Showing posts with label #Progressive Rock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #Progressive Rock. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

BILLY SHERWOOD ON THE RAY SHASHO SHOW

BILLY SHERWOOD ON
 THE RAY SHASHO RADIO SHOW



Prog Icon Billy Sherwood To Release Solo Album and Career Retrospective – Now Available as a Direct Sales Offer Only! 

On November 6th Frontiers Music Srl will Release Sherwood's Brilliant New concept album entitled 'CITIZEN' 

Prog icon BILLY SHERWOOD, best known for his work with YES and CIRCA:, has made available his studio album DIVIDED BY ONE and a compilation called COLLECTION with a hand autographed postcard! 
These two CDs and the signed postcard are ONLY available directly from 
www.billysherwoodcollection.com or a mainstream release in October 2015!  Orders through this website are being sent out NOW! 
Says Billy, “I’m very excited to finally have ‘Divided By One’, my 7th solo release come out on CD. I’m proud of the record and look forward to getting it out there, I had many requests to release it on CD as it was only for download till now.” 

BILLY SHERWOOD is the current bass player in the band YES and will be touring with the band throughout 2015. Billy Sherwood was a key part of the line-ups which created the YES albums OPEN YOUR EYES, THE LADDER and was also part of the TALK tour. He recently mixed the band’s HEAVEN AND EARTH album and 2 subsequent DVDs. 

DIVIDED BY ONE is Sherwood’s seventh solo album and this edition through Cherry Red is its first release on CD. This CD release will be eagerly greeted by YES fans especially in light on Sherwood’s recent return to the band in mid-2015. 
Tracks include:
1. On Impact
2. The Scene Comes Alive
3. No Stone Unturned
4. Between Us
5. Divided By One
6. Sequence Of Events
7. Sphere Of Influence
8. Here For You
9. Constellation Codex
10. End Of An Era

COLLECTION is the ideal introduction to Billy Sherwood’s solo career and includes TWO EXCLUSIVE TRACKS. This edition through Cherry Red is its first release on CD.  
Says Billy, “I’m happy to announce the release of ‘Collection’, it’s made up of tracks from each of my previous solo records. In addition to that there are 2 bonus tracks, one is a new yet unreleased solo track and the other is a cover I did of Sting’s song ‘I Hung My Head’”
 Tracks include:
1. Drone Decipher
2. Seeing Through The Walls
3. Call
4. On Impact
5. Dying Breed
6. The Recurring Dream
7. What Was The Question?
8. I Hung My Head*
9. Dark To Light*
(* Previously unreleased)

The albums will be available through third party distributors and retailers on Backyard Levitation Records, via Cherry Red Records from October 30, 2015
For more information: www.billysherwoodcollection.com
On November 6, 2015, Frontiers Music Srl will release Billy Sherwood's latest concept album entitled CITIZEN. 
Billy Sherwood created this concept album based on a lost soul that is reincarnated into various periods of history. "I was inspired by the notion that General Patton believed he was reincarnated on various battlefields through time; I wanted to take that concept even further." As the songwriter/producer, Billy placed the citizen character into significant moments of history. 
The lead off track is called “The Citizen" which sets the stage for what's to come on the recording. “The Citizen” features Billy's longtime friends and members of the legendary Progressive Rock band Yes: bassist Chris Squire and former Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye. 

Billy has written all the music and production is now in full swing. Guest artists joining Billy in this journey through music, time and space include:
1 John Wetton (Asia [Original Asia])
2 Rick Wakeman Music (Yes)
3 Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater)
4 Tony Kaye (Yes)
5 Geoff Downes (Yes, Asia)
6 Chris Squire (Yes)
7 Steve Hackett (Genesis)
8 Jerry Goodman (The Mahavishnu Orchestra)
9 Steve Morse (Deep Purple, Dixie Dregs)
10 Steve Hillage (Gong)
11
Patrick Moraz (Yes)
12 John Wesley (Porcupine Tree)


Billy Sherwood was born in Las Vegas Nevada and into a showbiz family of talented musicians. His father was big band leader/musician/actor Bobby Sherwood -his mother Phyllis was a singer and a drummer and his brother Michael a singer and keyboardist. Now if that hadn’t convinced anyone that they were indeed a showbiz family how about the fact that his Godfather was legendary comedian Milton Berle. 
BILLY SHERWOOD ON THE RAY SHASHO 
RADIO SHOW (YOU TUBE POST 10-05-2015)

Monday, September 15, 2014

Patrick Moraz Interview: The Extraordinary Keyboardist & Composer/ Prior Member of ‘YES’ & ‘The Moody Blues’



By Ray Shasho

-Interviewed June 24th 2014

Swiss native Patrick Moraz is the extraordinary keyboardist and composer for no less than two legendary rock groups … ‘YES’ (1974-76) and ‘The Moody Blues’ (1978-1991). His first solo album entitled ‘The Story of i’ was hailed by many critics as a musical masterpiece.
Patrick Moraz is busier than ever these days. He was recently featured on the new CD ‘Light My Fire-A Classic Rock Salute to The Doors,’ Moraz performed on the opening track … “L.A. Woman” with the late Jimi Jamison (Survivor) and Ted Turner (Wishbone Ash).  

Moraz was also one of the performers on the recent ‘Cruise to the Edge’ which also featured … ‘YES,’ Steve Hackett, UK, Queensryche, Tangerine Dream, Renaissance, Strawbs, Tony Levin and a host of other progressive rockers.

Patrick Moraz has several upcoming and surprising releases to watch out for including...“The M.A.P.” ("The Moraz - Alban Project”)which will feature Lenny Castro on percussion and John Avila from ‘Oingo Boingo’ on bass, Patrick Perrier, and Matt Malley. A CD entitled… ‘A way to Freedom’ due in the very near future, and a Cantata in the final works for SATB Choirs in 7 movements, paying homage to ‘Our Planet.’

PATRICK MORAZ: began his fascination with the keyboards at a very young age. He attentively watched and listened to Romanian concert pianist Clara Haskil while living at the same house in Vevey, Switzerland. Moraz attended the Conservatory of Lausanne and studied Harmony and Counterpoint (the Art of the fugue). Patrick’s father managed restaurants which included theaters and stages, and Patrick was able to meet such music luminaries as … Louis Armstrong, Maurice Chevalier, Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington.

In 1964, Moraz was contracted to be a scuba diving instructor and an organizer of shows and concerts at Cadaqués, and the village of Port Lligat in Spain, which was where surrealist painterSalvador Dali was living at the time. Moraz was able to go on the property of Salvador Dali and organize parties. Patrick became friends with Dali and his wife Gala. He also had the rare opportunity to be in Dali’s studios to watch him work.
At the age of 16, Patrick Moraz became the youngest person to win the prestigious “Best Soloist Award” at The Zurich Jazz Festival. A few years later he opened concerts for jazz legend John Coltrane in Europe.

Over the years … Moraz perfected his proficient musical skills and embarked on a longtime journey of composing scores for Motion Pictures and Television including … (1969- Long Live Death, 1971- The Salamander,1971- Supergirl - Das Mädchen von den Sternen (TV Movie), 1973- The Awful Manners, 1973- The Invitation, 1974- The Middle of the World, 1975- The Wonderful Crook, 1980- The Lost Way, 1987- The Stepfather (music composed by), 1990- In the Eye of the Snake ).

In 1973, Patrick moved to London and formed the rock trio ‘Refugee’ with Lee Jackson (The Nice) and Brian Davison (The Nice). After releasing their critically-acclaimed debut album and a successful tour of Europe, the band split-up.

In 1974, Patrick Moraz was invited to join ‘YES’ as their keyboardist. Moraz was an essential factor to the success of their masterpiece release ‘Relayer’ which many ‘YES’ faithful consider to be their best album to date. The classic ‘YES’ lineup of …Jon Anderson (Vocals), Chris Squire(Bass), Steve Howe (Guitars), Patrick Moraz (Keyboards), and Alan White (Drums) toured extensively and worldwide for the ‘Relayer’ Tour while performing to some of the largest audiences in the bands history… including 135,000 ‘YES’ fans at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia on June 12th 1976. ‘YES’ members were encouraged to release solo projects which led to Patrick’s debut solo album ‘The Story of i’ (1976).

Keyboardist Rick Wakeman returned to ‘YES’ while Patrick Moraz was asked to depart the band prematurely. Moraz released his second solo album ‘Out in the Sun’ featuring singer and songwriter John McBurnie in 1977.

In 1978, Moraz was hired by THE MOODY BLUES to take part in a promotional world tour for their comeback album ‘Octave.’ After contributing to ‘Octave,’ original keyboardist, singer, songwriter, and founder of The Moody Blues, Michael Pinder, left the group. Patrick Moraz officially became the new keyboardist and full-time member of The Moody Blues in 1980.

During his stint with The Moody Blues, Moraz recorded two acclaimed solo albums with original ‘YES’ drummer Bill Bruford … (‘Music for Piano and Drums,’ and ‘Flags’).

Patrick Moraz left The Moody Blues in 1991 to pursue a solo career.
The Moody Blues releases w/ Patrick Moraz 
1980/81 Long Distance Voyager, 1982/83 The Present, 1985/86 The Other Side of Life, 1987/88 Sur la Mer,1990/ Keys of the Kingdom

‘Long Distance Voyager’ spawned the Top 20 singles … “Gemini Dream” (#12 U.S. Hit in 1981) and “The Voice” (#15 U.S. Hit in 1981).
‘The Other Side of Life’ spawned the Top 10 single …“Your Wildest Dreams” (#9 U.S. Hit on Billboard Hot 100 in 1986).
‘Sur La Mer’ spawned the Top 30 single … “I Know You’re Out There Somewhere” (#30 U.S. Hit on Billboard Hot 100 in 1988).

Patrick Moraz solo releases …1976 - (The Story of I, 1977 - Out in the Sun, 1978 - Patrick Moraz, 1979 - Future Memories Live On TV, 1980 – Coexistence, 1983 - Music for Piano and Drums (with Bill Bruford), 1984 –Timecode, 1984 - Future Memories II, 1985 - Future Memories I & II, 1985 - Flags (with Bill Bruford),1987 - Human Interface,1987 - Les musiques de la Première,1989 - Libertate (re-issue of Coexistence),1994 - Windows of Time,1995 - PM in Princeton, 2000 – Resonance, 2003 – ESP, 2009 - Change of Space, 2012 – PianissiMoraz (compilation from Windows Of Time, Resonance and ESP), 2012 - Live At Abbey Road (1987 "live"), 2012 - Music for Piano and Drums: Live in Maryland (11/9/1984 live with Bill Bruford))

I had the rare and wonderful pleasure of chatting with Patrick Moraz on his birthday. We talked about ….Patrick’s exciting new music projects … ‘Light My Fire-A Classic Rock Salute to The Doors’… Being a member of ‘YES’…  The ‘Relayer’ album … Being a member of ‘The Moody Blues’ … Predator’… ‘Cruise to the Edge’…‘The Story of i’ album …Salvador Dali …And much-much more!

Here’s my interview with legendary band member of ‘YES’ & ‘The Moody Blues,’ progressive rock & classical keyboardist/pianist/composer/songwriter … PATRICK MORAZ
Ray Shasho: Hello Patrick …Happy Birthday!
Patrick Moraz:  “Thank you so much!”
Ray Shasho:  Are you in Los Angeles today?
Patrick Moraz: “Yes, my wife and I have been here in California for the past month and a half working on several productions in a very good studio. It’s a lot of work because I’ve just been asked to potentially participate in the recording of a piece with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London. So everything is good!”
Ray Shasho: Patrick, when do you expect to release these current productions you’re talking about?
Patrick Moraz: “The current production that I am finishing should be released by the beginning of the fall. We’re finishing it this week and putting on the finishing touches. It’s a project for a really-really good friend of mine who is also an excellent drummer. I composed all of the music and the arrangements. There are also some luminaries like Lenny Castro on percussion and John Avila from ‘Oingo Boingo’ on bass, and of course I do all the keyboards and music.”
“But today it’s the release of the classic tribute to ‘The Doors’ for which I participated. I play on “L.A. Woman” and the CD is entitled ‘Light My Fire-A Classic Rock Salute to The Doors.’ It’s an extraordinary release with a fantastic lineup of legendary musicians. Personally I think you will be in for a pleasant surprise … a fantastic array of keyboard players, drummers, singers, guitarists, and so on… to celebrate and pay a true musical homage to The Doors. The tune I was associated with… “L.A. Woman,” was chosen by the record company to be the first on the CD and that was a very good surprise for me. I performed on the track with Ted Turner of Wishbone Ash and Jimi Jamison of Survivor (RIP 1951-2014). I think he portrayed the best Jim Morrison voice on the whole album.”
Ray Shasho: Patrick you’ve always been one of my favorite keyboardists so I was naturally disappointed when you departed YES. I’ve always believed that the YES lineup during ‘Relayer’ was magical … instrumentally and lyrically at their very best.  
Patrick Moraz:  “Probably not as disappointed as me. (All laughing) I understand because it came as a total surprise. We’re talking thirty eight years ago when that happened, but I had two and half years with Yes which was absolutely fantastic. Would you believe we connected again recently, not only when I saw them at Ruth Eckerd Hall in April, and it was a great show, I was able to go backstage to say hello to everybody and even Steve Howe came out and gave me a big hug. Then this year with ‘Cruise to the Edge,’ it was fantastic to see them and collaborate on the same ship for a week. I was also asked to do an extra concert on the ship performing with acoustic piano and that went extremely well. I’ve never been on a cruise ever so you can imagine my surprise when I saw this huge ship and the thirty other bands that had signed up including … Renaissance , Marillion, Queensryche, Tangerine Dream, even Tony Levin a good friend of mine who is the bass player for Peter Gabriel …so it was really a fantastic journey.”
Ray Shasho:  I watched a You Tube video of you and Annie Haslam (Renaissance) performing the ‘YES’ Relayer classic “Soon” together on the cruise.
Patrick Moraz:  “Oh absolutely, yes. That was an impromptu version of the song; we had planned to do it but never had the possibility to rehearse it. Although I had gone to see her concert with Renaissance in May, and the fact that we were able to do that was just incredible. She has such a beautiful voice, so for an impromptu version of “Soon” I think she did fantastic.”
Ray Shasho:  I was fortunate enough to see you in concert with both ‘YES’ and ‘The Moody Blues.’ In 1976, I watched you perform with headliners ‘YES’ at RFK stadium in Washington D.C. along with Peter Frampton, Gary Wright, Ace, and The Pousette- Dart Band in front of over 45,000 people.
Patrick Moraz: “That’s right and we had also just played JFK Stadium. I remember the D.C. concert and an amazing thing was Steve Porcaro (The Porcaro Brothers) was in Gary Wright’s band and later formed Toto. Our management at the time had signed Peter Frampton one year before he was number one on all the charts and that was a big edition to help fill all the stadiums. To fill stadiums every other day and especially during a Bicentennial year with all the celebrations going on was absolutely unbelievable. We were also in Chicago that year and had 83,000 people. How was it for you in the crowd when you were watching the band …was the sound good?
Ray Shasho: I was standing on the floor and on top of boards about 20 rows from the stage. The acoustics were remarkably good; especially for the ‘Relayer’ album …it was an incredible show!
Patrick Moraz: “I remember for those gigs we used Clair Brothers Audio Systems based in Pennsylvania. We had 16 different PA systems all added together. Onstage my monitoring system was made out of what we used to call the F4 …just huge speakers, I had three of them man. So the sound onstage was just unbelievable, sometimes almost deafening, but really-really good.”
Ray Shasho: When I chatted with Jon Anderson about ‘Relayer’ and its inspiration from Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace, Jon said … “It was a combination of the war as we understand it and where would we be ... can we live beyond war, and then I had to jump in the real chaos and savagery of war in order to come out at the other end with ‘soon, oh soon the light’ to wake us up emotionally and spiritually.”
Patrick Moraz: “I think the title… ‘Gates of Delirium’ was influenced by a book I was reading  when I started to rehearse with him and the rest of the band, especially the first weekend I got invited to join the band, it was also the weekend that Nixon resigned, so I remember it very well.
We were discussing news happening and so on…  Jon was telling me about that Tolstoy book ‘War and Peace,’ and I was reading a comic book, “DELIRIUS” (by Philippe Druillet) a very good cartoon but a very serious designer created from France, and that guy was actually working for a magazine and he wrote a book. The book had just been released and I was reading that to take my mind a little bit away from all the rehearsals and the seven albums I was going to have to learn before we went out on the road. Also all the things I was to contribute to “The Gates of Delirium,” “Sound Chaser” and “To Be Over” in the next six weeks. So I’m pretty sure that ‘Delirium’ came from those discussions I used to have with Jon Anderson, and I showed him the book of course, he couldn’t understand it because it was all in French. (All laughing)”
Ray Shasho: I chatted with the current keyboardist of ‘YES’ Geoff Downes recently as well… very nice guy with an incredible musical past as well with The Buggles and Asia.
Patrick Moraz: “I saw him on the cruise. Personally I think he did a fantastic job helping to recreate the three albums that were featured on the last couple of tours. With the new singer Jon Davison who is able to reach those notes and has a very good spirituality in him. I think Jon Anderson should be really happy and proud to have his music and songs re-performed the way they are now. I think it’s an honor to him every day.”
Ray Shasho: I was upset when Jon was let go from the band and all that transpired, and I told Chris Squire that when I spoke with him… I have to admit, I do miss Jon Anderson as the frontman of ‘YES.’ 
Patrick Moraz: “Of course … he’s one of two creators of the band at the time. I think his spirit will live forever because he was the creator of so many songs and most of those lyrics and melodies. I understand what you are saying but I think people will be absolutely happy and surprised by their new album with Jon Davison …‘Heaven and Earth.’
Ray Shasho: Patrick, you performed on Chris Squire’s ‘Fish Out of Water’ solo album.
Patrick Moraz:  “That’s right; it was also my first playing encounter with Bill Bruford.
I also did “Music for piano & drums” (1983) and “Flags” (1985) (Moraz - Bruford Albums) when I was still a member of The Moody Blues. I also contributed to Steve Howe’s album. In 1975 … I think I was very busy because we all had decided to do solo albums after ‘Relayer’ and the first tour. In the winter of 1975, I was contributing to ‘Fish Out of Water’ and arranging the chamber orchestra for Steve’s first solo album ‘Beginnings’ and preparing my recording as well, and I even did a cameo in Alan Whites video for his ‘Ramshackled’ album. 
Ray Shasho: Your solo release… ‘The Story of i’ (1976) was a magnificent album.
Patrick Moraz: “I had a lot of fun doing it; it took about four months to record. I was also able to give that first professional gig to one of the greatest bass players the planet has ever known… Jeff Berlin. He actually played on both sides of the album. The official name of ‘The Story of i’ was actually just ‘i’ and that’s why I had that logo which was the ninth letter of the Etruscan alphabet. It was actually by intention in the first minute of the opening piece of ‘i’ …there’s a large vocal section that we sang …John McBurnie and his girlfriend who was also in the backing vocals and all of us in the studio sang… ‘i’! That was actually the personification of the title of the album. But the record company told me … “Patrick, what do you want to do with a title with just a letter and a logo like that?  The album is great and we love it but since you wrote the story call it ‘The Story of i.’” He said, “With ‘i’ we’re not going to do any business.” Of course nowadays we’ve got iPhone, iMusic, iPhoto …i everything! I should have trademarked it. (All laughing)”
Ray Shasho: ‘The Story of i’ album is an intriguing concept and story.
Patrick Moraz: “It’s actually the concept of life and the afterlife and in a way an aspect of reincarnation that I was unveiling through that story. I wrote all the liner notes and did the cartoon on the original version of it when it was on vinyl. It really helped me as a plan to compose and arrange everything; I wanted to make it a whole piece of music in fourteen movements … or two pieces of music in seven movements each and I think that was well translated on vinyl. Of course recently it has been remastered and released, and I think it came out really well on the CD.”
Ray Shasho: You also inherited a Brazilian influence which you shared on the album?
Patrick Moraz: “Exactly! After the second tour with ‘YES’ in 1975 which finished in late August, I flew with my engineer to Brazil and all over South America. Even on the plane journey I was writing music and getting some ideas. When I arrived in Brazil I was able to find sixteen Brazilian percussionists, and each one having a different function. Later, I moved to Brazil and lived there for five years; even my daughter was born in Brazil. I was also able to learn how to speak Portuguese.”
Ray Shasho: “I watched you perform with ‘The Moody Blues’ for the ‘Long Distance Voyager’ Tour in 1981.
Patrick Moraz:  “After I did my second solo album called ‘Out in the Sun,’ with that long piece at the end of it called “Time for a Change, “which actually has some of the flavors of what I had recorded and composed for “Awaken,” in ‘Going for the One’ from ‘YES,’ I was associated with  them two years previous to the recording of ‘Going for the One’ and I had prepared with them all the material including some of the biggest tunes. In early 1977, I was able to secure the record contract for ‘Out in the Sun,’ which I wanted to be completely different and more liberated. Then I moved to Brazil for a year and half and was preparing my third album and was going to record it in Brazil and also Geneva, Switzerland. Then some agent called me, actually in Miami, and asked if I wanted to join a certain band, they didn’t say who it was.”

“When I arrived in Rio, I was staying in a hotel at that point because of logistics, and then on the telex machine I understood it was The Moody Blues. I immediately got their album and already new some of their material, especially from ‘Days of Future Past,’ which is actually the title that has been retrieved by X-Men nowadays in the movie. So I was invited to come to London on the 17th of July in 1978, a couple of days after the end of the Montreux Jazz Festival where I played. I was able to secure a place to play at the festival so it would help me in my travels and to meet The Moody Blues in London two days later. I was fortunate enough all these years to keep my roadie in London with my equipment in top shape. I used to always joke that I was probably one of the first musicians to say… ‘Have Keyboards, Will Travel’ (All laughing).”

“I arrived in London and met with The Moody Blues and they were very nice and within the next hour we managed to play three or four tunes including “Tuesday Afternoon,” “Nights in White Satin,” and “Legend of a Mind” the song written by Ray Thomas about Timothy Leary who eventually became a very good friend in the late 80’s. The first two years I was with The Moody Blues as a session man of course and I learned all the material and so on. We had the idea of recording and they asked me to join them in the studio at the very beginning of the 1980’s. From then on, I was able to stay with them another ten and a half years and record five studio albums including the first one with them…‘Long Distance Voyager’ and ‘The Present’ several years later, and ‘The Other Side of Life’ after that. Those ten years as a member with The Moody Blues were absolutely fantastic and I really enjoyed every note that I ever played with them in the studio and onstage. I am very proud of having been a member and probably the only musician who has been a member of both groups …’YES’ and ‘The Moody Blues.’”
Ray Shasho: You played several mellotrons while onstage with both groups?
Patrick Moraz:  “Absolutely! When I was with ‘YES’ I had in a way …designed for the mellotron makers to make me a double mellotron. I was the first to have a double mellotron. I remember with ‘YES’ I had three mellotrons and when I joined The Moody Blues I actually had four mellotrons onstage. They call it the Ancient Sampler because it was all analog, each key could produce three different sounds from A, B, and C, but since there was (35) keys on each mellotron keyboard you could have up to (105) sounds, which was extremely useful at the time. I’ve used the mellotrons not only with every Moody Blues album that I’ve done but also with some of my solo albums, and even the solo albums that I was able to play as instant composition in front of TV cameras. I’m talking about ‘Future Memories I and II,’ these were extraordinary for the time because there was no computers. When I joined The Moody Blues as well there were no computers or programs as such, so the mellotrons were the key instruments, also to be able to reintroduce and give the interpretation to their best known hits. And to play all the parts that Michael Pinder had played, who was a fantastic mellotron player, great musician, and remarkable gentleman. Unfortunately I hadn’t had the time or pleasure to meet for a long time, I only met him for a few minutes at the NAMM show in the 90’s. But the Moody Blues recognized the fact that other instruments were as important, I had an array of synthesizers, electric pianos, and moog synthesizers of the time … I had so many instruments it was just unbelievable!”
Ray Shasho: You must be embracing today’s technology in so many ways while working in the studio … do you record from home nowadays?
Patrick Moraz:  “Yes I do, I’m fortunate enough to be able to have somewhat of an expansion of my array of keyboards and computers and what I call the ‘space station,’ because I use Apple computers and have some Thunderbolts and screens …I use mainly Logic and Pro tools.”
Ray Shasho: Patrick, I understand you knew Salvador Dali, what was he like?
Patrick Moraz: “It was in 1964 and I was engaged by a company in the north of Spain around Cadaqués which was the village or the town where Port Lligat is situated, a few miles northeast, but on the sea, and that’s exactly where Salvador Dali was living. So I was engaged for two reasons …to be a scuba diving instructor and also to organize some shows and concerts. I was playing piano, vibraphone and so on… and I was able to go on the property of Salvador Dali and even organize some parties for several months. We became friends and he was also speaking in French to me although in Spain. He would be saying surrealistic phrases to me and that’s how I got immersed into his creativity. I was fortunate enough as well to go and mingle with the people who used to come around as well, but mostly with Salvador and his wife Gala. I was probably one of the rare people to be allowed in one of his own painting studios and watch him work. It was extraordinary!”
Ray Shasho:  I noticed a photo on your website with you on the set for the first ‘Predator’ movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger … that had to be awesome!
Patrick Moraz: “It was absolutely phenomenal. That picture was probably taken at the beginning of 1987. Joel Silver wanted me to fly to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where they were filming in the jungle and that’s where I met Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse Ventura, and Carl Weathers, and I spent about four days there. The day I arrived at Puerto Vallarta, Joel Silver was exuberant and the first thing he said to me was, “Patrick, I heard your music in New York and I was amazed,” and he said, “Guess what the good news is? The budget for the movie has been increased from 17 -million to 30- million dollars,” (Laughing) so it was a real celebration." 

"There was about 300 people all positioned in the jungle which was pretty thick above the mountains of Puerto Vallarta. Everybody was arriving by jeep or helicopter. The next day they were filming a scene with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers and there was also a scene including some parrots and chameleons. The parrots worked out fine but the chameleons would not change, so they flew in three chameleons in a helicopter from LA. Originally one of the assistant directors to John McTiernan the director, wanted to spray the chameleons but the ASPCA from Mexico said, “No-no Senor, you cannot do that.” We were laughing about it at the dinner later that night. Remember the scene when they attacked the guerrilla soldiers at their camp? I was almost a cameo appearing from the back, so they asked me to put on army fatigues because I was so close to the shooting.”

“I was supposed to be finishing the score for ‘Predator’ but The Moody Blues were going to Australia and having been with them for already nine years I didn’t want to let them down. The Producer Joel Silver had asked me to finish the score for ‘Predator’ during that period and even fly to somewhere like Romania or Czechoslovakia and finish the score with some aspect of a symphony orchestra. Eventually they changed that because I was not able to complete the score, I had done the temporary score for ‘Predator’ and I had just finished the full score for another movie called ‘The Stepfather’ with Terry O’Quinn.”
Ray Shasho: Patrick, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to perform or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?
Patrick Moraz: “I would immediately say Beethoven, Bach, and Mozart would be the most unbelievable in terms of the music. Also Stravinsky because he actually used to live in the town where I was born and forty years before that where he started to write ‘The Rite of Spring’ and had already written ‘The Firebird’ which was one of the music that we used to come onstage with ‘YES.’ He was also one of the main influences for some of the music that I have done. I would also have to include John Coltrane.”
“In terms of the movies … I would say Orson Welles, Stanley Kubrick, and Spielberg … or somebody of that imagination caliber, creativity, and genius …also some aspect of French directors like François Truffaut who had a big influence on me when I was a kid.”
“If there was only one spiritual entity which has always guided me my whole life it’s God.”
Ray Shasho: Patrick, anything else you’d like to promote?
Patrick Moraz: “I’d like to mention my ‘Windows of Time’ album recorded in 1993 at Full Sail University. I recorded it over a period of 72 hours, but recorded over 14 hours of piano, and nine months after that I was able to …with the help of a very good sound engineer and programmer to extract the essence of that music and make it into a one hour album. It’s the first CD at exactly 60 minutes or 3600 seconds  … My subsequent solo albums … ‘Resonance’ which is all piano and ‘ESP’ which is more classically oriented.”  
“I’m working on so many new projects …The M.A.P.” ("The Moraz - Alban Project”)is going to be a very big surprise for the listeners and fans. I also have most of the music for my upcoming CD entitled ‘A way to Freedom’ due in the very near future. I’ve also got some very interesting poems presented in different languages, and a Cantata in the final works for SATB Choirs in 7 movements which pay homage to ‘Our Planet.’ So, I’m really-really enjoying what I’m doing.”
Ray Shasho: Patrick, thank you so much for being on the call today, but more importantly for all the incredible music with ‘YES,’ ‘The Moody Blues’ you’re brilliant solo projects, and the sensational music you continue to bring.
Patrick Moraz: “Having an interview like yours on the day of my birthday is a gift from God. I’ve really enjoyed your questions so much and I hope we can meet when I come to Sarasota in the not so distant future.”


Very special thanks to ‘the great’ Billy James of Glass Onyon PR

COMING UP NEXT … Legendary keyboardist Keith Emerson (The Nice, Emerson, Lake & Palmer) … Robin Trower (Legendary guitarist and songwriter)… Don Wilson guitarist, pioneer, and co-founder of ‘The Ventures.’ … Country Music’s shining new star -19 year old Mary Sarah … And Folk/Rock singer & songwriter Jonathan Edwards (“Sunshine”).

Contact music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com   - Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.
 “Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his on-line classic rock music column. It’s a wonderful read for everyone!”    …stillerb47@gmail.com   

COMING SOON… Ray’s exciting new book project entitled
                             ‘SAVING ROCK AND ROLL’

                            © Copyright rayshasho.com. All Rights Reserved 




Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Darryl Way Interview: ‘Curved Air’ Electric Violin Legend Releases 'Cutting Edge' Prog- Rock CD


Exclusive Interview with Darryl Way (Co-founder of Curved Air)

By Ray Shasho

British progressive rock & classical music virtuoso Darryl Way has been perfecting his artistry and passion for the electric violin for over four decades. Way recognized that installing pickups underneath the strings of a violin would essentially operate it in the same way that an electric guitar works. After listening to ‘Children of the Cosmos’ Darryl Way’s latest CD, I’m thoroughly convinced that Way has accomplished his longtime artistic endeavor. 

‘CHILDREN OF THE COSMOS’ in essence is a one-man show starring progressive rocker Darryl Way. Way wrote all the music on the CD except for “Fire with Fire” which lyrics are written by Billy Lawrie, the brother of 60’s Scottish Pop singer, Lulu (“To Sir, with Love”). “Fire with Fire” is a powerful track that also spotlights the amazing vocals of Darryl Way’s Daughter, ‘Rosie.’ All instrumentation and melodies on the release are composed by Way, and for an added and rare bonus, Darryl elected to sing on the album. Way’s musical dexterity takes center stage on Children of the Cosmos.’ As in his earlier days with Progressive Rock legends ‘Curved Air,’ Way integrates his classical virtuosity with rock music. Way enjoys exploiting the latest technology while incorporating state-of-the-art synthesizers into his compositions and presenting the musical illusion of a full-sized orchestra. On many tracks, Way’s electric violin parallels performances of such prodigious guitarists as John McLaughlin or Jeff Beck. Way also captured Ravi Shankar’s distinguished Sitar on one of my favorite tracks on the CD entitled “Summer of Love.”
‘Children of the Cosmos’ is cutting edge technology composed & performed by a mastermind musician. It’s labeled a progressive rock album, but I’ll call it profound rock! ‘Children of the Cosmos’ by Darryl Way deserves (5) Stars!

CURVED AIR & BEYOND: Daryl Way studied violin at Dartington College and the Royal College of Music. Way met Francis Monkman at Orange Music Electronic Company in London while picking up his violin, the instrument had been modified to handle guitar pickups. When Darryl plugged in his newly configured electronic violin, it impressed Monkman who was also there visiting the store. The meeting began a successful musical collaboration that mutated from the band ‘Sisyphus’ into progressive rock legends ‘Curved Air.’ The band’s inaugural lineup featured … Sonja Kristina Linwood (lead vocalist), Darryl Way (violin, keyboards and vocals), Francis Monkman (guitars and keyboards), Florian Pilkington-Miksa (drums), and Rob Martin (bass guitar). Ian Eyre replaced Martin soon-after on bass.
‘Curved Air’ toured intensely while supporting bands like …Black Sabbath, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Deep Purple, and The Doors to name a few. The band also scored commercially with the Darryl Way co-penned hit “Back Street Luv” (1971) reaching #4 on the UK Singles charts.
In 1972, Curved Air split-up and Way formed ‘Darryl Way’s Wolf.’ Eddie Jobson replaced Way during several attempts to revive the group before joining Roxy Music. Way’s ‘Wolf’ recorded three albums before forming his next band ‘Stark Naked and the Car Thieves’ with future ‘Police’ drummer Stewart Copeland, Phil Kohn, George Hatcher, and Mick Jacques. The band disbanded when ‘Curved Air’ reformed in 1974. Copeland, Kohn, and Jacques eventually joined a reformed ‘Curved Air’ with Way and Sonja Kristina Linwood.

In 1978, Darryl Way performed on Jethro Tull’s ‘Heavy Horses’ album, Way played violin on the tracks “Heavy Horses” and “Acres Wild.”
Also in ’78 Way performed briefly with ‘Pierre Moerlen’s Gong.’
Darryl Way sporadically rejoined various ‘Curved Air’ lineups until 2009.
Way has also released eight proficient solo projects prior to ‘Children of the Cosmos’ …which may be his best recording to date.
I chatted with Darryl Way recently about … His new CD entitled ‘Children of the Cosmos’… The electric violin vs. the electric guitar …‘Curved Air’…Working with Ian Anderson and Jethro Tull, Playing with ‘Pierre Moerlen’s Gong’…My infamous ‘Field of Dreams’ question … and much more!

Here’s my interview with singer/songwriter/ pioneer and master of the electric violin/ and founding member of progressive rock legends ‘Curved Air’DARRYL WAY.
Ray Shasho: Darryl thank you for being on the call today, what part of the UK are you from?
Darryl Way: “We’re in the southwest, down in Devon (Devonshire), which is the peninsula if you’re looking at a map of the UK, the little bit that stands out at the bottom …and we’ve got sunshine here at the moment.”
Ray Shasho: Let’s talk first about your new CD ‘Children of the Cosmos’ … it absolutely blew me away! I’m thinking that it may be your best solo release to date.
Darryl Way: “That’s great, I’m so pleased, and I do think it’s one of my best works definitely. It’s taken me forty years to get there, but I got there eventually.”
Ray Shasho: Did you write all the lyrics and sing on the album?
Darryl Way: “Everything is my work except for “Fire with Fire” which the lyrics were written by Billy Lawrie who is Lulu’s Brother. The singing and instrumentation on the album is all me. It’s a bit of a one man show. It’s a kind of route that I’ve been going down for the last couple of years. I’ve been doing some singing just for fun. For the past ten years, I’ve been working with an ensemble called ‘Verisma’ which is a classical crossover band that features my compositions and violin playing with the operatic tenor vocals of Stephen Crook. So I’ve kind of taken a backseat in that direction for the last ten years, but it occurred to me that it would be quite nice if I could finish off my career by singing my own songs, and that’s what happened.”
Ray Shasho: “Fire with Fire” also features the beautiful singing voice of Rosie?
Darryl Way: “Rosie is my daughter. She has a lovely voice hasn’t she?”
Ray Shasho: It’s an extremely powerful track that could easily be a score to the next James Bond flick.
Darryl Way: “I wish it was, my financial woes would be done and dusted.”
Ray Shasho: Darryl you have a remarkable voice, did you also sing with Curved Air?
Darryl Way: “Yes, funny enough, before Sonja arrived I was the original lead singer. We were a band called ‘Sisyphus’ which was basically everybody except for Sonja, before we changed the name to ‘Curved Air.’ Then Sonja took over that job because it was thought that she did a better job than I did, and I quite agree, she definitely did. Then of course all the vocal harmonies with Curved Air were done by me as well.”
Ray Shasho: The title track ‘Children of the Cosmos’ is another favorite, have you released any of the tracks from the album as a single yet?
Darryl Way: “We haven’t no, not as of yet, I’ve just done the promotional video for ‘Children of the Cosmos’ which is on You Tube, but it’s not officially a single.”
Ray Shasho: The ‘Children of the Cosmos’ You Tube video is an extraordinary and mesmerizing musical & visual journey and definitely a must see for everyone!
Another track in which the melody parallels its title is … “Spooks.”
Darryl Way: “I’m very fond of “Spooks,” it was inspired by the American TV series ‘Homeland.’ It occurred to me watching that series what a dreadful life these people had to lead when in that business and what an awful game it was to be involved with espionage. So I just wrote something that reflected the kind of mood of that series.”
Ray Shasho: Stirring lyrics as in … ‘How do you sleep at night?’
Darryl Way: “Absolutely, how do they sleep at night?”
Ray Shasho: It’s truly amazing how much your violin can mimic a monstrous guitar player … so no need for electric guitarists with you around.
Darryl Way: “That was the idea to get rid of those guys (All laughing). But yea, that’s electric violin and something I’ve been perfecting for the past forty years. I’ve tried to perfect the idea of kind of stealing guitar riffs and transferring them to the violin. Also incorporating that blues feel and the slide that guitarist’s use, so I still have a lot of guitarist ideas shall we say. It has that guitar feel but you can still recognize it like a violin. So that is the effect that I wanted to achieve, so I’m glad that I have succeeded, that’s very heartwarming for me.”
Ray Shasho: Another amazing tune which really deserves airplay on mainstream radio is “Summer of Love,” a great track weighted by 60s psychedelic music imagery, and a violin performance that sort of mirrored Jeff Beck on guitar.
Darryl Way: “Yea wasn’t that nice? I was thinking more of Ravi Shankar or John McLaughlin when he went through his Indian phase. I thought I had to write something about my experiences in London during the summer of love. It was such a seminal period. There was that kind of feeling that it was a musical renaissance and looking back on it now I’m pretty sure it was. So much creativity came out of that period because of the youth movement or maybe the drugs, I just don’t know. I think it was also creative because people were inventing it. Rock music itself was being invented at that moment in time. We had rock and roll before that but rock music was definitely being pushed and began forming. The song basically says what I wanted to say about the rock movement that I was part of, and it was a sadness for us all because it didn’t last as long as it should have. The experimentation only lasted for a short period and so I kind of extrapolated what might have happened if it carried on and the kind of music that would have been created.”
Ray Shasho: Darryl did I detect Sitar playing on “Summer of Love”?
Darryl Way: “I’ll have to confess… they’re legitimate Indian scales but it is a synthesizer.
Ray Shasho: “Lagan Love” is a beautiful piece with an Ambient/New Age sensibility.
Darryl Way: “Lagan Love” is an Irish Folk song and I heard it sung by somebody I work with and I had a recording of it with this particular person who sang it. It was just such a spectacular tune. I felt what I wanted to do because it’s such a lovely, simple, folk, clear piece of music, and if you hear it sung it’s even better, just a lovely piece.”
Ray Shasho: Your years of classical training were brilliantly exhibited on the final track of ‘Children of the Cosmos’ entitled “Sergey.”
Darryl Way: “Sergey is paying homage to Prokofiev obviously, when I first started my career in music with Curved Air, I wrote a piece called “Vivaldi” and a homage to the composer Antonio Vivaldi, so I thought at the end of my musical career I’d like to pay homage to the other person in my life who I was very fond of and that was Prokofiev. I spent a lot of time practicing his violin concerto at college, which is very difficult and rarely played. The two pieces that are featured in “Sergey” …the first part is reference to his first symphony, the very fast movement at the end of the classical symphony, and the slow movement is sort of homage to the second violin concerto. I used the same chord and structure and just improvised a different line at top.”

“I stay abreast on the very latest technology because it gives me that feeling to be able to do the things I want to do here in the studio and fulfills all my needs basically. It’s nice to work with bands and other people, but from a creative point of view, it’s lovely to have these fantastic sound powers.”
Ray Shasho: Let’s talk ‘Curved Air’ … you wrote the haunting psychedelic rocker “Marie Antoinette” just A brilliant tune! Was “Propositions” your song as well?
Darryl Way: “Propositions” was written by Francis Monkman, he was always very keen with working on different time signatures and that’s one of the pieces he wrote. That was always a bit of a showstopper when we did it live.”
Ray Shasho: I like the story of how you first met your future ‘Curved Air’ bandmate Francis Monkman …
Darryl Way: “I was picking up my electric violin for the first time at a music store. We had this idea of putting guitar pickups underneath the metal strings, up until that time most of the violins had gut strings or wound gut strings and there was a company called Thomastick who developed all metal strings around the 70’s. We took it to this music shop named Orange on Denmark Street in the West End of London. So that gave suddenly the possibility if you had a pickup underneath the strings of a violin you could operate it in the same way that an electric guitar works. They said they’d do it and try and put it together. We gave them an old violin and they put the pickups underneath and that was the first day that I picked it up and plugged into an amplifier. Francis (Monkman) happened to be in the shop and he heard this great big noise coming from a tiny violin and he was very impressed. He was at the Royal Academy of Music and I was at the Royal College of Music and so that’s how we got together, and we swapped phone numbers. He had a couple of players that he was working with and I had a player that I was working with named Nick Simon who was an American studying music in London as a pianist. So we formed a band together called Sisyphus which was the beginnings of ‘Curved Air,’ and we were all trained musicians except for the bass player.”

“We were all inspired by the music that was happening around us, at that time there was The Nice with Keith Emerson and he was obviously leading towards classical music, and King Crimson with Robert Fripp … there was a feeling amongst us crossover musicians that we had that little window of opportunity to get involved in popular and rock music, and that was the liberating thing for us.”
Ray Shasho: Why do you think “Back Street Luv” (#4 UK singles chart) was selected to be mainstream radio’s hit song?
Darryl Way: “I don’t really know… Warner Brothers probably just decided that they were going to push a single and that was the one. In those days you looked down your nose at having a hit single because we were an album band. But to sell albums you still had to have a hit single, and that’s what Warner Brothers thought I think. So they really pushed that and made it a hit, which we were all grateful.”
Ray Shasho: You had several bands after ‘Curved Air’ including … ‘Darryl Way's Wolf’ and ‘Stark Naked and the Car Thieves’?
Darryl Way: “That’s when I got together with Stewart Copeland, because after ‘Wolf’ I was managed by Miles Copeland. Miles said my brother is a drummer, why don’t you try getting together with him. So Stuart and I had a jam in a basement at Miles’ house in London. It was a very strange jam if you could imagine … Stuart on drums and me on violin jamming in a basement. But I quickly realized that he was a very talented drummer. We created a band with George Hatcher on vocals, Phil Kohn on bass and Mick Jacques on guitar. The band was very blues orientated and we did one gig only before Miles decided to put ‘Curved Air’ back together. So Curved Air went back on the road again and Stewart Copeland came with us as our road manager. After the original lineup did the reunion tour, the drummer and bass player didn’t want to carry on, so we used Phil Kohn on bass and Stewart came in on the drums.”
Ray Shasho: You played on one of my favorite Jethro Tull albums ‘Heavy Horses’ (1978) …talk about working with Ian Anderson.
Darryl Way: “When we were touring America we toured with Jethro Tull. Ian and I got along quite well and we also socialized when we weren’t on tour. He decided that he wanted to have a violin on the album and so he chose me to do it. Ian Anderson was very specific what I should play and quite a perfectionist and everything had to be exactly the way he wanted it. I haven’t seen him for decades but we use to hang out in the old days. Of all the bands that we toured with in the 70’s, the biggest reaction I’ve ever seen by an audience was with Jethro Tull.”
Ray Shasho: You worked with ‘Gong’ for awhile as well?
Darryl Way: I can only really remember doing a gig, we did a festival in Paris and I can’t remember the recording session. We also did a live television show on ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ and that was ‘Pierre Moerlen’s’ Gong, and to be brutally honest with you … I was struggling with it because I’m not a jazz player. I admire the art form but not able to play it. I was very uncomfortable taking over for Didier Lockwood who played with Stéphane Grappelli, that kind of playing is very tricky or very clever. I don’t have that style up my sleeve, so I was a bit of a fish out of water with that band.”
Ray Shasho: Darryl, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play, sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?
Darryl Way: “Oh gosh that’s a hard one! The ones I’m thinking about are all too hot and I don’t want to play alongside people who will make me look like shit! (All laughing) It would be nice to do something with Keith Emerson, to perform with Paganini perhaps, would have loved to do something with Johnny Mac, John McLaughlin, Jerry Goodman, and for a drummer …King Crimson’s Michael Giles.”
Ray Shasho: Who is your favorite electric violinist?
Darryl Way: “Well Jerry Goodman is the one that I think really cut the mustard. Jerry was on the same kind of path as I was and really wanted to play the violin in the same way the electric guitar was developing. He can play jazz but he’s a rock violinist. I’d say Jerry Goodman was my favorite.”
Ray Shasho: Do you have plans for touring any time soon?
Darryl Way: “I did a bit with ‘Curved Air’ recently … but as age has approached touring is not my cup of tea really, but I do want to do a few gigs, that’s for sure.”
Ray Shasho: Darryl, thank you for being on the call today but more importantly for all the incredible music you’ve given us with ‘Curved Air’ and continue to bring us.
Darryl Way: “Ray thank you very much indeed.”

Purchase Darryl Way’s superlative new CD entitled ‘Children of the Cosmos’ at amazon.com
Darryl Way official website
Darryl Way on Myspace
Curved Air official website
Very special thanks to ‘the great’ Billy James of Glass Onyon PR

Coming up NEXT … Legendary Classic Rocker Edgar Winter (“Frankenstein,” “Free Ride”),
UP Coming InterviewsDon Wilson guitarist, pioneer, and co-founder of ‘The Ventures’… Keyboard extraordinaire Patrick Moraz (YES/The Moody Blues)… Al Kooper (The Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Bob Dylan, and responsible for the success of Lynyrd Skynyrd… Country Music’s shining new star -19 year old Mary Sarah … Folk/Rock singer & songwriter Jonathan Edwards (“Sunshine”).

Contact classic rock music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com - Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he can continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.
“Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his on-line classic rock music column on examiner.com. It’s a wonderful read for everyone!”stillerb47@gmail.com


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