As work continues on a new studio album by Roxy Music, various members of the pioneering British rock band are pursuing solo ventures.

Roxy saxophonist and oboe player Andy Mackay launched his new band, the Metaphors, with a London performance at the Pigalle Club last Tuesday, with another show booked for November 25. Featuring Roxy drummer Paul Thompson and former bassist Gary Tibbs with vocalist Hazel Mills, among others, the band played tracks from its instrumental album "London! Paris! New York! Rome!," due for worldwide release February 22.

These included Roxy's "Love Is The Drug" and similarly adventurous interpretations of "Three Coins in a Fountain," "I Love Paris" and "Waterloo Sunset." The set also featured Roxy's "Bitter Sweet" and Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties."

Meanwhile, Roxy guitarist Phil Manzanera's new album, "Firebird V11," was released in the U.K. on November 10, the same day as the career retrospective, "Music 1972-2008." That package, which comprises two CDs and a DVD, offers Roxy tracks, selections from previous solo albums and other items, while the DVD has live performances at various events and the documentary "Revolution To Roxy."

Manzanera introduced the new album at a media showcase November 12 at London's Gibson Guitar showroom, accompanied by Charles Hayward, Yaron Stavi and Leszek Mozdzer, who play on it. Both the new set and the compilation are also out in Europe and Japan, and worldwide via Manzanera.com.

Reuters/Billboard