2021 Work in Progress..ive

[schupdoggy]

Mai Tornare - Tillison Reingold Tiranti - Allium: Una Storia

[nicola]

BENJAMIN CROFT
KEYBOARDIST AND COMPOSER


I listened by chance a few days ago to a track from his second
album and how it happens to me when I find it interesting, I went
to find out everything about the artist and his path ....
I learned a lot of information about Benjamin, a character that
my intuition had interpreted well from the causal listening ... in the
biography you will find all the news ... he mainly played jazz
but later you discover that a jazz magazine JAZZWISE asks him
to describe his preferences for the best 5 albums and here the
surprise for me and for the magazine that expected 5 jazz albums
is triggered and Benjamin declares instead:
"Can't live without
1) Close To The Edge ..YES
2) Romantic Warrior ..RETURN TO FOREVER
3) Heavy Weather..WEATHER REPORT
4) UK ..UK
5) Hounds Of Love..KATE BUSH "



From JAZZWISE MAGAZINE






and also claims to hear and own many prog music
albums in the photo some of his own







"FAR AND DISTANT THINGS" is an excellent album very different from
the first much more linked to Jazz, in this second album it explores
new sounds, a cross between fusion and jazzrock played with great
skill, helped in this realization by as many great artists ....
In the album resist some tracks more attributable to jazz similar to
those of the first album but given the good result of this new direction
I am convinced that the next album will be even better and I do not
shield that the surprises are over on the other hand the mix of
preferences with YES and UK on the one hand and Joe Zawinul
Jaco Pastorius Chick Korea Stanley Clarke on the other will surely
influence the production of the next album…

…. "The_Cashectomy" is the track I chose to include
in my best of 2021 But as I said before, the whole album deserves attention.







Hi friends

2021 Work in Progress..ive




These are my best tracks of 2021


Track Title-Group or Artist-Album

The Pilgrim Suite -Andrew Stone-The Pilgrim

Discworld - Projector - Glass Kites -Glass Kites II

The Trial of the King - Chromatic Aberration -The Trial of the King

4Th Dimension - ProAge-Wymiar

Claustrophobia-Eyesberg-Claustrophobia

Rainy Sunday-Maxxess-Reactivate

Colorbox-Raven Sad-The Leaf And The Wing

Bit By Bit-Syrinx Call-Mirrorneuron

Power Trip Career Aspirations-Lucas Lee -Sindrome De Estocolmo

The Darkness in the Light-Transatlantic-The Absolute Universe: Forevermore

Soul_Of_Hundred_Lives-Inner Prospekt-Canvas Two

Flare_2-Richard_Barbieri-Under a Spell

Cosmic Krautrock-Stephan Thelen-Fractal Guitar 2

Rite_Of_Accession-Elephant9-Arrival Of The New Elders

In Discipline And With Love-Kerrs Pink-Presence Of Life

Marcha_De_Sonidos_Parte_2-Black Expression-Regreso A Casa

Crossing-Cast-Vigesimus

Alice_Krige_Parts_1_and_2-Heard Of Istinct-Unravel

Altitude-Lifesigns-Altitude

In_1985-Cosmograf-Rattrapante

Sailing_To_Byzantium-Nad Sylvan-Spiritus Mundi

Empire_Of_The_Elf-Jeffrey Erik Mack-The Forgotten Earth

Halo_Drive-Corrado Rustici -Interfulgent

Tiresias-Noisy Diners-The Princess of the Allen Key

Alice-The Mad Lab-Design of Experiments

The Real History Of Tom Wheel, Pt. 1 (The Curse)
-Fabricio Pipini(feat.Platinum)-Phantasicah (A Dreamer's Tale)

Walk_Away-Bernardo Lanzetti-Horizontal Rain

Broken Windows-Zygon-Earth And Sky

The Ascent-The Emerald Down-To Touch The Sky

Connecting_The_Dots-Confusion Field -Disconnection Complete

Day_And_Age-Frost* -Day And Age

Haunted_House-Joe_Bailey -Ghosts

Winter-Resistor -The 5th Season

Book Of Coming Forth By Day-Blacksmith Tales-The Dark Presence

Iron John-The Samurai Of Prog -The Lady And The Lion And Other Grimm Tales

Go Viral-Sylvan-One to Zero

Room 101-Karmamoi-Room 101

Hidden Land-Daniel Eliseev Project -Lost Humanity

Apollo-Big Big Train - Common Ground

Dissolution-Smalltape -THE HUNGRY HEART

Dark World-Metamorphosis-I'm Not A Hero

White Ghosts-Alessandro Corvaglia-Out Of The Gate

Beyond the Years-The Neal Morse Band -Innocence & Danger

Shanghai_to_Samarkand-Steve Hackett -Surrender Of Silence


Added


The_Cashectomy-Benjamin Croft -Far And Distant Things






From Benjamin Croft Official Site

Biography


Benjamin Croft is a British keyboardist and composer who has recorded
with Randy Brecker, Frank Gambale, Chad Wackerman, Allen Vizzutti,
Barry Finnerty and Mike Miller.
Known for his extensive knowledge and experience in a multitude of
music genres, he is mostly associated with jazz.
At the age of 7, he began piano and trumpet lessons, later
going on to study at Leeds College of Music.
After graduating, he completed several contracts on international cruise
lines and moved to the US. During this period, he toured the world twice,
and worked with artists as diverse as Belinda Carlisle, Leslie Garrett,
The Temptations and The Platters.
Benjamin relocated to London in 2012, where he became a regular
performer at Ronnie Scott’s, the Jazz Cafe, Dean St and The Pheasantry
Pizza Express Jazz Clubs, The Vortex, among others, playing with
the finest musicians on the scene.
He has also performed in the West End Show ’ Straight From the Heart’,
and on TV shows such as ‘The Voice’ and ‘Britain’s Got Talent’.
In 2018, he recorded for Beautiful South founder Dave Hemingway’s
latest project ’Sunbirds', and has been working as a session musician,
composer and arranger on several projects over the years.
In March 2019, Benjamin released his first album ‘10 Reasons To...’ on
33Jazz Records. 12 original compositions reflecting his unique style
and sound ; an audacious crossover between genres that seduced the
press, and the public.
His second album, "Far and Distant Things", was recorded throughout 2020.
An ambitious project featuring legendary musicians from the US and more.
It will be released on Ubuntu Music on August, 6th 2021.



"FAR AND DISTANT THINGS" by BENJAMIN CROFT






About the album:



March 2018. The production of my first
album had recently concluded and I was keen to keep the momentum
going and keep writing. I decided that this new project would have no
compromises. I would try to improve and expand on all aspects of
my previous album.
I initially contacted a selection of my favourite musicians in the UK
to play on the tracks; Andy Davies (trumpet), Gareth Lockrane (flute),
Henry Thomas and Flo Moore (bass), Tristan Mailliot and Laurie Lowe (drums).
Helen Vollam, principal trombone of the BBC Symphony Orchestra and
Carter Arrington (guitar) were also added to the roster around this period.
The writing process continued and I envisioned the UK musicians
augmented by a US guest star, or two…
In the fall of 2019, I sent out messages to several legendary artists and
lifelong inspirations.
To my surprise, all showed interest. I now had an all star line-up!
Randy Brecker, Allen Vizzutti (trumpet), Frank Gambale, Barry Finnerty,
Mike Miller (guitar), and Chad Wackerman (drums).
Back in 2019, we had no idea what was just around the corner...
The majority of the guest stars had tour schedules that lasted for
the remainder of 2020.
At the time, I was led to believe I only had a window
of the first two weeks of January to record them.
The compositions were recorded in London at Metropolis, Greystoke and
The Church Studios. The studios were selected for their vast tracking
space and unique selection of equipment.
A huge arsenal of keyboards was used on this album. Among them, the
Yamaha CS-80, Minimoog, Prophet 5 and Freddie Mercury's Fazioli
grand piano!
Eight of the compositions were tracked between January and early
March. Then, disaster struck… March 24th 2020 was a day I will
never forget…
The 24th just happens to be my birthday. It also just happened to be
the day I was scheduled to record my final three pieces. Sadly this
was not meant to be. The UK entered national lockdown and everything
was cancelled…
My time off was used wisely to refine the compositions and by late
summer, we were allowed back in the studio. Tracking was completed
at RAK studios in London.
At the start of this project, I only had one person in mind to mix the
tracks; Stephen W Tayler. His work can be heard on many albums that
inspired my compositions. The album was mixed at Peter Gabriel’s
Real World Studios.
Production eventually wrapped up in early 2021. Barry Grint, whose
previous clients include the likes of David Bowie, Madonna and Prince,
mastered the tracks at Air Studios.
The unique artwork for the album is provided by Juno Award Winner
Hugh Syme. His works are firmly planted in the public conscience.
He has designed for Rush, Dream Theater, Whitesnake and many others.
I am immensely proud of this album. A true portrait of my musical mind.
My love of jazz, rock and classical are all captured. The eleven
compositions on this album represent my childhood dreams and
fantasies. Utopian and dystopian, heroes and villains, all depicted.
Concepts I regarded as far and distant things…
Out on August 6th 2021 on Ubuntu Music