fredag 31 juli 2009

Problem solved! All Reform albums at iTunes, Carl-Eiwar Sect in Asia

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Today I have been notified by Magnus Ramel that he cannot change his work shift. A pity since he is such a great musician. He will be replaced by Roland Hjalmarsson from Helena & South Farm, another band that will play the same night. I have jammed with Roland and he is a great musician too. He plays bass and keyboard magnificently!

It will be great!!!

All four Reform albums are now available from iTunes:

Buy Reformed from iTunes

Reformed


Buy Reduced & Maximized from iTunes

Reduced & Maximized


Buy Concierto en Altxerri from iTunes
Concierto en Altxerri


Buy Easy from iTunes

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Here are also mixes of two songs that will be played by Carl-Eiwar Sect at the Backstage Festival.


MusicPlaylistRingtones
Music Playlist at MixPod.com



Enjoy life!
Jesper

torsdag 30 juli 2009

Problem solving and some news

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Hi music-lovers!

I am back from a great vacation in Gothenburg and Denmark. Although there was one sad matter that I had to deal with. Johan had to cancel his participation in the Backstage Festival which lead to a great deal of telephone conferences to find a replacement, which is not easy this time of year. People are not available.

I have talked to Jonas "Judas Retro" Redmo from the People who appreciated the offer but had to work. I have talked to Peter Åkerberg but his girlfriend's sister celebrated her birthday then and he was sorry that he had to say no. Anders talked to Lars Johan Brännmark, the first guitarist I played with, but he had a bachelor party for a friend and was very sad that he had to say no.

Since I am going to play with Uffe and Bjurre on the festival I was reluctant to ask Uffe. I thought that I would be a bit silly to just change drummers and call it something else. I talked to Magnus Ramel who was very keen on playing keyboard if he could change his work shift and then I called Uffe who was, as always, very keen on playing. He understood my concerns and said that if Magnus couldn't come he would fix another keyboard player.

It is great with positive people. It seems as if Anders and I now have solved the problem. It is an honour to play the festival and we are going to make it!

We have another distributer for our Norwegian fans

elkno



I had also received some mixes that Uffe made of some recordings. After Lennart and Åke had left Uffe showed me some songs he had written but had not finished. I sad "Let's finish them" and so we did. I produced them and I think they came out beautifully. Listen to them and judge for yourself!

Uffe plays the guitar and sings.
I play drums, tambourine, bass and vox organ.

My girlfriend Susanne said that it sounded a bit like a mix between Syd Barrett and David Bowie. I think there is some Velvet Underground in it too.


MusicPlaylistRingtones
MySpace Music Playlist at MixPod.com



Carl-Eiwar Sect has a Myspace page at last! Check it out!

Enjoy life!
Jesper

lördag 25 juli 2009

A surprised laugh! "Trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro'"

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"Trip to heave and ho, up down, to and fro'"
-Syd Barrett

These lyrics encapsulates my summer holidays so far. After returning I'm off again tomorrow. This time again without internet.

I have a new clip from Underbara Bar May 6 2009. The tune is Amanita Muscaria and we all get somewhat surprised when Åke invents a totally new groove. Åke claims that I sang that to him on stage upon signalling what song to play.
Anyway, it went quite well. With improvised music anything can happen.
Watch Johan bursting into a surprised laughing attack!



We also have some new distributors. Check them out!

musicstack



cdconnection



emusic



Talk to you soon!
Jesper

fredag 17 juli 2009

1st Reform Concert and Even More Distributors

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Hi all you music-lovers wherever and whoever you are!

After coming home yesterday it's time to leave again for one week of total holiday. Another holiday without internet connection. As everything in this world: for good and for bad, for better and for worse.

Some news:

Reform has received two new distributors for our Danish and Finnish supporters:

tdc

Photobucket

Uffe has searched the reform archives and found a recording of what I think is Reform's first gig. Rated X and What If are almost intact, but Great Expectations and It's About That Time are not, because at this time I was playing the organ with a retro/psyche group called The Iprcress Files (great movie). The singer/guitarist in that group was a bit crazy, but nice anyway. At this very concert he digged the music so much that he (while dancing and screaming), by accident, stepped twice on Uffe's mini disc recorder so that it turned off. Therefore the cut versions. In this group we are always honest and show everything as it is, so please: accept this performance for what it is! I think that a friend of Johan, Daniel Feldt, was playing the sitar on this concert.


MusicPlaylistRingtones
Music Playlist at MixPod.com



Enjoy and take care!
Jesper

onsdag 15 juli 2009

In the Country

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Hail all music-lovers!

Yesterday Åke and Lennart left for Stockholm. But first three songs were recorded. I didn't play the bass on those because Uffe had problems with his sound and made a hard stroke with the wah-wah pedal on the most high frequent position, by mistake. I was next to his amplifier, so my left ear got shocked and I had to take a break before we had even started. Uffe and Lennart took turns playing bass. Uffe now referes to this event as "the incident".

Afterwards we headed for Mariestad to take a look at a studio where Uffe is working. Nice place! Cosa Nostra and Asta Kask have recorded there.

When Åke and Lennart had left Uffe and I watched music videos and listened to Wild Man Fisher singing Fish Heads.

After that we recorded until late. Two songs by Uffe.

Today we are going to rehearse with Bjurre for the Backstage Festival. This year we will only play Asian psyche:

Istemem: Erkin Koaray (Turkey)
For Your Information: Cedars (Lebanon)
Voice From the Inner Soul: Confusions (India)
Crazy Loving You: Thra Ka Band (Cambodia)
Love For Sale: Eddie Pelegrina & the Blinkers (Philippines)
Hanashitakunai: Youngers (Japan)
Magic Colours: Teddy Robin & The Playboys (Hong Kong)

Jazz-rock, Psychedelia and Progressive forever!
What do you puritans say about that?

Jesper

måndag 13 juli 2009

The Big Yellow House from 1889

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In the big yellow house way out on the countryside musical matters have been dealt with today. What is progressive and what is prog, what was considered progressive and what prog? A matter of opinion of course, but Åke was actually it was very important then what was what.

Last night we watched The Zombies performing their, never before played live, album from 1968 Odessey & Oracle. It was amazingly beautiful!

We have had three recording sessions since I last wrote you. One late last night and then two more today. Tonight there are people invited for a jam session. It will be quite an experience.

We have recorded some songs by Lennart: If That's Alright, I Wanna Go Home, Rain and Sun, The Musical One, Goodbye So Long, Jennifer

You're Baby's Left You: Shanes
Why Can't You Go: MacPloys
Justerö, En fasans Plats: Åke Eriksson
A Million Grains of Sand: Freak Scene
Black Roses: Clear Light

Carl-Eiwar Sect Live at the Backstage Festival 2007 Part2



Take care!
Jesper

söndag 12 juli 2009

Recording and Distributors

Hi all you music-lovers!

The countryside in the south of Sweden is beautiful and inspirational. Uffe lives in a yellow house in the middle of nowhere. We have recorded Teddy Bear Baby/Walkie Talkies Talking Loud (Gunder Hägg/Sound of Music), Seems That I Need You, Doreen (both by Lennart Witoslaw) and Fish Heads (Wild Man Fisher). It was great fun!!!

All four Reform albums are now available at the following distributors:


Photobucket



lala


peoplesmusic


musicaonline

lördag 11 juli 2009

Sunshine Rockers, Lennart Witoslaw and General Eclectic

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Yesterday's concert was very good. I love how Johnny plays the guitar. The bass player, Werner Theunissen played very well. The Swedish material was fun and interesting. Amazing titles for example "Rock'n'roll tvätt" (Rock'n'roll Wash).
Hilarious!!!

I must especially mention Lennart Witoslaw who performed three of his own compositions. His song A Musical One is a song about Ulf Henningsson and it's a sort of goodbye to him when he left Österskär to find his roots in Töreboda. A very nice gesture and beautiful lyrics.

Tomorrow Åke, Lennart and I are going to visit Uffe in Töreboda. We are going to record some music, listen to some music and watch music videos. We will stay until thursday. I will bring the computer.

Today I got an email from Tom Bingham "College Prof is also Indie-Friendly Radio DJ" as he writes on his Myspace. He radio show is broadcasted from Fredonia, NY, and yesterday Reform was on his playlist!!!

Here it is!

Jim Smoak - Tired of Being Lonesome - The Orange Blossom Special

Reform - Thru Breaks - Reformed


Calaveras - Driving Him Away - Green Girl

Erik Balkey - Baseball In My Blood - While the Paint Dries

Jenn Rogar - Dove Springs Girl - Place Called Humanity

Shirley Johnson - Blues Attack - Blues Attack

Radnofsky Saxophone Quartet/Elliott Schwartz - Schwartz: Hall of Mirrors,
VI: Mirror Variations - Elliott Schwartz: Hall of Mirrors

Onward Brass Band - Closer Walk/Didn't He Ramble - The Tradition Continues

Peter, Bethany & Rufus - Cindy - Puff & Other Family Classics

Satyrica - Hope Springs Eternal - I Still Remember: A Collection of Songs
From San Francisco's Underground, 1989-2006 (Various Artists)

Tony Desare - A Little Bit Closer - Radio Show

Willie Nelson - Bring Me Sunshine - Naked Willie

Irene & Her Latin Jazz band - Fragilidad - A Song Of You

Stile Antico - de Victoria: Vadam et Circuibo - Song of Songs

Joe Price - Beer Tent Boogie Woogie - Rain or Shine

Buck Mountain Band - Ladies of the Lehigh Valley - Chicken in the Snowbank

Mike Broward - Just Not Today - Parrothead Rehab

Amy Barlow Liberatore - Tioga Moon - Jazz Baby Hits Her Stride

Hailey Niswanger - Confeddie - Confeddie

Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - Macarthur Parl - The Secret of Life

Duoud - Border Line - Ping Kong

Warsaw Village Band - Lazy Johnny Dance - Infinity

Soname - Fresh Spring - Plateau

Lawrence Blatt - Alhambra (The Red) - The Color of Sunshine

Roy Rogers - Little Queen Bee - Split Decision

Euphonia - Boatman's Dance/Chinquapin Hunting - The Old Jawbone

--
Tom Bingham
"General Eclectic" - streaming Fridays, 10 AM-noon,
http://www.fredoniaradio.com/wcvf
WCVF-FM
115 McEwen Hall
SUNY Fredonia
Fredonia, NY 14063
USA
http://genecdvd.blogspot.com
http://blog.myspace.com/mason2042 - "General Eclectic" playlist archive
http://twitter.com/mason2042

Take care and live well!
Jesper

fredag 10 juli 2009

A Concert, a Recording and Modern History

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Tonight Åke and his cover band Sunshine Rockers rock Kolingen in Gamla Stan (Old Town) 21.30. The band plays a lot of Chuck Berry tunes. Actually in October 2008, the same week as Reformed was recorded, I recorded some Chuck Berry with Åke and Johnny "Guitar" Lundin.

Johnny actually played with Chuck Berry at Skansen some time in the mid sixties. He told me that Chuck went over to his side during the concert and turned off his amplifier. Johnny immediately turned it on again and continued playing. A while later Chuck came over and turned off his amplifier again. Johnny turned it on again. After the concert Johnny asked Chuck why he had turned off his amplifier and Chuck answered that it was because Johnny was playing too loud. Chuck Berry is not known for being an easy person.

Watch this clip with Keith Richards and Chuck from youtube:



Anders Oredsson was the recording engineer. He has worked with all the great artists in Sweden. You name one and he has for sure worked with him/her. He has also worked with Ralph Lundsten at Andromeda for many years. It was very interesting watching him at work. We recorded at an old cinema in Huddinge and Anders only used band microphones. I have never seen that before. He also created an analog reverb by pointing two microphones in X/Y position towards the seats. I have not yet heard the result, but I am very anxious to do so. I hope it went well.

It is a pleasure and a privilege to work with three people that experienced.
Everything runs smoothly and it is a relaxed atmosphere. Everyone is nice and not in need of proving themselves all the time. Johnny's guitar playing is extremely genuine. He moved with his parents to the US in the fifties and picked up this new way of playing and then he brought it back to Sweden where he incorporated this new sound in Jerry Williams' band. Quite fascinating how young the world really is. That I have played with the man who brought rock'n'roll guitar playing to Sweden!? I feel honoured!

I hope that I can present the recordings here soon.

Something that I stand for and will always stand for is that:
when it comes to music age doesn't matter!

Long live rock (in all its shapes)!

Live well!
Jesper

torsdag 9 juli 2009

Some More Backstage

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Hi dear music-lovers!

As I wrote the other day Anders, Johan and I are going to play at the Backstage Festival on August 8. We still don't have a name for the group, so if you have a suggestion please tell us!

I will also play with a formation of Carl-Eiwar sect, as I also told you the other day. Here I have the first of two clips from the concert from the Backstage Festival 2007. On this gig we only played unreleased obscure Swedish rock from the sixties. It's the first time this formation actually meets. This formation will re-vive on this years festival and play Turkish, Lebanese, Indian, Cambodian and Japanese psyche.

Enjoy!



onsdag 8 juli 2009

Digg us

Hello Everyone!
A press release of my lastest CD's review has been published to DIGG.com! Please
help increase the popularity and exposure of my CD by visiting the link below and
clicking "DIGG" to digg my press release!
LINK: http://digg.com/music/Radioindy_com_Artist_Reform

Thank you for your continuous support!
Sincerely, Reform

måndag 6 juli 2009

The Backstage Festival, 8 August 2009

Reform at Myspace

Every year music enthusiasts from different parts of Sweden meet to celebrate The Backstage Festival in Lerdala, Skara, Sweden. The festival is hosted by Mats Jarl, a legend among music enthusiasts and record collectors.

I have mentioned Mats before, and will for sure continue doing so, since he is my mentor both musically and spiritually.

He had a dream and that dream consisted of uniting musicians with their groups and introduce them to each other.

The festival is very special in that sense that the stage is turned towards the "backstage area". This means that the ones watching the concerts are also the ones playing. Every act is about 20 minutes which means that there are a lot of music during one night.

Mats also has a studio, which I have mentioned before, Alice's Restaurant. The studio was built thanks to his late aunt Alice. Therefore the name. After all the concerts those who feel like it can assemble in the studio for a jam session.

Yerning for music as always Anders, Johan and I will play the festival. We still haven't come up with a name. Maybe you can help us? Last year Glasson played the festival with Anders substituting Janne Kullhammar. It was a great concert although it had to be interrupted because of rain.

I will also play with a formation of Carl-Eiwar Sect. This formation will consist of

Ulf Henningsson: Guitar
Jesper Bergman: Bass
Magnus 'Bjurre' Bjurén: drums

It will be a nice reunion. The same formation played the festival 2 years ago. It was agreat experience for me. Magnus 'Bjurre' Bjurén is an original member of the Swedish punk rock group Asta Kask and he has an incredible drive.

I will keep you up to date!
Take care!
Jesper

söndag 5 juli 2009

One of our drummer-boys Åke Eriksson

Reform at Myspace

As I mentioned yesterday, when talking about the gig with EGBA, Åke Eriksson plays with EGBA but also with the Swedish jazzrock legends Wasa Express. Wasa Express has had a great impact on my musicianship and I was very proud the times I have sat in with them on bass. A great open-minded musical ambience with Åke leading the group through a musical landscape constantly changing.

A video with Wasa Express with the original line-up from the late 70s



Reform at Record Union

Enjoy!
Jesper

lördag 4 juli 2009

Gig, EGBA and some Kebnekajse

Reform at Myspace

It has been a very warm vacation. The temperature has been over 30 degrees C. I have been planning for the upcoming gig and I have been thinking about skipping Hellstone and give the Glasson/Bergman composition Spooky (from Reduced & Maximized) to Åke and a still unnamed tune to Anders.

small flyer

Anyway, I am looking forward to play on the same bill as EGBA. EGBA is a legendary band and their album Akalops (Monkey Stew) is absolutely brilliant. Actually, Åke Eriksson is the drummer on that one and he is as always outstanding. Some years before that he played on Kebnekajse´s Elefanten, also a great and timeless piece of music.

I hope you enjoyed the videos!
Jesper