There's a future for 12 Monkeys!

It's official - 12 Monkeys has been renewed by SyFy for another season...

pic.twitter.com/S4hEZte4mu

— Terry Matalas (@TerryMatalas) June 29, 2016

But this poses an interesting question: given Trevor's current and future involvement in ARW, will he be available for scoring duties, or will Paul have to go it alone?

This date in Yesstory: a 9012Live must-have

In the summer of 1984, YesWest made a triumphant run in Western Europe, and one of those dates comprises the best document of the 9012Live tour save the concert film itself.  When I saw the footage of the June 24th show at the Westfalenhale in Dortmund, Germany - having received a copy from my Rabid Rabinite BFF fiendish_thingy back in 2009 - I was astounded by the quality and clarity of the sound and images.  It was hard to believe the film was twenty-five years old at that point, the source must have been directly from the broadcast master.  The show was filmed with at least a four-camera setup, and there are lots of great close-ups. The only drawback is that the footage comprises only six songs rather than the full show.  However, considering that planning for 9012Live was likely underway by that time, it's not surprising that the band and management only allowed for a portion of the performance to be aired.

This particular date, besides being professionally-filmed and recorded for broadcast, was memorable due to the special guest appearance of Jimmy Page, who joined the band during the encore for a rendition of The Beatles' classic "I'm Down."

Audio from this performance was also included in 9012Live: The Solos - "Si/Solly's Beard" and "Soon" were used.  Although you can view the footage on YouTube (see above) I would highly recommend to collectors that they obtain their own copy - it looks so amazing it deserves to be viewed on a big screen.

Big news about a Big Mess

Today those crazy kids in GROUPLOVE announced the upcoming release of their third album - which they were referring to as #tonequest in social media updates - Big Mess, on September 9th.  Father and son will both be on tour this fall, with Ryan and his bandmates undertaking their worldwide jaunt beginning in August with some dates in the Pacific Rim and concluding in mid-November in the Southwest.

The album's first single "Welcome To Your Life" will be released on July 15th.  In a new interview bassist Daniel Gleason noted that half the album was produced with Phil Ek at his studio Avast in Seattle.

The album trailer can be viewed here:

Owner of a classic guitar

As spotted on Instagram yesterday...
A few inferences could be made from the post I have embedded:
- Line 6 is creating a Variax modeling based on the Strat, and not only recreating the sound of the guitar, but the original styling of it as well - though with a few differences as long-time fans can immediately spot.  Does this mean we'll see a Trevor Rabin Stratocaster Variax model in the coming year?  It would certainly be a cool (and coveted) collectible for many Rabinites.
- This is noted as a "Helix hang" so it could be that Trevor will be using the master processor/controller on the upcoming tour.  And/or perhaps some of his classic tones will be added to their effects library.
- Possibly the Strat has been given a face lift of sorts before she hits the road!  Or a replica has been created so as not to put the original at risk due to the rigours of traveling...none of us are as young as we used to be, after all.  (Actually, the restoration had been mostly accomplished prior to this, if you examine the Strat in the portrait photo of Trevor from the Jacaranda booklet, it's primarily the same.)

We had an awesome Helix hang with an artist today #helix #line6 #variax #trevorrabin #yes #ownerofalonelyheart  #90125 @trevorrabin @yesofficial #electricguitar #guitarist

A photo posted by Line 6 (@official_line6) on Jun 14, 2016 at 5:27pm PDT

Media Watch: new interview on WOAI website

An ongoing series wherein I comment on Trevor's recent publicity.

What appears to be the first official interview with Trevor regarding ARW has been published today.
http://news4sanantonio.com/news/entertainment/trevor-rabin-talks-about-reuniting-with-former-yes-bandmates

Various subjects are discussed, such as the motivation behind the project, his role in YesWest and the development and recording of their most popular song, as well as his foray into film scoring.  Trevor does confirm a few things previously mentioned by Jon and Rick, such as Chris' passing providing a more urgent motivation.

"Chris and I were friends throughout the years. Every couple of years, he would always ask me if I wanted to come back to the band," he said. "I was in touch with Chris every day until his death."
"Chris' passing made me think that life is short and that if the three of us were ever going to work together, now was the time. We all agreed that we've got to do this."

Trevor also comments on the status of the new music:

"I don't want to rush these songs," he said. "We've had offers from different record companies, but we've said no. We want control over the vision for our songs. Once you start listening to record company executives, then you lose sight of what you wanted to do in the first place."

The article concludes with an enthusiastic comment from Trevor regarding the upcoming tour:

"We're very excited to get out and play live," he said. "Our fans are very special to us and we have set the bar high for what they'll experience in concert. This is a journey that has been a long time coming for all of us. We're not going to waste or take any moment for granted."

A sunny seaside Sunday afternoon with the symphony

It was chilly and overcast this past Sunday as I undertook the long drive North toward the coast to attend Concert on the Bluffs at Malibu Bluffs Park, the first-time event produced by the Malibu Cultural Arts Commission.  But the sun came out once I exited onto Pacific Coast Highway, ensuring a glorious blue-sky day for the concert.  At the venue - which is across the street from Pepperdine University - the general-admission audience of all ages spread out on the grass with blankets and beach chairs, picnic baskets and coolers, in a relaxed atmosphere similar to orchestral concerts at the Hollywood Bowl.  A number of food trucks were also on hand for those who did not bring their own fare.  The stage was set for the 35-piece orchestra (comprised of members of three different local orchestras, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and conducted by Scott Hosfeld, director of the Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra) and guest performers.  The shimmering blue Pacific Ocean and rolling hills of Malibu served as the beautiful backdrop.

Tickets were completely sold out a few days prior to the concert, and considering that the proceeds are going to support the cause of furthering the interest in and promotion of cultural events in the City of Malibu, it was good news for all involved.

Of course my readers all know why I was attending...and it was a family affair: Trevor, his sister Amanda, and his niece Indiana were all participants in the event, and the Rabin extended family was in attendance.  But the participation of all the performers and organizers was certain to ensure it would be a unique and entertaining afternoon of music and dance.  I was primarily excited for the opportunity to hear Trevor's music performed live in an orchestral setting, as well seeing Indiana dance to her mother's choreography.

The guest musicians/composers on hand besides Trevor were Maria Newman and Marco Beltrami, also both involved with film/television scoring as well as orchestral composition and performance.  And as an article in the Malibu Surfside News noted prior to the event, Newman (who was also the concertmaster) was able to enlist the assistance of her cousin Randy to expand the orchestra to a size suitable for the performance of the programming.

Trevor's entry in the concert programme.

Trevor did not perform in the concert, but his composition "Duet for Violin and Piano" was the fourth piece on the program, though it was performed differently than written, with piano and flute.  As he wrote in the accompanying programme notes:

Inspired by the wind in the trees and forests.  This piece just came to me in the middle of the night and I went into the studio to write it down.  So happy it is being played outdoors!

I had a chance to speak with Trevor and in response to my query he noted the piece has been previously recorded, but this may have been its' first public performance.  "Duet" definitely has a gentle pastoral meditative air to it, with a sense of light and shadow, capturing a perfectly peaceful moment in time.

After Newman's "Fanfare ad Omnes" and introductory remarks from Mayor Laura Rosenthal - who called for a moment of silence for the victims of the Orlando nightclub attack - Indiana claimed the first spotlight of the show with a solo performance set to an orchestral arrangement of Sting's "Shape of My Heart" (originally from his album Ten Summoner's Tales) and the combined talents of mother and daughter provided a beautifully lyrical and expressive interpretation of the mood of the song.
You can watch her performance here:
https://www.facebook.com/mbellomcdaniels/videos/10209809600147244/
Indiana's assurance and grace in performance belies her years and I remarked to her Aunt Shelley that I fully expect Indiana to be advanced to a soloist spot within the next year.

Indiana Woodward performing.  

(Trevor is seated on the far left in black t-shirt and blue hat.)

As you can see in this video posted on the City of Malibu's Facebook page -
https://www.facebook.com/CityofMalibu/videos/1306255729404099/
- the next dance sequence, set to excerpts from Aaron Copeland's suite Appalachian Spring (Ballet for Martha), showcased the talents of Indiana along with her fellow NYCB corps member Emilie Gerrity and principal dancer Amar Ramasar.  This pas de trois was choreographed by principal dancer Joaquin De Luz and framed these three as a graceful trio, making good use of their entire space.

The dancing was bookended by De Luz towards the end of the program, with his signature solo piece (created by New York City-based choreographer David Fernandez) Five Variations on a Theme, which was set to the third movement of Bach's Violin Concerto in G Minor and simply astounded the audience, which broke into spontaneous applause throughout to witness De Luz' mastery of the form.

#concertonthebluffs #nycballetdancer @jdeluz23 #onthebluffs #malibubeach #malibu #malibujewishcenter #healthylifestyle #lifestyle #happy #healthy #love #gratitude

A video posted by Malibu Beach Pilates (@malibubeachpilates) on Jun 13, 2016 at 6:07am PDT

On the musical front, the contributions from Newman and Beltrami were stylistically different but equally compelling.  Newman's Lux Aerterna was a tour-de-force of emotional evocation and her performance on violin was incredibly moving.  Beltrami's suite from his Oscar-nominated score for 3:10 to Yuma contained - as he noted in his introduction to the piece - unusual sounds and instruments and had never been publicly performed as close to the way it was created and recorded until this concert.  He stated in the programme notes "the music is an homage to the great spaghetti westerns of the past."  The performance featured Beltrami on piano, his son Tristan on guitar, and violinist/vocalist Lili Haydn (who some might remember as Trevor's fictional bandmate in Jack Frost).

Following the 3:10 to Yuma suite was a rendition of Tchaikovsky's concerto Variations on a Rococo Theme with 17-year-old cellist Hua Huang as the featured soloist, and his virtuosity on his chosen instrument illuminated his status as a rising star of classical music.

The concert concluded with the familiar strains of the 20th Century Fox Fanfare, which was composed by Maria Newman's father Alfred, followed by John Williams' iconic "Main Theme/Overture" from Star Wars, originally composed for Episode IV: A New Hope.  Williams composed the Main Theme as an extension of Newman's Fanfare, thus they are a natural pairing in live performance.

As all the composers and performers took a final bow, the audience rising to its' feet in recognition of their efforts, it was obvious that this event was wholly a success - with thanks to all involved - and hopefully that success will extend into future years to provide enjoyment and cultural enhancement to the City of Malibu and all who enjoy their classical entertainments al fresco.

As the tall guy Trevor always ends up in the middle of the pack.

Media Watch: the W in ARW meets the press

Rick Wakeman's GORR for June was posted yesterday, and he noted: "I’m writing this one whilst waiting for six consecutive phone interviews to come in from America regarding ARW!"  The first of those interviews was published today on the Ultimate Classic Rock website.  I suspect that the majority of these exchanges will contain similar content so I decided to comment on this article, and if any other interviews reveal something unique, then comment will follow on from there.

Here is the link to the interview for those who have not yet read it:
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/rick-wakeman-interview-2016/

Rick begins with a comment on information about the trio "leaking out" -

“It leaked out, what we were going to do, as things always do,” he says. “But what stunned us all was the response that we got when it leaked out. I mean, all of our individual websites, Facebooks and Twitters and whatever, went absolutely crazy with so much warmth and love and support from the Yes fans everywhere.[...]"

Admittedly I am a bit mystified regarding what he is referring to.  Most fans are familiar with how this project had been initially revealed back in 2010, via Rick's UK radio show Planet Rock.  And in fact his announcement and subsequent discussion is exactly why the three principles have been frequently asked about the status of the project over the past five years (I was one of the few interviewers who did not ask Trevor about it during the promotional cycle for Jacaranda).  During the first week of January, Trevor was the one who provided what many considered more concrete - albeit brief - statements of intent for the project via his Facebook page.  So as far as I can tell, the only "leaks" are from the actual people involved, which would tend to put those mentions in the "sanctioned" category instead.

The next interesting tidbit involves news of the new album:

There has been talk of new music as part of the reunion, but Wakeman downplays that a bit, saying that they’re focused on the planning of the tour as their main priority presently. “Trevor, quite rightly, said ‘Hey guys, we’re not going to rush into all of this. This is nuts. It’s going to take us enough hard work to put a great show together.’” he recalls.

This turn of events does not surprise me, especially when we consider that - after two years of work - Trevor was only half-finished with his next solo album when he decided to shelve it for the time being in order to focus on ARW.  I was rather skeptical that an album could be pulled together in six months, regardless of how many ideas had been traded in five years.  As the producer as well as performer and composer, Trevor's process moves at its' own pace, and the results prove its' competency.  But Rick does verify what Jon Anderson has been stating in recent interviews regarding the re-imagining of Yes classics for their setlist:

“One of the things that we want to do with the music is look at each of the tracks individually and look at the strengths and highlights of each of the tracks and try to take it to another level,” he says. “We don’t want to do it as it was on the record or indeed, as Yes music has always sort of been played. We want to try and take it to another level. But we’re certainly not taking away all of the elements and the sound that the songs made.”

Another continuing (and hotly-debated) discussion in fandom regards the members of the touring band, but Rick wasn't entirely forthcoming:

Wakeman says they’re still working on who’ll play drums and bass, as well as a secondary guitarist and keyboardist. Those additional members should be announced soon.

However, earlier this year Rick's son Adam confirmed in an interview that he had been approached to take on the support role for keyboards, but had to decline due to prior commitments with Black Sabbath.  So it has been known to fans that support players will be involved in addition to the rhythm section.  Thus the speculation continues, although the smart money is on Trevor's long-time rhythmic companion Lou Molino III to be the one installed behind the kit.

Trevor vs. Trevor: "Solly's Beard"

A continuing series wherein I indulge my love of yammering on about permutations of Trevor's body of work in performance.

Every so often I encounter opinions regarding Trevor's playing which I find thought-provoking, and having discovered one particular proclamation during all the years of my continuing search for stuff, I've given it Serious Consideration...

Which, in fact, is the best available version of "Solly's Beard?"

This of course raises the consideration of conclusive statements - how can anyone, even an avid fan, be in a position to ponder and therefore assign that particular value judgment?  What kind of critical assessment credentials would one need to possess?  Granted, I have many live recordings in my collection which allow me to discern degrees of excellence in Trevor's performances during the YesWest era, but I find such a proclamation to be a slippery slope indeed if for no other reason than one's opinion is simply that.

But it's a good excuse to write about this particular composition as it is - in the opinion of many - one of the classics of Trevor's oeuvre.  Thus I listened to numerous versions of "Solly's Beard" from every tour in which it was performed (as an example of the depth and breadth of my research, I heard the first time it was played on tour in 1984 and one of the last times it was played in 1992) and I will discuss the manner in which the composition developed over time as well as choose the performance I believe is the best.  I will assert, however, that it's difficult to quantify such a judgment because as a performance piece "Solly's Beard" was meant to evolve and progress and was subject to the external influences of live performance: the mood of the performer, the mood of the crowd, considerations of technicality and pacing and equipment functionality, what Trevor had for lunch that day...anything at all which might affect the way he played the piece on any given night.  Even as many iterations might sound largely the same, each one was strictly meant to reflect a particularly unique moment in time.  And to keep it interesting for Trevor as a performer meant that changes - whether subtle or obvious - were incorporated over time.

"Solly's Beard" was, as long-time fans know, quickly developed as a setpiece by Trevor for the first YesWest tour in 1984, as an interesting acoustic change of pace, whereas all the other solo spots are performed with the musician's primary instrument (and in combinations, thus we have "Si/Solly's Beard" with Tony and Trevor, and what came to be known as "Whitefish" which is Chris and Alan's solo section).  The original body of the piece remained mostly unchanged - save for the vagaries of performance - from 1984 through 1988, on two tours (9012Live and The BIG Tour).  This was likely a concession to the length and pacing of the show overall.  For the club tour of 1989 and the Around the World in Eighty Dates tour of 1991-92, the piece became longer and incorporated a few different genre nods, as by 1991 Trevor was performing it on a different guitar than previous, a white Yairi DY-88.

Trevor performing "Solly's Beard" on the The BIG Tour, 1988.

Embed from Getty Images

But that was the last time Trevor was to play the ode to his dog, as during the Talk tour of 1994 he decided on performing a piano piece instead, playing a long solo specifically for keyboards which then segued into "And You and I," transposing the introduction for that song to keys.

In my considered opinion "Solly's Beard" is not merely a solo which could be played on either acoustic or electric - Trevor was very specific in expression and tonality in regards to the instrument he chose.  The piece was an exercise in the fusion of classical and jazz styles for acoustic guitar, quoting a number of influences, though at that particular time I maintain his primary influence was that of John McLaughlin.  I've heard early renditions of the piece (from the first month of the '84 tour) and it was thoroughly focused on a jazz/classical fusion even when compared to versions later on in the tour.  In 2012 I experienced a thrill of warm nostalgia to actually view up close the Martin acoustic guitar he originally used for the piece - as Trevor was departing his appearance at the Guitar Center in Sherman Oaks he kindly took the time to show it to those of us still chatting in the parking lot (he had brought it in for repair at an earlier date).  He made special note of its provenance for the fans gathered before him, and we appreciated learning about its' particular role in YesWest history. Trevor also kept the stool he sat on to play "Solly's Beard" - any photo or footage you see of Trevor in The Jacaranda Room likely includes that very piece of furniture, such as this shot of the Maestro and his drumming BFF Lou Molino.

Having listened to a number of live recordings from 1984-85 and 1987-88, it allows me to state that the officially-released versions are sufficient in terms of hearing an example which Trevor would likely consider the "classic" style in which the piece was meant to be heard, with the version on the reissue of Live In L.A. possessing the best sound quality and therefore the best of officially-sourced audio from that period.

During the club tour of '89 Trevor took the piece to a whole other level, becoming a bit more indulgent because - after all - he could, teasing other songs in the midst of it.  During the Toronto performance, for example, he included a bit of Cream's "Sunshine Of Your Love."  This practice would be the precursor to his inclusion of "Dueling Banjos" during the '91 performances.  Reportedly, when Trevor and Shelley became naturalized U.S. citizens in May of 1991, he even incorporated a bit of "The Star-Spangled Banner" into the piece.  I believe Trevor also lengthened the piece to include elements which would allow further engagement with the audience, to get them cheering and clapping along, and as you can see with his performance in Denver on the Eighty Dates tour that's exactly how they responded.

There is also now a version on Union Live from 1991 which reflects the changes he incorporated, as the piece is nearly two minutes longer than previous versions; I believe it represents the pinnacle of the evolution of the piece and as such, is to my mind the best.  I appreciate the genre-hopping and touches of humor he incorporates into the montage of references - as he moves from classical to jazz to country to funk to shred to classical to bluegrass.  There is less of an emphasis on speed and more nuance in Trevor's playing overall, which illustrates the general development of his taste and abilities in constant reassessment and striving for excellence.  But by the time the Eighty Dates tour reached Japan, Trevor's performance circled back to its' origins in that those versions represented a more "classic" iteration, longer than previous but with less stylistic variations.

But in the end my opinion is only my opinion, and thus I've included clips of some of those performances so you, dear readers, can judge for yourselves...

9012Live: The Solos (6/24/84):

Live In L.A. (from 1984):

Hollywood, Florida 1/24/88:

Union Live (8/8/91):