Roberto Musci's tribute to the Third Ear Band out in June!

The announced tribute to the Third Ear Band composed and played by Italian avantgarde composer ROBERTO MUSCI will be published by Gonzo Multimedia on June 17th, 2016. Titled "Mosaic", the intriguing project is based on the use of plunderphonics (a technique taken by Roberto from John  Oswald); it will offer to the listeners a new rendition of some tunes from the TEB's repertoire.

I listened to them in advance and I was really amazed by the nature of the music in a true TEB spirit...

Here below you can see the cover of the CD scheduled by Gonzo at the page of their Web site http://www.gonzomultimedia.co.uk/product_details/15936

 

Roberto says that "doing this CD it was a strange thing. It happened in a very simple and spontaneous way (probably because my music is so influenced by the TEB's one). It has been as I was the fifth member of the quartet, playing with them; this experience gave me a great joy and a huge pleasure...".
You can listen to a sampler of "Area Three" from the album HERE!
 
An interview with  Roberto on the Third Ear Band is at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.it/2015/09/italian-composer-roberto-musci-talks.html
A file where Roberto explains his very original project is at http://ghettoraga.blogspot.it/2015/11/italian-avant-garde-composer-roberto.html

no©2016 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)   

"With the obsession of the reed". The second part of the exclusive interview with MARY HAYES.

Here's the second part of the exclusive interview with Mary Hayes, Paul Minns' former wife. The first part is available at the page http://ghettoraga.blogspot.it/2015/06/interview-with-mary-hayes-paul-minns.html
As you can see, it's not the best interview about the TEB made by me, but it's an evidence that a good interview is based on a good interaction between the parts...

You told me about your marriage with Paul...

"Initially, my marriage took place with Paul Minns in 1969 and should read as Mrs Mary Minns. I was married to Paul, along with our adopted son, Matthew, 25.10. 1967, and then we had our son, Tristram, 18.06.1970 and our daughter, Amber, 04.09.1972. 

Through the early part of our relationship and marriage, Paul played the oboe, this closeness with the oboe led to the Third Ear Band since 1969. He aimed to be a qualified classical oboist player and played at the National Youth Orchestra
I noted that Paul's dedication in playing the oboe with the obsession of the reed - meant that most mornings he practised and improved. The perfection of the oboe, was for Paul, enhanced by the reed and was valuable to his playing, with the intense sound of the oboe's performance - harmoniously expressed and shined through."


"Paul also became a qualified book designer by choice due to his fathers, Francis Minns encouragement. Annually, the Francis Minns Book Design Award arose because he was admired and recognised as a great Book Designer. "

"In terms of life - Paul's loss of his mother and father during the air crash in 1971, then Yugoslavia, was a devastating blow to him - and affected his life. Fortunately, in 1972, we had a daughter, called Amber. In 1980 - 1982, life fell apart, in terms of breakdown - and in 1982, the story goes onwards with Paul's meeting of Kathryn and their joint marriage - and leaving England for Scotland.

Had you ever had contacts with Paul after that?
"As you are aware, the story I heard was Paul's marriage to Kathryn fell apart, and then Kathryn went to Morocco for a month, then back home again, however, the situation had changed and Paul had chosen to take his own life. This could have been Paul's sadness with the loss of his dog and horse - but the impact was strong and neither Matthew, Tristram and Amber ever saw Paul again.

                           A teen Paul Minns (courtesy of Mary Haynes).

In September, 2015, I heard that Kathryn (Ade) had died a few years ago. Paul and Kathryn had no children, however, she was registered with PRS (Performance Rights Society). On this occasion, today, I rang Performance Rights Society to enable Paul's children to eventually become knowledgeable about Paul's musical experience, but now have to know about the occasion of Kathryn's death and if she left a will? I know you've the history about Kathryn and Paul, so you may be helpful in information-." 
no©2016 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)  

OZ magazine colourful ads found.

TEB Italian fans pages run by my friend Mirco Delfino (go to https://www.facebook.com/pages/Third-Ear-Band/156660855584?v=info), with interesting links with music as/inspired by the TEB, posted these very interesting old colourful Blackhill Enterprises-Harvest Records ads published by the legendary freak underground OZ magazine in 1969 and 1970.

                                                       July 22, 1969

                                    September 23th, 1969

                                         February 26th, 1970

Note the usual Blackhill's style based on imaginative communication full of philosophical and psychological statements and a flower-power call: "To love Blackhill Enterprises is to love Life"... 

no©2016 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)

An unknown wonderful footage with the Third Ear Band in 1970!

Thanks our friend and TEB fan archeovideologist Spirito Bono we have a new brief footage with the Band on stage aired by WDR TV just few days ago (March 28th, 2016). The little cameo is available in free download at: http://www92.zippyshare.com/v/GsK59Pwl/file.htm

It seems* it's taken from the International Essen Pop & Blues Festival (October 1970) where with musicians as Taj Mahal, Keef Hartley Band and Hardin & York... at the Essen (Germany) Galerie der Entertainer played also The Third Ear Band in its best line-up ever: Glen Sweeney on tablas and tambourine; Paul Minns on oboe; Ursula Smith on cello and Richard Coff on violin.

The brief sequence (just 2:38), alternating the musicians' close-ups and a relaxed audience, is the last part of "Earth" taken from the "Elements" album: this really exclusive document shows Ursula Smith using the arpeggio on cello and Richard Coff playing his violin with a plectrum...

Enjoy this obscure pearl!

 

*Philological/archivistic note: I write "it seems" because the source states that period, but I think it's dubious the Band played in October 1970: in fact in August 1970 Smith and Coff split the group and Bridges and Buckmaster joined the TEB. So it's this live concert was played before, from second half of 1969 to first half of 1970...
Fan and TEB expert Mirco Delfino suggests it could be played on April 24th, 1970 at the Essen TV as reported on the original Paul Minns' journal: in fact the sequence is build on a quite amateurish editing of the band playing on a studio and the audience laying at a live concert...
no©2016 Luca Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)