Prog-Watch 822
This week on Prog-Watch it’s Part Two of my coverage of Oliver Wakeman! More chat with Oliver, and more great music from his time with Yes, his solo career, and his collaborations with Gordon Giltrap and Clive Nolan! From the latter: a nice helping of music from the new Nolan and Wakeman box set Tales By Gaslight!
Oliver Wakeman (born 26 February 1972) is an English musician, rock keyboardist and composer, and the eldest son of Rick Wakeman. He is perhaps best known as a member of the Strawbs and Yes, having filled the role of keyboardist previously held by his father in both bands.
He also worked with Clive Nolan (of Arena, Pendragon, and Caamora) on two progressive rock concept albums, Jabberwocky (released 1999) and Hound of the Baskervilles (2002). Tracy Hitchings appears on both albums, while Rick Wakeman (narrating) and Yes alumnus Peter Banks are on Jabberwocky. Wakeman also worked with Steve Howe for several years. The two lived fairly close to each other in south-west England and Howe guested on Wakeman’s solo album The 3 Ages of Magick. Wakeman is on Howe’s 2005 solo album Spectrum and contributed to Howe’s recording of “Australia” for the US version of the Yes collection The Ultimate Yes: 35th Anniversary Collection. Oliver spent 2012 working with Gordon Giltrap on a new recording project titled Ravens & Lullabies which was released in 2013. They toured together throughout September and October 2012 in preparation for the album’s release.
Oliver has released five solo studio albums, and one live album (credited to the Oliver Wakeman band). His latest endeavor is a new Nolan and Wakeman box set (Tales by Gaslight) containing remastered editions of Jabberwocky and Hound of the Baskervilles, along with a third disc called Dark Fables, which contains previously unreleased material from Oliver and Clive’s time together, recently re-recorded and completed.
Oliver has been nominated for the Classic Rock Society’s ‘Best Keyboard Player’ award on many occasions and has won the award three times (2006, 2007 & 2008).
Music with some meat to it!
Prog-Watch is a weekly podcast and internet radio program dedicated to bringing the listener contemporary Progressive Rock music from around the world. Your big, hairy host, the “Prog-Squatch” wanders the woods of the world, beats the bushes, and digs in the dirt to bring the best Prog back for YOU! Sometimes solo and sometimes with a guest host, the Prog-Squatch will bring you new and interesting artists in each episode, and give you some background info and a taste of their music.