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Gazeuse!
Gazeuse! ( French for 'Sparkling!', 'Fizzy!' or 'Effervescent!') is the seventh album released under the name Gong and the ''de facto'' debut album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong. It was released in late 1976. The title was changed to ''Expresso'' for the U.S. release. The album features an all-instrumental jazz-driven sound, notable for the prominent use of vibraphone, and has little to do with the psychedelic space rock of Daevid Allen's Gong, even though the two bands share a common history. Although the album was issued by Virgin Records under the "Gong" name for contractual reasons, and the name "Pierre Moerlen's Gong" would not be adopted for a couple of years, the lineup involved and the nature of the music are that of the Moerlen-led band. Writing credits are split between Moerlen and guitarist Allan Holdsworth, except for the final track, which is by early Magma and '' Flying Teapot'' bassist Francis Moze. Track listing ;Side one #"Expresso" (Pierre Moerlen) – 5:58 #"N ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pierre Moerlen's Gong
Pierre Moerlen's Gong was an instrumental jazz fusion band led by French drummer Pierre Moerlen which developed as an offshoot of the psychedelic progressive rock band Gong founded and led by Daevid Allen. It was notable for the prominent use of mallet percussion, particularly vibraphone, in a jazz-rock context. History Amid a flurry of line-up changes in the mid-1970s, including the departure of founding members Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth, Gong drummer Pierre Moerlen was in charge of the band with two albums remaining on a contract with Virgin. Moerlen formed a new line-up with his brother Benoit on mallet percussion, US-born bassist Hansford Rowe, and a rotating cast of session guitarists, notably Allan Holdsworth, Mick Taylor, Mike Oldfield, and Bon Lozaga. They released two albums under the Gong moniker, ''Gazeuse!'' (called ''Expresso'' in North America) in 1976 and then ''Expresso II'' in 1978. Following the completion of the Virgin contract, Moerlen changed the name ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Allan Holdsworth
Allan Holdsworth (6 August 1946 – 15 April 2017) was a British jazz fusion and progressive rock guitarist and composer. Holdsworth was known for his esoteric and idiosyncratic usage of advanced music theory concepts, especially with respect to melody and harmony. His music incorporates a vast array of complex chord progressions, often using unusual chord shapes in an abstract way based on his understanding of "chord scales", and intricate improvised solos, frequently across shifting tonal centres. He used myriad scale forms often derived from those such as the Lydian, diminished, harmonic major, augmented, whole tone, chromatic and altered scales, among others, often resulting in an unpredictable and dissonant " outside" sound. His unique legato soloing technique stemmed from his original desire to play the saxophone. Unable to afford one, he strove to use the guitar to create similarly smooth lines of notes. He also became associated with playing an early form of gu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gong (band)
Gong are a progressive rock band that incorporates elements of jazz and space rock into their musical style. The group was formed in Paris in 1967 by Australian musician Daevid Allen and English vocalist Gilli Smyth. Band members have included Didier Malherbe, Pip Pyle, Steve Hillage, Mike Howlett, Pierre Moerlen, Bill Laswell and Theo Travis. Others who have played on stage with Gong include Don Cherry, Chris Cutler, Bill Bruford, Brian Davison, Dave Stewart and Tatsuya Yoshida. Gong's 1970 debut album, ''Magick Brother'', featured a psychedelic pop sound. By the following year, the second album, ''Camembert Electrique'', featured the more psychedelic rock/space rock sound with which they would be most associated. Between 1973 and 1974, Gong released their best known work, the allegorical ''Radio Gnome Invisible'' trilogy, describing the adventures of Zero the Hero, the Good Witch Yoni and the Pot Head Pixies from the Planet Gong. In 1975, Allen and Smyth left the band, whi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Didier Malherbe
Didier Malherbe (born January 22, 1943 in Paris), is a French jazz, rock and world music musician, known as a member of the bands Gong and Hadouk, as well as a poet. His first instrument was a saxophone, but he also plays flutes, alto clarinet, ocarina, Laotian Khen, Bawu flute, Hulusi and many other wind instruments. Since 1995, duduk has been his preferred instrument. Before Gong (1960–69) Didier Malherbe began playing saxophone at age 13 after hearing Charlie Parker's "Bloomdido", a title he later would adopt as his nickname. After two years of formal training on saxophone he began to participate in jam sessions at various Paris jazz clubs alongside the likes of Alby Cullaz, Eddy Louiss, Jacques Thollot ... He then moved away from jazz. "I had grown puzzled about bebop because of so many rules. Then free jazz arrived, which got rid of all the rules... I decided I'd rather look elsewhere". In 1962, after hearing the first Ravi Shankar album, he travelled to India, where ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pierre Moerlen
Pierre Moerlen (23 October 1952, Colmar, Haut-Rhin – 3 May 2005, Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines, near Strasbourg) was a French drummer and percussionist, best known for his work with Gong and Mike Oldfield and as Pierre Moerlen's Gong. Biography Pierre Moerlen was born in Colmar (Haut-Rhin) on 23 October 1952, third of five children. His father was an organist and his mother was a music teacher. All five siblings learned music with their parents and all became musicians. Pierre's younger brother, Benoît Moerlen, is also a percussionist (he also worked with Gong and Mike Oldfield). Pierre left Colmar for Strasbourg to learn percussion with Jean Batigne, founder of Les Percussions de Strasbourg. He was also a member of two rock and rock-jazz bands, including Hasm Congélateur (with included future Magma guitarist Gabriel Federow), whose most notable performance was the opening slot at the Seloncourt Festival in September 1972, headlined by Ange, Genesis and Robert Wyatt's Matchin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francis Moze
Francis Moze (born 2 February 1946) is a French bass player, best known for his work in Magma, Gong and Pierre Moerlen's Gong. Moze played in an early line-up with Magma. When he left the group, Giorgio Gomelsky introduced him to Gong. He played on the album '' Flying Teapot'' (1973). He re-joined what had by then become Pierre Moerlen's Gong for the ''Gazeuse!'' (1976) album (in the U.S., it was called ''Expresso''). After Pierre Moerlen's departure, Moze stayed in London, joining Peter Lemer's trio, also with Laurie Allan on drums. In the late 1980s, John Greaves (playing keyboards), Pip Pyle Phillip "Pip" Pyle (4 April 1950 – 28 August 2006) was an English-born drummer from Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire, who later resided in France. He is best known for his work in the progressive rock Canterbury scene bands Gong, Hatfield a ... (drums) and Moze formed a short-lived band. External sources Calyx history of Gong Canterbury scene Living people French bass guita ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Benoît Moerlen
Benoît Moerlen (born 6 February 1956) is a French percussionist, best known for his work in Gong, Pierre Moerlen's Gong and a later offshoot Gongzilla. History Moerlen studied the vibraphone at the Strasbourg Conservatory, where his elder brother Pierre Moerlen had also studied percussion. Moerlen first played with Gong on 1974's ''You'', Pierre already being a member. He joined more permanently for ''Gazeuse!'' (1976) and ''Expresso II'' (1978) when the band had come under Pierre's leadership. The latter was released under the Gong name in the UK, but as by Pierre Moerlen's Gong in North America. The band toured Europe in support. Benoît remained with the band for ''Downwind'' (1979) and ''Live'' (released 1980). Having left in 1979, Benoît joined Pierre in Mike Oldfield's touring band, and he appears on the resultant live album ''Exposed'' (1979). He re-joined Pierre Moerlen's Gong in the late 1980s for ''Second Wind'' and ''Full Circle Live '88'', also playing additional k ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Expresso II
''Expresso II'' is the eighth studio album released under the name Gong and the ''de facto'' second album by Pierre Moerlen's Gong. It released in February 1978. Featuring an all-instrumental jazz-driven sound, notable for the prominent use of vibraphone, it has little to do with the psychedelic space rock of Daevid Allen's Gong, even though the two bands share a common history. Although the album was issued by Virgin Records under the "Gong" name for contractual reasons, and the name "Pierre Moerlen's Gong" would not be adopted for a few more months, the lineup involved and the nature of the music are that of the Moerlen-led band. This was the final Gong-related album released by Virgin; the band continued on Arista Records. Track listing Personnel ;Pierre Moerlen's Gong *Pierre Moerlen – drums, vibraphone, xylophone, glockenspiel, tympani, tubular bells * Benoît Moerlen – vibraphone, marimba, percussion, tubular bells, glockenspiel, claves, xylophone *Mireille Baue ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
French Language
French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Northern Gaul. Its closest relatives are the other langues d'oïl—languages historically spoken in northern France and in southern Belgium, which French ( Francien) largely supplanted. French was also influenced by native Celtic languages of Northern Roman Gaul like Gallia Belgica and by the ( Germanic) Frankish language of the post-Roman Frankish invaders. Today, owing to France's past overseas expansion, there are numerous French-based creole languages, most notably Haitian Creole. A French-speaking person or nation may be referred to as Francophone in both English and French. French is an official language in 29 countries across multiple continents, most of which are members of the ''Organisation internationale de la Francophonie'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Timpani
Timpani (; ) or kettledrums (also informally called timps) are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum categorised as a hemispherical drum, they consist of a membrane called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. Thus timpani are an example of kettle drums, also known as vessel drums and semispherical drums, whose body is similar to a section of a sphere whose cut conforms the head. Most modern timpani are ''pedal timpani'' and can be tuned quickly and accurately to specific pitches by skilled players through the use of a movable foot-pedal. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a ''timpani stick'' or ''timpani mallet''. Timpani evolved from military drums to become a staple of the classical orchestra by the last third of the 18th century. Today, they are used in many types of ensembles, including concert bands, marching bands, orchestras, and even in some rock bands. ''Timpani'' is an Italian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom-tom Drum
A tom drum is a cylindrical drum with no snares, named from the Anglo-Indian and Sinhala language. It was added to the drum kit in the early part of the 20th century. Most toms range in size between in diameter, though floor toms can go as large as . It is not to be confused with a tam-tam, a gong. Design history The drum called "Thammattama", played by the Sinhala people of Sri Lanka, is used in a number of Buddhist rituals in that country. It is commonly heard in Buddhist temples paired along with the reed instrument called horanava. This may be etymologically derived from the Tamil term "Thappattam" or "Thappu", a frame drum associated with South Indian Tamil culture. However, the tom-tom drums on the Western drum set clearly resemble the Sri Lankan version more than the frame drum. The British colonists complained loudly about the noise generated by the "tom-toms" of the natives throughout South Asia. It is likely that the term tom-toms thus comes from their experiences ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mireille Bauer
Mireille Bauer (born 24 August 1951, Barr, Alsace, northeastern France) is a French percussionist and former member of Gong. Through her then boyfriend Pierre Moerlen, she first worked with Gong in a session capacity on '' Angel's Egg'' and ''You'' before joining the band fully for albums including '' Expresso II'' (by which time the band had become Pierre Moerlen's Gong). She subsequently left the band and joined progressive rock/fusion band Edition Speciale (1978-9). During this period, she was living with Gong bassist Francis Moze. In the 1980s, she played in John Greaves' backing band, working alongside François Ovide. She later married Ovide and had two children. She subsequently worked with Art Zoyd Art Zoyd is a French band formed in 1969, mixing free jazz, progressive rock and avant-garde electronica. Gérard Hourbette was the band's director and composer until his death in May 2018. Another key member of the band was Thierry Zaboitzeff, ... in the 1990s. Sources ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
