Barry Goldberg

Barry Goldberg - Barry Goldberg's Soul Riot! - 2009 - Meroke Sky

Out in L.A., the Meroke Sky label has been releasing a bunch of interesting releases and high on the list is the 2009 CD from R&B / pop great Barry Goldberg entitled Barry Goldberg’s Soul Riot! More a music fest than a soul riot, the emphasis is on pop R&B stylings but a few tracks stand out as future classics including a classic pop-rock barnstormer called “Cold Blank Stare” that is quite reminiscent of Goldberg’s work on Gerry Goffin’s great mid ‘90s comeback. Produced by Mike Giangreco, the Soul Riot! CD features Goldberg’s keyboards backed up by contributions from a wide range of players including guitarists Jack Sherman and Greg Leisz along with drummer Gary Malabar, singer Melanie Herrold who comes across like a modern day Janis Joplin disciple. With the first six cuts recorded in the studio, the second side so to speak features tracks recorded at L.A.’s Cabana Club and I guess that’s where the riot part kicks in. Also live here is a new cover of “I’ve Got To Use My Imagination,” written by childhood hero Goffin and Goldberg way back when. With his past credits including work with Dylan, Hendrix, Janis, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters and more, Goldberg continues to live up to his credo—born and raised in Chicago, born and raised to play the blues. www.MerokeSkyRecords.com © 1999 - 2010 MWE3.com, Inc. http://mwe3.com/archive/pastfeature/featureMusicRevWinter2010.htm
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Great album from the legendary Chicago R&B, pop, blues, soul and jazz keyboardist, Barry Goldberg and dedicated to Michael Bloomfield and Jerry Colonna. Producer Mike Giangreco said, "I have been a fan of Barry's for many years, and had the good fortune to start working with him and Mick Taylor in the early '90s. We have worked together on various projects since then, but actually started recording together when he came into the studio to do some tracks on Joe Hajek's album. The collaboration worked so well that, when the opportunity to record a live set presented itself, we jumped at it. The finished project is 'Barry Goldberg's Soul Riot!' The album took about eight months to complete, with both of our busy schedules, but the finished product - the live show [recorded at Hollywood's Cabana Club] along with some songs Barry had from previous sessions - was well worth the wait. The level of professionalism and craftsmanship Barry displayed while we worked on this showed me just what a master musician and songwriter he is. I am not only proud to be associated with him, but also anxious to start the next project!" Try and listen to the 1972 "Barry Goldberg & Friends" album [Tracks @ 315-320 Kbps: File size = 101 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Middle of the Night
2. Like a River
3. Cold Blank Stare
4. Soul Shine
5. Gone
6. Why Not Tonight
7. Buried Alive In the Blues
8. I've Got To Use My Imagination
9. Burning Fire
10. Breakaway
11. Higher
12. Nut Bush City Limits

MUSICIANS

Barry Goldberg - Keyboards
Jack Sherman, Greg Leisz, Dave Williams - Guitar
Gerald Johnson - Bass
Alex Del Zoppo - Synths
Gary Malabar - Drums
Melanie Herrold - Vocals

BIO (WIKI)

Barry Joseph Goldberg (born December 25, 1942, Chicago, Illinois) is a blues and rock keyboardist, songwriter and record producer. As a teenager in Chicago, Goldberg sat in with Muddy Waters, Otis Rush, and Howlin' Wolf. He played keyboards in the band supporting Bob Dylan during his 1965 'electrified' appearance at the Newport Folk Festival. He formed The Electric Flag with Mike Bloomfield in 1967, and later formed the Barry Goldberg Reunion in 1968. Goldberg's songs (some of which co-written with Gerry Goffin) have been recorded by many musicians including Rod Stewart, Gladys Knight, Percy Sledge, Joe Cocker, Steve Miller, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Gram Parsons and B. J. Thomas. Goldberg's first professional recording session was "Devil With The Blue Dress On" / "Good Golly Miss Molly" by Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels. Among the albums he contributed to are Leonard Cohen's Death of a Ladies' Man, The Ramones' End of the Century, Gram Parson's The Gilded Palace of Sin, and Super Session which featured Michael Bloomfield, Stephen Stills, and Al Kooper.Goldberg also has produced albums by Percy Sledge including Blue Night (Grammy nominated and WC Handy soul album of the year) as well as Shining Through the Rain, Charlie Musselwhite, James Cotton, The Textones plus Bob Dylan's version of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready". 1992: He played keyboards with the Carla Olson & Mick Taylor band, which resulted in the live CD "Too Hot for Snakes" and also featured the players Ian McLagan, Jesse Sublett (who also wrote the lead track, "Who Put the Sting on the Honey Bee,"), George Callins, Rick Hemmert, Joe Sublett, and Juke Logan. 1994: Blue Night by Percy Sledge produced by Barry Goldberg & Saul Davis and featured Bobby Womack, Steve Cropper, Mick Taylor, Greg Leisz, Bob Glaub, Ed Greene, Mikael Rickfors, the Waters... and songs written by Rickfors, Gregg Sutton, Pat Robinson, Carla Olson, the Bee Gees, Quinton Claunch, Fats Domino, Ois Redding... 1999: He wrote and performed the theme to the Disney Channel original movie Smart House, entitled "The House is Jumpin'," with Phil Shenale and Sterling Smith, with vocals by Chan André. He wrote the song with Jill Wisoff and Joel Diamond. 2004: Shining Through The Rain by Percy also co-produced by Saul & Barry and featuring Larry Byrom, Denny Freeman, Clayton Ivey, Ed Greene, Phil Upchurch, Bob Glaub, the waters, Jakob Dylan... and songs by the Bee Gees, Mikael Rickfors, Carla Olson, Jackie Lomax, Earl Carson, Bobby Moore. In 2002, he was featured on the Bo Diddley tribute album Hey Bo Diddley - A Tribute!, playing piano on the songs "Pills", "I'm A Man" and "Before You Accuse Me". (produced by Carla Olson.) In 2005-6, he toured with the Chicago Blues Reunion featuring Nick Gravenites, Harvey Mandel, and Corky Siegel. Their debut CD reached #2 on the Billboard Blues Chart and received a four star review from Rolling Stone's David Fricke. On July 7, 2009 Goldberg's self-titled 1974 album was reissued with never before released tracks and a restored sound. The album was produced by Bob Dylan and Jerry Wexler! Barry is currently producing a documentary, "White, Black & Blues," detailing the rock-blues explosion of the 1960s. The film is set to be released in the spring of 2012. Goldberg's uncle was Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg.