Michael Zentner, violinist, is known to everyone here as a performer in the US RIO band The Muffins:
American violinist.
Founding member of Washington DC Art Rock band, The Muffins. Toured England and France with British saxophonist Lol Coxhill and others. Worked with manager/producer Georgio Gomelski on various projects including Georgio's ZU band (which later became the band Material) as one of it's founding members.
First solo album "Present Time" is released in the US, Europe, and Japan. While the album received consistently high marks from critics, it's harp and violin duet Tears and Spheres became one of the first of the “New Age” offerings being aired on US radio.
Founding member of Peter Blegvad's Big Guns - a precursor to The Golden Palominos, with Carla Bley and the Palominos' Anton Fier, Bill Laswell, and Blegvad.
Group and solo electric violin concert performances in the US, Canada, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America along with some session work in Los Angeles and New York City. Recorded self produced second solo album "Playtime".
Embarked on a series of Duo concerts and group performances with John Goodsall. Various appearances in Los Angeles, performing with a variety of musicians including Patrick Moraz (Yes), Tom Fowler, Don Preston (Zappa), Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers). Some US performances and intermittent but extensive touring in Europe and Latin America.
Present Time from 1983 has an amazing track called Tears and Spheres which with the harp and violin sounds a lot like the preceding Alan Stivell stuff:
(Not sure why the embedded links don't work anymore with archive, but sigh.)
Another track called Cliche you can listen to here:
He then made another solo album called Playtime in 1995 which doesn't quite have the same fierce complexity but I included it down below.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.sendspace.com/file/oq5yly
https://krakenfiles.com/view/suRKYRZ6lU/file.html
Though it's not related to this post, I found an interesting tune:
ReplyDeletePruett & Davis Group feat. Jerry Peek (of 3pm)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-RT-WyDwI0
Unfortunately, no other sample can be found.
Muy bueno, gracias.
ReplyDeleteWe do like Muffins!
ReplyDeleteBut these gems yet again flew under the radar....why we're so lucky to have Julian and the great Prog Rev, to bring great obscurities back to our attention!!
Now Playtime sounds like a nice solo-album from the 80s but
Present Time is outstanding, outside of time, from cool cover art to the final note.
Thoroughly intriguing and interesting, as strong as any Muffins album proper....there's many rewards here for the careful listener :) ...Zappa meets the Residents circa Not Available & Eskimo...
I've always felt a strong Zappa undercurrent in the Muffins work, like he was an unnamed shadow-member of the group, from the frenetic, complex compositions and jams to the insider humor vibe and far out musings...the same goes for the Cartoon Lps...
And the last track, Tears And Spheres is a real majestic bittersweet beauty, like saying goodbye to old friends at twilight.
Thank you very much Julian :)
Cheers bro!
welcome back bro glad you enjoyed it
Deletegreat write up!