An Overdose Of Fingal Cocoa

Stew Cutler

2012-06-03T18:11:00.001+02:00

Stew Cutler - After Hours - 2011 - Cogna Records

Perfectly navigates that land between jazz and blues that puts it firmly in both camps." – John Heidt

The centerpiece of New York City based Jazz and Blues guitarist and songwriter Stew Cutler’s new album After Hours is his instrumental interpretation of The Temptations’ classic song “Just My Imagination.” In addition to Stew Cutler’s beautifully played guitar, the cast of musicians on this recording are better than good, with organist Chip Crawford shining on this tune, drummer Skoota Warner masterfully and elegantly keeping the beat and acoustic bassist Booker King laying down a strong, but subtle foundation. This song is so beautifully performed and so expertly mixed that one forgets that normally you hear a singer too. The album After Hours, has a “live” feel to the music and much of that credit can go to the fact that most of the music was recorded with minimal takes on one day, yet the production quality is excellent. Lots of percussion is featured on Stew Cutler’s original song “Bambou,” and Book King makes his bass speak. Saxophonists will tell you that instrument is the closest to sounding like a human voice, but then they are biased anyway (smile) however, in this instance it is the bass that we find conversing with us. On Charlie Parker’s “Au Privae,” a bebop tune, Skoota Warner uses his cymbals to keep the time and the song once again showcases Stew Cutler’s magic and mastery over his instrument. Cutler adapted the melody ever so slightly to infuse the song with a little funk. Stew Cutler’s unique style of playing with his pick gives his playing a little more organic and acoustic feel, even though he is playing an electric guitar. “Recluse,” introduces a trio of Stew Cutler original songs that follow one another on the album, the others being, “Lukewarm,” and “C.C.” “Recluse,” features Stew Cutler’s son David Cutler on electric bass guitar are reminiscent of George Benson, only backed by Chip Crawford’s funky Hammond B3. The nimble fingers on the fretboard keep the song moving spritely and the more ethereal guitar is juxtaposed to the deeper, soulful organ grooves. When one listens to songs like “C.C.,” which is sure to stir the juices of any diehard fan of Jazz, Funk and Blues, one is intrigued by both the beauty of the music and the creativity of Stew Cutler’s compositions. The listener is party to an intimate conversation between bass, the electric guitar and the organ, before the mood turns funky and more up-tempo. After Hours, closes with another gem of a tune, “Them That Got,” a Bluesy song featuring the fabulous vocals of Paul Saxx. The singer is down to his last pair of his shoes and rent is hard to pay and the message is “Them that got, is them that gets.” The question is posed, “if you have to have somethin’, before you can get somethin’….” The message is delivered not in a bitter way or as a song of protest, but in a subtle, tasteful manner that is more like a man standing on a street corner watching the more economically elite go by and wondering aloud. The only accompaniment is the guitar and the melody is pretty and simple. The organ trio featured on this album was the realization of a long held desire by Stew Cutler to do a recording of this type and it is not a working band, but we can wish and dream that we soon see these musicians playing together live. This review is protected by copyright © and may not be reproduced in print or on the internet or through any other means without the written permission of Riveting Riffs Magazine, All Rights Reserved http://www.rivetingriffs.com/After%20Hours%20Stew%20Cutler.html

Beautifully played Crossover Jazz by Stew Cutler. This kind of jazz guitar is reminiscent of greats like Wes Montgomery, George Benson, and Grant Green. There are four Stew Cutler originals, plus a cover of Ray Charles' "Them That Got", Charlie Parker's "Au Privave", Isham Jones & Marty Symes' "No Greater Love" and a beautifully arranged cover of Barrett Strong & Norman Whitfield's "Just My Imagination". Buy Stew Cutler Trio's "Insignia" album, and promote good modern crossover jazz [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: File size = 55.5 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 No Greater Love - Isham Jones, Marty Symes 4:41
2 Just My Imagination - Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield 7:11
3 Bambou - Stew Cutler 5:24
4 Au Privave - Charlie Parker 4:34
5 Recluse - Stew Cutler 6:39
6 Lukewarm - Stew Cutler 4:00
7 C.C. - Stew Cutler 5:11
8 Them That Got - Ray Charles, Ricci Harper 2:58

MUSICIANS

Stew Cutler - Guitar
Booker King - Acoustic Bass
David Cutler - Electric Bass on "Recluse"
Chip Crawford - Hammond B.3 Organ
Skoota Warner - Drums, Percussion
Paul Saax - Vocals on "Them That Got"

SHORT BIO

Jazz, soul, blues, funk, roots, rhythm & blues. This is the part where comparisons usually begin. We prefer not to compare. When the lifelong artist/sideman becomes the composer, arranger, and leader to showcase his unique style and musical voice comparisons cannot be fair or truly honest. Pure musical expression delivered with honesty and integrity can go a long way in soothing the savage soul. Born and raised in New York City, Cutler developed a keen interest in the guitar at an early age. Growing proficient, and with confidence, he left for the open road at 19 his first gig being with blues legend Z.Z. Hill. Seeking to push and hone his skills, Cutler also began playing with new music pioneers Bobby Previte and Eliot Sharp. He later moved to Woodstock ,NY, to work with bassist Harvey Brooks (Miles Davis, Bob Dylan) but would eventually return to New York City. As a sideman, Cutler has performed the world over with the greats: Percy Sledge, Eddie Floyd, Wilson Pickett, Fontella Bass, The Fantastic Johnny C, Earl King, Jimmy Castor, and more recently, Queen Esther Marrow and the Harlem gospel Singers and Sweet Georgia Brown. He has worked with artists as diverse as Meatloaf, Jeb Loy Nichols, David Fanshawe and Jimmy Dale Gilmore. But not satisfied to be only playing the classics, Cutler is on record with many of the greats of Jazz and modern music, including David Sanborn, Bill Frisell, Lester Bowie, Charlie Hunter, Wayne Horvitz, Bobby Previte, Robin Holcomb, Philip Johnston, and Eliot Sharp to name a few. With the success of his first two Cds “Trio Music” on Fountainbleu records and “Insignia” on the Naim label, Stew has developed a unique sound. R& B and Avant Gard, melody and noise. With “So Many Streams” (Fountainbleu) Cutler, with the help of friends Eliot Sharp and Jeb Loy Nichols, and many others, returns to his roots. This new release, Trio Live gives the listener the most exciting side of Cutler yet, his live performance. Stew Cutler has always known how to give the people what they want - now he can do so on his own terms. © 2012 Stew Cutler. All Rights Reserved © http://www.stewcutler.com/bio/

Wayne Krantz

2012-06-01T18:03:00.001+02:00

Wayne Krantz - Long To Be Loose - 1993 - Enja

This is a group effort that finds Krantz in the company of young stars Lincoln Goines and Zach Danziger. This became a regular band for Krantz, who later put out a live recording with the same personnel. The tunes are all played with passion by all, and feature Krantz's penchant for extended and at times self-indulgent solos. Like most good jazz players, Krantz explores new territories and takes chances when he's playing. He is one of the few fusion-style players to emerge during the '90s who can improvise for long periods of time and make it interesting for the duration. This is more consistent than Signals, but it would have been an extra bonus to hear some more of his solo pieces. Robert Taylor © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/long-to-be-loose-mw0000102823

"Indefinable, unfettered excellence." - Musician

"A major talent with a fresh vision." - Pulse

"Krantz makes his guitar sing in ways that sound at once new and reconfigured." - Jazziz

"A strikingly fresh approach to late 20th century guitar…distinctive to the point of singularity…essential listening. CD of the year." - Jazz

"Riveting trio interplay". - Bass Player

"The intricate texture and Spartan sound of LTBL makes a strong statement" - Billboard

It is impossible to describe the music using any kind of mainstream comparisons, simply because it is so individual and unique. Making an attempt would be a great disservice to the man himself, who has spent many years developing, in detail, his own highly personalized approach to composition and improvisation. If you are unfamiliar with his music, I would advise you immediately to visit his site www.waynekrantz.com, to gain an insight into the story so far. © www.zama.co.uk 2003 http://www.andydrudy.com/Interviews/interviewWayneKrantz.htm

Long To Be Loose is the second solo album released by the unique jazz fusion guitarist, Wayne Krantz. It was the first album to feature his first trio, consisting of Lincoln Goines on electric bass, Zach Danziger on drums, and Wayne himself on guitar. Its memorable riffs imply Wayne's avant-garde maturity from his previous album, Signals, towards his later and more complex albums, such as 1995's 2 Drink Minimum, and Greenwich Mean, released four years later. Many licks that Wayne uses on Long To Be Loose have found their way onto later albums. Wayne is a genre-defying visionary in jazz rock fusion, and these high energy tracks propelled by Wayne's searing guitar will give you a new insight into the jazz fusion genre. Wayne is one of the greatest rock and fusion guitarists playing today. His originality, inventiveness, and improvisational skills know no bounds. He has played on over 3000 recording sessions and toured with bands like Steely Dan. Wayne, in an interview said that "I often feel frustrated in the way guitar education has gone in recent times. Inspired by the rock world, pattern based playing has seemingly taken over. Yet this was never how most of the great players learned how to play or executed their solos. It almost seems like the death of improvisation. Instead we have solos constructed using a series of pre-learned patterns. I suppose I yearn for the days of Steely Dan when improvised solos were frequently in the mainstream". "Long To Be Loose" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Wayne's "Howie 61" album featuring Tal Wilkenfeld, Vinnie Colaiuta, John Patitucci, Pino Palladino, and Keith Carlock [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 140 Mb]

TRACKS

1 These instrumental pieces were 2:01
2 not consciously written about 6:47
3 specific people, places, things or ideas 6:38
4 (although one began 7:01
5 from a little croaking sound 5:03
6 a friend's DAT machine makes). 6:55
7 What they were written about 6:27
8 is something I don't understand yet 6:14
9 but I know it when I see it 6:37
10 and, hopefully, so will you. 7:41

All tracks composed by Wayne Krantz

MUSICIANS

Wayne Krantz - Guitar
Lincoln Goines - Bass
Zach Danziger - Drums

ABOUT WAYNE KRANTZ (WIKI)

Wayne Krantz (born July 26, 1956 in Corvallis, Oregon) is an innovative American musician, who is widely recognized as a technically advanced jazz fusion guitarist. He has played with top artists such as Steely Dan, John Zorn, Michael Brecker, Billy Cobham, and others, but currently has a solo act. Krantz released his first album, Signals, in 1991, sporting an array of recognized jazz musicians such as Dennis Chambers, Leni Stern, Anthony Jackson, and others. However, in 1992, he formed a trio with bassist Lincoln Goines and drummer Zach Danziger, and recorded two albums with them; Long To Be Loose, in 1993, and a live album, 2 Drink Minimum, in 1995. In doing so, he began to play periodically at the 55 Bar, a diverse and premier jazz club in New York City. In 1996, Krantz released an acoustic album with Leni Stern, dubbed Separate Cages. Wayne formed a new trio in 1997, consisting of his ferocious guitar skills, complemented by Tim Lefebvre on electric bass and Keith Carlock on drums, new sounds that would change his music's style drastically. On June 28, 2007, Krantz played his final regular Thursday night gig at NYC's 55 Bar. In an announcement by Krantz to his mailing list notifying his fans of the change, he stated a desire to move towards a "louder thing" requiring "bigger rooms, with stages and sound systems to pull it off." Krantz's first three solo albums were released on the jazz label, Enja Records, which was at the time also home to frequent collaborator Leni Stern. However, Krantz's last three albums, 1999's Greenwich Mean, 2003's Your Basic Live, and 2007's "Your Basic Live '06" were both released from Wayne's private website. Like 2 Drink Minimum, these two albums both are excerpts of various sets at the 55 Bar. These two albums also include more use of effects pedals, and are more unscripted and improvised than the previous three, implying Wayne's tendency towards nonconformism on and off the stage. He contributed to Steely Dan co-founder Donald Fagen's newest release, Morph the Cat, and participated in touring with Fagen's band in early 2006. In another rare sideman role, Krantz is featured on tenor saxophonist Chris Potter's 2006 release, "Underground." Additionally, he is to return to the studio in 2006 to record a new solo album, to be followed by touring. It is unknown whether this new album will feature Wayne's existing trio. Even with a lack of a record company, and thus an absence of excessive advertisement and sponsorship, Krantz's music still receives acclaim and a worldwide underground fan base, strongest in the New York metropolitan area and Britain. Wayne Krantz signed with record label Abstract Logix to release his first studio record in over fifteen years.Krantz Carlock Lefebvre (2009) features the core trio of Keith Carlock on drums, Tim Lefebvre on bass, and Wayne on guitar. As a guitarist, Krantz is known for being a relentless individualist, which is evidenced in his improvisational style. In his book "An Improviser's Operating System," Krantz outlines his approach to improvisation, which relies not on licks or memorized fretboard patterns but an awareness of musical "formulas" on the instrument. Krantz's improvisation is known for its spontaneity, and he makes a distinction between this form of improvisation and "composition," the latter of which may include any musical idea that is preconceived on the instrument. While many guitarists rely on other music as a model for their own playing, Krantz is highly committed to realizing his own voice on the instrument and claims not to derive a great deal of inspiration from other music. Though Krantz has studied other players in the past, he does not consider himself a stylist (i.e. someone who models his or her playing on a predefined stylistic template, such as pure bebop, rock, blues or funk.) In addition to its concern for melody and harmony, Krantz's music demonstrates a high rhythmic awareness, often incorporating polyrhythms, odd metric groupings and displaced beats. Krantz is most identified with a Stratocaster-type electric guitar. Recently he has played a model manufactured by Tyler Guitars. Earlier releases such as "Signals" feature a chorus effect commonly associated with fusion guitar. Within several years, however, his sound became more organic, featuring analog effects such as overdrive, wah-wah, and a Moogerfooger ring modulator. For amplification, Krantz has used both Fender Deluxe Reverb and, more recently, Marshall amplifiers for a heavier sound.

Buddy Guy

2012-06-01T17:55:00.001+02:00

Buddy Guy - Buddy And The Juniors (With Junior Wells And Junior Mance) - 1970 - Blue Thumb

In 1969, Buddy Guy was out of favour with his label, Vanguard. He got together with his old Chicago blues pal Junior Wells, added in jazz pianist Junior Mance, and recorded a loose, seven track “unplugged” session. He asked Michael Cuscuna, a 20-year-old student he’d befriended, to help him produce the album. Michael Cuscuna turned to a friend, Bob Krasnow at Blue Thumb, where the guys recorded the album without a full band and on a one day recording budget. “Buddy’s charm and laid-back manner turned the studio into a back porch atmosphere,” Cuscuna, now a three-time Grammy winner, writes in the package’s liner notes. “Junior Mance was… clearly enjoying this back-to-the-roots experience and loved watching the two blues masters interact. Junior Wells was not a particularly social creature and certainly not a master of small talk… so Mance was deferential, Wells was reticent, I was in over my head and Buddy was in control. He was breaking more ice than a bartender at an Irish wedding.” Buddy and the two Juniors were relaxed, recording old tunes like Willie Dixon’s “Hoochie Coochie Man” and their own off-the-cuff originals, including “Buddy’s Blues” and two improvised tracks recorded in a single burst of creative energy: “Talkin’ ’Bout Women Obviously” and “Riffin’.” Eric Clapton said in a 1985 Musician magazine article that "Buddy Guy was to me what Elvis was for others. Buddy Guy is by far and without a doubt the best guitar player alive...if you see him in person, the way he plays is beyond anyone. Total freedom of spirit, I guess. He really changed the course of rock and roll blues." A great blues album totally unrehearsed with impromptu dialogue and magical musicianship without any studio trickery from three wonderful musicians. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 101 Mb]

Check out Buddy Guy's bio @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddy_Guy and listen to his "DJ Play My Blues" album
Check out the late Junior Wells' bio @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Wells and listen to his "Sings Live at the Golden Bear" album
Check out Junior Mance's bio @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Mance and listen to his "With a Whole Lotta Help From My Friends" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Talkin' 'Bout Women Obviously - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells
Riffin' (a.k.a A Motif Is Just A Riff) - Buddy Guy & Junior Wells
Buddy's Blues - Buddy Guy
Hoochie Coochie Man - Willie Dixon
Five Long Years - Eddie Boyd
Rock Me Mama - Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup
Ain't No Need - Junior Wells

MUSICIANS

Buddy Guy - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Junior Mance - Piano
Junior Wells - Harmonica, Vocals

Luther Grosvenor

2012-05-31T12:56:00.001+02:00

Luther Grosvenor - Floodgates - 1996 - Ruf

English guitarist Luther Grosvenor was one of the most inventive guitarists of his generation. Regarded as one of the clutch of flashy young axe-slingers who emerged at the end of the 1960s and early 1970's and turned rock music on its head. Luther played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and under the pseudonym "Ariel Bender", in Mott the Hoople. With artists like Brian May, Mick Ronson, and Paul Kossoff, Luther Grosvenor rewrote the guitar players' rule book, simply by remembering that there is more to playing guitar than technique. You have to have some fun as well.

Released in August 1996, the album features the same musicians who worked with Luther on the Peter Green album: Steve Dolan (ex- Hard Meat) on bass, Dave Moore on keyboards, and Mike Kellie on drums. Luther handles all the guitar and lead vocal chores, with the exception of two covers sung by Jess Roden. Five of the nine tracks were written by Luther and his Blues `92 bandmate John Ledsom. Luther said that "'Floodgates’, ‘Evesham Boy’, ‘Ninsky Prospect’, all those songs were put together for the album. John and I got together and knocked out these songs, and I took them to the studio. John’s not a studio player at all, he plays a bit of guitar and a little bit of bass, but he’s not a studio man. He’s hardly played onstage in his life. John did well, we wrote some good things together. Everything that you hear on there is one or two takes. When we actually played ‘Floodgates’ back … that guitar that you hear is just the rough one. We decided to keep that, because it had everything the guy wanted. It had great feel, and the notes were good, so we left it. I think the album is great, and we recorded the whole lot in like ten days. There were no illusions of putting that album out and having it do big business. What it did for me, it was a platform, as bit of a stepping stone for another one. But if I never make another album again, I made a fucking great album and it makes me quite happy". © http://www.justabuzz.com/lg-0-bio.shtml

A bit rough around the edges, but this album was recorded in ten days, and the songs were recorded in one or two takes. Sound lacks clarity at times, but not enough to spoil your enjoyment. If you like Mott The Hoople/Ian Hunter, you will find plenty of influences here. Luther is a very underrated guitarist and songwriter, and this is a very overlooked album. The brilliant Jess Roden sings lead vocals on two tracks. Check out Luther's "Under Open Skies" 1971 album, Spooky Tooth's "Spooky Two" album, Mott the Hoople's "The Hoople" album, and "Rattlesnake Guitar: The Music of Peter Green" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 100 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1.Evesham Boy (Luther Grosvenor/John Ledsom)
2.Best Years Of My Life (Luther Grosvenor/John Ledsom)
3.Floodgates (Luther Grosvenor/John Ledsom)
4.Fullness Of Time (Mike Kellie)
5.I Wanna Be Free (Joe Tex)
6.Ninsky Prospect (Luther Grosvenor/John Ledsom)
7.Loneliest Man In Town (Luther Grosvenor/John Ledsom)
8.Fire Down Below (Bob Seger)
9.Cathy (Dave Moore)
10.Floodgates (Acoustic) [Hidden Track] (Luther Grosvenor/John Ledsom)

MUSICIANS

Luther Grosvenor - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Vocals, Background Vocals
Mike Dolan - Rhythm Guitar
Steve Dolan - Bass
Dave Moore - Hammond Organ, Electric Piano, Synthesizer, Kurzweil Synthesizer, Clavinet
Mike Kellie - Drums, Percussion, Shaker, Wood Block, Voices, Background Vocals
Jess Roden - Lead Vocals on Tracks 5, & 8
Jim Capaldi - Background Vocals on Track 4

DETAILED INFO

Born on 21 December 1946, Luther Grosvenor grew up in Evesham in the same estate as Traffic's Jim Capaldi. His first prominent engagement came with a band called Deep Feeling, which included Capaldi, Gordon Jackson, Dave Meredith, and John Palmer. Previously, Luther had been in an Evesham band called Wavelength. Deep Feeling evolved from a Worcester band called the Hellions, which featured Dave Mason on guitar. The band also recorded briefly as The Revolution in 1966, before packing it in. Many reference books list Luther as a member of both The Hellions and The Revolution, but although he was good friends with them, he was not in either of those bands. [Luther] "The Hellions were a Worcester band. A lot of people get confused with that one, but their guitar player was Dave Mason. I was not in that band, although I knew them very well and I used to go and watch them rehearse. The band that I was in before Deep Feeling was a band called The Wavelength, with all of the Evesham guys where I grew up. Then I got promoted to Deep Feeling with Jim Capaldi. Jim and I grew up together, he lived just around the corner and we knew each other’s families". When Steve Winwood formed Traffic with Jim Capaldi and Dave Mason in 1967, there was no room for Grosvenor in the band. Winwood gave Luther a tip that the Carlistle-based VIPs were looking for a guitarist, and so he joined up with them. The VIPs already had four singles under their belt, the last two being recorded for Island Records under the watchful eye of Guy Stevens. At the time Luther joined, the band included a young Keith Emerson along with Mike Harrison, Greg Ridley, and Mike Kellie. Emerson soon left, and the band changed their name to Art and released the Supernatural Fairy Tales LP (UK Island ILPS 967) in 1967. The band also backed other artists, most notably for the Hapsash and The Coloured Coat featuring the Human Host and the Heavy Metal Kids LP (UK Minit MLS 40001E) in 1968. [Luther] "Apart from being a great guy, he was a great motivator. If you had an eight hour session, he was excited from the first minute to the last minute. Guy was very creative, and did a lot for us. He did a lot for Mott The Hoople, and Traffic, and lots and lots of other people. But he also had a very dark side as well, a very down side. If he came into a session on a downer … a very strange man, Guy". With the addition of Gary Wright, Art changed their name to Spooky Tooth. The band cut four albums for Island, starting with 1968's It's All About (UK Island ILPS 9080). Their second album Spooky Two is acknowledged as their best work, and the group garnered critical praise but only moderate commercial success. An indication of the group's reputation among ytheir peers came in 1969, when Luther was on the list as a potential replacement for Brian Jones in the Rolling Stones. The group broke up after the 1970 album The Last Puff (UK Island ILPS 9117). After Spooky Tooth packed it in, Luther took Chris Blackwell up on an offer to record a solo album. Luther and his wife Githa spent three months at Blackwell's villa in Spain, working on material with encouragement from his neighbor, film star Hugh Milias. The result was Under Open Skies (UK Island ILPS 9169), released in October 1971. Neither the album nor the single, Here Comes The Queen, made a dent on the charts. Plans to tour in support of Under Open Skies never materialized, nor did the reported followup album to be recorded with help from Jim Capaldi. [Luther] "Chris Blackwell had just gotten a villa in Spain. He said, “Look, why don’t you go away for a couple of months and write an album?” So I went down to Spain. We were partying and not really writing songs, so basically we just got the skeleton of it together down there, and came back and finished it off in London. When I made that album, it was never meant to be a guitar player’s showpiece. It was just a little album of songs. It’s a pleasant record - nothing to scream about, but a pleasant album. Some of the songs are quite pretty even today when I listen to it, which is probably twice a year. It was my first solo effort, and I’m very proud of that record". In late 1972 Mike Harrison and Gary Wright decided to reform Spooky Tooth, building a new group using musicians from their recent solo efforts. Luther was not the least bit interested in joining them. Instead, he replaced Gerry Rafferty in Stealer's Wheel in early 1973, joining Joe Egan, Paul Pilnick, De Lisle Harper, and Rod Coombes. They toured for the first six months of 1973 in support of the band's debut album, which had already been recorded and released before Luther joined. Although most of Luther's time with Stealer's Wheel was spent on the road, he did make it into the studio to record a single called Everyone's Agreed That Everything Will Turn Out Fine (UK A+M AMS 7079), which also appeared in the USA and Holland. [Luther] "I was in limbo, and they asked me to join the band. Rafferty came back in while I was there, which was a little bit odd because I had actually taken his place. It was a strange band, Stealer’s Wheel. Rafferty was a great songwriter, but the band didn’t have the sound and performance that he would have projected with his own band. There were five pieces that never really fit together. I think for that simple reason alone it was never going to work. There was nothing wrong with people’s playing or anything like that, it was just the wrong lineup. It came to a very quick halt, but looking back, I’m glad that I did that". Immediately after Stealer's Wheel broke up in July 1973, Luther took a phone call in Hampstead from Ian Hunter, asking him to join Mott The Hoople. With only a few days rehearsal, he found himself onstage as Ariel Bender for the second half of Mott's USA tour. The band returned to the UK in early November for a tour supported by Queen, capped by a pair of shows at the Hammersmith Odeon which were put to tape in anticipation of a live album. January 1974 saw Mott The Hoople enter Advision Studios to record The Hoople. One of the first chores for Luther was to re-record Mick Ralph's guitar on Roll Away The Stone. After a short warm up tour of the UK in late March, Mott The Hoople returned to the States for two more months of dates. The high point for the band came in early May, as they became the first rock band to sell out a week of shows on Broadway. These shows at the Uris Theater were also recorded for the upcoming live album. [Luther] "There were some great nights there. Mott The Hoople at the Uris, it was fucking amazing. I’m not saying for a minute that we played amazing every night, it didn’t happen like that. But looking back, it was wonderful, absolutely wonderful. Great times. I’m in and out of the Live album. When I listen to the performances, not just my own, I think it wasn’t one of the better nights that could have been recorded. I think some of the songs were a little bit overweight, but it was live and that’s what you get". Although the US tour was a crowning achievement for the band, by fall 1974 it was clear that Luther was not cut out for the Mott The Hoople role. Although press reports indicate that Bender quit Mott, it was more of a polite sacking. Mick Ronson was brought in to play out the final month of live dates, before the band called it quits for good. After he parted company with Mott The Hoople, Luther was reported to be working on a solo album with Pete Gage and Steve York from Vinegar Joe. Once again, the plans for a second solo album did not pan out. He then spent a month as guitarist for a newly-formed band called Motorhead. [Lemmy Kilminster] 'The original line up stunk! It was really fucking terrible. It was five piece band. I wanted to form the MC5 of Britain. We had a bad drummer - Lucas Fox - and Larry Wallis. Me and Larry seemed to rub up against each other and I don't mean that sexually. Another guitar player, Luther Grosvenor, was in the band for a month - his stage name was Aerial Bender, great guitar player. We were going to get a singer and that never happened, so I got stuck with the singing. That line up fell apart and then it took off as a trio.' In mid-1975, Luther got together with his friend Paul Nicholls and bankrolled the formation of Widowmaker. In addition to Nicholls, the band featured Bob Daisley, Hugh Lloyd-Langton, and reluctant singer Steve Ellis. The band's debut LP, Widowmaker (UK Jet LP 15), was released in April 1976 . After touring the UK and the USA in support of the debut album, Ellis left the band and was replaced by John Butler. The followup LP, Too Late To Cry (UK Jet UAG 30038), was to be the band's last. [Luther] "I formed Widowmaker with my own money. The first recruit was Paul Nicholls, who was a friend of mine who played with Lindisfarne. Then we got Bob Daisley from Chicken Shack. Roger Chapman, who used to sing with Family, said “Look, I’ve a friend of mine, great singer. I don’t really know whether he’s interested, but give him a bell.” So I went ‘round to see Steve Ellis, and he wasn’t interested at all. He’s just packed in his band called Ellis and he didn’t want to do anything for a while. But I kept on and on, and eventually we coaxed him round to come down and have a sing and a play. And he joined, and we got Huw Lloyd Langton on guitar as well. We were thinking about a keyboard player. We thought about having some keyboards to give it a little color. But we went for the other guitar, which was a lot better as far as I was concerned. I think Steve canned the idea of a keyboard player". Luther kept a low profile for the next decade, preferring to build his own decorating business rather than risk the uncertainty of the music industry. Although he did record a few sides with Verden Allen in 1978, it wasn't until the early 1990s that Luther returned to the music scene in a band called Blues `92. The band featured Luther on guitar, John Ledsom on bass, Darren Horn on drums, and Pete Devoy on vocals. Boues '92 gigged briefly in and around Liverpool, and headlined the Wirral International Guitar Festival in November 1992. Although Blues '92 didn't last very long, the project did prove that Luther still had his edge. [Luther] "Blues `92 obviously happened in `92, it seems like a hundred years ago now! John Ledsom and I were friends. John lives on the Wirral which is just outside of Liverpool, and I used to go up there to do some decorating for him. He had a little studio, a good little studio, and we found ourselves not doing any decorating but doing a lot of jamming. The jamming got so good that we got this drummer called Darren, a guy who fitted glass windows for a living but he was a fucking great drummer. And we thought, we’d put a little band together for fun. Keep it amateur, because we were all working. I think we did six gigs around the Wirral and Liverpool and we packed ‘em out, man, it was brilliant. We played just outside Liverpool at a place called Brighton Beach, at a big convention that they have around Liverpool. There were some big acts on there, and it went on for a whole week. They squeezed us on for one of the nights, and we got the biggest draw of the whole week! We filled the place out, it was fucking amazing. I was living in London, and that was happening on the Wirral, and for some strange reason it just disappeared. It was just a passing phase, the Blues `92 thing. It was a good little patch, very relaxing. That sort of brought me back. I wasn’t even playing before Blues `92". In 1995, Luther got together with Mike Kellie and Jess Roden to record a couple tracks for Rattlesnake Guitar, a Peter Green tribute CD. He was approached for the project by record executive Bob Laul, who offered Luther a chance to finally record that elusive second solo album. [Luther] "In 1995 Bob Laul phoned me up out of the blue to ask if I was interested in playing on the Peter Green album. I wasn’t sure. I had a guitar, I was playing, but I hadn’t been in the studio for a lot of years. I wasn’t quite sure whether I could get it all together, because I’ve been away for such a long time. I came in at the back end of the album, and everybody else had chosen the better songs. We had very short time in the studio, we only had half a day to put the two songs together. That slow blues is not brilliant, but it has good feel. It’s not too bad. As far as I was concerned, it was great, because I was a long time away. So anyway we did that, that came out, and Bob Laul said “Look, why don’t you do your own CD?” I thought, “Do I want to do it? Do I want to get back, do I want to get the songs together, do I want to get the musicians together?” Because it’s not easy". Luther took Bob Laul up on his offer, and only ten days in Steve Winwood's studio were needed to create Floodgates (Brilliant RBCD 1007-2). Released in August 1996, the album features the same musicians who worked with Luther on the Peter Green album: Steve Dolan (ex- Hard Meat) on bass, Dave Moore on keyboards, and Mike Kellie on drums. Luther handles all the guitar and lead vocal chores, with the exception of two covers sung by Jess Roden. Five of the nine tracks were written by Luther and his Blues `92 bandmate John Ledsom. [Luther] "'Floodgates’, ‘Evesham Boy’, ‘Ninsky Prospect’, all those songs were put together for the album. John and I got together and knocked out these songs, and I took them to the studio. John’s not a studio player at all, he plays a bit of guitar and a little bit of bass, but he’s not a studio man. He’s hardly played onstage in his life. John did well, we wrote some good things together. Everything that you hear on there is one or two takes. When we actually played ‘Floodgates’ back … that guitar that you hear is just the rough one. We decided to keep that, because it had everything the guy wanted. It had great feel, and the notes were good, so we left it. I think the album is great, and we recorded the whole lot in like ten days. There were no illusions of putting that album out and having it do big business. What it did for me, it was a platform, as bit of a stepping stone for another one. But if I never make another album again, I made a fucking great album and it makes me quite happy". Plans for a Spooky Tooth reunion album were initiated in 1997. Luther Grosvenor, Mike Harrison , Greg Ridley, and Mike Kellie went into FFG Studios in Gloucester in July, and three tracks were finished: Mike Kellie's How, the group composition Kiss It Better, and Sunshine (written by Karl Wallinger of World Party). Additional sessions were planned for October 1997, but the physical distance between the group members made rehearsals difficult and the plans fell apart. With no new material in sight, plans were laid for an album called Sunshine, which would combine the new studio tracks with a 1968 BBC live concert and an unreleased Deep Feeling track. A mid-1998 release was planned. But when the Ruf organization heard the new material, they asked asked the band to record more material, and agreed to shoulder the cost of bringing the band to Adapoe Sound in Weimar, Germany. Grosvenor, Harrison, Ridley, and Kellie spent September 12-20, 1998 recording seven new tracks for the album. The disc album finally surfaced in February 1999 as Cross Purpose, released in both the USA and Europe. On 17 April 1999, Luther made an appearance at the first annual Mott The Hoople Convention in Bilston (UK), still looking every inch the Rock Star. He signed autographs for fans, and that evening he joined Ian Hunter onstage for an over-the-top performance of Walkin' With A Mountain. In the summer of 2000, plans were laid for a third Luther Grosvenor solo album, to be called If You Dare. Demos were recorded, and musicians were lined up including Huw Lloyd Langton (guitar), Steve Dolan (bass), Max Middleton (piano), and Simon Cooper (drums). Unfortunately, the project was shelved at the last minute When Luther decided to hang up his guitar. Luther made a few guest appearances over the next few years, playing at a benefit for Steve Dolan's family in Sep 2000, and sitting in with The Raiders and Darrell Bath. In late 2004, it was reported that Luther was putting together a new Ariel Bender Band, settling on a lineup of Luther Grosvenor (guitar and vocals), Mark Eden (vocals), Jim Houghton (bass), Mick Kirton (drums), Mick Trigg (keyboards), and Gary Oswell (guitar). Luther and Mark Eden made an appearance at the Greg Ridley Memorial on 20 Nov 2004. © http://www.justabuzz.com/lg-0-bio.shtml

MORE

He was one of the most inventive guitarists of his generation, one of the clutch of flashy young axe-slingers who emerged at the tail end of the 1960s, and turned everything on its head. Up alongside Brian May, Mick Ronson, and Paul Kossoff, Luther Grosvenor rewrote the guitar players' rule book, simply by remembering that technique isn't everything; you have to have some fun as well. Grosvenor grew up in the English town of Evesham, where he and the young Jim Capaldi formed their first bands together, before traveling down to London together, where their band Deep Feeling attracted the attention of producer Giorgio Gomelsky. It was separately, however, that the pair established their names, Capaldi as a founding member of Traffic, Grosvenor aboard Spooky Tooth, one of the most influential British rock bands of the late '60s/early '70s. Releasing four albums, including the million-selling Spooky Two, the band toured extensively both in the U.S. and Europe, building a loyal fan base which even included the Rolling Stones -- who contacted Grosvenor as a possible replacement for Brian Jones in 1969. He turned them down. Grosvenor quit Spooky Tooth in 1972, and released his first solo album, Under Open Skies, before deciding that the solo life was not for him. A brief spell alongside Gerry Rafferty in Stealers Wheel was followed by an invitation to join the band which was, essentially, the decade's answer to the original Rolling Stones, Mott the Hoople. And this time, there was no hesitation. He even changed his name for the occasion, to Ariel Bender. Ariel Bender was the ultimate rock guitarist. In an age when even the most pedestrian guitarist was tarting up beneath barrels of makeup and finery, Bender went completely over the top, visually and aurally. His name was gifted to him by singer Lynsey de Paul, a friend who shared his vision of the world's most Over the Top guitar player, and it fit like a glove. Except he didn't simply bend ariels. He could break them with a single chord. In the studio, Bender transformed Mott, firing them through one more studio set, 1974's The Hoople, a storming live album, and a clutch of immortal hit singles. But it was on-stage that Bender made the greatest impression, with his mane of hair flying, literally battling Ian Hunter for the center stage spotlight, and peeling off riffs as raucous as they were riotous. Posthumous exhumations from the band's live archive have heightened awareness of Bender's brilliance even further -- the 30th anniversary edition of Live, swollen from one short LP to two stuffed CDs, includes some of his most ferocious playing ever. Grosvenor left Mott in 1974 (to be replaced by Mick Ronson), and immediately formed Widowmaker, a hard rock band that plunged straight into the spotlight when they were invited to open for the Who's latest U.K. tour. Unfortunately, that was as good as it got. Although Widowmaker made what Grosvenor still remembers as "two great albums," by 1979, bored with the bullsh*t, he didn't simply quit the group. He walked out on the music industry altogether. The idol of millions became a legend instead, and would remain one for the next 17 years. It was early 1996 before he was tempted back into the studio, by the opportunity to record two tracks, "Crying Won't Bring You Back" and "Merry Go Round," for the Rattlesnake Guitar tribute to Peter Green. Aided by old friends Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood, Jess Roden, and former Spooky Tooth drummer Mike Kellie, the Ariel Bender Band became the impetus for Grosvenor to finally record some of the songs he had written during his years away, for release as 1996's Floodgates album. Sadly, poor promotion and distribution saw the album sink, and it would be another five years before an expanded reissue (on the U.K. Angel Air label) finally resuscitated it, via a bonus-stacked edition that also included the two Rattlesnake Guitar songs, three songs recorded at a 1997 Spooky Tooth reunion, and an unreleased 1966 recording of Deep Feeling, from the Gomelsky sessions. Grosvenor himself, meanwhile, did not completely vanish; he continued to play live and even made the occasional visit to the studio, to cut a song or two for some new project, including a tremendous recasting of "Roll Away the Stone" for the 2005 Mott the Hoople Family Anthology. © Dave Thompson ©2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/luther-grosvenor-mn0000805591

BIO (WIKI)

Luther James Grosvenor (born 23 December 1946 in Evesham, Worcestershire) is an English rock musician, who played guitar in Spooky Tooth, briefly in Stealers Wheel and, under the pseudonym "Ariel Bender", in Mott the Hoople and Widowmaker. Luther first began playing in local bands in his hometown of Evesham. He met Jim Capaldi, who later played with Traffic, with whom he formed a group called Deep Feelin. Later he joined a group called The V.I.P.'s, in which Keith Emerson played for some time. The V.I.P.'s were renamed Art and later became Spooky Tooth. The years with Spooky Tooth (1967 to 1970), Stealers Wheel (1973) and Mott the Hoople (1973 to 1974) were the most successful years in his musical career. After leaving Mott the Hoople, Luther published a few solo albums, and formed Widowmaker, releasing Widowmaker in 1976 and Too Late to Cry in 1977. In the 1990s, Luther Grosvenor returned in a Spooky Tooth reunion. In 2005, he revived his pseudonym, forming the Ariel Bender Band. In 2007 and 2008 he performed under the name Ariel Bender's Mott The Hoople performing Spooky Tooth and Mott The Hoople songs, as well as cover songs. In 2009, he worked with London act, The Winter Olympics, recording guitar parts for their song, 'The Great Outdoors'. This was released in August 2010.

Rob Blaine's Big Otis Blues

2012-05-30T02:25:00.001+02:00

Rob Blaine's Big Otis Blues - Rob Blaine's Big Otis Blues - 2010 - Swississippi Records

"The liner notes are on-target when they say Rob Blaine yanks big chunks of music from his guitar"-Vintage Guitar

"With his tenacious grooves, commanding guitar presence, and soulful personality, Rob Blaine leaves a mark on the contemporary blues scene."- Living Blues Magazine

"When I say that Rob Blaine is a Guitar God, I mean that with two capital “G’s.” Not only is this a fantastic blues album, it’s just one of the best damn guitar albums I’ve heard all year. Period."- The Ripple Effect

"But, if you want to hear some no holds barred, down and dirty Chicago style blues, you gotta see this band play, or at the very least pick up a copy of his latest CD. Rob Blaine slices and dices on the guitar and adds great vocals to boot." -The Weekly Musician

A great album from the Chicago born guitarist Rob Blaine. This guy is an exceptionally talented guitarist with a great band behind him. Rob is obviously influenced by greats like Albert Collins, Otis Rush, and Buddy Guy but he can play some licks that none of those guys could play. This is not comparing Rob's guitar abilities and techniques with these great players. These guys had a style all their own, as has Rob Blaine. If you want new school Chicago blues, hard hitting Rock heavy Blues, soulful R&B, smooth subtle acoustic blues, and great vocals, it's all here. Rob solely composed nine of the twelve tracks on this album. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. This guy is a force to be reckoned with in the blues rock world. Watch out for future releases, and if Rob is playing in your area, go and see him. Support real music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 117 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Not The Forgiving Kind
2. Only Mine
3. Affection And Pain
4. Same Old Blues
5. Hourglass Baby
6. Gone, Not Forgot
7. Trouble
8. Can't Help But Wonder
9. Must Be Nice
10. Find A Way
11. Don't Burn Down The Bridge
12. Must Be Nice (Acoustic Version)

All tracks composed by Rob Blaine except Track 4 by Don Nix, Track 6 by Robert Blaine & Nigel Mack, and Track 11 by Allen Jones Jr. & Carl A. Wells

MUSICIANS

Rob Blaine - Guitar, Vocals
Pete Galanis - Slide Guitar
Joewaun Scott - Bass
Gary Gary, Marty Sammon - Organ
Roosevelt Purifoy - Organ, Clavinet
Ariyo Sumito Ariyoshi - Piano
James Knowles - Drums
Cory Dennison - Background Vocals

SHORT BIO

Rob Blaine- Born in Chicago 1981, moved to Michigan, grew up listening to Blues, R&B, Funk, Rock, Soul, because of his father. Began playing guitar at 15, started giging and playing out by age of 17 with his guitar teacher, Charlie Schantz's band.Playing the blues standards. Started his own band with his brother Buck and other friends, playing around Grand Rapids for the next couple of years. He moved back to Chicago in 2003, where since has been on 3 U.S tours, and one European tour. Touring with Little Milton before his untimely passing, and currently touring with the Chicago Rythme & Blues Kings (formerly Big Twist and the Mellow Fellows) featuring Gene Barge a.k.a. Daddy G., and his own band. Big Rob Blaine plays at Kingston Mines every tuesday and at B.L.U.E.S. on Halsted once a month. © 2003-2012 Myspace LLC. All Rights Reserved http://www.myspace.com/bigrobblaine

MORE ABOUT ROB BLAINE / ALBUM

Chicago has long been a city associated with guitar stringers. From the post-war migration that electrified and urbanized the genre with artists like Muddy Waters, Jimmy Rogers and the Howlin’ Wolf, through the disco/funk inflected ‘70s and ‘80s, a long line of (primarily male) guitarists have defined our sound. The latest crop have blended rock’s reverb, funk’s grooves and metal’s speed, delivering a loud, in-your-face, insistent brand of hot leaded howling that is unlike anything previously thought of as “Chicago Blues”. Rob Blaine epitomizes that mix. Growing up in Grand Rapids, MI, Rob Blaine knew what he wanted to do from the first blues track he heard on his Dad’s stereo. He got a guitar and made for Chicago, earning his way into the scene by working as a doorman at local blues clubs, listening and learning from the artists onstage. He toured with the late great Little Milton and currently plays with the Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings (of which Gene “Daddy G” Barge is a member). Rob paid his dues and honed his guitar chops on the viciously competitive local blues scene and has emerged as its latest and strongest voice. With his band Big Otis Blues, Rob has roared onto the national scene, winning the 2010 Windy City Blues Society Challenge, taking third place in the International Blues Challenge band finals in Memphis and winning the Albert King Award for Best Guitarist. His youth, fire and energy come blasting out of the speakers, in both his live shows and on this record, demanding your attention! This is not your Grandpa’s blues or even your father’s. This is music from a young man, serious as a heart attack, with a message: “Listen to me, I’ve got important things to say!” Ten of the twelve songs on this disc were written by Big Rob. The message is a positive one for the most part: live and let live, don’t assume you know me by how I look. One exception, Don Nix’s standard “Same Old Blues”, is a masterful vehicle for Rob, who plays impassioned guitar and sings with heartfelt sincerity on this gospel-tinged slow blues hybrid. Rob’s voice, a rich, husky baritone, serves him well on both funk/rock belters like the first version of “Must Be Nice” (there are two takes on the song) and on soulful ballads like “Find A Way.” But make no mistake: this is a GUITAR CD from a GUITAR PLAYER. Rob Blaine’s Big Otis Blues is a sonic environment that caters to two basic themes. The first being funky, rocked- up, “tell it like it is” grooves (“Not the Forgiving Kind,” “Hourglass Baby,” “Trouble”) are ably supported by power house drummer James Knowles. He and bassist Jowaun “Man” Scott, (who hails from the renowned South Side musical Scott family) jump out of the box on the first beat of “Not the Forgiving Kind,” and don’t let up until the last note has died. The clean, energetic rhythm section lays an insistent pulse for Rob’s throbbing, wah-wah-ing guitar. It’s a carefully crafted recipe, one-part Hendrix, one-part Buddy Guy with a dash of Stevie Ray and a splash of Chico Banks. The CD’s many guitar solos sing on a lush bed of organ played by Gary Gary [sic] and sparkling piano courtesy of Ariyo Sumito Ariyoshi. The other side of Rob Blaine favors slower, gospel infused ballads. The one song that deviates from this pattern is “Gone Not Forgot,” a swampy, acoustic, slide guitar tune. It’s a refreshing break from the electric wall of sound, rather like a bite of lemon sorbet between rich courses in a meal. Rob Blaine’s Big Otis Blues wraps with a nice acoustic reprise of “Must Be Nice.” The overall effect is a haunting, lingering mood that begs for a replay. This is a fine first effort from a young man with a bright future. By & © Liz Mandeville © http://www.chicagobluesguide.com/reviews/cd-reviews/rob-blaine-cd/rob-blaine-big-otis-cd-page.html

David King

2012-05-29T03:53:00.001+02:00

David King - Strangely Familiar - 2007 - David King

Born: July 18, 1965: David is a guitarist and composer of contemporary jazz instrumental guitar based in Motherwell. He has played in various bands since the early eighties before completing a degree in Media Music Composition recognized by the Film Institute of Los Angeles. His debut album 'Strangely Familiar' was released last year to critical acclaim and has gained regular airplay on various web stations in America and Europe and has been performing live in the Central belt. He performs solo to backing tracks programmed and produced by the composer himself creating a very melodic and relaxed vibe. If you and your guests are looking for something a little different then David's music could be right up your street. David has been playing guitar since he was 8 but it became a serious concern when, in his teens he started going to gigs at Glasgow's legendary venue The Apollo in the early eighties witnessing guitar hero's galore including Alex Lifeson, Angus Young, and Andy Summers. David has consumed all things guitar ever since including the Jazz genius of Martin Taylor and Pat Metheny and effects influenced players such as The Edge and Charlie Burchill of Simple Minds and the acoustic work of Tommy Emmanuel and Acoustic Alchemy. Having exhausted all possibilities in various bands he returned to his home studio and gained a degree in Media Music Composition recognized by the Film Music Institute of Los Angeles. David has just completed his debut album of guitar instrumentals encompassing some smooth jazz grooves with a hint of fusion and just for the hell of it the occasional big rock solo to ! The album, “ Strangely Familiar “ is now available from the very fine people of CD Baby - or the equaly fine people of iTunes - please click on the links below. David's own site www.davidkingmusic.net is now live. - from ***** David King Posted by & © Leslie on Aug 15, '11 10:29 AM for everyone © Petpaz 2008. All Rights Reserved © http://petpaz.multiply.com/reviews/item/215

“This song has a truly nifty feel to it. The drums are laying it down, nice and solid, really steady, and sharp. The guitar work is impeccable. I think it is every guitar player's dream to be able to pull off a piece like this. There is melody, and accuracy, and the guy handles it all like a pro. Overall, this sounds as good as any theme music you hear these days. A really excellent recording. Great job, sir.” Tunesmith from Irving, Texas: This is a review of David's song "Strangely Familiar". This was the first track recorded for this remarkable album of Instrumental Smooth Jazz. Beautiful smooth guitar melodies wrapped in warm ambient keyboards and punctuated by a tight rhythm section. David has consumed all things guitar from an early age. His early influences were created after numerous visits to Glasgow’s legendary venue The Apollo – Mostly rock genius like Alex Lifeson, Angus Young and Andy Summers of The Police. He was then introduced to the Jazz Great Martin Taylor which lead to a passion for Jazz guitar and it's smooth exponents Larry Carlton and Pat Metheny. Acoustic guitar was always involved to and a chance viewing of Acoustic Alchemy on a daytime TV show in the late 80's proved a to be a turning point in David’s development as a player and composer. After exhausting all possibilities in various bands he returned to his home studio to obtain a degree in media composition recognized by the Film Music Institute of Los Angeles. This is David’s debut release and it encompasses all his musical influences to produce a truly unique guitar voice. © http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/davidkingtunes#

"King's round tone and sensitive phrasing is inspired and he elevates the guitar to a near mystical place." - Guitar Player Magazine

You may find this album in the "Smooth Jazz" section of your local record store, but it is not the bland, elevator sound often associated with the genre. Described by cdbaby.com as "Smooth chill-out contemporary instrumental guitar album incoprporating jazz, blues, and pop with ambient overtones and a hint of fusion". There is nothing groundbreaking here, but It's a good album of nine very well played original soulful contemporary instrumentals from this very talented Scottish guitarist. The album has a lot of merit, and the guy's music is well worth hearing. Try and listen to David's "Son Of Strangely" album [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: File size = 56.8 Mb]

TRACKS

1. I'll Be Back Someday [04:16]
2. Magnificent Mile [03:59]
3. What's Up Norm [04:45]
4. Provincetown [05:09]
5. Beacon Street [03:57]
6. Summers Edge [03:56]
7. Strangely Familiar [04:25]
8. The Red Room [04:14]
9. Son of Life [06:21]

All music composed by David King. David plays solo, using backing tracks which he produced and programmed himself

ABOUT DAVID KING

I've been playing guitar since I was 8 but it became a serious concern when I started going to gigs at Glasgow's legendary venue The Apollo in the early eighties witnessing guitar hero's galore including Alex Lifeson, Angus Young, and Andy Summers.. I've consumed all things guitar ever since including the jazz genius of Martin Taylor and Pat Metheny and effects influenced players such as The Edge and Charlie Burchill of Simple Minds and the acoustic work of Tommy Emmanuel and Acoustic Alchemy. .. Having exhausted all possibilities in various bands ( i.e bugger all happened !!) I returned to my home studio and gained a degree in Media Music Composition recognized by the Film Music Institute of Los Angeles. .. My debut album "Strangely Familiar" was released in 2007. Its an album of guitar instrumentals encompassing some smooth jazz grooves with a hint of fusion and just for the hell of it the occasional big rock solo to ! .. I released my second album Son of Strangely in September 09. In a slight departure , it incorporates a more urban and dance feel. .. The albums are both available from the very fine people of CD Baby - or the equaly fine people of iTunes - please click on the links across. If you are interested in booking me for gigs or house concerts, please send me a message... Thanks for dropping by. . . My earliest influences were all the rock guitar legends of the time. Alex Lifeson will always be numero uno but Angus Young, Michael Schenker, Eddie Van Halen and Andy Summers were always regulars on the turntable. Remember them ?? Turntables I mean !!..I saw Pat Metheny on a late night TV show - would have been around the days of the Travels album - I had never heard anybody make the guitar sound so beautiful. Martin Taylor also blew me away to with his astonishing technique... Away from guitar players, I have always loved The Blue Nile - such perfect atmosphere from everything they ever produced... Acoustic Alchemy have been a huge influence on my writing since I saw them in the late 80's on another TV show - TV was great in those days obviously !!.. I continue to be influenced on a daily basis most notably by John Mayer, Tommy Emmanuel, Robben Ford, Larry Carlton - the list is endless. And there are just not enough hours in the day © 2003-2012 Myspace LLC. All Rights Reserved © http://www.myspace.com/davidkingmusic06

Dweezil Zappa

2012-05-28T17:23:00.001+02:00

Dweezil Zappa - Automatic - 2000 - Favored Nations

Described as a wild and eclectic collection of original songs and traditional favourites! Typical Zappa-esque humour. However, anybody who includes the theme from "Hawaii Five-O" by Morton Stevens, and two excerpts from a Georges Bizet opera on a fusion album is definitely dabbling in wildness and eccentric eclecticism! A great album from Dweezil heped out by some brilliant musicians including Blues Saraceno, Mike Keneally, Joe Travers, Lisa Loeb, and Scott Thunes. Eight of the 12 tracks are less than three minutes in length, and thats a big minus. Nevertheless, the album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Dweezil's "My Guitar Wants To Kill Your Mama" and "Return Of The Son Of... " albums [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 90.6 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Fwakstension with Zappa, Terry Bozzio, Scott Thunes 4:13
2 Automatic with Zappa, Blues Saraceno, Joe Travers, Christopher Maloney 3:59
3 Hawaii Five-O with Zappa, Joe Travers 1:52
4 You're a Mean One Mister Grinch with Zappa, Ahmet Zappa, Joe Travers 3:12
5 Therapy with Zappa, Terry Bozzio, Scott Thunes 2:59
6 12 String Thing with Zappa, Joe Travers, Mark Meadows 2:46
7 Secret Hedges with Zappa 2:12
8 Habanera with Zappa, Dick Cinnamon 1:54
9 Les Toreadors with Zappa, Dick Cinnamon 2:35
10 Shnook with Zappa, Scott Thunes, Mike Keneally 2:55
11 Dick Cinnamon's Office with Zappa, Lisa Loeb, Joe Travers, Christopher Maloney 0:55
12 Purple Guitar with Zappa, Joe Travers, Mike Keneally 9:18

All tracks composed by Dweezil Zappa except "Hawaii Five-O" by Morton Stevens, "You're a Mean One Mister Grinch" by Dr. Seuss & Albert Hague, and "Habanera" & "Les Toreadors" by Georges Bizet

MUSICIANS

Dweezil Zappa - Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Flange Bass, Electric Piano, Feedback, Harmony, Vocals
Blues Saraceno - Guitar on Track 2
Mike Keneally - Rhythm Guitar, Harmony on Tracks 1,10,12
Bryan Beller - Bass on Track 12
Christopher Maloney - Bass on Tracks 2,11
Mark Meadows - Bass on Tracks 4,6
Scott Thunes - Bass on Tracks 1,5,10
Terry Bozzio - Drums on Tracks 1,5
Morgan Ågren - Percussion, Drums on Track 10
Joe Travers - Percussion, Drums on Tracks 2,3,4,6,11,12
Dirk Cinnamon - Percussion, Voice on Tracks 8,9,10
Ahmet Zappa - Vocals on Track 4
Lisa Loeb - Voice on Track 11
Jason Freese - Wurlitzer on Track 11

BIO

Son of Frank Zappa and a heavy metal disciple of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai, Dweezil released his first album, Havin' a Bad Day, in 1986. He worked a stint as a VJ on MTV, appeared in the films Pretty in Pink and The Running Man, and had a brief sojourn in TV situation comedy with his sister Moon Unit, on 1988-1989's Normal Life. Dweezil also issued his second album, My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Mama, in 1988, following it in 1991 with Confessions, and subsequently took a break from solo recording. He worked in television for a time, composing the theme song to the sadly short-lived Ben Stiller Show and voicing the character of Ajax on the brilliant USA Network animated series Duckman. He next formed the band Z with brother Ahmet on vocals; the group released two albums together: 1994's Shampoohorn and 1996's Music for Pets. In addition to his work as a session guitarist, Zappa busied himself with Happy Hour ( a TV show for the USA Network which debuted in 1999 and was co-hosted with Ahmet ), and his first solo album in nine years, 2000s mostly instrumental Automatic. Following this, Dweezil fell back out of the public eye and re-dedicated himself to learning guitar, changing his style a bit and adopting many of his father's picking techniques. In 2005, he assembled a crack band of younger players and recruited FZ alumni Steve Vai, Terry Bozzio, and Napoleon Murphy Brock for the critically acclaimed Zappa Plays Zappa tour which hit the road in the summer of 2006. The band (with Brock ostensibly as the frontman) performed an entire program of Frank Zappa compositions with Vai and Bozzio appearing as guests and Dweezil himself as lead guitarist/bandleader. Between legs of that tour, he released Go with What You Know, easily his most ambitious album to date. A studio version and DVD of Zappa Plays Zappa appeared in 2008 with a live album from the project -- Return of the Son Of... -- following in 2010. © Cub Koda © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/dweezil-zappa-p5902/biography

Dave Perkins

2012-05-27T23:51:00.001+02:00

Dave Perkins - Pistol City Holiness - 2009 - Lugnut

Dave Perkins is an artist whose musical journey crisscrosses the map of American music. Perkins’ work as a guitarist includes playing bluegrass and swing with fiddle-great Vassar Clements, Texas renegade-country with Jerry Jeff Walker, singer-songwriter pop with Carole King, alternative rock with Chagall Guevara, folk with Guy Clark, blues and jazz with violinist Papa John Creach, alt-pop with Over The Rhine, reggae with Mystic Meditations, and industrial hard-core with Passafist. Then, there were the occasional odd jobs, such as accompanying Ray Charles on his “3/4 Time” video. If there is a style of American music that calls for guitar, chances are Dave Perkins has played it, and played it with passion and skill. With Pistol City Holiness, Perkins comes full circle to his first love—the blues. “The blues was the first music to capture my imagination. It grabbed me because it was something other—alien—and, yet, at the same time, deeply familiar. I’ve never gotten over it. I’ve worked in a lot of different styles of music, but my approach to each one was and will always be shaped by the blues.” Reflecting on the creation of Pistol City Holiness, Perkins says, “I wanted to make an album that brought back the excitement I felt when I first heard Muddy Waters, Cream, Fred McDowell, and Peter Green. And, I wanted to record with the musicians I shared the most history with.” Featured on the album are three of Perkins’ longest running musical relationships—Richard “Hombre” Price, Reese Wynans, and Mel Watts. Their musical association is decades deep. Like Perkins, each of these players has a significant performance pedigree with ties to artists like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lucinda Williams. Pistol City Holiness builds on the model of the traditional Chicago blues band, where guitar, piano, and harmonica play important roles as solo instruments. Along with Perkins’ guitar and Wynans’ piano and organ, TJ Klay fills out the section on blues harp. Around those foundational elements, aspects of techno, southern and alternative rock are interwoven to create a bracing, muscular take on blues-inflected American music. Much like his sound, Perkins’ lyrics are simultaneously traditional and innovative. Perkins brings a contemporary poetic sense to his treatment of the blues even when dealing with age-old themes. Long Eleven Road is the story of a blue-collar family’s forced dislocation in pursuit of illusive employment. In Break, Perkins speaks for the frustrated, hard working person denied their piece of the American dream; Perkins sings, “The taste of life is oh so sweet—they’re finding money in the street—some folks live a life that’s charmed—some folks can go through hell unharmed. But, hard luck days have caught me in a corner for a kill—why does the road seem to always run up hill? I want a break that I don’t have to make!” Two of the album’s songs revisit a topic that has been present in the blues since the beginning--religion and spirituality. With Preacher Blues, the womanizing, cult-of-personality preacher is Perkins’ target. On a more positive note, Revival speaks to the healing power of community for the prodigal son. Perkins’ songs, Flown and Bottles and Knives give fresh perspectives on the difficulties of relationships. Here, Perkins anchors the album by working with what has traditionally been the first topic of the blues—love, or, the lack of it. A brew of musical energies, Pistol City Holiness blurs boundary lines between styles, and makes an artistic statement that speaks to the variety and depth of Perkins’ experience—musical and otherwise—all while keeping the blues as the emotional, musical, and spiritual center. - from Album Notes © http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/daveperkins

Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Perkins is, perhaps, best known as one of the creative forces behind the early-1990s rock band Chagall Guevara. Some may remember him as one of the architects responsible for mid-90s industrial/alt-rock terrorists Passafist, whereas others may know him as the producer behind such successful CCR bands as the Newsboys. Whether he's playing guitar behind Jerry Jeff Walker or singing with Amy Grant, Perkins' talent has always risen to the top. One of Perkins' greatest loves has always been the blues, however, and with the release of Pistol City Holiness the artist rediscovers the vibrancy, electricity, and excitement that got him into music in the first place. Influenced and inspired by blues greats like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and blues-rockers like Cream and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Perkins has delivered in Pistol City Holiness a stunning collection of ambitious blues-rock tunes that was almost a decade in the making. Pistol City Holiness opens with a squawk and a holler, the muddy Delta grit oozing from Dave Perkins' serpentine fretwork, his vocals gruff and supple and soulful all at once. Although the song has inherited the spirit of a hundred juke-joint jams, its underlying funky swagger, metal-edged guitar, and contemporary poor man's lyrics clearly stamp it as a fine example of 21st century electric blues, the song swinging wilder and harder than a blacksmith's hammer. The album's lone cover, Don Nix's classic Memphis blues standard "Goin' Down," is provided a tune-up under the hood and a fresh coat of paint up top. With roaring, whiskey-soaked vocals driven by Perkins' brutal six-string assault, T.J. Klay's rampaging harpwork, and a fine bit of nearly-hidden piano-pounding courtesy of former Double Trouble keyboardist Reece Wynans, Perkins and his manic mechanics hot rod "Goin' Down" from its turbocharged, flat-track origins into some sort of interstellar, space-ace speed machine. Perkins gets down-and-dirty with the powerful "Long Eleven Road," the song itself a showcase for Klay's tortured harpwork. With a wiry guitar riff that chases its tale in circles, Perkins' best black cat moan vocals, and Klay's timely blasts of soul, the song is a hard luck tale of a factory ghost town where little is left but sin and degradation. With a true Delta vibe that reminds of Son House's most apocalyptic visions, "Long Eleven Road" is a potent modern American fable of hopelessness and misfortune. If "Long Eleven Road" is the story of hard luck men and long suffering women facing another brutal workweek, "Bottles and Knives" is a rollicking and curious mix of Chicago and New Orleans blues music that signals the arrival of the weekend. With the entire band playing helter-skelter, Wynan's flailing ivories are matched by Perkins' joyful, ramshackle guitar solos. Perkins' humorous lyrics are pure genius - "bottles and knives flyin' all around this place, we're gonna leave here darlin' before I lose my pretty face" - the song's protagonist claims that his girl ain't happy goin' out on Saturday night unless he gets into a fight. It's 1930s blues jukin' reality set to music, delivered with reckless abandon (and highly-amped instruments). Blues guitarist Jimmy Nalls sits in for "Devil's Game," the former Sea Level fretburner adding some tasty acoustic notes behind Perkins' greasy slide guitar runs. The song's languid pace is deceptively framed by an underlying rhythm that moves at the speed of kudzu growing, blasts of ice-cold sax complimenting the red-hot notes of Klay's harmonica and Perkins' flame-thrower guitar. Lyrically, the song is a Southern Gothic dirge of sore temptation and the wages of sin, punishment meted out in an aching limbo that again evokes the blessed ghost of the mighty Son House. Perkins' "Preacher Blues" is a blistering, raw blues-rock rave-up with noisy, buzzing rhythms, blustery vocals, and whipsmart lyrics that reference Robert Johnson and his fabled hellhounds. The song is probably also the best showcase on Pistol City Holiness for Perkins' phenomenal six-string skills, the two-and-a-half-minute rocker virtually humming and crackling with the electricity generated by the guitarist's rattling leads. The album closes with the explosive "Mercy in the Morning," a full-tilt, anarchic, stomp-and-stammer that throws dynamite in the water in the form of scorching guitarwork, darts of gospel-tinged and honky-tonk piano, powerful drumbeats, and shots of machine-gun harp notes that dive-bomb your ears like a horde of angry hornets. Those of us that have followed Dave Perkins' lengthy career as sideman, band member, producer, and solo artist have never been surprised by the artist's immense talent, deep musical knowledge, and ability to perform well in nearly any musical genre. Nothing could prepare the listener for the nuclear-strength fall-out of Pistol City Holiness that cascades from your speakers. Perkins has created a masterpiece that fuses Mississippi Delta and Chicago blues tradition with a hard-rocking, guitar-driven blues-rock sound that fans haven't heard since Stevie Ray Vaughan burst onto the scene. Although it's hard to find, go out and beg, borrow, or steal a copy of Pistol City Holiness.... (self-produced, released June 2, 2009) ***** About.com Rating By & © Reverend Keith A. Gordon, About.com Guide © 2012 About.com. All rights reserved http://blues.about.com/od/cddvdreviews/fr/DavePerkins.htm

What a great title for a blues album! A raw, rootsy, and full tilt jam all the way through makes this one of the best discs of 2009. Perkins had virtually gone into dustbowl obscurity since his stint with Chagall Guevara and his '95 industrial-laden Passafist project. You can't keep a quality guitarist down for long though. It's hard to believe this is the same guy who gave us a solo disc way back in '87. I still love the song "Orbit" from that vinyl in my collection. But I digress... "Pistol City Holiness" covers the familiar blues formulas with reckless abandon. Nothing new is here, but relentlessly dirty, gritty blues are meshed out on the blues club floor. “Break” kicks in and you can hear the strong chops of TJ Klay on the harp. A slight modern element of rhythmic looping throws you a surprise before “Going Down” explodes with a wall of electric guitar and piano. There is not one sleeper on this 12-song rocking blues offering. The musicians don’t appear to be the standard session players either. True blues feeling comes shining through at every corner. My only question is, ”Where have you been hiding Dave Perkins these last 10-15 years?” I guess my musical tastes ran in different circles back then. I would have gobbled up everything of yours in sight had I known you were still kicking around. © thecannyshark © 1996 - 2010 The Phantom Tollbooth http://www.tollbooth.org/2010/reviews/dperkins.html

It has been twenty two years since Dave Perkins released his last solo project. It was called The Innocence and was released on the unfortunately short lived What Records. Well it's twenty two years later and Dave has released his newest solo offering called Pistol City Holiness. The question is was it worth the wait? The answer is beyond a shadow of a doubt absolutely YES! "Pistol City Holiness" could very well, at least in my opinion, be one of the best rock n roll records ever produced. I say this as someone who has been listening to rock music for well over fifty years and I take my music very, very seriously. Falling into the category of blues rock this project screams total professionalism from beginning to end. With the exception of the classic "Going Down" by Don Nix all of the tunes are Dave Perkins originals. Musicians that Dave has brought along for this musical ride include among others, Rick Cua, Ashley Cleveland, Reece Wynans and some red hot smokin' harp playing by TJ Klay. That's harmonica to those unfamiliar with the blues. Some of the tunes presented here especially "Bottles And Knives" & "Train At Night" need to be listened to with a fire extinguisher close at hand. They just might cause spontaneous combustion, they're that hot. Dave's vocals on this album are awesome and fit the music to a tee, pained, raucous and weathered. © Chris MacIntosh aka Grandfather Rock © 1996 - 2009 The Phantom Tollbooth http://www.tollbooth.org/2009/reviews/perkins.html

One of Perkins' greatest loves has always been the blues, however, and with the release of Pistol City Holiness the artist rediscovers the vibrancy, electricity, and excitement that got him into music in the first place. Influenced and inspired by blues greats like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and blues-rockers like Cream and Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac, Perkins has delivered in Pistol City Holiness a stunning collection of ambitious blues-rock tunes that was almost a decade in the making. By & © Reverend Keith A. Gordon, About.com Guide © 2012 About.com. All rights reserved http://blues.about.com/od/cddvdreviews/fr/DavePerkins.htm Dave, speaking about "Pistol City Holiness" said that “My first professional sensibilities in music-making were in blues and blues-rock, and that's what I've come back to...but my journey has been wildly diverse, between here and there.” Buy Chagall Guevara's s/t album featuring Dave Perkins, and support the blues and great music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 111 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Break 4:19
2 Going Down 3:55
3 Cherryfish & Chicken 2:00
4 Revival 3:35
5 Long Eleven Road 5:03
6 Bottles and Knives 3:53
7 Train at Night 3:24
8 Flown 4:32
9 Tiger Texas 3:46
10 Devil's Game 5:31
11 Preacher Blues 2:30
12 Mercy in the Morning 6:16

All songs composed by Dave Perkins except "Going Down" by Don Nix

MUSICIANS

Dave Perkins - Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Organ, Piano, Vocals
Jim Nalls - Acoustic Guitar on "Devil's Game"
Richard Price, Rick Cua, Byron House - Bass
Reese Wynans - Organ, Piano
Paul Griffith, Craig Krampf, Mel Watts, John Elliott - Drums
West Tennessee Jeff - Saxophone
TJ Klay - Harmonica
Odessa Settles, Ashley Cleveland - Background Vocals

Prashant Aswani

2012-05-26T19:30:00.001+02:00

Prashant Aswani - Duality - 2000 - Exotic Rhythms

Guitarist Prashant Aswani is one of the top modern rock fusion players on the scene today. As a composer, his music often mixes heavy riffs and tones with a deep harmonic vocabulary to create a sonic landscape that appeals to broad audience. And with his well-honed chops that combine a legato approach with hybrid-picking (a right hand technique where the pick and fingers are used together), Aswani can peel off incredible runs with ease while still navigating through tough chord changes. He’s also a busy guy, having numerous session, sideman, and producing credits under his belt, in addition to his solo recordings. © 2004 - 2012 Rich Murray. All Rights Reserved http://www.guitar-channel.com/rich_murray/interview-prashant-aswani.html

Prashant Aswani is a very talented, very clever guitarist/composer. He's got chops galore, but better than that, he's got taste. Duality, his second release, recorded with Greg Howe, showcases his playing and composing, tunes with intricate melodies and complicated rhythmic patterns, but a terrific fire and groove. Unlike the neo-classical shredders, who have lots of notes but nothing to say, these songs say something; they are trips that start somewhere, and get to somewhere, with lots of interesting twists on the way. Prashant is an original. ***** Unheralded guitar hero June 16, 2000 By & © Arthur Gabinet © 1996-2012, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Duality/dp/B001480CBY

Guitarist Prashant Aswani's second CD, entitled Duality, features a bounty of ripping, exotic fusion colored by taste, touch and tone. Aswani is once again joined by the legendary Greg Howe, who produced and engineered the CD, as well as contributed bass, keyboard work and several guitar parts. The other half of Howe II, singer Al Howe, makes a guest vocal appearance on the cover of Jimi Hendrix' 'Little Miss Lover'. Duality is a guitar lover's dream album, with Aswani's ultra-speedy fretwork and challenging arrangements making each cut significant. © http://www.prashantaswani.com/albums/

High-tech melodic instrumental rock fusion with killer playing, and a great song collection from the L.A. based Guitarist Prashant Aswani. Prashant penned five originals. There is one composition from the great Greg Howe who also produced and plays on the album. Prashant plays a cracking cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Little Miss Lover", and keyboardist Gian Marco Benvenuti contributes his original "Q-Sonic" track. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Prashant Aswani is a guy who really needs to be heard by a bigger audience. Buy his "Sonically Speaking" album and promote real music [All tracks @ 224 Kbps: File size = 68.4 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Change Of Seasons - Prashant Aswani 6:35
2 Traffic Jam - Prashant Aswani 4:48
3 Entangled - Prashant Aswani 5:35
4 The Road Home - Prashant Aswani 4:47
5 Order Of Dawn - Greg Howe 7:06
6 Little Miss Lover - Jimi Hendrix 3:43
7 Looking In - Prashant Aswani 5:29
8 Q-Sonic - Gian Marco Benvenuti 4:28

MUSICIANS

Prashant Aswani - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Guitar Synthesizer
Greg Howe - Guitar [2nd Solo] on Track 6, Acoustic Guitar [Right Channel] on Track 5, Bass, Keyboards, Drums [Programming]
Gian Marco Benvenuti - Keyboards on Track 8
Al Howe - Vocals on Track 6

SHORT BIO

Prashant Aswani was captivated by music at a young age. He began taking tabla lessons at the age of 8 years old, which helped him develop a strong sense of rhythm. By the time he was a teenager, his interests had migrated toward the guitar, and he had begun lessons. In his thirteenth year, he played in an area talent show, and dazzled his hometown audience with his original composition. Later, he was selected to play in his high school’s jazz ensemble, which he would stay in throughout his high school career. From high school, Aswani crossed the country to go to Boston’s distinguished Berklee College of Music. In his sophomore year, he was honored by the faculty at Berklee by being selected to play at the infamous “Guitar Night,” as one of seven of the best guitarists in the school. Later, he won the highly competitive Bay Area’s Best Guitarist competition. In 1995, he met Greg Howe and began taking lessons from him. In 1998 and 1999, Prashant released his debut album in Europe and Japan, entitled Revelation. Produced by Greg Howe, the album received critical acclaim by guitarists and jazz fusionists everywhere. In the summer of 2000, he released another Howe-produced independent effort, entitled Duality. Prashant has also guitar duty with Howe on Howe’s latest released, Hyper Acuity, as well as some previous releases. Prashant keeps busy performing at guitar seminars, as well as endorsing products and giving interviews with guitar magazines worldwide. © http://www.xtrememusician.com/info/artists/profiles/6566.html

Jack Bruce, Bill Lordan, Robin Trower

2012-05-26T12:26:00.004+02:00

Jack Bruce, Bill Lordan, Robin Trower - B.L.T. - 1981 - Chrysalis

It wasn't until the 1980 Victims of the Fury album, seven years into his solo career, that Robin Trower would employ former Procul Harum bandmate Keith Reid to provide lyrics (with Reid probably the only lyricist in history to get band status). Though this is officially a Robin Trower release entitled B.L.T., the marquee giving Jack Bruce and Bill Lordan equal heading above the double-sized name of Robin Trower, the project is shouldered by all talents involved and inhibited by a dreadful cover photo of a white bread sandwich: bacon, lettuce and tomato with -- if you look closely -- raw bacon. All concerned would have been better off titling this a Jack Bruce/Robin Trower project with drummer Bill Lordan. The vocals are all the work of Bruce with the production by Trower, and a moment like "Won't Let You Down" is among the best for both the vocalist of Cream and the guitar player from Procol Harum. "Won't Let You Down" is subtle, stunning, and beautiful. It oozes out of the speakers with double-tracked Trower guitar work that sounds like he was listening to Hendrix's Cry of Love album again. And there's nothing wrong with that. "Into Money," "What It Is" (another song about money), and "No Island Lost" are interesting because they take the West, Bruce & Laing concept further into the realm of progressive rock, a place where all parties concerned feel very comfortable. For the Trower fans who couldn't get enough of him sounding like Hendrix, take the "Voodoo Chile" riffs of "No Island Lost" and add the highly commercial voice of Jack Bruce. The combination is appealing while the artists lift the melody of "Voodoo Chile" as well the guitar, making for some amazing and magnetic stuff. With the exception of "End Game" and "Won't Let You Down," the songs are all in the three-minute range for this artistic experiment which works so well. Where Peter Brown is to Jack Bruce what Dewer and Reid are to Trower (a rare Brown/Bruce/Trower composition would show up on the following disc, Truce), this is only the second album where Keith Reid gets to collaborate with his former bandmate in the eight years between Trower's solo debut and B.L.T.. There would be more. The Trower/Reid combo makes perfect sense, especially since the lyricist is probably the only one in history who got band billing. The music these fellows weave is tremendous and becomes a distinctive work in the Jack Bruce catalog, combining his talents with colleagues who share his vision. The fluid sounds which make "Life on Earth" such an appealing opener for side two show that even on a title written solely by Bruce,the only one on the disc, it blends in perfectly with the material, mostly written by Trower and Reid. "Carmen" is absolutely haunting, and this is one of those beautiful discs that true fans have to seek out. Couple the terrible album cover of B.L.T. with the equally absurd marketing of West, Bruce & Laing's Whatever Turns You On and one gets the feeling that numerous record labels were trying their hardest to keep Jack Bruce's music as underground as possible. He deserves better, and B.L.T. is an experiment that, musically, is very successful and holds many revelations. A more compelling package is in order for the magic that's in these grooves. © Joe Viglione © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/blt-r20535/review

A wonderful album of many rock styles from the ex-Procol Harum guitarist Robin Trower with the legendary ex-Cream bassist and vocalist Jack Bruce and drummer Bill Lordan. HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to James Dewar's "Stumbledown Romancer"album, The Dave Steffen Band's "Give Me A Thrill" album featuring Bill Lordan on drums, Jack Bruce & the Cuicoland Express' great "Live at the Milkyway" album, and Robin Trower's "20th Century Blues" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps except Track 9 @ 256 Kbps: File size = 82.7 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

SIDE ONE

1 Into Money - Robin Trower
2 What It Is - Keith Reid, Robin Trower
3 Won't Let You Down - Keith Reid, Robin Trower
4 No Island Lost - Jim Dewar, Robin Trower
5 It's Too Late - Keith Reid, Robin Trower

SIDE TWO

1 Life On Earth - Jack Bruce
2 Once the Bird Has Flown - Keith Reid, Robin Trower
3 Carmen - Keith Reid, Robin Trower
4 Feel the Heat - Keith Reid, Robin Trower
5 End Game - Keith Reid, Robin Trower

MUSICIANS

Robin Trower - Guitar
Jack Bruce - Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
Bill Lordan - Drums

Ric Denis

2012-05-26T12:19:00.001+02:00

Ric Denis - Tadoussac - 2003 - Ric Denis

I have been a professional guitarist, singer/song writer and performer for over twenty five years. It's actually been longer but I'd rather not conjure up images in the reader of a stumbling old man with a walker. Trust me, I can still feed myself. I have released two solo CD’s; 'Lush' and 'Tadoussac', and two CD’s with The Ragged Flowers; 'Love To Burn' and 'Story Be Told'. I have also performed in a wide array of styles in cover bands. I'm currently performing in the The Ric Denis & 3. (http://ricdenis3.com/index.php/ric-denis-performances/the-ric-denis-3) We're best pictured as a harmonious contradiction. We are essentially acoustical, yet we can make a ruckus. In fact, somtimes we call ourselves Ruckus. Have a listen… - Simple Plan (http://ricdenis3.com/images/stories/Simple%20Plan.mp3)- Favorite Bone (http://ricdenis3.com/images/stories/Favorite%20Bone.mp3) Joining me is Rob Riendeau on bass and Ian Douglas on percussion, both of which were also members of The Ragged Flowers with me, and Tony Stuart on keys, sax & vocals. I've started work on a third solo CD with songs that The Ric Denis & 3 are performing. It should be released in about four or five thousand dollars from now. A little over six years ago I suffered a medical condition that has compromised the right side of my body. When the community discovered my state and the financial situation of my family the response and support was immediate and incredibly warm. Since then I have worked very hard to recover as much of my previous playing ability as I can. Although I can’t perform the high octane guitar work featured on Tadoussac, my playing has improved substantially, and continues to improve regularly. Basically, if you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know. I say this so to not conjure up images in the reader of a stumbling old man with a walker. © Ric Denis http://ricdenis3.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4:ric-denis-performances-story&catid=1

Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Extraordinare, Ric Denis plays music that is intimate, expressive and sometimes explosive. Evoking comparisons from Don Ross and Terry Tuffs, to Robben Ford and Eric Clapton, he has started build a loyal fan base from the ‘pleasantly surprised' who have caught his show. He combines Blues, Jazz, World Beat, Folk and Rock into his mix of exceptional guitar work, soulful singing and honest words © Ric Denis http://ottawa-blues-jazz.ncf.ca/denisr.html

"Tadoussac" is a really good instrumental acoustic guitar album, but it is not easy to find out too much about it. Maybe somebody in Canada/Ottawa could help with more info. Try and listen to Ric's "Lush" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 100 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Gone By
2 Moon & Tide
3 A Jig For Chuck
4 Tadoussac
5 Eleanor Rigby
6 Becalming Me
7 A Foghorn Morning
8 Thursday's Best
9 Schmoozin' With The Guru
10 Lo Eh
11 Lament For Josh

ABOUT RIC DENIS

"Music is my best and most natural form of communication.I want to discover all her languages and have my finger tips speak fluently." Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Extraordinare, Ric Denis plays music that is intimate, expressive and sometimes explosive.Evoking comparisons from Don Ross and Terry Tuffs, to Robben Ford and Eric Clapton, he has started build a loyal fan base from the ‘pleasantly surprised' who have caught his show.He combines Blues, Jazz, World Beat, Folk and Rock into his mix of exceptional guitar work, soulful singing and honest words.He draws the inspirations for his songs from travelogues, love lost, lust, loved ones, self analysis, self doubt, friends, foes, dogs ... His first solo CD entitled ‘Lush' is a collection of original songs and instrumental pieces, produced by Ric right down to the cover design and the manufacturing through his own label, Z Sun Records.His follow up CD ‘Tadoussac' is due out this spring and will showcase Ric's guitar playing with a collection of acoustic guitar instrumentals. He is also known in the Ottawa Valley for his work with the Ragged Flowers.The ‘Flowers' have performed at the ‘Ottawa Folk Festival', the ‘Blue Skies' festival, Stewart Park Festival and ‘Artsfusion'.Ric has also been featured on The Blues Brokers, ‘Bag Full Of Blues' CD and has made several appearances on ‘The New RO Breakfast Show' in Ottawa.His guitar work has appeared on radio jingles for Warrens House Of Britches, The Rum Shack and Tommy & Lefebvre.Ric can also be 'caught' performing with Jerome 'J' Jeffrey in the jam band 'The Sway Dogs' or playing Jazz standards and originals in 'Clever Mess'. ...As well as a professional guitarist, singer and performer, Ric has been a professional guitar teacher for over fifteen years.He has performed workshops with Don Ross, David Woodhead and Stephen Fearing.He has also presented clinics on improvisation and musical composition.He teaches privately and at The Ottawa Folklore Centre School of Music. A resident of the quaint little town of Almonte Ont, Ric lives in a busy little house with his busy wife and three brilliant busy kids, plus a nosey little pet rat named Harriet. © 2002, Ric Denis http://www.zoominfo.com/#!search/profile/person?personId=203722265&targetid=profile

MORE

Ric Denis has been a professional guitarist, singer/song writer and performer for over fifteen years.He has been teaching guitar privately and in music schools for over ten years.He is an ‘Honours Graduate' from the Applied Music program at Mohawk College in Hamilton, Ont.Ric has performed in a wide array of bands and styles.He has done opening gigs for Sass Jordan, Alannah Miles and Blue Rodeo.He was featured on ‘CJOH Newsday' with The Maria Hawkins Band and ‘The New RO Breakfast Show' with The Ragged Flowers.His guitar work has appeared on radio jingles for Warrens House Of Britches, The Rum Shack and Tommy & Lefebvre.He regularly performs as a soloist and in duets and combos throughout the Ottawa area music clubs and pubs including The Rainbow Bistro, Zaphod's, Rasputin's, The Blacksheep Inn, The Bayou, plus many , many more. Ric is a member of The Ragged Flowers which has performed at the ‘Ottawa Folk Festival', the ‘Blue Skies' festival, Stewart Park Festival and ‘Artsfusion'.The Ragged Flowers CD ‘Love To Burn' has received airplay on CBC Radio and CKCU. He has also been featured on The Blues Brokers, ‘Bag Full Of Blues' CD.Ric won a ‘Mohawk College Board of Governors Arts Award' for original music composition with his single recording of the song ‘Nine'.Today, Ric is considered by his peers to be one of the best and busiest professional musicians around. © www.landolakes.ca, 12 April 2003

Cold Blood

2012-05-25T20:08:00.001+02:00

Cold Blood - Vintage Blood: Live! 1973 - 2001 - DIG Music

Many of the greatest groups in rock and roll history have made their home in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area. While 'Frisco was at the forefront of the psychedelic music movement spinning around the intersection of Haight and Ashbury, some serious funk was springing up as well. Free-form DJs like Tom Donahue, who coined the term "underground" radio and Abe "Voco" Kesh interspersed hip soul and jazz in between the extended jams of the Dead and Quicksilver in their nightly shows. Sylvester Stewart, aka Sly Stone, was also a noted Bay Area DJ and record producer and an influence on the scene. Latin music was always in the air as well, and bands like Santana. Tower of Power, and Malo vibed to the incantory force of the extended boogaloo. One of the best bands in combining the punch of great rhythm and blues with the hippie aesthetic of brotherhood and freedom was Bay Area's legendary Cold Blood. With the backing of pioneer rock impresario Bill Graham, they won over area audiences almost immediately after their formation in 1968. The Fillmore Auditorium was the epicenter of San Francisco rock, and no better place to see a band "let it all hang out," as many shows ran all night long. The band's first two albums on Bill Graham's San Francisco Records — Cold Blood, released in 1969 and produced by David Rubinson, and Sisyphus, a 1970 release produced by Santana engineer Fred Catero, are excellent representations of a powerhouse band that could really move an audience. They were a winning combination of good songs, excellent covers and the powerful, expressive voice of Lydia Pense, their extraordinarily beautiful lead singer. The reissue of these two LPs is currently available on Collectables (Col-CD-6813). A change in management and a move to Reprise Records in 1972 would see the release of their third album First Taste Of Sin. The twenty-something members of Cold Blood had quite a few years of touring and recording under their belts by now, and while their records did not have the massive com-mercial success of some of their peers, they still had many fans around the country. There were some personnel changes in the group at this time most notably the departure of founding member guitarist. Larry Field. Lydia Pense, their lead singer was still fronting the band. While she had the burden of being compared to Janis Joplin, the preeminent female white soul singer of her day, Lydia's individual style and beauty was continuing to blossom. Another evidence of maturation in the abilities of the group was their choice of budding soul genius Donny Hathaway as producer for First Taste Of Sin. Despite his relative youth, this Chicago-born singer and a songwriter had already received kudos for his work with Curtis Mayfield, Jerry Butler and The Impressions. His reputation in the industry as the next generation's leading soul music auteur was spreading throughout the music industry. Warner Bros, and its sister label Reprise were a stronghold in the Seventies for the production of records of high artistic integrity, that were also a gas to listen to. The combo of Hathaway and Cold Blood produced a sophisticated blend of R and rock that appealed to both soul and progressive crowds.
Hathaway contributed two excellent songs to the album, the slow blues You Had To Know, a showcase for singer Lydia, and Valdez In The Country, as well as his gospel-influenced piano and jazzy organ playing. The presence also of Bay Area session veterans Coke and Pete Escovedo on congas, timbales, and percussion generated fire in the rhythm section with their Third World poly-rhythms. Also beefing up the horn section is noted jazz tenor saxophonist Pete Christieb. A longtime member of Doc Severensen's Tonight Show Band, he was an in-demand session player. A rare cover version of fellow Warner-Reprise artist James Taylor's Low And Behold is an adventurous choice of song, and Cold Blood adapts the tune to their rough and ready rockin' soul style. Cold Blood recorded three more albums in their life span before disbanding in 1976. Thriller was released in 1973 and Lydia in 1974, both also for Warner-Reprise. Their swansong was Lydia Pense and Cold Blood. produced by Stax Records stalwart and respected guitarist/songwriter Steve Cropper for ABC Records. There have been continued rumblings of activity in the Cold Blood camps , so the book may not yet be closed on the contributions of this relatively unheralded group to rock's legacy. Here then is one of Cold Blood's finest endeavors—First Taste Of Sin. - Taken from: booklet "First Taste Of Sin". by & © Al Fichera © www.old-rock.ru - 2009 http://www.old-rock.ru/paleontology_bands/cold_blood_en.html

Cold Blood was on the verge of a musical breakthrough during the early '70s, but the band's inability to write compelling original material or expand their range beyond high-octane, horn-dominated R&B relegated them to second-tier status. The band was at their best on-stage, but curiously never released a live album until this release 30 years past their heyday. Vintage Blood Live! 1973 catches the band at their funkified norm. Recorded at a studio before a small but appreciative audience, this performance emphasizes the groove. Cold Blood hits it quickly and stays there for long stretches, submerging beneath Lydia Pense's powerful R&B voice. Pense, keyboard player Raul Matute, and bassist Rod Ellicott were the only original members remaining in the band. The three-man horn session was filled with newcomers who acquit themselves well. The sound quality is outstanding, and the performances are right on the mark, except for one detour into gospel that falls flat. Cold Blood is stronger when they delve into secular treats such as "Funky on My Back." Followers of the band will enjoy this material. Listeners curious about early-'70s hard rhythm & blues will receive an informative, enjoyable lesson here. Dig Music is a small Sacramento-based label that specializes in releases by Northern California artists of the '60s and '70s, such as the Beau Brummels and Stoneground. © Casey Elston © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/vintage-blood-live-1973-r556170/review

Between 1967 and 1977 Lydia Pense was a well known vocalist in the San Francisco/Oakland area. She has been called "the female voice of San Francisco" and was one of the best rock 'n' blues singer of her day. She was produced by Steve "The Colonel" Cropper, guitarist with the legendary Booker T. & The MG's. She temporarily retired from the music scene in the '80s and early '90s, to rear a daughter, but returned with a bang to reform the great soul/jazz rock band Cold Blood, with a new line-up of some talented local Bay Area musicians. If you like BS&T, early Chicago and Tower of Power you may like this 1973 live album from one of the greatest ever Bay Area funk-rock-blues outfits. The album is full of terrific jazz and soul funk grooves, and East Bay Grease at it's best. Hornwork is brilliant and Lydia's vocals are special. Sound quality could be better but normal for a release of this type, and the album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to Lydia Pense's 1974 "Lydia" album, and Cold Blood's 1971 "Sisyphus" album. You can find Lydia Pense & Cold Blood's "Transfusion" album and also Cold Blood's 1969 s/t album on this blog. In September of 2011 Cold Blood released a 5 song EP, "The River City Sessions". Buy it and promote real music. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 92.2 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Feel So Bad 9:25 - David Porter, Isaac Hayes, James Johnson, Leslie Temple
2 Kissin' My Love 7:27 - Bill Withers
3 I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free 7:34 - Billy Taylor, R. Lamb
4 Funky On My Back 12.21 - C. Stolte, D. Hull, L. Field, L. Pense, R. Ellicott, Raul Matute
5 You Got Me Hummin' 5:32 - David Porter, Isaac Hayes

BAND

Michael Sasaki - Guitars
Rod Ellicott - Bass
Raul Matute - Keyboards
Gaylord Birch - Drums
Skip Mesquite - Saxophone
Max Haskett, Jack Walrath - Trumpet
Lydia Pense - Vocals

BIO

Lydia Pense & Cold Blood debuted when the Fillmore was at its peak as one of the nation's musical Meccas. Owner Bill Graham was so impressed with Lydia's voice and the sound of the band that he immediately signed Cold Blood to his new record label. During the span of six original late-60's, early-70's albums, Lydia Pense and Cold Blood helped, along with Tower Of Power, forge their own specific brand of funk/soul and R&B which came to be known as East Bay Grease. That music still holds up today, proving that great music is timeless and will continue to inspire generations to come. Cold Blood is one of the original R&B horn bands from the late 60's/ early 70's that exemplified the "East Bay Grease" melding of funk & rock with blues and jazz elements. Lydia Pense has been compared to Janis Joplin, but is a true original and a pioneer in the women's rock movement. Lydia and the band debuted when the Fillmore was at its peak as one of the nation's musical Meccas. Owner Bill Graham was so impressed with Lydia's voice and the sound of the band that he immediately signed Cold Blood to his new record label. During the span of six original late-60's, early-70's albums, Lydia Pense and Cold Blood helped, along with Tower Of Power, forge their own specific brand of funk/soul and R&B which came to be known as East Bay Grease. That music still holds up today, proving that great music is timeless and will continue to inspire generations to come. Lydia Pense and Cold Blood packed the San Francisco Ballrooms in their heyday, but that was then and this is now. In the now, Lydia Pense and Cold Blood still fill halls with cheering, dancing, foot-stomping fans. Far from fading over the years, Cold Blood has flourished. The word legend certainly applies to Lydia Pense and Cold Blood…and not in some past tense-make-a-living-as-an-oldies-act sort of way either. Pense can still shout like a 60's soul diva and purr a slow blues tune with spine-tingling subtlety. Cold Blood, as a whole, features a stellar group of musicians who have been playing together for nearly 20 years including Steve Dunne on guitar, Steve Salinas on keyboards, a gritty-growling horn section comprised of Rich Armstrong and Rob Zuckerman along with a stellar rhythm section featuring Evan Palmerston on bass and Donny Baldwin on drums. The band members are all veteran Bay Area musicians who have played with many great artists including Elvin Bishop, Jefferson Starship, Boz Skaggs, Albert Collins and more. Of course there is Lydia who still has the chops with the patina of a seasoned veteran who's done and seen it all. Together she and the band continue to twist together R&B, (both Old School and New School); into something that doesn't have a label... On any given night, Lydia Pense and Cold Blood power through their historic essentials, like "You Got Me Hummin'," "I Just Want To Make Love To You," "I'm A Good Woman," and "Down to the Bone." In 2005 the band released “Transfusion” a whole new CD of future classics that draws on their heritage but is not stifled by the past. In September of 2011 the band has released “The River City Sessions”, a 5 song EP. Now able to draw from the first two new Cold Blood albums in three decades, Lydia and the band blast out a set that covers 40 years of thumping, throbbing, East Bay funk. Several of the tracks that make it on to the set list each night come from original Cold Blood alum Skip Mesquite. Another tune of particular note, "Face the Music," is written by guitar ace Steve Dunne. All this fresh music, laid down by a crisp, tight 6-piece, makes any Cold Blood show invigorating. And, of course, anything Lydia sings is sung well. She has a list of famous admirers that includes Bonnie Raitt, Michelle Shocked, David Lee Roth, even Janis Joplin back in the day. It's been a long road, over 40 years to be exact with a break somewhere in the middle. But, Lydia and the band are living proof that a little time off can be a really good thing. With their new CD, “The River City Sessions” turning heads across the country, fans are remembering just what has been missing from music in the last few decades. These songs exemplify how a performer can take great strides forward, without forgetting her roots. Cold Blood is booking dozens of shows across the country, entertaining generations of club, theatre and festival goers. Cold Blood has been blessed with the ability to reach backwards for original influences and the creativity to reach forward, working with new approaches. The music they play is ageless, and can still fill any room to the rafters. © http://www.sonicbids.com/2/EPK/?epk_id=289950#bio

SHORT BIO

A San Francisco-based R&B band originally formed by guitarist Larry Field as the "New Invaders" in the wake of the Summer of Love, Cold Blood had the key elements of strong female vocalist, a fine guitarist, and a powerful horn section. After successful gigs at Golden Gate Park and at the Fillmore, they were signed by impresario Bill Graham to his new San Francisco Records label, on which they released their self-titled debut in 1969. Four more albums followed over the next five years -- in fact, later efforts boasted the production and musical contributions of Steve Cropper -- but all were hamstrung by Graham's underhanded distribution deals with Columbia and Atlantic. Though the debut's single "You've Got Me Humming" crawled up to number 52 on the American charts, Cold Blood seemed doomed to labor in the shadow of bands like Tower of Power, Chicago, and especially Janis Joplin. The latter comparison became endemic among critics; for although blues belter joined Field's band as its youngest member -- she had formerly been, of all things, a childhood national rollerskating champion -- her magnetic stage presence established her as the band's central force. Eventually, the band billed itself as Lydia Pense With Cold Blood, and even released an album simply titled Lydia. Joplin sensed a kindred soul; after screaming at Cold Blood for scooping her on a blistering cover of "Piece of My Heart," she warmed to Pense enough to give her a swig of Southern Comfort. After hitting increasingly lower tier venues in San Francisco by the late '70s, Cold Blood disbanded for most of the next decade; Pense focused her energies on child rearing. By the late '80s, the band slowly awoke from its long sleep, and they began regular features on California's festival and fair circuit. A 1998 return to their Fillmore stomping ground brought out the band's faithful. © Paul Collins © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/cold-blood-p16571/biography

ABOUT LYDIA PENSE (WIKIPEDIA)

Lydia Pense (born Lydia Jane Pense in San Francisco, California on December 14, 1947) is an American rock-soul-jazz singer who since 1969 has performed with the band Cold Blood. Her style has been compared to powerful singers including Janis Joplin (who recommended the band to Bill Graham for their first audition), Aretha Franklin and Teena Marie. Pense's mother, the former is Miss Ramos, was born in Madrid, Spain, while her father came from Nebraska, United States. While attending Sequoia High School in Redwood City, California at the age of 16, Pense started singing with a band called The Dimensions, With Guitarist Paul C Saenz. They initially played Big Band songs, but she soon was attracted to the music of Ray Charles and Chuck Berry. Lydia joined Cold Blood in 1968. Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain their best known work. The band continues to record and perform today. The band separated in the late 1970s and Pense suspended her career in the 1980s to raise her daughter before re-forming the group.

COLD BLOOD BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Cold Blood is a long-standing soul-rock-jazz band founded by Larry Field in 1968 and originally based in the San Francisco East Bay area. They have also gone by the name "Lydia Pense and Cold Blood" due to the popularity of their lead singer, Lydia Pense. The band first came to prominence in 1969 when rock impresario Bill Graham signed them after an audition and they played the Fillmore West in San Francisco. Pense has been compared to Janis Joplin, and it was Joplin who recommended the audition to Graham. The band has often been compared to another long-standing popular Northern California group, Tower of Power, and like Tower of Power they were rare in that they featured a horn section in addition to guitar, bass and drums. The Tower of Power horn players have performed with Cold Blood on a regular basis since the early 1970s. Skip Mesquite and Mic Gillette have been members of both Tower Of Power and Cold Blood. Their fan base also overlaps with the Sons of Champlin, although their musical styles are quite different. Their initial four albums, Cold Blood, Sisyphus, First Taste of Sin (produced by Donny Hathaway), and Thriller remain their best known work. The band disbanded in the late 1970s, reformed in the 1980s and stabilized with its current membership in the 1990s. Cold Blood continues to record and perform today, and some former band members such as Raul Matute (and some from Tower of Power) appear on its most recent album. Original band members were founder Larry Field (lead guitar), Lydia Pense (vocals), Danny Hull (tenor saxophone and songwriter), Larry Jonutz (trumpet), Raul Matute (Hammond organ, piano, arranger and songwriter), Jerry Jonutz (Baritone, alto and tenor saxophone), David Padron (trumpet), Rod Ellicott (bass), Paul C Saenz (Guitar), and Frank Davis, who was replaced on drums by the legendary Sandy McKee during the Sisyphus sessions. Narada Michael Walden and Jonathan "Sugarfoot" Moffett both mention McKee on their short list of drummers most influential in their stylistic development. Over the years there have been various incarnations of the band including singer/trumpet player Max Haskett, Tower Of Power horn player Mic Gillette, Journey keyboardist Stevie "Keys" Roseman on Hammond B-3 organ, Sons Of Champlin drummer Jim Preston, guitar player Michael Sasaki, Tower Of Power guitarist Jeff Tamelier, Boz Scaggs horn player Tom Poole, Elvin Bishop sax player Bill Slais, bass player Michael White & others. Current personnel are Lydia Pense (vocals), Steve Salinas (keyboards), Steve Dunne (guitar), Mike Morgan (percussion), Evan Palmerston (bass), Rich Armstrong (trumpet, percussion), Rob Zuckerman (alto, tenor, baritone saxes) and Donny Baldwin (drums). Cold Blood is featured playing live in Fillmore, a documentary of the last concerts at The Fillmore auditorium.

Power Job

2012-05-24T17:49:00.001+02:00

Power Job - Power Job - 2001 - Zizo

For many years now, Japan has produced some great cutting edge fusion groups. Power Job is a heavy fusion power ‘duo’ featuring Toshimi Nagai, on fretless bass, and Kazu Michishita on guitars. Noriaki Kumagai of Casiopea, and TRIX is a guest drummer on the album, and guest guitarist Takashi Mazuzaki plays on Tracks 6,7,& 10. Well written, all original material, reminiscent of bands like Prism and Fragile, but even more aggressive. These guys smoke! More info on this band would be appreciated. HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and see the TRIX' "Live in Tokyo" DVD. Mindblowing stuff! [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 151 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Power Job - T.Nagai 5:26
2. Trap (Includes a quotation written by Tiger Okoshi) - K.Michishita 5:55
3. Bumpin'- K.Michishita 5:22
4. Spice Love - T.Nagai 7:33
5. Just One Of Them - K.Michishita 7:04
6. Sit Inn - K.Michishita 5:01
7. Cloudia - T.Nagai 7:10
8. Earthquake - T.Nagai 6:09
9. Horizon - K.Michishita 6:29
10. Summer Night - K.Michishita 8:09

MUSICIANS

Kazu Michishita - Electric & Acoustic Guitars
Takashi Mazuzaki - Electric Guitar
Toshimi Nagai - Fretless Bass, Sound Effects
Noriaki Kumagai - Drums (except on "Cloudia")

Blues Saraceno

2012-05-24T17:39:00.001+02:00

Blues Saraceno - Never Look Back - 1989 - Guitar Recordings

This unknown teenage guitarist was given an unprecedented opportunity to display his talent when Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine released Never Look Back on their new label Guitar Recordings. The editors certainly heard something that they liked, banking on Blues Saraceno to capture the attention of their large readership: rock musicians eager to compare their chops with the hottest young guitarists going. With his pure tone and precise technique, the flashy shredder emphasized smart phrasing and rhythm and avoided overplaying -- an indulgence many young guitar hopefuls could not stop themselves from partaking in. Highlight cuts include the upbeat boogie number "Full Tank," the fine echo management of "Before the Storm," and the most melodic of his Satriani-like tracks, "Frazin'." A much more mature player than his post-Vai and -Satriani competitors, Saraceno lacked the elder guitarist's melodic vision and personality. But considering Saraceno's age and experience, Never Look Back is an impressive debut. © Vincent Jeffries © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/never-look-back-r17377

When this album was released, the great guitar virtuoso Blues Saraceno was only 16 but he was already playing like a veteran axeman. He had already done a lot of session work including some pretty mundane stuff for some AOR artists, but on "Never Look Back" he was free to express his natural flair for playing great hard rock, jazz, and funk. He is backed by bassist Randy Coven (Steve Vai), and drummer Joe Franco (Vinnie Moore). There are 10 smoking hard rock instrumentals on this disc showcasing Blues' command of the fretboard. Blue's music is in the same mould as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Santana, and Yngwie Malksteenwould, and many would say that Blues Saraceno is a better guitarist than any of these guys! Pity this debut album is so short. (More like an EP). Buy Blues' great "Hairpick" album and promote great hard rock music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 77.8 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Remember When 2:29
2. Never Look Back 3:00
3. Full Tank 2:48
4. Jay Walkin' 3:09
5. Deliverance 2:41
6. The Shakes 3:36
7. Before the Storm 4:35
8. Funk 49 3:34
9. Jitter Blast 1:31
10. Frazin' 3:14

All tracks composed by Blues Saraceno, except "Funk 49" by Dale Peters, Jim Fox, & Joe Walsh

MUSICIANS

Blues Saraceno – Guitar
Randy Coven – Bass
Joe Franco – Drums

BIO (WIKI)

Blues Saraceno (born October 17, 1971 in Hartford, Connecticut) is an American rock guitarist, composer, and music producer who currently resides in Los Angeles California. Saraceno was discovered by Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine, at the age of 16, which assisted him in releasing instrumental recordings on an independent basis. Saraceno's high profile as a gifted guitar virtuoso and musician opened the doors to an early career as a first call guitar sideman and session musician. Saraceno is most often recognized from his time playing with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker (Cream) as well as his brief tenure with the band Poison. Saraceno's early success in the music industry would eventually blossom into a career in producing and composing for television and film. Blues Saraceno was born to musician parents, which exposed him from an early age to several musical instruments. He started to play guitar at the age of nine. When he was thirteen, he broke his elbow when he fell from a go-kart and asked the doctor to position the cast in a way that allowed him to remove it from his sling to practice guitar during his recovery. When he was nineteen, Saraceno moved to Los Angeles to seek a career in music. When Saraceno was still a teenager, his then manager sent a demo tape to singer Michael Bolton, who decided to enlist him to play on a song for Cher's album, Heart of Stone. The album also featured musicians like Peter Cetera, Bonnie Tyler, Desmond Child, and others. After this, his demo tape reached the Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazine. The magazine, which were about to launch a new record label, offered Saraceno a record deal. Saraceno released his first album titled Never Look Back in 1989. After this, Saraceno won an audition with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker, former members of Cream, and started touring with them. After two successful US tours Saraceno was quickly becoming referred to as the "kid that replaced Eric Clapton". After another year of overseas touring, Baker departed and was replaced by Simon Phillips (Who, Toto) and eventually Gary Husband (Level 42). Saraceno continued to release two other solo albums (Plaid and Hairpick) as well as furthering his reputation as a top call session guitarist and landing many high profile equipment endorsements. In 1994, Saraceno joined the band Poison as lead guitarist and songwriter after Richie Kotzen was fired. After a South American tour which included the famous Hollywood rock festival in Brazil, Saraceno recorded the album Crack a Smile with the band. However, Capitol Records decided to shelve the album releasing the 1996 compilation album, Poison's Greatest Hits: 1986-1996, instead. Still, the album featured two of the new songs recorded with Saraceno. After some time, Saraceno left the group amicably and was replaced by the band's original guitarist, C.C. DeVille. In 2000, Capitol finally decided to release the Crack a Smile album under the name Crack a Smile... and More!. The album features fifteen tracks recorded by Saraceno. After his departure from Poison, Saraceno met Vice-President of Advertising of Fox Television, who was a fan of Saraceno's earlier instrumental work. This resulted in Saraceno working on soundtracks and songs for several television shows and films. In 2000, Saraceno also founded the band Transmission OK. Saraceno also worked as record producer for the band, which was signed to Beyond Records, and was distributed by BMG. After a brief US tour, and lackluster support from the label, the group disbanded and Saraceno continued to work on television and film, as well as his session work. Saraceno's session work has ranged from Ziggy Marley (Dragonfly) to Melissa Etheridge (Lucky) and he has earned a reputation for being a "go-to guy" for many of Los Angeles' top record producers and engineers. Saraceno has also produced for artists such as, Scott Caan (Hawaii Five-0, Oceans 11), Eric Balfour (24, Chainsaw Massacre) of Fredalba, Lindsay Price (Beverly Hills 90210, Lipstick Jungle) and Anthony Michael Hall (Dead Zone). Saraceno's greatest success has come in the field of television and film. Blues' television work credits include CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, Disney, Discovery, UPN, MTV, MTV 2, VH1, USA, TLC, Comedy Central, Telemundo, SCI FI, SPIKE, E! and BRAVO. A more detailed list can be found on his website (www.bluessaraceno.com). He has commented on how it is not uncommon to have multiple commercials running in multiple countries throughout the world, all at the same time and using the same piece of music. Saraceno did three tracks for Megas XLR. These tracks were Blood Shot, Berzerker and Ro-Sham-Bo.

David Grissom

2012-05-24T00:53:00.001+02:00

David Grissom - 10,000 Feet - 2009 - Wide Lode Records

David Grissom is one of Texas' premier Rock, Blues, and Americana guitarists who has toured and recorded with artists such as Storyville, John Mellencamp, Joe Ely, , The Allman Brothers Band, Dixie Chicks, James McMurtry, Webb Wilder, Chris Isaak, Robben Ford, Ringo Starr, Buddy Guy, John Mayall, and many others. David moved to Austin in 1983 and quickly became a stalwart on the vibrant local scene playing with both Lucinda Williams and Lou Ann Barton. He joined Texas legend Joe Ely’s band in 1985 and toured and recorded nonstop until 1991 when he joined John Mellencamp’s band. David made 3 records with John and toured extensively from 1991 through 1993. After, Mellencamp, David went back to Texas to form Storyville, the band that included the Double Trouble rhythm section and powerhouse vocalist Malford Milligan. He recently played on Buddy Guy’s 2011 Grammy Award winning Living Proof CD. He is the author of the book “A Guide To Blues/Rock Guitar Soloing.” In 2007 Paul Reed Smith introduced the DGT, David’s signature model guitar that represents the culmination of a 25 year relationship working with Paul on the design and improvements of their guitars from a touring/session player’s perspective. He is also currently working with Doug Sewell and PRS to help develop their new line of amps. His first solo CD entitled “Loud Music” was independently released on the Wide Lode label in July 2007. His second Cd, “10,000 Feet” was released in March of 2009. “Way Down Deep” is David’s third solo release. Backed by the powerhouse rhythm section of J.J. Johnson (John Mayer, Derek Trucks) and Chris Maresh (Eric Johnson, Bonnie Raitt), this effort finds Grissom digging deeper into the Austin Blues/Rock vein he is well known for. Equally divided between vocal and instrumental tunes, Way Down Deep features blistering guitar work and lyrics reflecting an artist embracing change and growth. © 2012 David Grissom. All Rights Reserved © http://davidgrissom.com/

David Grissom has said that "I can remember being 9 or 10 years old and hearing that guitar lick in the Beatles song “Got to Get You into My Life.” Something magic clicked in my head that drew me to the guitar. Then I heard more Beatles stuff, Stones, and Hendrix. Later, I really got into the Allman Brothers, B.B. King, Magic Sam, [Paul] Butterfield Blues Band. When I was 15, a guitar teacher who was a jazz guy, turned me on to Wes Montgomery. Louisville was kind of a pass-through point for the jazz musicians working the chitlin’ circuit. Also, Jimmy Raney lived in Louisville. I actually took a lesson from him once—he gave me a lot of confidence. Growing up in Louisville, we had a big bluegrass festival every summer, and I got to hear Doc Watson and Norman Blake. I can’t point to anything that I play and say, “I learned that from Norman Blake,” but there were things like the way he does doublestops and rolls, and the way he phrases that sounded musical to me. Touring with the Dixie Chicks in 2003, right after they had done their bluegrass record, I had the chance to work with some guys that were for-real bluegrass players, and I learned so much from them. I just combined all of those things into a blend that appealed to me." I (A.O.O.F.C) am not a great fan of "Country" music, but neither am I enthusiastic about defining musical genres. Even if this album is slightly 'over produced' and some of the music borders on the AOR commercial side, David is able to blend some amazing instrumentals and vocal selections into a great blend of rock, blues, and Texas country with great tones, and great playing. His guitar and songwriting skills are Grade A, and this album from the Louisville-born, Austin-based picker is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Sometimes "Country" music gets unfairly slagged off, but listen to John Fogerty's "Centrefield" and "Deja Vu (All Over Again)" albums, or any of James McMurtry's albums and you may have a different opinion on just how diverse this music genre can be. I have also stated before on this blog that no music is exempt from being posted as long as it has musical merit. Check out David's "Loud Music" album, and Storyville's brilliant "Piece Of Your Soul" album [Tracks @ 224-320 Kbps: File size = 82.5 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Keep A Rollin' On - David Grissom 4:45
2. 10,000 Feet - David Grissom 4:47
3. Sqwawk - David Grissom 5:37
4. Ain't No Game At All - David Grissom, Ryan Beaver 4:02
5. Take Me Back To Texas - David Grissom, Ryan Beaver 4:12
6. Butterbean Friday - David Grissom 5:35
7. Jet Trails In The Sky - David Grissom, Chad Hudson, Helen Darling 3:24
8. Gone And Lonesome - David Grissom 5:03
9. Dover Soul - David Grissom 4:13
10. Ain't No Other Way 4:52
11. True Love Don't Work That Way - David Grissom, Stephen Bruton 4:12
12. Good Day For The Blues - David Grissom 4:59

MUSICIANS

David Grissom - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Scott Nelson - Bass
Michael Ramos - Keyboards
Kenny Aronoff, Chris Layton - Drums
Warren Hood - Fiddle
Carolyn Wonderland - Background Vocals

BIO (WIKI)

David Grissom (fl. since 1978) is an American session guitarist who has played and toured with several of America's leading bands and recording artists. David Grissom, currently of Austin, Texas, is a guitarist known for his early work with Joe Ely, for whom he was the main guitarist between 1985-1991. While still recording with Ely, Grissom went on to join the John Mellencamp Band. Following Mellencamp, he went on to form the critically acclaimed Storyville with Malford Milligan (vocals), David Holt (guitar), and Double Trouble together with Tommy Shannon (bass) and Chris Layton (drums). David Grissom has since toured with the Allman Brothers and the Dixie Chicks. On May 19, 2007, at a free concert titled "The Road To Austin", Bobby Whitlock performed his electric version of the definitive rock music love songs, Layla and Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad with dueling guitars courtesy of David Grissom and Eric Johnson. Grissom released his first solo album, Loud Music, in 2007. He has also recorded sessions, played and toured with a number of other American recording artists, including Buddy Guy, Chris Isaak, Sarah Hickman and Bob Dylan. David Grissom recently recorded with Owen Temple on his latest album, Two Thousand Miles, produced by Lloyd Maines. 2009 saw Grissom release his second solo album "10,000 Feet" featuring 11 new songs plus an acoustic version of "Good Day For The Blues" original recorded with Storyville

Juicy Lucy

2012-05-23T13:36:00.003+02:00

Juicy Lucy - Pretty Woman - 1998 - Delta Music Ltd. (Germany)

Good compilation album which contains 14 of JL's old standards from the 1969-1971 period when the band dealt primarily in blues rock. If you are a Juicy Lucy fan you will probably have all these tracks in your collection. "Pretty Woman" has been released under various other names on a myriad of labels. However SQ on this German release is slightly better than many other JL compilations doing the rounds and is a fine example of great early '70's British blues rock. Check this blog for other JL releases [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 135 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Who Do You Love - McDaniels 3:00
2 Midnight Rider - Allman 3:13
3 Pretty Woman - Williams 3:13
4 Willie The Pimp - Zappa: Lie Back And Enjoy It - Williams 7:06
5 Just One Time - Hubbard, Campbell 4:37
6 I'm A Thief - Campbell, Williams, Moody 3:45
7 Built For Comfort - Dixon 5:59
8 Chicago North Western - Hubbard, Campbell 4:03
9 Hello L.A. By Bye Birmingham - Davis, Bramlett 4:10
10 Thinking Of My Life - Williams 4:27
11 Whisky In My Jar - Moody, Ellis, Williams 3:59
12 Mr Skin - California, Spirit 3:44
13 Sunday Morning - Williams, James 3:50
14 Walking Down The Highway - Owen, Campbell, Mercer 4:45

MUSICIANS

Neil Hubbard - Guitar
Glenn Ross Campbell - Steel Guitar
Keith Ellis - Bass
Pete Dobson - Drums
Chris Mercer - Saxophone
Ray Owen - Vocals

BIO

Saucy blues-rockers Juicy Lucy formed in 1969 from the ashes of cult-favorite garage band the Misunderstood, reuniting vocalist Ray Owen, steel guitarist Glenn "Ross" Campbell, and keyboardist Chris Mercer; with the additions of guitarist Neil Hubbard, bassist Keith Ellis, and drummer Pete Dobson, the group immediately notched a U.K. Top 20 hit with their reading of the Bo Diddley perennial "Who Do You Love," with their self-titled debut LP falling just shy of the Top 40. Ex-Zoot Money singer Paul Williams, guitarist Mick Moody, and drummer Rod Coombes replaced Owen (who exited for a solo career), Hubbard, and Dobson for 1970's Lie Back and Enjoy It, with bassist Jim Leverton assuming Ellis' duties for the follow-up, 1971's Get a Whiff a This. The constant turnover clearly took its toll on the group both creatively and commercially, with co-founders Campbell and Mercer both exiting prior to the fourth Juicy Lucy album, 1972's Pieces, which was recorded by a makeshift lineup of Williams, Moody, keyboardist Jean Roussel, and the former Blodwyn Pig rhythm section of bassist Andy Pyle and drummer Ron Berg. Juicy Lucy finally disbanded shortly thereafter. Ray Owen revived the name in 1995 for the album Here She Comes Again which found Mike Jarvis (guitar), Andy Doughty (bass), and Spencer Blackledge (drums) rounding out the band. A couple of years later, this version of the band broke up, but Owen wanted to keep on going, especially when he formed a musical partnership with a guitarist known as Mr. Fish. Legal problems kept the new band from using the Juicy Lucy name so they gigged as Ray Owen's Moon. By 2004, bassist Fudge and drummer Fletch had joined the band and the legal issue was settled. The new Juicy Lucy spent 2006 working on a new album and touring the U.K. with Nazareth. © Jason Ankeny © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/juicy-lucy-p18591/biography

BIO (WIKI)

Juicy Lucy is a blues-rock band formed on April 1, 1969. After the demise of The Misunderstood, vocalist Ray Owen, steel guitarist Glenn Ross Campbell, and saxophone player Chris Mercer formed Juicy Lucy. The group later recruited guitarist Neil Hubbard, bassist Keith Ellis, and drummer Pete Dobson. The band immediately notched a UK Top 20 hit with their cover version of the Bo Diddley perennial "Who Do You Love?" Their self-titled debut album then fell just shy of the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart. The album's cover featured a burlesque dancer named Zelda Plum, naked except for a covering of fruit. Line-up changes were quickly afoot as ex-Zoot Money singer Paul Williams, guitarist Micky Moody, and drummer Rod Coombes replaced Owen (who exited for a solo career), Hubbard, and Dobson for 1970's Lie Back and Enjoy It (#53 -(#53 - UK Albums Chart ). In May 1970, the band appeared at the annual NME poll-winners concert. Another bassist, Jim Leverton, assumed Ellis' duties for the follow-up, 1971's Get a Whiff a This. In August 1971, Juicy Lucy appeared on the bill at the Weeley Festival near Clacton-on-Sea, Essex. The constant turnover clearly took its toll on the group both creatively and commercially, with co-founders Campbell and Mercer, plus Coombes exiting prior to the fourth Juicy Lucy album, 1972's Pieces. This was recorded by a makeshift line-up of Williams, Moody, keyboardist Jean Roussel, and the former Blodwyn Pig rhythm section of bassist Andy Pyle and drummer Ron Berg. Juicy Lucy disbanded shortly thereafter. Micky Moody (born 30 August 1950, in Middlesbrough), later joined the inaugural Whitesnake line-up in 1978. Before then he was a member of another rock outfit Snafu between 1973 and 1976. Moody also released the bluesy solo album I Eat Them For Breakfast in 2001. Plus, Juicy Lucy's version of the song "Who Do You Love?" was featured in Shellshock: Nam '67. Founder member Ray Owen revived the name in 1995 for the album Here She Comes Again which found Mike Jarvis (guitar), Andy Doughty (bass), and Spencer Blackledge (drums) rounding out the band. A couple of years later this version of the band broke up but Owen wanted to keep on going, especially when he formed a musical partnership with a guitarist known as Mr. Fish. Legal problems kept the new band from using the Juicy Lucy name, so they gigged as Ray Owen's Moon (Moon being the title of Ray Owen's 1971 solo album). By 2004 bassist Fudge and drummer Fletch had joined the band and the legal issue was settled. The new Juicy Lucy spent 2006 working on a new album (subsequently titled Do That And You'll Lose It), and touring the UK with fellow rock veterans Nazareth. They played the Cambridge Rock Festival in 2007. The link with the past though is not forgotten, and the modern day Juicy Lucy still plays "Mississippi Woman", "Who Do You Love?" and more from their first album. In 2009 a new line up formed as, due to health problems, Owen was unable to continue on a regular basis. The band is now fronted by singer/ guitarist Mr Fish, Fletch (drums) and James (bass), and is still touring the UK. Owen now performs occasionally as Ray Owen's Juicy Lucy, accompanied by Mike Jarvis and Spencer Blackledge from the 1990s incarnation of the band. The band name is inspired by the character in The Virgin Soldiers (1966) by Leslie Thomas

Stanton Moore

2012-05-22T01:59:00.001+02:00

Stanton Moore - Groove Alchemy - 2010 - Telarc

Hooray for truth in advertising: It's no accident that this solo CD from Galactic drummer Stanton Moore has the word “groove” in its title, because grooving is what this disc is all about. Recorded simply with a trio consisting only of Moore, guitarist Will Bernard, and standout Robert Walter on Hammond B3 organ (presumably playing the bass parts with his feet), this music is sparse, simple and smart. Most tracks set up a nice cooking groove over which Bernard and Walter can improvise as Moore keeps things sharp and steady. Individual songs don't seem to matter much; it's the collective experience that impresses here, along with the smart composition (mostly by Moore and his band members) and of course, the grooving sounds. Also, this is some of the best engineering I've heard recently of instrumental music. Bass response is surprisingly tasty considering it's coming from an organ. Moore's drums drive the tunes with great clarity. If you dig old-time R&B-based groove-driven music from the likes of Booker T & the MGs, drive up to this and stay a while. by & © Howard Whitman on May 12, 2010 © http://www.technologytell.com/blog/2878/solo-cd-galactic-drummer-stanton-moore-groove-alchemy/

Stanton Moore serves up a swinging, funky sound that permeates the new CD, Groove Alchemy. Inspired by his New Orleans roots in the music of Professor Longhair, The Meters and Dr. John, the trio tears through a variety of concise and vibrant tracks. From the downbeat drum intro of the first number, Squash Blossom, the listener is taken for a rhythmic journey that acts as a reminder that music can be entertaining and fun. The interplay of the B3 and electric guitar provide a consistent, melodic landscape, fueled by Moore’s superb drumming. Whether the band is hammering the syncopated feel of Pie-Eyed Manic, or the uptempo, jazzy nuance of Knocker, the tremendous precision manages to elevate the sound beyond the narrowness of genre. Not relying entirely on funk grooves, there are blues numbers, Root Cellar ( a swinging fusion piece replete with a rare extended guitar solo ), and Up To Here, with a straight ahead organ lead. Of course there is a traditional Dixieland arrangement, Keep On Gwine, which features Robert Waller on the piano. Upbeat rockers like Pot Licker and Cleanse This House are energetic and create a harder edge. The group finishes with two slower undistinguished tunes: Aletta, the George Jones ode to romantic melancholy, and He Stopped Loving Her Today. The concise arrangements emphasize the symmetry and harmonics of the players. Instead of elongated solos, each musician is able to interpret the melody lines in a seamless interplay with each other. Clocking in at a mere 54 minutes, the 12 tracks have a lively pace. (Note: There is a companion instructional DVD for drums) © Robbie Gerson [Stanton Moore – Groove Alchemy – Telarc Records TEL-31890-02, 54:12 ***½] © Audiophile Audition All rights Reserved http://audaud.com/2010/05/stanton-moore-%E2%80%93-groove-alchemy-%E2%80%93-telarc-records/

Those expecting anything revolutionary or particularly new from Stanton Moore's trio with guitarist Will Bernard and Robert Walter on B-3 on Groove Alchemy will either be wonderfully relieved or woefully disappointed -- there isn’t. The CD is aural evidence of the trio doing what it does best: being funky and playing in a relaxed, open style that keeps the grooves tight and the musicianship at a maximum. And it's enough.Check out the guitar and organ solos in “Squash Bottom,” the first of these dozen tracks. The popping vamps create the vibe and give way naturally -- thanks to Moore’s deadly breaks -- to Bernard’s multi-string chord solo and the percussive organ flow Walter is so famous for. Things get downright Meters-esque on “Pie-Eyed Manic,” with stuttering breaks and two sets of riffs answering one another after four bars apiece. And on it goes, though “Pot Licker” is the funkiest Walter has ever sounded on the B-3. Bernard pushes his chords and leads right through the melody to let the left-hand organ bassline stick out front. Moore just rolls through and develops his grooves as he plays. There is a cover of James Booker's “Keep on Gwine” on which Walter plays piano. Though he does so beautifully, it’s more about Moore’s ability to let his Crescent City, second-line swing develop and carry the tune. There’s a longish cover of “Neeps and Tatties” that becomes an outright rhythm brawl between Walter and Moore, as Bernard just eases into the flow and lets the knottier side of his guitar style get into the fray -- all without letting the groove lilt. The real curve ball on this set is in its final track, a cover of the George Jones’ country vehicle “He Stopped Loving Her Today.” Bernard leads the way with his guitar on the melody, and Moore plays doubles on the front side rather than the backbeat. It’s still a ballad, but one that carries a distinctly New Orleans feel as it swells toward the end. Groove Alchemy is simply a good-time funky record, full of great beats, killer guitar, and nasty organ by a trio that knows how not to mess up a good thing. © Thom Jurek © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/groove-alchemy-r1739065/review

This album is also available on Hudson music with an instructional book and DVD of the same name. Drummer Stanton Moore along with guitarist Will Bernard, and keyboardist Robert Walter explore the roots of funk rhythms in drumming by examining the work of pioneers like Jabo Starks, Clyde Stubblefield, and Zigaboo Modeliste who were part of James Brown’s and the Meters’ great rhythm sections during the 1960s and based their styles on early 20th century New Orleans rhythms. Stanton has said that "A lot of the drummers that we consider to be the greatest groove players-Earl Palmer, Zigaboo Modeliste, John Bonham, Steve Jordan, John Jabo Starks- grew up hearing jazz and music that swung. They were all raised on Big Band jazz, bebop, blues, rhythm and blues, early rock''n''roll-all music based on swing. To be able to really groove, I think it''s important to be able to swing. With swing, it''s not enough to just play the notes. You have to make the notes feel good and groove. If you’re just a listener and a music fan, you can pick up the record and totally dig it for the music itself,” says Moore. “There’s nothing about that experience that has to be instructional. But if you’re a drummer, and you want to understand how I came up with these beats and understand the history of the music as I know it, in the hopes that you might deepen your knowledge and come up with new grooves as a result, then you can check out the book and the DVD.”Stanton has also said that "I don’t really put a lot of weight on genres at all. I love all types of music. I might listen to some jazz when I fall asleep and then wake up, start cooking something, and be in the mood for Black Sabbath [laughs], Desmond Dekker or John Coltrane. There are only two genres of music to me; good music and bad music. I really just don’t worry about it too much. I like to pick tunes for the record that are going to demonstrate certain vibes and different aspects of my drumming. I like to play different things stylistically, but I don’t get really hung up on it because I love all different kinds of music as long as it’s GOOD". "Groove Alchemy" is a brilliant rhythmic jazz funk recording that blends jazz, funk, R&B, pop, and hard rock. The music is steeped in New Orleans' influences and a lot more. There is plenty of experimentation and exploration on this album, but it always holds your attention, and improves with repeated listening. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Stanton's brilliant "III" album. Stanton Moore Trio's "Emphasis! On Parenthesis" album is @ STMO30/EMPOPAR [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 138 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Squash Blossom - Robert Walter 4:32
2. Pie-Eyed Manc - Stanton Moore & Robert Walter4:49
3. Pot Licker - Robert Walter 4:35
4. Root Cellar - Will Bernard 4:47
5. Keep on Gwine - Melvin Lastie 5:23
6. Neeps and Tatties - Will Bernard 6:18
7. Up to Here - Robert Walter 3:57
8. Knocker - Robert Walter 5:10
9. Shiftless - Robert Walter 5:12
10. Cleanse This House - Robert Walter 4:13
11. Aletta - Stanton Moore & Erkan Gursal 2:10
12. He Stopped Loving Her Today - Robert Valentine Braddock & Claude Jr. Putnam 3:09

MUSICIANS

Will Bernard - Guitar
Robert Walter - Hammond B3 Organ, Piano
Stanton Moore - Drums

BIO

A New Orleans musician in every sense of the word, drummer Stanton Moore's main gig is with his enormously popular funk band Galactic but he also plays with a wide variety of other musicians in both club and studio settings. Growing up in New Orleans, Moore was attracted to the thriving music scene, where he absorbed the work of Professor Longhair, Meters drummer Zigaboo Modeliste, and his mentor, Johnny Vidacovich. After meeting founding Galactic members Robert Mercurio and Rich Vogel in the early '90s, Moore played in a series of early versions of the group, including Galactic Prophylactic and the Ivanhoes (in which the band learned a good portion of the catalog of the legendary Meters, New Orleans' founding funk band). In 1994, producer Dan Prothero featured the band's song "Black Eyed Pea" on his Is That Jazz compilation. The band soon recorded Coolin' Off (1996) for Fog City Records, joined in the studio (and, eventually, on the road) by vocalist Theryl Declouet. Through constant touring, Moore met and collaborated with many established funk and jazz musicians, including Medeski, Martin & Wood keyboardist John Medeski, Karl Denson, and even the Meters' bassist George Porter, Jr. Two musicians that Moore hit it off with in particular were eight-string guitarist and T.J. Kirk founder Charlie Hunter and saxophonist Skerik. With this core, the band played a handful of live dates and, in the weeks after Mardi Gras 1998, cut what would become Moore's first solo disc, All Kooked Out! The disc also featured a handful of New Orleans horn players, including Brent Rose, Brian Seeger, Matt Perrine, Ben Ellman, and former Sun Ra trumpet player Michael Ray. Following the recording of Crazyhorse Mongoose with Galactic, crammed in between Galactic tours, Moore traveled with Hunter and Skerik, playing incendiary live shows throughout the West. Many of Moore's songs are included in Galactic's set list. He has often played around New Orleans with a revolving cast of musicians, billed as Moore and More. He has also been a member of the New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars. He has released a handful of solo albums, following 1998's previously mentioned All Kooked Out! with Flyin' the Koop in 2001, III in 2006, and Emphasis! On Parenthesis in 2008. Moore has continued to remain active as a member of Galactic, which released their groundbreaking Ya-Ka-May on Anti in February of 2010, and as a solo artist. In April of that year he released Groove Alchemy on the Telarc Jazz imprint. © Jesse Jarnow © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/stanton-moore-p294573/biography

T.J. Kirk

2012-05-19T20:46:00.001+02:00

T.J. Kirk - T.J. Kirk - 1995 - Warner Bros

Return with us now to an earlier, seemingly more innocent time, when the San Francisco Bay Area was awash with youthful energy and promise, when the S.F. neighborhood known as SoMa was buzzing to a new sound, and a generation found its voice. When nightclubs such as the Paradise Lounge, the Up and Down Club, and Club Eleven teemed with young, affluent and partially educated cognoscenti, sprinkled with celebrities such as Christie Turlington, Rob Schneider and Charles Barkley. It is, of course, naive to imagine that we could see this earlier era through rose-colored glasses, knowing too well how all this energy and promise came to such disappointment and ruin. The money ran out, the clubs folded, and the record companies moved on to some bright new oasis of cool. Today SoMa is a desolate and bitter landscape with too many places to park. Musicians who once played piper at the gates of the dot com dawn now hold down lonely straight jobs with no benefits. The names of such endeavors such as Alphabet Soup, the Charlie Hunter Trio and Jazz On the Line now belong to history, architects of a musical gumbo as bold as the City's famous Nouvelle Cuisine. Musicians fled from all parts of the country to be a part of this vibrant and distinctive sound. Record contracts were being signed as fast as they could be printed, and among the brightest jewels in this crown was a little collaboration between friends, known as James T. Kirk. Oops, I mean T.J. KIRK. During their short lived life, T. J. Kirk, nursing the engorged breast of Warner Bros. and in collaboration with legendary producer Lee Townsend, made two highly regarded CDs that today fetch a tidy sum on eBay. The second of these two, 1995's "If Four Was One", was nominated for a Grammy. In addition, recordings of their incendiary live shows became widely circulated in collector's circles and over the internet. This live performance CD from 1997 represents the band's attempt to get a piece of the action. That attempt, although not unmotivated by greed, is a belated acknowledgement on the part of the band as to the actual worth of their whimsical endeavor. T.J. Kirk was always a combustible mix of strong egos and musicians. Will Bernard and Charlie Hunter, the oldest and youngest members in the group, had both grown up in Berkeley and gone to the city's sole public high school, with its justly celebrated music program. Scott Amendola hailed from Tenafly, New Jersey, and brought to the band discipline and professionalism. John Schott, who a staff publicist at Warner Bros. once mystifyingly dubbed the "mad blues scientist" of the group, was an amateur musicologist from Seattle who, amazingly, had never played guitar until a week before the band's first rehearsal. Or so went the rumours. From the beginning it was often difficult to establish where the hype left off and the myth began. The T. J. Kirk experience brought together the music of patriarchs "Thelonious Monk, "James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland "Kirk," spiced with Little Richard, Prince, and Bob Wills, in a sensuous and heady brew of guitars, grooves, and historical anxiety. With a dizzying predilection for cutting across a wide range of stylistic genres and leavening the results with a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, T. J. Kirk put on a musical variety show that was not to be missed. "It's like putting your head in a blender," commented John Schott, unhelpfully. © 2011 ScottAmendola.com © http://www.scottamendola.com/bands/tjkirk.html

T.J. Kirk is a guitars/bass/drums quartet whose name reflects a bizarre and wonderful repertoire: they are devoted to the interpretation of works by Thelonious Monk ("T."), James Brown ("J.") and Rahsaan Roland Kirk ("Kirk"). Like Paul Motian's Electric Bebop Band, these four have a solid grounding in both jazz and rock; unlike the Motian band, these guys all wear fezzes and are capable of making a funkily cogent medley of Monk's "In Walked Bud" and Brown's "I Got to Move." And while Motian's group focuses primarily on solos, T.J. Kirk is all about settings; it's the reggae version of Kirk's "Volunteered Slavery" (complete with dubwise detour) and the band's almost grungy take on "Shuffle Boil" that will catch and hold your attention, whereas Will Bernard's and John Schott's solos are mostly workmanlike and not terribly remarkable. Elsewhere, the band gives up the funk without downplaying the harmonic complexity of such classics as "Epistrophy" and "Serenade to a Cuckoo." Plainly put, this is a great album, perfect for bringing along to parties or cranking up in the car. © Rick Anderson © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/tj-kirk-r223660

A unique jazz-funk "coverband" who re-invented the music of Thelonious Monk, James Brown and Rassan Roland Kirk in an unusual, clever, very innovative, and satisfying way. "The T. J. Kirk experience brought together the music of patriarchs "Thelonious Monk, "James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland "Kirk," spiced with Little Richard, Prince, and Bob Wills, in a sensuous and heady brew of guitars, grooves, and historical anxiety. With a dizzying predilection for cutting across a wide range of stylistic genres and leavening the results with a healthy dose of self-deprecating humor, T. J. Kirk put on a musical variety show that was not to be missed. "It's like putting your head in a blender," commented John Schott, unhelpfully. © 2011 ScottAmendola.com © http://www.scottamendola.com/bands/tjkirk.html". A great album by four of the best players in the business, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to the band's superb "If Four Was One" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 89.1 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Soul Power - Brown, Ellis 4:25
2 Teo - Monk 4:50
3 Bemsha Swing - Best, Monk 3:53
4 Shuffle Boil/You Can Have Watergate Just Gimme Some Bucks and I'll Be Straight - Brown, Monk 5:47
5 Volunteered Slavery - Kirk 5:43
6 Serenade to a Cuckoo - Kirk 4:55
7 Freaks for the Festival - Kirk 3:30
8 Cold Sweat/Rip, Rig & Panic - Brown, Ellis, Kirk 4:59
9 Humph - Monk 3:48
10 Epistrophy - Clarke, Monk 4:15
11 I Got to Move/In Walked Bud - Brown, Monk 5:12
12 Jackie-Ing - Monk 0:38

BAND

Will Bernard, John Schott - Guitar
Charlie Hunter - 8 String Guitar, Bass
Scott Amendola - Drums, Percussion

BIO

T.J. Kirk may not be remembered in the annals of jazz/fusion history, but the quartet's story is uniquely its own. Formed by eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter as a side group to his own self-titled and San Francisco-based band, T.J. Kirk was a cover act that took its name from the three artists making up its catalog: Thelonius Monk, James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Hunter's recording career had started in 1993, and he brought his group's drummer, Scott Amendola, into T.J. Kirk to join the more conventional six-string guitarists Will Bernard and John Schott. The band wanted to be called James T. Kirk, but settled for T.J. Kirk for their 1995 self-titled debut CD when they didn't get permission to use the original moniker from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's estate. The album gave Hunter license to play in styles even more funky than with his own ensemble, as the eight-string guitarist often played bass lines and guitar melodies (usually simultaneously) and even added keyboard-like textures on his customized Novax instrument. Combined with Amendola's muscular drumming, Hunter's versatility allowed Bernard and Schott the freedom to re-work their namesake trio's classics like "Soul Power," "Bemsha Swing," and "Serenade to a Cuckoo." The group's 1996 follow-up, If Four Was One, was even better. T.J. Kirk had a knack not only for mimicking Brown's soul epics ("Get on the Good Foot," "The Payback"), but also making danceable the jazz standards of Monk and Kirk ("Damn Right I'm Somebody," "Ruby, My Dear," "Four in One"). Yet Hunter, never one to stand pat, was making changes in his own band's career. When he covered reggae legend Bob Marley's time-honored Natty Dread album, instrumentally and in its entirety, in 1997, and in the process made one of his best CDs, T.J. Kirk was essentially finished except for the live bootleg recordings. The death of Hunter's saxophonist Calder Spanier in an auto accident later in the year -- and Hunter's decision to move from the Bay Area to New York in 1998 -- officially ended the reign of T.J. Kirk. But as anyone who's heard their releases knows, T.J. Kirk is the unofficial captain of jazz/fusion's all-time cover bands. Further evidence appeared in 2005 when the Rope-A-Dope label issued a 1997 concert by the band as Talking Only Makes It Worse. © Bill Meredith © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://allmusic.com/artist/tj-kirk-p165793/biography

Paul Rose

2012-05-19T20:39:00.001+02:00

Paul Rose - The Learning Curve - 2005 - Paul Rose

"Paul Rose is without doubt one of the most unique and talented guitarists in the world today and to his fans, 'The Best Guitarist in The World!'Never a performance goes by where audience members don't comment that Paul is the best guitarist they have ever seen". © 2009 Webjam http://www.webjam.com/atomraymusic/artists

"A craftsman, producing masterpieces of guitarmanship...CLASS personified!" “To try and describe the level of skill he possesses, would be as easy as spotting a dropped stitch in the Bayeaux tapestry. In sets which bridge the acoustic guitar, with the Classical John Williams, the Blues of Tommy Emmanuel and the Rock of Jimi Hendrix, he creates a guitar master class which transfixed the audiences with performances not just to be remembered, but to be savoured.” Leeds Music Review

Who is Paul Rose? Paul Rose is a unique and hugely talented guitarist born in Newcastle, England in July 1966. He is fundamentally an electric rock guitarist, but he also plays wonderful acoustic blues, country, jazz and folk. Paul has over ten albums and an instructional DVD to his credit. He has appeared with many great artists including Brian May, Yngwie Malmstein, Hank Marvin and the legendary Peter Green. In 1991, the late, great Rory Gallagher awarded Paul a Fender ’62 Reissue Strat in a competition sponsored by Fender. Guitarists from all over the UK were videotaped using the guitar and the tapes were shown to Rory at a later date. Out of 1000 entrants, Rory picked Paul as the winner and called him as “a hot player with a hot future.” In 1995, Paul won Guitarist Magazine's “Guitarist of the Year” award. Paul has toured and appeared at festivals all over Europe, including the famous German Rockpalast TV show. The programme broadcast on Sky TV to millions of viewers was a special tribute to Rory Gallagher and featured Gerry McAvoy, Brendan O'Neil, Brian Robertson, Robby McIntosh, Lou Martin, and Mark Feltham. "The Learning Curve" is a beautifully played, mainly acoustic guitar album with an innovative rock/blues country style and some great jazz licks. There are nine Rose originals and a cover of Kosma & Mercer's classic Autumn Leaves. Listen to Paul's "Late Show" album and buy his "Ten" album. Promote this guy! You can download free "The Paul Rose Band Live at the Broken Doll" album @ http://www.paulrose.co.uk/shop_brokendoll.html For more great acoustic guitar, check out Stephen Bennett and Laurence Juber on this blog. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 102 Mb]

TRACKS

1 The Learning Curve 2:57
2 Autumn Leaves - Kosma, Mercer 4:32
3 Call Me the Breeze 7:23
4 Test of Time 1:24
5 More or Less 5:43
6 State of the Nation 3:19
7 Easy Blues 2:42
8 Lies 6:30
9 Close 6:03
10 Same Old Reality 6:27

All tracks composed by Paul Rose except Autumn Leaves by Johnny Mercer, Jacques Prévert & Joseph Kosma, and "Call Me the Breeze" by J.J. Cale

BIO

Paul Rose is without doubt one of the most unique and talented guitarists in the world today. Fundamentally a rock guitarist, his extraordinary playing style touches on blues, country, jazz and folk, blended together into a style that is entirely his own. Never a gig goes by where audience members don't comment that Paul is the best guitarist they've seen and heard. Born in Newcastle, north east England in July 1966, Paul's natural gift shone through at an early age. He was already being hailed as one of the best guitarists in the region by the age of 16, playing regularly on the Newcastle live scene with the most popular local bands of the day. Rory Gallagher awarded Paul a Fender '62 Reissue Strat, with a Vox AC30, in a Fender- sponsored competition that invited guitarists from all over the UK to appear in local music shops. Entrants were required to play in front of a video camera using the guitar and amp in question, without any pedals, to be edited and shown to Rory at a later date. Out of 1000 guitarists, Rory selected Paul as the winner and described him as "a hot player with a hot future." Having also won "Guitarist of the Year" in Guitarist Magazine a couple of years later, it is plainly obvious that Paul is a force to be reckoned with. Since then Paul has continued to go from strength to strength, having released a total of ten solo albums to date, selling worldwide to an ever increasing circle of fans. Coupled with his stunning live shows built on 25 years of tough performing experience, Paul is now gaining the worldwide recognition he deserves. Recognised as an electric guitarist, Paul has recently been playing many solo gigs with nothing but an acoustic guitar and a sample pedal to promote his first ever acoustic CD "The Learning Curve." These gigs have been very well received indeed, with one reviewer writing "this is a truly world class guitarist at the very top of his game." This is not to say Paul has totally turned his back on the Fender guitars he loves so well, in fact quite the contrary. Having just released "The Best of Paul Rose" this remarkable album features sixteen tracks that reflect on an extraordinary and unique 20 year period. With this, Paul is now breaking into the German market, having played several highly successful tours there, with upcoming interviews and features with several important music magazines and websites. He is fully endorsed by Steinberg, IKmultimedia, GHS strings and the legendary pickup makers Seymour Duncan. With an eleventh album in production, 12 including the "Best Of," Paul is facing a future just as spectacular as his musical gift. © http://www.paulrose.co.uk/biography.html

Mary Coughlan

2012-05-19T20:30:00.001+02:00

Mary Coughlan - Red Blues - 2002 - Tradition & Moderne

The great Irish jazz blues singer, Mary Coughlan demands virtuoso, spare support that lets her work her phrases until they ring with character. She is one of the world's greatest blues jazz vocalists of modern times, but is still very much underrated. Her voice has a unique jazz and blues-inflected timbre with a gorgeous Irish lilt to it. Her phrasing is immaculate, and her voice has a passion and sincerity that is a joy to hear. This lady knows through personal experience exactly what she is singing and talking about. She is a lady who cares about humanity, and is never afraid to voice her opinion. "Red Blues" is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Q Magazine stated, "Mary Coughlan sings with a hard intelligence which binds spells.", and according to Mojo magazine, "she has a voice to kill for." Her "Live In Galway" album @ MRYCGHL/LIG Buy Mary's great "Under The Influence" album. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 108 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City - Daniel Walsh, Michael Price
2 Blue Light Boogie - Jessie Mae Robinson
3 You Can Leave Your Hat On - Randy Newman
4 Portland - Bill Bourne
5 I'd Rather Go Blind - Foster, Jordan
6 Black Coffee - P.F. Webster, J.F. Burke
7 Pull Up The Bumper - D. Manno, L. Dunbar, R.W.D. Shakespeare
8 At Last - H. Warren, M. Gordon
9 She's Got A Way With Men - H. Thompson, R. Lay
10 One For My Baby - H. Arlen, J.H. Mercer
11 Strange Fruit - Lewis Allen

MUSICIANS

Mary Coughlan - Lead Vocals
Lester Quitzau - Slide Guitar [E-slide] (tracks: 1, 4, 7): Backing Vocals (track: 1)
Madagascar Slim - Slide Guitar [E-slide] (tracks: 1, 4, 7)
Bill Bourne - Acoustic Guitar - (tracks: 1, 4, 7): Backing Vocals (tracks: 1, 4)
Peter O'Brien - Piano (tracks: 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10)
Kester Rich - Drums (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9): Congas (tracks: 1, 3)
Frank Mead - Tenor Saxophone - (tracks: 2, 8): Alto Saxophone (tracks: 3, 5, 6):Soprano Saxophone (track: 9)

BIO (WIKI)

Mary Coughlan (born 5 May 1956, County Galway, Ireland) is an Irish jazz and folk singer and actress. She has received great acclamation in her native country, for her emotional and heartfelt jazzy musical renditions. Coughlan was born in County Galway, Ireland (her father was a soldier from County Donegal). She was the eldest of five and had endured a very erratic youth. She left convent school and started drinking alcohol and taking drugs at just 15. At this age she spent time in a mental hospital. After time in hospital and a belated graduation, Coughlan decided to leave home. In the mid-1970s, she moved to London, UK, where she married Fintan Coughlan and had three children. However, in 1981, she left her husband and took custody of her children. In 1984, Coughlan moved back to Ireland, to her hometown of Galway. It was on her return to Ireland, when Coughlan started to perform in public, and soon was noticed by Dutch musician and producer Erik Visser. Visser, whose band Flairck were very popular in Europe at the time, helped Coughlan to record her first album, Tired and Emotional. Visser would go on to become her long-term collaborator. The album sold an unexpected 100,000 copies in Ireland, partly due to a memorable appearance on The Late Late Show. Despite her ongoing personal problems, Coughlan continued to reap praise for her recording output on WEA. On Under the Influence (1987) she revived the 1948 Peggy Lee hit “Don’t Smoke in Bed’’and the Billie Holiday ballad “Good Morning Heartache”, as well as Jimmy McCarthy's “Ride On”, which reached number 5 on the Irish pop charts in 1987. 1988 was another successful year for Coughlan, she made her acting debut in Neil Jordan’s High Spirits, and released her third studio album Ancient Rain. Despite her success, Coughlan lost her record contract with Warner Music Group. However, in 1990, she signed up with East West Records and released her fourth album Uncertain Pleasures , recorded in the UK and produced by Peter Glenister, former musical director for Terence Trent D'Arby. It included new compositions by Mark Nevin (Fairground Attraction) and Bob Geldof as well as covers of the Rolling Stones’ "Mother’s Little Helper" and Elvis Presley’s "Heartbreak Hotel". After receiving treatment for her personal problems, it seemed as though Coughlan had landed on her two feet once again. Sentimental Killer (1992) and Love for Sale (1993) were received well. In 1994, Coughlan lent her vocals to the hugely popular A Woman's Heart Vol.2 album, along with the likes of Mary Black and Dolores Keane. Coughlan released her first live album, Live in Galway, and released another studio album in 1997, After the Fall, which became her American debut. In June 2000, Coughlan took another turn in her career when she presented a series of elaborate multimedia shows in Dublin and in London celebrating Billie Holiday, a singer whose life story had parallels to Coughlan's own. The best of these shows was collected on the Mary Coughlan Sings Billie Holiday album. A new studio album was released the following April 2001, entitled Long Honeymoon, and another in 2002, Red Blues. The 2000s saw the release of numerous Coughlan compilation albums and her appearance on the RTÉ reality charity show, Celebrity Farm. The release of her most recent offering in 2008, The House of Ill Repute, sparked reviews that suggested it was her best yet. She has also taken part in the Sanctuary album with Moya Brennan. After her success in the mid-1980s with Tired and Emotional, Coughlan was dealing with serious mis-management in relation to her career. It was so bad that she ended up losing her car, her house and her recording contract with WEA. As a result, she started to drink very regularly and was hospitalised over 30 times. Despite minor success with her acting and her music during this period, the public was more interested in her personal turmoil. Due to treatment she received, she recovered in 1994 and found a new partner, Frank Bonadio, with whom she had two more children, bringing her total to five. A public spat with singer Sinéad O'Connor ensued over Bonadio's affections. Coughlan’s public stance concerning the topics of abortion, and the role of women in Irish society in general, are marked by brutal honesty and frank criticism.

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For Mary there will always be two falls. The first happened in Mesopotamia about 5000 years ago, we are told. The second happened in a sea-front house in Bray, near Dublin, around 1994. In the first, Eve was expelled from Eden for her sins and women have borne the brunt of it ever since. In the second, a heavily pregnant and very drunk Mary Coughlan fell onto her kitchen floor in a stupor, a piece of bread and butter plastered to her unconscious face. That was how her husband and three children found her when they returned from shopping. The next night Mary was taken to hospital where she miscarried. And she has borne the brunt of it ever since. But this is not why Mary Coughlan is the greatest female vocalist these islands have ever produced. It’s not even why she stands alongside, or even between, the bruised, battered but unbeaten giants of jazz chanson on both sides of the Atlantic, Billie Holiday and Edith Piaf. Mary Coughlan is the only singer these shores have produced to rival the greatest of European cabaret and American jazz club blues because of one thing: her voice. She is unique in blending the whisky-blurred, smoke-seared, husky notes and laconic wit of Billie Holiday and Peggy Lee and the line of deep, down and dirty blues singers back to Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith with the sardonic, bitter-sweet defiance and despair of the Piaf chanteuse, born out of war, in the shadow of Brecht, at war with the world, men and finally herself. And Mary Coughlan enfolds it all in a delicious and unapologetic Irish drawl, sceptical, rueful, mournful and melting, ardent for love, all in one voice which wraps itself around Cole Porter and Jerome Kern, Elvis Presley and Joy Division, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and sails down that long river of blues that links the Mississippi to the Liffey in her magnificent Irish brogue. And the most remarkable thing of all is her quarrel with Ireland. She evidently detests the stage Irishry which persists to this day in Riverdance, U2 and The Corrs. But in her curt consonants, luxuriant plosives and Dub dipthongs she is nakedly Irish, Galway born, the daughter of a Donegal soldier and a Connemara woman. Yeats wrote, “Out of our quarrel with others, we make rhetoric. Out of our quarrel with ourselves, we make poetry.” Out of her quarrels Mary Coughlan has made some of the best music in these islands for twenty-five years. And it’s time she was applauded for that. In 1994 she went into rehab in Dublin and with her family’s support defeated her alcoholism and hasn’t taken a drink since. It’s understandable why Mary should feel so powerful an identification with Holiday. But that’s not what makes her the giant she is, someone who fills the sky alongside Holiday, Piaf, Lee, Fitzgerald, London, Vaughan, Washington. Music history is littered with performers and artists dead or defeated by drink or drugs. That is not what makes a singer great. Nor even the conquering of addiction, though that’s no mean feat, God knows. In 2001 Mary consciously identified herself with her musical inspiration in her liner notes to ‘Mary Coughlan Sings Billie Holiday’, a live recording of her homage show to Holiday staged in Dublin and London, ‘Lady Sings the Blues’. The resemblance was more than musical. Holiday was dead at 44, the age Mary did the show. Mary had been sober for more than six years after a murderous decade of drinking in her 30s, consuming bottles of vodka or tequila a day, which dragged her in and out of hospital more than 30 times, led to the death of her unborn child and almost killed her one night in intensive care where she needed tubes through her neck artery to feed her heart the drugs needed to get her through the night. A doctor was by her side throughout. Mary is our greatest female singer because over twenty-five years and ten albums she’s made the most grown-up, uncompromising, wholly personal and utterly universal music on either side of the Atlantic about what goes on between men and women. She has taken the classic standards of jazz balladry and the recent gems of rock and Irish song-writing, shaken them and offered them up anew, like jewels dripping from the deep, strewn on black velvet. She sings in the voice of the wrong and wronged woman and she makes us think what it is men make of women and what women have to do to make do. She has just one other forebear in the pretty pallid parade of British female pop artists, just one other woman whose bruised, haunted voice could find and enjoy the inconsolable longing and loss in a three minute pop song: Dusty Springfield. Or Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien, to give her her real name. Born to an Irish Catholic family. Small world. © David Kelly © http://www.marycoughlanmusic.com/home.php#mary

T.J. Kirk

2012-05-18T17:13:00.001+02:00

T.J. Kirk - If Four Was One - 1996 - Warner Bros.

If Four Was One (Warner Bros 9 46262-2: 43:34), the second effort from guitar summit group T.J. Kirk, is a slightly more energetic outing than the group's debut. Like the first one, it looks at the music of Thelonious Monk, James Brown and Rahsaan Roland Kirk through a funk-jazz guitar prism (with Prince's "Rockhard in a Funky Place" the only deviation). All the principals are back: Charlie Hunter holds down guitar and bass duties on his eight-string guitar, joining fellow stringsmen John Schott and Will Bernard. This time, the arrangements and playing are more pointed and focused. As with the last disc, the group's tasty licks sound best on the JB stuff. Hunter's sly phrasing is heard on "Get on the Good Foot/Rockhard in a Funky Place." Bernard's octave-effect laden solo energizes "The Big Payback", but some of the other stuff works just as well. Bernard's work on "Ruby My Dear" recalls Blow by Blow-era Jeff Beck, while Schott ellipses his way through the "Meeting at Termini's Corner/I got a Bag of My own/Brilliant Corners" medley. By & © Tony Green January/February 1997 © 1999–2012 JazzTimes, Inc. All rights reserved http://jazztimes.com/articles/8868-if-four-was-one-t-j-kirk

The idea of three guitarists and a drummer who play the music of Thelonious Monk, James Brown and Rahsaan Roland Kirk may seem odd or limiting, but the musicianship of the players in question has produced an album that explicitly explores the connections between the compositions of these three legendary musicians while raising the stakes in the debate about what is and isn't "jazz." Scott Amendola's drumming is precisely funky throughout, and Charlie Hunter's 8-string guitar supplies both the punchy basslines and the heavily chorused chords that Will Bernard and Will Schott build upon, resulting in a tightly rendered "The Payback," a stirring version of the eternal "Ruby, My Dear" and the multiple tempos and timbres of "Brake's Sake." Worthwhile. © Peter Stepek © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://allmusic.com/album/if-four-was-one-r240942/review

With such a uniquely brilliant concept behind them, this quartet's success is ensured even before they go into a studio. Their only weapons: three eclectic electric guitarists (Charlie Hunter, John Schott, Will Bernard), one drummer (Scott Amendola), and the songs of Thelonious Monk, James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. No matter whose tune they're playing, they seem to combine the approaches of all three simultaneously: Monk's curiosity, Brown's insistent rhythms, Kirk's passion. Not only can they execute their ideas, they also have a great deal of fun mixing and matching the various composers. Sometimes two melodies will battle each other for supremacy; other times a quirky Monk melody will be backed by funky grooves. Somehow, it all blends together seamlessly. © 2012 Net2Da http://net2da.net/t-j-kirk-if-four-was-one-1996-lossless/

An unusual, clever, very innovative, and satisfying mix of soul and jazz fusion by four of the best players in the business, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to T.J. Kirk 's 1994 s/t album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 99.6 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Damn Right I'm Somebody - James Brown, Fred Wesley 5:07
2 Get on the Good Foot/Rockhard in a Funky Place - James Brown, Eric Leeds, Joe Mims, Prince, Fred Wesley 6:44 *
3 Stomping Grounds/Untitled Instrumental/Green Chimneys - James Brown, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Thelonious Monk 5:32
4 The Payback/I Mean You - James Brown, Coleman Hawkins, Thelonius Monk, John Starks, Fred Welsey 4:05
5 Brake's Sake - Thelonius Monk 4:30
6 Ruby,(It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World) My Dear - Thelonius Monk, James Brown 3:21
7 Meeting at Termini's Corner/IGot a Bag of My Own/Brilliant Corners - James Brown, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Thelonious Monk 4:46
8 Cross the Track/Thelonious - James Brown, Thelonius Monk 4:44
9 Four in One - Thelonius Monk 4:31

* N.B: "Rockhard In A Funky Place" is also a Prince song on the "Black Album".The "Black Album" contains a song written with James Brown called "2 Nigs United 4 West Compton."

BAND

Will Bernard - Guitar, Slide Guitar
Charlie Hunter - 8 String Guitar
John Schott - Guitar
Scott Amendola - Drums, Percussion

BIO

T.J. Kirk may not be remembered in the annals of jazz/fusion history, but the quartet's story is uniquely its own. Formed by eight-string guitarist Charlie Hunter as a side group to his own self-titled and San Francisco-based band, T.J. Kirk was a cover act that took its name from the three artists making up its catalog: Thelonius Monk, James Brown, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. Hunter's recording career had started in 1993, and he brought his group's drummer, Scott Amendola, into T.J. Kirk to join the more conventional six-string guitarists Will Bernard and John Schott. The band wanted to be called James T. Kirk, but settled for T.J. Kirk for their 1995 self-titled debut CD when they didn't get permission to use the original moniker from Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry's estate. The album gave Hunter license to play in styles even more funky than with his own ensemble, as the eight-string guitarist often played bass lines and guitar melodies (usually simultaneously) and even added keyboard-like textures on his customized Novax instrument. Combined with Amendola's muscular drumming, Hunter's versatility allowed Bernard and Schott the freedom to re-work their namesake trio's classics like "Soul Power," "Bemsha Swing," and "Serenade to a Cuckoo." The group's 1996 follow-up, If Four Was One, was even better. T.J. Kirk had a knack not only for mimicking Brown's soul epics ("Get on the Good Foot," "The Payback"), but also making danceable the jazz standards of Monk and Kirk ("Damn Right I'm Somebody," "Ruby, My Dear," "Four in One"). Yet Hunter, never one to stand pat, was making changes in his own band's career. When he covered reggae legend Bob Marley's time-honored Natty Dread album, instrumentally and in its entirety, in 1997, and in the process made one of his best CDs, T.J. Kirk was essentially finished except for the live bootleg recordings. The death of Hunter's saxophonist Calder Spanier in an auto accident later in the year -- and Hunter's decision to move from the Bay Area to New York in 1998 -- officially ended the reign of T.J. Kirk. But as anyone who's heard their releases knows, T.J. Kirk is the unofficial captain of jazz/fusion's all-time cover bands. Further evidence appeared in 2005 when the Rope-A-Dope label issued a 1997 concert by the band as Talking Only Makes It Worse. © Bill Meredith © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://allmusic.com/artist/tj-kirk-p165793/biography

Edgar Winter

2012-05-17T00:48:00.001+02:00

Edgar Winter - Not A Kid Anymore - 1994 - Intersound

Gone is the obsession with outer space themes, and back is the rock & roll/rhythm & blues that Edgar Winter does so well. Not a Kid Anymore reunites Winter with his old White Trash bandmate Jerry LaCroix, and the resulting mix of musicianship and vocal prowess make for an excellent album. Choice cuts include "Way Down South," "Big City Woman," and the remake of his solid-gold 1973 classic "Frankenstein." © Michael B. Smith © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/not-a-kid-anymore-r275978

This music should not be compared with Edgar's earlier White Trash days, where his music was mostly in the austere but brilliant electrified blues and hard rock vein. When Edgar relocated from New York City to Beverly Hills in 1989 to write movie score work, some critics openly resented his change in style, and albums like "Not A Kid Anymore" received a lot of undeserved criticism. This album contains "Way Down South" written for the "My Cousin Vinnie" movie, and a reworked version of the great "Frankenstein" hit which was used in the "Wayne's World 2" movie. This is hardly selling out to commercialism. They are both great tracks. "Not A Kid Anymore" certainly contains less of that "White Trash" hard rock element, but "Big City Woman" is a great blues rock tune as good as anything Edgar has ever done, and there are more tracks as good as that one on the album. "Not A Kid Anymore" is still a good rock & roll album with great musicianship, and an album you will listen to repeatedly. Edgar Winter is a true rock legend, and the present sad and sick old music industry could do with a good shot of this kind of music. Listen to Edgar's "The Real Deal" and "Live in Japan" albums, and his classic "Entrance" album. Buy his "Jazzin' the Blues" album. Did anyone hear that Scowell (the guy with the messiah syndrome) may be recruiting the one and only Ms. Spritney Beers as a judge on the X Factor. Well hallelujah and praise the Lord. Looks like great music has finally found a saviour [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 115 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Way Down South - Edgar Winter 2:45
2 Not a Kid Anymore - Edgar Winter & Greg Sutton 4:33
3 Against the Law - Edgar Winter, Jerry Lacroix, Jack Pati 4:27
4 Brother's Keeper - Edgar Winter 4:57
5 I Wanta Rock - Edgar Winter & Steve Plunkett 4:31
6 Crazy - Edgar Winter, B. Parker, W. Waldman 4:51
7 Just Like You - Edgar Winter & John Duva 4:59
8 Big City Woman - Edgar Winter 4:26
9 Innocent Lust - Edgar Winter 5:09
10 Wild Man - Edgar Winter & Jake Hooker 5:20
11 Frankenstein - Edgar Winter 5:12

MUSICIANS

Edgar Winter - Guitar, Bass, Horn, Keyboard Programming, Alto Sax, Strings, Vocals
John Duva - Electric & Acoustic Guitar, Slide Guitar, Vocals
Bob Gianetti - Bass Guitar, Vocals
Bernie Pershey - Drum Programming
Jimmy Z. - Harmonica
Tony Bowman, Jerry Lacroix, Gary Pavlica - Vocals

SHORT BIO

Although he's often skirted the edges of blues music, at heart, saxophonist, keyboardist and composer Edgar Winter is a blues musician. Raised in Beaumont, TX, the younger brother of ukulele player and guitarist Johnny Winter, Edgar Winter has always pushed himself in new directions, synthesizing the rock, blues and jazz melodies he hears in his head. As a consequence, his fan base may not be what it could have been, had he made a conscious effort -- like his brother Johnny -- to stay in a blues-rock mold over the years. He's one musician who's never been afraid to venture into multiple musical arenas, often times, within the space of one album, as in his debut, Entrance (1970 Columbia Records). Edgar Winter, the second son of John and Edwina Winter, was born December 28, 1946 in Beaumont, TX, and much of the credit for Edgar and Johnny's early musical awareness must go to the brothers' parents, who have been a constant source of encouragement throughout their respective musical careers. The boys' father sang in a barbershop quartet, in their church choir, and played saxophone in a jazz group. Edgar and Johnny, who's three years older, began performing together as teens, playing local watering holes like Tom's Fish Camp before they were old enough to drink. The pair's early R&B and blues groups included Johnny and the Jammers, the Crystaliers and the Black Plague. In high school, Edgar became fascinated with the saxophone stylings of Julian "Cannonball" Adderley and Hank Crawford, and he began playing alto sax in earnest. As a pre-teen, he had played ukulele, like his older brother. But by the time he was of college age, Edgar had become competent on keyboards, bass, guitar and drums. Edgar was signed to Epic Records in 1970 after performing on his brother's Second Winter album. He recorded Entrance, his debut, which featured himself on most of the instruments. After radio success accompanying his brother on Johnny Winter And, he formed a large horn ensemble called White Trash. Although it was a short-lived group which broke up in mid-'72, Winter assembled another group to record two more albums for Epic Records, White Trash and Roadwork. Winter's single, "Keep Playing That Rock 'n' Roll," reached number 70 on the U.S. rock radio charts, and the album Roadwork hit number 23 on the album charts. By the summer of 1972, through constant touring, (and a ready willingness to do interviews, unlike his older brother), Winter formed the Edgar Winter Group in the summer of 1972. In January, 1973, Epic released They Only Come Out at Night, produced by guitarist Rick Derringer, which reached number three in the U.S. This album had Winter's most famous song, "Frankenstein," which reached number one in the U.S. in May of 1973. Later that year, "Free Ride" from the same album reached number 14. Although he's never matched that kind of commercial radio success again, Winter has continued to tour and record at a prolific pace. He relocated from New York City to Beverly Hills in 1989 to pursue movie score work, which he's had some success with, most notably with a slightly reworked version of "Frankenstein" for the movie Wayne's World II. Although his early-'70s albums like Entrance, White Trash, They Only Come Out at Night and Shock Treatment are bluesier affairs than some of his later albums, there are blues tunes like "Big City Woman" on one of his 1990s releases, Not a Kid Anymore (1994), on the Intersound label, and 1999's Winter Blues was almost wholly devoted to the idiom. A good introduction to Winter for those who weren't around in the early '70s is The Edgar Winter Collection (1993) on Rhino Records. © Richard Skelly © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/edgar-winter-p73272/biography

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By the time Edgar Winter left his hometown of Beaumont, Texas in the 1960's, he was already technically proficient in every aspect of music. A child prodigy who achieved international success early on, Edgar has found an audience in every major entertainment medium--music, film and television. A prolific writer, Edgar's music encompasses many different genres, including rock, jazz, blues, and pop. From his critically acclaimed 1970 debut release, Entrance, he has demonstrated his unique style and ability to cross the genre lines and do the unexpected. His early recording of "Tobacco Road" is a powerful, emotionally devastating masterpiece that propelled him into the national spotlight. Edgar followed Entrance with two hit albums backed by his group White Trash, a group originally comprised of musicians from Texas and Louisiana. White Trash enjoyed huge success, both with the 1971 release of the studio album, Edgar Winter's White Trash, and with 1972's follow-up live gold album, Roadwork. In late 1972 Edgar brought together Dan Hartman, Ronnie Montrose and Chuck Ruff to form The Edgar Winter Group, the legendary band that created such hits as the number one Frankenstein and the ever popular Free Ride. Released in 1973, They Only Come Out at Night peaked at the number 3 position on the Billboard Hot 200 and stayed on the charts for an impressive 80 weeks. It was certified gold in April 1973 and double platinum in November 1986. Edgar invented the keyboard body strap early in his career, an innovation that allows him the freedom to move around on stage during his multi-instrument high-energy performances. He was also the first artist to feature a synthesizer as the main instrument in a song. Frankenstein revolutionized rock and roll and opened up a whole new world of possibilities with experimentation and sound. After They Only Come Out At Night, Edgar released Shock Treatment, featuring guitarist Rick Derringer in place of Ronnie Montrose. Later albums included Jasmine Nightdreams, The Edgar Winter Group with Rick Derringer, a live album, Together Live With Johnny Winter, Recycled, a reunion with White Trash, Standing On Rock, Mission Earth, Live In Japan, Not A Kid Anymore, The Real Deal, and Winter Blues. With over 20 albums and numerous collaborative efforts to his credit, Edgar Winter has not been satisfied to ride the wave of popular music stardom. Major national television and radio campaigns have relied on Edgar's music to advertise their products. Edgar has also made frequent television appearances, both to promote his music, and to give his opinions on everything from Politically Incorrect to a commercial with George Hamilton for Miller Lite beer. He has appeared in the film "Netherworld", and the TV shows "The Cape", "Mysterious Ways", "Dave Letterman", and "Jimmy Kimmel". Edgar's music can be heard in no fewer than fifteen film and television projects, including Netherworld, Air America, My Cousin Vinny, Encino Man, Son In Law, What's Love Got to do With It, Wayne's World 2, Starkid, Wag the Dog, Knockabout Guys, Duets, Radio, The Simpsons, Queer as Folk, and Tupac Resurrection. Edgar's hauntingly beautiful song, Dying to Live, is featured as "Runnin” (Dying To Live) in the film "Tupac Resurrection", the biography on the life of rapper Tupac Shakur. Produced by Eminem, the song uses the vocal talents of the Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, and Edgar Winter himself. "Runnin" is on numerous Billboard charts. It peaked at number 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles Sales chart, and the soundtrack CD was number 1 for 8 consecutive weeks. Edgar's CD and DVD, titled, "Live At The Galaxy" was recorded live at the Galaxy Theatre for Classic Pictures in 2003. It features the songs, "Keep Playing That Rock and Roll", "Turn On Your Love Light", "Free Ride", "Texas", "Show Your Love", "New Orleans", "Frankenstein" and "Tobacco Road". In addition, the DVD includes a 30 Minute Documentary, "Edgar Winter: The Man and His Music". Edgar Winter's live shows consistently receive rave reviews. His music is always evolving and he is a master at stretching his skill and imagination to produce amazing results. He continues to thrill audiences with his live performances, always remaining on the cutting edge of music and style. Edgar is now at the very top of his game, and his future looks even brighter than his past. Edgar and his wife, Monique, live in Beverly Hills with their little dog Mimi. © 2001 Edgar Winter © http://www.edgarwinter.com/bio.php

The New Tony Williams Lifetime

2012-05-16T19:42:00.000+02:00

The New Tony Williams Lifetime - Believe It - 1975 - Columbia

Believe It features former Motown bassist Tony Newton, keyboard player Alan Pasqua and, most notably, British guitarist Allan Holdsworth, who, while already somewhat of an underground legend in his own country, had yet to make an impression in North America. Believe It changed all that, demonstrating that not only was Holdsworth a fresh new voice on his instrument, but a fine writer as well. "Fred," later re-titled "Kinder" by Holdsworth, and a staple in his repertoire for some years to come, introduces Holdsworth's unique harmonic language, with a lyrical bent that manages to be completely distinctive. And his playing style is quite simply like no other; influenced heavily by Coltrane, Holdsworth, even at this early stage in his career, is capable of sheets of sound that, punctuated by held notes and legato runs, are visceral in their impact. No less visceral, of course, is Williams himself. While peers including Billy Cobham and Lenny White gravitated towards more overblown displays of virtuosity, Williams overpowers both with his stronger sense of groove and sheer muscularity. And while he is every bit as capable of extravagant displays of technique, he always sounds more musical. Even on intense burners like the Holdsworth-penned bonus track "Letsby," he is less concerned with how many beats he can throw into a fill; and his solo over Holdsworth's power chord ostinato is the epitome of construction. For someone who moved the concept of rhythmic freedom so far forward as part of Miles' second quintet, Williams may have been the most overtly rock and roll-informed drummer of the mid-'70s fusion era. With an inherent sense of groove and honest energy that comes from compositions that are less contrived and more direct vehicles for improvisational flight, Believe It is one of the most compelling arguments for the validity of jazz-rock fusion, before the term became such a dirty word. By & © JOHN KELMAN, Published: June 1, 2004 © 2012 All About Jazz and/or contributing writer/visual artist. All rights reserved http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13840

The late drummer Tony Williams was a phenomenal jazz rock fusionist. "Believe It" is an almost perfect blend of jazz and rock. The album might be less "progressive" than other albums from Allan Holdsworth or Tony Williams, but contains eight brilliantly played and really good solid jazz rock/fusion compositions with a funky edge. There is wonderful guitar from the legendary Allan Holdsworth, some killer bass from the great Motown session musician Tony Newton and amazing keyboard play throughout from Alan Pasqua. 'Snake Oil' and 'Red Alert' are powerful compositions. 'Wildlife' is a nod to the missing link between the old and the new Tony Williams Lifetime. 'Fred' is the electric version of Allan Holdsworth's 'Kinder', (heard on his album 'Velvet Darkness'). Allan's 'Mr. Spock' celebrates his enjoyment of 'Star Trek', but not in any stupid commercial sense. The two bonus track are a great addition to the CD issue of this album. Allan's "Letsby" is a more complex and exciting reworking of his "Mr Spock" tune, and Tony Williams' own "Celebration" is a great jazz funk track in the Herbie Hancock style. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Tony Williams Lifetime's "Emergency!" and "The Joy of Flying" albums [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 99.4 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Snake Oil (Tony Newton) — 6:30
2 Fred (Allan Holdsworth) — 6:48
3 Proto-Cosmos (Alan Pasqua) — 4:02
4 Red Alert (Newton) — 4:39
5 Wildlife (Tony Williams) — 5:22
6 Mr Spock (Holdsworth) — 6:15
7 Celebration (Williams) — [Bonus Track] 4:01
8 Letsby (Holdsworth) — [Bonus Track] 6:34

BAND

Allan Holdsworth – Guitar
Tony Newton – Electric Bass
Alan Pasqua – Piano, Clavinet
Tony Williams – Drums

BIO (WIKI)

The Tony Williams Lifetime was a jazz-rock fusion group led by jazz drummer Tony Williams. The Tony Williams Lifetime was founded in 1969 as a power trio with John McLaughlin on electric guitar, and Larry Young (aka Khalid Yasin) on organ. The band was possibly named for Williams' debut album as a bandleader, Life Time, released on Blue Note in 1964. Its debut album was Emergency!, a double album released on Polydor/PolyGram Records in 1969. It was largely rejected by jazz listeners at the time of its release because of its heavy rock influences, but it is now looked upon as a fusion classic. Jack Bruce joined the group to provide bass and vocals on its second album, Turn it Over, released in 1970. McLaughlin left the group and was replaced by Ted Dunbar on its 1971 album, Ego. This album also featured Ron Carter on bass and cello, Warren Smith and Don Alias on percussion, and Larry Young on organ. Lifetime gigs around this time featured Juini Booth on bass. This lineup's performance in France on August 7, 1971 (venue unknown) was filmed in color and broadcast on the French television program Pop2. Following Larry Young's departure from the band sometime after July of 1972, Tony Williams was the only original member remaining. In July 1972 Williams appeared at the Montreux Jazz Festival with an all-star lineup of the Stan Getz Quartet featuring Stan Getz on saxophone, bassist Stanley Clarke and pianist Chick Corea. This performance was memorialized with both audio and video recordings. Williams performed the following month in August 1972 with a new brief-lived trio called Life Time Experience, featuring bassist Stanley Clarke and violinist Jean Luc-Ponty. Their performance at the Festival de Chateauvallon, Chateauvallon, France, on August 23rd, 1972, was captured on film in black & white. The fourth and last Lifetime album for Polydor/PolyGram, 1973's The Old Bum's Rush, was recorded in Boston and featured entirely new personnel, consisting of female vocalist and guitarist Linda 'Tequila' Logan, Webster Lewis on organ & clavinette, David Horowitz on piano, vibes, and ARP synthesizer, and Herb Bushler on bass. Tony Williams' father Tillmon Williams makes a guest appearance on saxophone. Prior to recording, with Larry Young still in the band, the Lifetime performed material from the album on July 1, 1972 at Carnegie Hall in New York. Marking yet another stylistic departure for the Lifetime and reinvention of the band's musical identity, the record is characterized by a predominantly sprightly and upbeat songwriting approach, electronic keyboard-dominated sound, and jazzy female vocals. Recorded by Williams under the dark cloud of knowing that Polydor would not be renewing his contract, the album received poor reviews, and the group was effectively dissolved. In 1974, Williams formed a new Lifetime featuring Bum's Rush holdovers Webster Lewis on keyboards and Linda 'Tequila' Logan on vocals, along with former Cream/Lifetime bassist Jack Bruce and British guitarist Allan Holdsworth. This lineup, sometimes referred to as Wildlife, recorded an album's worth of material at Europa Films Studios in Stockholm, Sweden in October 1974, which has never been officially released. In the spring of 1975, Williams put together a quartet he called The New Tony Williams Lifetime featuring bassist Tony Newton, pianist Alan Pasqua, and guitarist Allan Holdsworth. This lineup recorded two albums for Columbia/CBS Records, Believe It in 1975 and Million Dollar Legs in 1976. These albums were reissued on one CD in 1992 as Lifetime: The Collection. After recording Million Dollar Legs, guitarist Allan Holdsworth departed and was replaced by Marlon Graves for the subsequent tour undertaken to support the album. In 1977, Williams parted ways with Graves, Pasqua, and Newton and formed another Lifetime lineup with entirely new personnel consisting of Mike Hoffmann (lead guitar), Gerry Mule (2nd guitar), Paul Potyen (keyboards), and Michael Formanek (bass). This lineup recorded demos for the Columbia label but had no official releases, and played a small number of live gigs performing material from "Ego" and the two New Lifetime albums "Believe It" and "Million Dollar Legs." In July 1978, Williams toured Japan with Ronnie Montrose (guitar), Brian Auger (keyboards), Mario Cipollina (bass) and special guest Billy Cobham also on drums for a series of concerts. They were billed as the Tony Williams All Stars. Later that year he released The Joy of Flying, an eclectic solo album featuring a mix of styles and collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Cecil Taylor, Tom Scott, Stanley Clarke, Michael Brecker, George Benson, and Jan Hammer. It also contains "Open Fire" recorded by the All Stars earlier that year. In 1979, Williams formed another all-new Lifetime featuring Tod Carver (guitar), Bunny Brunel (bass), Bruce Harris (keyboards), and Tom Grant (keyboards). The band's sound was a major departure from the former New Lifetime's classic fusion: the high-energy shredding heard on Believe It and Million Dollar Legs was largely abandoned in favor of a cerebral and groove-laden approach that emphasized mood and melody over technical virtuosity. As with the 1977 lineup, the 1979 Lifetime played a small number of live gigs and no studio recordings are known to exist. Toward the end of this period, Williams pared-down the lineup to a trio and played some gigs with Tom Grant on keyboards and Bunny Brunel on bass. In late May 1980, Williams and a new trio incarnation of the Lifetime featuring Patrick O'Hearn on bass (miscredited as Patrick O'Hara) and Tom Grant on keyboards recorded the little known Play or Die album for the Swiss label PS Productions. Stylistically, the recording found Williams returning to high energy keyboard-dominated instrumental fusion reminiscent of the 1975 album On the Mountain by Elvin Jones, Jan Hammer and Gene Perla. At the time of its release, Emergency! was notably influential on the then-emerging genre of jazz fusion. It was also one of several albums that the members of The Allman Brothers Band listened to regularly early in their career. John Zorn named the Tony Williams Lifetime as a specific musical inspiration in the liner notes of the Naked City album Radio. Since the death of Williams in 1997, Jack DeJohnette and John Scofield formed Trio Beyond with Larry Goldings in honour of The Tony Williams Lifetime. They released one album, Saudades (2006), on the German label ECM. In 2006, former Lifetime members Allan Holdsworth and Alan Pasqua toured with drummer Chad Wackerman and bassist Jimmy Haslip performing a set comprising original as well as Lifetime material. Live at Yoshi's, a DVD from the U.S. leg of the tour, was released in 2007 and followed by the 2CD set Blues for Tony in 2009. In December 2008, guitarist Vernon Reid, organist John Medeski, drummer Cindy Blackman, and former Lifetime member Jack Bruce played a week of shows in Japan as the Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute Band, playing a set of 1969/70 Lifetime material. This was recorded in high-definition and shown on Japanese TV. The Lifetime Tribute Band featuring Jack Bruce reformed in February 2011 to play a further ten shows in high profile jazz clubs in North America. Unusually the dates have early & evening shows, something most rock musicians stopped doing at the beginning of the 1970s. Reaction to the 2011 U.S. Lifetime shows has been so positive that the band have re-named themselves Spectrum Road, after a track on 1969's first Lifetime album,and post tour are to go into the studio to record a new album for the U.S. jazz record label Palmetto Records.

MORE ABOUT TONY WILLIAMS

Tony Williams' death in 1997 of a heart attack after routine gall bladder surgery was a major shock to the jazz world. Just 51, Williams (who could be a very loud drummer) seemed so youthful, healthy, and ageless even though he had been a major drummer for nearly 35 years. The open style that he created while with the Miles Davis Quintet in the mid- to late '60s remains quite influential, and he had a long list of accomplishments during the decades that followed. Williams' father, a saxophonist, took his son out to clubs that gave him an opportunity to sit in; at 11, the youngster already showed potential. He took lessons from Alan Dawson, and at 15 was appearing at Boston-area jam sessions. During 1959-1960, Williams often played with Sam Rivers, and in December 1962 (when he was barely 17), the drummer moved to New York and played regularly with Jackie McLean. Within a few months he joined Miles Davis, where his ability to imply the beat while playing quite freely influenced and inspired the other musicians; together with Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter he was part of one of the great rhythm sections. Williams, who was 18 when he appeared on Eric Dolphy's classic Out to Lunch album, stayed with Davis into 1969, leading his own occasional sessions and becoming a household name in the jazz world. In addition to his interest in avant-garde jazz, Tony Williams was a fan of rock music, and when he left Miles he formed the fusion band Lifetime, a trio with Larry Young and John McLaughlin. After leading other versions of Lifetime (one of them starring Allan Holdsworth), Williams stuck to freelancing for a time, studied composition, and toured with Herbie Hancock's V.S.O.P. band. By the mid-'80s, he was heading his own all-star hard bop group which featured Wallace Roney as a surrogate Miles Davis and a repertoire dominated by the drummer's originals (including the standard "Sister Cheryl"). After breaking up his longtime quintet in 1995, Williams gigged a bit with a trio, recorded a very interesting set of original music for the Ark 21 label, and seemed to have a limitless future. His premature death makes one grateful that he started his career early and that he was extensively documented. © Scott Yanow © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/tony-williams-p7832/biography

Allan Holdsworth

2012-05-15T17:33:00.001+02:00

Allan Holdsworth - All Night Wrong - 2002 - Columbia

"Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Jimmy Raney, Wes Montgomery in fact most of the great guitar players; I loved them all. The newer guys: John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Scott Henderson and Frank Gambale... They're all amazing with very different musical personalities. Of course there's Michael Brecker and Keith Jarrett, but they don't play the guitar (thank God!). I think I've been influenced by all instruments. I was influenced a lot by horn players, from Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane on to Michael Brecker. There's many, many more that you could fill this whole page with people that have brought great gifts to the world of music." - Allan Holdsworth on his influences

Guitar hero Allan Holdsworth often performs with his peers. Such is the case with this live setting recorded at a venue in Japan during a 2002 tour. On this release, the guitarist leads a trio featuring longtime musical associates, drummer Chad Wackerman, and bassist Jimmy Johnson. To that end, the respective musicians' talents are well-known entities. Wackerman and Johnson can handle the trickiest time signatures imaginable. Along with the nimble flexibilities and odd-metered excursions witnessed here, they exude a force of power that serves as a meaty foundation for Holdsworth's mighty licks. A wonderfully recorded album, Holdsworth's climactically driven legato-based riffs are intact, as he also implements jazzy chord voicings and delicately stated fabrics of sound. But the trio raises the ante throughout many of these pieces, awash with moments of nuance and controlled firepower. In sum, Holdsworth's legion of followers should be pleased with a recording that should rank among his finest efforts to date. © Glenn Astarita © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/r611840

The brilliant guitarist, Allan Holdsworth was a member of the great Canterbury progressive jazz rock bands Soft Machine and Gong. He has also played with greats like Ian Carr's Nucleus, Tony William's Lifetime, UK, Jean Luc Ponty, Bill Bruford, and Level 42. He has influenced countless others, including musicians like Frank Zappa, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Alex Lifeson and Steve Vai, but as as a solo artist he has also recorded some incredible albums like "Metal Fatigue" and "With a Heart in My Song". This is the first official live album by Allan recorded at one of Japan's foremost jazz venues, the Roppongi's Pit Inn, Tokyo on May 5th, 2002. The tracks were recorded live direct to two channels, and the sq is very good. Allan is capable of some jaw dropping pyrotechnics, crazy legato runs, bends, slurs and inventive melodies, and is in a league of his own as one of the all-time greats of fusion guitar. There are no keyboards or horns on this album, but you won't miss them. Allan's fretboard mastery is engrossing, and drummer Chad Wackerman, and bassist Jimmy Johnson complements Allan's complex guitar work beautifully. Several of the tunes are old favourites with new arrangements. "Water On The Brain" is a superb example of this. Jazz fusion doesn't get much better than this and the album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Allan's "I.O.U" and "Secrets" albums, and Chad Wackerman's "Forty Reasons" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 127 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Lanyard Loop 5:46
2. The Things You See 6:53
3. Alphrazallan 7:04
4. Funnels 5:01
5. Zone 9:19
6. Water on the Brain Pt.II 5:30
7. Above & Below 8:21
8. Gas Lamp Blues 7:59

All songs written and composed by Allan Holdsworth, except "Zone" by Holdsworth, Steve Hunt, Gary Husband, & Jimmy Johnson

MUSICIANS

Allan Holdsworth – Guitar
Jimmy Johnson – Bass
Chad Wackerman – Drums

BIO

Guitarist Allan Holdsworth is widely considered to be one of the finest instrumentalists in all of jazz fusion, yet has never truly received the recognition that he so rightfully deserves. Born on August 6, 1946, in Bradford, Yorkshire, Holdsworth was originally taught music by his father, who was a pianist. Holdsworth didn't pick up the guitar until he was 17 years old, but learned the instrument quickly. After playing in local outfits (and learning the violin), Holdsworth relocated to London, where he was taken under the wing of saxophonist Ray Warleigh. By 1972, Holdsworth had joined progressive rockers Tempest, appearing on the group's self-titled debut a year later before joining Soft Machine in December 1973 -- and radically changing the latter outfit's sound to guitar-based fusion in the process. U.S. drummer Tony Williams discovered Holdsworth around this time, which led to an invite for the up-and-coming guitarist to replace John McLaughlin in Williams' Lifetime project -- Holdsworth abruptly left Soft Machine in March of 1975, subsequently appearing on the Williams recordings Believe It and Million Dollar Legs. But Holdsworth's union with Williams was a brief one, as the guitarist joined up with French-English prog rockers Gong for such albums as 1976's Gazeuse! (released as Expresso in the U.S.) and 1978's Expresso II, in addition to guesting on recordings by Jean-Luc Ponty, Bill Bruford, Gordon Beck, Jack Bruce, and UK. Also in the late '70s, Holdsworth launched a solo career, which over the years has seen the release of nearly 20 albums (a few standouts include 1983's Road Games, 1985's Metal Fatigue, 1994's Hard Hat Area, and 2000's The Sixteen Men of Tain), as the guitarist has been joined by such acclaimed musicians as Paul Williams (a former bandmate of Holdsworth's in Tempest), Gary Husband, Chad Wackerman, Gary Husband, Jimmy Johnson, Steve Hunt, and Alan Pasqua, among others. In the mid-'80s, Holdsworth was one of the first musicians to use a Synthaxe, a guitar that contained a breath controller that proved to be a cross between a synthesizer, guitar, and saxophone (Holdsworth was awarded Best Guitar Synthesist from 1989 through 1994 in the readers' poll of Guitar Player magazine). In the '90s, Holdsworth also created his own signature guitar model with the Carvin company. In the mid-'90s, Holdsworth briefly shifted away from his fusion originals and recorded an album with longtime musical partner Gordon Beck that dipped into jazz standards. The Sixteen Men of Tain (2000) marked another shift, in that it was the first Holdsworth release to feature an all-acoustic rhythm section. This was followed in 2002 by All Night Wrong, his first official live release. Then! Live in Tokyo was next, featuring Holdsworth's 1990 live band, which was followed by Against the Clock, a career retrospective, in 2005. © Greg Prato © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/allan-holdsworth-p6754/biography

Walter ''Wolfman'' Washington

2012-05-14T11:07:00.001+02:00

Walter ''Wolfman'' Washington - Wolf Tracks - 1986 - Rounder

Guitarist/vocalist Walter "Wolfman" Washington didn't get his shot on a national label until his 1986 debut for Rounder. While the album wasn't flawless, he possessed a strong, often compelling voice and was a skilled guitarist who could play effectively in a blues, R&B or jazz mode. Washington turned in a competent cover of the Tyrone Davis hit "Can I Change My Mind," spun a good yarn on "You Got Me Worried" and sounded weary, forlorn and anguished on various cuts. Although his songs weren't exactly lyrical triumphs, they were earnestly performed, and Washington displayed more than enough talent to justify subsequent followups. © Ron Wynn © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved © http://www.allmusic.com/album/wolf-tracks-r89692

While New Orleans is known as the home of many great horn players, pianists, and drummers, the city has produced relatively few great guitarists. Walter "Wolfman" Washington is a very talented, experienced and underrated guitarist. You are not going to hear any blistering solos, but you will hear one of the funkiest and most expressive styles in modern soul/R&B. Walter's unique deep soul voice combined with great musicianship and imaginative arrangements, in collaboration with Bill Samuel and David Torkanowsky make "Wolf Tracks" a great soul/R&B album in the traditional New Orleans style. Listen to Walter's great "Wolf at the Door" album. His playing can also be heard on Johnny Adams' "Man Of My Word" album (on this blog) [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 103 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I'm Tiptoeing Through - W.Washington & T.Beckerman 4:43
2 Thinking for Yourself - W.Washington & T.Beckerman 3:45
3 Are You the Lady? - W.Washington & T.Beckerman 5:33
4 Sweet Cakes - W.Washington 4:16
5 It Was Fun While It Lasted - W.Washington & T.Beckerman 3:37
6 You Got Me Worried - W.Washington 5:54
7 One Way or Another - W.Washington & T.Beckerman 5:19
8 Can I Change My Mind - Barry Despenza & Carl Wolfolk 4:14
9 Without You - W.Washington 5:02

MUSICIANS

Walter ''Wolfman'' Washington - Guitar, Vocals
Elijah Rogers - Rhythm Guitar
Harold J.Scott - Bass
David Torkanowsky - Keyboards
Van Odom - Drums
George "Geeje" Jackson Jr. - Congas on "Sweet Cakes"
Bill "Foots" Samuel - Alto & Tenor Saxophones [The Windfall Horns]
Ernie Gautreau - Valve Trombone [The Windfall Horns]
Terry Tullos, Eric Baskin - Trumpet & Flugelhorn [The Windfall Horns]
Timothea - Vocal on "It Was Fun While It Lasted"

ABOUT WALTER WASHINGTON

Walter Washington became a local legend in the black clubs of New Orleans in the '70s and '80s and worked his way up to national status with a series of well-received albums and appearances. His recording affiliations have likewise moved from local to national independent to major label. An innovative guitarist and fine singer who has also done some excellent work with vocalist Johnny Adams, Washington does not perform in the classic New Orleans R&B mold but incorporates soul, funk, jazz, and blues with fluency and power. Washington was born and raised in New Orleans, where he performed in his mother's church choir as a child. As he grew older, he fell in love with blues and R&B and learned how to play guitar. His first big break came in the form of a supporting role for vocalist Johnny Adams, working with the singer in the late '50s. In the early '60s, Washington became a member of Lee Dorsey's touring band; after that engagement was through, he worked with Irma Thomas. In the mid-'60s, Washington formed his own group, the All Fools Band, and began headlining at local New Orleans clubs. By the early '70s, his popularity had grown enough to earn him a slot on a European package tour of New Orleans R&B acts. In the late '70s, he toured Europe on his own with his new band, the Roadmasters. Washington began his recording career relatively late, cutting his first album in 1981. The record, Rainin' in My Heart, appeared on a small independent label called Help Me; it was later re-released on Maison de Soul. Four years after his debut, Washington landed a contract with Rounder Records, releasing Wolf Tracks in 1986. The guitarist recorded two more albums for Rounder -- Out of the Dark (1988) and Wolf at the Door -- before moving to the major-label Point Blank/Charisma in 1991. Throughout the '90s, Washington continued to perform regularly, particularly in New Orleans clubs, and he recorded occasionally, yielding Blue Moon Risin' in 1999 and On the Prowl a year later. © Jim O'Neal © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved © http://www.allmusic.com/artist/walter-wolfman-washington-p565/biography

BIO (WIKI)

Walter "Wolfman" Washington (born December 21, 1943) is an American singer and guitarist, based in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. While his roots are in blues music, he blends in the essence of funk and R&B to create his own unique sound. Washington was born in New Orleans, and whilst still in his teens, he was invited to play in Lee Dorsey's band. In the mid 1960s, Washington formed the All Fools Band, and played at clubs in New Orleans. In the 1970s, he joined Johnny Adams' band. He played with Adams for 20 years, both performing live and also appearing on his records. During this time he continued to work as a solo artist, and in the late 1970s formed his own band, the Roadmasters, and toured Europe with them. Washington released his first solo album Rainin' In My Heart in 1981 from a small local label Help Me. He landed a contract with Rounder Records in the mid 1980s and he released total of three albums from the label. After the Rounder days, he also released an album from Virgin subsidiary Point Blank Records. Washington started to play regularly with two New Orleans musicians, the organist Joe Krown and the drummer Russell Batiste, Jr., working as a trio at the Maple Leaf Bar. In 2008, he released Doin' the Funky Thing, his first album in many years. Live at the Maple Leaf, a live recording by Krown, Washington, Batiste was also released in the same year.