Back in the early 2000s, there was a Yes tribute band called Fragile. In 2008 the band released an original album called 'Aquaplanage' which was mainly the brainchild of Robert. The album sold all over the world achieving some success, which included a track on the May 2009 'Classic Rock Presents Prog' magazine CD.

Work commenced on a follow up, but it was ultimately shelved for various reasons, mainly geography and people moving on in life.

Banner for the Aquaplanage album

Fragile the Yes tribute band, Rotherham 2000
L-R front: Tom Dawe, Jon Bastable, Steve Carney, Robert Illesh
L-R back: Mitch Harwood, Gonzalo Carrera

Fragile on tour with Steve Howe, 013 Tilburg 2007
L-R front: Tom Dawe, Jon Bastable, Steve Carney, Steve Howe, Robert Illesh
L-R back: Mitch Harwood, Max Hunt

P.S. Fragile carried on after we all left and they have released some excellent albums of original material under their own name in recent years.

Over the subsequent years, Jon and Robert have recorded music together. The results always seemed to add up to more than the sum of their parts. Jon would start something and Robert would finish it off. Apart from low-run CDRs, none of these tracks had been properly released.

Fast forward to mid-2023, Jon asked Robert to finish off a track for him and put some guitar down. This track evolved into 'Swimming in Space' which is on the album. Sensing the potential, this then snowballed into a mixture of brand new tracks, old tracks recorded by Jon and Robert, and some ideas originally destined for Aquaplanage 2. Most of the tracks are instrumental and there is an underlying theme of 'Space Rock' with a modern feel. It all came together very quickly; after years of stored up creativity, tracks were being completed in two or three days. But when you think of it, the whole thing has taken 20 years!

The JBRI album was released in August 2024. Two singles, Listen and Big Sultana, were released later that year. Along the way we have used the unique talents of (dream team):

• Steve Carney - original vocalist for Fragile - lead vocals
• Mitch Harwood - original drummer for Fragile - drums
• William D Drake - virtuoso pianist and cult hero - Mellotron and vibes solo
• James Larcombe - multi-instrumentalist - hurdy-gurdy, album mastering
• Greg Forster - artistic and musical polymath - cover artwork and design

2025 has not been an idle year. Jon has kept up the pace and fed Robert the makings of an epic early in the year - a mad song in 9/8 sparked off by a line in the Steve Martin 80s comedy film 'The Man with Two Brains'. The intention was to wrap this up and release as part of an EP. However, the inevitable creative momentum kept rolling. Robert revisited something he wrote back in the 90s and that has also turned into an epic. AND Listen and Big Sultana have been incorporated into an even larger concept piece!

More exciting news has been the recruitment of Gary Wilson into the fold on drums. Jon says Gary is absolutely the right person for the job with his vast experience, technical prowess, and love of all things prog and weird. Gary has added a more organic feel to the new songs.

Watch out for the JBRI 'Inhexafonic Sound' album in 2026!

Jon Bastable

Bass guitars, bass synths, ambiences, programming, production

Musical visionary and conjuror of weird things.
In his own words…

"I bought my first bass guitar in 1980 - it was a very cheap plywood Rickenbacker copy but I loved it! The reason I bought one was because a friend, Mark Caulkett, had bought an electric guitar. We were all into punk / new wave music in a big way.

"In 1981 I did my very first gig at The Swan in Kingston with a band called 'Spice'. It was through this band I connected with the vibrant Kingston music scene including Cardiac Arrest (later 'Cardiacs'), The Trudy and The Magnificent Seven. I joined The Trudy and played occassional gigs for Cardiacs throughout the early 1980s.

"Towards the end of the 1980s I was disillusioned with original music bands and decided to join a function band - I did this right up until the early 2000s, playing all over Europe and in front of A-list celebrities. Not going to name drop, that comes later...

"In 1998 I went to see 'Yes' at Hammersmith Odeon with my vocalist friend Steve Carney. I was awe-inspired and on the way home we decided we could do that, so quite soon after, Fragile the Yes tribute band was born. I eventually left them in 2008 but in those 10 years I played all over Europe and the UK in front of between 6 and 10,000 people. I also got to play with original Yes guitarist Peter Banks and with Steve Howe (Yes, Asia) so that was good.

"Since 2008, I have played extensively with various covers bands and, for artistic outlet, played and recorded with William D Drake (Cardiacs and solo performer), Redbus Noface (with Cardiacs' Bob Leith and Mark Cawthra). Also in 2008, members of Fragile released an album of original material under the name Aquaplanage which kind of drew a satisfying line under that version of the band.

"Final note - I am still recording with The Trudy after more than 40 years!"

Jon with classic cult band The Trudy - he hasn't changed a bit!

Spice
The Trudy
Citadel
Hazard Profile
Cardiacs
Loreli
Tempting Fate
Menace Dancers

A Hideous Device
Roger Shoe
The Grownups
Kim & Co
Mirror Image
State of the Heart
Station to Station
Fragile

2003 BC
2004 BC
Jon Bastable (solo)
Oddbod
Ignition
The Astronauts
Hardtail
William D Drake

Redbus Noface
Boomstick
Chain
Retro Rock Icons
Tess Roks
G Force
Aquaplanage
JBRI of course!

Robert Illesh

Guitars, keyboards, vocals

Uncanny habit of pulling massive musical rabbits out of nowhere.
In his own words…

"I started playing the guitar at age 11. As many young people do, one dreams of being the next Beatles or Stones, and plays their heart out in various bands. I received some classical and jazz tuition during my teens which has proved invaluable over the years.

"Fast-forward to 1993 and of relevance to this story is that I joined a band called Blim. Heavily influenced by Cardiacs, Fripp and other fabulous wonky music, we put out an album called 'No Frills' which was re-released to the world in 2013. I actually played bass on this album, which has been described as 'harsh jazz'.

"Of note during this early period was I played with Jethro Tull members Glenn Cornick and Clive Bunker in 1998, meeting keyboardist Gonzalo Carrera.

"In 2000 I joined Yes tribute Fragile and my connection with Jon began. I got the gig mainly because I was a friend of Gonzalo's - the others were not sure about me - however I think we did all right. Our escapades over the next few years speak volumes: breaking into theatres and Europe, a three-year relationship touring with Steve Howe and the Aquaplanage album.

"I carried on with Fragile until the end of 2012 after which I hung up my guitar and departed from live music for a while.

"I have put out two solo albums. 'Golden' from 2011 is a best expression of some of my classical and acoustic work. 'To Horsenden' from 2015 is an emotive folk/blues album compiling old and new recordings. These are all available in the usual places. And there's much more on my musical website robertillesh.com

"Which brings us to 2023. Fortutiously, I had just start playing again when I got a message from Jon, asking if I would like to collaborate on some space jams.

"And here we are…"

Gary Wilson

Drums, percussion and boingy things

Multi-instrumentalist but master of none!
In his own words…

"Music was always prevalent in my family home and as a consequence I started playing guitar from around the age of 6 due to a very bossy older brother – thank you Al. However, drumming had always been on my mind, tapping on pillows spread across the sofa like an array of concert toms using nothing other than a set of ordinary colouring pencils and a collection of 45s. It took some time (and shrewd saving) to realise the dream of owning a real drum kit but at age 16 it happened… lessons quickly followed with the amazing John Barber and the rest as they say is history.

"1981 saw the start of my first really serious music project with ’The Captions’ with me being recruited from a jazz organ trio aged just 18. This band toured all the usual original material circuit venues and were put forward to test for a slot on the November 82’ launch of the new Channel 4 music show ‘The Tube’ – sadly band politics spoilt the party and we disbanded down the tube just before that date.

"1984 saw the formation of ‘Shaman’ with this band again touring all the usual original material circuit venues. It was at this time that I started composing my own material which did not fit the profile of the band however, it did interest two band members in particular, who blew me away with their technical abilities and creativity.

"After a year I decided to break away and convinced Jim McAllister (bass) and Marik Lipski (keyboards/violin) to join me in a new venture I would spearhead with soul vocalist Kirsty and lifetime best friend and collaborator, Mick Ash on guitar. This new band took the name ‘Just Lipski’ and had the heavyweight management of David O’Dowd, brother of none other than Boy George. Things were cooking… clothes being designed, publicity and launch engagements being formalised, recordings undertaken at the fabulous Picnic Studios produced by Trevor Danby, mixing with the A-list music celebs all across town. But then it all came crashing down on one drink and drug fuelled night at The Limelight Club. What happened I hear you ask… now that would be telling…

Guess which shiny person is Gary

"Like Jon, by 1990 I became a little disillusioned with original music bands and returned to the world of session work, deps, cover bands and function bands ‘Beyond Limits’ and ‘Escada’. A fleeting escapade into the world of jazz fusion with ‘Rambo Jazz’ helped to satisfy the musical creative juices during the mid-90s and in more recent years my own covers band ‘Titanic Cinq’… there were 5 members… get it??

"It was during my freelance work that I got to meet and work with Jon in the covers band ‘Chain’ and subsequently with his band ‘Retro Rock Icons’. In 2025, after one such gig, Jon told me about the JBRI project and I was instantly interested and keen to be involved.

"Since 2018 I’ve also been involved in the annual Christmas single from the people of Chelsfield Village, a little rural gem on the borders of Greater London and Kent. At the heart of the old village is the Five Bells pub, which is the centre of the community and is where the writers, Lester Barnes and Dave Griffiths produce their incredibly grand productions. The compositions almost always have a masterful prog mid-section to wet the creative appetite."

Gary Wilson, our man on the sticks

Whoever said drummers were square?

Greg Forster

Cover design and artwork

Fine artist specialising in portraiture

Polymath, modern-day renaissance man, talented in the arts and music

Being Robert's musical compatriot in cover and tribute acts The Crisis and The 1985, Greg was the natural choice for the JBRI album artwork.

Working in a mix of contemporary mediums, such as acrylic paint, ink, spray paint, marker pen, pencil on paper, board and canvas. Greg has blended his skills in graphics and illustration with his love of music and film to bring about detailed portraits that allow Greg to challenge boundaries and explore his own obsessions. Aside from famous rockers and movie stars, Greg continues to portray his family and friends and offers commissioned portraits in various media in mono or colour.

You can visit Greg in person at the Oren Art Gallery, 45 Watergate Street Row South, Chester CH1 2LE where he has prints for sale and he will invariably be working on the next masterpiece. What a body of work!

Oh, and did we also say he is a gifted drummer, guitarist, keyboardist and vocalist! 'The Force' by name and nature!

Original art © Greg Forster

Original art © Greg Forster