Until now, I have released 17 albums on JohnJohn Records, performed on most of them, and produced 14 of them. It was very ahead of it's time in 1999 and I got invited to lecture at the Westminster University in the music department as a result. But the technology moved faster than me, and now it is dated and irrelevant; therefore the website will be terminated by the end of July. The name had always been impossible to spell with a French accent anyway. Moreover, I need a fresh new venture for my music. For that I have created FANTASTIC RECORDS. https://fantasticrecords.bandcamp.com/ In case you wonder why I have a Sci-Fi design, the music I love the most, from the 1920s-1960s period, was integrally part of popular culture, and so were Mickey mouse, comics, Sci-Fi etc, hence the connection. (I'm also a massive fan of original Godzilla and King Kong movies for their visionary and artistic merits). But the techno-space-robot-futuristic stuff is also relevant in the world we live in where the music industry is not about music anymore but about algorithms, feeds, bots, and AI. You could not make it up. The idea is to showcase my music to the world using Bandcamp, which is the only good platform for artists, and to help some of my collaborators & musician friends or people I admire to promote their work to my audience, and hopefully to the world. If you like what you see, please click the "FOLLOW" button on the right. It's free and it helps a lot. The first addition is the debut album from Alexander Bryson, who has been playing piano regularly in my band for the last couple of years. Fantastic Record of the month:You'll find the album featured on the top of the page, you can't miss it. This is what the Guardian says about it: "Alexander Bryson: The Alexander Bryson Trio review (Hard Bop) – dazzling debut **** Flawless strength and delicacy breathe new life into jazz tunes in various styles, from the early 1930s to late 50s. You’d have to think back a long way to name a jazz piano trio with a more impressive debut than this... " Alex Bryson is a leading British jazz pianist and recording artist signed to Hard Bop Records. He has featured regularly at internationally prestigious venues including Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (UK) and Washington DC’s Blues Alley. Based in London (UK), Alex is a sought-after sideman performing with Grant Stewart, Chris Cheek, Alex Garnett, Steve Fishwick, Ossian Roberts and many others. Just have a listen, you won't regret it... and you should buy a CD while the stock last. Next concerts
From the authorThat’s it folks, It's was a bit long but I hope it was good, or at least "somewhat good". For complaints and accolades please email me, I will respond. A bientot. (French: meaning "See you soon") Benoit Viellefon
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Issue #9 - July 2024 Benoit's World News Good day, Terrifying tales they are, but I also have fantastic news about fantastic music... more about this later. Many things have happened since I wrote last so I'll keep the introduction short and sweet... Weather forecast We've had a nice summer with 3 days of sunshine in June. I'm now looking forward to next summer. Economy Experts agree that my personal deficit is showing the biggest growth adjusted for inflation since UK records began in 1998....
Issue #8 - May 2024 Benoit's World News Good day, It's been a while. I always promise not to spam my followers when they join the mailing list, but the truth is that I am struggling to find the time to write this newsletter. Not that I am busy being rich and famous, far from it: I have to constantly extinguish fires everywhere trying to make a living playing music despite all odds. But there it is, although little behind schedule. Weather forecast Dreadful. Economy Worse. 51, call it wisdom?...
Issue #7 - March 2024 Benoit's World News Hello, I just came back from France. Because tragedy struck, I had to spend most of February and March over there, not that I dislike it, but I would have rather played some good music for good people. In any case, after you read a bit further, you will most likely forgive me for being absent for the first half of this year. Orbituaries: Luc Viellefon 1951-2024 You have never heard of Luc Viellefon, who for me was the most influencial soparano...