MUSIC LEGEND VAN MORRISON TO CLOSE OUT HOLLYWOOD BOWL 2008 SEASON WITH “ASTRAL WEEKS LIVE” IN NOVEMBER 

MUSIC LEGEND VAN MORRISON TO CLOSE OUT HOLLYWOOD BOWL 2008 SEASON WITH “ASTRAL WEEKS LIVE” IN NOVEMBER 

Hollywood, CA. - Multi-award winning musical legend Van Morrison will take to the Los Angeles concert stage for "Astral Weeks Live" at the Hollywood Bowl on November 7 and 8, closing out the 2008 season of the famous venue. Van Morrison has over 150 songs featured in major motion pictures--with the latest being featured in the Scorsese film 'The Departed". Tickets for the concerts go on sale 10 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, with Citi pre-sales beginning 10 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 1 through 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 4.

While the first half of the show features Morrison and his band playing the timeless classics that have made him a legend, the second half is a breathtaking cover to cover recreation of the "Astral Weeks" album. The “Astral Weeks” band will be a different line up and include band members from the original sessions. The seminal “Astral Weeks” recordings established Van Morrison as a great solo artist and has consequentially changed the face of music. 

“This is a welcomed opportunity for me to perform these songs the way I originally intended them to be,” says Morrison. “It’s about the world of creation and of the imagination: That is what a song is, a little movie with melodies and music built around it, poetry in moving pictures in the mind…In the 60’ and 70's the record companies did not support the music, so I never got to take these songs on tour, and I certainly did not have the money to do it. These songs are as timeless and fresh right now as the day they were written and I am happy about taking them to the Hollywood Bowl."

“Astral Weeks” is timeless music from the soul. It is ranked the #2 greatest album of all time in the Mojo list, and it ranks #19 in Rolling Stone. Britain’s The Times lists it #3 in its all-time rankings. Morrison has said the album was “a little about Belfast, but it has never been about any person or thing as these works are channeled works of the imagination.. the keyword being work.. it was a lot of hard work” 

The November concerts will be recorded live for the upcoming album “Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl.” This album will be released on Morrison's new label, Listen To The Lion Records, scheduled for LP / vinyl release in time for Christmas 2008, followed by a CD release in January.

For the concerts, Morrison will be joined by a band that includes world-class musicians including band-leader / pianist Roger Kellaway (former band leader of Bobby Darrin) and guitarist John Platania who has played with Morrison since 1970. Other members, guitarist Jay Berliner and bassist Richard Davis, who played with Morrison on the original “Astral Weeks” sessions 40 years ago.

Set 1 -Classic VM Material

The Band:

Van Morrison - musical arranger / director playing guitar, saxophone, the Lion and vocals

Roger Kellaway   - former music director for the late great Bobby Darrin is the Straw Boss and on piano

John Platania    -   from Van Morrison Bands 1970 to Present, on lead guitar

David Hayes - from Van Morrison Bands, 1973 to present on bass

Paul Moran   - on organ and trumpet

Rick Schlosser - on drums

Richard Buckley- on flute and saxophones

Tony Fitzgibbon - on violin / viola

Set 2- Astral Weeks Live, cover to cover

The Band:

Van Morrison - on guitar and is the Poet, the Sorcerer and the Arranger

Roger Kellaway - former Leader of the late great Bobby Darrin band and is the Straw Boss and on Piano

Jay Berliner - guitar- he is an original Astral Weeks band member

Richard Davis - original Astral Weeks band is on bass

Peter Erskine -  takes the place of the late great Connie Kaye on drums

Richard Buckley - is on Flute

Paul Moran - on organ and harpsichord

Tony Fitzgibbon - on violin (and possibly viola)

The string section for both bands is to be announced.