Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins

Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins - Dancing - 2000 - Exowax Recordings

You've got to admire a guy as restlessly creative as Mike Keneally. He felt he wasn't a very good improviser, so he started hanging out with Henry Kaiser and the free improv crowd in order to push himself toward improvising. He wanted another creative outlet, so he took up painting. After three studio albums and one live album, essentially in a trio format, he cut Nonkertompf completely by himself, playing every instrument. What to do next? How about expanding his working band, Beer for Dolphins, from a trio to an octet? That's exactly what he did, adding sax, trumpet, keys, mallet percussion, and a second guitar to his guitar, bass, and drums lineup. The results are somewhat mixed. As always, Keneally is as eclectic as ever, and some of these tunes are as catchy as anything he's put out. "We'll Be Right Back" is kind of a resigned, low-key rant that features an absolutely majestic guitar solo. "Joe" has a serious Steely Dan vibe, while the clunky riff that kicks off the album on "Live in Japan" recalls early XTC with hooks aplenty. The problem is that with such a large band the arrangements can be very busy, nearly claustrophobic at times, and it takes a lot of listening effort to sort out what's going on. That type of effort is ultimately rewarding, but not every listener wants to listen that attentively. Also, the mere presence of mallet percussion draws too many comparisons to Keneally's former mentor (Frank Zappa), justified or not. That being said, this is a crack band able to play through Keneally's often idiosyncratic tunes seemingly with the greatest of ease. Dancing is a bit of a departure for Keneally. There are some excellent tracks, to be sure, but this probably isn't the place to start. © Sean Westergaard © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/dancing-mw0000620354

Sometimes it seems that actual human feeling, conveyed through passionate musicianship and songwriting, is all but absent in popular music nowadays. Mike Keneally is thrilled to prove otherwise with his eighth album, "Dancing". Mike has invited Beer For Dolphins, his masterful eight-piece band, into the studio to lay down nearly 80 minutes of the most gleefully adventurous, yet heartfelt, Keneally music ever. This album is truly a feast for the ears. While 1999's acclaimed Keneally solo release "Nonkertompf" was an instrumental album, "Dancing" is mainly based around songs with vocals. Keneally here delivers highly emotional vocal performances which may come as a surprise to a lot of people. The style of the album's 20 tracks veers from upbeat pop to free-form improv, introspective balladry to ferocious rock raveups, Beach Boys and Bacharach sugariness to utter uncategorizability and beyond. Yet it all hangs together, thanks to the powerful and freewheeling sound of Beer For Dolphins, and the personal quality of Keneally's composing. © 1996-2012 Guitar Nine Records All Rights Reserved http://www.guitar9.com/dancingmk.html

There's only one Mike Keneally. No, wait, there are dozens. There's Keneally the pop auteur, whose songs flutter and jab with ecstatic melody. There's Keneally the exhortative vocalist, one moment a supple balladeer, the next a heavy-metal hellion. What about Keneally the bandleader, a multi-instrumental octopus running the show with dazzling wit and profound musical charisma? And please, don't forget the guitar hero's guitar hero. Mike Keneally is a staggering talent who believes rock should aim straight for the soul. His lyrics are often hilarious, occasionally moving into personal unburdenings, spun around sounds that underscore the emotions at hand. With so much depth and history (and appearances with everyone from Screamin' Jay Hawkins to Sting to Roseanne to Frank Zappa), it seems a stretch that he lands so squarely in the realm of the radio-ready. Equally unexpected is that he'd veer back into mainstream territory after last year's unaccompanied studio adventure Nonkertompf, and in so doing, be poised to approach the brilliance of 1997?s Sluggo!, a masterwork that raised the bar for willfully eccentric pop.Dancing finds every piston pumping. Keneally's strengths and emotional outreach are focused into a 20-song barrage of unhinged artistry harnessed as tight, riotous, and heartfelt rock. With wild tunes like "Ragged Ass" and subtle mysteries like the title cut, it conjures an array of pleasures; the epic "Pretty Enough for Girls" moves from anthemic to cinematic surrealism. With the rhythmically surprising "Joe," he beats the crooner's art at its own game.This is arresting modern rock, a bold step forward for an artist who's been garnering the awe of his forebears, from XTC to Ween to Queen to one-time employer Zappa - a notoriously exacting chap who dubbed Keneally "the best new guy who's ever been in the band." Replace "band" with "business," and you've nailed the guitarist for 2000. Dancing will get you doing just that: Listen while cooking and you'll burn dinner, listen while driving and you'll miss your exit. But do listen. © Matt Resnicoff, VH1.com, October, 2000

Ex-Zappa guitarist, Mike Keneally is an extraordinary musician and composer. Since 1992, the vocalist, songwriter, arranger, producer and multi - instrumentalist has recorded over 20 albums of music of remarkable inventiveness and originality. He provided vocals, guitar and keyboards in Frank Zappa's last touring band and appeared on numerous Zappa albums. He has also played keyboards with the Joe Satriani Band, and has performed and/or recorded with artists that include Robert Fripp, Kevin Gilbert, Steve Vai, Screamin' Jay Hawkins, The Persuasions and many more. He is noted for his innovative, and often unpredictable live shows. All Music Guide stated that "Keneally is the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era." The current Mike Keneally Band includes bassist Bryan Beller (Steve Vai, Dethklok), and guitarist Rick Musallam (Ben Taylor, Byrd York). Time Out New York says "this band, with such a peculiar genius leading it, is a thing to savour." Steve Vai has said that "Bryan Beller is the most intuitive and responsive bass player I have ever played with. He has impossible ears and everything he plays sounds like music." Mike Keneally, Bryan Beller and Co. play twenty often complex but deeply grooving progressive rock, pop, and jazz fusion tracks, displaying fire and precision. "Dancing" is an impressive album, and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out detailed info. about this album @ http://www.keneally.com/discography/dancing.html Buy Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins' brilliant "Half Alive in Hollywood" album and/or Bryan Beller's great "Thanks In Advance" album. Check this blog for other Mike Keneally releases [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: 2 x rar files: Pt 1 (Tracks 1-8) = 94.7 Mb, & Pt 2 (Tracks 9-20) = 90.5 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Live In Japan 4:47
2 Ankle Bracelet 4:35
3 Poo-Tee-Weet? 0:42
4 Backwards Deb 5:35
5 We'll Be Right Back 8:16
6 Joe 4:46
7 Pretty Enough For Girls 6:48
8 Taster 3:47 *
9 Dancing 2:54
10 Selfish Otter 4:16 *
11 Only Mondays 2:04
12 Lhai Sal 2:23 *
13 The Mystery Music 2:26 *
14 The Brown Triangles 2:13 *
15 MM 0:31 *
16 I Was Not Ready For You 3:20
17 Ragged Ass 4:17
18 Skull Bubbles 3:59
19 Friends And Family 3:57
20 Kedgeree 7:12

N.B: * Instrumental tracks. All other tracks contain vocals

All tracks composed by Mike Keneally except Track 14 by Mike Keneally & Beer For Dolphins and Track 20 by Mike Keneally & Bryan Beller

MUSICIANS

Mike Keneally - Guitar, Electric Piano, Vocals, Background Vocals
Rick Musallam - Guitar, E-Bow, Percussion, Slide Whistle, Vocals, Background Vocals
Bryan Beller - Bass
Marc Ziegenhagen- Keyboards, Piano
Jason Harrison Smith - Drums, Percussion
Tricia Williams - Marimba, Percussion
Tricia Steel - Marimba, Vibraphone
Evan Francis - Alto Saxophone, Flute
Chris Opperman - Piano, Trumpet
Bob Tedde - Vocals
Mark DeCerbo - Vocals, Background Vocals
Scott Chatfield - Background Vocals

PRESS QUOTES

"Mike Keneally is a staggering talent who believes rock should aim straight for the soul." -VH1.com

"Mike Keneally is an absurdly talented musician."- Slamm

"There are few (if any) players out there possessing both his advanced level of chops and such a brilliantly twisted sensibility." - Guitar One

"Anyone with half-an-open-ear can't help but be astounded by this clever, multi-faceted soul." - Alternate Music Press

"What do you get when you take Frank Zappa's musical style, Andy Partridge’s melodic sense and almost stream-of-consciousness lyrics?
The answer is Mike Keneally & Beer for Dolphins’ latest disc, Dancing." - The Arizona Republic

"One of the year’s 10 best albums!" - San Diego Union-Tribune

"An absolute corker – to better this he’d really have to go some."- The Idiot Bastard, England

"Dancing is courageously varied and rich in times when monotony rules." - Blow Up, Italy

"One of my top five favorites for the year 2000." - Music News Network

"There's plenty of wonderful detail – listen on headphones and you'll wonder what planet you’re on by track four." - Guitarist, England

"A suave blend of horns, jazzy chords and Zappa-esque riffing."- Guitar Player

"It just keeps getting better with each listen." - Ground And Sky

"You’ll find yourself musically fulfilled and amazed that one man could write songs so different from one another, while still being accessible." - All About Jazz

"Dancing" embeds itself in your psyche halfway through the first listen." - Underdog Online, Holland

MIKE KENEALLY BIO

Mike Keneally obviously doesn't like to be labeled -- he's a bandleader and bandmember, a rock and jazz fusion player, and also an outstanding guitarist, vocalist, keyboardist, and percussionist. Taking up keyboards at age five, Keneally's life changed when he moved from New York to California in 1970 and heard Frank Zappa for the first time at age ten. Woodshedding for the next 15 years as a self-taught guitarist, Keneally formed a band called Drop Control in his hometown of San Diego in 1985 and became one of the city's musical heroes. Keneally auditioned for Zappa's band in 1987 as a "stunt guitar" replacement for Steve Vai, and was hired as a guitarist, keyboardist, and vocalist. The multi-instrumentalist would appear on some classic Zappa albums like Broadway the Hard Way and The Best Band You Never Heard in Your Life, but little did he know that his lineup would be Zappa's final touring band. Between 1988 and 1991, Keneally performed with Drop Control and Zappa's son Dweezil's band Z, toyed with studio-musician status, and moved to Los Angeles. After working on the Grammy-winning tribute album Zappa's Universe, Keneally started a solo career with his 1992 debut album, Hat. Quirky and hard to categorize (with Zappa trademarks like classical undertones, stuttering, jazz-like rhythms, and humorous lyrics), the debut was a big hit with critics. But the next year would claim both Keneally's father and Zappa, leading to the moody yet brilliant 1994 CD Boil That Dust Speck. Ranging from intense rock ("Skunk") to ballads ("Blameless [The Floating Face]") to Keneally's closing percussion tribute saga to Zappa, "The Old Boat Guy," the disc showcased every facet of his array of talents. Leaving Z in 1996 and naming his solo touring band Beer for Dolphins, Keneally released the riotous double CD Half Alive in Hollywood, featuring one disc of live-in-a-studio originals and one of live stage performances (including covers of Jimi Hendrix's "Power to Love" and Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song"). He also formed a band called the Mistakes, with Henry Kaiser, Andy West (Dixie Dregs), and Prairie Prince (the Tubes), who released a self-titled album. The same year, Keneally joined fellow Zappa alumnus Steve Vai's band, playing on the G3 Tour over the next year with Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson, Robert Fripp, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Playing classical piano-like keyboard lines, percussion, and intricate harmonized guitar lines with rock virtuoso Vai, Keneally helped the band steal the G3 show often (as evidenced by the G3: Live in Concert CD). Between releases by Beer for Dolphins (1997's Sluggo!; 2000's Dancing) and solo albums (1999's Nonkertompf, on which he played all of the instruments), Keneally also found time to record two CDs with Vai, 1999's The Ultra Zone and 2001's Alive in an Ultra World. In 2001, Keneally got a new acoustic guitar, which led to the release of the largely acoustic-based and mellow Wooden Smoke, which showed yet another side of Keneally's musical personality. For another interesting detour, in 2002, Keneally was approached by Co de Kloet, commissioning director for Holland's NPS Radio, and was commissioned to write music for electric guitar and orchestra. The resulting music and live performances with the renowned Metropole Orchestra were such a success that de Kloet started the NPS Output label to release The Universe Will Provide in 2004, just a month after Keneally turned around and delivered his hardest-rocking album to date, Dog, with the newly christened Mike Keneally Band. Just a few months after that came Piano Reductions, Vol. 1, an album of Vai songs played solo on piano that was actually recorded in 1999 at Steve's request. As if he weren't busy enough, around the same time he got involved with Henry Kaiser and Wadada Leo Smith's Yo Miles! project, appearing on both Sky Garden and Upriver. The Mike Keneally Band hit the road in 2005, playing across the U.S., with Guitar Therapy Live appearing as the tour document in 2006. That same year, Keneally acquired the rights to his early catalog on Immune with plans to re-release it in deluxe editions in 2007 on Exowax (each of Keneally's Exowax recordings has been available as a limited-edition package with lots of bonus material). With his wide-ranging talents and ability to be creative in almost any musical situation, Keneally is the leading progressive rock genius of the post-Zappa era. By & © Sean Westergaard & Bill Meredith © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-keneally-p93263/biography

Greg Mathieson Project

Greg Mathieson Project - Baked Potato Super Live! - 1982 - CBS Sony, Japan

The "Project" was an ongoing Sunday Night gig at the small North Hollywood jazz club called the Baked Potato. For years, this gig had been a well known secret for music fans. This was where you catch studio giants like Larry Carlton, Abe Laboriel, Jimmy Johnson, Carlos Vega, Lenny Castro, and Jeff Porcaro (or their substitutes) every week. Released from the confines of their studio gigs you could find them "blowing" and letting it all hang out. For a music fan you couldn't hear this type of playing anywhere else. You had to get there early to get a seat. Los Angelinos would eagerly look in the back of the Sunday Calendar section to see who was playing that Sunday night. In 1981 Carlton had left and handed over the guitar duties to then 24-year-old guitarist Steve Lukather. Quite a set a coattails to ride in. It made Luke nervous. It wasn't a huge problem because he was on fire at the time. His solos were everywhere. Take a look at his session list, it is staggering. Artists as diverse as Olivia Newton John and the Tubes were topping the charts with his trademark solo guitar breaks that blended power and melody. When Super Live was recorded he was also at work with the soon-to-be Grammy winner Toto IV. In many ways his career while well under way, was just also just getting started. Worldwide hits, Rosanna and Africa were yet to come. His lead vocals and songwriting, which produced the number 10 song, I Won't Hold You Back, were still in the future. For Luke this was the perfect crossroads of high expectations being met with confidence (and a ton of talent). If you are looking for a disc that captures the energy and enthusiasm of players who can't believe they are doing what they doing, this disc is where to go. Fun just pours off the disc. Jeff Porcaro never sounded looser or better. Luke's tone, a single 12 Dumble through a tube screamer and space echo is amazing. All you need to do is listen to the opening track, Bomp Me, to hear what a special disc this is. Porcaro's endless bass-drum triplets, Luke's chorus infused rhythm followed by a whammy bar solo that just makes your jaw drop. You can hear the delight pouring through the strings with Luke being able to play more than the twelve bars he'd be allotted on a session. Oh, that's just the first track. While not all the tracks capture the energy of Bomp me, they do show a band grooving hard. The interplay, nuance and dynamics are always at play. These are players who not only can play, but know how to compliment each other. Pops Popswell (from the Crusaders) was a regular for many of these gigs is captured here on bass, and Mathieson provides great grounding for the band with his compositions and keyboard work (Hammond work in particular). The show is high-school-friends Porcaro and Lukather's however. If you are fan of either of them, this disc is must have. Luke's solos are clinics for anyone wanting to play melodic, soulful, and fast lead guitar. For someone like me who would play the fade out of I Keep Forgetting over and over to hear Porcaro's triplet (check it out, it's amazing), this is Jeff I can't do without. Grooves deeper than the San Andreas Fault. If you listen carefully you can hear his smiling face. For me this is a desert island disc. In 25 years I have never grown tiring of listening to Luke solo on Home, or Jeff and Pops interplay on I Don't Know. It's a rare snapshot in tie, from a era that's gone. It's just a rare combination of super talented musicians, at a great time for music, having fun playing together. Wasn't that the whole point of playing anyway? Long live the groove master! © Jim Stalker (musicandvideoreview.com), November 19th 2009 © 1999 - 2011 slagman.com http://www.stevelukather.net/Review.aspx?id=80

"August 5th, 1992 was one of the saddest days of my life. Not only did I lose a friend and hero, the world lost one of the sweetest human beings and most gifted of musicians. With this tribute, my intention is to enlighten those of you who might not be as familiar with Jeff as I am —along with those of you who are — by turning you on to what I feel is one of his greatest performances, Greg Mathieson Project - Baked Potato Super Live. For those of you not familiar with this particular disc, I urge you to get it. Jeff’s playing is absolutely stellar, and he’s surrounded by Greg Mathieson (keys), Steve Lukather (guitar) and Pops Popwell (bass), all at the top of their game, as usual. Though all of Jeff’s performances are great in their own way, this one in particular stands out to me, not only for the spectacular drumming, but for the fact that it is live and in living color. Full of flawless grooves, articulate fills and spur of the moment creativity. No additives. Just lots of sweeteners and fortunately preserved forever. Words by & © Mover © http://www.drumheadmag.com/web/feature.php?id=10

"WOW!!! Cool!!! I need a CD of that myself! A LOT of people in my travels ask about this record. It was GREAT and they were awesome times. My memories of that time are amongst my fondest. I learned SO much from Greg and all the guys. I took over for Larry Carlton!!!!!! That was heavy for me. I can't tell you how much I looked forward to playing every week... the growth I felt as a musi- cian was HUGE and the fun and the parties and the guys who came to sit in and watch etc... Shelly, Don, the OLD "spud" gang... It brings tears to my eyes. I miss Jeff and his awaiting smile with a G+T (Gin & Tonic) in hand, always early talking to his fans and I would come in and he's give me a smile and a kiss and I knew the groove would be wicked. Greg... the fearless bandleader and impovisation master... and Pops... groovin and smiling like he got his first piece of ass... Hahaha GREAT times... and you can hear it in the music." - Steve Lukather

"I was just hanging around and they all asked me. How could I say no?? Hahaha. NO rehearsal, just one soundcheck where we wrote 3 tunes, so it became more rock than jazz. A true "fusion" moment. Hahaha. I used a small deluxe reverband, a small Dumble 1/12 with a few stomp boxes, the FIRST tube screamer from Ibanez. I had 3 and they all got stolen. Wish I still had them! And a "Space echo" tape delay and a Boss Chorus pedal for stereo... the original one. Wish I still had THAT too." - Steve Lukather, May 2003

"The event that took place on December 13, 14 and 15 1981 when Greg Mathieson, Jeff Porcaro, Steve Lukather and 'Pops' Popwell recorded this live album at the Baked Potato in Los Angeles can only be described as "a moment in music". The recording required no studio overdubs or "fixing" whatsoever. This was a work of love and a gift to all fans of music. Enjoy! As noted in liner notes, this "live" album was originally recorded over three nights in December 1981. The music still sounds fresh! Exactly what you would expect from these great players! Kick back and enjoy!" - Jay Graydon

Greg Mathieson, Steve Lukather, Pops Popwell, and the late Jeff Porcaro, live at the famed Baked potato in North Hollywood, Los Angeles on December 13th, 14th, & 15th, 1981 performing burning instrumentals. If you are a fan of either Steve Lukather or Jeff Porcaro, or just like tremendous intense fusion, this album may be one of your desert island discs! It is one of the best live shows ever recorded and VHR by A.O.O.F.C [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 87.2 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Bomp Me - Mathieson, Lukather
2 Thank You - Mathieson
3 First Time Around - Popwell, Lukather
4 Goe - Mathieson
5 I Don't Know - Mathieson
6 I'm Home - Mathieson
7 The Spud Shuffle - Mathieson, Lukather, Popwell, Porcaro

MUSICIANS

Steve Lukather - Guitars
Robert "Pops" Popwell - Bass
Greg Mathieson - Keyboards
Jeff Porcaro - Drums

Johnny Neel & The Last Word

Johnny Neel & The Last Word - Comin' Atcha...Live! - 1995 - Big Mo/Silverwolf

A funky live set of Southern soul, R&B, blues and funk from the great and underrated singer/songwriter and Hammond B-3 specialist Johnny Neel who made a name for himself as keyboard player in various incarnations of the Allman Brothers Band. Johnny is backed by an all-star band featuring guitarist Jack Pearson, bassist Tim Loffin, drummer Scotty Hawkins, special guest Delbert McClinton on harmonica, and Keli Bruce, Nannette Britt-Bohannon, and Vickie Carrico on background vocals. Buy Johnny Neel's "Gun Metal Blue" album, and listen to Blue Floyd's "Begins" album featuring Johnny Neel and Marc Ford [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 109 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Society Hill - Johnny Neel, Rad (Rose Ann Dimalanta)
2. Just My Style - Johnny Neel, Warren Haynes
3. Maydell - Johnny Neel, Warren Haynes
4. Read Me My Rights - Johnny Neel, Delbert McClinton
5. Lost the Will To Love Me - Johnny Neel, Tommy Polk
6. What Am I - Johnny Neel, Warren Haynes
7. Bless My Soul - Johnny Neel, Rose Ann Dimalanta
8. Turn on Your Love - Johnny Neel, Ricky Ray Rector
9. Blues Ain't Nothin' - Johnny Neel, Taj Mahal, Kim Morrison
10. Easy Come, Easy Go - Johnny Neel, Kim Morrison

MUSICIANS

Johnny Neel - Hammond B-3 Organ, Vocals
Jack Pearson - Guitar
Tim Loftin - Bass
Scotty Hawkins - Drums
Keli Bruce, Nannette Britt-Bohannon, Vickie Carrico - Background Vocals
Delbert McClinton - Harmonica

BIO (WIKI)

Johnny Neel is an American vocalist, songwriter, and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is best known for his songwriting, stage, and session work for the Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule, and Dickey Betts. Keith Whitley, Travis Tritt, The Oak Ridge Boys, Restless Heart, Ann Peebles, Dorothy Moore, and John Schneider. As a studio musician, Neel has lent his talents to recordings by a diverse group of artists including The Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule, Warren Haynes, Dickey Betts, Montgomery Gentry, Michael McDonald, Todd Snider, David Allan Coe, Jeff Coffin, Robert Gordon, Chris LeDoux, Tiny Town, Suzy Bogguss, Joe Diffie, Colin Raye, and The Pirates of the Mississippi. As a songwriter, in addition to the material written, or co-written for the Allman Brothers, Gregg Allman, and Dicky Betts, Neel's songs have also been recorded by Gov’t Mule, John Mayall, Delbert McClinton, Montgomery Gentry, Neel was born in Wilmington, Delaware. He cut his first single, entitled "Talking About People", at the age of twelve, as Johnny Neel and The Shapes Of Soul, which was a hit on local radio in the Wilmington/Philadelphia area. As an adult, the Johnny Neel Band had a strong following up and down the east coast and released two well-received independent albums. Neel moved to Nashville in 1984. Performing with various bands in area clubs drew the attention of former Nashville resident Dickey Betts, who asked Neel to join his road band, and he soon began working on Bett’s solo LP for Epic Records. That relationship led to seven cuts on the Pattern Disruptive LP released in 1988, including the AOR hit, Rock Bottom. Neel's talented keyboard and harmonica playing on the 'Pattern Disruptive album convinced Gregg Allman to ask Neel to tour with his road band which led to the inclusion of the cut Island on The Gregg Allman Band album (also released in 1988), co-written with Allman, Dan Toler, and Tony Colton. In 1989 Neel was invited to join the reunited Allman Brothers Band. He immersed himself in touring, writing, and recording, which led to four cuts on the Allman's Seven Turns album (released in 1990), and the hit single Good Clean Fun, co-written by Neel with Allman and Betts. In 2002 country stars Montgomery Gentry included Good Clean Fun as part of their My Town album. In 1994 the studio album Johnny Neel & The Last Word was released. This album included the song Maydell which was co-written with Warren Haynes (Allman Brothers/Gov't Mule) and has been covered by the Allman Brothers on their Hittin' The Note album, and by John Mayall on his Wake Up Call album. The album also included the song Read Me My Rights which was co-written with Delbert McClinton, and which was covered by McClinton on his Nothing Personal album, by Ann Peebles on her Full Time Love album, by Dorothy Moore on her Stay Close to Home album, and by Dalton Reed on his Louisiana Soul Man album. This album featured appearances by Jack Pearson (Allman Brothers) on guitar and Delbert McClinton on harmonica. In 1995 Neel's album Commin' Atcha... Live was released and included live versions of Read Me My Rights and Maydell. The album captured a live appearance by Neel and his band The Last Word including Jack Pearson and most of the musicians on The Last Word album. In 2000 Neel released Late Night Breakfast which was recorded at his Straight Up Sound Studio with the members of his band The Last Word along with special guests guitarists Shane Theriot (The Neville Brothers), and Rick Vito (Fleetwood Mac/Zoo), as well as Wayne Jackson (The Memphis Horns) on trumpet. Late Night Breakfast was released on Neel’s Breakin’ Records label. During the period of time the Late Night Breakfast recordings were made Neel also became a member of Blue Floyd, an all-star jam band performing variations on the material of Pink Floyd. In addition to Neel, the band was composed of guitarist Marc Ford (Black Crowes), drummer Matt Abts (Gov't Mule), bassist Berry Oakley Jr. (OKB Band) and until his unfortunate demise, Allen Woody (Allman Brothers/Gov't Mule) on second guitar. Neel and Abts then went into the Straight Up Sound Studio and recorded the X2 funk/jam duo project. X2 - Johnny Neel / Matt Abts was released in 2002. In 2004 Neel released the album Gun Metal Blue on his Breaking Records label which was also recorded at Straight Up Sound. These sessions included guitarists Chris Anderson (Blackhawk/Outlaws), George Marinelli (Bonnie Raitt/Bruce Hornsby), and Pat Bergeson (Chet Atkins/Lyle Lovett), drummer Vince Santoro (Rodney Crowell/Highwaymen), and vocalists Joanna Cotten, and Neel's wife, Christine Thompson Neel. Also in 2004, the album Johnny Neel and The Italian Experience was released on the Italian label Artesuono. This album included strings and horns as Neel moved in a Jazz direction. The album included members of the Italian blues/rock/jam power trio W.I.N.D. with which Neel has toured and recorded in Europe several times. In addition to the Blue Floyd and X2 projects, Neel was a part of two other all-star collaborations. The group Deep Fried included Neel on keyboards, drummer Matt Abts, guitarist Brian Stoltz (The Neville Brothers/The Funky Meters), and bassist George Porter Jr.(The Meters/The Funky Meters). Their album The Deep Fried Sessions - Live was released in 2004. The other group, The Grease Factor released two live recordings; Off the Cuff in 2004, and Live From Zambifest 2004 in 2005. The Grease Factor included guitarist Shane Theriot (The Neville Brothers), bassist Derek Jones (David Grisman), drummer Jeff Sipe (Leftover Salmon / Aquarium Rescue Unit), and percussionist Count M’Butu (Aquarium Rescue Unit). Neel has provided vocals on five songs included on four Walt Disney Records CD releases related to the Pixar Animation Studios movie releases Finding Nemo, Cars, and Ratatouille. These include Saturday Night Fish Fry from the 2003 release Finding Nemo: Ocean Favorites, My Old Car from the 2006 release Lightning McQueen's Fast Tracks, One Meat Ball and Banana Split for My Baby from the 2007 release Ratatouille: What's Cooking?, and Hot Rodder's Lament from the 2009 release Mater's Car Tunes. Most recently he has been recording and performing with his band The Criminal Element. Three albums have been released by Johnny Neel and The Criminal Element; Volume 1 (2007), Volume 2 (2008), and The CSI Chronicles (2010). In 2010 Neel also released Harmonius, a solo project featuring only his vocals and keyboards.

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Although not a household name, Johnny Neel is a Grammy award nominee recognized in the music world for his work with the Allman Brothers, Lonnie Mack and Gov't Mule, among others. In addition to his soulful vocals, harp, piano and B-3 proficiency, Johnny is an accomplished songwriter whose tunes have been recorded by the likes of the Allman Brothers, Joe Louis Walker, John Mayall, Irma Thomas, Ann Peebles, Marie Osmond, the Oak Ridge Boys and Travis Tritt. Born and Raised in Wilmington, Delaware, Johnny Neel cut his first single at the age of twelve, as Johnny Neel and The Shapes Of Soul. As an adult, the Johnny Neel Band had a strong following up and down the East Coast and released two well-received independent albums. Neel moved to Nashville, the premiere song writing city, in 1984, where he immediately became recognized as an "A" session studio player. Others began to notice Neel’s songwriting talent and decided to take advantage by recording his songs on their albums. Performing with various bands in area clubs drew the attention of former Nashville resident Dickey Betts, who asked Neel to join his road band, and begin working on Dickey's solo LP for Epic Records. That relationship led to seven cuts on the "Pattern Disruptive" LP including the Top 10 AOR hit, "Rock Bottom." Neel's talented keyboard and harp playing on that album convinced Gregg Allman to ask Neel to tour with his road band. Neel decided to join the reunited Allman Brothers Band, immersing himself in a successful tour, which led to a number one AOR smash hit during the summer of 1990. Car radios all across America blasted "Good Clean Fun", from the Seven Turns Album, co-written by Neel with Allman and Betts. The chart topping hit provided the reunited Allmans with their highest charting single since "Ramblin' Man" fifteen years prior. Following that tour, Neel released "Late Night Breakfast", which was recorded at his studio, Straight Up Sound Studio, with the members of his band, "The Last Word", and special guests such as Shane Theriot (The Neville Brothers), Rick Vito (Fleetwood Mac) and Wayne Jackson (The Memphis Horns). This record was released on Neel’s label, Breakin’ Records, which showcased his pleading vocals as well as brilliant piano, B-3 and harp work. During that same period of time the recordings were made, Neel also became a member of Blue Floyd, a premiere jam band with variations on the material of Pink Floyd. In addition to Neel, the band was comprised of Marc Ford (Black Crowes), Matt Abts (Gov't Mule), Berry Oakley, Jr. (OKB Band) and until his recent and unfortunate demise, Allen Woody (Gov't Mule). Neel and Abts then went into the Straight Up Sound Studio and recorded the X2 project which was graciously received by fans and the media. More recently, some of Neel penned songs have been recorded by Travis Tritt, Montgomery Gentry and Delbert Mc Clinton. Neel is also excited about his latest release on Breakin’ Records titled Gun Metal Blue, which was release in April, 2004. As a man with boundless energy, Neel still manages to juggle studio work, local club gigs, road work and hit song writing, and somehow between the chaos maintains his sanity. “They say that you can’t do it all; Hell, I’m trying to prove ‘em wrong.” - Johnny Neel. © http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/JohnnyNeel

Leslie West

Leslie West - Sixty Minutes With - 2007 - Voiceprint

Arguably one of the most influential rock guitarists of all time, Leslie West is probably best known for his work with the great hard rock band Mountain which Rolling Stone once called a ‘louder version of Cream’, and its classic “Mississippi Queen.” Leslie has played with many great rock musicians, from ex-Scorpion Michael Schenker to the one and only Jimi Hendrix. "Sixty Minutes With" is a great, mostly covers compilation album. There's some classic songs here composed by artists including George Harrison, Free, Jimi Hendrix, Jack Bruce & Pete Brown, Willie Dixon, Jagger & Richards, T-Bone Walker, Charlie Carp, and Warren Haynes. Joe Bonamassa recorded Warren Haynes' "If Heartaches Were Nickels" together. Leslie West released it on Guitarded (2005), and Joe Bonamassa on A New Day Yesterday (2000). All of these tracks have appeared on previous albums, but if you've forgotten how good artists like Leslie West and Mountain are, this album is a great reminder. Listen to Leslie's "Blue Me" album and Mountain's great "Climbing" album. Keep on rockin' in the free world! [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: File size = 85.8 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Cell - Leslie West, Jon Tiven, Sally Tiven 4:14
2 Old Brown Shoe - George Harrison 5:33
3 Stealer - Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff 2:17
4 Red House - Jimi Hendrix 4:39
5 Theme for an Imaginary Western - Jack Bruce & Pete Brown 6:53
6 Spoonful - Willie Dixon 7:32
7 Honky Tonk Woman - Mick Jagger & Keith Richards 3:17
8 Stormy Monday - T-Bone Walker 7:09
9 Sea of Fire - Leslie West & George Cintron 4:58
10 Talk Dirty - Charlie Carp 3:36
11 If Heartaches Were Nickels - Warren Haynes 7:52
12 Alligator - Leslie West 3:23

For a full list of musicians on Leslie's albums, check out http://www.softshoe-slim.com/lists/w/west_leslie.html

BIO

Leslie West first gained recognition as the lead guitarist for the Vagrants, a locally popular 1960s Long Island group. One of that group's singles was produced by Felix Pappalardi, a bass player who also produced Cream. After the Vagrants and Cream split up, Pappalardi played bass on and produced West's debut solo album, Mountain (July 1969). Following its release, the two teamed up with drummer Norman Smart (soon replaced by Corky Laing) and keyboard player Steve Knight to form the band Mountain, which cut the albums Climbing! (February 1970; a gold-selling LP featuring the Top 40 single "Mississippi Queen"), Nantucket Sleighride (January 1971; which also went gold), and Flowers of Evil (November 1971). In 1972, Pappalardi left Mountain to return to being a producer. (Posthumous record releases included Mountain Live (The Road Goes on Forever) [April 1972] and The Best of Mountain [February 1973].) West and Laing joined with former Cream bassist Jack Bruce to form West, Bruce & Laing. The trio recorded two studio albums, Why Dontcha (October 1972) and Whatever Turns You On (July 1973). (A live album, Live 'N' Kickin', was released in April 1974.) Bruce quit in the summer of 1973, and West and Laing briefly formed Leslie West's Wild West Show. Then West, Pappalardi, Alan Schwartherg (drums), and Bob Mann (keyboards) re-formed Mountain, recording a double live album, Twin Peaks (February 1974), in Osaka, Japan, in August 1973. This was followed by a Mountain studio album, Avalanche (July 1974), made by West, Pappalardi, Laing, and Knight. Then Mountain split again, and West formed the Leslie West Band, releasing The Great Fatsby (April 1975) (which featured Mick Jagger) and The Leslie West Band (1976) (which featured Mick Jones, later of Foreigner). Bedeviled by substance abuse problems, West retired from music for a time, then cleared up and again re-formed Mountain with Laing and bassist Mark Clarke (Pappalardi had died in 1983) for Go for Your Life (March 1985). The group broke up again, and West made Theme (1988), again teaming with Jack Bruce. West then participated in the Guitar Speaks (1988) and Night of the Guitar (1989) recordings of legendary rock guitarists for IRS Records' Illegal subsidiary. His next solo album was Alligator (August 1989), followed by Dodgin' the Dirt (1994). In 1994, West and Laing teamed with ex-Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding in another edition of Mountain, recording two tracks for the compilation Over the Top (1995). The solo As Phat as It Gets followed in 1999. After an album for Voiceprint, Guitarded, in 2004, West released two blues-inflected albums for Blues Bureau International, 2005's Got Blooze and 2006's Blue Me. West lost a leg due to complications from type 2 diabetes in June of 2011, but it didn't slow him down much. He released Unusual Suspects, which featured guest spots from guitarists Billy Gibbons, Slash, Zakk Wylde, Joe Bonamassa, and Steve Lukather three months later in September. © William Ruhlmann © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/leslie-west-mn0000255371

Matt Schofield

Matt Schofield - Live From The Archive - 2010 - Nugene

Recorded live without overdubs or sweetening in the Netherlands, this 2007 date was first made available in 2010 to coincide with Matt Schofield's U.S. and Canadian tour. The trio format works efficiently for the U.K. guitarist as keyboardist Jonny Henderson also picks up the basslines. Henderson's organ lines mixed with Schofield's guitar are a combustible combination that makes this trio sound like a larger band. The effect is a blues-jazz hybrid, heavier on the former, that allows Schofield to strut his stuff on extended versions of songs. That's a distinct change from his studio albums, where his sharp guitar solos are compact and in service of the tune. While that's an appropriate avenue to follow in the more confined environment of the studio, the live setting lets Schofield unwind and show just how powerful and accomplished a soloist he is. He's impressive on relatively short, six-minute workouts such as the sleazy shuffle of "On My Way," but is nothing short of explosive when charging through a ten-minute version of Albert Collins' "Lights Are on But Nobody's Home" and a set-closing, near 20-minute cover of the Box Tops/Joe Cocker hit "The Letter." His tone shifts from smooth to biting, often within minutes, and his sense of timing makes his playing tough and taut yet fluid. He's a better guitarist than vocalist, but puts across the songs with conviction and never tries too hard or oversings. Echoes of Hendrix open "Siftin' Thru Ashes" and Schofield even references "Smoke on the Water"'s classic riff in the improv section of "The Letter," all of which shows how much fun he's having unwinding at his own pace. The sound is crisp and as sharp as the playing and the audience stays in the background where it belongs, making this a near-perfect live recording, even granting the practically inevitable drum solo. It's a terrific concert album that captures a hot band nailing its groove with intensity and professionalism. © Hal Horowitz © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-from-the-archive-mw0002004149

Inspired by the Blues, infused with the funk rhythms of New Orleans and topped-off by virtuoso musicianship, Matt Schofield is being talked of as the finest Blues guitarist to have emerged in Europe for several generations, perhaps even in the World. His "Siftin Thru Ashes" album (Nugene Records) has received rave reviews on both sides of the Atlantic. Britain's Guitarist magazine describes Schofield's guitar playing as "Dynamite", picking him as the only non-American in their review of the future of Blues guitar; while America's Blues Revue calls him "The entire package – a singer with range and soul, and a guitarist who delivers with devastating tone and superb dynamics". BBC Radio 2 presenter Paul Jones picked Schofield as one of his highlights of 2005, commenting "I think it's time he became a big star." The LA Daily News describes Schofield as "Head and shoulders above the herd" while music bible AllMusic.com marks Schofield's approach "an enjoyable demonstration of what can happen when blues-rock and blues-jazz are united". Music magazine, MOJO, gave Siftin' Thru Ashes a four star (excellent) rating, something rarely given to UK Blues artists. In 2006, just two years after his debut CD, Schofield gained the distinction of being one of only two living British artists to be given a four star (excellent) rating in the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings. The band line-up harks back to the classic organ trios of the fifties and sixties. Jonny Henderson on Hammond organ gives sleazy texture and dynamics while holding down left hand bass lines, and "drummers' drummer" Evan Jenkins provides compelling grooves. But that's where any comparison with a traditional organ trio ends. With their huge sounding, multi-layered and rhythmically infectious delivery this band redefines the meaning of "power trio" and are unlike anything else on the Blues scene today. In the Beginning… Born in Manchester, Matt's family moved to Fairford in Gloucestershire when he was a youngster. He first started playing guitar seriously at 12. It was not the guitar heroes of that period (the late-eighties) that inspired him. Rather it was seeing a video of BB King, Albert Collins and Stevie Ray Vaughan playing together that fired Matt's imagination. The call of music was strong. As soon as Matt finished college he ventured to London to check out the music scene, visiting the Blues jams around town, and was soon playing professionally. After touring and recording with the Lee Sankey Group, Matt was recruited by British Blues Diva, Dana Gillespie, to form part of her 'London Blues Band'. While all this was happening Matt consciously avoided being labelled a teenage wonder. "When I started playing on the Blues circuit I was never comfortable with the 'hot young guitarist' label. Instead of being 'good for my age' I just wanted to be 'good'. So I decided to learn my trade first. I learned so much by backing other artists. What to do, and not do".Working in the house band at many international festivals, including the Mustique Blues Festival for several years (often an exhausting 6 hours a night for 14 days) saw Matt backing a long list of artists, providing tremendous experience. "The Trio came together almost by accident. Not having a bass player for a gig one night, we thought we'd give it a go with Jonny doing left-hand bass on the organ, and from the first note we knew we were onto something. People kept coming back to hear more and asking if we had a CD and where else they could see us. One of those 'if it feels good, it is good' things. "The unique format of the organ trio allows an unusual freedom of improvisation and interaction. It's exciting because it's different every time! It's a very collaborative, sum of the parts thing. "Jonny's extremely talented and the perfect keyboard foil for me. He has learned from many of the same musicians as I did, so he knows how to back me up perfectly, but can also really tear it up in his own right. His left hand bass gives The Trio such a distinctive groove plus, like me, he's a real 'tone' guy and has nailed that vintage Hammond sound. "I'm very proud to have Evan involved. He's one of my favourite drummers anywhere. I have played together with him more than any other drummer, in many different situations. His feel and timing are second to none. Evan can play it all - Jazz, Rock, Pop, but he also has a natural feel for blues, and he always does it his own way." © 2005 Nugene Records. All rights reserved

Another name that may be unfamiliar to many rock/blues/jazz fans. Only thirty five years old, Mancunian, Matt Schofield plays like a blues veteran. This is a wonderful live album of blues rock and jazz. Matt is a sublime guitarist, and "Live From The Archive" is a sublime album. Matt's small back up band are also superb musicians. The following quote is taken from the Nugene record label, "Schofield’s guitar tone and distinctive phrasing have become highly influential, culminating in Guitar & Bass magazine (3/07) listing Schofield in their Top Ten British Bluesmen of All Time, an accolade that places him alongside the likes of Eric Clapton and Peter Green (although some 30+ years their junior!)". This quote cannot be argued with, and it goes some way to explaining Matt Schofield's importance as a musician today. There is no need to say any more about Matt Schofield, or "Live From The Archive". This great album should be heard by anybody remotely interested in great music and is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out the Matt Schofield Trio's "Live at The Jazz Cafe!", Matt Schofield's "The Trio, Live", Jan Akkerman Feat. Matt Schofield's "Live At De Bosuil Muziekcentrum, Weert, Holland", and The Matt Schofield Trio's "Ear To The Ground" albums on this blog. Buy Matt's great "Heads, Tails & Aces" release. Support real music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: 2 x rar files: Pt. 1 (Tracks 1-6) File size = 83.2 Mb] & Pt.2 (Tracks 7-9) = 82 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 All You Need - Matt Schofield, Sam Hare 6:13
2 Siftin' Thru Ashes - Matt Schofield 6:15
3 Band Intro 0:46
4 Lights Are On But Nobody's Home - Albert Collins 10:37
5 Room at the Back - Henderson, Jenkins 4:18
6 On My Way - Schofield, Whittick 6:13
7 Black Cat Bone - Semine, Harding Wilson 9:50
8 Sitting On Top of the World - Chatman, Vinson 7:15
9 The Letter - Thompson 18:46

BAND

Matt Schofield - Guitar, Vocals
Jonny Henderson - Keyboards, Hammond C3
Evan Jenkins - Drums

SHORT BIO

The leader of the Matt Schofield trio (obviously) and a well traveled and talented blues guitarist, Matt Schofield was born in Manchester, England on August 21, 1977. Spurred into the world of the blues guitar by legends such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, B.B. King, and Albert Collins, Schofield took his curiosity to London after graduating college, and started to jam with various musicians in the scene. Catching the ear of one Dana Gillespie -- after a successful stint as part of the Lee Sankey Group -- Schofield won a spot in that blues diva's London based band. From there, Schofield eschewed the quick road to fame, instead choosing to work as part of the house band at festivals all over Europe. Eventually, through this rather unglamorous gig, the trio that would bear his name eventually came together, and Schofield became a bona fide solo presence. His first album, a live affair entitled The Trio, Live, was released in 2004, and was a critical success. The unique vibe that Matt and his trio captured was due in part of their use of organ for bass lines rather than a bass guitar -- somewhat of a rarity in the more traditional electric blues rulebook. Comprised of Schofield, keyboardist Jonny Henderson and drummer Evan Jenkins, the trio went on to record a studio record, Siftin' Thru' the Ashes after releasing the second live collection Live At the Jazz Cafe -- both in 2005. In 2007, Schofield returned to the shelves with studio album number two, Ear To the Ground. © Chris True 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/matt-schofield-mn0000387505

BIO (WIKI)

Matt Schofield (born 21 August 1977) is a UK blues guitarist and singer whose music blends blues with rock and funky jazz rhythms. His band, The Matt Schofield Trio, play their own material, which is a blend of blues, funk and jazz, along with covers of blues classics such as Albert Collins' "Lights Are On, But Nobody's Home". Schofield's guitar playing is often likened to Robben Ford in reference to his melodic and fluid style, and jazzy lines. However, Schofield was also majorly influenced by B. B. King, Freddie King, Albert King, Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, Albert Collins, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Gibbons, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimmie Vaughan. The influence of funk bands such as The Meters and Soulive can also be heard in his music. Schofield has two studio albums and two live albums. The first of the live discs, The Trio, Live was recorded at the Bishops Blues club at The Half Moon, Bishops Stortford in 2004 and, funded and released by Richard Pavitt on his Nugene record label, gave the band their first breakthrough. The first studio album, Siftin' Thru Ashes was released in 2005. This album showcases not only Schofield as a virtuoso contemporary blues player, but also as a very competent songwriter, writing or co-writing eight out of eleven of the tracks on this album. AllMusic.com calls Schofield's approach "an enjoyable demonstration of what can happen when blues-rock and blues-jazz are united". The second live album, Live At The Jazz Cafe! was recorded at the London Jazz Cafe in April 2005, and was made available as a web only release. Schofield is one of only two living British artists to be given a four star (excellent) rating in the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings. The release of The Trio, Live prompted Schofield to be featured in a Guitarist magazine article listing the nine notable up and coming blues guitarists, Schofield being the only non-American. Of the album they said 'britblues meets jazz via N'Orleans - all played with the kind of sizzling guitar that just doesn't often surface in Fairford, Gloucestershire'. In 2007 Guitar & Bass Magazine picked Schofield as one of the "Top 10 British Blues Guitarists of All Time". Schofield performs with an organ trio (guitar, organ, and drums), which is an unusual format for blues bands. Organ trios are mostly associated with the 1950s and 1960s U.S. jazz groups led by organists such as Jimmy Smith. Blues bands more commonly use trios of guitar, bass and drums, quartets (guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums) or quintets (guitar, rhythm guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums). In Schofield's organ trio, organist Jonny Henderson plays a Hammond organ, performing basslines using his left hand, and playing chords and lead lines with his right hand. The trio's drummer is Evan Jenkins. Jeff Walker played bass on the final track of Siftin' Thru' Ashes. In 2009, as of the recording of 'Heads, Tails & Aces', The Matt Schofiled Trio became The Matt Schofield Band, a four-piece, featuring Jeff 'The Funk' Walker on bass, and also replacing Evan Jenkins with Alain Baudry.

Wayne Krantz and Leni Stern

Wayne Krantz and Leni Stern - Separate Cages - 1996 - Alchemy Records

Leni Stern, the great Munich born jazz and jazz fusion guitarist has recorded many albums and collaborated with many great musicians including Paul Motian, Alain Caron and Bob Malach. Despite being an excellent composer, lyricist, and guitarist, her name remains unfamiliar to many people. "Guitarist Wayne Krantz is just about the hippest thing on six strings, as his blue-chip side- man credits attest. His own solo projects, meanwhile – daringly original, genre-bending improvisational affairs – have put him in a category of one". © CORMAC LARKIN The Irish Times - Friday, June 29, 2012 © 2012 irishtimes.com

"This month's absolute must-have is Separate Cages (Alchemy ALCD 1007; 58:23), a collection of tightly constructed, intimate guitar duets by Wayne Krantz and Leni Stern. The duo spins detailed and nuanced "conversations"-from the melancholy, overtone-driven tone painting of Stern's "Leave Softly," to the dark, bluesy rock tones of Krantz's "Claudine," with Stern on dobro. Krantz's "Nicole" features a beautifully executed point-counterpoint between his dizzyingly fast-paced, dark background and Stern's long-lined, pining solo. The best of these pieces generate palpable emotion-where "November"'s soft-touch, musing solo and light-toned accompaniment is sad, powerful and full of regret, the duo's interpretation of Larry John McNally's "Something is Wrong in Spanish Harlem" is hopeful and gentle, with a smoky vocal by Stern ("if music has the power to change things/even in the smallest of ways/I send these notes to the night/like a prayer to the light"). McNally's heartening lyric is at the emotional center of this fine, thought-provoking effort. By & © Hilarie Grey October 1997 © 1999–2012 JazzTimes, Inc. All rights reserved http://jazztimes.com/articles/9747-separate-cages-wayne-krantz-and-leni-stern Listen to Leni's "Words" album and Wayne's phenomenal guitar playing on Chris Potter's "Underground" album. Check this blog for other Wayne Krantz releases and check out Leni's "Black Guitar" album on this blog. Spare a thought for the late, great Emily Remler who was another exceptional jazz guitarist. Listen to her great "Firefly" album sometime [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 127 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS / INSTRUMENTATION

1. Saturday Morning (5:04) [Leni Stern]
Leni, stratocaster; Wayne, steel string acoustic
2. Claudine (3:33) [Wayne Krantz]
Leni, dobro; Wayne, steel string acoustic
3. Something Is Wrong In Spanish Harlem (5:00) [Gary Willis, Larry John McNally]
Leni, voice, stratocaster; Wayne, steel string acoustic
4. Point Falling (6:33) [Leni Stern]
Leni, stratocaster; Wayne, steel string acoustic
5. Nicole (3:56) [Wayne Krantz]
Leni, nylon string acoustic; Wayne, electric baritone guitar
6. King's Cross (For Emily Remler) (7:02) [Leni Stern]
Leni, stratocaster; Wayne, telecaster
7. Veronique (2:21) [Gary Willis, Wayne Krantz]
Wayne, stratocaster
8. Keep My Heart (5:52) [Wayne Krantz]
Leni, stratocaster; Wayne, voice, steel string acoustic
9. Leave Softly (4:53) [Leni Stern]
Leni, stratocaster; Wayne, steel string acoustic
10. Silver Line (6:00) [Leni Stern, Tim LeFebvre]
Leni, stratocaster; Wayne, steel string acoustic
11. November (For LJM) (7:51) [Leni Stern]
Leni, nylon string acoustic; Wayne, steel string acoustic

ABOUT WAYNE KRANTZ

Born 26th July 26 1956, WAYNE KRANTZ was raised in Corvalis, Oregon, Krantz. He discovered the Beatles at 14, and soon after started playing guitar. Having previously been subjected to piano tuition and hated it, KRANTZ found with the guitar he enjoyed not being told to practice. Early musical development included playing in rock and country groups. Shortly before leaving high school he discovered jazz in his father's record collection, in particular guitarist BARNEY KESSEL: this music became his main interest. To quote from KRANTZ's own web biography: "My first musically important job was with a band in Boston, the D SHARP GROUP - which also had guitarist BILL FRISELL. Afterwards I went on the road with CARL BLEY and that's where I really learned how to play chord changes. LENI STERN heard me playing at a club with CARLA and started hiring me to play gigs around town and later I went to Europe with LENI for several tours, clubs and festivals. Guitar-wise I guess I have been influenced one way or another by all the guys I respect. In that long list have to be TERRY HAGGERTY (The SONS OF CHAMPLIN), MICK GOODRICK, PAT METHENY, MIKE STERN, BILL FRISELL, KEVIN EUBANKS and JOHN SCOFIELD. Way off in the distance, the mountains that inspire all of us are JOHN MCLAUGHLIN and GEORGE BENSON; those are the guys that have taken their own the farthest. The immediate goal for me is to fulfill the promise of making my own music". In 1991 WAYNE KRANTZ released his first solo album, 'Signals', which included a number of well known session jazz musicians. He then formed his own trio with LINCOLN GOINES (bass) and ZACH DANZIGER (drums), recording 'Long To Be Loose' (1993), and the first of several live albums the excellent '2 Drink Minimum', (1995). During this period through to the mid noughties, WAYNE KRANTZ gained the reputation of being a New York guitar-fusionist, playing periodically at the 55 Bar jazz club in New York City. In 1996, KRANTZ released an acoustic album with LENI STERN, 'Separate Cages' (1996). WAYNE KRANTZ formed a new trio in 1997, which further demonstrated his outstanding guitar abilities complimented with a huge bag of jazz and rock riffs, allowing attractive improv to be played live night after night. In fact to use the term 'riffs' is far from precise when KRANTZ has outlined in his book, 'An Improviser's Operating System', his approach to improvisation, which relies not on licks or memorised fretboard patterns but an awareness of 'musical formulae' using the guitar. In doing so KRANTZ was producing new sounds that have changed his musical style drastically. His electric bass-player and drummer, respectively TIM LEFEBVRE and KEITH CARLOCK, contributed well the immediate inspiration and fluidity so that such live improv to be generated in many of KRANTZ's later albums well illustrate this type of jazz fusion. (It should be noted that TIM LEFEBVRE and ZACH DANZIGER, formed the innovative jazz drum'n'bass group BOOMISH as a side project in the late 90's - their second album 'Clearance Sale' includes contributions from KRANTZ and FRISELL. With some growing disillusionment and impatience with the mainstream record industry, KRANTZ's next three albums were produced and sold independently: 'Greenwich Mean' (1999), 'Your Basic Live' (2003), and 'Your Basic Live '06' (2007), being only available for sale at gigs or mail order via KRANTZ's website. During this time WAYNE KRANTZ cemented a well earned reputation worldwide, through tours (for instance appearing several times at Wales' Brecon Jazz Festival. In addition he has been in demand as a touring sidesman and session guitarist, working with STEELY DAN, MICHAEL BRECKER, DONALD FAGEN ('Morph The Cat', released 2006), CHRIS POTTER ('Underground', also in 2006), TAL WILKENFELD ('Tranformation' 2007) with perhaps the earliest session appearance on JASPER VAN'T HOF's 'Blue Corner'(1993). In June, 2007, KRANTZ played his last regular gig at the 55 Bar (at least for the time being), announcing ?he had a desire to move towards a louder thing requiring bigger rooms, with stages and sound systems to pull it off.?? However, the most recent announcement tells us of a August 2009 release 'Krantz, Lefevbre, Carlock', the first studio album recording in 13 years. (Biography compiled from various sources, quotes from Wayne Krantz). © Prog Archives, All rights reserved http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=4613

ABOUT LENI STERN

Leni Stern, who has received more recognition for her composing than her guitar playing, has managed to carve out her own musical personality despite being married to fellow guitarist Mike Stern (a potentially dominant influence). She began classical piano lessons when she was six, but was much more inspired a few years later when she discovered a guitar in the attic and taught herself to play jazz. Stern's early years were actually spent as an actress in her native Germany, featured on a national television show. However, she took a summer off in 1977 to enroll at Berklee, and she never returned to acting. Stern lived in Boston until 1980, moved to New York, and has worked steadily in clubs ever since, recording for Passport (now defunct), Enja, and Lipstick. Primarily an instrumentalist in the past, with 1997's Black Guitar she revealed her prowess as a vocalist, and began releasing a series of albums that mixed jazz, pop, and rock on her own LSR imprint, including Kindness of Strangers (2000), Finally the Rain Has Come (2002), When Evening Falls (2004), and Love Comes Quietly (2006). © Scott Yanow © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/leni-stern-mn0000242721

LENI STERN BIO (WIKI)

Leni Stern (born Magdalena Thora in Munich, Germany) is an electric guitarist, and singer. She was interested in music from an early age, beginning piano studies at the age of six and taking on the guitar age of eleven. Forming her own acting company at the age of seventeen, Stern attracted media attention and performed her radical productions in front of sold-out European crowds. In 1977, Stern chose music over acting, and left Germany for the United States to attend the Berklee College of Music in Boston, studying film scoring. She gave up film scoring in favor of the guitar and moved to New York City in 1981, playing in various rock and jazz bands. In 1983, she formed a band of her own with Paul Motian on drums and Bill Frisell on guitar. She has released twelve solo instrumental recordings, of which 1985's Clairvoyant was the first. Her most recent releases – Alu Maye, Africa, Spirit in the Water and Sa Belle Belle Ba – juxtapose Stern's trademark inventive guitar and vocal explorations with the indigenous sounds of accomplished African instrumentalists and singers. Her cover of Laura Nyro's song "Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp" appeared on Time and Love: The Music of Laura Nyro, the Laura Nyro tribute album. Leni Stern Recordings (LSR) was established in 1997. The record label seeks to put out music from the most creative artists in jazz and songwriting. LSR's first release was Stern's first full-length vocal release, Black Guitar. Ted Drozdowski of the Boston Phoenix described Stern's voice sounding "something like Marlene Dietrich borrowing Billie Holiday's phrasing." She is married to guitarist Mike Stern

Ernie Graham

Ernie Graham - Ernie Graham - 1971 - Liberty

Ernie Graham's 1971 self-titled solo album is one of the lost jewels of its era, but the CD reissue is even better -- the sound is remastered in state-of-the-art digital audio, and it's thoroughly annotated, but even better, the subsequent 1978 single A- and B-sides "Romeo and the Lonely Girl" (authored by Phil Lynott) and "Only Time Will Tell" are appended to the original eight songs. The result is a one of the most rewarding and enjoyable pieces of roots/folk-based rock of its era, and a must-own CD for anyone who loves either of those genres or the pub rock sound of the 1970s. © Bruce Eder, allmusic.com

This is one of the most hauntingly beautiful solo albums to come out of the whole English pub rock scene, and references to Bob Dylan and the Band are appropriate because the rootsy/folk-like intersections with their work are here. It's also a rival to the best work of Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, Eggs Over Easy, et al. (and no surprise -- the Brinsleys played on this album). Opening with the gorgeous, Dylanesque "Sebastian," built on a lyrical acoustic guitar part, Graham reveals himself a songwriter and player of extraordinary sensitivity -- he might easily have been another Alan Hull, or even bigger than that, had he been able to join a band with legs or hold his own career together. As it is, from that Dylan-like start, he and the Brinsleys deliver a brace of full electric numbers that rival the classic sound of the Band, starting with "So Lonely" -- the roots rock sound here is so authentically American that it will fool lots of listeners about its origins and source. For this album, "The Girl That Turned the Lever" and "For a Little While" are two of the finest working-class/folk-style compositions this side of "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down," and "Blues to Snowy" takes Graham into Lynyrd Skynyrd territory. "Belfast" finally takes listeners to Graham's real roots, in a bracing, fiddle-driven folk-based piece from that side of the Atlantic. © Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Ernie Graham was a member of Eire Apparent, whose claim to fame was their Sunrise album, produced by Jimi Hendrix. His brilliant 1971 solo record often gets the ‘pub rock’ tag, but sounds closer to genuine Americana, like The Band record that never was. It doesn’t feel like most pub rock (even considering Nick Lowe’s Brinsley Schwarz filled out the backing band); it may just be because Graham hailed from England that we call it pub rock. Labels aside, this is a pretty much perfect record. “Sebastian” is a wonderful folksy opener, but overtly dylanesque. “Belfast,” the closer, is the other anomaly on this disc, definitely a good number but drastic in its divergent Irish style. All the tunes in between are delicately produced gems and true lost classics. Thankfully, the Dylan impersonation tones down as Ernie lets his natural voice shine through. “So Lonely” kicks in with that mellow groove and tunes like “Girl That Turned The Lever” etch their melody into your mind. A laid-back combo: acoustic guitar, touch of organ, the bass and drums sound warm and wooden, with doubled electric guitar punching it up. Even the harmonies are low key, just barely there, lending to the album’s lovely, lulling mood. The “la la” refrains to “For A Little While” and “Don’t Want Me Round You” are positively anthemic and the psyched-out shuffle of “Blues To Snowy” and dreamy feel to “Sea Fever” seal the deal. It’s hard to believe this record could fall so far through the cracks. Beautiful growing melodies, choruses that resonate before you even know the song. Bruce Eder calls this “perhaps the greatest unknown album of the 1970s” and I tend to agree. After this record, Graham would play guitar and pen tunes for Help Yourself, who released their own Cali-flavored gem from the pub rock scene, and would later form his own band, Clancy, who released two albums in 1975. Written by & © Brendan | July 14th, 2008 © http://therisingstorm.net/ernie-graham-self-titled/

The late Irish singer songwriter, Ernie Graham was a member of the Irish sixties psychedelic pop rock band, Eire Apparent, whose "Sunrise" album was produced by Jimi Hendrix. He also played with Help Yourself, Clancy, and with artists like Nick Lowe and the late, great Phil Lynott.. This does not sound like an album of British rock or "Pub Rock", despite Ernie Graham's associations with people like Nick Lowe, and bands like Help Yourself, Clancy, and Brinsley Schwarz. There are albums on this blog by artists like Jim Kweskin, who play Americana style folk blues roots rock, and some of Ernie Graham's songs are in that vein. There is soulful blues, but also electric rock in the eight great tracks on this vastly underrated album. There are also Dylanesque elements on the album. There is not one dud track on this wonderful album. The arrangements for the rhythm section, guitar and piano, are superb. Richard Treece's guitar work is especially good. Also included in the line-up are members of two great British "Pub Rock" bands already mentioned here, Help Yourself, and Brinsley Schwarz.. Bruce Eder calls this “perhaps the greatest unknown album of the 1970s". The album is V.H.R by A.O.O.F.C, and your comments are welcome. The album is now available on CD, with two bonus tracks. Listen to Eire Apparent's "Sunrise" album, and also, if you can find them, Help Yourself's "Strange Affair", and Clancy's "Seriously Speaking " albums. Read more about this album @ http://irishrock.org/irodb/bands/graham-ernie.html [All tracks @ 224 Kbps: File size = 65.1 Mb]

TRACKS

A1 Sebastian 5:40
A2 So Lonely 5:25
A3 Sea Fever 4:40
A4 The Girl That Turned the Lever 6:15

B1 For a Little While 6:35
B2 Blues to Snowy 4:05
B3 Don't Want Me Round You 4.27
B4 Belfast 5.39

All songs composed by Ernie Graham

MUSICIANS

Ernie Graham - Guitar, Vocals
Brinsley Schwarz, Richard Treece - Guitar
Bob Andrews - Guitar, Accordion, Piano, Organ, Background Vocals
Ian Gomm - Guitar, Background Vocals
Malcolm Morley - Guitar, Vocals, Piano
Nick Lowe, Ken Whaley - Bass Guitar
Dave Charles - Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals
Billy Rankin - Drums
Chris Cunningham - Fiddle
J. Eichler - Vocals

BIO

Singer/guitarist Ernie Graham was an active part of the British pub rock scene during the first half of the '70s, shuffling between several bands and also recording solo. Graham started out in Belfast during the mid-'60s in professional music when he joined Tony & the Telstars, a local band, as their rhythm guitarist, working as an apprentice auto mechanic during the day. Eventually, Graham and two other members of the band decided to leave Belfast for England, and potentially bigger rewards. It was there that he met guitarist Henry McCullough and the two, on returning to Ireland, began putting together their own band, which was initially known as the People. They saw some serious success in the swinging London music scene of the second half of the 1960s, enough that they were persuaded to change their name to Eire Apparent in a bid for major stardom. That didn't quite happen, but they came close, the psychedelic-flavored band touring with Jimi Hendrix, who also played on their only album, Sunrise (1969). McCullough left the group -- to form the Grease Band -- and Eire Apparent later dissolved, Graham signed with UA/Liberty as a solo artist, just at the time that the British arm of the label had begun building a new, bold roster of acts representing a new generation of performers. It was all a happy coincidence that brought Graham into the studio backed by no less an act than Brinsley Schwarz, and the result, coupled with Graham's exceptional singing and songs, was one of the finest albums of the entire decade. Ernie Graham failed to sell, however, and soon after, he joined Help Yourself as a guitarist, entering the studio for their second album, Strange Affair, but departing the group before the record was completed. Sad to say, the rest of Graham's career was a similar study in unfulfilled promise. In 1973, Graham formed another band called Clancy, along with ex-Help Yourself bandmate Jojo Glemser. Clancy signed to Warner Bros. in 1974 and issued two albums the following year; however, the group imploded following one last Warner single in 1976 and Graham drifted away from performing. His personal demons, including a strong alcohol dependence, gradually got the better of him, and his health began to fail late in the 20th century. He passed away in 2001, forgotten by all but the most loyal fans and serious music scholars. The following year, his 1971 album was reissued on CD in Japan. © Bruce Eder & Steve Huey, All Music Guide

BIO (WIKI)

Ernie Graham (b Ernest Harold Graham, 14 June 1946 in Belfast, d 27 April 2001 in London) was a singer, guitarist and songwriter, active from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s Ernie Graham was born in Belfast, and was training to be a mechanic, when he joined his first band Tony & the Telstars in 1965, as rhythm guitarist. When the band split Graham and two other members moved to England, where Graham met Henry McCullough. Graham and McCullough returned to Belfast and formed The People, with George O'Hara, Davey Lutton and Chris Stewart. In 1967 the band moved back to London where they came to the attention of Michael Jeffery and were signed by him and Chas Chandler. In 1968 they changed their name to Eire Apparent and toured with Soft Machine, Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix. Eire Apparent only recorded one album Sunrise (1969), which was produced by Hendrix, who also played on the album. Shortly after McCullough left, to tour with The Grease Band, Eire Apparent disbanded. Graham moved in with McCullough and recorded four songs with The Grease Band, but these were never issued. Graham was then signed to Liberty Records as a solo artist, by Andrew Lauder. Sharing management with Brinsley Schwarz and Help Yourself, they all toured together as "The Down Home Rhythm Kings" package and lived in the same commune in Northwood. Both bands also backed Graham on his eponymous solo album Ernie Graham (1971). The album was well received, described as "one of the most hauntingly beautiful" albums of the pub-rock scene, and "one of the more distinctive and memorable solo albums of the period", but sold poorly. Graham and 'JoJo' Glemser then joined Help Yourself appearing with them at the Glastonbury Festival in 1971 and playing on their second album Strange Affair (1972), although Graham had left the band before the album was released. In 1973, Graham formed pub rock band Clancy, who were initially signed to Island Records, but issued two albums and a single on Warner Bros. Records. When Clancy broke up in 1976, Graham played with Nick Lowe and tried to go solo, issuing Phil Lynott's "Romeo and the Lonely Girl" as a single in 1978, which was his last release. In the early 1980s, he tried forming a band with Larry Pratt, who had briefly been a member of Clancy, but when this failed, he gave up being a professional musician, worked on the railways, including as a guard on the Orient Express, and was training to become a counsellor, but his "strong alcohol dependence" caused his health to fail, and he died in April 2001.

Kid Ramos

Kid Ramos - Kid Ramos - 1999 - Evidence

"...His vintage guitar sound never comes from an axe later than '61, which explains why his lean playing is so stylistic but not at all overpowering.... [Kid Ramos] is a bluesman all the way through." - Dirty Linen (4-5/00, p.81

With his second album (self-titled, as if it were his debut), Kid Ramos turns in a solid set of greasy roadhouse blues that hits harder than most contemporary blues albums from the '90s. Ramos not only knows how to select his material (all 15 songs are covers, but only "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy" is overly familiar) and can play all variations of blues, but he keeps the record loose and raw, never polishing the sound too much and letting the music breathe. The result is a thoroughly engaging, entertaining set that sucks you in with "Dead Love," keeps your interest through the extraordinary version of James Harman's "Walk-Around Telephone Blues" (the writer contributes harp here), and doesn't let go until the end. An appealing effort that establishes Ramos as a worthy artist in his own right even after years of winning audiences as a member of Roomful of Blues, the Red Devils and the Fabulous Thunderbirds. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

Two great blues harpists and vocalists, James Harman and Kim Wilson, guest on the self-titled solo debut by Fabulous Thunderbirds guitarist Kid Ramos (Evidence 26104-2; 56:43). Ramos acquits himself nicely in a variety of vintage '50s blues, R&B and soul settings on this horn-oriented project, including the organ-fueled Grant Green-ish funk of "Leave Me Alone," Pee Wee Crayton's jump blues "Fidde De Dee," the Stax/Volt flavored "One Woman, One Man" and a hot rockin' "The Jig's Up." Ramos demonstrates a stinging touch on the Albert Collins-inspired instrumental "Cold Chicken and Beer," the jaunty New Orleans stroll "No More Alcohol" and on a raucous rendition of Howlin' Wolf's "Three Hundred Pounds of Joy," with appropriately raspy vocals by Cesar Rojas of Los Lobos. Other guest vocalists on this all-star affair include Willie J. Chambers of the Chambers Brothers and the soulful Janiva Magness. Ramos himself makes his first ever vocal appearance on "I Would Be a Sinner" and he conjures up fond memories of simpler times with a briskly swinging rendition of "Bandstand Boogie," the longtime theme song for Dick Clark's American Bandstand TV show. A groovy debut from the Kid. - Originally published in December 1999 By & © Bill Milkowski © 1999–2012 JazzTimes, Inc. All rights reserved http://jazztimes.com/articles/10711-kid-ramos-kid-ramos

L.A. native Kid Ramos’ reputation as a fiery guitarist began, when at 21 years of age he joined James Harman’s band where he stayed for eight years, often playing four sets a night, five nights a week. On this s/t second album he is backed by some of the best blues musicians in the business including Kim Wilson, James Harman, Los Lobos’ Cesar Rosas, Lynwood Slim, Janiva Magness and Willie Chambers of the Chambers Brothers. A great album with two Ramos originals and covers of songs by artists including Willie Dixon, Pee Wee Crayton, Otis Rush, Don Robey, and Jimmy Liggins. Ray Agee and James Harman contribute two songs each. Kid Ramos does not always get the credit he deserves for playing the real blues for so many years now. "Kid Ramos" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Kid's "West Coast House Party" album and support The Blues, and real, worthwhile music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 136 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Dead Love - Milton Campbell / Oliver Sain 4:03
2 No More Alcohol - Jimmy Liggins 3:01
3 Leave Me Alone - Ray Agee 3:03
4 Three Hundred Pounds Of Joy - Willie Dixon 4:01
5 Walk-Around Telephone Blues - James Harman 3:44
6 The Jig's Up - Jerry "Boogie" McCain 3:33
7 Open Up Your Heart - Ray Agee 3:32
8 Cold Chicken And Beer - Kid Ramos 3:18
9 Fiddle De Dee - Pee Wee Crayton 3:46
10 One Woman, One Man - Kid Ramos 4:17
11 It Takes Time - Otis Rush 4:16
12 I Don't Believe - Don Robey 3:09
13 Helsinki Laundromat Blues - James Harman 6:17
14 Bandstand Boogie - Charles Albertine 3:30
15 I Would Be a Sinner - Jerry West 3:07

MUSICIANS

Kid Ramos - Guitar, Harmonica, Background Vocals
Willie J. Campbell - Bass, Upright Bass
Jeff "Big Dad" Turmes - Upright Bass, Baritone Saxophone
Gene Taylor, Rob Rio - Piano
Dave Mathews - Hammond B3
Richard Innes - Drums
Stephen Hodges - Drums, Congas
Steve Marsh - Alto & Tenor Saxophone
Anne King - Trumpet
James Harman - Harmonica, Vocals
Kim Wilson, Janiva Magness, Cesar Rosas, Willie Chambers - Vocals
Lynwood Slim - Vocals, Background Vocals
Marc Thijs - Background Vocals

SHORT BIO

Born on January 13, 1959, in Fullerton, CA, blues-rock guitarist David "Kid" Ramos inherited his love of music from his parents, who were both professional opera singers. When his father grew tired of life on the road, he settled down with his family, buying a gas station in Anaheim. One day, when Kid was eight, he bought his son an electric guitar and amplifier from a customer passing through. By his teenaged years, Ramos was playing friend's parties and nightclubs on a regular basis, joining harmonica expert James Harman's blues-based band in 1980 (all its members sported sharkskin suits), playing up and down California alongside such punk bands as X, Oingo Boingo, the Blasters, and the Plimsouls. Kid played with the Harman Band for most of the '80s, until his departure in 1988, and although he filled in as the guitarist for the outfit Roomful of Blues, decided to put his musical career on the backburner to focus on his home life and start a family (for the next seven years, Ramos was employed as a water delivery man). Eventually though, his desire to play music returned and Ramos formed the Big Rhythm Combo with singer Lynwood Slim (issuing The Big Rhythm Combo in 1994), in addition to releasing his first-ever solo album, Two Hands One Heart, in 1995. The same year, Ramos was invited to join one of his favorite all-time bands, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, at the personal request of their singer, Kim Wilson. Ramos promptly accepted and he returned back to the road. In addition to his work with the T-Birds, Ramos has continued to issue solo albums on a regular basis, including 1999's self-titled sophomore effort, 2000's West Coast House Party, and 2001's Greasy Kid's Stuff. © Greg Prato © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/kid-ramos-mn0000072335

Davey Johnstone & John Jorgenson

Davey Johnstone & John Jorgenson - Crop Circles (Groovemasters Vol. 2) - 1998 - Solid Air Records

Twelve original acoustic instrumental compositions recorded while Davey and John were touring as part of Elton John’s band during his 1997/8 Big Picture Tour. The album showcases Davey and John's backgrounds and techniques in bluegrass and folk music, but similar to guitarists like Laurence Juber, these guys can play anything. The two unique guitarists explore the vast spectrum of dynamics possible on an acoustic guitar and the diversity of sounds on this album should appeal to all lovers of great music, not just great guitar. "An acoustic outing that shows just how inventive and intuitive these guys can be with just two guitars at their disposal. Recorded on the Sony Mini-Disc system, the 12 track album sounds as clear as a bell. You’d be hard pressed to find a record as likeable and as listenable as Crop Circles.” - 20th Century Guitar "Crop Circles" is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. This kind of pure music is rare. Try and listen to John Jorgenson's "Ultraspontane" and Davey Johnstone's "Smiling Face" albums [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 109 Mb]

TRACKS

1. 3rd Neck From Now 3:42
2. Crop Circles 4:00
3. She's Gonna Cry Soon 4:37
4. Reel It In 5:13
5. Exercise In Fertility 2:16
6. Bernadette's Rose 4:17
7. Fat Slag Rag 3:49
8. Grooves And Lands 4:00
9. Beyond Ohm 2:49
10. LaVoya 4:54
11. Scarabride 3:32
12. Sacred Path 5:02

All tracks written, arranged & performed by John Jorgenson on guitar and Davey Johnstone on guitar and vocals

DAVEY JOHNSTONE BIO

Although guitarist Davey Johnstone is best known for being a longtime member of Elton John's band, he has guested on numerous other artist's recordings over the years and is widely regarded as one of rock's most versatile players. He began first as an acoustic/folk player doing session work in England, when one day producer Gus Dudgeon asked Johnstone to play on Bernie Taupin's self-titled 1970 solo album, which resulted in a meeting with John and playing on his 1971 classic Madman Across the Water. Johnstone and John hit it off and he was automatically welcomed into John's band full time, playing on many of his best-known hits over the years; Johnstone's playing could adapt from serene ballads ("Candle in the Wind"), to pop ("Crocodile Rock"), and even raging riff rockers ("Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting"). Word quickly got out to other artists about Johnstone's talents, resulting in numerous sessions from the '70s all the way to the next millennium, including Joan Armatrading, Kiki Dee (Johnstone's future wife), Leo Sayer, Alice Cooper, the Who, Meat Loaf, Stevie Nicks, Yvonne Elliman, Bob Seger, Rod Stewart, George Jones, Belinda Carlisle, and Vonda Shepherd, among many others. But despite all of his extracurricular work, Johnstone has always made working with Elton John his top priority, playing on over 20 albums with the flamboyant piano man. Johnstone has issued a lone solo album during his career, the obscure 1973 release Smiling Face. © Greg Prato © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/davey-johnstone-mn0000630248

JOHN JORGENSON BIO

Southern California native John Jorgenson, a three-time winner of the Academy of Country Music award for Guitarist of the Year, was destined to be a part of the music business from an early age. Classically trained as a child, his father conducted for Benny Goodman. John, who idolized Goodman, played with his hero while his father was leading the way. Later, he went on to work for eight years as a member of the jazz and bluegrass group at Disneyland. While employed at the "happiest place on earth," John contributed his skills on a number of instruments, including mandolin, saxophone, guitar, and clarinet. At another point in his career he was the featured bassoonist for the L.A. Camerata. Still, it was Jorgenson's expertise as a guitarist that brought him fame and respect as he recorded with the groundbreaking Byrds as well as Rose Maddox, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, John Prine, Bonnie Raitt, Dan Fogelberg, and even Michael Nesmith. In spite of the number one hits, the classic covers they brought back to life, and all the Top Ten singles, the Desert Rose Band began to crumble by 1992. Jorgenson left to pursue other interests, including his guitar work with the Hellecasters, a band that came together after a one-time-only gig in 1991. Comprised of Jorgenson and fellow Telecaster disciples Will Ray and Jerry Donahue, the Hellecasters were made up of three lead players and no vocalist. The Return of the Hellecasters, their debut recording, was voted both Album of the Year and Country Album of the Year in 1993 by the Guitar Player magazine Reader's Poll. A second Hellecasters project in 1995, Escape From Hollywood, continued to refine and redefine guitar techniques. Jorgenson recorded and toured with Elton John during 1995, and one year later recorded a bluegrass project with the legendary Rose Maddox at Mad Dog Studios. Released in 1996, The Moon Is Rising was also produced by Jorgenson. Emotional Savant followed in 1999. © Jana Pendragon © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/john-jorgenson-mn0000230160

Janis Ian

Janis Ian - The Secret Life Of J. Eddy Fink - 1968 - Verve

Janis Fink is Ian's real name, and her concerns moved more toward the personal on her third album. "42nd St. Psycho Blues" was her unhappy commentary on what having a pop music career had been like, while "When I Was a Child" found her reminiscing regretfully about what had happened to her. Other songs waxed poetic, and producer Shadow Morton kept recreating the folk-rock sound of "Society's Child," but nothing here caught fire, and this album failed to chart, seeming to confirm that Ian would be a one-hit wonder, over the hill at 17. With a few years to think about it, of course, she'd have some trenchant things to say about that age. William Ruhlmann © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved © http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-secret-life-of-j-eddy-fink-r41164

"The Secret Life of J. Eddy Fink" is an 11 track collection of "challenging" folk rock songs by the great Janis Ian. This album is now 43 years old. In 1968 Janis Ian was only 17, and this album was her third release. The album barely registered with the American record buying public. Some people called the album "pretentious", a word that really doesn't fit in with the character of Janis Ian. Her songs are intense, passionate, intelligent, and powerful, and often concentrate on serious social and personal themes. There are few songwriters who can write about these topics, while backing her often serious lyrics with beautiful, wistful melodies. Janis' songs were never overly commercial, and perhaps this aspect of her songwriting has halted the success she has always deserved, but never really achieved. Like so many great songwriters who have many great songs to their credit, Janis Ian is unfortunately best remembered for her two songs, "Society's Child", and "At Seventeen". Yet, this great New York songstress, has released many great albums, some of them classics, but not recognized as such. She has never fully received the recognition she deserves for her utterly brilliant songs, and marvellous guitar technique. The late, great Chet Atkins once called Janis "a genius", not just for her guitar talents, but also her songwriting ability. Janis Ian remains one of today's great singer/songwriters. From her teenage days she has remained faithful to her uncompromising songs, and has never sold out to commerciality. There are enough well structured and melodic songs on the album to make it HR by A.O.O.F.C [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 97.4 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Everybody Knows
2 Mistaken Identity
3 Friends Again
4 42nd Street Psycho Blues
5 She's Made of Porcelain
6 Sweet Misery
7 When I Was a Child
8 What Do You Think of the Dead?
9 Look to the Rain
10 Son of Love
11 Baby's Blue

All songs composed by Janis Ian

MUSICIANS

Janis Ian - Guitar, Piano, Organ, Vocals
Carol Hunter - Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar
Buddy Saltzman - Trap Drums
Richie Havens - Conga Drums
Joe Price - Bongo Drums
Phil Ramone - Mixer

BIO (WIKI)

Janis Ian (born Born Janis Eddy Fink in New York City on April 7, 1951) is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, singer, multi-instrumental musician, columnist, and science fiction fan-turned-author. She had a highly successful singing career in the 1960s and 1970s, and has continued recording into the 21st century. At age thirteen, she legally changed her name to Janis Ian, her new last name being her brother's middle name. At the age of fifteen, Ian wrote and sang her first hit single, "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)," about an interracial romance forbidden by a girl's mother and frowned upon by her peers and teachers; the girl ultimately decides to end the relationship, claiming the societal norms of the day have left her no other choice. Produced by melodrama specialist George "Shadow" Morton and released three times between 1965 and 1967, "Society's Child" finally became a national hit the third time it was released, after Leonard Bernstein featured it in a TV special titled Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution. The song's lyrical content was too taboo for some radio stations, and they withdrew or banned it from their playlists accordingly. In the summer of 1967, "Society's Child" reached #14 on the Billboard Hot 100. Apparently "Society's Child" was too hot for Atlantic Records as well at the time. Ian relates on her website that although the song was originally intended for Atlantic and the label paid for her recording session, the label subsequently returned the master to her and quietly refused to release it. Years later, Ian says, Atlantic's president at the time, Jerry Wexler, publicly apologized to her for this. The single and Ian's 1967 eponymous debut album were finally released on Verve Forecast; her album was also a hit, reaching #12. In 2001, "Society's Child" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, which honors recordings considered timeless and important to music history. Her most successful single was "At Seventeen," released in 1975, a bittersweet commentary on adolescent cruelty and teenage angst, as reflected upon from the maturity of adulthood. "At Seventeen" was a smash, receiving tremendous acclaim from critics and record buyers alike — it charted at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart. It even won the 1975 Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance - Female beating out the likes of Linda Ronstadt who was nominated for the classic Heart Like A Wheel album, Olivia Newton-John and Helen Reddy. Ian performed "At Seventeen" as a musical guest on the very first episode of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975. The song's album, Between The Lines, was also a smash and hit #1 on Billboard's Album chart. It was quickly certified Gold and later earned a 'Platinum' certification for sales of over one million copies sold in the US. Another measure of her success is anecdotal - on Valentine's Day 1977, Ian received 461 Valentine cards, having indicated in the lyrics to "At Seventeen" that she never received any as a teenager. "At Seventeen" can also be heard playing in the background in one scene in the 2004 movie Mean Girls. The movie, like the song, addresses the topic of teenage cruelty and alienation; the film features a character named "Janis Ian" who was not a lesbian but was called one nonetheless by some of her classmates in an attempt to demean her. The character was played by actress Lizzy Caplan. "At Seventeen" is also mentioned in Jeffrey Eugenides's 1993 novel The Virgin Suicides, where the song is used by four girls imprisoned in their own home and essentially cut off from normal adolescent experiences to communicate with the narrator and his friends. "Fly Too High" (1979) was her contribution to the soundtrack of the Jodie Foster film Foxes. It earned her a Grammy nomination and became a hit single in many countries, including South Africa, Belgium and the Netherlands. Another country where Ian has achieved a surprising level of popularity is Japan. She had two top 10 singles on the Japanese Oricon charts, "Love Is Blind" in 1976, and "You Are Love" in 1980; and her album Aftertones was a #1 best-seller there in October 1976. By contrast, in the U.S., Ian made the pop charts only once more after "At Seventeen" ("Under the Covers," #71 in 1981), though she had several more songs reach the Adult Contemporary singles chart through 1980 (all failing to make the Top 20, however). Ian spent much of the 1980s and early 1990s without a record deal; her label dropped her in 1981 following the disappointing sales of Miracle Row (1977), Night Rains (1979), and Restless Eyes (1981). "Basically, I didn't do anything from 1982 to 1992. Ian finally resurfaced in 1993 with the album Breaking Silence, its title song about incest. She came out as a lesbian with that release. Also in 1993 was her infamous Howard Stern Show appearance where she performed a "new" version of "At Seventeen" about Jerry Seinfeld. Ian has released five albums since (including one live album, 2003's Working Without A Net). Ian's most recent album, Folk Is The New Black, was released jointly by the Rude Girl and Cooking Vinyl labels in 2006. It is the first in over twenty years where she did all the songwriting herself. She still tours and has a devoted fan base. Other artists have recorded Ian's compositions, most notably Roberta Flack, who had a hit in 1973 with Ian's song "Jesse" (also recorded by Joan Baez; Ian's own version is featured on her 1974 album Stars). Ian also co-wrote "What About The Love?", featured on Amy Grant's 1988 album Lead Me On. She is an outspoken critic of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a record industry organization which she sees as acting against the interests of musicians and consumers. As such, she has willingly released several of her songs for free download from her website. She was not only one of the first artists to do this but also was one of the first, along with author Eric Flint, to show conclusive evidence that free downloads dramatically increased hard-copy sales, contrary to the claims of RIAA and NARAS. Ironically, Ian's signature tune At Seventeen sold over two million singles in the United States alone yet was never certified. "I've been surprised at how few people are willing to get annoyed with me over it," she laughs, "there was a little backlash here and there. I was scheduled to appear on a panel somewhere and somebody from a record company said if I was there they would boycott it. But that's been pretty much it. In general the entire reaction has been favorable. I hear from a lot of people in my industry who don't want to be quoted, but say 'yeah, we're aware of this and we'd like to see a change too'." In addition to being an award-winning singer/songwriter, Ian writes science fiction. A long-time reader of the genre, she got into science fiction fandom in 2001, attending the Millennium Philcon. Her works have been published in an assortment of anthologies, and she co-edited, with Mike Resnick, the anthology Stars: Original Stories Based on the Songs of Janis Ian, published in 2003. When her schedule permits, she occasionally attends science fiction conventions. Ian has been a regular columnist for, and still contributes to the LGBT news magazine, The Advocate. She has a selection of her columns available on her website. On July 24th 2008, Janis Ian released her Autobiography: Society's Child (published by Penguin Tarcher) to much critical acclaim. An accompanying double CD "The Autobiogrphy Collection" has also been released with all Ian's best loved songs. Ian currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with attorney Patricia Snyder, whom she married in Toronto, Canada on August 27, 2003.

MORE ABOUT JANIS IAN

A singer/songwriter both celebrated and decried for her pointed handling of taboo topics, Janis Ian enjoyed one of the more remarkable second acts in music history. After first finding success as a teen, her career slumped, only to enter a commercial resurgence almost a decade later. Janis Eddy Fink was born on May 7, 1951, in New York City. The child of a music teacher, she studied piano as a child and, drawing influence from Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday, and Odetta, wrote her first songs at the age of 12. She soon entered Manhattan's High School of Music and Art, where she began performing at school functions. After adopting the surname Ian (her brother's middle name), she quickly graduated to the New York folk circuit. When she was just 15, she recorded her self-titled debut; the LP contained "Society's Child (Baby I've Been Thinking)," a meditation on interracial romance written by Ian while waiting to meet with her school guidance counselor. While banned by a few radio stations, the single failed to attract much notice until conductor Leonard Bernstein invited its writer to perform the song on his television special Inside Pop: The Rock Revolution. The ensuing publicity and furor over its subject matter pushed "Society's Child" into the upper rungs of the pop charts, and made Ian an overnight sensation. Success did not agree with her, however, and she soon dropped out of high school. In rapid succession, Ian recorded three more LPs -- 1967's For All the Seasons of Your Mind, 1968's The Secret Life of J. Eddy Fink, and 1969's Who Really Cares -- but gave away the money she earned to friends and charities. After meeting photojournalist Peter Cunningham at a peace rally, the couple married, and at age 20, she announced her retirement from the music business. The marriage failed, however, and she returned in 1971 with the poorly received Present Company. After moving to California to hone her writing skills in seclusion, Ian resurfaced three years later with Stars, which featured the song "Jesse," later a Top 30 hit for Roberta Flack. With 1975's Between the Lines, Ian eclipsed all of her previous success; not only did the LP achieve platinum status, but the delicate single "At Seventeen" reached the Top Three and won a Grammy. While subsequent releases like 1977's Latin-influenced Miracle Row, 1979's Night Rains, and 1981's Restless Eyes earned acclaim, they sold poorly. Ian was dropped by her label and spent 12 years without a contract before emerging in 1993 with Breaking Silence (the title a reference to her recent admission of homosexuality), which pulled no punches in tackling material like domestic violence, frank eroticism, and the Holocaust. Similarly, 1995's Revenge explored prostitution and homelessness. Two years later Ian returned with Hunger; God & the FBI followed in the spring of 2000. A live set, Working Without a Net, appeared from Rude Girl Records in 2003, and a DVD, Live at Club Cafe, saw release in 2005. Folk Is the New Black appeared as a joint release from Rude Girl and Cooking Vinyl in 2006. © Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide