SiX By SiX, Featuring Ian Crichton, Nigel Glockler & Robert Berry, Announce Release of Eponymous Debut Album & Launch First Single ‘Yearning to Fly’

Photo Credit: Dave Lepori

SiX By SiX is the exciting new trio formed by Ian Crichton (Saga), Nigel Glockler (Saxon) & Robert Berry (3; Emerson, Berry, Palmer), and their eponymous debut album is set for release on August 19th, 2022 via InsideOutMusic/Sony Music. This hugely accomplished trio of musicians is also pleased to announce their first single ‘Yearning to Fly’, and you can watch the video now here:

The roots of SiX By SiX can be traced back several decades to when Glockler and Berry were together as part of Yes guitarist Steve Howe’s continuation of the band GTR. Then there’s the Asia connection, where Crichton and Glockler contributed to sessions and recordings, while Berry was the link for his guitarist friend Pat Thrall joining that band. 

Time marches on, paths cross and fate brings these three musicians together, born from a conversation with an industry insider in the UK who connected Ian Crichton in the Toronto area with Robert Berry outside San Francisco, who in turn reached Glockler at his home on the south coast of England.  

Powered by Glockler’s dynamic drumming, the result is an expansive guitar-driven pallet, paired sonically with the unique flavour of the Crichton/Berry songwriting collaboration, which they are very excited to present on this debut album.

Ian Crichton comments: “Throughout my career, I’ve been very selective about what to get involved in outside Saga and when opportunities have arisen, I have said ‘no’ far more often than I have said ‘yes’. When Robert’s manager contacted me in 2020 and explained what Robert was seeking to do creatively and how my guitar could be central to the musical vision, I was intrigued. Now it’s over 18 months and many Zoom calls later, but crucially Robert, Nigel and I have also spent plenty of time together at Robert’s base in northern California. We’re three experienced players from three different countries, and with our six hands, we’re here to break the rock music mould. SiX By SiX is a band that we’ve built together and nurtured into a unique style that I’m very proud of.”

Nigel Glockler continues: “When Robert and Ian first approached me about becoming part of this band, I felt very honoured to be asked and absolutely thrilled to be working with a couple of guys I’ve admired for a long time. Robert and I first met during GTR days and we’ve kept in touch ever since. My path has crossed with Ian many times on the road over the years, so once the three of us got together in California it was like a meeting of old friends. Musically it immediately clicked and working within the framework of a three piece allows us to branch out in all directions and really push ourselves. I’m best known as the Saxon drummer, but I’ve always been a massive fan of progressive rock – Genesis and PFM are amongst my favourite bands! SiX By SiX is just the beginning of an exciting journey – bring it on!!”

Robert Berry adds: “After working with the genius of Keith Emerson and losing that musical partnership in 2016 following Keith’s death, I faced a daunting question: whether to bring down the curtain creatively or seek something inspiring which would reach new musical heights. My intuition was to lean into a dramatically more guitar oriented direction. But which guitarist is as impressive as Keith was as a keyboardist? At my manager’s suggestion, an incredible meeting of minds, style and future goals was struck with Ian Crichton. Was it luck, timing or destiny? I think it was all three because 3 is my lucky number. Ian and I were determined to keep this a 3 piece band (there’s that number again) and needed a drummer with a similar mindset and who is a solid, heavy hitter. My friend Nigel Glockler was the perfect fit. And with this extraordinary combination of friendship, musicality, and humor, a Brit, a Canadian and an American have come together as the brand new band SiX By SiX.”

Available as a Limited CD Digipak, Gatefold 180g LP & as a Digital Album, now available to pre-order here: https://sixbysixband.lnk.to/SixBySix

The full track-listing is as follows:

1. Yearning To Fly

2. China

3. Reason To Feel Calm Again

4. The Upside Of Down

5. Casino

6. Live Forever

7. The Last Words On Earth

8. Skyfall

9. Battle Of A Lifetime

10. Save The Night

Background:

Ian Crichton is best known as one of the founding members of Saga, alongside his brother Jim. Saga went on to sell roughly 10 million albums world-wide and continue to perform around the world. As the driving force behind SiX By SiX, Ian takes a cunning turn, in assembling another potent band but one that focuses on his guitar prowess. This time with established players, each with a celebrated past, refined skills, and unlimited potential. 

Nigel Glockler began his career in 1980 as the drummer for the British band Krakatoa. In 1981 he found an opportunity with singer Toyah. By the end of the year, he joined metal legends, Saxon. Except for two brief absences, Nigel has been behind his massive drum kit as an integral part of Saxon ever since. His powerhouse drumming is the engine that drives SiX By SiX’s songs forwards relentlessly.

Robert Berry first gained international attention with San Francisco-based Hush, releasing well-received recordings and then touring the USA. In the mid-1980s Berry’s first solo album garnered positive reviews in the most influential trade publications and attracted the attention of several major labels. At the suggestion of one of those labels, Robert moved to the UK to work with guitarist Steve Howe (of Yes fame) along with drummer Nigel Glockler in an effort to revitalize GTR. When GTR stalled, Robert partnered with British rock legends Keith Emerson and Carl Palmer to form ‘3’. With Emerson and Palmer, Robert achieved a top ten charting single and toured the USA. Robert’s melodic sensibilities complement Ian’s extraordinary guitar and Nigel’s signature drumming perfectly.

Find SiX By SiX online:

Official Website: sixbysixband.com  

Twitter: @sixbysixband

Instagram: @sixbysixband

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sixbysixband

INSIDEOUT MUSIC online:

www.insideoutmusic.com

www.youtube.com/InsideOutMusicTV

www.facebook.com/InsideOutMusic

www.twitter.com/InsideOutUSA

www.insideoutmusic.store

Spotify – Prog Rock Playlist

ROBERT BERRY’S 3.2 MAKES IT FOUR FOR ROSFEST 2022

After already announcing three bands for their 2022 line-up (King’s X, Lobate Scarp, and Ten Jinn, for any of you who may have missed previous announcements), RoSFest has added another name to the bill: Robert Berry’s 3.2. This new addition seems to suggest that the new Board of Directors is definitely out to make quite an impression in its mission to steer the Rites Of Spring Festival forward into the future.

Guitarist, vocalist, and record producer, Robert Berry, released the album The Rules Have Changed under the name of 3.2 in 2018. Initially, a project embarked upon with Keith Emerson as a follow-up to the 1988 album To The Power Of Three by 3, Berry was, alas, left to complete the album on his own following Emerson’s death in 2016. 

The recent 2021 release, Third Impression, albeit considered more of a solo album, ends quite fittingly, with the superb track, Never, the last song Berry wrote with Keith Emerson, a touching tribute to one of the world’s finest keyboard players.

The 3.2 live line-up features Robert Berry on bass and lead vocals, Paul Keller on guitars, Andrew Colyer on keyboards, and Jimmy Keegan on drums.

Follow Robert Berry

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Robertberrymusic 

Website: http://www.robertberry.com/ 

Twitter https://twitter.com/theRobertBerry

RoSFest Online

Website: https://rosfest.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RoSfest

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rosfest/

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/user/u7yu1z8gmlezulr6p2pymzmyv?si=1b69dd64e6814d7d

Twitter: https://twitter.com/rosfest1

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmV7mPjVcLIR3fIJ9Gm3Xtg

A New Book Discussing the Progress in Progressive Rock Music by V. Yfantis

Is Prog Rock really progressive anymore? How do the current Prog bands feel about the genre and its legacy? Do they feel that there is progress in the music they perform? Different Prog artists/bands are being interviewed and answer 5 questions about the current status of the Progressive Rock and its culture. This exploratory research focuses on exploring the present and the future of a music genre that survived through the years due to its innovative nature.

While most of the previous Prog books focus on historical facts of the genre, this journalistic effort is a self-criticism of the genre through the looking glass of modern and active Prog musicians. The book starts with an introduction to Prog Rock by VIAJERO INMÓVIL Records (Argentina) and the rest of the material is divided into chapters that include the musicians’ answers to the following discussion themes:

1. What is progress in Progressive Rock?
2. Is Progressive Rock really progressive?
3. Accepting other music genres as progressive music
4. Next step for the progress of Progressive Rock
5. Technology and Progressive Rock

The participating Prog artists/bands that are being interviewed: Aisles, Anubis, Ant-Bee, EchoTest, Evership, Karakorum, Kotebel, Life After Mars, Light Freedom Revival, Lars Eric Mattson, Liquid Orbit, Magenta, Mouth, Process of Illumination, RTFACT, Robert Berry, Seven Impale, Soul Enema, Sproingg, Terra Collective, Time King, Wobbler, Yang.

The book was written by Vasileios Yfantis who has also authored other thematic books on Punk, Metal and music technology. Next plans for Vasileios Yfantis include the release of a Prog musical album in 2020 and a new book on melodic rock scheduled for release during the early 2021.

Product details
Paperback: 119 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (January 11, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1548614416
ISBN-13: 978-1548614416

Book Distribution
Paperback version: https://www.amazon.com/Prog-Rock-Really-Progressive/dp/1548614416/
E-book version:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B083RK8N59

About the author
Vasileios Yfantis has been working in the music industry for more than 20 years as a freelance music journalist. Moreover, he holds 2 Master Degrees in Information Technology and he is a Phd candidate in University of West Attica in Greece. Vasileios has presented conference papers in both Europe and Africa. The main areas of his research interests feature: Musicology, Marketing, Information Communications Technology, Digital Entertainment Industry.

Bibliography
1. V. Yfantis, “The Commercial Exploitation Of Color As A Consumer Stimulus” (Greek Edition), Createspace, 2013.
2. V. Yfantis, “The Lost Lyrics” (Greek Edition), Createspace, 2013.
3. V. Yfantis, “Punk Goes Science: The Academic Punk Bibliography”,CreateSpace, 2014.
4. V. Yfantis, “City Streets Of Europe”, Lulu, 2017.
5. V. Yfantis, “Metal Goes Science”, Createspace 2017.
6. V. Yfantis, “Disadvantaged Populations And Technology In Music”, Createspace 2017.
7. V. Yfantis, “Hip Hop Goes Science: Volume I”, Createspace 2019.

For more information about Yfantis books, check out here:https://www.amazon.com/Vasileios-Yfantis/e/B00JNNL306

For more information about Yfantis music, check out here:https://billyyfantis.bandcamp.com/

Prog Ensemble 3.2 Featuring Robert Berry To Tour North America Fall 2019!

“3.2 – The Rules Have Changed” — Goes Live! 

Things just got a lot better for Prog Music Fans – and fans of genuine classic bands with great players. Robert Berry has assembled a killer four-piece band set to begin playing this year. For those who appreciate the fine craftsmanship of YES, ELP, Keith Emerson, Genesis, Jethro Tull, etc… are in for a real treat. Berry is riding high with his latest release “3.2: The Rules Have Changed” written with Keyboardist Keith Emerson. Berry is well known for his Bass, Vocals and as a multi-instrumentalist who’s written and toured with Carl Palmer, Steve Howe (Yes), GTR and Ambrosia to name a few. Rounding out the group are Drummer Jimmy Keegan (Spock’s Beard), Guitarist Paul Keller (Emerson/Palmer), and Keyboardist Andrew Colyer (Circuline, Cell15, Awaken). Aside from all the heavy instrumental lifting, all four band members sing – a pleasant surprise in today’s music world. The word has been spreading quickly, and already 3.2 will be headlining at this year’s ProgStock Festival – an annual 3-Day Festival in Rahway, New Jersey this October 11-12-13. ProgStock is the gem of the Prog Music Festivals in the North East U.S. and continues to bring in more prestigious acts every year. The band will be touring North America this fall (tour dates below).

About Robert Berry: Berry is an American musician, songwriter, and producer. He’s co-written with Steve Howe for the band GTR, he’s a former Ambrosia band member. He drew a lot of attention for his work re-arranging/re-recording of the YES hit “Roundabout” for Magna Carta Records, drawing some to label him as a crafty American version of Trevor Rabin. Yes, there are many similarities between the two. Now Robert Berry has announced the live touring band for the #1 Amazon and Billboard charting album, “3.2 – The Rules Have Changed” written with the late Keith Emerson. Emerson and Berry formed the band “3” in the 1980’s with Carl Palmer, and had the #9 Billboard hit “Talkin’ Bout”. Their debut album “To The Power of 3” charted well on the Geffen label – well known at the time for their other artists like Peter Gabriel.

In 2015, a radio station in Boston unearthed some old tapes from the 1988 “3” tour, and released them as a live album. After hearing that live performance, Keith Emerson was inspired to reunite with Berry, resuming work on the unfinished second “3” album, now titled “3.2”. It was released on the Frontiers Records label. With Emerson’s tragic passing in 2016, it appeared the new album might not get finished.

Spring of 2018, and Berry had worked out the details with the Emerson estate and Frontiers to complete and release the record. The first single, “Somebody’s Watching” (released May 22, 2018), saw the album debut at #3 on the Amazon hard rock charts, and generated 7,000 YouTube views in the first 36 hours, and over 12,000 views in the first week. A musical phoenix had indeed risen. The album was released on August 10, 2018, and hit #1 on Amazon, selling out in five countries on the first day, and placed on two Billboard charts. The two YouTube videos from the album currently have over 75,000 cumulative views. The new album has met with unanimous positive international acclaim from over 100 magazine articles, blog and website reviews, and FM and internet radio stations. Berry, Keegan, Keller and Colyer began live rehearsals in November 2018, and are looking forward to not only performing the great last work of Keith Emerson, but will also be pulling from Berry’s 30-year history of Progressive Rock, and also his work with Steve Howe, some from Ambrosia, some of his solo work, and of course his re-worked tribute albums for the Magna Carta label, which include the music of YES, ELP, Genesis and Jethro Tull .

Prepare Yourself… Robert Berry’s new band is stacked with seasoned players!

More Than Just a Concert – It’s An Event: With his 30 year history of playing side-by-side with some of Prog and Rock music’s elite, Berry has a few entertaining stories to tell as well. So it’s more than just a concert, the shows will include an evening of firsthand stories and recollections sure to raise a few eyebrows along the way. ProgStock is one of music’s premiere interactive events where the artists and fans mingle; they hang together, drink together and bond over more than just music. The 3.2 shows will be exactly that as well – and isn’t that a welcoming idea – for fans not only to enjoy the music but to jump in the pool with the musicians that create it.

3.2 featuring Robert Berry North American Tour Dates

09/11 – Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst Club
09/12 – Redwood City, CA – Club Fox
09/13 – Pleasanton, CA – Firehouse Arts Center
09/15 – San Pedro, CA – Alvas Showroom
10/03 – Montreal, Canada – Piranha Bar
10/04 – Quebec City, Canada – La Source de la Martiniere
10/05 – Henniker, NH – The Lofaro Center of the Performing Arts (w/Randy McStine)
10/06 – Hennifer, NH – The Lofaro Center of the Performing Arts (w/Randy McStine)
10/09 – Kennett Square, PA – The Kennett Flash (w/Randy McStine)
10/10 – Roslyn, NY – My Father’s Place at The Roslyn Hotel
10/11 – Rahway, NJ – ProgStock Festival (headlining)
10/12 – Rahway, NJ – ProgStock Festival (Robert w/Rachel Flowers)
10/13 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater (w/Brand X)
10/14 – New York City – Iridium Jazz Club (w/Randy McStine, plus Chris Clark & Kenny Grohowski from Brand X)
10/16 – Kent, OH – Kent Stage (w/ Chris Clark & Kenny Grohowski from Brand X)
10/17 – Cincinnati, OH – TBA
10/18 – Indianapolis, IN – Irving Theater (w/ Chris Clark & Kenny Grohowski from Brand X, plus Andre Cholmondeley from Project/Object)
10/19 – Chicago, IL – Reggie’s (with The Cyberiam, plus Chris Clark & Kenny Grohowski from Brand X)
10/20 – Milwaukee, WI – Shank Hall
10/22 – Champaign-Urbana, IL – TBA (with Steve Scorfina’s Chrome and Steel)
10/23 – St. Louis, MO – FuBar (with Steve Scorfina’s Chrome and Steel)
10/24 – Farmington, MO – Centene Center
10/26 – Nashville, TN – Douglas Corners
10/27 – Atlanta – The Vista Room (with Story of a Life and Great Wide Nothing)
10/28 – Asheville, NC – TBA
10/29 – Vienna, VA – TBA
10/30 – Harrisburg, PA – Cliff’s Underground Live (formerly Gullifty’s)
11/01 – Rochester, NY – The Lovin’ Cup
11/02 – Albany, NY – TBA

For more information:http://www.robertberry.com/

Alliance return with Fire And Grace the bands first new album in ten years

Escape Music is pleased and delighted to announce the return of Alliance with a brand new album Fire And Grace!

Alliance – Fire And Grace
Release date: 24th May, 2019 
Catalogue No CD: ESM330

Band is:
Robert Berry: All vocals, Bass and keyboards 
Gary Pihl: All Guitars
David Lauser: Drums 

Produced by: ALLIANCE
All Arrangements by: ALLIANCE
Recorded at: Soundtek Studios, Campbell, CA. 
GP Studio Boston
Engineered and Mixed By: Robert Berry
Mastered By: Alan Douches
Cover Artwork and design by: Richard Jones at web-spaghetti, UK 

Track listening:
1-THE WHEEL 3:39 / 2- GOOD LIFE 4:03 / 3- UNCERTAIN 6:34 / 4- I’LL HAVE SOME OF THAT 4:43 / 5- FIRE AND GRACE 3:26 / 6- RAISE YOUR GLASS 3:24 / 7- TIME 4:38 / 8- REAL THING 4:33 / 9- REASON TO WALK AWAY 4:26 / 10- FAST FORWARD TO LAST NIGHT 3:13 / 11- CHANGE OF HEART 4:21 / 12- THE SAME 4:02 / 13*-YOU ARE THE HEROS 3:27 *bonus track with first pressing only
All songs: Winterlight Music ASCAP

It seems people often have differing recollections of important events. Everyone has their perspective or a different point of view. Sometimes it’s hard, even for trained eyes and ears to trace the roots of relationships or find the source of a fire. If you were a serious musical archaeologist or perhaps simply a curious person with a shovel, and you were in San Francisco’s fog shrouded North Beach area, specifically on Columbus Ave. in the late-80s you would have been digging through the ash and sifting through the rubble of Bill Graham’s venue known as Wolfgang’s after the big fire. If you were lucky you might have found crucial evidence, tattered threads or charred clues hinting to the origin of Alliance. It was at Wolfgang’s that long time Sammy Hagar drummer David Lauser and a bandmate, both recently set adrift from the positions they had graced for years until Hagar jumped to join Van Halen, came to see the Robert Berry Band perform. It seems Lauser, along with guitarist Gary Pihl and Gamma / Night Ranger keyboardist Alan ‘Fitz’ Fitzgerald were searching for an allusive missing piece for a new project they were plotting. There was a spark for sure. But would it become a flame or a smouldering match?

***“It seems like just yesterday that Gary called me about forming a group for the purpose of having a band outside of our main musical commitments. After several failed attempts with male and female vocalists and bassists, the illustrious A&R man, John Kalodner suggested we contact Robert Berry. Subsequently, Gary, Fitz and I jammed with Robert at Sammy Hagar’s home studio. There was a definite spark. An immediate connection. Was that really 30 years ago? Spanning three decades and an ever changing musical landscape, Alliance has been truly a labor of love for all of us.” – David “Bro” Lauser

***“I grew up thinking that being in a band would be the coolest thing ever. A musical oasis where everybody contributes creative parts to make a new and unique sound. Bands like Cream or Led Zeppelin had terrific guitar players but the other musicians were just as important in creating a style that was easily recognised and different from anyone else. Even different than the bands those players had been in before. The term, “supergroup” was coined to describe how several well-known players could bring their previous experiences to the melting pot of something new. A match, for sure. I’m very fortunate to be a part of what I think of as a supergroup. Fitz, David and Robert all have long histories with successful groups and Alliance has been our opportunity to take the best of what we have as individuals and create a new and unique identity.
One of my proudest moments with the band was arriving at our first gig and instead of addressing us by our individual names or past affiliations, the promoter just said, “Alliance?” … our answer; “Yes, We Are!” – Gary Pihl

***As I look back on this musical journey called Alliance I can’t help but think that my band mates were, and still are, the best musical partnership I could have ever dream of. But, it almost didn’t happen. Timing is always an important ingredient for success. In 1986 Sammy Hagar left his band to join Van Halen. David Lauser, Alan Fitzgerald and Gary Pihl from Hagar’s band, were determined to continue their musical endeavours together. In their search they had come to see my band at Wolfgang’s in San Francisco. It was complicated by the fact that Steve Howe had just invited me to join him in GTR and I had planned to move to England. Gary had been invited to join Boston and David was still performing solo shows with Hagar. Jump ahead to 1989 and Gary, David and FItz still hadn’t come up with the right combination. I had just returned to the U.S. and the timing was perfect to start this new, yet unnamed band. Now, 30 years later, after all the writing and recording, the many miles traveled, and an honest, supportive friendship, we’ve done what I believe is the definitive Alliance album. Creative, non-compromising, and putting our heart and soul into every song. Alliance has all the ingredients of what a band should be. The fire still burns. – Robert Berry

www.Escape-Music.com