Gonzo Multimedia is releasing three rare albums by the late sax legend Gary Windo, one of which features Robert Wyatt and Pink Floyd's Nick Mason. Windo was a highly original musician with an instantly recognizable style, and was involved in the Seventies with many icons of the British jazz and rock genres, including the Canterbury scene, but who sadly passed away in 1992.

Windo was born in Brighton, England in 1941, into a musical family, and learned to play drums at 6, guitar at 12, and saxophone at 17. After sailing the world in the Merchant Navy, he settled in New York in 1962. A long period of apprenticeship, on and off-stage, followed during the Sixties, until he moved back to England in 1969. In March 1970, he took part in Graham Bond's all-star Sun Festival, with Jack Bruce, Mitch Mitchell, and Brian Auger. In 1971, he and Robert Wyatt formed Symbiosis, a prog-rock jamming band.

By 1973, Windo was playing pub gigs with Ray Russell's heavy-rock trio The Running Man, and working with Robert Wyatt on the jazz quartet WMWM, with pianist Dave MacRae and bassist Ron Matthewson. He played on Hugh Hopper’s album 1984, and was about to join Wyatt on his new Matching Mole group when Wyatt had his accident. The Wyatt-Windo collaboration continued on Wyatt’s subsequent solo albums, Rock Bottom (1974) and Ruth Is Stranger than Richard (1975).

In November of 1975, Windo formed Gary Windo & Friends for a one-off gig at Maidstone College of Art, with his wife Pam Windo on piano, guitarist Richard Brunton, and the rhythm section of Bill MacCormick, Nick Mason, and Laurie Allan. This group was the precursor to Windo's next album, which until now has never been released.

In 1976, Nick Mason offered Gary Windo time in Pink Floyd's brand new Britannia Row studio, which would give Windo the opportunity to make this album, and Pink Floyd the chance to test the new systems. Nick Mason both produced and played drums, and with his typical sense of humour, Windo would call the album Steam Radio Tapes.

You can place your order for this album, finally released and available as a CD or MP3 download, right now through these direct links: Amazon UK, Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon France, Amazon Germany, Amazon Espana and Amazon Italy. Anything bought at Amazon after going to their sites using our links gives a small but vital contribution toward the ongoing running costs of Brain Damage, without costing you any extra, and we really appreciate it.

According to H24Notizie website, Roger Waters has approved a monument to the memory of his father.

The memorial, a marble obelisk 3 metres high, has - the report states - already got the OK from Roger Waters, along with "his artistic director" Sean Evans. It will be a gift that the municipality of Aprilia will make Waters, whose father died during the fierce fighting after the landing at Anzio on February 18, 1944. Lieutenant Eric Fletcher Waters lost his life in the area of Riserva Nuova, and his body has never been found.

They continue that, 70 years after the death of his father, on February 18th, 2014, Waters will go to Aprilia and meet the directors and students of Rosselli and Meucci University, and then will go to Anzio to receive honorary citizenship.

The project obelisk was created by a graphic design studio in Ascoli Piceno. The plaque is said to read: "In memory of Eric Fletcher Waters (December 12, 1914 - February 18, 1944) died here, and all the others who are in unmarked graves." Finally, a phrase taken from Two Suns in the Sunset, from The Final Cut: "Ashes and diamonds, foe and friend, we were all equal in the end".

UPDATE: The following video has appeared now, specifically about the citizenship event:

War Child is working with renowned British artist Tim Wakefield on a project called "Soundwaves" to celebrate and promote the work of iconic musicians, and naturally Pink Floyd is one of the artists included. Tim has ten prints of the "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" soundwave image signed by Nick Mason and is selling them online via Indiegogo.

The sale is in aid of War Child's Children of Syria Appeal which aims to raise funds for a new project with Syrian children outside of the refugee camps, where thousands of children remain inaccessible to services or too hidden to receive help. All donations to War Child's appeal will be matched pound-for-pound by the UK Government – so the money raised from the sales of this artwork will count double!

Also included in this online sale are 19 other pieces of Soundwaves art inspired by the music of Queen, Brian Wilson, Joy Division, The Cure, Bryan Ferry, Eric Clapton and many more which they hope will raise over $50,000 for War Child. The sale will run through to January 31st, 2014, and can be found at www.indiegogo.com/projects/soundwaves-art.

Today (January 6th) would have seen Roger Keith "Syd" Barrett's 68th birthday, and we're sure that like us, many will have paid their own personal tributes to him, in remembrance of the impact he had on our lives - playing his music, enjoying some of his art work, and so on. One of the more memorable interviews Syd did in 1967 was on the BBC's Look of the Week. Most of the time when it is broadcast, an edited version is shown, but here is the interview in full for you to enjoy on this notable day...