This Thursday celebrate the release of the new Firefall (Firefallofficial.com) album Comet with an interview with Mark Andes Bass player from the iconic band! Then welcome Jordan Rudess (www.Jordanrudess.com) of Dream Theater to discuss his upcoming virtual ProgStock (https://www.progstock.com/) concert on November 21st on https://www.stageit.com/ and the Moogvember celebration! Closing out the show will be an interview with Tom Brislin (https://tombrislin.com/) of Kansas who is closing out Moogvember with a virtual concert on Saturday November 28th! What are you waiting for?! Moog on down to Captain Phil's Planet and check out all the great new and live music this Moogvember!
LEGENDARY ROCK BAND FIREFALL RELEASES NEW CD, COMET
FIRST NEW ALBUM IN MORE THAN TWO DECADES FEATURING SEVERAL GREAT ORIGINALS AND SHOWCASING SIGNATURE FIREFALL SOUND OUT DECEMBER 11 ON SUNSET BLVD. RECORDS
Very few legendary rock groups boasting a string of seminal 1970s hits contain three original members in their ranks more than four decades later. Even fewer have a brand-new album out that vividly captures the sound and power of their best-known classics. Firefall has both. That’s reason for serious celebration from their legion of loyal fans.
“Firefall hasn’t made a new record for a long, long time, since the ‘90s,” says Jock Bartley, the band’s founding lead guitarist and vocalist. “With three of us original guys in the band—myself, Mark Andes on bass, and David Muse on saxophone, flute, and keyboards—we’ve been touring, and it just felt to me as leader of the band, ‘It’s time. We need to start looking at material, writing material, to put a new album out.’”
Comet, out December 11 on Sunset Blvd. Records, is that long-awaited release. Their lineup completed by drummer Sandy Ficca and singer/guitarist Gary Jones, Firefall set out to make an album on the same lofty artistic par as their ‘70s classics for Atlantic Records, when they set the pop singles charts ablaze with “You Are The Woman,” “Just Remember I Love You,” and “Strange Way.” They succeeded magnificently.
“I wanted to make sure that at least half of the record, or three or four songs for sure, sounded like Firefall from the ‘70s--acoustic-based vocal songs,” says Jock. “The quality of the songs, I think personally, is real high because for years and years, I was looking at songs from outside writers that we might be able to use, and I was writing a bunch of songs. When it came time to try to select what ten songs would be on the record, we really looked at a lot of new songs. Because really, that’s the key: the quality of the songs. And then, of course, the singers and players that play on it.”
The band had to overcome a few obstacles along the way. “The problem was that the five members of the band live in five different states,” says Jock, who produced the disc along with the band and a handful of collaborators. “When we’d fly somewhere to a gig, at soundcheck or something, we might look at a new song or talk about recording or whatever. But to get all of us in the same town at the same time to record was really a challenge for me. We’d have a gig in Colorado, and everybody would come out and we’d stay out for a couple of days and record a couple of songs. Same thing when we’d go into Nashville—we’d go stay at Gary’s house and go in the studio and record a song or two.”
Conquering those logistical roadblocks was worth all the effort. The rocking opener “Way Back When,” one of four tracks on the set that Bartley wrote or co-wrote, pays tribute to the classic musical era that inspired Firefall. “The first verse and first chorus is set in 1965. The second verse and chorus is ‘67, and the third verse and chorus is 1969,” says Bartley. “The first verse is kind of the Beatles and the Stones sand the Byrds. The second verse is Aretha Franklin and the Young Rascals and the groups that had music out then. I sing the song, but the person singing the lyrics is looking back and remembering how the ‘60s were so vibrant and had such great music. We thought it would never end.”
Bartley wrote another driving rocker, “There She Is,” for the disc. “That was a song of mine that I wrote just trying to be kind of positive and happy and an in love kind of guy, singing the song. Because so many songs are depressing or dark or not that well-written these days. So I really took my time and tried to write. And when I finished ‘There She Is,’ I presented it to the band, and I kind of thought it would be more a light rock song, like ‘Just Remember I Love You.’ “But boy, when we started playing it, it turned into a scorching rock and roll song. Which I thought, ‘Hey, we can use a few of those!’”
The Bartley-penned “Before I Met You” is a mellower gem, while “A New Mexico,” with guest vocalist Mark Trippensee, is a belated followup to the band’s classic “Mexico” from their eponymous 1976 debut album. “I kept saying to myself, ‘We need a new “Mexico.” We need a new song like “Mexico” that sounds like Firefall that I can just burn on and play my signature guitar stuff on,’” explains Jock. “I kind of took the idea and the groove from our original ‘Mexico,’ written by Firefall co-founder Rick Roberts, and updated it and changed the chords. I didn’t really think about writing a song named ‘A New Mexico,’ but it turned out that way. That was one of my attempts to pretty much sound like some of the old ‘70s Firefall records.”
Lead singer Jones penned the powerful “Never Be The Same.” “He’s a singer-songwriter out of Nashville, and he’s been in the band for four or five years now. And I was really pushing him to present some songs,” says Bartley. “It’s basically about his mother passing away. So it’s a really heartfelt song where he talks about his mom.” “Hardest Chain” was co-penned by Ficca. “That’s another one in a modern, kind of different way, but it sounds a lot like Firefall because Firefall used to have a lot of minor-chord, darker songs,” notes Jock. “Not every song we did was ‘You Are The Woman’ or ‘Just Remember I Love You.’”
Andes fronts a rousing remake of Spirit’s immortal “Nature’s Way,” paying tribute to the days when he was that band’s rock-solid bassist (he left Spirit in 1971 to form Jo Jo Gunne). “We’ve been playing the song ‘Nature’s Way’ live a lot and getting great response from our fans who love Spirit,” says Jock. “Mark knows Timothy B. Schmit, and he asked him and John McFee from the Doobie Brothers if they’d play and sing on the song, and they did.

Nashville country songsmith Gary Burr is responsible for the wry “Younger.” “Gary sent us that song, and we were going to get together and rehearse in the following week or two, and every one of us just said, ‘Wow, that’s great!’” says Jock. “Ghost Town” hails from outside sources; Tony Joe White was its co-author. “That was a song that David Muse brought,” says Jock. “He lives in Florida, and he has a little club band that he plays with sometimes. Evidently he’s been playing that song ‘Ghost Town’ for a long time.”
The late Virginia rocker Robbin Thompson, a longtime friend of Firefall, scribed “A Real Fine Day,” given a thoroughly uplifting lead vocal by Jones. “Robbin’s version is a little bit different than what we did to it, but same melody, same chords, same lyrics,” says Bartley. “How many songs do you hear today that are really happy, really positive, and talking about what a great day it is? Not too many!”

“I was really just looking for really good songs that worked together and showcased Firefall as a band. I think I was pretty successful, and I’m really happy that at long last, even with the pandemic, it’s coming out!” The album title refers to Comet Neowise, which lit up the Western U.S. nighttime skies a few months ago (it’s pictured on the CD cover). That image is reminiscent of the striking artwork on the band’s ‘70s albums, referencing their unusual name.
“The name Firefall comes from Yosemite National Park, where for over 100 years, they light a bonfire off on top of a cliff and slowly push it over. And they say, ‘And there was a firefall!’ It was this big tourist attraction,” explains Bartley. “When Rick Roberts, the leader of the band in the ‘70s, when we had to pick a name—it was a lot easier to learn the songs than to pick a name. And Rick said, ‘How about Firefall?’ ‘Firefall?’ ‘Maybe--put it on the list.’ So we had so few names on the list, he went, ‘Okay, we’re Firefall!’”
Firefall came together in Boulder, Colorado in 1974. Bartley had crossed paths with Roberts a short time earlier in New York City when Jock was the lead guitarist with revered country rockers Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels and Rick, formerly with Parsons in the Flying Burrito Brothers, was performing there at another club. “We were saying, ‘You live in Boulder? I live in Boulder! Hey, man, we should get together!’” says Jock. “He and I got together in Boulder and started rehearsing on his songs.
“As soon as Mark Andes started joining in with us, it became obvious that it could be a band, especially with Rick’s vocals and Rick’s songs. And with me and Mark playing on it, there was magic there. Rick said, ‘I know this guy in Washington, D.C., Larry Burnett, who’s driving a cab. And he’s looking for a gig. We should get him out here!’ We flew Larry out, and the first day of practice we had, we had 30 songs to work out!”
The band still needed a drummer. “Rick said, ‘Well, Michael Clarke’s driving around the great Northwest in his VW bus with nothing to do—should I call him and have him come down?’ And Mark and I looked at each other and Larry and said, ‘Sure, get Michael down here!’ Michael was with the Byrds!”
Chris Hillman had also been a longtime Byrd. Jock, Rick, and Mark were moonlighting in his self-named band at a New York City gig when Hillman fell ill and was unable to continue. “We told the owners of the Other End, ‘Hell, the three of us are the band Firefall—we can fly the other two guys out and finish the two-night stand!’” says Bartley. “So Firefall went to New York City and played two nights, and that’s right when we were shopping our demo tape. Atlantic Records was quite interested in us, and came and saw us two nights. At the end of the night they got in the dressing room and said, ‘We want to sign you guys!’ And we got our record deal and we were going to make our first album.
“We had three guitar players, with me being the lead guitar player. We realized we needed a keyboard or a sax,” continues Jock. “Rick Roberts said, ‘Hey, man, I know David Muse! I grew up with him in high school. He’s great—let’s get him out here!’ And David became our sixth member.”
Firefall cut its 1976 Atlantic debut album at Criteria Studios in Miami. It included “You Are The Woman.” “Rick was thinking in his head, ‘I need to write a really happy, positive pop song that’ll be in the Top Ten!’ And he wrote ‘You Are The Woman,’” says Jock. “Some of us in the band didn’t really like it, because it was really different. It wasn’t like ‘Mexico’ or ‘Livin’ Ain’t Livin’’ or ‘Cinderella’ or any of that strummy, fast, ballsy stuff that Firefall was becoming. But boy, most everybody, including the producer and then Atlantic Records, they heard that song, and they went, ‘That’s what we want!’” “You Are The Woman” crashed the Top Ten. 1977’s “Just Remember I Love You” and “Strange Way” the next year cemented their stardom.
“Boulder, Colorado became this hotbed for music, and Firefall was kind of the shining light out of that,” says Jock. “A lot of people have called Firefall ‘the Colorado Sound.’” Now Comet is poised to rocket into the cosmos, the latest chapter in Firefall’s amazing saga.

Firefallofficial.com facebook.com/FIREFALLofficial instagram.com/firefallofficial/
JORDAN RUDESS
The ProgStock Presents Virtual Series is proud to present Moogvember. A portion of the proceeds from each Moogvember show will be donated to the Bob Moog Foundation to benefit their educational and archive preservation efforts, including the new Moogseum, which was closed for five months due to the pandemic.
Moogvember Marquee Artist - Jordan Rudess
This is the first of two shows by Jordan on November 21. The two shows will be unique experiences.
Voted "Best Keyboardist of All Time" by Music Radar Magazine, Jordan Rudess is best known as the keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire for platinum-selling Grammy-nominated prog rock band, Dream Theater.
A classical prodigy who began his studies at the Juilliard School of Music at the age of 10, Jordan’s music is a unique blend of classical and rock
influences.
In addition to playing in Dream Theater and Liquid Tension Experiment, Jordan has worked with a wide range of artists including Deep Purple, David Bowie, Steven Wilson, JanHammer, Enrique Iglesias, the Paul Winter Consort, Annie Haslam, LMR (his side project with Tony Levin and Marco
Minneman), Blackfield, Aviv Geffen, the Dixie Dregs, Rod Morgenstein and Tony Williams among others.
Jordan’s interest in state-of-the-art keyboard controllers and music apps is another area of his career in which he has achieved success. Jordan owns the successful iOs app development company Wizdom Music, creators of award-winning apps such as MorphWiz, SampleWiz, and GeoSynthesizer. Wizdom Music’s latest app GeoShred, was created in collaboration with moForte, founding members of Stanford University’s Sondius team.
In addition, Jordan is Artist in Residence at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics. Jordan’s Patreon page offers
access to his live streams and lessons.
www.patreon.com/jordanrudess
IG: Jcrudess
Facebook: Jordan Rudess Official
Website: www.Jordanrudess.com
Voted “Best Keyboardist of All Time” by Music Radar Magazine, Jordan Rudess is best known as the keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire for platinum-selling Grammy- nominated prog rock band, Dream Theater.
At nine, he entered the Juilliard School of Music Pre-College Division for classical piano training, but by his late teens he had grown increasingly interested in synthesizers and progressive rock music. Against the counsel of his parents and tutors, he turned away from classical piano and tried his hand as a solo progressive rock keyboardist.
After performing in various projects during the 1980s, he gained international attention in 1994 when he was voted “Best New Talent” in the Keyboard Magazine readers’ poll after the release of his Listen solo album. Two of the bands that took notice of Rudess were The Dixie Dregs and Dream Theater, both of whom invited him to join. Rudess chose the Dregs, primarily as being a part-time member of the band would have less of an impact on his young family.
During his time with the Dregs, Rudess formed a “power duo” with drummer Rod Morgenstein. The genesis of this pairing occurred when a power outage caused all of the Dregs’ instruments to fail except Rudess’, so he and Morgenstein improvised with each other until power was restored and the concert could continue. The chemistry between the two was so strong during this jam that they decided to perform together on a regular basis (under the name Rudess/Morgenstein Project or later RMP) and have released a studio and a live record. RMP did a short U.S. tour in November, 2013.
Before joining Dream Theater in January 1999, Jordan connected with John Petrucci and Mike Portnoy of Dream Theater, bassist Tony Levin of King Crimson and Peter Gabriel notoriety, and recorded two albums with “Liquid Tension Experiment.”
Rudess has been the full-time keyboardist with Dream Theater, since the recording of 1999’s Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory. He has recorded seven other studio albums with the group: 2002’s Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, 2003’s Train of Thought, 2005’s Octavarium, 2007’s Systematic Chaos, 2009’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings , A Dramatic Turn of Events, the self titled Dream Theater, as well as their newest album, The Astonishing, a Rock Opera. The story was written by John Petrucci with music written by John Petrucci and and Jordan Rudess. After touring in three continents around the world with The Astonishing, Dream Theater is preparing to embark on a tour in 2017 to commemorate the 25th anniversary of “Images & Words which will see the groundbreaking album performed in it’s entirety along with selections spanning the bands history.
In addition, he has appeared on the live albums and DVDs Live Scenes From New York, Live at Budokan, Score, Chaos in Motion, Live at Luna Park, and Breaking The Fourth Wall which went to #1 on the Billboard charts.

In addition to working with Dream Theater he occasionally records and performs in other contexts, such as a 2001 one-off duo performance with Petrucci (released as the CD An Evening With John Petrucci and Jordan Rudess), as well as backing up Blackfield on their first short US tour in 2005 and playing a solo opening slot for them on their second in 2007. He also contributed to Steven Wilson’s 2011 album, Grace for Drowning. In 2013, Rudess joined with bassist, Tony Levin, and drummer, Marco Minneman, to create a new supergroup, LMR. In 2015, LMR released their second disc From The Law Offices Of Levin Minnemann Rudess.
In 2010, Rudess composed “Explorations for Keyboard and Orchestra,” his first classical composition. It was premiered in Venezuela on November 19, 2010 by the Chacao Youth Symphony Orchestra and guest conductor Eren Başbuğ. Rudess played all of the keyboard and synthesizer parts. A full symphonic recording of Explorations was released in December 2014 played by Poland’s Sinfonia Consonus.
In 2013 he released “All That Is Now“, a solo acoustic piano recording which works interactively with his app, “Jordan Rudess Explores” and his orchestral album, “Explorations” which features a 50 piece orchestra. In 2015, he released “The Unforgotten Path” which was a collection of original tracks as well as a collection of acoustic piano covers of songs that have inspired his musical life.
Jordan’s interest in state of the art keyboard controllers is another area of his career in which he has achieved success. Jordan owns the successful App development company Wizdom Music, which has developed award-winning apps including: MorphWiz, SampleWiz, Geo Synthesizer, SpaceWiz, SketchWiz, Tachyon, Explores, EarWiz, JordanTron, HarmonyWiz, and GeoShred. MorphWiz won the first ever Billboard award for Best Music Creation App. Wizdom Music has also built apps for Intel, Microsoft and RIM.
He is Chief Music Officer at CME Music, creators of the acclaimed XKey mobile keyboard, as well as the Director of Music Experience for the London-based technology company, Roli Labs, creators of the Seaboard. Jordan has had the honor of being the keynote speaker at MacWorld, Microsoft Build Developer Convention and Project BBQ. In addition, he is the author of 2 keyboard technique books including his latest, “Total Keyboard Wizardry: A Technique and Improvisation Workbook”. Musicians all over the world subscribe to Rudess’ Online Music Conservatory, which offers a full range of courses in everything from harmony and rhythm to improvisation, ear training and technique.

TOM BRISLIN
Moogvember Marquee Artist - Tom Brislin https://tombrislin.com/
Tom Brislin has performed on tour and on recordings for several of the biggest names in classic rock, including Yes, Meat Loaf, and Debbie Harry of Blondie. In 2019, Tom joined the legendary Kansas as the group’s keyboardist/backing vocalist.
Tom is also a member of the progressive rock group The Sea Within, which features top musicians Roine Stolt (Flower Kings), Jonas Reingold (Steve Hackett Band), Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation), Marco Minnemann (Steven Wilson), and Casey McPherson (Flying Colors). The group assembled in London in 2017 to record their debut album, which was released on June 22, 2018 on Sony/InsideOut Music.
Tom was the keyboardist for 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Yes on their 2001 Symphonic Tour. The tour was documented on the concert DVD/Blu-Ray Yes Symphonic Live. Tom's connection to Yes has led to collaborations on stage and in studio with several notable artists, including Renaissance, Camel, Anderson/Stolt, Francis Dunnery, and The Syn.
Tom has toured as pianist for multi-platinum-selling legend Meat Loaf and was featured on the albums/videos Storytellers and Couldn't Have Said it Better. He was touring keyboardist for legendary Blondie singer Debbie Harry in support of her solo album Necessary Evil and served as the group's Musical Director. He is also a frequent performer with fellow New Jersey native Glen Burtnik (The Weeklings, Styx, The Orchestra).
ARTIST AND COMPOSER
Tom wrote, performed, and produced the critically admired album Hurry Up and Smell the Roses in 2012. Released directly to fans through a successful crowdfunding campaign, the album features Tom's varied array of musical influences under the stylistic umbrella he calls "Cinematic Pop."
Prior to his solo work, Tom was the songwriter, musical director, and producer of the band Spiraling. The group released four albums, two EPs, and toured the US in support of groups such as OK Go, They Might Be Giants, and Violent Femmes.
Tom is also one of the writers of the new album by Kansas, The Absence of Presence.

Tom Brislin has performed on tour and on recordings for several of the biggest names in classic rock, including Yes, Meat Loaf, and Debbie Harry of Blondie. In 2019 Tom will join the legendary Kansas as the group’s keyboardist/backing vocalist.
Tom is currently a member of the progressive rock group The Sea Within. The new group features top musicians Roine Stolt (Flower Kings), Jonas Reingold (Steve Hackett Band), Daniel Gildenlöw (Pain of Salvation), Marco Minnemann (Steven Wilson), and Casey McPherson (Flying Colors). The group assembled in London in 2017 to record their debut album, which was released on June 22, 2018 on Sony/InsideOut Music.
Tom was the keyboardist for 2017 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees Yes on their 2001 Symphonic Tour. The tour was documented on the concert DVD/Blu-Ray Yes Symphonic Live. Tom's connection to Yes has led to collaborations on stage and in studio with several notable artists, including Renaissance, Camel, Anderson/Stolt, Francis Dunnery, and The Syn.
Tom has toured as pianist for multi-platinum-selling legend Meat Loaf and was featured on the albums/videos Storytellers and Couldn't Have Said it Better. He was touring keyboardist for legendary Blondie singer Debbie Harry in support of her solo album Necessary Evil, and served as the group's Musical Director. He is also a frequent performer with fellow New Jersey native Glen Burtnik (The Weeklings, Styx, The Orchestra).

ARTIST AND COMPOSER
Tom wrote, performed, and produced the critically admired album Hurry Up and Smell the Roses in 2012. Released directly to fans through a successful crowdfunding campaign, the album features Tom's varied array of musical influences under the stylistic umbrella he calls "Cinematic Pop."
Prior to his solo work, Tom was the songwriter, musical director, and producer of the band Spiraling. The group released four albums, two EPs, and toured the US in support of groups such as OK Go, They Might Be Giants, and Violent Femmes.