Exposé issue #36 Summary
Features in this issue include:
GREGG BENDIAN:
Gregg Bendian is by no means your average drummer. Over the course of the last few decades, he has refined his craft, from free jazz excursions with the Cline Brothers and Pat Metheny to duo collaborations with Richard Leo Johnson and his acclaimed tribute to the Mahavishnu Orchestra that he has been championing for over five years. Exposé was able to speak with Gregg at home on three occasions, each resulting in this career-mapping dialogue from the heart of a true progressive rock fan.. (Interview by Jeff Melton)
SONJA KRISTINA:
Most readers will know Sonja Kristina as the leader and vocalist of the classic British progressive band Curved Air, though that barely scratches the surface of her long and multi-faceted career in music, theatre and other endeavors. Beginning in the world of folk music, her interests soon turned to theatre when she joined the London cast of Hair in the late sixties. While progressive rock in the 70s was largely a man’s world, Sonja led Curved Air through several important phases and personnel changes, and she continues to lead them to this day. But her story gets even more interesting with the solo projects and other bands Sonja led on the period following Curved Air’s heyday right up to the present, including her current project Mask with Marvin Ayres. We thank Sonja for taking time out of her busy schedule over a period of several months to provide the thoughts and insights that comprise this comprehensive career overview. (Interview by Peter Thelen)
FERN KNIGHT:
Lilt an ear spasm strolling through a gauzy woodland forest riverwalk parting itself for the Fern Knight passing through as ye be ensconced within that world of bounteous beauteousness. This conglomeration of individuals presides over pockets of time with music for gently exploded minds; these star-dappled minstrels have come to roost. An adventure in dulcet tones awaits thee if ye be not privy to the scintillating journey in sound that this group be. Taking equal nods from the encampments of folk, progressive, psychedelic, and wyrd, their amalgam has fortitude enough to bind the elements, fusing earthiness, airy qualities, windswept melodies, and fiery delivery in one taut sonic capsule.. (Feature by Cesar Montesano)
JADE WARRIOR:
Exposé readers will be familiar with Jade Warrior, a band that has been around in one form or another since around 1970, and one that we have covered extensively in our reviews. The partnership of original members Jon Field (percussion, flute) and Tony Duhig (guitar) even predates that, going back to the late sixties psychedelic band July. But that was then, and this is now, which is also the title of the band’s first new release in fifteen years; the new release is the focus of this interview. Now reunites original members Jon Field and Glyn Havard (vocals) with bassist Dave Sturt from the 1990s trio lineup, seemingly drawing influence from every previous phase of the band’s work while creating something entirely new from it, capturing the essence of what Jade Warrior is all about. (Interview by Peter Thelen)
MIRCAN:
Musicians from lesser-known, non-English speaking countries, be they Polynesia, Eastern Europe or Southeast Asia, are seldom thought to be traditional ones. Mircan Kaya is not. This pretty woman from northeastern Turkey is a singer and composer with sound ideas. Mircan’s magical musical tapestries are borne of her close connection with Mingrelian culture. This is her story. (Interview by Alessandro Michelucci)
JACOB FRED JAZZ ODYSSEY:
Oklahoma’s Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey was at a crossroads two years ago. Band founders keyboardist Brian Roy Haas and bassist Reed Mathis had covered a lot of ground in over ten years of road work refining their sound and winning a cult fan base from the ground up. So the band was taking time out to formulate a new direction with a new producer / in studio collaborator and drummer as well to flesh out their new direction based on clues given in more recent band performances. Expose caught with Haas and then Mathis just prior to their spring 2008 tour doing final prep work, rehearsing with an expanded line-up and getting mentally ready for a few weeks on the road. (Interview by Jeff Melton)
BAJA PROG XII, 2008:
Baja Prog XIII in 2009 may be a scaled back event, but 2008’s show was one of the great ones to remember. Highlights included two performances by New Trolls (one with an orchestra, one without), Cast, Le Orme, Circa, Djamra, Riverside, Quikion, Alex Carpani, Rocket Scientists, and many more. (Words and Photos by Pam Thompson)
Also included in issue 36: Plenty of reading in the 54 pages of our regular reviews sections -- Roundtables, New Releases, Books, Archives and Reissues. 92 Pages total.