On Air

Captain Phil's Planet playlist for 06/06/2019

ArtistTitleAlbum (* = New Release)
Basta!L'uomo CannoneElemento Antropico*
AdventAlison WaitsCantus Firmus
AdventAwaiting the CallCantus Firmus
AdventRomantisSilent Sentinel
PhideauxFrom Hydrogen to LoveInfernal*
Emerson Lake & PalmerThe BarbarianEmerson Lake & Palmer
Emerson Lake and PalmerFanfare for the Common ManThe Return of the Manticore
Emerson Lake and PalmerKarn Evil9The Return of the Manticore
Flying ColorsBlue OceanFying Colors
IZZDon't PanicDon't Panic*
The TangentSuppers OffProxy*

WUSB Radio 90.1FM and 107.3fm
www.wusb.fm to stream or use the Tune In app on your favorite streaming device (Now on ROKU!)

Calling in during the 3pm hour Alan Benjamin of Advent and the New Jersey Proghouse to talk about the band and the upcoming NJ Proghouse Hootenanny on June 15th and 16th.

Then in the 4pm hour Robert Shepard of Manticore calling in to talk about the June 8th 89 North show featuring Manticore, an ELP Tribute also featuring local Prog Rockers Callooh Callay!
https://www.facebook.com/events/2305314216459416/

All this and the best new Prog on Long Island. Captain Phil's Planet!

Advent http://www.adventmusic.net
Perhaps a modern equivalent to the symphonic side of classic English progressive-rock groups like Gentle Giant, (early) Genesis, and Procol Harum, but with a little Tubes-style funk and the occasional jazz-rock flourish as well, Advent seeks to blend true classical-quality composition with the excitement and dynamics of rock music. Initially formed over 20 years ago as a collaboration between guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Alan Benjamin and keyboardist/vocalist/composer Henry Ptak, with keyboardist/vocalist Mark Ptak (Henry’s brother) joining upon his graduation from the Berklee College of Music about a year later, this early incarnation of the group quickly developed a demo tape that received an extraordinary amount of praise at the time—including a lengthy write-up in the original (printed) version of the Gibraltar Encyclopedia of Progressive Rock and serious interest from major labels Polygram and EMI Classical.

As a result of the band’s participation in two Gentle Giant tribute projects—the independently released Giant Tracks (alongside such talented artists as Kevin Gilbert and Mike Keneally) and Giant for a Life, which was organized and released on the Italian label Mellow Records—Advent received an enthusiastic offer to press its self-titled debut album as well, with Mellow releasing the CD in April of 1997. In spite of the sonic limitations associated with its rather modest production, the album was greeted with numerous accolades and also sold out more quickly than just about any other title in Mellow’s expansive catalog. After working on a tune for ESPN Classic (which they featured in a Flyers-vs.-Capitals game) and another tribute recording (The Best of the Whalers, a double-CD tribute to Procol Harum), the group concentrated nearly all its efforts on creating a second album that would expand and improve significantly upon the first, both in terms of creativity and audio fidelity. With the addition of accomplished jazz drummer Drew Siciliano, Advent completed this effort, culminating in the release of Cantus Firmus in 2006—a CD that received a host rave reviews (including one in the March 2007 issue of Guitar Player magazine), as well as impressively high rankings in several “best of 2006” lists.

Feeling very strongly that it was time to bring the band’s music to a live setting, Advent rehearsed intensely for a series of concerts that began with a much-heralded debut at the New Jersey Proghouse in May of 2007. Since that time, the group has gone on to deliver striking performances at ProgDay (the world’s longest-running annual prog festival, held in North Carolina) and the Bowery Poetry Club (NYC)—and has also helped to kick off a series of progressive-rock shows at the North Star Bar (Philadelphia) and a brand new festival in Connecticut called MARPROG. During this time, Advent’s then-expanded six-piece lineup also recorded “Canto XXVI (The Evil Counselors)” for the Colossus/Musea Dante’s Inferno 4-CD concept compilation—another effort which has generated a significant amount of recognition. Armed with a powerful new rhythm section of Joe D’Andrea (drums/vocals/violin) and Brian Mooney (bass/vocals), the group has spent the last few years refining its live performance and composing groundbreaking material for the new album, Silent Sentinel, which was officially released on August 11, 2015.

Manticore https://www.facebook.com/pg/ManticoreNY
A 4 piece, NY/NJ based band paying tribute to the extraordinary musical legacy left by the late Keith Emerson, Greg Lake & still surviving Carl Palmer.

Biography
Rob Shepard - Keys
Born a poor sharecropper’s son in the wilds of deepest, darkest Brooklyn, Rob currently resides in lovely, lyrical, Lynbrook, Long Island. A piano student from age 4, Rob has played in many bands (and types of bands) in his 58 odd years. He’s played in innumerable cover bands doing classic rock, funk, R&B & blues. His avocations, however, have always been toward prog & fusion. In recent years, he’s formed several groups, most notably, Morse Code & AfterLife. Morse Code played small venues doing the best of the Dixie Dregs & Steve Morse, King Crimson, Return to Forever, Flash and post-PG Genesis. AfterLife focused on ELP, Yes, Genesis, Rush, Kansas, Saga & UK and was playing small theaters before disbanding in 2008. Rob joined & played with Rael - the Music of Genesis in 2014 recreating the keyboard artistry of Tony Banks. He was with Rael for 3 1/2 years, but after the tragic passing of Keith Emerson & Greg Lake in 2016, Rob felt the need to pay homage to the brilliant legacy of the musical phenomenon, Emerson, Lake & Palmer.
Rob uses a Yamaha S-80, Yamaha S-30 and an Alesis Micron.

Glenn Dove - Percussion
From the moment he struck his first toy drum at age 3, Glenn Dove became obsessed with music. Over 50 years of drumming later, Glenn is a seasoned player with an extensive and prolific music career. Hailing from Queens, NY, Glenn's professional work in the music business began with the popular Long Island rock group, B.B. "N" Stars, from 1976-78.
In 1978, Glenn joined Ram Jam, known for their internationally-acclaimed hit "Black Betty" as well as their Gold-Selling LPs, "Ram Jam" and "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Ram," on Epic Records. With Ram Jam, Glenn toured the nation playing theaters and arenas while also connecting with the musicians and producers (the quintessential bubblegum-era duo, Jerry Kasenetz and Jeff Katz) who would go on to form Speedway Blvd in 1980.
Speedway Blvd released a self-titled LP on Epic Records, which musically consisted of a blend between AOR, new wave, and progressive rock styles. As drummer and a founding member of Speedway Blvd, Glenn worked alongside Dennis Feldman (who worked with Glenn previously in Ram Jam, and would go on to play bass for Balance) and Jordan Ruddess (who would go on to be an iconic member of the pioneering prog-metal act Dream Theater, as well as Liquid Tension Experiment, the Ruddess/Morgenstein Project, and the Dixie Dregs, among others).
During the mid- to late-80's, Glenn explored projects within the evolving new wave genre. In 1984, he founded The Rebekka Frame along with Nicky Garratt (the U.K. Subs) and Perry Michaels, which released an LP, "Haystacks," on Revolver/EMI in 1986. From 1987-89 he played with the new wave group Return to Zero.
From the mid-90's to the present day, Glenn has focused mostly on studio sessions, club-date work, and tribute-band gigs around New York and the Tri-State Area. This notably included AFTERLIFE, a Long Island-based Prog Rock tribute show from 2005-08, and currently includes The Breakfast Club, an 80's Dance cover group that regularly plays around Long Island and the boroughs.

Bob Trewhella - Vocals & guitar
When first I arrived on this planet, I was lost, confused, and disoriented. I stumbled through fields, streams, and forests, searching for signs of remotely intelligent life. I stumbled upon a filling station in a rural area, and heard the dulcet tones of Greg Lake's voice singing "Lucky Man" emanating from the car speaker of a '61 Studebaker. I new at that moment that I had to continue to bring that brilliance to this world.
I also like Chinese cold sesame noodles, long walks on a beach, and thunderstorms. My favorite color is blue.

Ed Wenzel - Bass
Ed’s love affair with music began at an early age. At 17, his band Albion was discovered by the management of the Fillmore East. This in turn lead to interest from Mercury Records, recording in their Manhattan studios. It also opened the door to great opportunities to see & absorb many other types of music.
Soon after, Ed went on to form the band Flyer with Cyndi Lauper. They played together for many years & are still friends, as noted in her bestselling book: A Memoir.
Following Flyer, Ed joined Elmo Duncan, playing the after-show parties for Saturday Night Live. He has since played and shared the stage with many world renowned artists such as Mark Farner, Charlie Daniels, Alvin Lee, Roger Earl (Foghat), Hermans Hermits, Andrew Carillo (Joan Osborn), Eliot Lewis (Hall and Oates), Frank Carillo (Peter Frampton) and Golden Earring.
He’s currently a member of The Red, White and Blues Band. A well respected, recording blues band with several CD’s to their credit & a reputation allowing them to open for ZZ Top at the Nikon Theater at Jones Beach in 2016.
In addition, Ed’s close friendship with noted rock photographer John Belissimo allowed him to be up front or back stage with many famous rock bands, most notably ELP, who left an indelible impression on him.
So it is with great pleasure that Ed joins Manticore - a Tribute to ELP and looks forward to seeing many many of you at upcoming shows!!!

Previewing music from the upcoming NJ Proghouse Hootenanny (http://www.njproghouse.com/2019-njproghouse-20th-anniversary-hootenanny/) which includes:
Rikard Sjöblom's Gungfly, NDV (Nick D'Virgilio), The Tea Club, Brett Kull & Ray Weston of echolyn, Randy McStine, Advent.
The Devil's Staircase (feat. Mattias Olsson), IZZ, No More Pain, and Tammy Scheffer.

2019 NJ Proghouse 20th Anniversary Hootenanny
http://www.njproghouse.com/2019-njproghouse-20th-anniversary-hootenanny/
The NJ Proghouse will be hosting a two-day event celebrating 20 years of bringing progressive rock acts to the stage. Join us for a weekend of top-notch music, featuring area and international artists.

When: Saturday, June 15 – Sunday, June 16, 2019
Where: Roxy & Dukes Roadhouse
745 Bound Brook Rd, Dunellen, NJ 08812

Saturday, June 15
Advent Randy McStine The Tea Club Brett Kull & Ray Weston (of echolyn) NDV (Nick D’Virgilio) Rikard Sjöblom’s Gungfly

Sunday, June 16
Tammy Scheffer No More Pain IZZ The Devil’s Staircase (feat. Mattias Olsson)

Advent
Advent began in 1989, when Alan Benjamin and Henry Ptak met to discuss the possibility of forming a new progressive-rock band that would seek to take the foundation of classic 1970s progressive-rock music and bring it into modern times—with Henry’s brother, Mark joining the following spring. Often approaching the music cinematically, with stylistic reference points falling somewhere between Gentle Giant, early Genesis, and Procol Harum—but with the more funky and accessible side of The Tubes and orchestral sensibilities of The Enid —Advent worked to create a collection of demos that piqued the interest of both EMI Classical and Polygram. In the mid-1990s, the band participated in two Gentle Giant tribute projects—the independent Giant Tracks followed shortly by Italian label Mellow Records’ Giant for a Life—the latter leading to a record deal with Mellow to release Advent’s self-titled debut in 1997. This CD sold out quickly and greatly helped the band achieve international notoriety.

Following the release of the band’s critically acclaimed second album, Cantus Firmus (2006), Advent kicked off a series of live performances with a high-intensity set at the NJ Proghouse in May of 2007—after which the group began work on creating its most ambitious album to date, 2015’s Silent Sentinel. Advent looks most forward to returning to the NJ Proghouse stage in June, with its powerhouse rhythm section of long-time drummer Joe D’Andrea and new bassist Tom Hyatt.

Randy McStine
Randy McStine is a musician, songwriter and producer. He is primarily known as a guitarist and vocalist, whose initial work under the name Lo-Fi Resistance led to collaborations with members of King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, Panic! at the Disco, Tears for Fears, Spock’s Beard, Joe Satriani, Miles Davis, King’s X, and more. Fueled by a wide array of influences, McStine’s work embraces genres such as Rock, Alternative, Progressive, Singer-Songwriter, Folk, Pop, and Ambient.

Randy has also worked with artists such as Vinnie Moore (UFO), Stuart Hamm (Joe Satriani), Tom Brislin (Kansas), Adam Holzman (Steven Wilson), In Continuum, Dave Kerzner Band, Jane Getter Premonition, and Sound of Contact. He also fronts a Rock trio, The Fringe, which he formed with Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train) and Jonas Reingold (Steve Hackett, The Flower Kings) in 2016.

“Before” is the latest single from Randy, featuring Craig Blundell (Steven Wilson) on drums. The song was mixed by Grammy Award-winning producer and mixer, Mario J. McNulty (David Bowie, Laurie Anderson). His latest, full-length album, Blank, was released in 2017.

The Tea Club
The Tea Club is a band about feeling. Their music is earnest and impassioned, combining elements of art rock, folk, electronica, and romanticism to create a new sound all their own.

The band is fronted by the songwriting team of brothers Patrick and Dan McGowan, whose unorthodox guitar playing and fervent vocals form the core of the group’s unique style. Bassist Jamie Wolff and drummer Dan Monda create a raucously sophisticated rhythm section, drawing on their shared love of dynamics and melody. Joe Dorsey helms the keyboards and brings boundless energy, enthusiasm, and a forward-thinking approach to the compositions.

The band has recorded 4 albums with renowned producer Tim Gilles at the legendary Big Blue Meenie Studios in New Jersey. Their records are haunting and immediate, utilizing intricate guitar work, bizarre alternate tunings, virtuosic keyboards, driving rhythms, and provocative lyrics all tied together by the guileless sound of the brothers’ vocals.

As a live band they’ve earned a reputation for their intensity and sincerity. They’ve performed hundreds of shows, played with bands like Haken, Bent Knee, and Thank You Scientist, and toured the American East Coast, Midwest, and parts of Canada.

The Tea Club’s newest record, If/When (due out in the summer of 2019), is daringly personal, exploring themes of death, failure, new life, and hope. Complex and cerebral, unguarded and intimate, If/When is a thoroughly heartfelt addition to the band’s immersive catalog.

Heralded by Prog magazine as “Challenging, modern and frequently scintillating….” The Tea Club continue to explore new ways of communicating deep feeling through their art.

Brett Kull & Ray Weston (of echolyn)
Brett Kull is a multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, producer, and engineer from the United States. He is best known for being a founding member of the band echolyn and long-standing member of Grey Eye Glances. Brett is also an adjunct college instructor, sharing his love for audio engineering and sound design.

Ray Weston has been performing live since he was fifteen and has spent the last twenty-five years performing with the progressive rock group echolyn. Ray’s contributions have been mostly through composition of words and melodies, often depicting dark life events and pairing them with sweet melodies, weaving stories that explore these experiences.

Ray’s growth with echolyn continues to develop and redefine a compositional style best described as melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and dynamic progressive rock.

NDV (Nick D’Virgilio)
Nick D’Virgilio, often referred to as NDV, is an American drummer and multi-instrumentalist, best known as a member of the progressive rock band Spock’s Beard. He was also one of two drummers chosen to replace Phil Collins in Genesis on the Calling All Stations album. He has done session work with many artists including Tears for Fears and Mystery, and is an official member of Big Big Train.

D’Virgilio had been a full member of the Mike Keneally Band from 2001 to 2004, playing on the tour supporting Keneally’s 2000 album Dancing, and later providing drums and vocals on the 2004 album Dog, which can be seen on the DVD included as part of the Dog Special Edition in both live as well as “making-of” studio footage.

In August 2016, rock trio The Fringe released its self-titled debut album, featuring D’Virgilio on drums and vocals, Jonas Reingold of The Flower Kings on bass, and Randy McStine (Lo-Fi Resistance) on vocals and guitars.

In 2018, it was announced that Nick has returned to Spock’s Beard in the drummer’s role, and appears on their 13th studio release.

Rikard Sjöblom’s Gungfly
Rikard Sjöblom is perhaps best known as the multi-instrumentalist frontman of Beardfish, a band who established itself as one of the most consistently brilliant modern-day progressive rock bands over the course of eight studio albums. In recent years, Rikard has also become a member of the English band Big Big Train, who are set to release a new studio album in May.

Rikard’s Gungfly is the latest of Sjöblom’s outfits—a prog rock extravaganza where anything goes, basically! The band will travel from soft Americana-style ballads to full symphonic rock via jazzy passages, aggressive Soundgarden-esque heavier parts and tricky instrumentals, sometimes in the same song! The band, apart from Rikard (vocals, guitar and keys) features Petter Diamant (drums), Love Andreas G:son Fagerstedt (bass) and Martin Borgh (keyboards).

Tammy Scheffer
Vocalist and composer Tammy Scheffer has been a creative force in NYC’s vibrant jazz scene for almost a decade. Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “innovative, provocative and alluring,” Scheffer composes and leads multiple projects, among them are the rock trio Morning Bound and the Tammy Scheffer Sextet, and lends her voice to progressive rock and forward-looking jazz ensembles in NYC and worldwide. Scheffer performed at Carnegie Hall and the Jazz Standard in NYC, Revoice Festival in London, MISA festival in China, San Sebastian Jazz Festival in Spain, Kennedy Center Millennium Stage in Washington DC, Chicago Cultural Center, Virginia Arts Festival and many other premier stages. In this program, Scheffer explores solo voice textures with the aid of a looper and electronic effects, taking her audience on a sonic adventure.

“…Innovative, provocative and alluring…Scheffer has a great deal to say in music, sound and word.” -Howard Reich, Chicago Tribune

“Scheffer has the agility and panache of a seasoned horn player and the imagination of the brightest stars of her generation” -Andrea Canter, JazzPolice.com

No More Pain
No More Pain is a central-Jersey based quartet. Symphonic progressive rock with a grungy epicenter, their music can be described as a mellow soundscape followed by a direct kick to the face, and are still to this day “The only band preferred by both God and Satan.” No More Pain stands on the line drawn in the sand between rock and progressive, in the sweet spot where their music captures the listeners’ ears and minds.

IZZ
Since its formation in 1996 under the musical vision of brothers Tom and John Galgano, IZZ has been a stalwart of the American progressive rock music scene. Releasing such memorable albums as I Move, My River Flows and The Darkened Room, IZZ has performed at numerous festivals in the North American progressive art rock circuit including NEARFest, ProgWest, ProgDay, RoSfest, Calprog and the Terra Incognita Festival.

Combining a passion for melody with an adventurous musical spirit, IZZ has produced some of American progressive rock’s most beloved songs of the last 20 years including “Coming Like Light,” “Star Evil Gnoma Su,” “Late Night Salvation,” and “23 Minutes of Tragedy.”

Led by keyboardist, producer, arranger and studio engineer Tom Galgano, the members of IZZ come from unique and diverse musical backgrounds and have all contributed to make the IZZ sound something quite unique among progressive rock bands.

As IZZ enters its third decade, the band’s fire to create captivating and adventurous music burns as bright as ever. The band will be releasing their new album in Spring of 2019.

The Devil’s Staircase (feat. Mattias Olsson)
The Devil’s Staircase is known for their unique musical approach, which is inspired by math and physics. Columbia College Chicago physics professors Luis Nasser and Tim McCaskey create original music structured by the mathematics of fractals, cellular automata, planetary orbits, and chaos. The band features Ramsés Luna, Edgar Arrelin Rosas, Mattias Olsson of Änglagård, Pineforest Crunch and Necromonkey, and Aaron Geller of Mexican jazz-folk-rock fusion band Luz de Riada.

Musical hometowns of the group are Chicago, Stockholm and Mexico City, giving the band an expansive heritage of musical talent. The group sometimes labels their genre “fractal prog”, basing many of their innovative pieces on mathematical concepts, using both acoustic and electronic wind and string instruments. Their music has a rich Spanish flavor, with their sound on the more eclectic side of prog.