What new music and archival finds are heading our way in the next couple of months? Check out the representative sampling of promised progressive goodies — along with a few other personal priorities — below. (Box sets based on reissues will follow in a separate article!) Pre-order links are embedded in the artist/title listings below.

Out now:

Amanda Lehmann, Innocence and Illusion: “a fusion of prog, rock, ballads, and elements of jazz-blues” from the British guitarist/vocalist best known as Steve Hackett’s recurring sidekick. Available direct from Lehmann’s webstore as CD or digital download.

Terence Blanchard featuring the E-Collective and the Turtle Island Quartet, Absence: trumpeter/film composer Blanchard dives into music both written and inspired by jazz legend Wayne Shorter. His E-Collective supplies cutting edge fusion grooves, and the Turtle Island String Quartet adds orchestral depth to the heady sonic concoctions. Available from Blue Note Records as CD or digital download.

The Neal Morse Band, Innocence and Danger: another double album from Neal, Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Bill Hubauer and Eric Gillette. No overarching concept this time — just everything and the kitchen sink, ranging from a cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” to brand-new half-hour epics. Available from Inside Out as 2CD, 2CD/DVD or 3 LPs/2 CDs

Trifecta, Fragments: what happens when Steven Wilson’s rhythm section turns his pre-show sound checks into “jazz club”? Short, sharp tracks that mix the undeniable chops and musicality of Adam Holzman on keys, Nick Beggs on Stick and Craig Blundell on drums with droll unpredictability and loopy titles like “Clean Up on Aisle Five” and “Pavlov’s Dog Killed Schrodinger’s Cat”. Available from Burning Shed as CD or LP (black or neon orange).

Upcoming releases after the jump!

September:

Dec Burke, Life in Two Dimensions: best known for his vocals on Frost’s* Experiments in Mass Appeal, Burke debuts on Robin Armstrong’s Gravity Dreams label with a mix of ballads, rock and progressive excursions. Out September 24; pre-order from Gravity Dreams as CD or digital download. (T-shirt available too!)

Discipline, Unfolded Like Staircase: the Detroit art-rockers’ brooding, theatrical classic from 1997, remixed by former Rush producer Terry Brown. In my humble homeboy opinion, an absolutely essential 2nd generation progressive album. Pre-order from progrock.com as a signed or unsigned CD or LP (black or red vinyl).

Steve Hackett, Surrender of Silence: following up on the acoustic Under A Mediterranean Sky, Hackett plugs in and rocks out! Another musical travelogue that features both international guests and genre titans like drummers Nick D’Virgilio and Kansas’ Phil Ehart. Released September 10; pre-order from Burning Shed as CD, CD/BluRay or 2 LPs/CD.

Isildur’s Bane and Peter Hammill, In Disequilibrium: the second collaboration between Europe’s premier improvisatory chamber rock ensemble and the riveting lyrics and voice of Van der Graaf Generator frontman Hammill. Expect the unexpected and hang on tight! Released September 24; pre-order from Burning Shed as CD or 2 LPs.

The Kalman Filter, The Moons of Neptune: The Tangent’s Andy Tillison dons his ambient/Krautrock persona and heads for the outer reaches of the solar system! The Voyager spacecraft revealed that Neptune has 12 more moons than can be observed from Earth; cue further Tillison soundscapes in the vein of 2018’s Exo-Oceans. Pre-order the CD from The Tangent’s webstore.

Clive Nolan, Song of the Wildlands: The Pendragon/Arena keyboardist’s latest opus tackles the tale of Beowulf, complete with vocal soloists, historic Scandinavian instruments and a 200-voice virtual choir. Released September 3; pre-order from Burning Shed as CD, 2 LPs (black or red vinyl) and deluxe 2 CDs/DVD/BluRay edition.

Three Colours Dark, Love’s Lost Property: Back in the fray after last year’s surprise stunner The Science of Goodbye, vocalist Rachel Cohen and multi-instrumentalist Jonathan Edwards plumb the ongoing repercussions of a dissolved, dysfunctional relationship. Rich, musically and lyrically mature stuff; watch for a full review soon. Released September 10; pre-order signed or unsigned CDs from Burning Shed.

TRT (Tillison Reingold Tiranti), Alilum – Una Storia: Andy Tillison and Jonas Reingold team with vocalist Roberto Tiranti, conjuring the sound and story of the obscure Italian proggers who changed Tillison’s life. Available September 3; pre-order the CD (which features both “1970s-style” and “2021 mixes” of all three extended tracks) from Burning Shed.

October:

John Coltrane, A Love Supreme Live in Seattle: “jazz detective” Zev Feldman strikes again! This is the first official release of one of the few live performances of Coltrane’s unforgettable masterpiece. Released October 8; pre-order from the official Coltrane webstore as CD or LP (t-shirts available too).

The Pineapple Thief, Nothing But the Truth: Bruce Soord, Gavin Harrison and company, caught in the act! Last spring’s high-concept livestream show, plus extra tracks (and a drummer-cam on the video versions). Released October 22; pre-order from Burning Shed as 2 CD, 2 LP, BluRay, 2 CDs/DVD/BluRay boxset, or various bundles. Plus there’s a t-shirt! (TPT has just announced a North American tour for April 29-June 3, 2022; click here for tour stops and ticket/VIP info.)

Yes, The Quest: Steve Howe and his merry band deliver the first new Yes music in seven years, their fledging effort for InsideOut. Released October 1; pre-order from Burning Shed as 2 CDs, 2 LPs/2 CDs (black or coloured vinyl), 2 CDs/BluRay artbook or 2 LPs (colored vinyl)/2 CDs/BluRay boxset with bonus goodies and a certificate of authenticity signed by Howe.

Neil Young, The Official Bootleg Series, Volume 1: Carnegie Hall 1970: An album that does what it says in the title. Young sings a 23-song, all-acoustic set, originally recorded to multitrack and freshly remixed. Released October 1; available from Young’s webstore as 2 CDs or 2 LPs.

Release date forthcoming:

Marillion, New Album 2022: The title, tracklist, cover art, release date etc. are all to be announced, but “sound unheard” pre-orders for the lads’ 20th studio album are underway! Available from Marillion’s website; to get your name in the credits for the Deluxe CD/DVD or Ultimate (2 CDs/2 LPs/Hi-Res USB and bonus goodies) Edition, you need to pre-order by October 1. Signed and unsigned versions of the above editions plus 2 LPs (black or colored vinyl), CD, BluRay or cassette are available, as well as a digital download. “AND THERE’S A T-SHIRT!” Discount bundles (preset and “build your own”) are also available.

— Rick Krueger