Dave Kerzner, who played with Kevin Gilbert on THUD and was a touring/live member with that era/band has been buzzing in the progressive rock world a lot this year with his solo record (and he many guests, one being Steve Hackett I recall).
But today, which would have been Kevin's 48th Birthday, Dave was very cool to share a recording him along with some of the other THUD band members made I guess in honor of Kevin. Nick D'Virgilio + Russ Parrish are on this.
Rather dreamy sounding. I probably need to be more conscious of this upcoming solo album of his, which it sounds like should be released rather soon, and will include a version of this track.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/4784414683/permalink/10152896734279684/
Happy Birthday My Old Friend Kevin Gilbert!
In honor of the late Kevin Gilbert's would-be-48th birthday I am streaming a song from my solo album that features a mini "Thud Reunion" with Nick D'Virgilio, Russ Parrish and myself. This is the second song I've written about him. The first was SOC's "Not Coming Down". I'll just be streaming this for 24 hours, today November 20th, for Kevin.
https://soundcloud.com/davekerznerband/my-old-friend
A lot more information about the song, the players and the lyrics in the Sound Cloud description.
https://soundcloud.com/davekerznerband/my-old-friend
20 years ago I played in a band called "Thud", which was the late Kevin Gilbert's solo project after "Toy Matinee" split up. Today would have been Kevin Gilbert's 48th birthday if he was still alive. In many ways, his spirit is still alive through his music and his influence. Working with him had a profound impact on me as a musician and lyricist.
In 1998 I wrote a song about him called "Not Coming Down" that later got revised and recorded for the Sound of Contact "Dimensionaut" album. Now, many years later I've written another song dedicated to him for my first-ever solo album "New World". What made this even more special for me is, for the first time in 20 years two other former members of "Thud", Nick D'Virgilio and Russ Parrish, play drums and guitar along with myself on vocals and keys, Fernando Perdomo on bass and special guest Maryem Tollar on "exotic vocals from another land". So, it was like a mini-Thud-reunion for us and it was very fitting given the subject matter of the song. It was also very nostalgic! While I work with NDV a lot, I had not seen or talked to Russ in probably 18 years? So, it really was great to catch up with him and he was thrilled that I asked him to play on it. Maybe we'll do it again sometime!
I wasn't planning on posting any more full songs until my album is out (which is very, very soon) but, since it's Kevin's birthday, I thought it might be nice to stream a pre-mastered version of the song "My Old Friend" just for today, November 20th, in honor of Kevin on his would-be-birthday.
If you aren't familiar with Kevin's music, he was a brilliantly clever lyricist and virtuoso musician. I strongly recommend you check out the latest Kevin Gilbert and Giraffe releases coming from Kevin's estate. www.kevingilbert.com and look him up on YouTube. The "Thud Live At The Troubadour" DVD gives you an idea of what some of these same combinations of musicians sounded like back then.
Happy Birthday Kevin wherever you are!
My Old Friend
(Music and Lyrics by Dave Kerzner)
Hello, my old friend
From the other side of the end
You’ve come to visit me again
Poetic license to pretend
Hello, to the shape unknown
Waiting dauntless on my own
Bare and fragile flesh and bone
I am eager to be shown
Give me reason, give me art
Unearthly wisdom you impart
Crossing over, shaking hands
With someone who understands
Hello, my old friend
From the other side of the end
We both took that drive
To an unexpected curve
With hollow people
Who’ve got a lot of nerve
Restrained what we deserve
In a cloud you observe
Give me reason, give me art
Unearthly wisdom you impart
Crossing over, shaking hands
With someone who understands
Give me courage, give me grace
Spin the dogma that I face
I am tuning to the signs
Etching truth in cosmic lines
©2014, Dave Kerzner ASCAP, RecPlay Inc. All Rights Reserved.
So long my old friend One day we shall meet again
