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Jan Akkerman    "Fantasie for Lute"    (original)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvyB2-jdb_E

Strummerboy Bill mentioned the Netherland's group "Focus" recently, and here's of their guitarist (Jan Akkerman) playing a lute.

Great discussion ...

I don't know how philosophical I am, because in my addled brain I often confuse the lines between impulse and intellect. A lot of interesting views have been raised, but I'm going to zoom in on this whole notion of popularity.

The whole marketing of entertainment, possessions, lifestyles, etc. has been refined to increase the volume of consumption, which is really another way of saying popular. For whatever reason, I've never been able to buy into the notion that I should like something / have something / do something, etc., just because it's popular or someone tells me it's popular. It's hard not to develop an air of arrogance when so many do fall into that cycle, and I certainly don't mean to get high and mighty about such things. It's also hard not to think / imagine that I understand the sub-surface motivations about most popularity campaigns, with various conspiracy notions about social engineering, etc., because I probably haven't got a clue.

However, I don't need anyone to tell me what I should like or shouldn't like. And it seems the more someone tries to do that, the deeper I dig in. Call it pride, arrogance, independence ... I dunno .. but it makes me resentful when someone questions me about not liking something, solely because it's popular. There are people, foods, clothes, cars, guitars, music, movies, power tools (on it goes) that I like, and those that I don't like. I don't have to understand or endorse someone else's preferences, and no one needs or should feel entitled to do the same about mine.

... 'nuff said     

Very powerful, soulful voice ... really enjoyed this song, and I also learned it's an original of hers' ... well written, and well performed. (The guy with the well-worn Strat is pretty good, too!)     

Supertramp's "Crime of the Century" is powerful, depicting the sentence for such a crime ... simple but effective.

Flying Colors    "Mask Machine"    Switzerland, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZld-SJrhmg

"Flying Colors" was brought together with a unique goal in mind, i.e., to take the typically complex musical style of Prog Rock, and make it more accessible to the general public. This was to be accomplished by bringing folk and blues musicians into the mix, and performance-based songwriting which worked well on stage. So here we see an eclectic mix of musicians who did 4 albums together and extensive touring from 2012 to 2014. This concert at the Z7 in Prateln, Switzerland in 2014, was recorded using 24 cameras and some ground-breaking recording / mixing techniques, and released on DVD in 2015. Flying Colors was never intended to be a long term project, and most of the band have gone back to their respective groups and genres. But for a couple of years, they made some great music like this ... enjoy!

Benjamin Woods    "Malaguena"    (original by Ernesto Lecuona)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3jWsoQ8W8g

This piece was originally composed for piano, and this is Ben's flamboyant flamenco-style arrangement.     

Your buddy Jim has a perfect voice to blend with your beautiful lyrics ... wonderful teamwork, TIG!     

A belated Happy Easter to everyone!     

Thanks, TIG .. good question about the big keyboard arrays a lot of these guys use. That's a lot of dough Fred has invested in his kit, for sure.

Some of them like to use various sounds (piano, organ, synth, mellotron,etc.) throughout many of their songs, but there are very good multi-tasking keyboards (like a Nord Stage 3) that can do it all, and are enabled to split the keyboard if they want to play two different sounds at the same time. I'm just a rudimentary-level keyboard player, and the Yamaha EW410 I have has over 700 different voices + the split keyboard function, so it meets all my needs.

Jordan Rudess (Dream Theatre, Liquid Tension Experiment, etc.) uses a single keyboard (Korg Kronos) for everything, and it must make life easier for the roadies:

And then there's the other extreme - like Rick Wakeman - who bring the whole keyboard compliment:

Glass Hammer    "Further Up, Further In"    Chattanooga, 2003

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmMpTdLibws

This song is from GH's 2002 album "Lex Rex", which I suppose if there was a "Prog Gospel" category, this is where it would be filed. Even though this was now their 6th studio album, founders Steve Babb (bass guitar) and Fred Schendel (keyboards) were still having some personnel issues, with the album featuring several different guitarists. The whole album is a terrific listen, and it's a shame that this and "One King" are the only songs I can find live recordings of on YouTube. "Further Up, Further In" was performed at the Rhythm & Brews Festival in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the band's home town.

Very observant about the angle, TIG.

I switched to something close to that several years ago, as the ol' arthritis began to afflict my hands. Wish I'd done it years ago! It makes for a very natural angle for the wrist, hand, and fingers, and has pretty much taken the discomfort out of playing.