Moogfest 2006 Live (DVD)
MVD Visual DR-4559
Jordan Rudess of the progressive rock band Dream Theater introduces this video of the 2006 Moogfest show in New York – the 2007/8 shows have taken place but are not on video as yet – and calls in such luminaries as Jan Hammer (composer of the Miami Vice theme) and Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake & Palmer. The show marked the launch of the Moog Little Phatty, the company’s latest budget lead synth, and Jordan opens the show with a performance on this instrument and on the larger Moog Voyager.
Moog don’t have the wide range of synths on offer that they once had – there’s no polyphonic instrument at the moment for example – so what we’re looking at here is more or less a demonstration of soloing, with a wide range of cutting lead lines and much more abstract effects using ring modulation and other techniques.
Bernie Worrell follows up with a long jazz-funk workout accompanied by DJ Logic, and among scratching and sampling sounds he plays a Kurzweil synth set to a Fender Rhodes piano sound. Then it’s on to London-based synthesis Roger O’Donnell who had created an album entirely on the Moog Voyager, and has been giving some workshops in London’s Apple Store.
Jan Hammer though gives a more substantial performance ranging from his early album The First Seven Days, to Miami Vice and his work with Jeff Beck, and as one of the earliest MiniMoog players is a master of the Moog instruments. Here he’s accompanied by a version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra featuring electric violin alongside his Fender piano and lead synth sounds, and as usual manages to turn out lead guitar sounds almost as convincing as the lead guitar…
Highlight of the show though is Keith Emerson who turns out with his large Moog Modular synth and Hammond organ plus a Korg OASYS, delivering a strong version of the solo from “Lucky Man” which was one of the first to establish the Moog synthesizer sound in the charts. Emerson’s scratch band then turns out a powerful version of “Tarkus” featuring Emerson’s Goff Professional-modified Hammond.
This isn’t the best concert video of all time – the stage at BB King’s Club in New York is rather dark and looks like it hasn’t really been lit for television. Some fascinating performances though, really showing the difference between those who mastered the Moog synth in the 1970′s and those who have come to it much later, and a must have for fans of ELP or Jan Hammer. Be aware this is a Region 1 (USA) disk and will not play on players only capable of Region 2 (UK) playback. Available worldwide through Amazon.
