Mike Oldfield

Montreux 1981

Ommadawn

Tubular Bells 2003

Mike Oldfield – Montreux 1981 – Ommadawn 1/3

Mike Oldfield – Montreux 1981 – Ommadawn 2/3

Mike Oldfield – Montreux 1981 – Ommadawn 3/3

Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells 1973

Mike Oldfield – Tubular bells

Mike Oldfield – Tubular Bells 2003

Tubular Bells – Homepage

Mike Oldfield on MySpace Music

A palestra da HIM – Hotel Institute Montreux deste semestre já está agendada e as inscrições já estão abertas.

Para quem ainda não conhece, a HIM é uma das melhores instituições de ensino de Hotelaria da Suíça. A escola-hotel fica no centro da cidade de Montreux, à beira do Lago Geneve. A HIM oferece cursos de formação profissional, bacharelado, pós-graduações e MBA, todos em Hotelaria, claro.

Estudantes do mundo inteiro buscam na escola uma chance de internacionalizar suas carreiras numa das indústrias que mais crescem no mundo. A vida na HIM é de muito estudo, como vocês podem ver no depoimento da Jeanine, que segue abaixo:

“Meu nome é Jeanine Brunner, tenho 20 anos, estou no segundo ano da HIM. No primeiro momento quando cheguei achei tudo muito puxado, tudo muito exagerado, mas com o tempo fui conhecendo pessoas e vi que aquilo não chegava nem perto do que estava a minha espera. Assim percebi durante o estágio, que a maneira puxada e exagerada das coisas serem, era só para nos preparar pro que estava por vir, pois não podemos escolher bons gerentes, eles são bons e ruins e estão por todo o canto. Eu sou extremamente grata pelo método de ensino da escola, não podia ser melhor!”

Jeanine Brunner - Aluna CP4 e HIM

A Jeanine fez um estágio em um restaurante em Berna, na Suíça, após seu primeiro ano e já está de volta à escola para o segundo ano de sua graduação. Mas nem só de estudo e trabalho vivem os alunos da HIM. A localização da escola favorece a prática de diversos esportes. Nos meses do verão, os esportes aquáticos como vela, canoagem e outros são muito apreciados e, no inverno, os esportes de neve são praticados por quase todos. Para aqueles que preferem uma malhação menos radical, a escola oferece uma academia modesta e uma programação diversa de esportes coletivos.

Além dos esportes, os alunos da HIM participam de duas excursões com visitas técnicas por termo acadêmico. Em relação à cultura, a cidade de Montreux organiza anualmente seu famoso festival de Jazz. Grandes nomes da música mundial já passaram por seus palcos como Sheryl Crow, Lenny Kravitz, Carlos Santana, Robert Plant e outros nomes internacionais. A nossa Elis Regina também já cantou por lá, num inesquecível show em 1979. Veja um trechinho tirado do Youtube:

Colocação no Mercado de Trabalho por Feiras no Campus.

Com foco no mercado internacional, os alunos da HIM são colocados em estágios nos melhores hotéis e restaurantes do mundo e após se formarem, participam do International Recruitment Forum, uma oportunidade única de estar em contato com as maiores empresas do ramo, em uma grande feira de contratação. Abaixo segue um vídeo, feito com alunos da HIM durante o Forum deste ano.

A palestra, ministrada por Daiane Lagger, representante de Marketing do Swiss Education Group, abordará as vantagens e perspectivas do mercado internacional de Hotelaria e fará esclarecimentos sobre os cursos oferecidos pela instituição.

Data: 23 de Setembro, 4a feira,

Horários: às 15h e às 19h (dois turnos)

Local: Hotel Ipanema Plaza, Rua Farme de Amoedo, 34, Ipanema.

As inscrições são gratuitas e serão feitas pela CP4, através do telefone 2247-9787.

Nos vemos lá!

J’aurais pu passer la totalité de mon séjour à admirer les vues à partir du Lac Léman.  Vraiment trop joli ! En feuilletant les livres de tourisme sur la Suisse, je suis tombé sur la Château de Chillon et j’avais vraiment hâte d’explorer ce site à l’extrémité est du lac. Je n’ai pas été déçu, quoique je croyais que le château serait un plus isolé d’après les photos que j’avais vu. Finalement, pas vraiment ! Mettons que chaque parcelle de terrain longeant le lac est plutôt développé. Mais bon, ça n’a rien enlevé au charme de la place. Les premières constructions sur le site remontent de plus de 1000ans. En découvrant le site, on peut facilement se transporter dans le temps et s’imaginer à quoi pouvait ressembler la vie au Moyen-âge, il y a 700 ans. J’avais drôlement le goût de prendre des armes pour repousser les envahisseurs bernois ! Vive la maison de Savoie !

Pour écrire un blog, on doit parfois se renseigner

Petite pause au Château

Après, nous en avons profité pour se longer le long du lac et ainsi passer à travers les villes de Montreux et Vevey. Tout le long, on regardait vers les monts pour observer tous les vignes. C’est vraiment impressionnant, chaque mètre carré qui est non réservé aux bâtiments ou les routes semble avoir une fonction purement vinicole. Vraiment trop joli. J’imagine que c’est pour ça que la région fait partie du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO.  J’ai d’ailleurs bu une bouteille de vin suisse lors de mon voyage.  Un Chablais je crois. Je me demandais pourquoi je n’avais vu de bouteille de vin suisse au Canada (En France, j’ai abandonné de chercher des vins non-français… ) mais j’ai appris que seulement 1 à 2% de la production est exportée. Autre découverte, l’histoire vinicole de la Suisse remonte à l’âge de Fer, ce qui implique qu’elle existait avant l’arrivée des romains !

Père et fils à côté d'un vigne

Bébé découvre le vin suisse!

Et plus on creuse l’histoire suisse, plus qu’on se rend compte qu’elle est très riche. Ce n’est pas surprenant étant donné que le pays a souvent été dans l’ombre de ces voisins mieux connus et plus puissants. Dans cette optique historique et voulant visiter au moins une ville pendant notre séjour, nous avons pris une journée pour découvrir Berne, la capitale fédérale du pays depuis 1848. Sa fondation remonte à 1191 et elle aurait été nommé pour un ours tué par le duc Bertold V. D’ailleurs, l’un des attraits de cette ville est une fosse aux ours qui permet d’observer ses créatures imposantes. J’avais vraiment le goût de me faire prendre en photo devant un ours !! Mais non, elle est actuellement  en rénovation… Pas d’ours cette fois-ci. Le centre-ville historique est sympathique mais honnêtement, après plusieurs visites, je trouve que les centre-ville européens se ressemble parfois. Ca n’enlève absolument rien à Berne, c’est juste que je deviens un peu blasé ! Je sais, je fais pitié. Ce que j’ai beaucoup aimé à Berne est la vue du haut des ponts sur l’Aar.

Comment ça des rénos? Je veux un ours!

Berne, jolie malgré l'absence d'ours

Berne

Euh, pourquoi les ours ont des fusils à Berne?

Bon, assez pour cette fois-ci. Il me reste un billet sur la Suisse à écrire et ça sera sur mon highlight du voyage. Zermatt et le Matterhorn (aka, Mont Cervin).

La petite famille au Matterhorn!

Lazuli haben die passenden Antworten auf unsere tägliche Portion Leben:

Die erste davon: eine anständige Kategorie bei itunes! Lazuli werden dort unter »Unclassifiable« gelistet, was mir deutlich mehr zusagt als eine Einordnung etwa nur in Worldmusic oder gar Jazz (was bei einigen Progproduktionen oder Musik vorkommt, die sich nicht direkt aus Most-Produzenten-Sicht einordnen lässt, geschweige denn dort verkauft wird). Da hat man bei der Produktion schön aufgepasst

Lazuli sind für mich ein neues Juwel aus dem Progsektor, bei dem ich mich gefragt habe: Warum zum Henker kenne ich diese Band noch nicht? Franzosen sind ja im süddeutschen Raum nicht gerade unterrepräsentiert, aber diese Formation ist mir leider bislang durch die Lappen gegangen noch nicht über den Weg gelaufen. Eine Ankündigung à la »So hat man Prog noch nicht erlebt«, die Auszeichnung »Album des Monats« bei eclipsed und eine unmissverständliche Kaufaufforderung seitens jfk ließ mich noch nicht einmal darüber nachdenken ob ich den Erwerb in Erwägung ziehe oder nicht. Und im Gegensatz zu manchen CDs, die man erst mal unbedingt haben muss und dann nie wieder hören will (z.B. abigails ghost, aber dazu ein anderes Mal), gehören Lazuli zu der Kategorie »wann kommt das nächste Album raus, mehr davon«. Ich hatte zwar kein so großes Aha-Erlebnis wie damals bei der ersten Porcupine Tree-CD, aber Lazuli werde ich zukünftig auf dem Schirm haben. Allein schon, weil der Name so leicht über die Lippen geht und nach Urlaub mit kaltem Rosé unter Pinienschatten klingt.

Gern gesehener Gast auf Prog-Festivals: Lazuli on stage (Photo ©Nina Voronova)

Ganz nebenbei hat die 1998 gegründete Band während der Tour 2008 im Vorprogramm von Riverside gespielt und im berühmten Colos-Saal in Aschaffenburg (wenn man dort als Progband mal gespielt hat, hat man’s quasi geschafft, mindestens in die Berichterstattung der eclipsed). Das Baja Progfestival erscheint ebenso in den Suchergebnissen sowie unterschiedlich zu deutende Beiträge zur Stadt Montreux – ob Lazuli nun tatsächlich auch Gast des Jazz-Festival 2005 waren oder ob doch das Prog-Festival 2007 gemeint war, muss ich noch bei dem sehr netten Bandkontakt erfragen. Aktuell waren sie Headliner beim amerikanischen Rites of Spring Festival und beim Night of the Prog auf der Loreley.

Das aktuelle Album von Lazuli: Réponse incongrue à l’inéluctable (2009)

Das inzwischen vierte Album der Band Réponse incongrue à l’inéluctable (frei übersetzt »Die unpassende Antwort auf das Unumgängliche«) ist eine – entgegen dem Titel – durchaus passende Antwort auf Klimakatastrophe, soziale Isolation und Liebeskummer. Kein Konzeptalbum? Meiner Ansicht nach durchaus, alle Songs bieten Antworten (wenn auch nur aus einer Sicht) auf Probleme des alltäglichen Lebens. Gepaart mit einer Mischung aus orchestralem, prog-rockigem Elektrosound à la Peter Gabriel, der dem Ohr neben starkem Rhythmus und gekonnten Steigerungen auch noch instrumentale Überraschungen bietet. Denn welche Band hat schon eine Warr Guitar, eine Chapman Stick oder eine Léode als Standardequipment (Veranstalter dürften sich auch regelmäßig ob der Stageliste die Haare raufen)? Auch die Klänge von Marimba oder Vibraphon passen nicht ins 08/15 Prog-Programm und sind auch mitverantwortlich für die weitere Schublade Worldmusic, die Lazuli perfekt und nicht aufdringlich in den Songs aufmachen. Sonst würde mich das auf Dauer auch ziemlich nerven. Aber in gesunden Dosen wie z.B. beim zweiten Song und Klimakatastrophenbeitrag »On nous ment comme on respire« ist das durchaus genehm. Orientalische Klänge sind in progressiven Stücken ja auch nichts Ungewöhnliches mehr. »La vie par la face nord« erinnert mich dann wieder eher an typische Ton- oder Akkordfolgen aus Chansons. Mir dauert es zwar ein wenig zu lange, bis es in diesem Song so richtig los geht, aber das wiederum ist typisch Progrock – in diesem Fall sogar mit passendem Kinderlied-Soundzitat. Bei »Aimants« leuchten zunächst meine Porcupine Tree-Warnlämpchen auf, ausgestattet ist der Song mit einem eindrücklicherem Gesang, löscht dann aber schnell die Lämpchen, u.a. dank Léode, und ist nach dem Opener »Abime« und dem Dreiteiler »La belle noirceur« einer meiner Favoriten. Der Typ auf der Brücke, »Toujours un gars sur un pont«, ist, durchaus passend zur textlichen Thematik, elektronischer gehalten und wird live vermutlich spannender klingen als auf dem Album. Hier hätte ich mir stellenweise einen dynamischeren Mix gewünscht, damit der Song (gerade zu Beginn) nicht, ich muss es leider sagen, monoton wirkt. Denn das Arrangement ist toll und vielfältig, es gibt gerade in diesem Song unglaublich viel zu entdecken. Schön auf die Mütze und ganz nach meinem Geschmack ist »La belle noirceur« (auch wenn mich das Vibraphon etwas aus dem Takt gebracht hat, weil ich ständig dachte, ich hätte eine neue Mail bekommen, immer diese Standard-Mac-OS-Sounds). Streicher, fette Gitarren, schöne Harmoniekombinationen und Läufe, kleine Soli; also laut aufdrehen und schöne die Haare fliegen lassen. Der Song ist im übrigen progfreundlich in drei Teile aufgebaut (Prolog, Hauptteil und Epilog) und bringt im Epilog Zitate aus Frankreich, dem Zirkuszelt (oder eher Moulin Rouge?) und wie es sich gehört, der avantgardistischen Neoprogklassik (darf ich jetzt auch für SPEX schreiben?). Mit einer hübschen singenden Léode-Säge wird das Gesamtwerk mit »L’Essentiel« schließlich nach etwas mehr als 47 Minuten abgeschlossen.

Die Léode, eine Eigenkreation aus dem Hause Lazuli, genauer von Claude Leonetti, ist dieser prägnante Audio-Fingerabdruck, den so nur wenige Bands haben und der genau richtig dosiert immer wieder auftaucht. Eine Klangmischung aus Gitarre, singender Säge und Synthesizer, eher einer Midigitarre ähnlich – aber mit besserem Sound wie z.B. die neue MOOG-Gitarre. Gespielt wird das Instrument in der Position ähnlich dem Cello und ist quasi ein Keyboard mit unsichtbaren Gitarrensaiten, wer sich mehr dafür interessiert, siehe YouTube-Video am Ende der Review. Leonetti hat das Instrument ersonnen, nachdem er nach einem Motorradunfall im Jahre 1996 leider nicht mehr in der Lage war, seine geliebte Gitarre so zu spielen wie früher. Nach einigen Experimenten mit Synthies und Elektro-Musik setzte er seinen Traum mit Hilfe einer Skizze und Vincent Maury von LAG Innov’art in die Tat um. Die Léode ist ein Midicontroller, mit dem sich sowohl Samples als auch Effekte ansteuern lassen (also ein Synthesizer). Formal denkt man vielleicht zunächst an ein biologisch-dynamisch angebautes, indisches Keyboard, da die Kontrolleinheit auf einem breiten Holzbrett befestigt ist (eben wie bei einer Gitarre). Thorsten hat das ganze als einen gigantischen Ribboncontroller bezeichnet, was es dann wohl auch letztendlich ist. Allerdings mit dem Unterschied, dass die Kontrolleinheit einen Saitenaufbau hat (zumindest vermute ich das, wenn ich Videos von der Spielweise sehe). Die Samples stammen laut Leonetti alle aus seiner näheren Umgebung (Hund, Katze, Freundin – ja, in dieser Reihenfolge steht es in der offiziellen Bandinfo) oder anderen Sounds, die ihn beeindrucken (Sarangui, Doudouk, Saiteninstrumente). Die Töne löst er mit Druck auf das Controllpad aus, kann sie beliebig lange halten und vibrieren lassen.

Ganz mutige Zeitgenossen sollten sich vielleicht als Roadie bei Lazuli bewerben. Neben dem (nur) 12saitigen Chapman Stick hat die oben erwähnte Warr Guitar vermutlich geschätzte 50 Saiten. Naja nicht ganz, aber zumindest ist das ein ziemlich fettes Teil, wahrscheinlich war man zu faul (oder zu eitel), um eine Doppelhalsgitarre zu bauen oder hat einfach einen Saitenfabrikant geheiratet (und damit meine ich nicht die Wurst!). Zum Bedienen der Gitarre benötigt man übrigens einen Babytragegurt. Ich meine, wie stimmt man bitte so ein Ding äh Instrument in weniger als 15 Minuten – selbst wenn die Hälfte Midi ist? Die Léode ist also nicht sooo weit davon entfernt

Von links nach rechts, nur zwei echte Brüder: Claude Lazuli (Leonetti), Gédéric Lazuli (Byar), Dominique Lazuli (Leonetti), Frédéric Lazuli (Juan), Yohan Lazuli (Simeon), Sylvain Lazuli (Bayol)

Auch wenn das Booklet von Réponse incongrue à l’inéluctable vielleicht etwas anderes vermuten lässt: bei Lazuli sind nicht alle miteinander verwandt. Hier haben wir es mit einem hübschen Digipack inkl. 12seitigem schwarz-weiß-Booklet zu tun. Aber ob das alles klimaneutral produziert ist? [Für die Inhaltsschweren: Das Karussel symbolisiert die immer wiederkehrenden Probleme des alltäglichen Lebens, aufgenommen als Zitat der kindlichen Psyche, alleingelassen in Raum und Zeit, die eindrücklichen s/w-Portraits stehen für die Gleichheit des Individuums blabla] Ja, auf jeden Fall schon schöner als beim letzten Kandidaten und gestalterisch passend umgesetzt.

Lazuli – Réponse incongrue à l’inéluctable
Release: 2009

Besetzung (seit Gründung so gut wie keine Veränderung!):
Dominique Leonetti (voc/electric git/12 string git)
Claude Leonetti (Léode*)
Sylvain Bayol (Chapman stick/Warr Guitar)
Gédéric Byar (git)
Frédéric Juan (marimba/vibes/perc)
Yohan Simeon (perc/ marimba/métalophone)

Lazuli im Web
Lazuli bei MySpace
Bandinfo bei progarchives
Wikipedia (spärlicher Eintrag)
Weitere Kritiken auf den Babyblauen Seiten

Termine:
8. November 2009, Galileo Prog Day, Pratteln (nahe Basel), Schweiz
29. November 2009, Venue De Pul/Uden (Niederlande, irgendwo zwischen Eindhoven und Nijmegen)

*Die Léode im Einsatz:

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Vu que là haut il faisait à nouveau un temps à ne pas mettre une actrice américaine botoxée dans la piscine, on est redescendus au bord du lac. On avait vu Thonon alors pourquoi pas Evian, mais finalement à Evian on se serait cru à Thonon ou bien l’inverse donc on a continué plus loin, et encore un peu plus loin. On a passé la frontière on a vu le panneau Montreux on s’est dit tiens pourquoi pas.

J’ai trainé Chouchou à Migros parce que je voulais du chocolat et on en est ressortis avec tout et n’importe quoi : Scamorza Philadelphia aux herbes jambon cru fromage aux fleurs tome au cumin crème de raifort tomates pâte à tartiner et pain tout chaud. On s’est assis par terre au bord de l’eau, on a déballé tout notre n’importe quoi qu’on a mangé tout n’importe comment.

Il y avait aussi une bouteille de Rivella pour boire mais Chouchou n’aimait pas (parce que ça pétille comme le Coca alors forcément).

Après avoir imité Freddy Mercury et pourchassé les dindons (les pigeons mais j’aime bien dire dindons parce qu’ils font pareil avec la tête) on a quand même fini par aller s’asseoir ailleurs que par terre parce que Chouchou avait soif. Et Chouchou c’est pas le genre à commander un Ricard ou un Coca. Chouchou il demande un lait fraise. Et le serveur « Un milkshake à la fraise ? », « Non non un lait fraise », « Pardon ? », « Du lait avec du sirop de fraise dedans », « Euh d’accord, et vous le désirez froid ou chaud le lait ? ».

Après être passé pour un extraterrestre et fait bredouiller le serveur, Chouchou a tout de même pu boire l’unique lait fraise qui a jamais du être préparé en Suisse (très bon malgré tout) avant que l’on reparte dans nos montagnes au coucher du soleil (avec quand même pas mal de chocolats dans le coffre, et quelques lectures…).

No, o smoku będzie…

Do Montreux wyskoczyliśmy dwa razy. Dziwnym trafem nie zwrócilismy uwagi na kasyno, które znajduje sie w samym centrum. Ale po to człowiek robi zdjęcia w czasie podróży, aby w domu mógł obejrzeć gdzie właściwie był.

Kasynu w Montreux poświęcony jest kawałek Smoke on the Water grupy Deep Purple. Tekst Smoke jest typowym przypadkiem poezji śpiewanej jako instrukcja obsługi odkurzacza. Leci to mniej więcej tak:

Pojechaliśmy do Montreux nad Jeziorem Genewskim, żeby nagrać płytę w studiu polowym. Akurat Zappa siedział w najlepszym lokalu w okolicy i jakis przygłup odpalił tam flarę i kompletnie sfajczył tę budę. Dym na wodzie i ogień do samego nieba.

Dalej następuje historia Pojechanego Claude, który wyciągał ludzi z płomieni. Był to Claude Nobs, współtworca festiwalu w Montreux. A jeszcze dalej słowa Smoke idą tak:

Wylądowaliśmy z polowym studiem Stonesów w opustoszałym Grand Hotelu. Tam nagraliśmy całą naszą muzykę. I cokolwiek miałoby się z nia stać, do końca zycia zapamiętamy ten dym na wodzie i ogień do samego nieba.

Smok na wodę. Grudzień 1971 roku.

Machine Head - płyta, którą Deep Purple nagrali w opustoszałym Grand Hotelu – była ich największym komercyjnym sukcesem. Chociaż Smoke on the Water nie został zarejestrowany w Grandzie, tylko wcześniej, w innym miejscu w Motreux. Z tamtego miejsca Purple zostali wyrzuceni za hałas. W pustych korytarzach Grand Hotelu, gdzie rozstawili sprzęt, powstały już tylko partie wokalne tego utworu.

Jestem z generacji partyzantów, dla których kawałki dłuższe niż 3 minuty musiały mieć naprawdę dobry powód, żeby istnieć. Nie po to wymyślono punk rock, żeby się zachwycać gośćmi grającymi w dziesięciu piętnastominutowe solówki wykonywane na dwunastostrunowych gitarach z sześcioma gryfami. Ale z wiekiem trochę polubiłem Smoke. Może dlatego, że sami Deep Purple mieli go za zbyt prosty, a przez to strasznie obciachowy numer.

Smoke on the Water własnie przez swoją niegodną wirtuozów prostotę dostał tekst napisany na kolanie.

/hlb/

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Nachrichten: Ralph Ueltzhoeffer, Weishaupt Contemporary Montreux – Ausstellung (Titel): Portraits and Texts Termine: Voraussichtlicher Zeitraum der Ausstellung: 16.05. – 03.08.. Kunst & Kultur-Info: Montreux. Künstler (Texte) informationen von Ralph Ueltzhoeffer: Veranstaltungen für Montreux: (Ort) Weishaupt Contemporary Montreux, (Künstler) Ralph Ueltzhoeffer Kulturell in Montreux: Kunstausstellungen – Rubrik: Hobby, Freizeit, Ausstellungen in Schweiz. Ausstellung-Textportrait: Ralph Ueltzhoeffer.

AKTUELL: Kunstprojekte Montreux.

Andy Warhol als Biografie, Text und Porträt Fotografie.

Ralph Ueltzhoeffer TEXTPORTRAIT.

Allgemeines: Weishaupt Contemporary Montreux, Ralph Ueltzhoeffer – Kunstausstellung mit dem Titel: Portraits and Texts Termine: Zeitraum der Ausstellung: 16.05. – 03.08.. Künstlerbiografie sowie Kunsttexte, Inspiration und Medien über Ralph Ueltzhoeffer: Kulturkalender für Montreux: Weishaupt Contemporary Montreux, (Aktuell 2009) Ralph Ueltzhoeffer Kunst und Kulturprojekte Montreux – Kultur Schweiz 2009. Artreview: Ralph Ueltzhoeffer, Web-art-projects (Laura May-Ralph Ueltzhoeffer): Weishaupt Contemporary, Montreux.

Kunstprojekte 2009 Schweiz:

Ralph Ueltzhoeffer, Laura May: Andy Warhol Portrait.

Ralph Ueltzhoeffer (www.ueltzhoeffer.de).

Rueters reporter Jason Rhodes in the article “Montreux unveils 2010 poster” writes that Brazilian Romero Britto has created the 2010 edition of the poster for the Montreux Jazz Festival, which will be held July 2-17, 2010.

Após um hiato de novos posts falarei rapidamente de Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Para os que ainda não tiveram o prazer de ter contato com a música desse incrível gênio dos sopros, essa é a oportunidade. Cego desde os dois anos de idade, Kirk desenvolveu técnicas ímpares como tocar até três instrumentos de sopro simultânemante (normalmente o sax tenor, o Manzello e o Stritch), falar e soprar flauta ao mesmo tempo e utilizar de técnicas de respiração circular (respirar o mesmo ar expelido, prolongado as notas por um tempo extendido)… fora as diversas flautas que tocava (inclusive uma com o nariz) apitos, sirenes.

Este disco foi gravado em 1972 no famoso festival de Montreux mas somente lançado em 1996, mais de vinte anos após a morte de Kirk vítima de um segundo derrame (digo segundo porque ao sofrer o primeiro derrame, Kirk teve uma paralisia parcial em um dos braços e então continuo tocando somente com uma mão). Incrível, não?

O material deste disco é rico apesar dos 48 minutos de música. O líder é acompanhado por um quarteto, mas para variar é ele quem brilha do início ao fim do disco. Além da irreverência e absoluto controle dos instrumentos que toca podemos também ouvir breves falas de Kirk, sempre muito animadas. Destaques para a levada “funk” de “Volunteered Slavery”, “Serenade to a Cuckoo” (do disco “I Talk with the Spritis”, todo tocado em flauta) e “Pedal Up”. Álias para quem quiser ver um vídeo deste mestre em ação segue o link de “Pedal Up” (com direito a apresentação de Quincy Jones):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JJmwq7KXQ

Abaixo a lista das músicas de “I, Eye, Aye” e o quinteto.

1.Rahsaantalk 1
2.Seasons
3.Rahsaantalk 2
4.Balm in Gilead
5.Volunteered Slavery
6.Rahsaantalk 3
7.Blue Rol No. 2
8.Solo Piece: Satin Doll / Improvisation
9.Serenade to a Cuckoo
10.Pedal Up

Rahsaan Roland Kirk (tenor sax, manzello, stritch, clarinete, flauta, flauta de nariz, sirene);
Ron Burton (piano);
Henry “Pete” Pearson (baixo);
Robert Shy (bateria);
Joe “Habao” Texidor (percurssão).

(Infelizmente não é fácil encontrar discos de Roland Kirk. Um dos principais discos dele, “Rip, Rig and Panic”, é possível encontrar em boas lojas de Cds como a Livraria Cultura que possui um belíssimo acervo. Já discos como “The Inflated Tear” (o melhor em minha opinião) ou “Domino”, por exemplo, uma opção é buscar no site da Amazon. Já comprei dezenadas de cds de lá.)

Vue sur Romandie, cette annonce publiée aujourd’hui même, en provenance de Montreux (VD) :

Siamois lilacpoint tmâle castré.

3,5 ans, robuste, propre et super calin, habitué à sortir (jardin ou endroit sécurisé indispensable).

Doit être l’unique chat car très exclusif.

Pedigree, pucé, vacciné.

Contact via la messagerie interne du site web.

Epsilon Investment Management is located in scenic Montreux, Switzerland. Montreux edges the Lake Geneva Bay and has views of phenomenal snow-covered Alps. Ski regions such as Les Avants and Les Pleiades are perfect for skiing and enjoying the winter like scenery.

There are many great sights to see when traveling to Montreux; such as Epsilon Investment Management. The Golden Pass Line is a panorama train that provides transportation and scenic views from Montreux, Gstaad, and the Bernse  Oberland; also connecting to Lucerne.

The Travel Trade Workshop is, also, a huge event for the town of Montreux; providing various different workshops to visitors. The Lake Geneva Shipping company takes visitors and tourists to the picturesque lakeside resorts. Although there are many things to do when visiting Montreux, Epsilon Investment Management is definitely a place to seek out.

Westford Asset Management is located in beautiful Montreux, Switzerland. The town is rich in 12^th and 15th century roman culture. Montreux offers its tourists many historic and interesting places to visit; including The Castle of Chillon, The Wineyards of Lavaux, the gorgeous panoramas of Rochers-de-Naye, and more modern places, such as Westford Asset Management.

Aside from the history of this town, with its breathtaking sunsets and scenic waterfront locations, it is the ideal travel destination of Europe. Lavished with 5-star Edwardian-style hotels, famous festivals, and museums galore, there is truly something for everyone in Montreux. Depending upon which season you are traveling, you may want to schedule some time to experience the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Christmas Market, and the Ned Music Club. If you are planning on traveling to Montreux, be sure to make a trip to Westford Asset Management, as well.

Montreux, Switzerland is located on Lake Geneva and has a population on 23, 800.  Although their population is relatively small, they still have business that abounds, like Epsilon Investment Management.

Montreux was also an important settlement to the Romans and has become an important wine-growing region.  Other than being the home for businesses, such as Epsilon Investment Management, it is also home to the Montreux Jazz Festival.  Since 1967, they have been throwing this festival annually, and has proved to be very successful.  Being as it is built on Lake Geneva, many of it inhabitants boast of the beautiful lakeside views and walks that attract many tourists and other local Swiss.

Being that Epsilon Investment Management is located in Montreux, it’s employees get to enjoy all the things the small city has to offer.

Just like many other businesses,Westford Asset Management is located in the beautiful Montreux, Switzerland. Montreux is known as a municipal district in Switzerland, which is the perfect neighborhood for Westford Asset Management to be in.  It is a great place to sight see, with all of the wonderful festivities it holds. There is also a Freddie Mercury Statue facing Lake Geneva, also located in Montreux.  If you ever decide to travel across the country for a nice relaxing vacation with plenty of activities, take a trip to Montreux Switzerland.  Also, look out for Westford Asset Management if you happen to visit the area.

View of Lac Lemans at the base of Dent de Jaman

On Saturday, went to the Col de Jamal. The weather was cool and wonderful, so we jumped the opportunity of touring the Dent de Jaman and grab the astonishing views.

Access: there are two ways to visit Col de Jaman (which overlooks Montreux).

• By Car: Exit the highway at the Montreux exit, and then follow the direction towards Les Avants. After that follow the signs for the Col de Jaman. It is roughly 11.5 km from Montreux. Be careful because the road after Les Avents is thin and steep at some sections. So be prepared to give way to descending cars. I do not believe that this road is easy to drive in winter and early spring (except 4×4 cars). You can park at the available free parking lot, but beware; if it is Sunday and the weather is good then there is a good chance that the place will be overcrowded. So… the earlier the better.
• By Train: From the Montreux station you can get the train Montreux – Rochers de Naye (http://www.sbb.ch/en/) for info and fares) to Jaman (45 mins). By this you will arrive at the station which is near the base of the Dent de Jaman, in the middle of the hike.
• By Bike: For the daring ones… follow the car itinerary by bike. I have seen a lot of people doing it but it is quite an uphill. Otherwise you can take the train to Jaman, arrive at the Buvette de Jaman (nice little chalet), and ride towards the beginning of the route.  The beginning of  route is signposted and easy to follow after

The Route: The route begins at the entrance of the parking lot of right after a small restaurant called “le Manoire”.  You see a building (having the restaurant on your left shoulder) and you head around it. The path tat the beginning is more of a dirt road. You follow that dirt road, passing through a woody area. Soon, you turn right and you see the path following a “snake” uphill pattern (see photo). The path is sporadically signposted with yellow singes (mainly at the turns).

You begin the ascent that will eventually bring you to the base of the Dent de Jaman. Following this route you will pass under the cables of a ski lift. Continue uphill and the next landmark is the Cabane de Lhautaudon on your right. On your left you can see the Dent de Hautaudon (1871 m).  After a while you ‘ll find the “Chalet Mont. d’Amont” (1651 m).  Forward and left you can now see the Rochers de Naye (2042 m). At this point, if you are lucky you could see group of mountaineers climbing the Dent de Hautaudon. You continue uphill and you reach a point where the route turns right, towards to the Gare de Jaman and the final section of the uphill. At this spot there is a sign that refers to the local Via Ferrata. Info for the ferratisas here (in French only).  So continue to the left of the sign, walking on a dirt road. At the end of it you will reach the Jaman train station. Pass the railway rails and you will find the lovely “Buvette de Jaman”. If you want you can stop here for a cup of coffee or a small  snack. The view is very nice an the proprietors are very friendly. Continue to the left to reach the base of the Dent de Jaman. Photos are necessary here!!! The base of the dent has a panoramic view of the lake Lemans as well as the the small valley that you just crossed.  Up to here you should have walked up to 1h or 1 1/4 h.

Dent de Jaman (1875m)

As we are describing the tour of this dent, we continue to the right (right shoulder to the Dent peak). We pass a small iron door, and we begin a decent – traverse for about 500m in a small path having the dent on our back. Caution! If previous days were rainy then the path here could be slipery, due to mud accumulation in the soles of the shoes. There is alot of vegetation on the slope so a fall should not be dangerous, but be cautious. After all we do this for fun!  At the end of the traverse you find a yellow sign indicating that that in order to return to the Col de Jaman you need to turn right and follow a broad path (road).  You should have the dent on your right. You should reach the Col de Jaman in about 40 minutes, while enjoying the views of the Lac Lemans.

Total hike time: About 2 – 2.5h depending on your physical condition and your mood!!! I often walk below my top pace in order to enjoy the views, feel the nature and take pictures. But this is not always advisable, particullary to long and/or demanding routes.

Mountain Biking: This is a nice place to ride your mountain bike. I do not recommend the full tour, as you will have to carry your mountain bike for the 500m traverse that starts at the base of the Dent.  You can start at the Col de Jaman and ride to the Buvette de Jaman and back, or you could go by train and downhill towards the Col. Around the Col there are a lot of riding places for you to explore. I would categorize these rides under the Cross Country rides and I believe that a hard tail mtb will be sufficient. I will write another post when I ride the area… so until then… a prochaine!

Henry has wanted to visit a castle in Montreux and has talked about it for some time, even before we left Houston. Although I felt certain I would enjoy such a visit, I have focused more on being outdoors in my beloved mountains. Castle? Okay, whatever.

Then, last night, I leaned over as he looked at their website, and a word jumped out at me. Chillon. THE Chillon? The word transported me back to seventh grade in DePue, Illinois, and the poem that made me fall in love with words.

My hair is gray, though not with years, nor grew it white in a single night as men’s have grown from sudden fears. My limbs are bowed, though not with toil, for these have been a dungeon’s spoil.

That poem, Byron’s The Prisoner of Chillon, was inspired by a friar who was imprisoned in the castle for six years. I imitated his style with my own epic poems written in the privacy of my room, pages and pages long since discarded. For me, the lonely New Kid in Town at an age when everything about me felt awkward, Byron’s poetry took me to a place inside where only grace and fluid joy exists. It would take me many years to understand that I must write, if only for the sake of writing, to access this special place from which the rest of my life springs forth.

We have bumped in to Byron previously on our travels. Between he and Mark Twain, we will have decades of traveling to do to keep up with their adventures. However, this visit today, this castle visit, takes me deep into the heart of Byron. What a blessed life I have to be able to walk in his footsteps.

Getting to Chillon was an adventure in itself. Yesterday, we traveled for five hours from Grindelwald to the village of Leysin, where cow pastures are replaced by vineyards up and down the hills, and even in the middle of Aigle, another village on the way here. For two hours of the trip, we rode a panorama train, elegant with wood trim and tables on the inside. On each table sat a small lamp that illuminated the interior of the car with soft light during trips through tunnels. We ate cheese (what else? It’s Switzerland!) and drank Swiss wine on our journey, and chatted with three Swiss ladies who were planning a ladies’ day out in Montreux.

From Montreux it took two more train trips of about 40 minutes total to get up the mounain to Leysin, a sleepy French-Swiss village. We know we’re in the French part, because the restaurants open late for dinner!

Our apartment is beautiful, and where the Grindelwald chalet was quaint and cute, this one is sleek and modern, with every techie gadget one could dream of. Henry is in hog heaven! We have a 1.2 mile walk into Leysin for all our needs, so we get a good walk in just going to and fro.

To get to Chillon, we went to the village of Villeneuve and walked another 30 minutes or so to the Castle. Our Swiss Rail Pass gave us free admission, and we splurged for the audio guide. Henry took all the pics today, so I will bug him to post his on FB.

From there, we took a bus to Vevey to walk around. Vevey is a curious place, and not entirely pleasant. It’s supposed to be very upscale and lah-dee-dah, but I saw evidence of some creepy drug use around the train station. Still, we had a nice walk along Lake Geneva and found a hotel with some awesome desserts.

This evening we are staying in and cooking at the apartment. Our host left us wine and other goodies, including eggs, so we will have an elegant French omelette dinner. In fact, Leysin lends itself to relaxation. For many years tuberculosis patients came to Leysin to recuperate, and we feel a sense of moving into the “slow travel” mode. We have a fabulous view to enjoy. This is a great place to just “be.” So, while we do have some hiking and other activities planned, we are slowing our rhythm…and it feels good.

If the 2010 reader rankings from Golf World don’t get you thinking about living at a private golf course, you may not like golf all that much. This year’s list indicates that many clubs in states like New York, Ohio and Pennsylvania remain strong offerings. This year, Rochester, New York’s Oak Hill even beat out Augusta National in the rankings. Oak Hill will host the 2013 PGA Championship.

Balsam Mountain Preserve in North Carolina

There is prestige and there is pure pleasure when it comes to golf. It is quite likely that residents of private clubs with outstanding golf offerings are content, even happy, to keep their hidden gems a secret and “off the list.”

Of course, through member-guest events, golfers love to sample new spaces. So Oak Hill is not the only game in town. People usually take a lot more than the golf course into account when making a big decision.

If you are interested in exploring some of these hidden gems see them here, before they make the 2011 list. Many of these destination amenity communities also offer plenty more than golf and make great primary or second home locations.

My secret plan for this trip was to cycle all the way back to Montpellier from our starting point in Strasbourg, a near impossibility given the terrain-distance-time combination. Day 9 helped.

The night before we stayed at a great little campsite near Interlaken (http://www.campingdulac.ch/), equipped with an Internet/reading room – a first for me. Since it was the end of the season (a sure sign was the half-price ice cream bars…) we had the run of the place, and stayed for a good long time in that cozy room, planning the next day’s route and spending money on the Net. As soon as we left the campsite in the morning we passed this welcoming ’sign’.

It was a hilly ride to Interlaken, and breakfast. Interlaken was a bit of a shock for us, after over a week in Teutonic no-name towns. The main drag is filled with souvenir shops and tour agencies advertising their wares in Chinese and Korean. Nothing against our East Asian friends (I’m married to one after all!), but we got out of there pretty quickly.

From Interlaken we rode along Thuner See to Spiez, where we really put a dent in our km/day. Another big pass loomed ahead, and although it was not beyond our capabilities, it was beyond our motivation. We sort of wanted to leave Switzerland, to be honest. Did I mention that Switzerland has no no-smoking policy? My response from Switzerland Tourism states that it is up to the Canton, or even just the restaurant/cafe to make their own rules. Alright, smoking in cafes didn’t make us take the train…I’m just sayin’.

Anyway, we hopped on a train that would take us up and over two passes, then down all the way to Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) and Montreux, jet-setting home to the most famous jazz festival in the world – a definite world away from the cow bells of Alpine Switzerland.

This train turned out to be a tourist ride, I think. I was a bit more posh than normal at least.

Then it just got weird. We had gone from German Switzerland to French Switzerland in a couple hours and yeah, it’s different. Felt like we were back in France, except nobody was asking us for spare change or a smoke. For the remainder of the day we traced the northern shore of the lake, till we reached our campsite in Lausanne, home to the International Olympic Committee – a fact even a passerby could not avoid knowing. The Olympics are in your face every where you go in the city. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against the Olympics (except the Dream Team, and all its descendants). I’m just sayin’.

Here are a few random shots from Montreux to Lausanne.

View Larger Map

“Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed; but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love, they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock!” – Harry Lime, The Third Man.

I was leaving Chris behind for a few days and travelling off to Switzerland to see my cousin Jane and her family. Jane and I practically grew up together and it had been three years since we’d last seen each other so I was really looking forward to catching up.

The train ride from Paris to Lausanne was fairly uneventful until the TGV hit the base of the alps and then it slowed to around 50mph as it chugged up the winding track. The scenery wasn’t particularly spectacular, but approaching Lausanne, you could see ragged, towering shapes on the horizon.

I met Jane at Lausanne station and we started heading for the hills.

She lives in Heidi country in the mountains, and it was only when we travelled around Lake Geneva to Montreux that I started to realise the full scale of the mountains.

As we travelled ever upwards, my ears popping, the raw, astonishing beauty of the place captivated me. I love mountainous terrain, but there was just something so wild and yet comforting about the alps, as if I had retained some genetic memory from an ancient hill people and innately knew this was home.

Jane’s a crazy driver. Not Homer Simpson crazy, but Charles Manson crazy. I had my foot pressed desperately to the floor on several occasions. I think she realised she was going a little fast when she asked what I thought of the scenery and I replied “I’m not sure – it’s flashing by too quickly.”

We arrived at Jane’s place after driving in the mountains for a couple of hours. Here’s what it looks like:

Swiss Mountain Video

Jane and her husband David (coincidentally, David and I knew each other when we were kids) live in a chalet that is ten years short of being five hundred years old. It’s amazing to think that its builder was already dead when the Great Fire of London broke out. These simple rural communities have been around for centuries, and little has changed about them, except for the addition of technology. People still herd their cows and goats around the mountain (leading to quite a horrific fly problem in summer which I saw the tail end of) but now they check the market prices on the Internet.

That night we went out with a couple of Jane’s friends who had just moved to the area. We drank lots of beer and laughed until we were hoarse.

The next day, a little worse for wear, Jane and I ate, sobered up, and travelled to Gstaad for a little shopping.

Gstaad – look at the silly hotel on the mountain, and the silly man in the photo.

There was a classic car show in town and the heavens opened just as a few open topped vehicles were arriving, which was hilarious to watch from the comfort of shelter. When I say the heavens opened, I really mean it. The rain was torrential, wild, almost violent in its precipitation.

Gstaad was a little prim and dare I say it, dull. Not my kind of place at all.

Next day we went to Montreux. It’s a beautiful city nestling on the shores of Lake Geneva. For some reason, light takes on a special quality in Montreux – it seems to play on the city’s granite face as if it enjoys being there. Here, the breath of the mountains combines with the air of the lake and fills you up until you feel slightly heady.

Jane and I strolled beside the lake, observing how rhubarb, plantains and other exotic flora had been planted decoratively along the front.

We laughed about David’s current habit of ‘liking’ everything on Facebook (you better like this blog David!) and then had a curry at a nearby restaurant. The curry was really strange. It had a coconut based sauce, was very mildly spiced and had lots of Sultanas in it. It was straight out of the Seventies, and I was sure it came out of a packet with ‘Vesta’ marked on it. Still, I quite enjoyed it. Which made me think. I worked in Jersey for three years and always said that the island felt like it was still stuck in the Seventies, but trying desperately to modernise. Switzerland not only feels like it’s reliving the seventies, but the hands on that national cuckoo clock are actually regressing, propelling the country back in time. For this reason, I love Switzerland.

(Pedant note: the cuckoo clock is actually a German invention).

After lunch, we headed off to Gruyere (where the cheese originates from) which is picture postcard pretty, if not (apologies in advance) a little “cheesy”.

I can just see the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang creeping down these streets…

The fortress on the hill here commands an expansive view of the surrounding countryside, and must have been a formidable place to attack.

The following day I bade farewell to the mountains and travelled down to Geneva to meet Chris before flying to Stockholm. However, I had one more pal to meet up with first – George who I had worked with in Jersey and who had escaped the island to go contracting in Switzerland. George is Brazilian and has an honest, passionate nature which makes for great conversation. After a brief visit to the waterfront, we toured a few of the downtown bars. All were good and pretty lively, though I was astonished to notice that they hadn’t banned smoking yet.

Anyone remember the TV show The Champions?

It was great seeing George again, as he seems a very happy man at the moment with lots of exciting opportunities to tempt him, and after putting the world to rights, we stumbled off in different directions.

Even as I got back to the hotel, I realised I was missing my cousin and her family, much as I was missing my sisters back home, but that’s in the nature of travelling: onward, ever onward.