William Shatner to Release Prog-Rock Album ‘Ponder the Mystery’ in October

William Shatner will be releasing a “Prog-Rock” album next month. It appears to be just that as well since it’s a collaboration with former Yes members Bill Sherwood and Tony Kaye.

How did Shatner describe prog-rock to Rolling Stone Magazine in a recent interview? “Prog rock is the science fiction of music . . .[it] has the same concept of exploration into the parts of the music world that hasn’t been explored.”

There will also be a few live performances.

82-year-old Star Trek icon William Shatner will perform the album titled, Ponder The Mystery, in its entirety along with progressive rock band CIRCA which features  Sherwood and  Kaye.

William Shatner is a film and TV icon with an intense passion for music which has yielded several solo records including the critically acclaimed Seeking Major Tom. This most recent solo record, Ponder The Mystery, which includes guest artists from the prog and fusion genres such as Rick Wakeman, Al DiMeola, Steve Vai, Robbie Krieger, Vince Gill, Edgar Winter, the late George Duke, Zoot Horn Rollo and Dave Koz to name a few), expands Shatner’s musical horizons due to the fact that all of the songs are original, written by Shatner and his musical partner in the project Billy Sherwood. The album will be released in both CD and vinyl formats  on October 8, 2013.

This partnership of Shatner and Sherwood has created a vast and expansive artistic landscape for Shatner’s amazing gift of poetry while Sherwood composed the musical backdrop. The record is conceptual in nature: following a man in despair through the setting sun, twilight and finally darkness, and in the process, regains his joy of life.

Both Bills had a vision of taking the record to the stage and performing it live. When it came time to form the band for this event, Circa: was the obvious choice, Sherwood and Kaye have had a long running musical relationship playing on stage together with Yes and forming Circa: in 2006. Circa: recently released a new album Live From Here There and Everywhere.

Track Listing

1. ‘Red Shift’
2. ‘Where It’s Gone’
3. ‘Manhunt’
4. ‘Ponder The Mystery’
5. ‘So Am I’
6. ‘Change’
7. ‘Sunset’
8. ‘Twilight’
9. ‘Rhythm Of The Night’
10. ‘Imagine Things’
11. ‘Do You See?’
12. ‘Deep Down’
13. ‘I’m Alright, I Think’
14. ‘Where Does Time Go?’
15. ‘Alive’

Performance dates and locations

October

• 23 – Saint Rocke – Hermosa, CA
• 24 – The Canyon Club – Agoura, CA
• 25 – The Coach House – San Juan Capistrano, CA