Patrick Moraz Shares Sounds and Sights in Honor of Bob's 75th Birthday

via The Bob Moog Foundation
"Today marks Bob's 75th birthday. Thursday night we celebrated his life and legacy at the Orange Peel in Asheville at Enter the Mind of Moog: Celebrating Bob's 75th Birthday with a live recording session, interactive exhibits, the installation of the MiniMoogseum and much more. Hundreds of enthusiastic attendees joined us and enjoyed a sonic playground replete with Theremins, Moogerfoogers and synthesizers. Wheat Williams, one of our steadfast volunteers, came up from Atlanta to attend the event and blogged live from our site. Check out his reports here. Thanks to all of the volunteers, musicians and attendees for making the evening a fitting tribute and a great success.

Today we celebrate Bob's birthday with Patrick Moraz, a brilliant musician, long-time Moog user and Bob's close friend. In honor of Bob's 75th birthday, Patrick has offered to share some of his life's work to help support the Bob Moog Foundation and celebrate the life of the pioneer that helped shape his sound. Patrick (Mainhorse, Refugee, Yes, Moody Blues) has had a long career marked by prolific performing and composing in genres that stretch from progressive rock to electronica to jazz fusion.

Patrick, who was has been a Moog endorser throughout his career, has played many a Moog and was the owner of a rare dual manual minimoog which he had designed to his own specifications and which he played from 1975, specifically for the Relayer tour with Yes until the end of the 80s while still in The Moody Blues, as well as for all his solo-albums recordings.

In his rise as a virtuoso keyboardist in the mid-70s, Patrick worked closely with Bob testing the Polymoog and Macromoog. He visited the Moog Music factory, then located in Williamsville, NY and Bob visited Patrick in Switzerland to help him with the programming and tweaking of the Polymoog for Patrick's upcoming album Story of I.

Today we are offering a rare and wonderful photo of Bob and Patrick during that period of collaboration. In this particular photo, Bob and Patrick are walking through a field behind the Williamsville factory on their way to Patrick's photoshoot with the Macromoog and Polymoog. Patrick has the Macromoog prototype slung over his shoulder. To view the photo, and others from that day, please see our blog.

In February, Patrick released his most recent album Change of Space. Patrick notes "Change of Space" is a collection of songs and instrumental pieces not previously released which I finished composing, recording, mixing and polishing over a period of about 14 years."
The CD offers three piece instrumentals as well as collaborative works with other highly regarded musicians.

In honor of Bob's 75th birthday, we are offering Patrick's Change of Space and the photo of Bob and Patrick walking through the field with the Macromoog, autographed by Patrick for a donation of $75.00. Donate here today; availability is limited to the first 25 people.

"Dear Bob, wherever you are in the Cosmos, I wish you a very Happy Birthday and a great ride on the "centrifugal beaches of Infinity", on Your Journey around and across the Universe!
You have definitely left an indelible mark on my mind and your sensitivity in all things humans always fascinated me, especially for a scientist and inventor of your caliber!" Happy 75th Birthday, my Friend!"

---Patrick Moraz


The Bob Moog Foundation

Make Waves by donating to the Bob Moog Foundation"

Update: Note the reference to Macromoog, not Micromoog. I confirmed that this was not a typo and indeed was a prototype Macromoog. "According to Patrick, this is indeed a mAcromoog. Patrick says this came out the same time as the Poly, and he's not sure it was ever formally released. He bought one, and used it for a long time. He assures me this is not a Micro--which was much more popular." Update: "It was never really released because the poly was released at the same time and their efforts went into that."