Some classic Mastermind video live in Tokyo... enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNpTAvjMdn4

http://mastermindband.com/blog/?p=28

Continuing with the previous log entry, we present our second studio album Brainstorm for your listening pleasure. We hope to introduce new fans to our early works and give everyone an opportunity to hear the music.

Presenting Mastermind Volume Two "Brainstorm first released in December 1991...


Once again, downloads are available in multiple formats as well as mp3's, but you can stream the entire album online and enjoy it free. Thanks for listening!

http://mastermindband.com/blog/?p=27

We know a lot of people have been fans of the band for a long time (we love you all!) so this is old news. Yet we are also aware many people have only came to know us from our last few releases since Inside Out had pretty good distribution. Over time our earlier works have been getting harder to find on CD, so to help you learn more about the history of the band you can now listen to our albums in their entirety at bandcamp.com where we will start from the beginning and work our way forward. This is Mastermind Volume One, our first album from 1990. We hope you enjoy it…

Uploaded some classic Mastermind clips on youtube this weekend...

Child of Technology - live in Seattle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ARw5T-bpAM&fmt=18

On the Wings of Mercury - live in Seattle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7GeMBuyUw8&fmt=18

Disable the HQ button if you have a problem with playback (some do). Watching this stuff reminded me of what I enjoyed about the earlier material and I expect Mastermind will be getting back to some new stuff in a similar vein.

We have tons of this footage from nearly every Mastermind show going back almost 20 years. Since most of it is on analog video it isn't quite all digital quality but you get the idea. More to come!

A brief progress report. The Bill Berends guitar instrumental solo album is nearly finished and sounding fantastic! More details coming soon, but this will be out in the first half of this year one way or another, either with a label or independently. Also, most of the drum tracks for the new Mastermind material are recorded and working to completion will begin in earnest once the guitar album is wrapped up.

After a brutally cold winter I can’t wait to get back out into the world with all new music!

Bb

Tracy McShane sat in with The Berends Brothers Band at our last gig at the Cherrywood Dec. 19, 2008... it's been a while so it was good to see her. Here's a video clip (thanks Leroy). Obviously it was kinda loud lol....



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jK3YLx0WNTs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyWbM1gWdro

Come see The Berends Bros Band live. Will Tracy show up again? Guess you have to ask her!

Live dates can be found on our schedule page.

January 2009 tracking drums for new Mastermind music!



Mastermind drummer Rich Berends hammers it out.

January 2009 studio update: a Bill Berends solo rock guitar album is about 50% completed and mixed with the rest well under way. I hope to have this finished soon and out in the first part of this year. This is really like nothing I've ever done before, it's not a blues record (tho' I do want to make one of those) nor is it prog-rock. It's more a collection of driving rock tunes (with some lighter moments) that are platforms for just jamming out on the guitar... that thing that I do! I am very pleased with how this is shaping up.

The Mastermind update: we've chosen which new compositions will make up a new Mastermind album and work has begun in earnest. Although the infamous "Insomnia" album is still in the can, we've decided to get to work on a new project that is more akin to the earlier direction of the band. It may take a while, but it feels like we are back on track and I am devoting all my available time now to the process of recording. If all goes well we could have multiple new titles this year. We'll get them out there one way or another.

Collaborations: I recently recorded some guitar tracks for Shawn Gordon of ProgRock Records slated for one of his upcoming projects. I would enjoy collaborating with more artists in the future and am open to considering projects that will be an actual release of some sort and may be something I will enjoy. Feel free to run it by me and see what we can work out.

That's it for the moment... back to work!

~Bb

ps: visit the official Mastermind blog here: mastermindband.com/blog

Update: download this Podcast mp3 here.

For those who missed it, our interview segment on The Gagliarchives progressive rock radio show May 24, 2008 is now being Podcast. Since it was a Saturday night on Memorial day weekend it *is* possible some of you weren't at home listening to the radio or computer! Listen to (or download) the entire hour long interview segment at gagliarchives.podbean.com or just click here....

Mastermind Gagliarchives Radio Podcast

In this program new music is debuted as well as selections from our recent offerings on Mindawn.com. Bill & Rich Berends discuss the past present & future of Mastermind. Special thanks to our host and long time friend of Mastermind - Tom Gagliardi - who has been serving the prog-rock community on the air for over seventeen years. Enjoy!!

In 2008 we made two full albums of unreleased live material available online at mindawn.com, a full fidelity digital download service. In retrospect we never really got the word out on MySpace, so here you go...

Another Cold & Rainy Night
The quartet line up live in 2002 with Tracy singing.



Mastermind Live 1995
What should have been the official live trio album.

Click on the album covers for more info & audio samples. You can listen to these albums in full (and all of our other works) for free on Mindawn simply by registering with a user name & password, then purchase (if you choose), download & print your own covers. Simple!

For more information & news be sure to read the Mastermind Blog. Thanks for reading!