(45:17; Eve Records [2025 Edition] ) Track list: 1. Sun Fire 10:02 2. Sea Monsters 13:39 3. Earth Song 6:56 4. A Poem of Dancing 13:12 5. Savate? Nose 1:28 Line-up: Peter Furrer - drums, percussion Urs Hochuli - bass, pedals, vocals Roland Ruckstuhl - keyboards, tapes Peter Wolf - vocals, woodwinds, saxophones, percussion Prolusion. Swiss band Flame Dream was formed in the second half of the 1970s, and for a decade or thereabouts they were quite the productive band. They released half a dozen albums prior to disbanding sometime in the second half of the 1980s. A few years back the band returned to action, and while there has only been one new album released by the band since then, they have also started to reissue the albums they created in their first period of activity. "Elements" dates back to 1979, and was the band's second studio production. With a reissue of this production appearing now in the late fall of 2025. Analysis. When listening to this album, the most stri...

(38:58; Paola Tagliaferro) The first thing one needs to know about this album is that it is available in both English and Italian – Paola did send me both, but I decided to concentrate on this one, but the other is available as ‘Il Suono Delle Sfere’ if you are interested. Paola provides the vocals, and she has been joined by Pier Gonella on bass, Luca Scherani on piano and keyboards with Andrea Orlando on drums. This album is a thematic one, inspired by Ankh, the ancient Egyptian key symbolising eternal life, so after the introductory piece we head to the moon before reaching the sun and then heading out through various objects of the solar system named after ancient gods. It is quite fitting that this is a voyage through space, as that is very much a featured element in this album with the layers of the arrangement very distinct from each other with plenty of room, enough to drive a spaceship through. I have previously come across Paola from her work with Claudio Milano, and like him...

(37:52; Craft Recordings [2025 Edition] ) The last of the recent Craft Recordings/Concord remastered reissues of Miles Davis are both the newest album and the oldest recordings, as the sessions were from April 1954 and brings together songs which originally appeared on two 10” albums, ‘Miles Davis All-Star Sextet’ and ‘Miles Davis Quintet’, yet this was not released until 1957. Each of the sessions had Miles, Horace Silver (piano), Percy Heath (bass) and Kenny Clarke (drums), but the two tracks on side one also had Lucky Thompson (tenor saxophone) and  J. J. Johnson (trombone) while the three tracks on side two had David Schildkraut (alto saxophone). I have no idea why, but David is the only musician not credited in the middle of the cover, which seems somewhat strange unless some art editor decided the text would be too small if he was included. The title cut is widely regarded as one of the most important early hard bop numbers, and at more than 13 minutes in length is an amazing...

(35:35; Craft Recordings [2025 Edition] ) I have literally only just reviewed this as part of the ‘55’ triple CD set, and here it is again, but one can really never have too much of this great album. Plus, unlike the ‘55’ set, this remastered reissue has the songs in the right order this time. Recorded on June 7th 1955, this finds Miles joined by Red Garland (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). There is such incredible purity, life and emotion in Miles’s playing that I know I would recognise his playing anywhere, but like any good leader he does not hog the limelight but instead makes sure there is plenty of room for the others to shine, with the rhythm section being incredibly busy while Red provides support or awaits his time to take over on the solo. Just six songs, 35 minutes of brilliance.  This has long been a favourite album of mine, as Miles is a true bandleader here, taking his band through the material in a way when sometimes he spends a long time...

(100:00; Craft Recordings) I am not brave enough to say that Miles Davis is the most important jazz musician of all time, but I will say that it is widely acclaimed that his 1959 ‘Kind of Blue’ is indeed the finest jazz album ever released, and I definitely agree with that notion. This triple album remastered set goes back to 1955 and revisits ‘The Musings Of Miles’, ‘Miles Davis Quintet/Sextet’, and ‘Miles: The New Miles Davis Quintet’. The first of these was recorded on June 7th and finds Miles joined by Red Garland (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass) and Philly Joe Jones (drums). There is such incredible purity, life and emotion in Miles’s playing that I know I would recognise his playing anywhere, but like any good leader he does not hog the limelight but instead makes sure there is plenty of room for the others to shine, with the rhythm section being incredibly busy while Red provides support or awaits his time to take over on the solo. Just six songs, 35 minutes of brilliance.  L...

(25:41; Rothko Records) After nearly 40 years of reviewing I still smile when I get an email from an artist saying they have been told to get in touch with me by another musician, especially when the person doing the telling is someone like Paul McLaney of Gramsci whose work I greatly admire. In this case the email was from Matthew Bosher, who is the bassist in Auckland post metal outfit Kerratta. Here he has a new project where he provides everything apart from drums where three tracks are performed by Corey Friedlander (8 Foot Sativa), three by H. Walker (Kerratta) and three by Daniel Bosher (Battle Circus).  I received this album a few months back, and it sat there in that month’s playlist until it was time for me to start listening to it, by which time I had totally forgotten where it had come from and that it was by a NZ artist. There is always a risk that I will overstate just how good an album is when it is from Aotearoa, us Kiwis need to stick together after all, but I had ...

(37:43; Melodic Revolution Records) It has been quite some years since keyboard player Lisa LaRue has released a new album, with her last being the 2018 retrospective, ‘Origins’. But now she is back with her latest, joined by her husband John Baker on guitar (plus vocals on three songs), One Heart on bass, drums and additional keyboards/guitars, and other singers in the form of Alexandra Livshitz and Jake Livgren. The result is an album which is fascinating, with the solo keyboard pieces taking us in one direction and the ones with vocals in another, so much so that one can only wonder if this could have been expanded into a double disc set with the vocal tracks on one and the instrumentals on the other, or maybe a third which contained only keyboards? Just asking, as this is something which is incredibly varied while also being fascinating. When asked about the album, Lisa says, “’Forged from Fire’ is a coming-of-(old)-age odyssey – a deeply personal, autobiographical work that captur...

(42:11; Cuneiform Records) Led Bib are back with their eleventh studio album, and it is surprising to note that it has been six years since their last, ‘It’s Morning’. Longtime keyboard player had left after ‘Umbrella Weather’ so that was the first one without him, and they brought in Elliot Galvin as a replacement, plus some other musicians, but now we find the band stripped back to the quartet of Pete Grogan (saxophones), Chris Williams (saxophones, effects), Liran Donin (bass, effects) and Mark Holub (drums) for their first album ever without keyboards. In 2024 they were given the opportunity  to work as artists in residence at Hotel Pupik in the Austrian countryside to develop a completely new quartet sound without keyboards. Initially there was no intention to create an album, but the music and the spirit of the sessions made this inevitable and this is the result. I have long been a fan of the band who “continue to make the world safe for dangerous music”, and with this relea...

(66:00; Phantom 8 Records) I am always impressed when an artist seeks me out personally to ask if I will listen to their latest release and given that Jamie already has three very positive reviews from collaborators on PA, he has obviously been doing his homework, and all power to him for doing so. Some musicians seem to feel that once they have released an album it will be discovered and they will be feted by all, but the reality is that even the most prolific reviewer doesn’t take all the music they have been offered, let alone going out and seeking even more. This is the debut album from Jamie, who provides lead vocals and guitar, and he has with him a band who he has obviously been working with for a while. Piano is so important here that I guessed (wrongly) that this was his main instrument and was intrigued to see it was not. This is a very English sounding album, and in many ways it reminds me of some of Guy Mnanning’s earlier releases, which is not what one really expects from ...

(49:36; Psychiatric Records And Tapes) Here we have the fourth album from The Haas Company, a unique group led by drummer Steve Haas and directed by keyboardist Pete Drungle which also includes guitarist Samuel Hällkvist and bassist Kirwan Brown. Each release sees them bring in a featured guest, and this time around it is none other than  violinist Jerry Goodman, who was an original member of the Mahavishnu Orchestra during 1971–73. Goodman has long been seen as  an influential violinist in the fusion movement, and it is obvious that Drungle has a wonderful affinity with him as he has composed six numbers which bring Goodman in as a key member of the band, being allowed to shine, but always feeling part of the whole as opposed to a guest plus backing musicians. I have been fortunate enough to have heard all of The Haas Company releases to date, and there is no doubt that there has been a step change with this one, as Goodman brings a power and energy plus musicality and vitali...

(70:00; Music Theories Recordings) Back in the really underground days of progressive rock, one of the most important labels was the Dutch SI Music, which was tied in with the hugely influential SI Magazine. I was fortunate enough to be on their mailing list and received everything from Simply 06 (Tracy Hitchings) until the label ended at Simply 73 (Landmarq). Among the way I heard some amazing music, and one of the albums which really impressed me was ‘Paradoxes’, released by German band Everon in 1993. They followed it up with ‘Flood’ in 1995, which I also loved, but their next album (1997’s ‘Venus’) was released on Mascot so I didn’t come across it, or any of their others. Before this release, their last was 2008’s ‘North’, but now they are back with the same line-up which recorded that one. It is incredible that there has only been one change since the debut, with Oliver Philipps (vocals, piano, keyboards, guitars, orchestrations), Schymy (bass) and Christian Moos (drums, percussio...

(79:31; Dr Space) This is a rather a strange album title, but when it is understood that originally this was connected with a performance at an Italian restaurant it makes rather more sense. Scott Heller (Øresund Space Collective and others) has been living in Portugal for some years now, and he was asked to perform at a local Italian restaurant about five minutes from his home. The week prior to the event he started working on new music, where for each piece he played an arpeggio on the Novation Ultranova or Nord Lead 2 or Poly D, then added Mellotron over the top. He recorded two days of rehearsal, made notes of what he wanted to achieve, but was not pleased with the results from the actual performance itself so instead of making those tracks available he has instead released a series of tracks culled from the rehearsals. Called “Ambient 1” through to “Ambient 8” (although strangely missing "Ambient 3”), most of the tracks are roughly 7 or 8 minutes in length although one is 16 ...

(69:37; Doctors of Space) Here we have the latest (and fifteenth if my maths is correct) album from Dr Space (Synthesizers, Hammond, Mellotron) from Øresund Space Collective/Black Moon Circle and Dr Martin Weaver (electric guitars, bass, drum programming) from Wicked Lady/Dark. Although released in August this year, this album comes from recordings made by Scott and Martin in Scott’s studio some five years ago and again shows the band moving very much in a similar vein to instrumental passages of Hawkwind. The bass keeps a melody locked in and provides structure, the “drums” are basic at best, but this combination allows Martin to riff his heart out while Scott continues to take his space synths into the stratosphere. I was rereading some Asimov earlier today (such a delight to find some of his early robot books still available), and if ever there was music to describe the travails being undertaken by Elijah Baley and Daneel Olivaw on the planet of Solaria then this is it. It is music ...

(78:18; Fruits de Mer Records) It has been said that Crystal Jacqueline and The Honey Pot are the closest thing one can get to being the house band for Fruits De Mer, and here we find Crystal Jacqueline and Icarus Peel taking their music in a new direction after they were contacted by author David Greygoose, and they felt his poems would serve as an excellent basis for an album. They had been wanting to work with both violinist Leo O’Kelly (Tír na nÓg) and singer Mark McDowell for a while, so brought them in on some tracks and as Icarus was already working with pianist Rob Gould, Mordecai Smith (Mellotron) and Jay Tausig (drums, flute, vocals) it made sense to invite them as well. Dick Terry, drums and vocals, and Django Manglunki, glissando guitar, are both members of The Honey Pot Collective, while the album also includes  Maria on Irish whistle and Phil Townsend (jaw harp). One thing which I found particularly interesting about this release is that while Icarus plays on every tr...

(54:56; Fastball Music) Track list: 1. A Talk With the Dead 8:25 2. Green 4:46 3. A Sweet Thing Called Desire 5:43 4. And You Run 5:56 5. Pilikua Akahai 3:09 6. What Remains 4:01 7. And You Rest 2:34 8. Movie Moments 7:54 9. The Time Machine 6:22 10. The Dancing Stone 6:06 Line-up: Michael Dorp - vocals Michael Rick - guitars, vocals Rüdiger Blömer - keyboards, violin Roger Weitz - bass, mandolin Ande Roderigo - drums, percussion, vocals Prolusion. German band Flying Circus is one of those bands that have flown under the radar of many progressive rock fans, despite releasing studio albums at a regular pace for the past 25 years or so. This year they have a new album out. This production is called "The Eternal Moment", and was released through German label Fastball Music towards the end of the fall season in 2025. Analysis. Flying Cirus is a band that is self described as exploring a combination of progressive rock and hard rock. My experience with the band so far indicates th...

(78:18; Fruits de Mer Records) Track list: 1. In the Sky and All Around 1:48 2. Barbara Ann 4:39 3. Smoke Road 3:12 4. Petals of the Moon 4:07 5. The Green Man 6:27 6. The Tides That Turn 4:06 7. Molly Mawkaby 4:21 8. Greygoose 3:57 9. Dreamwalkers 3:27 10. The Burning 4:33 11. Flowers That Bloom 3:52 12. Slow the Dark Wind Blows 2:55 13. Jenny Many Names 3:50 14. Kiss Me With Silence 4:13 15. Tie Me to the Wind 2:34 16. Elven Boy 4:37 17. The Grey Light 4:23 18. Which Way Is the Wind 3:23 19. Lament 7:54 Line-up: Crystal Jacqueline - vocals Icarus Peel - guitars, bass, synthesizers, bouzouki, bodhran, sitar with: Leo O’Kelly - violin Mark McDowell - vocals Rob Gould - piano Jay Tausig - flute, vocals, drums Mordecai Smyth - mellotron Dick Terry - drums, vocals Django Manglunki - guitars Maria Townsend - Irish whistle Phil Townsend - jaw harp Prolusion. UK artist Crystal Jacqueline has been an active recording artist since 2010, with a number of solo albums to her name since then, usua...

(36:05; Trip Lava) Multi-instrumentalist Joel Lee may not be the most prolific artist out there, as it has taken him seven years to release the follow-up to ‘Ounds’, but given that took eight years from ‘Octaroid’ possibly that means he is getting faster? When one then realises his debut album was called ‘Oddball in the Corner Pocket’ one understands Lee has a somewhat unhealthy fascination with the letter ‘O’ (every song on the last album also started with that letter) – maybe I should introduce him to Matt Deacon of The Bob Lazar Story as he has an unhealthy fascination with foodstools, and they could write some wonderful odes together. This album is all Joel, and as there are elements of krautrock, Canterbury scene, psychedelia, space rock, RIO, avant garde and eclectic material all combined with various sound clips, one can understand why it takes so long to pull recordings together as if his brain is anything like this music then it is chaos, and all happening at the same time. Ye...

(39:13; Fosfor Creation) Swedish band Bakelit are back with their second album, only a year after their debut, and given how much I enjoyed that one I was definitely looking forward to this one as well. Led by multi-instrumentalist Carl Westholm, who here provides vocals, bass, electric piano, organ, synthesizers and Theremin, I  always think of him for his albums with Carptree and Jupiter Society, although others will probably think of Avatarium and Candlemass – not many prog musicians can also claim fame within doom! He is again joined by  singers Öivin Tronstad and Cia Backman and guitarist Ulf Edelönn but there is a new drummer in the form of Jonas Källsbäck, best known from The Night Flight Orchestra and Gathering of Kings. There is a real darkness behind this, with Carl often happily playing dramatic deep and threatening chords as opposed to lightness and light. For the debut I said there were times when I was reminded of Clive Nolan, and that definitely comes through he...

(55:26; Nuclear Blast) Right after completing Nightwish’s 2024 album ‘Yesterwynde’, the songwriting for the third chapter in Auri’s musical adventures started, with Troy Donockley writing in Yorkshire and Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, singer Johanna Kurkela, working their creative magic in Kitee, Finland. As soon as I started playing this the name of one band came straight to mind, and it stuck there the more I listened to this, and while many people will be coming to this album due to the Nightwish links, to fully understand this one needs to go back more than 40 years to when a young Troy was a key member of the incredible folk rock band Iona. They never gained the huge commercial acclaim they so richly deserved, but they left behind a rich legacy, and there is no doubt that Auri have taken huge swathes of that and combined it with some Nightwish tendencies to create something which is hauntingly beautiful and atmospheric, although at times it has a backbone of solid iron. Troy and...

(39:12; Talking Elephant [2025 Edition] ) On 4th August 1979, Fairport Convention played what was supposed to be their final gig, after which Dave Pegg was invited to stand in for John Glascock on Jethro Tull’s ‘Stormwatch’ tour, joining the band after Glascock died. He was an integral part of Tull for the next fifteen years, but he also managed to put aside some time to record his first solo album, which was released in 1983. I first saw Peggy when he played with Tull on the ‘Under Wraps’ tour before catching him in the reformed Fairport on their ‘Gladys’ Leap’ soiree, which is where I first purchased this (and still have o this day). Of course, this was back in the day of cassettes, so I put ‘Gladys’ Leap’ on one side, and this on the other, and consequently was an album I played a great deal. Mostly instrumental, with Peggy showing off his wonderful mandolin playing, it does also feature vocals, most notably on “Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow”. This was originally recorded by Tull d...