Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - Blue Views - 1995 - IRS Records

His name may be unfamiliar to many, but his great soulful voice is one of the most recognizable voices in the rock business. He has been a member of several bands including Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well. His distinctive voice shows up on some of his affiliated bands' best-known hits, two of the most memorable being "How Long" with Ace, and "Tempted" with Squeeze. Paul released some average "eightyish" AOR style albums, where the songs were pretty mediocre. Only his great voice made some of these albums listenable. However, on his fifth solo album, Paul Carrack redressed this situation. He abstained from the trendy, '80s style dance orientated pop sound, he was becoming accustomed to, and reverted to a more soulful, adult contemporary, pop sound, which is the real sound of Paul Carrack. "Blue Views" is an almost perfect soul-pop album. It may not be his best album, but if you are looking for the contemporary soul side of Paul, then you may like this album which is HR by A.O.O.F.C. The album spawned hits like "Eyes of Blue", "Love Will Keep Us Alive" (co-written with Jim Capaldi and Peter Vale, and recorded by The Eagles), and "For Once In Our Lives". The album posted here is the 1995 I.R.S. Records issue. On other CD editions, the track sequence varies, and some issues contain the bonus tracks, "Over My Shoulder", and "People Get Ready". Check out his "I Know That Name" album @ PAUCAR/IKTNHis great "Satisfy My Soul" album can be found @ PAUCAR/SMS Paul's "Live Tros Muziek Cafe, Amsterdam" is @ PAUCAR/LTMCA and his great "Suburban Voodoo" album is @ PAUCAR/SUBV

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 - Eyes Of Blue (Paul Carrack)
2 - For Once In Our Lives (Paul Carrack & Chris Difford)
3 - No Easy Way Out (Paul Carrack & Rafe Van Hoy)
4 - Oh Oh Oh My My My (Paul Carrack & Will Jennings)
5 - Only A Breath Away (Paul Carrack, Brenda Russell & Mark Cawley)
6 - Nothing More Than A Memory (Paul Carrack)
7 - Somewhere In Your Heart (Paul Carrack & Rafe Van Hoy)
8 - Love Will Keep Us Alive (Paul Carrack, Jim Capaldi & Pete Vale)
9 - Always Have Always Will (Paul Carrack, Brenda Russell & Mark Cawley)
10 - Don't Walk Over Me (Paul Carrack & Chris Difford)
11 - How Long (Paul Carrack)

MUSICIANS

Keyboards, Vocals : Paul Carrack
Guitars : Neil Hubbard, Robbie McIntosh, Tim Renwick
Bass : Pino Palladino, Keith Wilkinson
Keyboards : Rod Argent
Drums : Andy Newmark
Percussion : Martin Ditcham, Louis Jardine, Frank Riccotti
Background Vocals : Lance Ellington, Katie Kissoon & Tessa Niles

ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

Paul Carrack was pop music's ultimate journeyman. A vocalist and keyboardist who enjoyed considerable success over the course of his lengthy career while in the service of bands ranging from Ace to Squeeze to Mike + the Mechanics, his finest work often came at the expense of his own identity as a performer; indeed, of the many big hits on which the unassuming singer was prominently featured, only one, 1987's "Don't Shed a Tear," bore his own name. Carrack was born April 22, 1951, in Sheffield, England; he joined the pub rock group Ace in 1972, eventually writing and singing their debut single, "How Long." After reaching the Top 20 in the group's native Britain, the record hit the number-three position in the U.S.; however, after subsequent material failed to match the success of "How Long," Ace disbanded in 1977, and Carrack signed on with country artist Frankie Miller. He soon resurfaced in Roxy Music, appearing on the LPs Manifesto and Flesh and Blood before releasing his solo debut, Nightbird, in 1980. Carrack next joined Squeeze, replacing keyboardist Jools Holland; in addition to contributing to the group's 1981 creative pinnacle East Side Story, he also assumed lead vocal duties on the single "Tempted," their best-remembered hit. However, Carrack's stay in Squeeze was brief, and after working with Nick Lowe he again attempted to forge a solo career with the 1982 LP Suburban Voodoo, cracking the U.S. Top 40 with the single "I Need You." A tenure as a sideman with Eric Clapton followed, and in 1985 he joined Genesis' Mike Rutherford in his side project Mike + the Mechanics. Their hits include "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" and "All I Need Is a Miracle." While remaining a rather anonymous figure at home, Carrack achieved a higher level of visibility in America as a result of Mike + the Mechanics' success; subsequently, his third solo album, One Good Reason, proved to be by far his most popular effort to date, with the single "Don't Shed a Tear" reaching the Top Ten. Another tenure with the Mechanics followed, and with the title track of 1988's The Living Years, the group scored their first number-one hit. After the 1989 Carrack solo LP Groove Approved, Mike + the Mechanics issued 1991's Word of Mouth, which failed to repeat the chart performance of its predecessors; by 1993, Carrack was again a member of Squeeze, appearing on the album Some Fantastic Place and also resuming lead chores for a re-recording of "Tempted." However, he was once again back in the Mechanics' fold for 1995's Beggar on a Beach of Gold; the solo Blue Views was issued the next year, followed in 1997 by Beautiful World. Satisfy My Soul was issued in 2000, his first album for Compass Records. © Jason Ankeny, allmusic.com



MORE ABOUT PAUL CARRACK

After years spent bringing a little soul to artists as diverse as Mike & The Mechanics, Nick Lowe, and Squeeze, singer's singer Paul Carrack makes his most persuasive play so far with the release of his stunning new album Satisfy My Soul. Recorded with minimal outside assistance at his Hertfordshire home studio, the album represents a quantum leap beyond Paul's previous work, showcasing his songwriting abilities and allowing his natural soul qualities to shine through with a new clarity and power. In the past, he's often tended to let others mould and direct his considerable talents, but Satisfy My Soul serves to re-establish Paul Carrack as a major solo artist, with both the vision and the capabilities to take control of his own career, and the musical instinct to know which direction it should take. A lot of people are going to be pleasantly surprised by this latest chapter in the life of one of pop music's most distinctive voices. Paul was first bitten by the music bug as a small child back in his native Sheffield, where he would bash away at a home-made drumkit up in his parents' attic, playing along with an old wind-up gramophone. By the time he reached his teens, the Mersey Boom was in full swing, and the young Carrack proceeded to swindle his way into a series of local bands, learning to play the organ and following the gig circuit to Germany, where he underwent the obligatory Hamburg nightclub baptism, as pioneered by such as The Beatles. In the early '70s, his progressive rock outfit Warm Dust released a few albums, but it was only when his pub-rock band Ace had a huge global hit with his song How Long that Paul's career really started to take off. Immediately, the band was catapulted from the British college circuit into huge American arenas, as How Long soared into the US singles chart, eventually reaching #1. When Ace broke up toward the end of the '70s, Paul found himself wrong-footed by the punk-rock boom, but secured some session work, playing on albums by Frankie Miller and Roxy Music, and touring with Roxy, an experience which gave him a taste for the big time. Paul's 1980 solo debut, Nightbird, failed to establish him as an artist in his own right, so he continued playing sessions, biding his time, and honing his talents as a musician and songwriter. As the '80s proceeded, Paul reached a rapprochement with the new-wave scene, playing on albums by The Undertones, The Smiths, and The Pretenders, and joining Squeeze for their masterwork East Side Story, helping redefine the group's profile with his soulful vocal on the hit single Tempted. After leaving Squeeze, obstensibly to pursue a solo career, he hooked up with Nick Lowe, an association which, though resolutely out of step with public taste and radio formats, would nevertheless generate five albums for Lowe and another for Paul, 1982's Suburban Voodoo. Though largely ignored in the UK, the album was a critical success in the US, where it was cited as one of Rolling Stone Magazine's Top 20 Albums of the Year. I Need You, a Carrack composition lifted from the album, provided him with another US Top 40 hit, and was subsequently covered by Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville. The biggest break in Carrack's career came in 1985 when he was invited to contribute vocals to a solo album being recorded by Genesis guitarist Mike Rutherford. Despite the apparent differences in their musical styles, the very first track Paul sang on, Silent Running, became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. Encouraged by such instant success, Mike & The Mechanics developed into more of a group, touring America extensively and securing a string of hit albums and singles over the next decade. Before they could produce a follow-up album, however, Paul found time to sing and play on Roger Waters' Radio KAOS album and record another solo album of his own, 1987's One Good Reason, scoring another couple of hits through the title track and Don't Shed a Tear, which again broke into the US Top Ten, staying on Billboard's Hot 100 for nearly half a year. Even better was to come when Mike & The Mechanics resumed recording. Sung by Paul, the title-track of their second LP The Living Years was a huge worldwide hit, peaking at number one in America, and hoisting the band to megastar status. Further touring was followed by another Carrack solo album, 1989's Groove Approved, whose standout track - the Motown-flavoured Carrack / Lowe composition Battlefield - was later covered by Diana Ross. The following year, Paul was co-opted to perform at Roger Waters' grandiose presentation of The Wall in Berlin, where he sang Hey You in front of over 250,000 people. A third Mike & The Mechanics album, 1991's Word of Mouth, saw Carrack's creative input increasing, with four songwriting credits; and also donated a performance of Ain't That Peculiar recorded with Paul Shaffer's house band on Late Night with David Letterman to Nobody's Child, a charity album for Romanian orphans. Between tours again, in 1993 Paul busied himself with Spin 1ne 2wo, a classic rock covers collaboration with Rupert Hine, Tony Levin, and Steve Ferrone, and rejoined Squeeze for their Some Fantastic Place album. The next year was spent touring the world with Squeeze, working on an ultimately abortive band project with Don Felder, Timothy Schmidt, and Joe Walsh of The Eagles (which nevertheless garnered Paul an award for the most played song in America that year, when the reformed Eagles covered Love Will Keep us Alive, a song he co-wrote with Peter Vale and Jim Capaldi), and recording another Mike & The Mechanics album, Beggar on A Beach of Gold. This contained another couple of Carrack co-compositions, including his collaboration with Mike Rutherford, the hit single Over my Shoulder, which revived the band's flagging fortunes in the UK and Europe, paving the way for a subsequent Greatest Hits compilation. Paul's fifth solo album, Blue Views, appeared in 1995, and despite problems occasioned by the collapse of the record label, it was still highly successful in Europe, earning him a gold disc in Spain. When it was finally released a couple of years later in America on another label, the single For Once in Our Lives became a Top Five hit on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart, cementing Carrack's growing reputation as a singer-songwriter of class and distinction. He was also developing a parallel reputation as an able and accomplished sideman to the stars, playing keyboards on albums by Eric Clapton, BB King, Simply Red, Mark Knopfler and Elton John, and being invited by Elton to play on Something About the Way You Look Tonight, which, as the B-side of "Candle in the Wind '97," is officially the biggest-selling single ever. Unfortunately, a management change at EMI resulted in his next album, Beautiful World failing to get the promotional push it deserved, and a bitterly dissillusioned Paul elected to take matters more into his own hands. After years spent biding his time, contributing to other musicians' projects and allowing outside producers to impose their designs on his material, it was a long overdue move, and one which reflected Paul's growing belief in himself as a singer-songwriter. Accordingly, he recorded his new album, "Satisfy My Soul" at his home studio, relying on his own musical instincts and playing everything himself, with the exception of the sax parts (which are by Steve Beighton), some backing vocals (by Lindsay Dracass) and some of the drum parts (by Ian Thomas or Paul's old chum Andy Newmark, the former Sly & The Family Stone sticksman.) Steeped in the classic and funk sounds of the '60s and '70s, but with an ear firmly trained on the future, Satisfy My Soul is clearly a labour of love, and features some of Carrack's most accomplished songwriting, with three tracks being co-written by Squeeze lyricist Chris Difford. Carrack's journey to make a record that truly does satisfy his soul has come full circle. "I've been doing this a long time, and I've often made it quite difficult for myself, one way or another, but I'm at the point now where I just want to enjoy my musicality, and I have the technical resources and the stability to be able to follow my instincts more confidently. Alot of the time, I've gone against my own instincts, but I'm not fighting them any more, I'm doing what comes naturally now. I'll be happy just to reach the people who already like what I do, but who knows, by making a more personal record, I might reach more people anyway." Satisfy My Soul brings Carrack to Compass Records, also the American home to other British popsters Robbie McIntosh, Hamish Stuart, Eddi Reader, Boo Hewerdine and Clive Gregson. © 2003-2008 Compass Records. All Rights Reserved

Blue Mink

Blue Mink - Our World - 1970 - Philips

The Morgan Studios session team's sophomore album is a classic example of (very) early-'70s British pop, an exquisitely performed, flawlessly arranged collection of lightly rocking originals that are not quite soft enough to be as cloying as similar efforts by contemporaries Harmony Grass and the Brotherhood of Man, but only occasionally memorable enough to actually stick in the mind. The title track, Blue Mink's third U.K. hit, was the original album's main selling point — subsequently, of course, the group's prototype rendition of "Gasoline Alley Bred" attracted the most attention, courtesy of the Hollies' hit version, and it must be said that there is little to choose between either version. Impressive, too, is "You Walked Away," a Madeline Bell showcase that layers her vocals over sultry percussion and percolating guitar, while the closing "Jubilation" is a "Get Back"-style rocker that illustrates just what a powerful bunch of musicians Blue Mink was, once the band dropped the pop posture. Alan Parker's guitar sizzles, and it's not for nothing that Bell is frequently ranked among the greatest R&B singers Britain has ever produced. (Roger Cook released an alternate version of the song as a solo single, later in the year.) Unfortunately, little else on the album even threatens to touch the same highs as these, but overall it's a sterling effort and a proud successor to their Melting Pot debut. An abridged version of Our World would be released in the U.S. as Real Mink. Dave Thompson © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:kzfrxq95ldte

When four top UK session men, a leading songwriting duo, Roger Cook, and Roger Greenaway and the in-demand girl singer, Madeline Bell got together in 1969 to form Blue Mink, the group had huge success between 1969 and 1973 with brilliant pop songs like the catchy, anti-racist plea "Melting Pot", 'Good Morning Freedom', 'Our World', 'Banner Man', 'Stay With Me', 'By The Devil' and 'Randy'. With so much talent and experience in the group it was inevitable that they would eventually go their separate ways, and when the hits dried up, they enjoyed continued success as session musicians, writers and soloists. "Our World" is an example of some of Blue Mink's best songs. This vinyl issue is 40 years old, so please make allowances for SQ, and plenty of "snap, crackle, & pop". An abridged version of "Our World" was released in the U.S. in 1970, entitled "Real Mink". "Our World" is available on CD with four bonus tracks, "Silk What?", "Sweet & Sour", "Time for Winning", and "Banner Man". See if you can find Blue Mink's "Live at the Talk of the Town" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Our World - Herbie Flowers/Pickett
2. Cat House - Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett
3. World (You're Closing On Me) - John Bonham, Willie Dixon, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page, Robert Plant
4. We Have All Been Saved - Roger Cook, Herbie Flowers, Greenaway
5. The Gap - unknown
6. Mind Your Business - Bell/Parker
7. Gasoline Alley Bred - Roger Cook/Roger Greenaway/Tony Macaulay
8. You Walked Away - unknown
9. Bang Bang Johnny's Gang Is After Me - Roger Cook, Doctors, Greenaway, Jameson
10. Is It You Who Has The Power - unknown
11. Pastures New - Herbie Flowers, Pickett
12. Jubilation - Cook, Greenaway

BAND

Madeline Bell, Roger Cook - Vocals
Alan Parker - Guitar
Herbie Flowers - Bass
Roger Coulam - Keyboards
Barry Morgan - Drums

BIO

One of the giants of British pop in the early 1970s, Blue Mink was formed in fall 1969 by keyboard player Roger Coulam, around a nucleus of musicians based at London's Morgan Studios - bassist Herbie Flowers, guitarist Allan Parker and drummer Barry Morgan were also involved. Having already recorded a number of backing tracks, Coulam then approached soul singer Madeleine Bell and former David & Jonathan star Roger Greenaway as vocalists; Bell accepted, Greenaway declined but recommended his songwriting partner (and fellow David & Jonathan-er) Roger Cook in his stead. With this line-up, Cook and Greenaway's "Melting Pot" was released as Blue Mink's debut single, a plea for multi-racial harmony that reached #3 in the UK that November. An album of the same title was released in the new year, alongside the single "Good Morning Freedom" - for reasons unknown, the single did not originally appear on the LP. However, its swift rise into the UK Top 10 prompted a rethink and subsequent pressings packed it on board. Throughout Blue Mink's career, the members maintained their high profile session careers - in March 1970, Cook and Bell appeared on Elton John's eponymous album; John reciprocated by covering "Good Morning Freedom" on the compilation album Pick Of The Pops (while waiting for his own career to take off, the pianist made ends meet by recording anonymous covers of top hits for the budget Deacon label). The following month, Cook rejoined Greenaway briefly in a new band, Currant Kraze, while the pair maintained their songwriting career with such anthems as "You've Got Your Troubles", "I've Got You On My Mind" and "I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing". Other extra-curricular activities over the next few years included Alan Parker's the Congregation, and Herbie Flowers' pivotal involvement with Lou Reed's Transformer album. Titled for the group's third hit single, Blue Mink's second album, Our World (US title Real Mink) was released in September 1970. The group then faded from view for some six months, before resurfacing with The Banner Man" in spring 1971. Their first release for the Regal Zonophone label (earlier records were issued by Philips), "Banner Man" reached #3. However, close to another year elapsed before Blue Mink reconvened for a two week long engagement at London's Talk Of The Town nightspot in January 1972, to be immortalized on the Live at the Talk Of The Town album two months later. Oddly, Blue Mink's next studio album, A Time Of Change, was released simultaneously with the live record (the set was originally to be titled Harvest, but was changed to avoid confusion with Neil Young's latest release). With the band now featuring percussionist Ray Cooper and keyboardist Ann Odell, November 1972 brought another #3 hit, "Stay With Me", their last for Regal Zonophone before parent company EMI merged the historic label into a new imprint, also named EMI. Blue Mink's fourth album, Only When I Laugh then followed in March 1973. However, the group's appeal was clearly slipping, as Glam Rock elbowed Blue Mink's brand of light-hearted pop out of the way - their latest single, "By The Devil (I Was Tempted)", struggled to break into the Top 30 and, while June 1973's "Randy" would return Blue Mink to the Top 10, it was to prove their final hit. Blue Mink released one further album, January 1974's Fruity, together with the single, "Quackers". Neither did anything and the band broke up that fall, following one final American tour. Elton John was among the celebrities present to say goodbye, introducing the band onstage at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. Blue Mink's final single, "Get Up", was released in July 1974 - it passed by completely unnoticed, but would resurface two years later, retitled "7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (Blow Your Whistle)" and scoring a massive disco hit for the Rimshots. Since the band's demise, each of the members maintained a loud presence in the world of sessions and songwriting. Blue Mink, meanwhile, have been immortalised on a string of compilations, each recounting the string of effervescent hits that established them among Britain's best-loved pop groups of the early decade. © Dave Thompson © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:39fexqr5ldte~T1

BIO (WIKI)

Blue Mink was a British five-piece pop group, that existed from 1969 to 1974. Over that period they had six Top 20 hit singles in the UK Singles Chart, and released five studio based albums. According to Allmusic; "they have been immortalised on a string of compilation albums, each recounting the string of effervescent hits that established them among Britain's best-loved pop groups of the early 1970s." Roger Coulam (organ) (born 26 April 1944) formed the band in the autumn of 1969, with Madeline Bell (vocalist), Roger Cook (vocalist), Herbie Flowers (bassist), and Barry Morgan (drummer). Most of the songs were written by Cook and Roger Greenaway. Flowers, Morgan and the guitarist Alan Parker all worked with Coulam at London's Morgan Studios. The four of them recorded several backing tracks, with which Coulam approached soul singer Bell and Greenaway (who had been half of David and Jonathan) as vocalists. Greenaway declined, but put forward Cook (the other half of David and Jonathan). The band's debut single, "Melting Pot" (written by Cook and Greenaway) was recorded with this line-up, and released on 31 October 1969, Philips (BF1818), with the b-side "Blue Mink" (penned by Alan Parker); it charted at #3 in the UK Singles Chart. An album of that title was released early in 1970, at the same time as the second single, "Good Morning Freedom". This track was not on the first release of the LP; but it was added to subsequent pressings. The members continued with their session work despite the success of the band. In March 1970, Cook and Bell appeared on Elton John's eponymous first solo album; Elton John covered "Good Morning Freedom" (written by Albert Hammond) anonymously on the Deacon Records budget compilation album Pick Of The Pops. In April, Cook and Greenaway played briefly in Currant Kraze, and together they continued to write songs like "You've Got Your Troubles", "I've Got You On My Mind" and "I'd Like To Teach the World To Sing". Other side projects included involvement with Alan Parker's band The Congregation; Herbie Flowers' contributions to Lou Reed's Transformer album; and the involvement of Flowers, Morgan and Parker in sessions with Pete Atkin in March 1971, that later appeared on his Driving Through Mythical America album. The band's second album and their third single released on Philips in September 1970 were entitled Our World (the album was released as Real Mink in the U.S.). The band's next single release was "The Banner Man" on Regal Zonophone in the spring of 1971. It reached #3 in the UK chart. The members' other projects now took priority until January 1972 when Blue Mink played two weeks at The Talk Of The Town club in London. Recordings from this engagement were released that March as the album Live at the Talk Of The Town simultaneously with the studio album A Time Of Change (renamed from Harvest to avoid confusion with Neil Young's new LP). Ray Cooper (drums) and Anne Odell (keyboards) joined the band that summer and played on the single "Stay With Me" which charted at #11 in November 1972. By the time of Blue Mink's fourth album, Only When I Laugh, glam rock was supplanting the lighter pop sound of the last few years. The associated single, "By The Devil (I Was Tempted)", written by Guy Fletcher and Doug Flett, only reached #26 and the Top 10 single "Randy" in June 1973 was their last success. Their final album, Fruity, (January 1974) and the singles "Quackers" (January 1974) and "Get Up" (July 1974) failed, and the band split up that autumn after a farewell tour of the United States. Elton John was among the celebrities present to say goodbye, introducing the band onstage at The Troubadour in Los Angeles, California. As a footnote, it is worth recording that when Capital Radio, one of the UK's first two independent local radio stations took to the air in London in 1973, the station identity jingles were written by Cook and Greenaway, performed by Blue Mink and orchestrated by George Martin. Appropriately, Madeline Bell had also sung the original jingles for Radio Caroline, the offshore pirate station that first went on-air in 1964, in the end successfully challenging the BBC's monopoly of British radio broadcasting. Since the band's demise, each of the members maintained a loud presence in the world of session musicianship and songwriting. The Rimshots covered Blue Mink's "Get Up", retitled as the disco single "7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (Blow Your Whistle)" in 1976, and had a hit single.

Angel and the Bad Boys

Angel and the Bad Boys - Secondhand Blues - 1996 - Consult'art/Dep

Angel Forrest, one of the best known singers of the Montreal area, has been leading her own bands Angel, Angel & the Bad Boys, Angel Sings the Blues, and Angel sings Janis, since she was nineteen. She has appeared on the TV show Beau et Chaud, and has been a regular on CHOM radio's Blue Monday. She has opened for Bruno Pelltier and Burton Cummings , and has guested with Little Anthony & the Locomotives, Dutch Mason and Frank Marino. She has also recorded with Dan Mahoney, George Hill and Edwin & the Bedouins. "Secondhand Blues" is a great album of blues covers, and definitely keeps the blues alive. There are ten covers here of classic blues songs, sung and played very well. The album was described by one reviewer as "a showcase of Angel’s energy and raw talent. The pleasure of her voice delivers the blues with power, style and grace". "Secondhand Blues" is a class act, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy her live"Angel Sings Janis" album, and promote this real blues talent

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Crossroads - Robert Johnson 3:38
2 Mama he treats your daughter mean - Johnny Wallace and Herbert J. Lance 3:31
3 Sweet black angel - trad. 5:10
4 Evil - Willie Dixon 5:18
5 Rock me baby - Lil' Son Jackson 5:21
6 Shadow Of Doubt - Gary Nicholson 5:30
7 Tell mama - Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel, Wilbur Terrell 5:16
8 Turtle blues - Janis Joplin 4:46
9 Rather go blind - Ellington Jordan and Billy Foster 5:39
10 Wang dang doodle - Willie Dixon 8:07

BAND

Angel Forrest - Vocals
Kelly Watling - Guitar
Rob MacDonald - Dobro guitar
Alec McElcheran - Bass
Edwin Orion Brownell - Hammond B3, Piano
David Paul Neil - Drums
Bharath Raja Kumar - Harmonica

Dunkelziffer (Can Related)

Dunkelziffer - Live - 1985 - G. & P. Essential Music

Damo Suzuki was the singer in the German avant-rock/progressive rock band Can between 1970 and 1973. Dunkelziffer have been described as a "German mystic group, playing percussive space reggae". This live album recorded at Maschinenhalle, Stollwerk, Cologne 28.12.1985, features Damo. Wikipedia states that "His freeform, often improvised lyrics, sung in no particular language gelled with Can's rolling, psychedelic sound". Nice description. This "Live" album is often very 80s sounding with some new wave elements. The album features long percussive jazz groove tracks, with some experimental/raw edges, very much in the style of Can. The music has not got the "urgency" of Can, or the "rolling, psychedelic sound", but it is still good music. Damo's distinctive vocals are a huge part of the music, and they continually hover across the top. Craig Johnson brilliantly described Damo's vocal style by saying "His sometimes serene, other times terrifying spontaneous vocal delivery and the drugged funk, space-age gothic repetition of the band (Can) carved a significant notch onto the draft of modern music". [from "Damo Suzuki : HollyAris : I Am Damo Suzuki".] © http://www.spikemagazine.com/0205damosuzuki.php If you are a Can fan or even a jazz fusion fan, you may like this album. If you are not familiar with Can, try and listen to at least one of the following albums, - "Tago Mago", "Ege Bamyasi", or "Monster Movie". "Live" was also released in 1997 on the Japanese Captain Trip label. The album has also been released as Dunkelziffer "Live" by the Damo Suzuki Band, and "Dunkelziffer Live im Stollwerk 1985". Try and hear the Damo Suzuki Band's "V.E.R.N.I.S.S.A.G.E.", and Dunkelziffer's "Songs For Everyone" albums, and search this blog for releases by the great Can keyboardist, and composer, Irmin Schmidt

TRACKS

1 Coffeehouse 11:20
2 After Saturday Night 5:52
3 The Messenger 6:40
4 Facing The Wind 13:01
5 Distant Drums 5:10
6 These Days 4:14
7 Up Date 5:54
8 Shamrock 4:11
9 You're My Melody 9:32

All songs composed by Dunkelziffer

MUSICIANS

Vocals - Damo Suzuki
Guitar - Dominik Von Senger
Bass - Rike Gratt
Keyboards - Matthias Keul
Drums - Stefan Krachten
Percussion - Olek Gelba , Reiner Linke



DAMO SUZUKI BIO

The longtime lead vocalist for Krautrock pioneers Can, Kenji "Damo" Suzuki was born in Japan on January 16, 1950. An expatriate street poet inspired by Jack Kerouac's On the Road, he spent the better part of the late 1960s wandering through Europe, and while busking outside a cafe in Munich in May of 1970 was discovered by Can members Holger Czukay and Jaki Liebezeit; asked to replace the group's former frontman Malcolm Mooney, Suzuki joined them onstage that very night, making his recorded debut later that same year on the LP Soundtracks. With Suzuki in the lineup, Can produced its most enduring and innovative work, including classic LPs like 1971's Tago Mago, 1972's Ege Bamayasi and 1973's Future Days; however, upon completing work on the latter, he left the band to become a Jehovah's Witness. Absent from music for a decade, in 1983 Suzuki began showing up unannounced to perform at shows by the band Dunkelziffer, eventually joining the group full-time and recording a pair of LPs; in 1986, he formed the Damo Suzuki Band with fellow Can alum Liebezeit on drums, Dominik von Senger on guitar, and Matthias Keul on keyboards. Four years later the group mutated to become Damo Suzuki and Friends, its loose-knit lineup playing in and around the Cologne area on a weekly basis; in 1998, he founded the Damo's Network label, issuing a series of live recordings including V.E.R.N.I.S.S.A.G.E., Seattle and the seven-CD box set P.R.O.M.I.S.E.. © Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide

ABOUT DUNKELZIFFER [ Translated from German (Google translator) ]

In the former machine shop of the closed Stollwerk chocolate factory in southern part of Cologne was the beginning of the eighties, an independent, stand-alone music scene, groups such as Dunkelziffer emerged. The hall was the ideal venue for concerts with bands such as Down and Gang Of Four, and still is the location of regional worship events. In this environment took its beginning in 1980 the project unreported. The founding members of the band were Helmut Zerlett (keyboards), Josefa Martens (vocals), Stefan's canals (drums), Wolfgang Schubert (sax), Matthias Keul, (keyboards), and Reiner Linke and Olek Gelba (percussion).The idea of founding Dunkelziffer, had Helmut Stefan Reiner and in southern France.There should be a band in which there are no rigid structures, but can be any composer, and all equally able to contribute their creativity and spontaneity when the moment is there, where they have an idea.The model for Dunkelziffer was the group CAN, which could go without vorbreitete pieces on the stage and managed to entertain people with spontaneous Direktkompositionen too. Stylistically Dunkelziffer combined with African rhythms and reggae influences, who at that time just emerged Neue Deutsche Welle. This was especially true of the first published Maxi "In the style of the new age." The band played many concerts for several hours. Over time, new members were added, as for example) Rike Gratt (bassist), Dominik von Senger (guitars), Damo Suzuki (vocals), Coco (Singer) or Raji Susanne AtorFen (vocals. Almost all members of Dunkelziffer were also involved in other projects. Thus, for example, played Zerlett Helmut and Stefan canals also Dunkelziffer and later with trance groove. Raji Susanne AtorFen sang among others for A Streetcar Named Desire and lives in Cologne, Japanese Damo Suzuki of CAN did. With Damo Suzuki's help a live recording of Dunkelziffer in Japan was published. © http://www.musik-base.de/Bands/D/Dunkelziffer/

Elkie Brooks

Elkie Brooks- Electric Lady - 2005 - Swing Cafe

The most outstanding British Female vocal talent of the past four decades returns with an incredible 2005 album of original material. 'Electric Lady' was produced by her son Jermanine Jordan during 2004 at their own studio in North Devon. Seven of the songs are brand new, with all lyrics written by Elkie and music being shared 50:50 between Elkie and Jermaine. The other four tracks are specifically and personally chosen covers of The Doors' 'Roadhouse', Bob Dylan's 'Grooms Still Waiting At The Altar', Paul Rodgers' 'Muddy Water Blues' and the Tony Joe White track 'Out Of The Rain'. Elkie hits include 'Pearl's A Singer's' (#8), 'Sunshine After The Rain' (#10) & 'No More The Fool' (#5). Swing Cafe. 2005. 1996 - 2010 CD Universe http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=6859640

"Electric Lady" was not one of Elkie Brooks' best selling albums.
In fact, it didn't even make the mainstream charts. However, it is one of her best albums. Elkie remains one of the best soul/blues rock singers in the world. "Electric Lady" returns to Elkie's first love of roots blues and rock. Elkie wrote the lyrics, and shared the music composition with her son, Jermaine, on seven tracks. There are some great covers here of songs by Bob Dylan, and The Doors, and listen to her versions of Paul Rodgers' "Muddy Water Blues", and Tony Joe White's "Out of the Rain". This is the real Elkie Brooks. The lady never lost it ! "Electric Lady" is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. There is info on Elkie's great "Nothing But The Blues" album @ ELKIB/NBTB Search this blog for more Elkie Brooks/Vinegar Joe related releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1."Electric Lady" (Elkie Brooks, Jermaine Jordan) – 3:59
2."So Good Looking" (Brooks, Jordan) – 3:28
3."Try Harder" (Brooks, Jordan) – 3:29
4."Roadhouse Blues" (Morrison, Densmore, Manzarek, Kreiger) – 4:59
5."White Girl Lost in the Blues" (Brooks, Jordan) – 4:08
6."The Groom's Still Waiting at the Altar (Bob Dylan) – 4:24
7."Back Away" (Brooks, Jordan) – 3:48
8."Muddy Water Blues" (Paul Rodgers) – 4:30
9."The Brighter Side" (Brooks, Jordan) – 3:58
10."Out of the Rain" (Tony Joe White) – 4:18
11."Trailer Trash" (Brooks, Jordan) – 3:42

MUSICIANS

Elkie Brooks – vocals
Geoff Whitehorn – guitar
Jermaine Jordan – guitar, bass, drums
Alan Welch – piano, keyboards
Steve Jones – saxophone
Lee Noble – backing vocals

BIO

British pop-jazz-blues crooner Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder) dominated U.K. radio in the late '70s with a series of hit singles that established her as "the biggest-selling female album artist in the history of the British pop charts." The Manchester native, who grew up in an extremely musical family, left school at the age of 15 to join a dance band in London. She eventually mad the jump to radio, as well as numerous appearances with legendary jazz bandleader Humphrey Lyttelton, before embarking on a career in pop music. The early '60s saw the budding young singer releasing singles for Decca and EMI, as well as opening for everyone from Carl Perkins to the Beatles, but commercial success remained elusive. She joined the blues-rock band Dada in 1970, which would eventually find success through a name change (Vinegar Joe) and the arrival of a new vocalist, Robert Palmer. The popular group released three beloved records before disbanding in 1974, and after a brief stint with U.S. Southern rock band Wet Willie, Brooks decided to take another crack at a solo career. The resulting Rich Man's Woman, Two Days Away, Shooting Star, Live & Learn, Pearls, and Pearls II, as well as frequent sold-out tours and numerous silver, gold, and platinum recordings, would go on to cement her reputation well into the 21st century. © James Christopher Monger, All Music Guide

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Elkie Brooks (born Elaine Bookbinder, 25 February 1945 in Broughton, Salford) is an English singer, formerly a vocalist with Vinegar Joe, and later a solo artist. She is known for her husky voice. Brooks was born to Jewish parents in Salford, England and grew up in Prestwich. She attended North Salford Secondary Modern School. A professional singer since she was fifteen, Brooks' debut, a cover of Etta James's "Something's Got A Hold On Me", was released on Decca in 1964. She spent most of the 1960s on Britain's jazz scene.It was on the jazz scene she met Humphrey Lyttelton the two remained friends till Lyttelton's death in 2008. Impressed by Steve Marriott's vocal and stage performances, she helped the mod band Small Faces with their early career by introducing them at several venues. In the early 1960s Brooks supported The Beatles in their Christmas show in London. She also toured the U.S with The Animals, among other acts and also supported Jimi Hendrix.After she met husband Pete Gage, she joined the short-lived fusioneers Dada before forming Vinegar Joe with Gage and Robert Palmer. After three albums, they split up in 1974, and Brooks and Palmer both went solo. After a time as backing singer with the American southern boogie band Wet Willie, she returned to England. Her first solo album on A&M records Rich Man's Woman (1975) came before a run of sixteen UK hit albums in twenty-five years, starting with Two Days Away, produced by the legendary duo Leiber & Stoller, who had also worked with Elvis Presley and many others (1977). Brooks wrote some tracks with Leiber and Stoller. The hits "Pearl's a Singer", "Sunshine After the Rain" came from this album. "Lilac Wine", Don't Cry Out Loud, came later. The albums Shooting Star (1978), Live and Learn (1979), Pearls (at the time, the largest selling album by a British female artist) (1981), "Fool (If You Think It's Over)" was a hit for Brooks taken from this album. Written by Chris Rea. Pearls II (1982), Minutes (1984) and Screen Gems the first album to be produced on CD in the UK (1984) were all UK chart successes. In 1986 No More the Fool gave her biggest hit single to date while the parent album reached the top 5. Following chart success ensued with the albums The Very Best of (1986), Bookbinders Kid On Bookbinders Kid, she covered "What's The Matter Baby" previously recorded by Timi Yuro. Yuro got in touch with Brooks to compliment her. (1988), Inspiration (1981), Round Midnight (1993), Nothin' But the Blues (1994), Amazing (1996) and The Very Best of (1997). In 1980 Brooks performed at the Knebworth festival with The Beach Boys, Santana and Mike Oldfield. Brooks' success has earned her recognition by the Guinness Book of Records as the most charted British female album artist of the last 30 years. Pearls stayed in the charts for 79 weeks and was still there when Pearls II charted a year later. In March 2003 she participated in the ITV music talent show Reborn in the USA, alongside musicians such as Peter Cox (Go West Singer), Tony Hadley and Leee John. The Electric Lady album (2005) saw a return to her blues and rock roots, featuring self-penned tracks alongside re-workings of numbers by The Doors, Bob Dylan, Paul Rodgers and Tony Joe White. The following year saw the release of her first official DVD, titled Elkie Brooks & Friends: Pearls featuring an array of guest musicians. Brooks is currently working on her 20th studio album. A popular live attraction, Brooks has toured almost every year during her solo career. Her 1982 UK concert tour was seen by more than 140,000 people in just three months.She has performed at every major UK theatre including sell out runs at the London Palladium, Dominion Theatre, Hammersmith Apollo, Ronnie Scott's, Royal Albert Hall and Wembley Arena.

Sonia Dada

Sonia Dada - Sonia Dada - 1992 - Chameleon Records

It is amazing that the Chicago based Sonia Dada have not received more commercial success. They are relatively well known Stateside, and have a substantial Australian following, having sold out 19 concert dates on one tour. This s/t album sold more than 100,000 copies and "You Don't Treat Me No Good" was a successful hit for the band. This is a great album of fusion, blues-rock, R&B, and soul, with a touch of gospel. The group have a main quartet of lead singers, and the musicianship is outstanding. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out the group's "Lay Down and Love It Live" album @ SONDAD/LD&LIL and buy their brilliant 2002 "Barefoot Soul"album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1.We Treat Each Other Cruel - Chris "Hambone" Cameron/Dan Pritzker/David Resnik/Erik Scott
2.You Don't Treat Me No Good - Dan Pritzker
3.Jungle Song - Sam Hogan/Dan Pritzker/Erik Scott
4.As Hard As It Seems - Dan Pritzker/David Resnik/Erik Scott
5.You Ain't Thinking (About Me) - Dan Pritzker
6.The Edge of the World - Dan Pritzker
7.Cut it Up & Cry - Dan Pritzker/David Resnik
8.New York City - Dan Pritzker
9.Never See Me Again - Dan Pritzker/Erik Scott
10.I Live Alone - Dan Pritzker/Erik Scott
11.Deliver Me - Dan Pritzker
12.Deliver Me (Slight Return) - Sonia Dada

N.B: The album is also available with the bonus tracks, "Paradise", and "Mamba Wan Gama"

MUSICIANS

David Resnik, Daniel Laszlo - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar
Dan Pritzker - Guitar
Erik Scott - Bass
Chris Cameron - Organ, Piano
Billy Beck - Organ
Hank (Henry Dog) Guaglianone - Drums
Leddie Garcia, Kahil El'Zabar - Percussion
Bobbye Hall - Conga, Cheng
Jim Hynes - Trumpet
Michael Scott, Sam Hogan, Yvonne Gage, Paris Delane, Shawn Christopher - Vocals

BIO

Sonia Dada, an eclectic, exciting genre bending rock & roll group, was born in the spring of 1990. Like their labelmates the Freddy Jones Band, they are based in Chicago. The members take their songwriting inspiration from their experiences in that city as well as on the road. One day in 1990, songwriter-guitarist Dan Pritzker got off a subway train and heard the three-part harmonies of Michael Scott, Paris Delane and Sam Hogan. Pritzker had already been working with a group that consisted of his long time friends, guitarist Dave Resnik, drummer Hank Guaglianone and bassist Erik Scott. The three singers joined the quartet, and Sonia Dada had a new lineup: Paris Delane, vocals, Sam Hogan, vocals, Michael Scott, vocals plus the original four. Shortly after they began rehearsing in earnest, they added keyboardist Chris "Hambone" Cameron. The band has released two albums for Capricorn, Sonia Dada, (1995), their self-titled debut (originally released on Chameleon/Elektra Records) exceeded 100,000 in sales and spurred a minor radio hit, "You Don't Treat Me No Good.'' A Day At The Beach, their follow-up, released in March, 1995. The group's intoxicating blend of blues-rock, rhythm and blues and soul music won them fans in faraway places like Australia, and led to the international touring schedule they now maintain. When the group toured Australia, they sold out all 19 concert dates, and in 1994, they opened 40 shows for Traffic while headlining some large clubs and theaters around the U.S. Songs like "Deliver Me" and "We Treat Each Other Cruel'' are soul-gospel-rock celebrations that feature creative arranging and the messages that appeal to the audience for adult rock radio. The songs on Day At The Beach continue the band's genre-fusing traditions, with tracks like "Lay My Body Down'' recalling the gospel-rock mix of their debut record, and the single from the album, "Screaming John,'' which showcases a memorable melody, good harmonies and crafty lyrics. On their second album, the band continues the grooves laid down on its first record, adding funkier rhythms and melodies. My Secret Life followed in 1998, and a year later Sonia Dada returned with Lay Down and Love It Live. The richly layered soul album Barefoot Soul appeared in 2002. In 2004 they released the ambitious Test Pattern, a richly atmospheric collection of material that included a bonus DVD of multimedia centered around two short films by director and cinematographer Jeth Weinrich. © Richard Skelly, All Music Guide

Irmin Schmidt

Irmin Schmidt - Musk At Dusk - 1987 - WEA

Great album from Irmin Schmidt, a founding member of the legendary Can. It's a sophisticated recording, often similar to the sound that characterized Can, with subdued aggression and a beautiful fascination between discord and harmony. This is highly evolved progressive rock music and a very rewarding listen. There is info on Irmin's "Impossible Holidays" album @ IRMSCH/IMPHOL (Use Megaupload), and the Irmin Schmidt & Kumo's "Masters Of Confusion" album is @ IRMSCH/KUMO/MOC If you're not familiar with the great Can band, you should listen to their classic "Tago Mago," and "Ege Bamyasi" albums. Check out Irmin's website @ IRMIN SCHMIDT and read more about Can @ CAN/BIO

TRACKS

1. Cliff Into Silence (5:05)
2. Love (4:39)
3. Roll On, Euphrates (3:51)
4. The Great Escape (5:07)
5. Villa Wunderbar (5:20)
6. The Child In History (8:08)
7. Alcool (5:03)

All songs composed by Irmin Schmidt, and Duncan Fallowell (Lyrics)

MUSICIANS

Irmin Schmidt - Vocals, Keyboard & Synth
Michael Karoli - Guitars
Max Lasser - Slideguitar (on 'Love')
Frank Ema Outu - Bass
Jaki Liebezeit - Drums
Trilok Gurtu - Percussion
Gerd Dudek - Saxophone (on "Roll On, Euphrates")
Manfred Schoof - Flugelhorn (on 'Villa Wunderbar & "Alcool")
Egon Stegemцller - Violin (on "The Child In History")
Juan Jose Mosalini - Bandoneon ("Cliff Into Silence")
Steve Baker - Harmonica (on 'Love')

BIO

Irmin Schmidt born in May 1937 received a formal musical education and between 1957 and 1967 he studied under modern composers Karlheinz Stockhausen and Ligeti. Between 1962 and 1969 he conducted numerous orchestras including Wiener Sinfoniker, Bochumer Sinfoniker, Radio-Sinfonie-Orchester Norddeutscher Rundfunk Hannover and the Dortmunder Ensemble für Neue Musik, which he founded. Schmidt also worked as a musical director at the Stadttheater Aachen and taught Musicals and Chanson at the Bochum stage school. Schmidt also gave numerous new music recitals and was amongst the first German pianists to interpret the work of John Cage. His compositions "Hexapussy" and "Ilgom" were premiered by Radio Stuttgart in 1967 and 1968 respectively. During this period he also composed music for various film and theatre productions. His classical career was put on hold after a trip to New York in 1966 exposed him to emerging musical forms and ideas that led to him forming CAN in 1968. As the band's keyboard player, Schmidt's contribution to their groundbreaking career and the evolution of electronic music in general is formidable. When CAN was dissolved in 1978 Schmidt, relocated to the south of France where he established a studio and continued to compose and record over 100 film and television scores, a craft he had already become familiar with both before and during his work with CAN. This work is documented on CAN's "Soundtracks" LP (1970) and on his own solo soundtrack compilation, a 3 CD set entitled "Anthology:Soundtracks 1978 - 1993 "both of which are available on Spoon/Mute. His solo soundtrack features his fellow band mates Micael Karoli (guitar) and Jaki Liebezeit (drums). In 1981 he worked with Bruno Spoerri and released his first solo LP "Toy Planet" followed by "Musk at Dusk" in 1987. Schmidt rejoined his former colleagues for the reunion album, Rite Time (1989) and followed this with another solo album, "Impossible Holidays" (1991). In 1993, Schmidt was commissioned to write a fantasy opera based on Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast trilogy. The three act opera, with a libretto by Duncan Fallowell, was premiered at Wuppertal Opera House on November 15 1998 excerpts of which were released as a CD on Spoon/Mute in 2000 Thanks to Gormenghast, he met Kumo (UK musician Jono Podmore), sound engineer, producer and specialist in rhythm programming and immediately saw the potential for improvisational collaboration. They performed as Irmin Schmidt and Kumo for the Can solo projects tour. This project also toured events as diverse as the Montreux Jazz Festival, Sonar in Barcelona and the International Jazz festival in London and all to critical acclaim from their respective audiences. In 2001 Irmin Schmidt and Kumo released "Masters of Confusion" on Spoon/Mute. Like his fellow CAN bandmates, Irmin Schmidt has been taking a keen interest in the re-mastering of CAN material for both the 2003 CAN DVD release and overseeing the re-mastering of the entire CAN back catalogue for re-release on Spoon/Mute. June 2004 saw a new production of his Gormenghast opera staged at Völklinger Hütte in Saarbrücken, Germany, a colossal steelworks that is now a UNESCO world heritage site, together with performances at the Grand Theatre Luxembourg. In 2006 - 2007 he composed ballet music for full orchestra commissioned by the Deutschen Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf. In 2008 the ballet was premiered in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. This year also saw the release of the new Irmin Schmidt & Kumo album "Axolotl Eyes" (released world wide by Spoon/Mute/Warner/P-Vine) and he wrote the soundtrack to the new Wim Wenders film "Palermo Shooting", which is part of the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival 2008. © Spoon Records, All rights reserved.

BIO (WIKI)

Irmin Schmidt (born 29 May 1937 in Berlin) is a German keyboard player and composer, probably best known as a founding member of the band Can. Schmidt studied music at the conservatorium in Dortmund, at the Folkwang Hochschule in Essen, the Mozarteum in Salzburg, and he studied composition in Karlheinz Stockhausen's Cologne Courses for New Music at the Rheinische Musikschule, Cologne. He started work mainly as a conductor and performed in concerts with the Bochum Symphony, the Vienna Symphony and the Dortmund Ensemble for New Music, which he founded in 1962. During this time he received several conducting awards. Schmidt also worked as Kapellmeister at the Theater Aachen, as docent for Musical theatre and chanson at the Drama school Bochum, and as concert pianist. In 1968 Schmidt founded with Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli and Jaki Liebezeit the experimental krautrock band Can. He has written the music to more than 40 films and television programs. Schmidt has recorded a few solo albums and written an opera based on Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast. His wife Hildegard Schmidt has been responsible for the group's management and record label, Spoon Records, since the 1970s.

Lori Davidson

Lori Davidson - Slow Traffic Keep Right - 1996

Blueswoman Lori Davidson struts forth with a sultry, sweaty and often sexy nine-cut effort, Slow Traffic Keep Right (All Blues 1069). Outstanding production by Davidson and musical-partner, bassist Ken Embry, bring out the best in their stellar band, including John Lee Hooker guitarist Rich Kirch, harp-whiz Eugene Huggins and sax-stylist Doug Rowan. This gal-to-be-reckoned-with confidently sings her way through several states of blues and comes out sounding as great as she looks on the tray card. (four stars) © Joseph Jordan, Blues Access Magazine. © 1997 by Blues Access, Boulder, CO, USA http://www.bluesaccess.com/No_29/homebrew.html

Capturing the emotional center and illusive power of the blues, this CD pays homage to the traditional sounds of this artform from the down home Chicago style of John Lee Hooker guitarist, Rich Kirch, to the blues born and raised voice of Craig Horton, and the unmistakable west coast sound of Lori Davidson herself. It also creates a little something for everyone, by stretching the form, and showing how the blues are expressed in other styles of music, from the rock & roll sounds of Slow Traffic Keep Right to the hip hop groove of "Busy On You" to the haunting blues/jazz ballad of "Hollow Mood". However you may get 'yer blues, we think you'll enjoy. © 1996-2010, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates

Lori Davidson's new CD "Slow Traffic Keep Right" is definitely good stuff. Lori's band is solid and this entire recording cooks up some good southwestern blues. You can tell within the first few songs that Lori Davidson has been busy putting her heart and soul into making this a quality CD. Lori's got a great voice and all the Slow Traffic should keep right cause this Lady's on her way. I should also mention John Morris who play's guitar in the band and wrote some good material on this CD like " Baby Talk", "Mystery Train", and "Busy On You". I recommend you check Lori and her band out, definitely a thumbs up on this CD. © The Commander - The Blue Zone © The Review Chick http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:sxdZ-Kld_H4J:tinpan.fortunecity.com/eno/946/music/zone6.html+lori+davidson+slow+traffic+keep+right&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

A good south western traditional blues album with plenty of soul, a jazzy touch, and a Chicago blues feel. Lori Davidson sings with a real feeling for the blues, and she is backed by some great musicians including Daniel Castro, Rich Kirch, and Ken Embry. Harvey Mandel's great "Snakes and Stripes" album features Lori's vocals on the "My Soul's on Fire" track.

TRACKS

1. Baby Talk
2. Mystery Train
3. Hollow Mood
4. Busy On You
5. Hoot Owl
6. Slow Traffic Keep Right
7. Fire Engine Red
8. Mojo
9. It's Over Now

MUSICIANS

Lori Davidson - Lead Vocals
Daniel Castro, Rich Kirch - Guitar
Ken Embry - Bass
Ernest 'Boom' Carter - Drums
Eugene Huggins - Harmonica

SHORT BIO

San Francisco-native Lori Davidson started her music training at a young age with classical guitar. Everything was going fine until she heard some really good samples of rock and blues on the radio. She learned some new chord charts, added vocals, and was ready to entertain her friends. Over the years, since those innocent days, Davidson has appeared at festivals, fairs, and clubs across much of the United States and into Canada. She has performed solo and with other artists like Harvey Mandel, John Lee Hooker, Ernest "Boom" Carter, Ken Embrey, and Daniel Castro. She also works with an excellent blues band of her own, as Lori Davidson & the Intruders. In 1996, Davidson completed her first solo album, Slow Traffic Keep Right. The debut is filled with traditional-styled blues tracks like "Mystery Train," "Fire Engine Red," "It's Over Now," "Mojo," and "Baby Talk." © Charlotte Dillon © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll



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San Francisco born singer songwriter Lori Davidson and her husband, bassist Ken Embry are both veterans of the Bay Area music scene, having performed and/or shared the stage with a veritable whose-who of the blues . Davidson was the featured vocalist on guitarist Harvey Mandel’s 1995 release "Snakes and Stripes" and in 1997, she worked with John Lee Hooker and the Coast to Coast Blues Band, playing the 19th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl, along with her husband and bassist, Ken Embrey, who, in his own right, worked with John Lee Hooker for two years. Bluesman Johnny Nitro called her “Harley’s little sister….but a much better ride”. Embrey also played on, produced, and recorded their CD, “Slow Traffic Keep Right” released in 1996. Joseph Jordan, of Blues Access Magazine had this to say: ”Blueswoman Lori Davidson struts forth with a sultry, sweaty and often sexy nine-cut effort, “Slow Traffic Keep Right”. Outstanding production by Davidson and musical partner, bassist, Ken Embrey, bring out the best in their stellar band, including John Lee Hooker guitarist Rich Kirch, harp whiz Eugene Huggins and sax stylist Doug Rowan. This gal-to-be-reckoned-with confidently sings her way through several states of blues and comes out sounding as great as she looks on the tray card. (Four stars)”. The couple toured the U.S. until 2003, when they moved to Pioneer. They are currently at work on a new CD.

Bruce Hornsby And The Range

Bruce Hornsby And The Range - Live The Way It Is Tour 1986-87 - 1987 - RCA (Japan)

Great album, recorded live at The Ritz, NYC on Feb 2nd, 1987. It was produced by DIR Broadcasting for The King Biscuit Flower Hour. Later versions of this album were remastered, and are of far superior sound quality

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Every Little Kiss - B.R.Hornsby
2. The Long Race - B.R.Hornsby, J.Hornsby
3. The Way It Is (Intro) - B.R.Hornsby
4. The Way It Is - B.R.Hornsby
5. Mandolin Rain - B.R.Hornsby, J.Hornsby
6. The Red Plains - B.R.Hornsby, J.Hornsby
7. On The Western Skyline - B.R.Hornsby, J.Hornsby

MUSICIANS

Bruce Hornsby - vocals, piano, synthesizer, hammered dulcimer, accordion
David Mansfield - guitar, mandolin, violin
George Marinelli - acoustic guitar, vocals
Joe Puerta - bass, vocals
John Molo - drums, percussion

Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux (Jan Akkerman Related)

Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux - Transparental - 1980 - Polydor

Dutch guitar legend Jan Akkerman, has done almost anything a musician could possibly do. He has worked with musicians like BB King, Charlie Byrd, Cozy Powell, Claus Ogerman and Ice-T, besides being a former member of the internationally acclaimed Brainbox and Focus bands. Jan has recorded more than a dozen solo records that shows his versatile playing without any limitations or boundaries . He explores and combines elements of rock, jazz, blues, as well as classical or modern dance music and gives them his own unique stamp. On stage, Jan Akkerman has toured all around the world. Besides several appearances at the Swiss Montreux Jazz Festival, the Dutch North Sea Jazz Festival, his countless tours around theatres and different stages, he has also performed in countries like Japan, Russia, North & South America and Australia. He has a long-time fan base in many parts of the world. In his own country, he received a Golden Harp in 2005 for his substantial body of work and again gained recognition for his distinctive role in guitar music by many people. "Transparental" is a short album which has received mostly poor reviews. In 1977, Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux made a duo album for the first time. The album, "Eli" was a good solid album with good songs, and some beautiful Akkerkman guitar. It was recorded with Pierre van der Linden (ex-Brainbox, ex-Focus, ex-Trace) and Rick van der Linden (ex-Ekseption, ex-Trace). "Transparental" was recorded with Kaz Lux, Cees Van Der Laarse, Pierre Van Der Linden, Rick Van Der Linden, Manuel Lopez, Eddy Conrad, and Grace Van Der Laarse; all brilliant musicians in their own right, but the album is arguably not as inventive an album as "Eli". The first two tracks are good. "Marcha" is a nice ballad, but "You're Not The Type", and the reggaefied "The Party Is Over" are not up to Jan Akkerman's usual very high standard. It's probably unfair to compare the two albums, and possibly many people expect brilliance on every Jan Akkerman recording, which is never going to happen with any artist. There is still the great bluesy voice of Kaz Lux and some great solos by Jan Akkerman. As stated before on this blog, the terms, world's greatest guitarist, best guitarist of all time, etc, etc, are "bandied" around a lot. However if we take some of the definitions of great, like "of outstanding significance or importance", "superior in quality or character", "powerful; influential", or "remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect", then Jan Akkerman is truly a great guitarist, as all the aforementioned definitions apply to Jan's playing. "Transparental" is a good, funky album, and if you like Jan Akkerman, you will probably like the album. Please excuse the "Snap, Crackle and Pop"on the album. Listen to the Jan Akkerman & Kaz Lux "Eli" album. Try and find Brainbox's "To You" album featuring the two musicians. Kaz Lux Band's "Instructions" is a great album. Jan's "Profile", and the outstanding "Focus Live At The Rainbow" albums should be heard by everybody. Search this blog for more Jan Akkerman related releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Inspiration - Jan Akkerman/Kazimierz Lux 6:20
A2 Apocalypso - Jan Akkerman/Kazimierz Lux 6:35
A3 Concentrate, Don't Hesitate - Jan Akkerman/Kazimierz Lux 6:53
A4 Transparental - Jan Akkerman 1:10

B1 I Don't Take It Much Longer - Jan Akkerman/Kazimierz Lux 3:55
B2 Marscha - Kazimierz Lux 5:20
B3 You're Not The Type - Jan Akkerman/Kazimierz Lux 6:05
B4 The Party Is Over - Jan Akkerman/Kazimierz Lux 4:40

N.B: Please read comments regarding a correction in the track info for this album

MUSICIANS

Guitar - Jan Akkerman
Vocals, Guitar - Kaz Lux
Bass - Cees Van Der Laarse
Drums - Pierre Van Der Linden; Manuel Lopez on "Marscha", and "The Party Is Over"
Percussion - Eddy Conrad , Grace Van Der Laarse
Keyboards - Rick Van Der Linden

ABOUT KAZ LUX

In the late 60's a young man with a polish father, Kasimirz (or Kaz) Lux starts singing in several bands and starts writing his own material. In 1968 he enters a talent scouting and wins. The first prize is to record a demo for the Bovema label. Because the producers aren't much impressed by his fellow band mates, they suggest he records the demo with the help of studio musicians. Here he meets guitarist Jan Akkerman, drummer Pierre van der Linden (who also played in After Tea) and pianist Wim Jongbloed. Because Lux didn't like the playing of Jongbloed, he asked Rob Hoeke. In the recording session they recorded two songs: Down man and Woman's gone. Akkerman played the bass guitar during the session. Only the second track survived. A few months later Lux is asked by Akkerman and Van der Linden to form a band. As a bass player they recruit Andre Reynen, as was suggested by their manager, John van Setten. And so Brainbox is started. When Brainbox is disbanded Kaz Lux starts a solo career. His first album is released in 1972 and a few more in the years to come. In 1976 he teams up with Jan Akkerman again to make an album together, Eli. Among the other musicians are former Ekseption and Trace keyboard player Rick van der Linden and ex-Brainbox, ex-Focus and ex-Trace drummer Pierre van der Linden. The album becomes a success. In 1980 Akkerman and Lux make another album together, Transparental. Again musical help is provided by the two van der Lindens. In the following years Kaz Lux participates in several reforms of Brainbox (these times without Jan Akkerman) and is also singer in the band Flavium, besides of his solo career.

ABOUT JAN AKKERMAN

A musician of nearly legendary prowess, Jan Akkerman for a time eclipsed Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck among reader polls in England as the top guitarist in the world. Akkerman was born in Amsterdam, Holland, and showed his musical inclinations early, taking up the guitar while still in grade school. His taste and interests were extraordinarily wide-ranging, from pop/rock to classical, with room for blues, Latin, and other influences. He joined his first band, Johnny & His Cellar Rockers, in 1958, at age 11, which included his boyhood friend Pierre van der Linden on drums. Later on, the two were members of the Hunters, an instrumental group whose sound was heavily influenced by that of the Shadows. He acquired a special interest in the lute while on a visit to England during the mid-'60s, during which he saw a performance by legendary classical guitarist Julian Bream, whose repertoire of medieval works also fascinated Akkerman. This interest, which broadened to embrace a fixation on medieval England and its countryside, later manifested itself in such works as "Elspeth of Nottingham" from Focus III. During the late '60s, Akkerman, van der Linden, bassist Bert Ruiter, and singer Kaz Lux formed Brainbox, who were good enough to get a recording contract with Parlophone Records. He was involved with an early incarnation of the group Focus, founded by conservatory-trained flutist Thijs Van Leer, but didn't join until after that group had issued its unsuccessful debut album — he took Van der Linden with him from Brainbox and, with Van Leer and bassist Cyril Havermans (later succeeded by Ruiter) from the original Focus, formed a new group of that name. With Akkerman's virtuoso guitar work and arrangements coupled to Van Leer's classical influence (and his yodeling on their breakthrough hit, "Hocus Pocus"), the new group found a large international audience beginning in 1972, which transformed Akkerman into a superstar guitarist. His solo career actually dated from 1968, though his attempt at a solo album, later titled Guitar for Sale — containing his covers of numbers such as "What'd I Say," "Ode to Billy Joe," and "Green Onions" — was so primitive by the standards of the time that it was deemed unreleasable until Akkerman started topping reader surveys in the mid-'70s. Profile, released in 1972 after he'd begun making some headway with his reputation, also dated from 1969 and his days with Brainbox. Akkerman's first real solo album reflecting his music and interests at the time appeared in 1974, in the form of Tabernakel, which was recorded during the summer of that year at Atlantic Recording Studios in New York — having finally acquired a medieval lute of his own, he taught himself to play it and the results comprise more than half of this LP, made up of authentic medieval music and originals composed in a medieval mode. It was certainly the most unusual record ever to feature the playing of Tim Bogart (bass) and Carmine Appice (drums), as well as soul drummer Ray Lucas. After leaving Focus in 1976, Akkerman began releasing a stream of solo albums, which frequently embraced classical, jazz, and blues, and started leading his own bands. Much of his work during the 1980s wasn't released officially outside of Holland, but his periodic recordings with Van Leer, coupled with efforts to revive Focus with its two major stars, kept his name circulating in international music circles. The only problem that Akkerman faces derives from the sheer eclecticism of his work, which makes him very difficult to categorize — two different branches of Tower Records in the same city listed him as a jazz and a rock artist, respectively, but one could just as easily make a claim for him as a classical artist. © Bruce Eder, allmusic.com

Tutu Jones

Tutu Jones - Blue Texas Soul - 1996 - Bullseye Blues

The son of Dallas-based R&B guitarist Johnny B. Jones, “Tutu” Jones was truly a product of his environment -- growing up in a house frequently populated by guests including Freddie King, Little Joe Blue and Ernie Johnson, his own future as a bluesman was never in doubt. Born John Jones Jr. on September 9, 1966 in South Dallas, Texas. As a child, Tutu was constantly surrounded by blues luminaries such as Ernie Johnson, Little Joe Blue, and even Jones’ uncle L.C. Clark who was a fine guitar player in his own right. Tutu grew up steeped in in-house jam sessions of truly stellar quality. He was 4 ½ years old when he first began his musical career as a drummer. “Next thing I know, I’m playin’ drums in some club in Southeast Dallas,” says Tutu. Jones turned pro with R.L. Griffin, with whose band Tutu took on the road. He became a professional drummer while still a teen, backing his uncles Curly "Barefoot" Miller and L.C. Clark before moving on to work with the likes of Z.Z. Hill and R.L. Burnside. His life became a dizzying mélange of tours and Texas dates, hiring out as drummer for Z.Z. Hill, Al “TNT” Braggs, Ernie Johnson, and Little Joe Blue. One night, Tutu was fooling around with Joe Blue’s guitar backstage at a gig in the part of Dallas called Oak Cliff (turf to T-Bone Walker and more recently, the Vaughn Brothers). Joe Blue told him, if he could play guitar that well he should be fronting his own band. Not long after, Tutu started showing up at the myriad blues jams in the clubs in North Dallas. Joe Blue’s advice had been good, and things started happening for Tutu Jones. As Jones steadily honed his guitar and songwriting skills, he eventually began fronting bands of his own; he cut his solo debut “I'm for Real” in 1994, followed by “Blue Texas Soul” in 1996. Two years later, he released “Staying Power”. Tutu is more than the sum of his influences (though distinguished influences they are!) He is first and foremost an individualist, who puts a very personal stamp on every note that he plays and every syllable that he sings. You could call him the living personification of the sound of South Dallas, where Blues and Soul meet and are stronger for it. Tutu Jones has just released his brand new red hot CD aptly titled “Tutu Jones Live”. This CD contains what many of the critics have called “One of the hottest live Blues to be released in quite some time”. Tutu is truly one of our brightest stars in the future of the blues in the 21st Century. © http://www.tutujones.com/bio.html

Although he recorded "I'm For Real" for JSP Records in 1994, "Blue Texas Soul" was Tutu Jones' official debut American release. He is not a well known blues artist, but in 1997, he was nominated for the W.C. Handy Award, in the Soul Blues Album of the Year category. Tutu has been featured prominently in many music mags and books around the world. For example: Roadhouse Blues (Stevie Ray Vaughn and Texas R&B) by Hugh Gregory, London 2003. Although Tutu is obviously influenced by artists like Freddie King, Albert King, and Magic Sam, he is first and foremost an individualist, putting his own personal stamp on every note he plays and sings. Tutu composed six of the ten songs on "Blue Texas Soul". He also covers songs by Elmore James, Ron Levy, Billy Myles, and Jerry Beach. This is a good album, by an artist who needs more exposure. Buy his "Staying Power" album which is arguably his strongest album, and is really worth hearing

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 The Sky Is Crying - Elmore James
2 Chronic Late Arriver - Ron Levy
3 Check Out Yourself - Tutu Jones
4 Have You Ever Loved a Woman - Billy Myles
5 It's Been A Mistake - Tutu Jones
6 You Never Had Love - Tutu Jones
7 Things Are Looking Up - Tutu Jones
8 I've Been Loving You - Tutu Jones
9 I'll Play The Blues For You - Jerry Beach
10 I'm Not Ashamed to Play the Blues - Tutu Jones

MUSICIANS

Tutu Jones - Guitar, Drums, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Carl Caldwell - Bass
Ron Levy - Piano, Organ (Hammond)
Brent Nance - Drums
Andrew Love - Sax (Tenor)
Wayne Jackson -Trombone, Trumpet

REVIEWS

This Dallas-based guitarist-singer has an impressive resume, having served as sideman as drummer, guitarist, and warm-up singer for a number of Texas-based blues and soul men like Z.Z. Hill and Little Joe Blue, and having grown up with the blues (his dad and two uncles were active on the local Dallas scene). But on the basis of this and his prior CD (I'm For Real on JSP), he has yet to forge his own distinctive sound. His guitar solos, which rely on heavily plucked, long sustained notes, tend toward monotony over the 45 minutes length of the disc, although fans of contemporary blues guitar will be impressed by their muscular quality. © Steve Hoffman © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfuxqyhldje~T1

**** An even stronger sophomore effort from this extremely-talented bluesman sports an unforgettable cd cover, with Tutu looking possessed as he stares at his guitar! This Texas blues, soul blues and jazzily-spiced platter starts off with a stylized take on Elmore James' "The Sky is Crying" with Jones' band speeding up the tempo and Tutu slashes guitar licks in and out and around the groove. The same goes for "I'll Play The Blues For You". Instead of a Stax-like Memphis soul groove Jones and band give it an uptown blues feel. The clever "Chronic Late Arriver" is a forceful Albert King-breathed number. He ain't cheating folks...he's just tardy. "Check Out Yourself" is a cleanly-produced soul blues with a addictive melody. © 2009 by Blues Critic Media www.bluescritic.com

...Jones demonstrates a wicked Albert Collins-influenced six-string attack and a robust, Southern soul vocal in the vein of Z.Z. Hill or Little Minton....Armed with sizzling guitar chops and a gutsy vocal style, Tutu Jones makes a strong mark on the blues scene with this solid, soulful debut. - JazzTimes (12/01/1996)



SHORT BIO

The son of Dallas-based R&B guitarist John Jones, Tutu Jones was truly a product of his environment — growing up in a house frequently populated by guests including Freddie King, Little Joe Blue and Ernie Johnson, his own future as a bluesman was never in doubt. Born John Jones Jr. on September 9, 1966, he became a professional drummer while still a teen, backing his uncles Curly "Barefoot" Miller and L.C. Clark before moving on to work with the likes of Z.Z. Hill and R.L. Burnside. At the same time, however, Jones was also honing his guitar and songwriting skills, and eventually began fronting bands of his own; he cut his solo debut I'm for Real in 1994, followed by Blue Texas Soul in 1996. Two years later, he released Staying Power. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

Sean Costello

Sean Costello - Sean Costello - 2004 - Tone-Cool/Artemis

This self-titled album is Atlanta blues guitarist Sean Costello's fourth solo release, and although he is still only 25 years old, his informed knowledge of the blues genre (and lately, soul and R&B as well) belies his age. The contemporary blues scene is full of hotshot young guitar players, but Costello is somewhat of an exception, having learned that less can be more, and his guitar playing doesn't take center stage here, but falls instead into a wonderful ensemble style that draws as much from Steve Cropper's economic playing as it does from the slash-and-burn approach of Stevie Ray Vaughan. Not that Costello can't amp it up when necessary (his version here of Tommy Johnson's classic "Big Road Blues" is nothing short of thundering), but he has learned to play the song rather than play the guitar, an important distinction that some of his flashy contemporaries have yet to discover. Nor is this strictly a blues outing, as Costello explores an intriguing mix of soul, funk, and hard rock, covering songs by Johnny Taylor, Al Green (the horn-driven "I'm a Ram"), and Bob Dylan (a version of "Simple Twist of Fate" that features Levon Helm on drums — Helm's daughter, Amy Helm, helps out on backing vocals on several tracks here as well), along with seven original compositions, including the dynamite opener, "No Half Steppin'." It is worth mentioning, too, that Costello's voice has matured into a surprisingly flexible and expressive vehicle, and he even moves into a kind of urban soul mode with the self-penned ballad "All I Can Do." Although this is a fine and impressive outing, one gets the feeling that Costello is just starting to hit his stride as a songwriter and singer, while as a guitar player he has obviously learned the vital and difficult lesson that drawing attention to your playing should only happen when the song demands it. © Steve Leggett © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:w9fqxq9sldhe [N.B: REVIEW PRE-DATES SEAN'S DEATH]

Sean begun playing blues at the age of 9 and became an instant prodigy. By the age of 16 he had released his first album. During his short life Sean released 5 critically acclaimed albums and played with greats like B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and James Cotton. His guitar technique was wonderful, and he had an innate understanding of blues, soul, and R&B, which is demonstrated brilliantly on this s/t album, HR by A.O.O.F.C. There is info on Sean's "Cuttin' In" album @ SEANCOST/CUIN Buy Sean's "Moanin' for Molasses", and "We Can Get Together" albums, and keep his memory alive. Sean also plays some great guitar on Susan Tedeschi's "Just Won’t Burn" album. If you suffer from anxiety or depression, as Sean did, why not check out The Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 No Half Steppin' - Sean Costello 3:52
2 I'm a Ram - Al Green/Hodges, D./Hodgs, D./Memphis, E. 3:51
3 She Changed My Mind - Sean Costello 3:45
4 Hold on This Time - Banks, E./Davis, D./Russell Jackson/Memphis, E. 4:29
5 Simple Twist of Fate - Bob Dylan 5:42
6 I've Got to Ride - Costello, S./Linden, P. 3:45
7 Take It Easy - Costello, S./Patscha, G. 5:40
8 Peace of Mind - R. Ward 4:46
9 Father - Costello, S./Patscha, G. 5:09
10 All I Can Do - Sean Costello 4:45
11 Big Road Blues - Tommy Johnson 3:00
12 I Get a Feeling - Johnny "Guitar" Watson 4:07
13 Don't Pass Me By - Costello, S./Helm, A. 6:09

MUSICIANS

Sean Costello - Guitar, Vocals
Jimi Zhivago Guitar - (Acoustic), National Steel Guitar
Melvin Zachary, Willie Weeks - Bass (Electric), Guitar (Bass)
Byron Isaacs - Bass (Electric), Guitar (Bass), Double Bass, Bass (Upright)
Glenn Patscha - Organ, Piano, Keyboards, Vocals (bckgr), Vibraphone, Wurlitzer, Hammond B3
Matt Wauchope - Organ, Piano, Keyboards, Organ (Hammond)
Paul Linden - Harmonica, Piano, Keyboards, Clavinet, Wurlitzer
Steven "Steven J." Jordan, Terrence Prather - Drums
Levon Helm - Drums, Vocals (bckgr)
Tony Leone - Percussion, Drums
Jerry Vivino, John Ellis - Saxophone
Mark Pender - Trumpet
Fiona McBain - Vocals (bckgr)
Amy Helm - Vocals (bckgr), Vocal Harmony

BIO

Teen blues phenom Sean Costello was born and raised in Atlanta, receiving his first guitar for his ninth birthday. A primarily self-taught player, he initially gravitated toward hard rock but soon discovered Stevie Ray Vaughan, moving on from there to Howlin' Wolf; under the wing of local bluesman Felix Reyes, a 14-year-old Costello won the Beale Street Blues Society's talent award in 1994. Another contestant was Susan Tedeschi, and soon Costello began touring as her lead guitarist and stayed with her band for a couple years. He also provided guitar on Tedeschi's 1998 album, Just Won't Burn. Soon after leaving Tedeschi's band, Costello assembled backing outfit the Jivebombers — bassist Carl Shankle, keyboardist and harpist Paul Linden, and drummer Terrence Prather — and issued his debut album, Call the Cops, in 1996. After touring extensively and revamping his band by replacing Shankle with Melvin Zachary on bass and adding keyboardist Matt Wauchope, Costello released Cuttin' In in early 2000. The album was a success in the blues community, gaining him a W.C. Handy Award nomination for Best New Artist Debut. In 2001 Costello released his third album, Moanin' for Molasses, and further cemented his reputation as one of the best young blues guitarists on the scene. The self-titled Sean Costello was released on Artemis Records in 2004. Unfortunately, Artemis folded a few months later and the album — intended as Costello's breakthrough — never received the publicity it deserved. It would be four years before Costello would release another album with 2008's We Can Get Together. Sadly, on April 15, 2008, just two months after the release of that album and a day before his 29th birthday, Costello was found dead in a local Atlanta hotel room. A subsequent toxicology report found the cause of death to be a mixture of drugs including heroin. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved. http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0jftxq8gldfe~T1



BIO (Wikipedia)

Sean Costello (April 16, 1979 – April 15, 2008) was an American blues musician, renowned for his fiery guitar playing and soulful singing. He released five critically-acclaimed albums before his career was cut short by his sudden death at the age of 28. Tinsley Ellis called him ‘the most gifted young Blues guitarist on the scene... he was a triple threat on guitar, vocals and as a songwriter’. Costello mastered traditional blues guitar at an early age and began his career while still in high school. His records became increasingly eclectic as his career progressed. Born in Philadelphia, Costello moved to Atlanta at the age of 9. Obsessive about the guitar from a young age, he got hooked on the blues after buying Howlin’ Wolf's 'Rockin' Chair Album'. At 14 the young prodigy created a stir in a Memphis guitar shop, where an employee tipped his father off about a talent contest sponsored by the Beale Street Blues Society, which Costello duly entered and won. He formed his first band shortly after. At sixteen, Costello recorded his first album, Call The Cops (1996), already ‘displaying a flawless command of 1950s blues guitar’, in the words of music historian Tony Russell. His lead guitar work on Susan Tedeschi's gold-selling album, Just Won't Burn, (1998), subsequently brought him national exposure. Costello's band later toured as Tedeschi's backing group. "His playing is shockingly deep for a 20-year old", wrote the Allmusic guide of Costello's second album, Cuttin’ In (2000), which was nominated for a W. C. Handy Award for Best New Artist Debut. The follow-up, Moanin’ For Molasses, was equally well received; the Allmusic guide drew attention to Costello's "soulful voice" and his "ability to mesh blues, R&B and soul". "Passionate... distinctive and often compelling... Costello's vocals are most astonishing," reported Blues Revue Magazine. Costello honed his skills through almost constant performing, playing over 300 gigs a year and touring widely in the USA and Europe. His reputation as a brilliant live performer enabled him to play alongside blues luminaries such as B. B. King and Buddy Guy (Ma Rainey House benefit concert, Columbus, Georgia, June 1997), James Cotton (Cotton's 64th birthday concert in Memphis) and Hubert Sumlin (South by Southwest, Austin, Texas, March 2005). When not touring, Costello made a living playing small venues in his home town of Atlanta, Georgia, such as the Northside Tavern. Richard Rosenblatt, former President of Tone-Cool Records, recalls Costello's performances: As a guitarist he was astounding, but for Sean it was never about showing off monstrous chops or stroking his own ego. His playing always fit the song; he would work the tone and phrasing, sometimes with an economy of notes that let the empty spaces hang achingly for what seemed like hours. When he did take off on the occasional blazing run, he was the ultimate tightrope walker, flirting fearlessly with danger before bringing it all back home with the unlikeliest of phrases that was still, somehow, perfect. Through Amy Helm of Ollabelle, Costello met her father, Americana musician Levon Helm, formerly of The Band, whose eclecticism encouraged Costello to further develop his interests outside the blues: "he really blew it wide open for me. He’d play a Chuck Berry tune, then a blues, then a country tune or a rock number or whatever, and he didn’t even think twice about it.". Levon Helm and the members of Ollabelle were among the contributors to Costello’s fourth, self-titled album, recorded in New York with input from local musicians. With an eclectic set list, and arrangements reminiscent more of Memphis soul than Chicago blues, Sean Costello (2005) marked a departure from his earlier work. Costello’s guitar took a backseat to his voice, which by now "had acquired a ragged edge of considerable power" (Tony Russell). In 2007 Costello's playing on Nappy Brown's comeback album, Long Time Coming, was singled out for praise by the critics. The following year Costello released what was to be his last album, We Can Get Together, acclaimed by many as his best work. His guitar playing on this record was described variously as "incendiary", "searing", and "blistering red hot". Hal Horowitz of the Allmusic guide wrote the following: - "The material is so strong and the ensemble playing of his band so effortless that he doesn't need to distract attention from the songs with the extended soloing he is capable of... he establishes a greasy groove that weaves through each cut, connecting them even when the styles differ. While Costello is clearly inspired by the blues greats, many of whom he has covered on previous collections, he slants more to '70s Southern soul, rock, and R&B here, dousing these genres with a bucket load of swamp water and spearheaded by his whiskey-laced vocals. There's a thick, gooey atmospheric vibe that hangs over the album, gels its contents, and shows Costello to be a terrific singer and songwriter and guitar talent just hitting his peak". Sean Costello was found dead in his Atlanta hotel room on April 15, 2008. A medical report later determined that he died of an accidental drug overdose. Posthumously, Costello's family revealed that he had suffered from Bipolar disorder, and set up the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research in his honor.

The Eric Burdon Band

The Eric Burdon Band - Stop - 1975 - Capitol

"Stop" was recorded by Eric Burdon & Tovarich, (aka Uncle Tom), at the Far Out Studios, L.A California, in August 1971 (Artists included Eric Burdon, Bob Morcereau, George Suranovich, John Sterling, Terry Ryan and Kim Kesterson) and The Eric Burdon Band at the Dieter Dirks Studio, Cologne, Germany in August 1973 (Artists included Eric Burdon, Aalon Butler, Alvin Taylor and Randy Rice). This lesser known Eric Burdon album has received many poor reviews, but it's not Eric Burdon with either The Animals, or War, and shouldn't be compared with these collaborations. It's a good blues rock album with a healthy injection of jazz and soul funk. It's a short album, and some of the tracks could have been improved through a little more musical expansion. Eric Burdon is a legend of rock music, and this album, although it's not a classic, was a worthwhile release. Check out Eric's "Black-Man's Burdon" album, with War, Eric Burdon & War's "Eric Burdon Declares War", and Eric's "Survivor" album. It is also worthwhile listening to some of The Animal's early albums. There are dozens of good compilations available. Eric's "Guilty" album with Jimmy Witherspoon is @ ERICBUR/JIMWITH/GUI Information on nearly all Eric Burdon's recorded works can be found @ ERIC BURDON ALBUMS

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 City Boy - E.Burdon/J.Sterling
A2 Gotta Get It on - J.Sterling/P.Hodgson
A3 The Man - J.Sterling/J.Mitthauer/T.Ryan
A4 I'm Lookin' Up - J.Sterling/K.Kesterton
A5 Rainbow - E.Burdon/J.Sterling/K.Kesterton/B.Morris
A6 All I Do - E.Burdon/J.Sterling/K.Kesterton

B1 Funky Fever - T.Ryan/J.Sterling
B2 Be Mine - J.Sterling
B3 The Way it Should Be - J.Sterling
B4 Stop - J.Sterling/K.Kesterton/R.Haney

MUSICIANS

Eric Burdon Vocals
John Sterling Guitar
Randy Rice, Kim Kesterson Bass
Terry Ryan Keyboards
Alvin "Red" Taylor, George Suranovich Drums
Moses Wheelock Percussion

SHORT BIO

As the lead singer of the Animals, Eric Burdon was one of the British Invasion's most distinctive vocalists, with a searingly powerful blues-rock voice. When the first lineup of the group fell apart in 1966, Burdon kept the Animals' name going with various players for a few years. Usually billed as Eric Burdon and the Animals, the group was essentially Burdon's vehicle, whom he used to purvey a far more psychedelic and less R&B-oriented vision. Occasionally he came up with a good second-division psychedelic hit, like "Sky Pilot"; more often, the music was indulgent, dating almost immediately. Burdon's real triumphs as a solo artist came at the beginning of the '70s, when he hooked up with a bunch of L.A. journeyman soul/funksters who became his backing band, War. Recording three albums worth of material in the year or two that they were together, the Burdon/War records could ramble on interminably, and would have benefited from a lot of editing. But they contained some spacey funkadelia of real quality, especially their number three hit single "Spill the Wine," which was almost recorded as an afterthought in the midst of sessions dominated by exploratory jams. The band was already big stars on record and stage when Burdon, for reasons unclear to almost everyone, quit the band in 1971. War defied expectations and became even bigger when left to their own devices; Burdon, after recording an album with veteran bluesman Jimmy Witherspoon, cut a series of generally desultory solo albums. He recorded off and on after that, at times with the Animals, but has never come close to reaching the heights of his work with the early Animals and War. © Richie Unterberger © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:dzfuxqr5ldhe~T1



BIO (WIKI)

Eric Victor Burdon (born 11 May 1941; Walker, Newcastle upon Tyne) is best known as a founding member and vocalist of The Animals, a rock band formed in Newcastle, England, his multi-racial funk rock band War, and his aggressive stage performance. Burdon was lead singer of The Animals, formed during 1962 in Newcastle, England. They combined electric blues with rock and were one of the leading bands of the "British Invasion". Along with The Beatles, The Who, The Rolling Stones, The Dave Clark Five, and The Kinks, the group helped to introduce the world to British music and fashion. Burdon's powerful voice can be heard in The Animals singles "The House of the Rising Sun", " Sky Pilot", "Monterey", "I'm Crying", "Boom Boom", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Bring It On Home to Me", "Baby Let Me Take You Home", "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place", "Don't Bring Me Down", and "See See Rider". By late 1966 the other original members of The Animals, including keyboardist Alan Price, had left the band. Burdon and drummer Barry Jenkins reformed the group renaming it Eric Burdon and The Animals. This more psychedelic incarnation of the group featured future Family member John Weider and was sometimes called Eric Burdon and the New Animals. Keyboardist Zoot Money joined them during 1968 until they split up in 1969. This group's hits included the ballad "San Franciscan Nights", the grunge–heavy metal-pioneering "When I Was Young", "Monterey", the anti-Vietnam anthem "Sky Pilot" and the progressive cover of "Ring of Fire". In 1975 the original Animals reunited and recorded an album called Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted which was eventually released during 1977 and was much overlooked, due to the dawning of the punk era. In May 1983 The Animals reunited, with their complete and original lineup and the album Ark was released on 16 June 1983, along with the singles "The Night" and "Love Is For All Time". A world tour followed and the concert at Wembley Arena London recorded on December 31, 1983 was released in 1984 entitled Rip It To Shreds. Their concert at the Royal Oak Theatre in April 1984 was released in 2008 entitled Last Live Show; the band members on this occasion were augmented by Zoot Money, Nippy Noya, Steve Gregory and Steve Grant. The original Animals broke up for the last time at the end of 1984. Although the band Burdon formed in the late '60s was sometimes called Eric Burdon and The New Animals, it wasn't until 1998 that the name Eric Burdon and The New Animals was officially adopted. The 1998 band had a lineup of bassist Dave Meros, guitarist Dean Restum , drummer Aynsley Dunbar and keyboard guitarist Neal Morse. They recorded Live At The Coach House on 17 October 1998, which was released on video and DVD during December that year. In 1999 they released The Official Live Bootleg #2 and in August 2000 The Official Live Bootleg 2000, with Martin Gerschwitz on keyboards. In June 2003, he formed another Eric Burdon and The Animals band, which included keyboardist Martin Gerschwitz, bassist Dave Meros, guitarist Dean Restum, and drummer Bernie Pershey until 2005 when they disbanded. During 2008 Burdon toured again as Eric Burdon and The Animals with a variable lineup of backing musicians. On 13 December 2008, Burdon lost a three-year legal battle to win the rights of the name "The Animals" in the UK. Drummer John Steel now owns the rights to the name "The Animals" in the UK only. Eric Burdon still tours the world with his band, as Eric Burdon and the Animals, but is at least temporarily prevented from using the name "The Animals" in the land of his birth and rise to fame, while the case is under appeal. John Steel was a member of the band during its early heyday and left before the band split up in 1966. Steel later played in various reunion versions of the band with Burdon. During 1969, while living in San Francisco, Burdon joined forces with Californian funk rock band War. The resulting album was entitled Eric Burdon Declares "War" which produced the singles "Spill the Wine" and "Tobacco Road". A two-disc set entitled The Black-Man's Burdon, was released later in September 1970. The singles from the double album, "Paint it Black" and "They Can't Take Away Our Music", had moderate success during 1971. During this time Burdon collapsed on the stage during a concert, caused by an asthma attack, and War continued the tour without him. In 1976 a compilation album, Love Is All Around, was released by Rhino Records which had recordings of Eric Burdon with War and a live version of "Paint it Black" and a jam session called "A Day In The Life". Eric Burdon and War were reunited for the first time in 37 years, to perform a concert at the Royal Albert Hall London on 21 April 2008. The concert coincided with a major reissue campaign by Rhino Records (UK), who released all the War albums including Eric Burdon Declares "War" and The Black-Man's Burdon. Burdon began a solo career in 1971 with The Eric Burdon Band, continuing with a hard rock–heavy metal–funk style. In August 1971 he recorded the album Guilty! which featured the blues shouter Jimmy Witherspoon, and also Ike White of the San Quentin Prison Band. In 1973 the band performed at the Reading Festival and in 1974 they travelled to New York. At the end of 1974 the band released the album Sun Secrets and this was followed by the album Stop in 1975. Burdon moved to Germany in 1977 and recorded the album Survivor with a lineup including guitarist Alexis Korner and keyboardist Zoot Money; the album also had a lineup of four guitarists and three keyboard players and is known for its interesting album cover, which depicts Burdon screaming. In May 1978 he recorded the album Darkness Darkness at the Roundwood House in County Laois, Ireland, using Ronnie Lane's Mobile Studio and featuring guitarist and vocalist Bobby Tench from The Jeff Beck Group, who had left Streetwalkers a few months before. The album was eventually released in 1980. During January 1979 Burdon changed his band for a tour taking in Hamburg, Germany and Holland. On 28 August 1982 "The Eric Burdon Band" including Red Young (keyboards) performed at the Rockpalast Open Air Concert in Lorelei, Germany. Following this Burdon toured heavily with his solo project from March 1984 to March 1985, taking in UK, Spain, Germany, Sweden, Canada and Australia. In 1986 Burdon published his autobiography entitled I Used To Be An Animal, But I'm Alright Now. In March 1979 he played a concert in Cologne and changed the band's name to "Eric Burdon's Fire Department", whose lineup included backing vocalist Jackie Carter of Silver Convention, Bertram Engel of Udo Lindenbergs "Panik Orchester" and Jean-Jaques Kravetz. In mid 1980 they recorded the album The Last Drive. "Eric Burdon's Fire Department" toured Europe with this lineup and Paul Millins and Louisiana Red made special appearances in Spain and Italy. By December 1980 the band had broken up. In April 1981, Christine Buschmann began to film Comeback with Burdon as the star. They created a new "Eric Burdon Band" whose lineup included Louisiana Red, Tony Braunagle, John Sterling and Snuffy Walden. This band recorded live tracks in Los Angeles. They also recorded in Berlin with another lineup, the only remaining member being John Sterling. In September 1981 the final scenes of Comeback were shot in the Berlin Metropole and Burdon and his band continued to tour through Australia and North America. A studio album titled Comeback was released in 1982. The 1983 album Power Company also included songs recorded during the Comeback project. In 1988 he put together a band with 15 musicians including Andrew Giddings - keyboards, Steve Stroud - bass, Adrian Sheppard - drums, Jamie Moses - guitar and four backing vocalists to record the album I Used To Be An Animal in Malibu, in the United States. In 1990 Eric Burdon's cover version of "Sixteen Tons" was used for the film Joe Versus the Volcano. The song, which played at the beginning of the film, was also released as a single. He also recorded the singles "We Gotta Get out of this Place" with Katrina & The Waves and "No Man's Land" with Tony Carey and Anne Haigis. Later in 1990 he had a small lineup of an Eric Burdon Band featuring Jimmy Zavala (sax and harmonica), Dave Meros(bass), Jeff Naideau (keyboards), Thom Mooney (drums) and John Sterling (guitar) before he began a tour with The Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger and they appeared at a concert from Ventura Beach, California, which was released as a DVD on 20 June 2008. On 13 April 2004 he released a "comeback" album, My Secret Life, which was his first album with new recordings for 16 years. When John Lee Hooker died in 2001, Burdon had written the song "Can't Kill the Boogieman" the co-writers of the songs, on the album, were Tony Braunagel and Marcelo Nova. In 2005 they released a live album, Athens Traffic Live, with special DVD bonus material and a bonus studio track and disbanded in November 2005. He began a short touring as "The Blues Knights". On 27 January 2006 he released his blues–R&B album Soul of a Man. This album was dedicated to Ray Charles and John Lee Hooker. The cover of the album was a picture, which was sent to Burdon a few years before. Burdon then formed a new band, with the following members: Red Young (keyboards), Paula O'Rourke (bass), Eric McFadden (guitar) and Wally Ingram (drums). They also performed at the Lugano Festival and in 2007 he toured as the headlining act of the "Hippiefest" lineup, produced and hosted by Country Joe McDonald. In 1991, Burdon and Brian Auger formed the "Eric Burdon - Brian Auger Band" with the following lineup: Eric Burdon - vocals, Brian Auger - keyboards, vocals, Dave Meros - bass, vocals, Don Kirkpatrick - guitar, vocals, and Paul Crowder - drums, vocals. By 1992, Larry Wilkins replaced Kirkpatrick and Karma Auger (Brian's son) replaced Crowder and in 1993 they added Richard Reguria (percussion). The live album Access All Areas was then released. In 1994 the "Eric Burdon - Brian Auger Band" disbanded. Burdon then formed the "Eric Burdon's i Band". The lineup included Larry Wilkins, Dean Restum (guitar), Dave Meros (bass) and Mark Craney (drums). In 1995, Burdon made a guest appearance with Bon Jovi, singing "It's My Life"/"We Gotta Get Out Of This Place" medley at the Hall of Fame. He also released the album Lost Within The Halls Of Fame, with past tracks and re-recordings of some songs from I Used To Be An Animal. In October 1996, Aynsley Dunbar replaced Craney on drums. The Official Live Bootleg was recorded in 1997 and in May that year Larry Wilkins died of cancer. He also released the compilations Soldier Of Fortune and I'm Ready which featured recordings from the 1970s and 1980s. In 2000 he recorded the song "Power to the People" together with Ringo Starr and Billy Preston for the motion picture Steal This Movie!. On 11 May 2001, The Animals were inducted into the Rock Walk Of Fame on Burdon's 60th birthday. On 3 March 2002, the live album Live in Seattle was recorded. Ex-War member Lee Oskar made a guest appearance on the album. In 2003 he made a guest appearance on the album Joyous in the City of Lunatics (Χαρούμενοι στην πόλη των τρελλών) by Greece's top rock band Pyx Lux (Πυξ Λαξ), singing lead vocal on "Someone Wrote 'Save me' On a Wall". On June 7 2008 Burdon performed at the memorial service of Bo Diddley in Gainesville, Florida. During July and August 2008, Burdon appeared as the headline act of the "Hippiefest". He also recorded the single "For What It's Worth" with Carl Carlton and Max Buskohl. On 12 November 2008 Rolling Stone ranked Eric Burdon #57 on the list of the 100 Greatest Singers of all Time. On 22 January 2009 he first performed with his new band, including keyboardist Red Young, guitarist Rick Hirsch, bass player Jack Bryant and drummer Ed Friedland. For a few months he was sick and did not perform except in the United States. On 26 June, he began his European tour. The band includes Red Young (keyboards), Billy Watts (guitar), Terry Wilson (bass), Brannen Temple (drums) and Georgia Dagaki (cretan lyra). On August 7, the tour ended. On September 9, after a gig, his wife and manager Marianna Proestou was hit by a pick up truck, when two fans asked for an autograph. The sound of The Animals influenced many Britpop, alternative rock and power pop groups, and his voice is highly respected by many people such as Jim Morrison, Robert Plant, Tom Petty, David Johansen, Joe Cocker and Dan Zanes. Iggy Pop and Bruce Springsteen voted for Burdon in the poll of Rolling Stone's list of the Top One Hundred best singers. Brian Jones has called him "The best blues singer to ever come out of England." Alan Price has called him "The best singer in a white band." Burdon wanted to act in the movie Blowup (1966). Director Michelangelo Antonioni wanted to use him as a musician in a club scene. Burdon turned the role down, because he had acted in movies before, where he sang songs. He disbanded The Animals and went to California where he met Jim Morrison and came to the realization that his real inspiration was acting. Later, he turned down major roles in Zabriskie Point and Performance (both 1970). In 1973 he formed The Eric Burdon Band and recorded the soundtrack for his own film project, Mirage. He spent much money to make this film, produced as a motion picture for Atlantic. The film and the soundtrack had to be released in July 1974, but somehow it never was. The soundtrack was released in 2008. In 1979 he acted in the TV movie The 11th Victim. Then in the German motion picture Gibbi - Westgermany (1980). In 1982 he starred in another German motion picture, Comeback, again as a singer. In 1991 he had a very small role in The Doors. In 1998 he acted as himself in the Greek movie My Brother and I, followed by a bigger role in the German motion picture Snow on New Year's Eve (1999). In the following years he was credited in many documentaries and in an independent movie called Fabulous Shiksa in Distress (2003), along with Ned Romero and Ted Markland. In 2007 he performed the traditional "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" in the drama festival film The Blue Hour and in a documentary about Joshua Tree, where Burdon lives, called Nowhere Now (2008).