of Zodd Zundgren – Cuneiform

by | Feb 11, 2018 | Jazz CD Reviews

There’s a new ‘super’ hero in town…Frank? Todd? No, its Zodd! The Ed Palermo Big Band – The Adventures of Zodd Zundgren [TrackList and Performers follows] – Cuneiform, Rune 440 74:10 [10/6/17] *****: How would someone combine Todd Rundgren and Frank Zappa’s music? Or, another question, why? When it comes to arranger and band leader Ed Palermo, the question is: what took so long? Palermo has been redoing Zappa’s music with the Ed Palermo Big Band since Zappa passed away in 1993, and has always found new and interesting approaches to Zappa. This time, the Ed Palermo Big Band ingeniously melds Rundgren’s pop material with Zappa’s unique compositions. In the process, Palermo also morphs the two personalities into one individual, using the guise of Zodd Zundgren, a middle-aged, overweight hero who’d rather walk dogs than fight supervillains. Palermo states, “Todd Rundgren holds a very special place in my heart. For most of my high school days my favorite musicians were Zappa and Todd Rundgren.” As a teen, Palermo felt connected to Rundgren’s songs about self-pity, unrequited romance and break-ups. Zappa’s snarky lyrics also fed into the young Palermo’s angst-tinted adolescence. It was natural that Palermo would eventually merge the two […]

Mumpbeak – Tooth – RareNoise

Mumpbeak – Tooth – RareNoise

by | Nov 19, 2017 | Jazz CD Reviews, Pop/Rock/World CD Reviews

Mumpbeak – Tooth [TrackList follows] – RareNoise RNR078, 41:43 [5/26/17] ****: Is it jazz? Is it progressive rock? It’s definitely Mumpbeak. (Roy Powell – Hohner clavinet, Moog Little Phatty, Hammond organ, tubular bells; Lorenzo Feliciati – bass; Torstein Lofthus – drums) What’s a Mumpbeak? Despite the title, it’s not some fantastical bird. Mumpbeak is the Oslo, Norway-based prog-rock/jazz fusion instrumental power trio led by keyboardist Roy Powell with bassist Lorenzo Feliciati and newest member, drummer Torstein Lofthus. Feliciati has issued solo projects; Powell and Feliciati are in jazz-rock ensemble Naked Truth; Powell is also in the genre-defying trio Interstatic; and Lofthus drums for avant-garde group Shining and the psychedelic prog-rock/jazz trio Elephant 9. Mumpbeak crafts a kind of niche music, which blends classic progressive rock akin to Emerson, Lake and Palmer and Van Der Graaf Generator alongside forays into jazz comparable to Miles Davis’ early ‘70s material. Mumpbeak’s 41-minute sophomore release, Tooth, was issued as a CD Digipak, a limited-edition single blue vinyl LP (2×180 grams) and a digital download album. This review refers to the CD version. Roy Powell Powell favors a heavily-effected, guitar-sounding clavinet. “I play a stock Hohner E7 clavinet into a series of guitar effects pedals […]

Frank Zappa – Roxy, The Movie, CD + Blu-ray (2015)

Frank Zappa – Roxy, The Movie, CD + Blu-ray (2015)

by | Feb 14, 2016 | DVD & Blu-ray Video Reviews

Frank Zappa – Roxy, The Movie, CD + Blu-ray (2015) A true rock genius is revealed in restored Blu-ray of a vintage performance. Studio: Eagle Vision EV8335219 Cast: Frank Zappa & The Mothers Video: 1.78:1 for 16:9 screen, 1080p HD, Color Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1; PCM 2.0 stereo TrackList: Something Terrible Has Happened/Cosmic Debris; Penguin In Bondage; T’Mershi Duween; Dog Meat (The Dog Breath Variations/Uncle Meat); RDNZL; Inca Roads; Echidna’s Art (of You); Don’t You Ever Wash That Thing?; Cheepnis-Percussion; Cheepnis; I’m The Slime; Big Swifty; Be-Bop Tango (Of The Old Jazzmen’s Church); End Credits: Don’t Eat The Yellow Snow; Father O’Blivion Bonus Tracks: Pygmy Twylyte; The Idiot Bastard Son; Dickie’s Such An Asshole Length: 116 minutes Ratings: Audio: ***1/2     Video: ***1/2     Overall: ****: Certainly Frank Zappa’s music and career can be safely described as weird. His unique approach to rock, orchestration and avant-garde set him apart from his peers. The music was different and bent the rules of genre association and instrumental arrangement. Without reluctance, he would shake up the band lineup to bring a fresh perspective to his changing vision. One aspect of his musical career was film. 200 Motels (with The Mothers, Theodore […]