Penguin Cafe Orchestra for Eclectic

THE PENGUIN CAFE ORCHESTRA, a considerably eclectic musical ensemble, first came to band founder Simon Jeffes in the form of a dream-like vision. Jeffes, an English-born multi-instrumentalsit and composer, came up with the idea to compose music that suited the imagery and mood of the dream he experienced. By the time the moment had passed, he had a clear idea of where to go musically, and a poem that seemed to have fallen into his lap with no effort: '‘I am the proprietor of the Penguin Cafe. I will tell you things at random.''

Along with cellist Helen Liebmann, Jeffes formed the band that came to be referred to as PCO in 1973. While many different lineups were tried out over the course of the band's career, there never really was one set group of musicians that would be considered the core lineup. Simon Jeffes composed most of the music himself. In 1976, the group's first studio album, <i>Music From The Penguin Cafe</i>, was released by Brian Eno on his experimental label, Obscure Records. The album has seen several subsequent re-issues since then, and is still readily available. 

The large list of members The Penguin Cafe Orchestra had seen over its lifespan have all performed and recorded with a very diverse bunch of musicians including Jeff Beck, Paul McCartney, Caravan, Bob Geldof, Camel,  and so on. The group took influences from all of those fellow artists and more, creating one of the most diverse musical atmospheres for them to write and record within. The future seemed bright. That potential for greatness may have never been fully realized, however, for tragic circumstances halted the band's growth on December 11, 1997. On this day, Simon Jeffes died of an inoperable brain tumor. 

In total, The Penguin Cafe Orchestra released only five proper studio albums, one EP, and a handful of live recordings, including a full ballet entitled <i>'Still Life' at the Penguin Cafe</i>, composed entirely by Jeffes. The ever-changing, ever-evolving sound and presentation of the ensemble's music led to multiple types of audience outreach and support. Fans of all types of music have found something to love about the group's output over the years. They have been labeled as everything from Chamber Jazz, to Experimental Folk, to Avant-Garde Rock music and Neo-Classical, and everything in-between. All of the styles and influences are seamlessly weaved throughout the group's catalogue to create a very rich listening experience rivaled by few.

In the year 2009, Simon Jeffes' son, Arthur, unveiled a newer incarnation of his father's band and planned to do live shows with this revived musical act. As of October of 2010, however, the future of PCO's professional recording career remains uncertain. 

1. Air à Danser - 4:30
2. Yodel 1 - 4:07
3. Telephone and Rubber Band - 2:28
4. Cutting Branches for a Temporary Shelter - 3:09
5. Pythagoras's Trousers - 3:18
6. Numbers 1-4 - 6:57
7. Yodel 2 - 4:34
8. Salty Bean Fumble - 2:11
9. Paul's Dance - 1:45
10. The Ecstasy of Dancing Fleas - 4:01
11. Walk Don't Run- 3:01
12. Flux - 1:48
13. Simon's Dream - 1:48
14. Harmonic Necklace - 1:12
15. Steady State - 3:36

1. Bean Fields - 4:19
2. Southern Jukebox Music - 4:34
3. Horns of the Bull - 4:30
4. Oscar Tango - 3:10
5. The Snake and the Lotus (The Pond) - 2:51
6. Rosasolis - 4:12
7. Dirt - 4:46
8. Sketch - 3:19
9. Perpetuum Mobile - 4:24
10. Swing the Cat - 3:19
11. Wildlife - 10:54

Simon Jeffes - electric guitar, fretless guitar, cuatro, ukulele, violin, pennywhistle, piano, various other instruments

 

Neil Rennie - cuatro, ukulele

Bob Loveday - violin, bass instrument 

Elisabeth Perry - violin

Gavyn Wright - violin

Geoffrey Richardson - viola

Helen Liebmann - cello

Steve Nye - piano

Danny Cummins - shekere, percussion

Additional info:

Produced by Simon Jeffes & Steve Nye

Label(s): E.G. Records / Virgin

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''Union Cafe'' (1993)

Tracks:

1. Scherzo And Trio

2. LifeBoat

3. Nothing Really Blue

4. Cage Dead

5. Vega

6. Yodel 3

7. Organum

8. Another One From Porlock 

9. Thorn Tree Wind

10. Silver War Of Bologna

11. Discover America

12. Pythagoras On The Line

13. Kora Kora

14. Lie Back And Think Of England

15. Red Shorts

16. Passing Through

Personnel:

N/A

Additional Info:

Produced by Jeffes

Label - Virgin

(Will post the live albums and EP in the next post. I'll manually add all the collections and stuff manually after the band is added, but this will serve as a start, I hope)

Band Picture: