ELP Digest 2 November 2006 Volume 16: Issue 7 The "Rum-a-Ting" Edition incorporating the "Happy Birthday, Keith Emerson!" and the ELP Digest 15th Anniversary edition (!!) Today's Topics: Breaking News, Rumors, Etc. - "Tarkus" for Concert Band (September 7, 2006) - Original Asia in Boston (September 8, 2006) - Review of ASIA reunion concert Red Bank, NJ 9/12/06 (September 13, 2006) - Original Asia 9/12 Count Basie Theater Red Bank, NJ (September 14, 2006) - Asia Report (September 21, 2006) - email from martyn hanson (October 12, 2006) - DVD (Nov. 2, 2006) Reader Commentary - Of interest (or not) for ELP fans (September 6, 2006) - Idea to try to incite an ELP Reunion (September 7, 2006) - Off the Wall ! (November 1, 2006) Questions (and Answers!) - no submissions this issue ELP-related products, tribute bands, promoters (The ELP Digest does not endorse, etc.) - no submissions this issue =========================== Prelude =========================== Hi. Sorry for the lull that came this fall. All the usual reasons/excuses apply. But with 2/3 of the ELP Birthday season here, it's time to get back on track. As is our custom, we honor each November 2 as Keith Emerson's birthday. (Happy Birthday, Keith!). We also note that is was Keith's birthday 15 years ago (way back in 1991) when I sent out the first issue of the ELP Digest. The more things change, the more they remain the same. In this issue, we've got a resurgence of interest in school band directors (who are now of the age to remember ELP when they were in school) looking for arrangements of ELP stuff. I know I've heard of marching bands, percussion ensembles, etc. who play ELP material and I'd love it if the ELP Digest could become a meeting place for those who have done these arrangements or know where to get these arrangements to share what they know. (And my son's a sax player in high school band now and I'd love it if that band or the marching band played some ELP!) We've also got some great reviews of the 'original Asia' shows with Carl Palmer in his usual form. Also news from Martyn Hanson about his next book and a question about what might be some new ELP-related DVD that's shown up on Amazon.co.uk. Thanks for the past 15 years and looking forward to many more. - John - ------------------------------ Latest News from the Official ELP sites .… Keith’s site has news about his appointment in September as a member of the Advisory Board of the Moog Foundation ...and also word that two new items have been added to his online store. Check both out at: http://www.keithemerson.com/News/whatsnew.html --------------------------------------------- No updates on Greg’s site but be sure to visit and check out all of the great features at: http://www.greglake.com --------------------------------------------- Get news about Carl’s UK/Italy tour dates and drum clinics at: http://www.carlpalmer.com/palmer.html Enjoy! =========================== Breaking News, Rumors, Etc. =========================== From: Steven Mowery Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 9:10 PM To: ELP Digest Subject: "Tarkus" for Concert Band I am a music educator at a small school in Puxico, Missouri.  I have played several ELP tracks to my students.  My concert band absolutely loves "Tarkus" and is wanting to perform it.  Is there an existing concert band arrangement of "Tarkus"?  I am aware of Tom Wallace's charts on "Changing States" and "Allegro Barbaro," but nothing else related to ELP, or any other prog group by concert band arrangers. I was hoping that there was an orchestration of it similar to the orchestration of "Abaddon's Bolero."    Thank you,   Steve Mowery Puxico, Missouri [ Editor's Note: This message was originally sent to another forum and Steve has allowed me to post it here to try to get more information. I'm not sure where to get the charts he mentions but I'll try to find out and report back in a future Digest. However, I think I've heard that some marching bands have done Tarkus or bits of Tarkus (or maybe even Karn Evil 9), maybe in the Texas area. I don't know if these are 'private' (personally done) charts or if there's a community where they're shared. But I'm sure that Steven and I aren't the only ones who'd like to know more about this. Anyone got any ideas? - John - ] --------------------------------------------- From: Brian McKeen Sent: Friday, September 08, 2006 6:41 PM To: elp-digest Subject: Original Asia in Boston Your email arrived just at the right time! I followed the link to Carl's website and saw the notice about the original Asia tour, so I checked out the link for their tour and found they were playing in Boston the same night. I got tickets and made it to the show just in time. What a show it was! Carl was the designated MC, introducing Steve doing 'Roundabout', John doing 'Court of the Crimson King' and Geoff doing 'Radio Killed the Video Star'. John then introduced Carl for a great version of 'Fanfare for the Common Man'. The rest of the 2 hour show included all the hits from Asia along with others from 'their various pasts'. Great show, if they make it to your town make sure you see them. --------------------------------------------- From: Frank Sonnenberg Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2006 1:24 PM To: ELP Digest Subject: Review of ASIA reunion concert Red Bank, NJ 9/12/06 John, I had the privilege of seeing the reunited ASIA at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, NJ on September 12, 2006. The venue is a small theater so the feeling was very intimate. The theater was full and the crowd was ecstatic. Nearly every number got a standing ovation. They played the expected ASIA hits which came off very well. John Wetton's voice was outstanding. Harmonies from Steve Howe and Geoff Downes sounded great, and Steve Howe is, well, Steve Howe (incomparable). Carl Palmer played a small drum kit (only two mounted tom-toms) and only a few cymbals, but your couldn't tell from the sound. He did a drum solo that brought the crowd to its feet. He also came to the front of the stage to speak to the audience and introduce a number. I believe it's the first time I ever saw him speak on stage. The mix was bad, but that might be just where I was sitting; fairly close to one of the speaker columns. The keyboards were usually drowned out by the other instruements. Treats previously alluded to in advance announcements of the tour included: 1. Roundabout - (the long version) 2. Fanfare for the Common Man - interestingly, Geoff Downes had sheet music brought up on his computer monitor during that number. 3. Steve Howe playing "The Clap". I've seen him play this many times and it never ceases to amaze me. It got a prolonged standing ovation. 4. In the Court of the Crimson King 5. The Buggles Hit (and MTV inaugural music video) "Video Killed the Radio Star". They played a couple of acoustic numbers that I didn't recognize. In addition, Geoff Downes played a very nice keyboard solo piece that I didn't recognize. If anyone can tell me the names of those songs, I'd appreciate it. Overall, it was a wonderful concert. I encourage anyone who has the chance, to see it. - Frank Sonnenberg --------------------------------------------- From: Allegra, Paul Sent: Thursday, September 14, 2006 3:20 PM To: elp-digest Subject: Original Asia 9/12 Count Basie Theater Red Bank, NJ I had my reservations about attending this show - I'm glad I did! The last time I saw Asia was at Forrest Hills Tennis Stadium in 1984. The Basie theater is small and in need of some repairs. The sound man had problems with Steve's vocals and Geoff Downes' keys were muddled for almost the entire show. However - the band was tight. John Wetton's voice is incredible (Keith - you should sign him up! ) and his bass playing was spot on. During Fanfare and In the Court - he threw out some riffs that reminded me of the old Crimson Jams - the man is underrated and under-appreciated. John was playing a Zon Bass through a pair of Roland Combo amps. Geoff Downes was working like mad in spite of a rotten mix - His solos did not come through, but technology has helped him beef-up the backing vocals that Asia was known for - the vocoder and harmonizer saw a lot of use. I believe most of Geoff's rig was Roland with possibility of a Korg MS for vocoding. He also used the Roland D-Beam feature to mod his Hammond patches. He even picked up the Keytar - he should leave that at home. Steve Howe - the consummate professional. Note perfect on everything and his improvisations on the 'covers' were tasteful - all guitarists should observe what this man can do with minimal distortion and a Line-6 combo amp. Carl Palmer - out of all the ovations, Carl was clearly the crowd favorite. He played hard and seemed to enjoy the entire performance. Every beat, every accent, every fill seemed to matter. He was having a blast and so was the audience. Carl was playing a set of blue vista-lite drums. Set List: Set I Intro music (Pomp and Circumstance) Time Again (they nailed it - a perfect song to get the audience going) Wildest Dreams (the lyrics, written in 1984, have a haunting impact in 2006) One Step Closer Roundabout - (John Wetton sings on Key, and his bass chops are still great!) Without You Cutting It Fine Steve Howe solo-Clap Fanfare For The Common Man (played very close to ELP version, but great to hear Steve Howe trade 4's with Geoff Downes - also Geoff had the intro horn sample almost perfect, like on Works, he even used a Harmonica patch for the trade-off - not GX-1 but close... too bad the mix was muddy) Set II The Smile Has Left Your Eyes* (Steve played an acoustic dobro - very subtle) Don't Cry* (quite a departure from the album - Steve plays Mandolin and Carl just played a tambourine) In The Court Of The Crimson King - (Awesome!!! Carl Plays Drums close to Michael Giles version - Steve plays the acoustic part perfect) Here Comes The Feeling Video Killed The Radio Star (A song I really don't like, yet Steve Howe finds a way to make the song interesting) The Heat Goes On / Carl Palmer drum solo (Carl truly floors the audience in a short - but jaw-dropping solo) Only Time Will Tell Sole Survivor (best Asia song of the night) Encore: Ride Easy* (never heard this before, but it was ok) Heat Of The Moment *performed acoustically Cheers - Paul Allegra --------------------------------------------- From: Steven Wilcox Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2006 8:31 PM To: ELP Digest Subject: Asia Report Hello all I saw ASIA play last night at the "Vault 350" club http://www.vault350.com/ They did an hour and 55 minute show. Along with ASIA tunes they also touched on each members past including Fanfare, Roundabout, King Crimson and others I can't think of right now. Carl did great, He was really enjoying himself last night. I was 20-25 feet from the stage much better than at the Galaxy where I saw Carl's band play just a few weeks ago. It's not very often you get to see your favorite drummer play with two different bands in the same year. Go see the show if you can, the whole band is playing great PERIOD! I only have one problem. Every year I rate the concerts that I go to. rated 4th is Huey Lewis/Chicago 3rd is Ringo Starr and his all star band (good show) now for 2nd it's ether Carl Palmer and his band OR Carl Palmer with ASIA WAIT A MINUTE, Carl can never be second place so it's a tie for FIRST !!! Steve --------------------------------------------- From: MARTYN HANSON Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2006 7:28 PM To: elp-digest Subject: e mail from martyn hanson Hi John I have my own website now parhaps you could put it on your digest: http://www.martynhanson.com I am on my 4th book on the UK band Colosseum ELP book 2nd edition due early 2007 as publisher has been ill Also this bit ====================== NICE RELATED CD RELEASES EVERY WHICH WAY has been released on CD by a German label: http://www.longhairmusic.de This was originally recorded by Brian Davison's band for the famous Charisma label in 1970 shortly after the Nice disbanded. An unjustly forgotten album it deserves re-evaluation. REFUGEE LIVE CD Over the years there have been a few bootlegs flying about but the quality has always been poor. Consequently, the demand for a live album has been strong. Now that demand can be met. High quality tapes of Refugee have been recently unearthed. The material has been digitally enhanced and will be available on CD soon. The project is fully endorsed by the band. The concert was recorded at the legendary Newcastle City Hall in 1974. Obviously most the material is culled from the studio album - including the magnificent concept piece 'Grand Canyon Suite'. But there's also a few surprises. There are two new Refugee tracks that didn't appear on the album. They are 'One Left-Handed Peter Pan' and 'Refugee Jam'. There are also two 'The Nice' classics. The first one is 'The Diamond Hard Blue Apples Of The Moon' and 'She Belongs To Me'. The former is a treat for fans of The Nice, as they never played it live. Extensive sleeve notes by Nice/ELP author, Martyn Hanson, compliment the package. As do the many previously unseen photos taken at the Newcastle gig. It is being put out by the same company that recently released the Refugee studio album: http://www.voiceprint.co.uk --------------------------------------------- From: michael.a.ford Sent: Thursday, November 02, 2006 4:47 AM To: elp-digest Subject: DVD Hi. Have just noticed this on Amazon uk. Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake And Palmer - The Definitive Critical Review It is a 2 disc set, but no other details. Anybody got any idea of content? Mick (England) =========================== Reader Commentary =========================== From: Frank Conte Sent: Wednesday, September 06, 2006 11:50 PM To: John Arnold Subject: Of interest (or not) for ELP fans Oh this is painful! http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=Emerson See http://fconte.blogspot.com/2006/09/somewhere-in-new-york-village-is.html --------------------------------------------- From: F L Dunkin Wedd Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 6:15 AM To: elp-digest Subject: Idea to try to incite an ELP Reunion Hi. Bjorn-Are Davidsen quotes Carl Palmer: >>> "I have no plans to play with Greg or Keith... It's highly >>> unlikely that will ever happen. If I was approached to play for >>> a charity, like Live 8, then I would agree to do that." Time for members of this list to form a suitable charity then?! Laurie --------------------------------------------- From: Simon Reay Sent: Wednesday, November 01, 2006 12:19 PM To: elp-digest Subject: Off the Wall ! Just bought Keith's 'Off the Shelf', at last I get to hear 'Au Privave', and 'Walter L'. I've been reading about those tracks for 30 years as main features of the mid 70's solo album that never was. I must say they're just not very good, the arrangements are poor, who needs moog madness in jazz, the production is cacophonous, and it confirms what I've always thought. Emo just can't play jazz piano. I can't name a single ELP/solo track where he's convincing on the jazz front. However, 1) Some tracks on Emerson plays Emerson were a revelation to me, Keith's ballad style is unique, highly emotional, and totally convincing. We can so easily overlook ELP such as; Only Way, Memoirs, Trilogy intro, the man is a romantic composer at heart. 2) Maybe the 'Works Approach' was right after all, who needs 'catastrophic solo albums' anyway, as Greg so accurately described the form. Finally, disappointed to not see Greg in the UK again in September, next year hopefully, but looking forward to Carl and the Asia gang this month. Simon R =========================== Questions (and Answers!) =========================== No submissions this issue. =========================== ELP-related products, tribute bands, promoters (The ELP Digest does not endorse, etc.) =========================== No submissions this issue. =========================== Digest subscription, mailing address, and administrative stuff to: elp-digest-request (at) reluctant.com ELP-related info that you want to put in the digest to: elp-digest (at) reluctant.com Back issues are available from the ELP Digest web site: http://www.brain-salad.com/ Note: The opinions, information, etc. contained in this digest are those of the original message sender listed in each message. They are not necessarily those of the mailing list/digest administrator or those of any institution through whose computers/networks this mail flows. Unless otherwise noted, the individual authors of each entry in the Digest are the copyright holders of that entry. Please respect that copyright and act accordingly. I especially ask that you not redistribute the ELP Digest in whole or in part without acknowledging the original source of the digest and each author. Thanks! End of ELP Digest [Volume 16, Issue 7] **************************************