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babydancing




Get this crazy baby off my head!

30.9.09

Chris Cain Band




Chris Cain Band - Late Night City Blues - 1987- Blue Rock'It Records

"I recently had the pleasure of touring with Chris Cain, both of us a part of the Blue Rock'It Records Blues Revue Tour, Spring of '97. Although I'd known Chris for quite awhile, I hadn't seen him perform but a few times. I am now a stone fan! - Robben Ford

"His full-bodied tone and surprisingly big voice packed a punch that had me and other witnesses reeling." - Guitar Player Magazine

"More than anyone else, anywhere, Cain represents the future of the blues." - San Jose Mercury News

"Chris Cain's a hot-shot guitarist and a singer with the relaxed style and mature expression of old blues masters like Bobby Bland and B.B. King - The Washington Post

A great album that renews your faith in the blues. Chris Cain is a terrific vocalist, guitarist and songwriter. Not many artists can lay claim to having these three qualities. All nine tracks on the album are Cain originals. Chris Cain has been highly praised by blues giants like BB king, Albert King, and Robben Ford. Dan Forte of Guitar Player wrote, "An impressive debut album by a top notch guitarist." CD Universe remarked that "Chris is 100% the real deal and is one of those who keep the blues idiom alive and well". "Late Night City Blues" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Chris' outstanding "Can't Buy a Break" album.

TRACKS

1 Wake Up And Smell The Coffee 3:46
2 I Need A Woman To Treat Me Right 2:39
3 Late Night City Blues 6:20
4 A Woman Don't Need 5:28
5 A Case of the Blues 4:24
6 She Takes Good Care Of Me 3:36
7 When The Blues Come To Call 4:02
8 Same Old Fool 4:50
9 Lonely Room 6:59
All songs composed by Chris Cain

MUSICIANS

Chris Cain (vocals, guitar)
Ron Torbenson (bass guitar)
Lizz Fischer (keyboards)
Robert Higgins (drums)
Noel Catura (saxophone)
Kevin Deibert (tenor saxophone)
Jon Ruff (trumpet)
Dave Eshelman (trombone)

ABOUT CHRIS CAIN (WIKIPEDIA)

Chris Cain (born 19 November 1955, San Jose, California, USA, is a blues and jazz guitarist with an international following. He began playing professionally as a teenager there, in local clubs, at festivals, and at private events.A virtuoso guitar player, Cain is also regarded among his fans and in the blues community as one of the most innovative and creative improvisers playing blues and jazz guitar today. Cain received four Blues Music Award nominations in 1987 for his debut album, Late Night City Blues, including Guitarist of the Year. He signed to Blind Pig Records in 1990, releasing his second album, Cuttin' Loose, the same year. The guitarist stayed at Blind Pig for the next few years, releasing Can't Buy A Break in 1992 and Somewhere Along the Way in 1995.

MORE ABOUT CHRIS CAIN

Chris Cain's crisp lead guitar and gravelly vocals have brought him national recognition. Influenced by B. B. and Albert King as well as various jazz players, Cain has cooked up a jumping sound on the Bay Area circuit. A native of San Jose, CA, Cain began playing California blues clubs in the mid-'80s, most notable the JJ's Cafe and JJ's Lounge South Bay circuit. Soon, his following was large enough to earn him a contract with an independent record label, Blue Rock'it. Cain's debut album, Late Night City Blues, was released in 1987. By this time, his backing band featured lead tenor saxophonist Noel Catura, bassist Ron Torbensen, saxophonist Mark Whitney, and drummer Robert Higgins. The album received good reviews, which led to national bookings for Cain and his band, as well as several European dates. In 1988, Cain and his band received a handful of WC Handy Award nominations, including blues band of the year and guitarist of the year. Cain signed to Blind Pig in 1990, releasing his second album, Cuttin' Loose, the same year. The guitarist stayed at Blind Pig for the next few years, releasing Can't Buy A Break in 1992 and Somewhere Along the Way in 1995. Cain and his band remained a popular concert attraction throughout the '90s. © Bill Dahl, allmusic.com




BIO [ © www.chriscain.cc/Cain_history.html ]

Chris Cain's jazz-tinged, blues soaked guitar and deep, warm vocals have the maturity and authenticity of bluesmen many years his senior. His expressive style is the result of a lifetime of study and the relentless pursuit of music mastery. His passion and intensity are a blend of his mother's Greek ancestry and his father's soulful black heritage. Cain was raised on stories of his father's childhood upbringing on Memphis' Historic Beale Street and attended his first B.B King concert at the tender age of three. Blues music played continuously on the home stereo and family outings were often trips to concerts. Cain recalls, "I remember when I was a kid, my Dad would be mowing the lawn with the stereo blasting Muddy Waters. When I look back, that was pretty cool! There was always music playing at our house, Ray Charles, B.B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, all the greats." At the age of eight, Cain taught himself to play guitar and began playing professionally before he was eighteen. Chris studied music at San Jose City College, and was soon teaching jazz improvisation on campus. Over the next twenty years, Cain would also master piano, bass guitar, clarinet, alto and tenor saxophone. The combination of his blues upbringing and his jazz studies melded to form the searing guitar style that sets Chris Cain apart and has moved him to the top ranks of the blues music scene. Cain's debut recording, Late Night City Blues (Blue Rock'it Records-1987) garnered four W.C. Handy Blues Award nominations, including Guitarist of the Year." Dan Forte of Guitar Player wrote, "An impressive debut album by a top notch guitarist." Cain's next two releases; "Cuttin Loose" (Blind Pig Records-1990) and "Can't Buy a Break" (Blind Pig Records-1992) collected a long list of awards and accolades. In August of 1995 Blind Pig released "Somewhere Along the Way" his 4th compilation of his unique brand of original music sophisticated blues, funk, jazz and gospel. In 2003 Patrick Ford produced Chris's latest CD, "Hall Of Shame" (Blue Rock'it Records-2003). "...this is now the sixth Chris Cain solo release I have produced, not to mention his work with me on projects like the Ford Blues Bands' "In Memory Of Michael Bloomfield" CD, and I continue to be in awe of his incredible talent. As a guitarist/singer, Chris has been praised by mentors like Albert King and peers like Robben Ford." Larry Nager (syndicated Scripts-Howard music critic) writes, "Nowadays most young blues players are Strat-wielding Stevie Ray Vaughan-a-bes. Not Chris Cain. With a voice that recalls B.B. King and a thick toned Gibson guitar sound reminiscent of Albert King, Cain is forging a unique style. With his own highly personalized songwriting, "Hall Of Shame" is a giant step in the development of one of the most compelling young bluesmen on today's scene." Through his guitar mastery and remarkable songwriting ability, Chris Cain has established himself as a musical force to be reckoned with. And as San Jose Mercury News music reviewer John Orr writes, "more than anyone else, anywhere, Chris Cain represents the future of the blues."

Happy The Man




Happy The Man - 3rd "Better Late" - 1983 - Azimuth

A melodic mix of symphonic jazz and rock with superb arrangements of keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals, drums, percussions, flute and saxophone. If you like early Yes, Genesis, or Gentle Giant, then this album may appeal to you. Happy The Man played a unique type of energetic, and dynamic progressive jazz rock that is still ahead of it's time. The tracks for this album were recorded in 1979, and not released until 1983 on the Kit Watkins owned Azimuth label, based in Virginia, USA. The later CD reissue added two extra tracks from the same sessions, "Who's In Charge Here" and "Such A Warm Breeze". Both these tracks are included here. As these tracks are of the home made demo variety, there are inevitable fluctuations in audio quality, but they shouldn't lessen your enjoyment of this great album. Listen to the band's brilliant "The Muse Awakens" album, and check out the "Happy The Man Live" album @ HTM/LIVE

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Eye of the Storm - Kit Watkins
A2 The Falcon - Stanley Whitaker, Frank Wyatt
A3 At the Edge of This Thought - Frank Wyatt
A4 While Chrome Yellow Shine - Kit Watkins, Frank Wyatt

B1 Shadow Shaping - Kit Watkins, Stanley Whitaker, Frank Wyatt
B2 Run Into the Ground - Kit Watkins, Rick Kennell
B3 Footwork - Kit Watkins
B4 Labyrinth - Kit Watkins
9 Who's in Charge in Here? - Stanley Whitaker [Bonus track on 1990 Cuneiform CD reissue]
10 Such a Warm Breeze - Stanley Whitaker [Bonus track on 1990 Cuneiform CD reissue]

MUSICIANS

Stanley Whitaker - guitar, vocals
Rick Kennell - bass
Coco Roussel - drums, percussion
Frank Wyatt - keyboards, sax, flute
Kit Watkins - keyboards and flute

REVIEWS

From the liner notes: "This is the final demo tape made by Happy the Man. It was recorded in February, 1979 at the band house in Reston, Virginia, using a Teac 3340 4-track recorder. Basic tracks were recorded live by all members. Flute, sax, vocals, and some solos were overdubbed. Final mixes were made on a Revox A-77 half-track at 1 1/2 ips. Tape hiss and minor amounts of distortion were inevitable with the equipment available at the time." This is yet another posthumous release from Happy the Man. Comprised of the demos for what would have been their third album, 3rd Better Late... stands as a document of the band during their last year together. As can be expected with a demo, the sound quality is not up to par with the previous albums, but the majority of the songs were remixed by Kit Watkins in 1989. The songs here showcase the mellow, symphonic side of the band much more than on previous releases. There is also an 'easy listening' vibe present in some places that tends to leave a bad taste in my mouth. The album also features a much larger vocal presence, present on four tracks. The first six songs (with the exception of "While Chrome Yellow Shine") tend to drag along in search of ideas, and fail to reach out and grab you. The album starts to kick into gear with "Run into the Ground" which is a return to the form of the more fast paced and high energy songs. "Labyrinth" is the most successful fusion of these extremes, mellow and upbeat, into one track. When all's said and done, this album should obviously be judged on its demo nature. By the time these songs would have seen their way to a record, there would inevitably have been changes. For those of you who enjoy the first two albums and need more HtM, this is the next logical step. Just don't expect a classic. © Mike Prete [February 2001] © 2002, The Giant Progweed

3rd: Better Late... came out 11 years after these demo recordings were made, hence the second part of the album's title. As for the first part, these home sessions were conducted to put Happy the Man's third LP into pre-production. In the meantime, punk and disco discouraged record labels to pursue their contracts with progressive rock bands and Arista Records dropped the group. If the tapes are crude at times (some hiss, some distortion), sound quality is maintained at a respectable level. This is not the band's best material, but then again, it might have evolved before reaching the final stage -- a piece or two might even have been dropped. Still, it makes a worthy follow-up to Crafty Hands. The writing remains complex, polyphonic, counterpuntal. There is a bit more fusion than before. Tracks like "The Falcon," "Who's in Charge Here?," and "Shadow Shaping" (the latter very Gentle Giant-esque) are genuine Happy the Man. New drummer Coco Roussel (also featured on the Cuneiform release Live) brings more subtle percussion work, while Kit Watkins and Stanley Whitaker play better than ever. Don't get turned off by the discouraging artwork: this is strong Happy the Man material, even though newcomers should begin with the band's two original albums. © François Couture, All Music Guide

SHORT BIO

Often compared to Yes for their melodicism and Gentle Giant for the complexity of their compositions, Happy the Man add their own high-caliber musicianship, a sense of symphonic drama, odd time signatures, spacy sound, and occasional whimsy to their brand of art-rock. Although their largely instrumental oeuvre is rather inconsistent, Happy the Man still carry a devoted following on the prog-rock collectors' circuit. The group was formed in 1974 and features keyboardist Kit Watkins, keyboardist/woodwind player Frank Wyatt, guitarist and occasional vocalist Stan Whitaker, and bassist Rick Kennell, plus a rotating succession of drummers. Original vocalist Cliff Fortney left the band before it signed to Arista. Their self-titled 1977 debut was recorded with drummer Mike Beck and introduced each member's compositional style: Watkins possessed the symphonic grandeur, Wyatt gravitated towards songs with lyrics, and Whitaker allowed his sense of humor to come through on pieces such as "Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest" and "Knee Bitten Nymphs in Limbo." The follow-up, Crafty Hands, featured drummer Ron Riddle and was released a year later. By the time Third: Better Late was released in 1979 with drummer Coco Roussel, Happy the Man had broken up. Kit Watkins joined Camel for two albums before fading into obscurity; some Happy the Man albums remain in print on independent labels, as well as the Retrospective collection and Beginnings, a series of early two-track studio recordings with Fortney. © Steve Huey, All Music Guide

BAND INFO (Wikipedia)

Happy The Man are an American progressive rock band primarily from the 1970s specializing in virtuoso instrumental tracks within complex time signatures. The group formed in 1972 in Harrisonburg, VA, and recorded two albums, after which keyboardist Kit Watkins decided to leave the band to join Camel. The group put together their unreleased material and released a "final" album in 1983. The band continued to be a cult favorite in progressive rock circles even after they broke up. In 2000, the group reformed for NEARfest joined by David Rosenthal on keyboards, and they released a new album in 2004: The Muse Awakens. Whitaker and Wyatt have released another album, Pedal Giant Animals since, and have formed a new band, Oblivion Sun.



MORE ABOUT HAPPY THE MAN / ALBUMS

HTM produced some of the most stirring, complex, melodic, and MUSICAL works I have ever heard, and although they are rather rare, they are certainly very accessible and you should be able to find their stuff on domestic cd without having to plop down $35+ for it. Throughout their existance as a functioning band (from 1974-1978) they recorded three marvelous LP's. The following musicians appear on each one of these: 1. Frank Wyatt - piano, el. piano, organ, flute, sax 2. Stanley Whitaker - guitars 3. Rick Kennell - bass 4. Kit Watkins - synths, piano, el. piano, organ, flute. Each album had a different drummer (seems the money-grubbing scum at Arista scared them away with their threats of having no commercial appeal as a band, or something like that....). The discography below shows the albums and who played drums on them: 1. Happy The Man - drums: Mike Beck 2. Crafty Hands - drums: Ron Riddle 3. Third: Better Late - drums: Coco Roussel. The first one is arguably the best of the three, although not by much as they are all truly spectacular. It was produced by Ken Scott, of David Bowie and Supertramp fame. This album defines the band's sound very well, one that endured throughout their career. For those of you who have never heard the HTM sound are missing something very special. The band claims to be influenced by Genesis, Yes, and Gentle Giant although they really do not sound anything like any of those bands. They were a band so far ahead of their time that, to this day, they still sound totally revolutionary. The compositions tend to be rather complex and challenging, but they cleverly avoid falling into that dissonant trap that so many bands fall in to when they try to write something complex (e.g. the mid-section of Yes' "Ritual"). HTM maintains a melodic approach to everything they write. On this album you will find: (I quote a suitably impressed music critic) "dazzling artistic vision, instrumental virtuosity, and imagination," "fresh, exhilarating and impossible to categorize (this means please do not try to put a label on this band like "progressive" - it will make a lot of us very mad)," "witness HTM's masterful use of dynamics, tonal colors, and counterpoint; their ability to execute finger-breaking time signatures with deft ease; the lattice-like melodies and ingenious thematic variations that surge and recede with unusual grace and power; and the fact that no matter how complex or demanding their music became, the band always sounded uncluttered and in total control." There. Couldn't have said it better myself. Each member of the band is exceptionally gifted...there is no one single dominant member. The writing is carried out by Watkins, Wyatt, and Whitaker. Watkins tends to write pieces with a lot of symphonic flourish, and you can bet your life there will be some awesome lead synth playing (usually done on a MiniMoog). I once thought Keith Emerson, Rick Wakeman, and Tony Banks were the best around....then I heard HTM. Kit Watkins can bury those guys with his right hand alone. You have to hear him to believe it. His Minimoog settings have an unsurpassed clarity to them, and he knows exactly how to use the pitch-bending feature of the instrument at the right time. I have an old article from Keyboard magazine, around 1982, that shows the settings he used on the MiniMoog to obtain this remarkable, unique sound. Words cannot describe his technical prowess, honest.... Whitaker writes more upbeat, punchy songs, like "Stumpy Meets the Firecracker in Stencil Forest" from the first LP. Wyatt tends to write the songs with the lyrics, which were sung by Stan Whitaker. Here's what is available on CD to date: 1. Retrospective - a compilation of most of first and second lp, with some stuff from 3rd. Great place to start. 2. HTM 3rd: Better Late 3. Beginnings - features material recorded live in 2-track studio in 1974-75. Features a singer called Cliff Fortney who left the band before being signed to Arista. Very rough recording, but some really great songs. Some are not up to their usual standard of excel- lence, however. Recommended only for die-hards. Do not start with this one. 4. HTM and Crafty Hands were released on Japanese CD, but only 500 copies of each....I have never seen one myself, but I understand they sell for nearly $250 each at shows
THE best U.S. progressive, hands down! Beginnings collects from the earliest years of the band, and is supposed to be exclusively for established fans. (Can you tell I haven't heard it?) The first actual release was the self-titled LP from 1976. Showing influence from Gentle Giant, King Crimson, yet retaining an original identity, they weave an intricate, mostly instrumental tapestry with flutes, saxes, guitar and multiple keyboards. A very impressive debut. Crafty Hands is their classic LP, almost entirely instrumental, with moments of striking beauty ("Morning Sun", "Open Book") and others of hair-raising energetic prog jamming ("Ibby It Is", "Steaming Pipes"). The unbelievable "Service With A Smile" proves that great prog numbers need not be long, it's under three minutes! And "Wind Up Doll Day Wind" is their finest vocal number, with lyrics that give Peter Sinfield a run for his money. If you can find it, don't hesitate to get it! These two albums were anthologized on the CD Retrospective. The third album, recorded sometime around 1979 but not released till the mid-eighties, is the weakest of the original three, but has enough good music to make it worth completing your collection for. "Labyrinth" is as good a song as they've ever recorded, worthy of the best of Crafty Hands. "Eye of the Storm", "Run Into The Ground" and "While Crome Yellow Shine" (huh?) are other good ones. They include a couple of weak vocal tunes ("The Falcon", "Shadow Shaping") that make this one not as desirable to own, but it's not bad. -- Mike Ohman I've have two albums by them. Beginnings and Crafty Hands. Beginnings is good, but nothing to get excited about. Crafty Hands is much better. I especially like the song "Wind Up Day Doll Wind." I kind of think of it as a cross between Genesis and Yes' "Heart of the Sunrise." A great band that didn't make it because generally people are musically stupid. Kit Watkins, the keyboardist star of the band, went on to play on a couple of Camel albums but then drifted off into obscurity. He's still making interesting albums though. Because they got signed and apparently fronted enough money, the production on their albums is phenomenal - it holds up well today. Gentle Giant-like in complexity, the musicianship is somewhat better. Kit is an amazing keyboard soloist - a speed demon with an uncanny sense of melody. They never did get a good singer so their best stuff is generally instrumental. A lot of weird and shifting time signatures. "Cosmic" sounding. This group has a very interesting and well developed sound, their first two albums which were recorded in the late 70s sound like they were recorded just yesterday, they were quite ahead of their time. I got Retrospective and liked the CD 10 times more the second time I heard it than the first time. Definately a grow-on-you group. Seems influenced by Gentle Giant sometimes, gets kind of new-age towards the end of the CD. One of the best american progressive bands, years ahead of their time - the first two albums sound as fresh and innovative today as they did fifteen years ago. The music is about 90% instrumental, with strong leanings in a jazzy direction, their music is dramatic, complex and sometimes humorously quirky, with bursts of melodic color and odd-time signature explorations throughout. Retrospective is a collection of tracks from their two albums HTM and Crafty Hands (plus a few from their posthumous 3rd), and even though a few excellent tracks from those two are left off, it is still fairly representative of their best period, and a good place to start for the uninitiated. Their 3rd album wasn't released until around 83, and is overall more low-key than the first two, and far too serious - much of the humor in their music (as evidenced so well by early tracks like "Knee Bitten Nymphs In Limbo," "Stumpy Meets The Firecracker" and "Mr Mirror") had disappeared by the third album, and in comparison it pales, although its vocal tracks are far more cohesive than most they had done before. Beginnings is a collection of early recordings from the 75-76 period, prior to their first album. The material ranges from excellent to so-so, as does the recording quality, but may show some convincing evidence of Canterbury influences in their roots. For serious collectors only. Excellent band from the USA, featuring Kit Watkins of Camel fame and Coco Roussell of Heldon fame. The music is strongly keyboard oriented and they had two keyboard players. There is also sax, flute, and guitar to round out the mix. The music ranges from dramatic to the sublime, always powerful. There is complex interplay between all the musicians such that it takes several listens to fully comprehend how intertwined the instruments are. The interplay will remind you of Gentle Giant. The melodic lines might remind you of Yes. The music will remind you of how wonderful truly innovative music is. I finally found Retrospective in a cut-out bin and thought I would have to be satisfied. Recently, however, they repressed Crafty Hands for either the third or fourth time. That should give you an indication of how popular it is. The album is everything everyone says it is and more. Snatch it up if you have the chance like I did. You will not be disappointed. The edition of these 1979 recordings (3rd, Better Late...) remind us of just how regrettable the disappearance of this excellent group is. A music that defies description and a sound that isn't the least bit outdated. Always very melodic, this unique blend of symphonic rock and jazz relies on rich arrangements of keyboards, guitars, bass, vocals, drums, percussions, flute and saxophone. The sustained use of these instruments provide much richness to the sound while solid performances provide dynamic energy. Five excellent musicians that played, we now realize, ahead of their time. -- Paul Charbonneau Arguably America's greatest progressive rock group played 4 dates in year-2000 and is on the verge of releasing a new CD. New tunes: "Barking Spiders," "A Dream of Amsterdam," "Maui Sunset". New keyboardist has replaced Kit Watkins. And a Web site, too. (see Links). © Todd Brendan Fahey, www.kinesiscd.com

In February of 2004, Joe Bergamini of 4Front joined HTM as their new drummer. They have released an album on the Inside Out label entitled The Muse Awakens. The current HTM line-up is Frank Wyatt (keyboards, original member), Stan Whitaker (guitars, original member), Rick Kennell (bass, original member), David Rosenthal (keyboards, replacing Kit Watkins, who did not want to play live) and now Joe Bergamini. © Fred Trafton, www.kinesiscd.com

29.9.09

Elizabeth & The Catapult




Elizabeth & The Catapult - Elizabeth & The Catapult - 2006 - Elizabeth and the Catapult

"Elizabeth & the Catapult have managed to hurl themselves pretty far through word-of-mouth buzz. The unsigned local trio, led by vocalist Elizabeth Ziman and her Aimee Mann–like drawl, has built a loyal local fanbase via jazzy,buoyant pop songs; they're now making frequent appearances on NPR's Studio 360. Check out jaunty earworm "Momma's Boy," off their self-titled EP—these three won't be flying under the radar for long." - The Village Voice

"The self-assured Elizabeth and the Catapult prove what a sultry-voiced Greenwich Village habitue with a Norah Jones jones should do: Just let it flow" - The Boston Globe

"The jazzy/funky voice of Elizabeth and the Catapult's Elizabeth Ziman caught my ear immediately, their "Waiting for the Kill" is one of the discs standouts." - Pop Matters

"The secret to their booming success lies not in a bevy of publicists and yes men, but in their original and refreshing sound. Bringing together Ziman’s classical vocal and piano training, Molad’s love of visionary pop like Beck and Jon Brion, and guitarist Pete Lalish’s edge and roughness, they have come up with a style that is at once technically challenging, harmonically interesting and bursting with pop hooks. But Ziman hates being lumped in haphazardly with piano goddesses like Tori Amos, Regina Spektor and Norah Jones. “This band is more about arranging and is more a band as a whole.” That said, her strong and velvety vocals oscillate from a playful Ella Fitzgerald staccato to a wave of ethereal harmonies reminiscent of Sarah McLaughlin". © Lee Ann Westover, www.thevillager.com

Brooklyn based The Catapult's sophisticated songs, with their combined elements of jazz, pop and funk are a breath of fresh air on the "pop" scene. The Catapult's songs have been compared to those of Rufus Wainright, David Byrne and Leslie Feist. This 2006 s/t six track ep is very creative, intelligent, and most enjoyable. Try and hear the band's great "Taller Children" album, and expect bigger things from this band in the future. Check the band on My Space @ E&TC/MYSP Listen to a good WFUV FM podcast about the band @ E&TC/PODC

TRACKS

1 Waiting For The Kill
2 Right Next to You
3 Momma's Boy
4 My Goodbye
5 Devil's Calling
6 Golden Ink

All songs composed by Elizabeth Abby, and/or Lynn Ziman

BAND

Elizabeth Ziman (vocals, keys)
Danny Molad (drums)
Peter Lalish (guitar)

BIO

Elizabeth & the Catapult highlights the jazzy, neo-baroque songwriting talents of vocalist Elizabeth Ziman while making room for flourishes of pop and lounge music. An active musician since childhood, Ziman trained as a classical pianist until the age of 16, at which point she shifted focus toward the shaping of her voice. The budding entertainer then joined Patti Austin on tour in 2002, singing background vocals for the soul legend for the next 18 months. Upon her return in 2004, she began piecing together a trio with drummer Danny Molad and guitarist Peter Lalish. Elizabeth & the Catapult released a self-titled EP two years later, having recorded and produced the effort themselves. After establishing a strong D.I.Y. ethic and attracting attention from (but never signing with) several major labels, the band inked a contract with Verve Records in 2008. Elizabeth & the Catapult then traveled to Nebraska, where they set up shop inside Mike Mogis' Omaha studio. Taking inspiration from the serene surroundings, the band pounded out an album's worth of material at a quick pace and returned to New York shortly thereafter. The resulting record, Taller Children, marked their major-label debut in June 2009. © Andrew Leahey, allmusic.com

MORE ABOUT BAND / EP

Take a clear and powerful voice, add a memorable melody and set it to unique, sophisticated harmonies, and what emerges is Elizabeth and the Catapult’s singular sound. At a time when so much music is saturated with familiarity, the band’s style, which Northeast Performer describes as “a mixture of organic jazz, rock and pop,”is a welcome departure from a well-beaten bath. Comprised of Elizabeth Ziman (vocals, keys), Danny Molad (drums), and Peter Lalish (guitar), Elizabeth and the Catapult came into existence in 2004. In the less than two years since their move to New York, Elizabeth and the Catapult has already racked up an impressive list of accomplishments. In May and August of 2006 they were featured on WNYC’s “Soundcheck” as well as PRI’s “Fair Game with Faith Salie”. At the end of the year they were dubbed by NPR as “One of the Best Discoveries of 2006”. The Catapult have had residencies at clubs such as the Living Room and Rockwood Music Hall, and after opening for national headliners like Jessie Harris, Kirk Kirkwood (of The Meat Puppets fame), The Wood Brothers (of Medeski, Martin, and Wood), and Amanda Palmer (of The Dresden Dolls) there was enough buzz about them to support a tour and label interest on the West Coast. All of this success also earned them a place as the Billboard Underground Artist for last October. Bound by a common love of eclectic influences, Elizabeth & the Catapult draws inspiration from artists such as Tom Waits, David Byrne, Joni Mitchell, and Jon Brion- as well as classical influences such as Debussy, Ravel and Chopin. One explanation for the bands musical diversity is Elizabeth Ziman’s musical background. She was trained as a classical pianist until the age of sixteen. “As a kid, I used to practice all the time…” Elizabeth explains. “But one day I realized that I couldn’t lock myself in a room for eight hours a day…that’s when I started writing and singing.” After that, it quickly became apparent that her vocal abilities rivaled her piano kills. In 2002, Elizabeth successfully auditioned to be a background vocalist for soul-queen Patti Austin and ended up joining her on tour for the next year and a half. Elizabeth’s experience along with Pete and Danny’s folk/rock sensibility piece together to make up the band’s harmonically distinctive pop sound, a sound well reflected in their stylistically diverse new EP. After a listen to the Elizabeth and the Catapult EP, it is immediately clear that a great deal of thought went into each of the songs’ arrangements. Strings, Horns, Marimba and Synthesizers are all blended together, creating an organic, off-beat style that fans have often referred to as “baroque pop”. The sound of the EP is also shaped by the guerilla-style fashion in which it was recorded. Drummer Danny Molad recorded most of the EP in basements and bathrooms, producing the album, along with Elizabeth, in an incredibly modest home studio. With these limited resources, Elizabeth and the Catapult managed to produce an expertly mixed album. Every note of the EP sounds deliberately placed while there still manages to be an air of effortlessness that penetrates throughout all the songs. In their recordings as well as live performances, Elizabeth and her band members bring together all their backgrounds and experiences to make music that they themselves enjoy. They acknowledge their amorphous style and readily admit that it probably scares record labels. Even so, Elizabeth asserts that she is “not interested in assigning herself a specific style.” Elizabeth and the Catapult are proud of their ever-changing sound and are committed to keeping their music fresh and creative. © 2007, The Agency Group, LTD, All Rights Reserved

Bacon Fat




Bacon Fat - Reinventing The Mojo - 2007 - Grease It Up Music

Founded in 2000 this three-piece unit from the Brussels area proved more than enough they are one of the most remarkable and most rumoured acts in the Lowlands. It is one of the rare bands who manages to drive the audience over the top with mainly original songs. Everywhere the crowds go mad for the unique style of the boys whom one might possibly describe as an orgy between ZZ Top, Hendrix, Ten Years After, Andre Williams, Masters of Reality and Five Horse Johnson. However, it is impossible to label the band. Bacon Fat is Bacon Fat and it only sounds like – indeed – Bacon Fat. It is a mixture of blues, rock, trash and boogie with some psychedelic and jazzy flavours added. Along with the self-willed characters of the three band-members this is a band who doesn’t fit any locker. There is nothing or no-one sounding like nor resembling to Bacon Fat and exactly this is the strength of the band. [ from the album notes of the band's "Boogielicious Baby" album ]

"Reinventing The Mojo" is a terrific "kick ass" album from the Belgian band, Bacon Fat. This band is a credit to Belgium. BF can really compare with the best of the American and British blues rock outfits. In parts, the album is reminiscent of late sixties, early seventies psychedelic rock. There are some great Hendrix influences, and Jimi's "Red House" is given a great workout here. It is worthwhile listening to more of this band's work. Buy the band's great rockin' "Boogielicious Baby" album.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Shake That Ass - Petitjean, Kesteloot, Goossens
2. Dig It Up - Petitjean, Kesteloot, Goossens
3. Bodeguita Brew - Petitjean, Bols, Lammens
4. She Go Down to Get Me High - Petitjean, Bols, Lammens
5. Pretty Little Thang - Petitjean
6. Blues for Carol - Petitjean, Kesteloot, Goossens
7. Red House - Jimi Hendrix
8. Gimme Some More - Petitjean, Kesteloot, Goossens
9. Miles Dewey III Part 2 - Petitjean, Kesteloot, Goossens
10. Humbucking - Petitjean, Bols, Lammens
11. Louisa - Petitjean, Bols
12. Morefun Boogie - Petitjean, Bols, Lammens
13. Raggafari Jack - Petitjean, Kesteloot, Goossens

BAND

W. Johnson - guitars, vocals, keys, effects, production
Benjamin Cestillo - bass, backing vocals
Enrique ‘Rico’ Gee - drums, percussion
Delvis - lead vocals, blues harp on Track 6, and howlin' on Track 13

REVIEW

It has been nearly three years since the release of “Boogielicious Baby” and to say the least: a lot has happened. First of all the band was injected some fresh blood as the ole’ line-up fell apart. Welcome aboard Benjamin and Rico!W. Johnson (the only original member) had to move mountains to keep the band existing. It was like starting all over from zero. Though luck was involved: within a couple of weeks the new line-up was ready to hit the stage. And the miracle was achieved when six months later the band was ready to record the second album which is presented right here. Actually Johnson literally had to reinvent the soul, the heart and the “mojo” of the band. Hence the title of the album. When listening to the opening track “Shake that ass” you can feel right away the band has gotten much tighter. This track you could probably file under “dance-blues” with it’s pumping bass and driving disco-beat. There’s even a real “Beat” added in the bridge, most exciting! At the end the song turns into a real bluesrocker in the vein of the “Undead”-album by Ten Years After.Other remarkable songs in the track-list include “Blues for Carol” (sung by 20-year old super-talent Delvis, who also plays the bluesharp here), “Red House” (a cover of the blues-standard by Jimi. Not an attempt to imitate the master but a true Bacon Fat-version), “Miles Dewey III part 2” (an instrumental effort inspired by the great man himself. Part 1 appeared on the “Show Some Steel”-demo of 2002) and “Raggafari Jack” (a song clearly inspired by Big Sugar. Where reggae meets rock rock 'n' roll!).On top of that there’s eight straight in your face blues-rock tracks. “Morefun Boogie” is from the “Boogielicious Baby”-era. “Pretty Little Thang” was the big success of the “Show Some Steel”-demo. And that’s not the oldest original included here. “Louisa” was written by Johnson in 1999 before the first incarnation of Bacon Fat even got together. “Humbucking”, “Bodeguita Brew” and “She go down to get me High” were among the last tracks written by the ole’ line-up. The two brand new rockers “Dig it Up” and “Gimme some More” complete the album.So if you’re into fat guitars, big guitars, dirty guitars and nasty guitars AND if you’re into ass-kicking drums and groovy bass-lines you better check out “Reinventing the Mojo”. Bacon Fat prove themselves to be a tight unit with loads of potential towards the musical future. © 2009 CD Universe

BIO

At the end of the nineties W. Johnson lost his interest in playing covers and left the Bluesfactory. He decided to go his own way and started writing his own songs. Two years and a first failed line-up later he teamed up with drummer Luke Lammenzo and bassplayer Mr. Nasty. On July 18th, 2000 Bacon Fat was born. Six months later, after an intensive period of songwriting and rehearsing a first demo-CD was recorded. Bacon Fat was ready to go on stage now with mainly new and original songs. On March 9th, 2001 W. Johnson made his debut-appearance as the leadsinger and frontman of Bacon Fat. From that moment on the band succeeds in playing show after show and Bacon Fat becomes a well known name in the blues- and rockscene in the lowlands. Meanwhile W. gets in touch with "Le duc de Berloz" and "Le Grand Rititificateur". They would take care of all the design and webbuilding for the band from here on. The first result of this cooperation was the notorious cover of the second demo "Plain Sustain" in Januari 2002. With the accompanying tour Bacon Fat played their first shows in Holland. In November 2002 they hit the studio again to record their third demo called "Show Some Steel". This was still Bacon Fat, but clearly on a higher level and even more dynamic than before. These recordings pointed out Bacon Fat is a true rock 'n roll-sensation. Gig after gig they knew to confirm that reputation. 75 shows later -in less than three years- they found themselves ready to release their first official CD. To keep everything under control from a business point of view, Grease It Up Music cvoa was founded. The CD "Boogielicious Baby" happened to be the ultimate compilation of the first years of Bacon Fat, completed with 5 new tracks. 2005 naturally became the year of the Boogielicious Tour and Bacon Fat played concerts and festivals all over the Benelux. But between W. Johnson on one hand and Luke and Nasty on the other, a different point of view on the future of the band was rapidly growing. So with spring 2006 in the air, Luke and Nasty left the band and started their own project. Meanwhile, W. didn't just sit down waiting for a solution falling down from heaven or outer space. He found some new strength in the likes of Benjamin Cestillo (bass and backings) and Enrique "Rico" Gee (drums). With this new line-up the real Bacon Fat-spirit is back and the future of the band is assured. June 2007 marks the release of the second full-CD "Reinventing the Mojo". Received with great reviews worldwide this album holds the spotlight on the band during a period of musical exploration. By the end of the year they finally got the right recipe to present their live-set in a way that covers the whole history of the band while keeping an open mind for further musical directions in the future... 2008 marks the year of the MOJO Tour. These performances show the band has grown a lot since the recording-sessions for "Reinventing the Mojo" and also brought us the very first new original material. Bacon Fat also did it's first shows in Germany. © www.baconfat.be/the_band.php

Sarah Jane Morris




Sarah Jane Morris - August - 2001 - Irma

‘Morris puts her own mark on a dozen songs on August. Almost all of them covers, from John Lennon's Whatever Gets You Through The Night to Marvin Gaye's Mercy, Mercy Me and Leonard Cohen's Chelsea Hotel. Marc Ribot - an American guitarist who has worked with Tom Waits and Marianne Faithfull, collaborated with Morris in selecting, arranging, and producing the tracks. Morris picked some of her favorite songs, and the duo created spare arrangements in the studio, recording the entire CD in three days without rehearsals.. - Billboard

’On the occasions in a Sarah Jane Morris performance when she seems to turn herself into a cross between Edith Piaf and Tom Waits (and there are usually a few such spinetingling flashes in the course of a show), the British singer's obscurity in her own homeland is hard to fathom. Continental Europe, which has welcomed her for 25 years, seems to take a wider view of this unique artist.’ - The Guardian

"August" was recorded over three days in August, 2000 at Laylow Studios, Portobello Road, London. It's a wonderful acoustic album from this neglected vocalist. Sarah Jane covers 12 songs by artists including John Lennon, Leonard Cohen, and Curtis Mayfield. The lady has a sultry, smoky voice, slightly reminiscent of Cleo Laine, but softer. It is a great credit to her, that with mimimal backing, just mainly the assistance of the great American guitarist Marc Ribot, she covers these 12 classics songs with such style. Check out her website @ http://www.sarahjanemorris.co.uk/ and buy her "Fallen Angel" album. To hear another neglected star vocalist, search this blog for the amazing Kyla Brox

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

01 Don't Leave Me This Way Gamble/Gilbert/Huff 4:24
02 I Can't Stand The Rain Peebles/Bryant/Miller 4:07
03 Into My Arms Cave 4:28
04 Chelsea Hotel Cohen 3:05
05 You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory Thunders 3:16
06 Piece Of My Heart Burns/Ragovo 4:20
07 Blind Old Friends Barker/Brown/Morris 4:47
08 Move On Up Mayfield 4:37
09 Mercy Mercy Me Gaye 5:01
10 Try A Little Tenderness Campbell/Connelly/Woods 5:16
11 Don't Explain Holliday/Herzog Jnr.3:58
12 Whatever Get's You Through The Night Lennon 4:19

MUSICIANS

Sarah Jane Morris - lead vocals
Marc Ribot - guitars, bass, drum and programming
David Coulter - reco (track 02), violectra and snare (track 04)
Guily Briern - percussion (track 06)
Martin Barker - loops (track 07)
Kwaku Dzidzornu - bongos (track 08)
Mornington Lockett - sax (track 09)



BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Sarah Jane Morris (21 March 1959, Southampton, England), is a pop music, jazz, rock and R&B singer and songwriter. In 1982, Morris joined The Republic as lead singer. A London-based Afro-Caribbean-Latin band with leftish tendencies, they received enormous publicity from the music press including cover stories with NME and City Limits and a documentary for Granada TV. But the band was deemed too political for radio play, with the exception of Capital Radio. The Republic were signed to Charlie Gillet's Oval Records Ltd and released an EP entitled Three Songs From The Republic and two singles entitled One Chance and My Spies. Success did not follow and the band split up in 1984. Morris then sang with The Happy End, a 21-piece brass band named after Bertolt Brecht, Elisabeth Hauptmann and Kurt Weill's musical play. Playing a circuit that included Brighton's Zap Club and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, The Happy End explored protest music from Africa, Ireland and Latin America on a way that emulated Charlie Haden's Liberation Orchestra. Morris explored her more theatrical side on Brecht/Eisler's There's Nothing Quite Like Money and Brecht/Weill's Pirate Jenny from The Threepenny Opera. The Happy End released two albums on the Cooking Vinyl label with Morris. Following a successful Edinburgh run in 1986, Morris then decamped to chart success with The Communards. Morris found fame initially with the Communards, who are best known for their hit "Don't Leave Me This Way". Morris featured prominently on many Communards tracks, her low vocal range contrasting with Jimmy Somerville's falsetto. She has also recorded as a solo artist, releasing albums since 1989. These have enjoyed most popularity in Italy and Greece. Morris also contributed to the opera The Fall of the House of Usher (1991) by Peter Hammill and Judge Smith, singing the part of the chorus.

27.9.09

Hall & Oates




Hall & Oates - Livetime - 1978 - RCA

Recorded in Hershey, near Pottstown, Pennsylvania, where Hall had lived as a teenager. Daryl is notorious for asking the crowd during the recording , "Why didn't you like me as a teenager?" The album has received much criticism, mostly reviews saying that the live performances don't live up to the polished studio versions. Do they ever? This is a great concert from two of the masters of "blue eyed soul". The tracks include "Rich Girl", "Sara Smile", and "Abandoned Luncheonette". Check out the duo's " X-Static" album on this blog

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 rich girl - hall
2 the emptyness - oates
3 do what you want, be what you are - hall & oates
4 i’m just a kid (don’t make me feel like a man) - oates
5 sara smile - hall & oates
6 abandoned luncheonette - hall
7 room to breathe - sara allen/hall & oates

MUSICIANS

Hall & Oates (vocals, keyboards)
Caleb Quaye (guitar)
Kenny Passarelli (bass instrument)
David Kent (keyboards, background vocals)
Roger Pope (drums)
Charlie DeChant (saxophone, keyboards, percussion, background vocals)

ABOUT HALL & OATES

From their first hit in 1974 through their heyday in the '80s, Daryl Hall and John Oates' smooth, catchy take on Philly soul brought them enormous commercial success — including six number one singles and six platinum albums — yet little critical success. Hall & Oates' music was remarkably well constructed and produced; at their best, their songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of new wave and hard rock. Daryl Hall began performing professionally while he was a student at Temple University. In 1966, he recorded a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos; the group featured Gamble, Leon Huff, and Thom Bell, who would all become the architects of Philly soul. During this time, Hall frequently appeared on sessions for Gamble and Huff. In 1967, Hall met John Oates, a fellow Temple University student. Oates was leading his own soul band at the time. The two students realized they had similar tastes and began performing together in an array of R&B and doo wop groups. By 1968, the duo had parted ways, as Oates transferred schools and Hall formed the soft rock band Gulliver; the group released one album on Elektra in the late '60s before disbanding. After Gulliver's breakup, Hall concentrated on session work again, appearing as a backup vocalist for the Stylistics, the Delfonics, and the Intruders, among others. Oates returned to Philadelphia in 1969, and he and Hall began writing folk-oriented songs and performing together. Eventually they came to the attention of Tommy Mottola, who quickly became their manager, securing the duo a contract with Atlantic Records. On their first records — Whole Oates (1972), Abandoned Luncheonette (1973), War Babies (1974) — the duo were establishing their sound, working with producers like Arif Mardin and Todd Rundgren and removing much of their folk influences. At the beginning of 1974, the duo relocated from Philadelphia to New York. During this period, they only managed one hit — the number 60 "She's Gone" in the spring of 1974. After they moved to RCA in 1975, the duo landed on its successful mixture of soul, pop, and rock, scoring a Top Ten single with "Sara Smile." The success of "Sara Smile" prompted the re-release of "She's Gone," which rocketed into the Top Ten as well. Released in the summer of 1976, Bigger than the Both of Us was only moderately successful upon its release. The record took off in early 1977, when "Rich Girl" became the duo's first number one single. Although they had several minor hits between 1977 and 1980, the albums Hall & Oates released at the end of the decade were not as successful as their mid-'70s records. Nevertheless, they were more adventurous, incorporating more rock elements into their blue-eyed soul. The combination would finally pay off in late 1980, when the duo released the self-produced Voices, the album that marked the beginning of Hall & Oates' greatest commercial and artistic success. The first single from Voices, a cover of the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling," reached number 12, yet it was the second single, "Kiss on My List" that confirmed their commercial potential by becoming the duo's second number one single; its follow-up, "You Make My Dreams" hit number five. They quickly released Private Eyes in the summer of 1981; the record featured two number one hits, "Private Eyes" and "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)," as well as the Top Ten hit "Did It in a Minute." "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)" also spent a week at the top of the R&B charts — a rare accomplishment for a White act. H20 followed in 1982 and it proved more successful than their two previous albums, selling over two million copies and launching their biggest hit single, "Maneater," as well as the Top Ten hits "One on One" and "Family Man." The following year, the duo released a greatest-hits compilation, Rock 'N Soul, Pt. 1, that featured two new Top Ten hits — the number two "Say It Isn't So" and "Adult Education." In April of 1984, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Hall & Oates had surpassed the Everly Brothers as the most successful duo in rock history, earning a total of 19 gold and platinum awards. Released in October of 1984, Big Bam Boom expanded their number of gold and platinum awards, selling over two million copies and launching four Top 40 singles, including the number one "Out of Touch." Following their contract-fulfilling gold album Live at the Apollo with David Ruffin & Eddie Kendrick, Hall & Oates went on hiatus. After the lukewarm reception for Daryl Hall's 1986 solo album, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, the duo regrouped to release 1988's Ooh Yeah!, their first record for Arista. The first single, "Everything Your Heart Desires," went to number three and helped propel the album to platinum status. However, none of the album's other singles broke the Top 20, indicating that the era of chart dominance had ended. Change of Season, released in 1990, confirmed that fact. Although the record went gold, it only featured one Top 40 hit — the number 11 single, "So Close." The duo mounted a comeback in 1997 with Marigold Sky, but it was only partially successful; far better was 2003's Do It for Love and the following year soul covers record Our Kind of Soul. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine, allmusic.com

BIO (Wikipedia)

Hall & Oates is a popular music duo made up of Daryl Hall & John Oates. The act achieved its greatest fame in the late 1970s and early-to-mid 1980s. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles which they dubbed "Rock and Soul". They are best known for their six #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100: "Rich Girl", "Kiss on My List", "Private Eyes", "I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)", "Maneater", and "Out of Touch", as well as many other songs which charted in the Top 40. They last reached the pop top forty in 1990 and then slowly faded from public view, though they did not formally break up. They have continued to record and tour with some success. In total, the act had thirty-four singles chart on the US Billboard Hot 100. As of 2006, Hall and Oates have seven RIAA platinum albums along with six RIAA gold albums. A greatest hits compilation was released in 2001 from Bertelsmann Music Group. The BMG collection was expanded in 2004 and reissued the following year, after BMG merged with Sony. In 2003, Daryl Hall and John Oates were voted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame. Forty years after they first met in Philadelphia -- and twenty years after they became the single most successful duo of all time -- Daryl Hall & John Oates continue to record and perform together their distinctive and enduring blend of soulful sounds. Starting out as two devoted disciples of earlier soul greats, Hall & Oates are soul survivors in their own right. They have become such musical influences on some of today’s popular artists that the September 2006 cover of Spin Magazine’s headline read: “Why Hall & Oates are the New Velvet Underground”. Their artistic fan base includes Rob Thomas, John Mayer, Brandon Flowers of the Killers, Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie and MTV’s newest hipsters Gym Class Heroes who dubbed their tour “Daryl Hall for President Tour 2007”. Daryl Hall & John Oates first met back at Philadedelphia's Adelphi Ballroom in 1967. Both were attending Temple University, but they first discovered their shared passion for soul music during a show at which both of their groups -- The Temptones and The Masters, respectively -- were on a record hop bill with a number of then nationally known soul acts like the 5 Stairsteps and Howard Tate. When a gang fight broke out inside the Ballroom, the pair met each other in a service elevator while trying to get out. Hall had already become a fixture in the Philly soul scene, recording a single with Kenny Gamble and the Romeos featuring future Gamble, Leon Huff and Thom Bell. Hall – now considered one of the great soul singers of his generation -- became a protégé of the Temptations at the young age of 17. Oates too had performed with a number of R&B and doo-wop groups on the Philadelphia scene, and recorded a single with famed Philly soul arranger Bobby Martin. In the early 1970’s Hall & Oates began performing as a duo, and a year later -- with the help of manager Tommy Mottola -- they signed to the legendary soul label Atlantic Records. The group’s major label debut Whole Oats -- produced by legendary producer Arif Mardin who had already worked with The Rascals and Dusty Springfield -- combined the group’s soul and folk influences, but failed to make a significant commercial impact. That breakthrough would come with the duo’s following effort, 1973’s Abandoned Luncheonette, still considered one of the group’s finest albums by many of their admirers. Abandoned Luncheonette’s acoustic soul sound was groundbreaking and widely acclaimed, and the album’s stunning standout track “She’s Gone” would become a #1 R&B smash on the Billboard Magazine charts for Tavares in 1974, and eventually become a pop hit for Hall & Oates when it was re-released in 1976. Hall & Oates took a rather dramatic turn with their third album, 1974’s War Babies, a rockier and more experimental song cycle recorded with producer Todd Rundgren. Leaving Atlantic, Hall & Oates signed with RCA Records and in 1975 released the Daryl Hall and John Oates (also unofficially known to fans as The Silver Album) which yielded the duo’s first critical and commercial smash “Sara Smile” .The group’s 1976 follow- up Bigger Than Both Of Us yielded the infectious “Rich Girl,” the group’s first #1 on the Pop Singles chart, and a track that once again artfully combining their rock and soul influences into a cohesive whole. The group continued to experiment and expand their rock n’ soul sound with ambitious albums like 1978’s Along The Red Ledge (with David Foster as producer) and 1979’s X-Static. During that same period, Hall recorded and released on RCA his critically acclaimed first solo album Sacred Songs with experimental guitar innovator Robert Fripp. In 1980, Hall & Oates’ released the Voices album which would prove a true watershed moment in their illustrious career. Producing themselves for the first time, Hall & Oates created the template for a brightly infectious but still soulful sound that would help them become one of the dominant group’s of the Eighties. Voices included the group’s second #1 on the Pop Singles chart, “Kiss On My List,” as well as significant hits in “You Make My Dreams” and a cover of the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” In addition, “Everytime You Go Away” from the Voices album became a #1 hit in America and around the world when later covered by British soul singer Paul Young in 1985. 1981’s Private Eyes album featured two more #1 hits, the title track and “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do) ”and the Top Ten “Did It In A Minute.” This remarkable run continued with 1982’s H2O and more smashes in the form of "Maneater," “Family Man” and “One On One.” Two more hits -- “Say It Isn’t So” and “Adult Education” -- were included on the smash anthology Rock ‘n Soul, Pt. 1 that was released in 1983. Big Bam Boom continued the duo’s momentum with the help of another #1 hit, “Out Of Touch.” Having achieved so much together -- including appearing on the “We Are the World” recording session, at Live Aid and performing and recording at the Apollo Theater along with former Temptations David Ruffin and Eddie Kendrick -- Hall & Oates took a hiatus to focus on individual efforts in the mid-Eighties. Hall recorded and released his second solo effort, Three Hearts in the Happy Ending Machine, produced by his now long time friend, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics. The album would produce another hit for Hall in “Dreamtime”. The pair would then reunited to record their final 2 albums for Arista Ooh Yeah and Change of Season. In the past decade, Hall & Oates have toured consistently and with considerable success around the world, and have continued to record both together and separately with impressive results including Hall’s third solo album, Soul Alone. Sensing the change in the business, they abandoned the major labels and released independently Hall’s fourth solo album, Can’t Stop Dreaming and the duo’s 1997’s Marigold Sky –– with both receiving considerable acclaim. Forming their own label, U-Watch Records, 2003’s Do It For Love rightly marked a major return to form with the album being embraced as the group’s finest in many years. It also had considerable commercial success with the passionate title track reaching #1 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary Charts, while “Forever For You” also hit the Top Ten on the same chart. Most recently, Hall & Oates saluted their deep soul roots with 2004’s Our Kind Of Soul – an album that found them recording inventive re-workings of some of their favorite soul classics like the Spinners’ “I’ll Be Around” and the Four Tops’ “Standing in the Shadows of Love,” as well as three new originals with a decidedly classic soul feel, “Let Love Take Control,” and “Don’t Turn Your Back on Me”. 2004 also saw Hall & Oates’ body of work inducted together into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame. In 2006, Hall & Oates released their first ever full Christmas album on U-Watch entitled Home For Christmas, a soulful seasonal effort highlighted by a cover of Robbie Robertson's “Christmas Must Be Tonight” and two moving originals-- “No Child Should Ever Cry At Christmas” written by John Oates and the albums title track written by Daryl Hall with Greg Bieck and longtime Hall & Oates player and collaborator T-Bone Wolk. The single “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” became the #1 Holiday song of the 2006 season, The fortieth anniversary of their first meeting finds Daryl Hall & John Oates very much at the height of their powers making their own kind of soul, with a new generation of musicians recognizing not only their historic track record of success, but also their continuing influence and achievements.

26.9.09

Trevor Rabin




Trevor Rabin - Live in L.A. - 2003 - Voiceprint

Great live album from the former Yes guitarist, recorded at the Roxy, L.A., during the 'Can't Look Away' tour in 1989. Trevor reckons L.A. was one of the best shows of that tour. Included are a number of songs from Can’t Look Away, songs written for Yes’s 90125 and Big Generator albums (including the massive worldwide hit Owner Of A Lonely Heart) and Heard You Cry Wolf from his Wolf album.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Cover Up - Trevor Rabin, Godfrey Rabin, A. Moore
2. Sorrow - Trevor Rabin
3. Heard You Cry Wolf - Trevor Rabin
4. Changes - Chris Squire, Jon Anderson, Alan White
5. Eyes Of Love - Trevor Rabin, Bob Ezrin
6. Love Will Find A Way - Trevor Rabin
7. Sludge - Trevor Rabin
8. Can't Look Away - Trevor Rabin, Bob Ezrin, A. Moore
9. Owner Of A Lonely Heart - Trevor Rabin, Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Trevor Horn
10. Something To Hold On To - Trevor Rabin

MUSICIANS

Trevor Rabin (vocals, guitar)
Jim Simmons (bass, background vocals)
Mark Mancina (keyboards, background vocals)
Lou Molina (drums)

BIO (Wikia.com)

Trevor Charles Rabin (b. January 13, 1954) is a South African musician, best known as the guitarist and primary songwriter for the British progressive rock band Yes from 1983 - 1995, and since then, as a film composer. Rabin comes from a family of classical musicians in Johannesburg, South Africa, where his father was lead violinist for the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra. Educated at a public school in Johannesburg, he took formal piano training before discovering the guitar at age 12. His parents encouraged his talents toward rock music, although Rabin would maintain his interest in Classical music throughout his career. Rabin also briefly studied orchestration at the University of Johannesburg, and later arranged and conducted for many artists in South Africa. Trevor Rabin's early influences included Arnold Schoenberg, Tchaikovsky, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. He also dabbled with progressive and heavy rock with his first bands, The Conglomeration and Freedom's Children. The latter group were older musicians whose songs questioned the South African government, especially its racial policy of apartheid. During this same period, Rabin became a highly sought after session guitarist and bassist, playing with many jazz bands in South Africa. When Rabin fulfilled his obligation to the South African Army at age 19, he served with the entertainment division. In 1974 Trevor Rabin formed his first major recording group, Rabbitt along with Neil Cloud (drums), Ronnie Robot (bass guitar) and Duncan Faure (keyboards, guitar, vocals). Rabbitt actually began just prior to Rabin's year of military conscription in 1974, but it really took off in 1975 after their onstage popularity at Johannesburg's "Take It Easy" club spread by word of mouth. Their first single, released in 1975, was a cover of Jethro Tull's "Locomotive Breath". It later appeared on their debut album, Boys Will Be Boys, which featured original songs penned by Trevor Rabin. Rabbitt's second album, A Croak and a Grunt in the Night, was released in 1977. Trevor Rabin would go on to win a South African music award for his co-production on the album. Momentum gained with a short-term record distribution deal with Capricorn in the United States, but Rabbitt were unable to tour abroad because of continuing international disapproval of South Africa's apartheid policies. As a result, Trevor Rabin decided to leave South Africa. After recording one album without Trevor Rabin, Rabbitt disbanded that same year. After moving to London in 1978, Trevor Rabin recorded his first solo album, Beginnings. It was released in England simply as Trevor Rabin, with a slightly different track listing. While some songs were reminiscent of Rabbitt, Rabin's guitar playing was more prominent as it would continue to be on his successive solo albums. Along with a budding solo career, Rabin began working as a producer and session player. Some of his prominent work included South African vocalist Margaret Singana ("Where Is The Love") and fellow South African expatriate, Manfred Mann and his Earth Band. Rabin still found time to record his second album Face to Face, touring the United Kingdom in support of Steve Hillage in early 1980. Face to Face had the melodic guitar style of his first solo album, but also took a more hard-edged approach on such songs as "The Ripper" and "Now." Rolling Stone's first edition of their Record Guide criticized Rabin's music for its hook-ridden ballads but still gave his first two albums moderate ratings for their overall technical qualities. Neither of Rabin's first two solo albums found any commercial success. With the growth of the Punk scene in the late 70s, power-pop and hard rock music had fallen out of fashion in England. Trevor Rabin began looking for more fertile ground for what would be characterised in the U.S. as album-oriented rock (AOR). In 1981 he released the album Wolf, co-produced with Ray Davies of The Kinks. Manfred Mann's Earth Band members Chris Thomas and Manfred Mann made vocal and musical contributions to the album. Wolf marks Rabin's first collaboration with former Cream bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Simon Phillips. Following the release of the album, Rabin severed ties with Chrysalis Records as he felt they did little to promote the album. In 1981 Rabin moved to Los Angeles and signed with David Geffen. Rabin briefly recorded new material with a rhythm section consisting of future Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali and bassist Mark Andes who would later join Heart. Some of these demo recordings developed into the Yes songs "Hold On" and "Make It Easy". While Yes members, old and new, quarrelled over the Yes name, Trevor Rabin completed his fourth and final-to-date solo album, Can't Look Away, released in 1989. The albums lead single, "Something to Hold On To", earned a Grammy for Best Music Video and topped the AOR charts for two weeks. But neither "Something to Hold on To," nor the anti-apartheid ballad "Sorrow (Your Heart)" managed to crack the American Top-40 charts. Trevor Rabin toured between 1989 and 1990 with drummer Lou Molino III, fretless bassist Jim Simmons and keyboardist Mark Mancina. This nationwide tour has since been documented with 2003's Live in L.A., featuring interpretations of 80s Yes material, as well as highlights from his Wolf album. (This band also performed an instrumental version of a song that was a 90125 outtake: "You Know Something I Don't Know".) In 1991, Yes reformed with a short-lived, eight-man lineup for the Union album. Rabin contributed demos to the band. After having just recorded Can't Look Away Rabin did not have much material, and submitted three songs, thinking the record company would select one. Instead, all three were included: "Lift Me Up", "Saving My Heart" and "Miracle of Life". (Of these, "Lift Me Up" was performed live on the tour.) Trevor Rabin expressed dislike of the Union project, but still took part in the supporting tour, where he developed a lasting friendship with Rick Wakeman. 1992 and 1993 marked a series of negotiations between the short-lived Victory Music (not to be confused with a Chicago-based indie alt-rock outfit called Victory Records) and the so-called Yes West line-up. Phil Carson, responsible for Emerson, Lake & Palmer's comeback in 1992, invited the Yes 90125 lineup to record a third album. As the budget could not include an outside producer, Trevor Rabin undertook the mission. During sessions, he used an innovative digital hard-disk recording method now in common use in many studios. Although some Yes fans, and even Rabin himself, have criticised the limitations of digital sound, Talk made music recording history with its technical achievements. Talk featured the final collaboration between Rabin and Jon Anderson, who had hitherto completed the last few albums after the principal writing. Despite a couple of filler tracks, the album represents a fusion between old and new Yes. Fans across the board have listed "Endless Dream" as one of group's best songs. During 1994 and early 1995, the group performed nearly all the album, plus their earlier hits to a quickly vanishing fanbase. While some venues were full, others were less than half capacity -- fuelling ill-founded rumours that Yes fans had boycotted the shows. Yet, many fans who attended felt that the Rabin lineup's performance, especially on classic Yes material, had never been better. Numerous bootleg recordings exist, because the Talk concerts were simultaneously broadcast on FM radio frequency -- allowing Yes fans to make high-quality tapes. Trevor Rabin went on record as being supportive of this particular form of music-sharing. While some fans -- and Steve Howe -- did employ the press and Internet to blame Trevor Rabin's influence, certain tour dates were simply given low promotion by radio stations. After an initial rush of fans took the album to #33, Talk failed to sell as expected, because the AOR radio format had become moribund in the wake of Clinton-era telecommunication deregulation. Despite live exposure on the David Letterman Show, both "The Calling" and "Walls" failed to catch as a single during the height of Grunge. Moreover, Victory Records did not allot budgets for video promotion. Ultimately, the Talk tour ended in 1995 amid recriminations. Following the 1995 tour, Trevor Rabin resigned from Yes to become a soundtrack composer. Trevor Rabin has been a U.S. citizen since 1991. In 1996, he visited his native South Africa and performed Yes and Rabbitt songs during the Prince's Trust Concert. Trevor Rabin released demo versions of pre-90125 Yes compositions and solo work, entitled 90124, as well as Live in LA, recorded at the Roxy in Los Angeles in late 1989. Most recently, aside from his film work, Trevor Rabin performed in aid of the Prince's Trust with Yes at the Wembley Arena in London, where he served as lead guitarist and lead singer. Trevor Rabin has scored over two dozen films which include: Con Air, Homegrown, Armageddon, Enemy of the State, Jack Frost, Deep Blue Sea, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Remember the Titans, The 6th Day, The Banger Sisters, Kangaroo Jack, Bad Boys 2, The Great Raid, Exorcist: The Beginning, National Treasure, Coach Carter and most recently Snakes on a Plane, Flyboys, Gridiron Gang and The Guardian. Along with several Grammy nominations and one Grammy win, Trevor Rabin also has received eight BMI film score awards, and has received a lifetime achievement award from the Temecula Film Festival. He has been married for two decades to Shelley Rabin. They have one son, Ryan Rabin, who recently began his own career as a rock drummer in the band The Outline, signed to Fearless Records in Los Angeles. Although Geffen Records dropped his contract in 1982, Trevor Rabin kept composing material for his projected fourth solo album in Los Angeles. As a keyboardist, he also considered touring as a session player for Foreigner. During this time Rabin auditioned with the prog-rock supergroup Asia, featuring former Yes members Steve Howe and Geoff Downes. While in Los Angeles, he met bassist Chris Squire and drummer Alan White, who had experienced their own difficulties following the apparent demise of Yes in 1981. The trio found a mutual musical energy and they began recording new material as Cinema in early 1982. Later on they enlisted original Yes keyboardist Tony Kaye to complement their live performances. Produced by former Yes member Trevor Horn, the Cinema project came together over eight months in 1982. During his searching period in Los Angeles, Rabin had written several songs that formed the project's nucleus. "Owner of a Lonely Heart" evolved into a catchy riff-oriented song that Trevor Horn seized upon as a potential single. Atco Records, Yes' former record label, heard the group's demo, but questioned whether the group needed a separate vocalist. In fact, Rabin recently revealed that Horn had actually been invited to join, but the producer refused Squire's offer, presumably because of negative fan reaction toward his replacement of Jon Anderson in 1980. Rabin would endure similar comparisons to Steve Howe throughout his tenure with Yes. However, Chris Squire settled the question of a lead vocalist when he ran into Anderson at a Los Angeles party in 1983. After a favourable reaction to Cinema's version of "Leave It," Anderson rejoined the fold at the closing moments of the recording of 90125. Because the band now featured four former members of Yes, including Anderson, who was especially strongly identified with Yes in the public eye, the band (over Rabin's objections) chose to revive the Yes name rather than call itself Cinema. The new Yes would meet with critical and commercial success. 90125, a title taken from the album's own Atlantic Records catalogue number, sold more copies than any previous Yes album. This success was helped by the number-one smash, "Owner of a Lonely Heart". MTV rotation of the song and its follow-up "Leave It" carried 90125 to six million sales between 1983 and 1985. Yes also received a Grammy for the instrumental "Cinema". The band toured behind the album, in a series of well-received concerts across Europe and the Americas. In England and North America many younger fans were introduced to the earlier Yes catalogue because of the success of the 90125 album and its popular singles. 9012Live debuted as a live album and video package, taken from the group's 1984 shows in Edmonton, Canada and Dortmund, Germany. On the former recording, Trevor Rabin contributed his acoustic guitar solo, "Solly's Beard". In early 1986, Yes began recording its next album with Trevor Horn, but the production became bogged down amid Anderson and Squire's personal differences. Eventually, Rabin assumed control of studio engineering. Big Generator emerged in late 1987, with singles "Love Will Find a Way" and "Rhythm of Love." Both were modest chart hits compared to the singles from 90125. The song "Shoot High, Aim Low" featured a dual lead vocal between Rabin and Jon Anderson. The 1988 Big Generator tour of the U.S. missed several dates after Rabin collapsed from influenza. While Yes members, old and new, quarrelled over the Yes name, Trevor Rabin completed his fourth and final-to-date solo album, Can't Look Away, released in 1989. The albums lead single, "Something to Hold On To", earned a Grammy for Best Music Video and topped the AOR charts for two weeks. But neither "Something to Hold on To," nor the anti-apartheid ballad "Sorrow (Your Heart)" managed to crack the American Top-40 charts. Trevor Rabin toured between 1989 and 1990 with drummer Lou Molino III, fretless bassist Jim Simmons and keyboardist Mark Mancina. This nationwide tour has since been documented with 2003's Live in L.A., featuring interpretations of 80s Yes material, as well as highlights from his Wolf album. (This band also performed an instrumental version of a song that was a 90125 outtake: "You Know Something I Don't Know".) In 1991, Yes reformed with a short-lived, eight-man lineup for the Union album. Rabin contributed demos to the band. After having just recorded Can't Look Away Rabin did not have much material, and submitted three songs, thinking the record company would select one. Instead, all three were included: "Lift Me Up", "Saving My Heart" and "Miracle of Life". (Of these, "Lift Me Up" was performed live on the tour.) Trevor Rabin expressed dislike of the Union project, but still took part in the supporting tour, where he developed a lasting friendship with Rick Wakeman. 1992 and 1993 marked a series of negotiations between the short-lived Victory Music (not to be confused with a Chicago-based indie alt-rock outfit called Victory Records) and the so-called Yes West line-up. Phil Carson, responsible for Emerson, Lake & Palmer's comeback in 1992, invited the Yes 90125 lineup to record a third album. As the budget could not include an outside producer, Trevor Rabin undertook the mission. During sessions, he used an innovative digital hard-disk recording method now in common use in many studios. Although some Yes fans, and even Rabin himself, have criticised the limitations of digital sound, Talk made music recording history with its technical achievements. Talk featured the final collaboration between Rabin and Jon Anderson, who had hitherto completed the last few albums after the principal writing. Despite a couple of filler tracks, the album represents a fusion between old and new Yes. Fans across the board have listed "Endless Dream" as one of group's best songs. During 1994 and early 1995, the group performed nearly all the album, plus their earlier hits to a quickly vanishing fanbase. While some venues were full, others were less than half capacity -- fuelling ill-founded rumours that Yes fans had boycotted the shows. Yet, many fans who attended felt that the Rabin lineup's performance, especially on classic Yes material, had never been better. Numerous bootleg recordings exist, because the Talk concerts were simultaneously broadcast on FM radio frequency -- allowing Yes fans to make high-quality tapes. Trevor Rabin went on record as being supportive of this particular form of music-sharing. While some fans -- and Steve Howe -- did employ the press and Internet to blame Trevor Rabin's influence, certain tour dates were simply given low promotion by radio stations. After an initial rush of fans took the album to #33, Talk failed to sell as expected, because the AOR radio format had become moribund in the wake of Clinton-era telecommunication deregulation. Despite live exposure on the David Letterman Show, both "The Calling" and "Walls" failed to catch as a single during the height of Grunge. Moreover, Victory Records did not allot budgets for video promotion. Ultimately, the Talk tour ended in 1995 amid recriminations. Following the 1995 tour, Trevor Rabin resigned from Yes to become a soundtrack composer. Trevor Rabin has been a U.S. citizen since 1991. In 1996, he visited his native South Africa and performed Yes and Rabbitt songs during the Prince's Trust Concert. Trevor Rabin released demo versions of pre-90125 Yes compositions and solo work, entitled 90124, as well as Live in LA, recorded at the Roxy in Los Angeles in late 1989. Most recently, aside from his film work, Trevor Rabin performed in aid of the Prince's Trust with Yes at the Wembley Arena in London, where he served as lead guitarist and lead singer. Trevor Rabin has scored over two dozen films which include: Con Air, Homegrown, Armageddon, Enemy of the State, Jack Frost, Deep Blue Sea, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Remember the Titans, The 6th Day, The Banger Sisters, Kangaroo Jack, Bad Boys 2, The Great Raid, Exorcist: The Beginning, National Treasure, Coach Carter and most recently Snakes on a Plane, Flyboys, Gridiron Gang and The Guardian. Along with several Grammy nominations and one Grammy win, Trevor Rabin also has received eight BMI film score awards, and has received a lifetime achievement award from the Temecula Film Festival. He has been married for two decades to Shelley Rabin. They have one son, Ryan Rabin, who recently began his own career as a rock drummer in the band The Outline, signed to Fearless Records in Los Angeles.

25.9.09

Curtis Salgado




Curtis Salgado - Strong Suspicion - 2004 - Shanachie

"Beautifully measured... Fiery!" - Billboard

There is a moment on Curtis Salgado's new Shanachie Entertainment CD Strong Suspicion (March 23, 2004) where it seems the spirit of Al Green has possessed him. When Curtis takes on the obscure Beatles gem "I'll be back" and gives it the full-on Memphis Soul treatment, the results are spine-tingling and eerily reminiscent of Al Green's exquisite soul-i-fication of the Bee Gees and Bob Dylan. Curtis' interpretation of "I'll be back" is one of many highlights on Strong Suspicion, his latest tour-de-force amalgam of blues/soul/rock'n'roll. With the added bonus of great guest performances from slide guitarist Sonny Landreth and singer Bekka Bramlett, it's the strongest effort yet from the man the Los Angeles Times said "is keeping the classic flame of soul music alive. © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

As well as having a successful solo career, Curtis was a vocalist/harp player with Santana, Robert Cray, and Room Full Of Blues. He also worked with SRV, and BB King. The late John Belushi credited Curtis as inspiring The Blues Brothers. If you are not familiar with Curtis Salgado, hopefully "Strong Suspicion" will impress you. It's a really outstanding soul blues album from the great vocalist and harp player from Portland, Oregon. Curtis penned or co-wrote seven of the thirteen tracks. He also covers The Beatles' "I'll Be Back", Bill Withers' "Who Is He", and Leon Russell's "Help Me Through the Day ". The guy has a terrific voice, and with great back up musicians including Bekka Bramlett, and Sonny Landreth, this is an album full of class, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Although Curtis Salgado may have impressive credentials, he still needs more exposure. You gotta hear this guy. Buy his brilliant "Clean Getaway" album, and try and hear his wonderful "Curtis Salgado & the Stilettos" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Give Me Patience - Barber
2 I'll Be Back - Lennon/McCartney
3 Born All Over - Copeland/Malone
4 Who Is He (And What Is He to You) - Withers/McKenny
5 Can't Stop Lovin' - Lloyd Jones
6 Strong Suspicion - Barber/Salgado/Span
7 Inside My Heart - McClain/Salgado
8 Money Must Think I'm Dead - Salgado/Phillips/Estrin
9 Love Her Just Because - Salgado/Stewart
10 Help Me Through the Day - L. Russell
11 At Least I Didn't Do That - Salgado/McClain/Johnson
12 The Sum of Something - Salgado
13 Don't Wait Until Tomorrow (1000 MPH) - Salgado/Barber

MUSICIANS

Curtis Salgado - Harmonica, Vocals, Background Vocals
Lloyd Jones, Marlon McClain - Guitar
Sonny Landreth - Slide Guitar
Jacob Wolf - Guitar, Background Vocals
William C. Barber Sr. - Bass, Background Vocals
DK Stewart - Piano
Rusty Hall - Keyboards
Don Worth II - Drums
Gary Harris - Baritone Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone
Jim Cheek - Trumpet
Bekka Bramlett - Vocals, Background Vocals
Crystal Taliefero, Linda Hornbuckle - Background Vocals

REVIEWS

"Exhilirating... Pushes all the right buttons." - Blues Revue

"...A fine balladeer... delivers classic sounds with the zealous conviction of a true believer!" - The Philadelphia Inquirer

"Funkified! Comes on hard." - New York Post

Soul/blues/rock & roller Salgado scores again on his sixth effort and third for the Shanachie imprint. It's his longest and most consistent label affiliation in a fitful career that finally seems to be picking up steam in 2004. Like fellow veteran Delbert McClinton, the singer/harpist is not bound by a specific genre, preferring to live between the cracks. But whether he's laying a Memphis groove on his cover of the Beatles' "I'll Be Back," grinding through Bill Withers' "Who Is He (And What Is He to You)," or testifying on Leon Russell by way of Freddie King's "Help Me Through the Day," Salgado smothers this music in gobs of gospel and gutsy R&B. The drum machine that leads off "At Least I Didn't Do That" is a minor distraction on this generally rootsy album, but the song is so powerful, with its quicksilver guitar and urging vocals telling the story of a redeemed sinner, that it withstands the unnecessary percussive intrusion. Salgado goes funky on the slightly tongue-in-cheek "Money Must Think I'm Dead" ("I'm so broke now did I mention/I can't afford to pay attention"), chugging through the song like a sputtering locomotive. He also blows searing harp on the track, something he pulls out far too seldom on this album. A blistering and sexy duet with Bekka Bramlett (who sounds just like her mother, Bonnie) on "Can't Stop Lovin'" is one of the album's many high points. Slide guitarist Sonny Landreth contributes to three tunes but really burns on the title track, a greasy rocking swamp stomp that works perfectly with his gritty Southern tone. His originals are as incisive as the covers, making this another classy and potent serving of Salgado's soul gumbo. © Hal Horowitz, Allmusic.com

There is a moment on Curtis Salgado's new Shanachie Entertainment CD, Strong Suspicion (March 23, 2004) where it seems the spirit of Al Green has possessed him. When Curtis takes on the obscure Beatles gem "I'll Be Back" and gives it the full-on Memphis Soul treatment, the results are spine-tingling and eerily reminiscent of Al Green's exquisite soul-i-fication of the Bee Gees and Bob Dylan. Curtis' interpretation of "I'll Be Back" is only one of many highlights on Strong Suspicion; his latest tour-de-force amalgam of blues/soul/rock 'n' roll. With the added bonus of great quest performances from slide guitarist Sonny Landreth and singer Bekka Bramlett, it's the strongest effort yet from the man the Los Angeles Times said "is keeping the classic flame of soul music alive," As always, Curtis Salgado's take on soul music is wide-ranging. His heartfelt approach to the music has won him starring roles as lead singer in bands led by such stars as Robert Cray and Santana. The late John Belushi was so inspired by Curtis that he developed his Blues Brother character after him. Curtis' take on soul is simple. "If a song is sincere and you believe it, that's soul," he says. "To me Pavarotti is as much a soul singer as Otis Redding; Merle Haggard and Hank Williams are soul singers as much as Sam Cooke. Soul is about heart and about belief." "'I'll Be Back" has been one of my favorites since growing up with The Beatles as a kid. That particular tune was not in the film A Hard Day's Night but is on the soundtrack album. After listening to O.V. Wright and Al Green and how they do a Dylan tune, I thought, why not put a Memphis spin on this? What would Al Green or O.V. Wright do with this?" While Strong Suspicion features other examples of Curtis' ability to put an original spin on someone else's song (most notably the Bill Withers song "Who Is He (And What Is He To You?)", the new album showcases Curtis' growth as a songwriter. A special highlight is the Prince-like ballad "Inside My Heart" while another is the title track. "I wanted to make a greasy Black Crowes/Stones type of thing because I love rock 'n' roll! It was Willie Barber who had the concept of that song and he said to me, see what you can do with it." "Money Must Think I'm Dead" has a melody that I've had in my head a long time. I wanted an Albert King meets a Jonny 'Guitar' Watson or War type of vibe. Lyrically it's about being flat busted and having your head just above water to make ends meet. It's about barely having enough to survive and needing more because you are striving to get what it takes to keep your romance alive." Curtis Salgado's music is so compelling because it comes from the heart. "I've learned a lot of lessons about songwriting. You can't sit around and wait for the muse to hit you. You've got to write. If you read a lot, like I do, an idea hits you. It's getting better each time I approach it," Not only does Curtis step forward as a singer to reckon with on Strong Suspicion, but he also asserts himself as one of the best harmonica players on the scene. Check out his playing on such stand out songs as "Money Must Think I'm Dead," "Who Is He?" and "Don't Wait Until Tomorrow" among other songs. Produced by Curtis' long-time producer Marlon McClain (who had success recently with solo recordings by The Gap Band's Charlie Wilson) the new album showcases Curtis' acutely expressive vocals which confirm his status as one of America's outstanding singers in the realm of blues, rock or soul. Louisiana icon Sonny Landreth's amazing slide-guitar work graces three songs: "Give Me Patience", "Don't Wait Until Tomorrow" and the title track, while Bekka Bramlett's powerhouse duet with Curtis on "Can't Stop Lovin'" is a treat; she's usually lending her voice and songwriting skills to the likes of Faith hill, Delbert McClinton and Mick Fleetwood among other superstars. "Sonny Landreth is incredible," says Curtis Salgado. "I saw him when I played Mountain Stage and was just stunned. I said I gotta have this sound on my record. He could hear on his own exactly what we were after. Shane, my manager, brought up Bekka. I had seen Delaney and Bonnie (Bramlett, Bekka's parents) as a kid. I'd never seen anything like it: a true rock & soul revue. In Bekka possesses that same kind of magic. In the studio she kept throwing out ideas and every time she did she was right on pitch, even off the top of her head." While Curtis has been a Northwest-music legend from his Portland base ever since his six year stint in Robert Cray's band (he's on Cray's debut album), it's only been in the past few years that national audiences have been seeing what all the fuss is about as Curtis and his band deliver one of the most powerful live shows you'll see anywhere - a rare commodity these days. Curtis' singing ability was recognized at an early age, when he came home from kindergarten one day with a note from his teacher pinned to his shirt saying that he could sing. He started his own band in the burgeoning Northwest blues scene in the early Seventies then was a key part of Cray's formative years, leaving to front the respected Roomful Of Blues from 1984-1986. Along the way, he inspired John Belushi to create the Blues Brothers when Belushi was in Eugene, Oregon to film Animal House and caught Curtis' act. Belushi dedicated the first Blues Brothers album to Curtis. There was even a stint as lead vocalist with Santana in 1995. Curtis kicked off his own recording career with Curtis Salgado & The Stilettos in 1991, following it up with More Than You Can Chew in 1995. While both albums generated substantial rock and blues airplay, unfortunately both labels went out of business before he could break through nationally. The more acoustic Hit It And Quit It scored him a spot with Steve Miller on Late Night With Conan O'Brien. His three albums for Shanachie (Wigqle Out Of This, Soul Activated and now Strong Suspicion), combined with consistent national touring, mark the first time that Curtis has had the benefit of consistent career development with the same record company and booking agent. He's appeared on NPR's Mountain Stage, been the highlight of major festivals across the country, and has been winning long-overdue critical, raves indicating that he really is one of the great performers on the scene today. Curtis' last CD Soul Activated was received with critical acclaim and even garnered a WC Handy Blues Award nomination in the category of "Soul Blues Album of the Year." Curtis Salgado is finally poised for the breakthrough that seemed to be his destiny early on. For the first time, all the pieces are in place for an artist who has paid his dues, made his mistakes, and had his share of bad breaks but has persevered. "Music is an offering and if you accept that offering, there's a connection there, and that is what soul is all about," says Curtis Salgado. "This album is the most satisfying record I've ever made. We rehearsed and just went in and played our asses off. We had fun. It's an offering until the next one comes along!" © http://thebluesdaily.com/2009/02/17/curtis-salgado-strong-suspicion/

BIO

Harmonica player, songwriter and singer Curtis Salgado artfully skirts the lines between blues and soul at his live shows and on his recordings. Salgado grew up in Portland, Oregon, listening to black blues and soul artists who rose to prominence in the 1950's and 60's, vocalists like Johnnie Taylor, Otis Redding and O.V. Wright. You can hear the influence of these artists in his singing. In interviews, he credits his parents and siblings for having hip musical tastes; everything from classic jazz from New Orleans to Fletcher Henderson big bands to Kid Ory and Wingy Manone were played on the family stereo, and one day his sister brought home a Little Walter recording. After his mother got him a harmonica and a basic instruction book, he was off and running. He worked as a sideman with guitarist Robert Cray and with the Rhode Island-based horn band, Roomful of Blues, for a number of years before embarking on his own career. Over the years, with Roomful of Blues and with Cray, he's sat in with a number of his blues heroes, including Muddy Waters, Albert Collins, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Bonnie Raitt and Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan, the latter three more his contemporaries than the older masters. Salgado began his recording career under his own name with "Curtis Salgado & The Stilettos" in 1991 and "More Than You Can Chew" in 1995. He released "Hit It and Quit It" in the late 1990's. Since the late 1990's, Salgado has recorded three albums for the New Jersey-based Shanachie Records label, "Wiggle Out of This," "Soul Activated," and "Strong Suspicion." Any of his Shanachie Records releases are good representative samples of what his energetic live shows are all about. In early 2006, Salgado was diagnosed with liver cancer, but subsequently got a transplant in September of that year. By early 2008, he was given a clean bill of health and was back on the road. © Richard J. Skelly, All Music Guide



MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST

While Curtis has been a Northwest-music legend from his Portland base ever since his six year stint in Robert Cray's band (he's on Cray's debut album), it's only been in the past few years that national audiences have been seeing what all the fuss is about as Curtis and his band deliver one of the most powerful live shows you'll see anywhere - a rare commodity these days. Curtis' singing ability was recognized at an early age, when he came home from kindergarten one day with a note from his teacher pinned to his shirt saying that he could sing. He started his own band in the burgeoning Northwest blues scene in the early seventies then was key part of Cray's formative years, leaving to front the respected Roomful Of Blues from 1984-1986. Along the way, he inspired John Belushi to create the Blues Brothers when Belushi was in Eugene, Oregon to film Animal House and caught Curtis' act. Belushi dedicated the first Blues Brothers album to Curtis. There was even a stint! as lead vocalist with Santana in 1995. Curtis kicked off his own recording career with Curtis Salgado and the Stilettos in 1991, following it up with More than you can chew in 1995. While both albums generated substantial rock and blues airplay, unfortunately both labels went out of business before he could break through nationally. The more acoustic Hit it and quit it scored him a spot with Steve Miller on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. His three albums for Shanachie (Wiggle outta this, Soul Activated, and now Strong Suspicion), combined with consistent national touring, mark the first time that Curtis has had the benefit of consistent career development with the same record company and booking agent. He's appeared on NPR's Mountain Stage, been the highlight of major festivals across the country and has been winning long-overdue critical raves indicating that he really is one of the great performers on the scene today. Curtis' last CD, Soul Activated, was received with critical acclaim and even garnered a WC Handy Blues Award nomination in the category of "Soul Blues Album of the Year." © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates