Jimmy McIntosh

Jimmy McIntosh - Orleans To London - 2007 - Arizona Club Records

It's high time we had another rock guitar hero. Jimmy McIntosh is by no means a newcomer, having honed his chops as a sideman in Las Vegas for the past 25 years. But Orleans to London is no slick pop affair. With gritty grooves, chops-laden but always tasteful guitar work and just the slightest hint of jazz, it's as potent an instrumental rock guitar debut as you're likely to find. Recorded in New Orleans and London, McIntosh has collected an A list of players—most notably three Nevilles (organists Ivan and Art alongside percussionist Cyril), as well as Neville Brothers drummer "Mean Willie Green—for a collection of largely original songs that simmer with a greasy funk, providing a visceral backdrop for McIntosh's bluesy, overdriven tone. McIntosh also brings in other friends—Rolling Stone's Ronnie Wood guests on five tracks, and also brought in Jeff Beck for three tracks, credited here as "Hot Rod. But while both of these high-profile players add substantially to tunes like the Allman Brothers-ish "It Was a Virus (the album's sole vocal track, featuring Ivan Neville), it's still McIntosh who's front and center. That said, while there's plenty of in-the-gut playing, McIntosh never grandstands. There's precious little shredding to be found, just energetic solo work that fits hand-in-glove with the strong rhythm section anchored by bassist Rochon Westmoreland and, on a handful of tracks, drummer Pepe Jiminez. McIntosh augments his jam-centric material, with a mid-tempo take on The Rolling Stones' "Slave and a 10-minute look at Jimi Hendrix's "Third Stone From the Sun. It's always risky to tackle Hendrix, but McIntosh replaces Hendrix's psychedelic musings with some of his most reckless playing and an impressive solo spot for Westmoreland—the disc's other unexpected surprise. McIntosh cites a wide range of influences, from Jim Hall and Wes Montgomery to Mike Stern and Scott Henderson. There's little direct jazz-centricity here, but every now and then McIntosh throws in a line that tells you his language extends beyond a blues and rock vernacular. The dark "Woody is the album's most harmonically rich tune, with a set of changes that would give any self-respecting jazzer plenty to work with. He demonstrates further breadth on the album closer, a brief solo acoustic guitar reading of the traditional "The Minstral Boy. Slight stylistic departures aside, Orleans to London is really all about the funk. That and the arrival of a guitarist on the scene who, if there's any justice, will be heard more from in future. That McIntosh has a quarter century of experience behind him but is only now stepping out into the spotlight just means that sometimes one has to wait for the right time. By & © JOHN KELMAN, Published: April 18, 2007 © 2012 All About Jazz and/or contributing writer/visual artist. All rights reserved http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=25293#.UIxz4G8rWSo

Jimmy McIntosh is a Las Vegas-based session guitarist who, if the lineup on his solo debut is any indication, has racked up some serious I.O.U.s in the course of his 25 years of professional guitar-slinging. Sidemen on this enjoyable album include Ronnie Wood, Jeff Beck (playing pseudonymously as Hot Rod) , drummer "Mean" Willie Green, and a solid quorum of Neville Brothers, most of whom play on most tracks. The tunes are all blues-funk guitar instrumentals except for "It Was a Virus" (on which Ivan Neville sings lyrics written by Penn Jillette) and the album's final track, a sweet acoustic arrangement of the Irish melody "The Minstral Boy," which McIntosh played at his father's funeral. Highlights include the slippery second-line groove of "Mama Funk," the snappy Mike Stern tribute "Fifty Five," and the bluesy "Biker Babe." "Woody," another tribute to McIntosh's father, is minimalist and sharp with a powerful groove, but maybe just a little bit too long, while the greasy Hendrix-goes-to-New-Orleans workout "A.K.A. Papa Funk" is equally sharp and bluesy, but busier and more concise as well. Overall, this is a very satisfying album -- guitar fiends and tone freaks will have a ball with it. © Rick Anderson © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/orleans-to-london-mw0001056850

A great album of jazz rock, and New Orleans flavoured blues funk. Jimmy is a talented Las Vegas-based session guitarist influenced by players that include Scott Henderson, Mike Stern and John Scofield, but at times on this album he is overshadowed by guitar greats like Ronnie Wood and Jeff Beck who between them, play on five of the album's tracks. This is a relatively small issue. These guys are legends and will inevitably put their stamp on whatever album they play on. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Jimmy McIntosh is a very underrated guitarist and deserves a wider audience. Watch out for any new releases from this guy, and support real music. [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: File size = 82.7 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Biker Babe - Jimmy McIntosh 4:48
2 It Was a Virus - Jimmy McIntosh, Penn Jillette 4:57
3 Mama Funk - Jimmy McIntosh 5:02
4 G-Spot - Jimmy McIntosh 3:31
5 Woody - Jimmy McIntosh 7:16
6 A.K.A. Papa Funk - Jimmy McIntosh 3:34
7 Slave - Keith Richards, Mick Jagger 5:45
8 Fifty Five - Jimmy McIntosh 3:41
9 Rogent - Jimmy McIntosh 8:05
10 Third Stone From The Sun - Jimi Hendrix 10:29
11 The Minstral Boy - Trad. 1:16

MUSICIANS

Jimmy McIntosh - Guitars, Acoustic Guitar (11)
Ronnie Wood - Guitar (2, 9), Baritone guitar (3, 4, 7)
"Hot Rod" aka Jeff Beck - Guitar (2, 4, 9)
Ivan Neville - Organ (1, 2, 4, 6-8), Vocal (2)
Rochon Westmoreland - Bass (1-8, 10)
Tom Warrington - Acoustic Bass (9)
Art Neville - Organ (3)
"Mean" Willie Green - Drums (2-4, 6-8, 10)
Pepe Jiminez - Drums (1, 5, 9)
Cyril Neville - Percussion (1-8, 10)
Phil Wigfall - Tenor Saxophone (7)

ABOUT JIMMY MCINTOSH / ALBUM

A working professional over the past 25 years with an impressive list of credentials as a sideman, Las Vegas based guitarist Jimmy McIntosh finally steps out as a solo artist in his own right on Orleans To London, his long overdue debut as a leader. A hard-grooving, swaggering collection of N’awlins flavored funk, slamming rock and searing blues tunes, this formidable collection features such heavyweights as Art, Cyril and Ivan Neville of the Neville Brothers along with Nevilles drummer “Mean” Willie Green, Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood and guitar hero Jeff Beck, who makes an uncredited mystery guest appearance on three tracks (listed under the sobriquet “Hot Rod”). McIntosh more than holds his own in such illustrious company, unleashing potent licks that run the gamut of six-string influences from bluesmen B.B. King and Albert Collins to rockers Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood and Jimi Hendrix to a whole host of jazz guitar greats. And while McIntosh has plied his trade over the years for innumerable shows and studio work as a first-call guitarist on the Vegas scene, he reserves his personal playing for this auspicious showcase. “As a working pro I do whatever it takes to make the gig work and keep the leader happy,” says McIntosh. “But on my own, I do my own thing. So there’s music I play for a living, which is great. But then there’s more creative music that I listen to and play for my own enjoyment.” He cites the Stones, the Nevilles, Miles Davis, reggae and guitar greats Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Scott Henderson and Mike Stern as personal favorites. The collection opens on a funk-laden note with the earthy, The Meters-influenced “Biker Babe,” an organ-fueled groover that features both the guitarist’s jazzy fluency and his blues-rock sting. “It Was a Virus” (with lyrics penned by Penn Jillette) is a catchy pop-rock offering sung by Ivan Neville and featuring both Ronnie Wood and “Hot Rod” on guitars interweaving little gem-like melodic phrases with Ivan’s vocals on the long outro vamp. “Mama Funk” gets knee deep into the funk, N’awlins style, with “Mean” Willie Green powering the infectious second line groove and Art Neville laying down his signature B-3 organ cushion. Bassist Rochon Westmoreland, a longtime bandmate of Jimmy’s in the Vegas-based fusion band After Burner, offers some solidly funky electric bass underpinnings in the spirit of The Meters’ George Porter Jr. while Wood adds some slick low end fills on baritone guitar. McIntosh cuts loose here with a barrage of chops, alternately wailing on single note licks and augmenting the harmony with sophisticated chordal voicings. “G-Spot,” a slow-grooving N’awlins flavored funk throwdown, features some particularly nasty, toe-curling guitar work from guest star “Hot Rod” while the mysterious, reggae flavored “Woody,” named for McIntosh’s late father, features some of Jimmy’s most luminous, lyrical and harmonically adventurous playing on the record. “A.K.A. Papa Funk” (Jimmy’s ode to the great Art Neville) is more N’awlins styled jamming, this time with a harder edge and featuring some incendiary Hendrixian six-string work from McIntosh. Wood joins in on an extended instrumental cover of The Stones’ “Slave,” which is powered by Green’s slamming backbeat and features some urgent tenor sax work by Phil Wigfall. McIntosh breaks out the wah-wah pedal and serves up some sizzling fusion licks on the aggressive “Fifty Five,” his personal tribute to one of his own favorite guitarists, Mike Stern. “Hot Rod” returns for a captivating solo on the slow blues “Rogent,” named for a childhood friend of Jimmy’s. McIntosh adds his own six-string fire to the bluesy proceedings here, exchanging pyrotechnic licks with the remarkable “Hot Rod.” Jimmy soars into the stratosphere on a cathartic reading of Jimi Hendrix’s turbulent landmark, “Third Stone From The Sun,” which also features scorching contributions from drummer Green and bassist Westmoreland. And the collection closes on a poignant note with a sparse solo acoustic rendition of “The Minstral Boy,” an old Irish folk tune that Jimmy performed at his father’s memorial service in November of 2001. “It’s a couple hundred years old and was played at Winston Churchill’s funeral,” he explains. “I worked up that arrangement and it came out nice. My brother had always wanted me to record a copy for him to have, so I put this on here as a kind of surprise for him.” Recorded partly in the Crescent (at Piety Street Recording) and partly in London (at Ronnie Wood’s home studio), the aptly-named Orleans To London may not be a cross-section of all the styles that McIntosh has been called on to play in his capacity as first-call guitarist on the Las Vegas show and studio scene, but it fully represents the depth of his own musical interests as both a player and lifelong listener of music. Currently teaching part-time at the University of Nevada and working full-time in the Vegas production of the popular Broadway musical “Mamma Mia,” the guitarist has had a long and circuitous route to the making of his auspicious debut as a leader. “It’s like a dream come true having Ronnie Wood and Jeff Beck on my record,” says Jimmy. “These are heroes of mine, guys I’ve admired for over 30 years. And Art Neville is a hero as well.” Born on October 14, 1958 in Sao Paolo, Brazil, McIntosh grew up in the small town of Temperance, Michigan, where his family moved when he was seven years old. He played French horn (on an instrument given to him by Duke Ellington, a close family friend) in the junior high school band before picking up the guitar at age 14 and beginning private lessons the following year. “I was a Beatles fan as a kid until I saw the Rolling Stones’ movie ‘Gimme Shelter’ in 1970,” he recalls. “At that point I became a huge Stones fan. That became an influence that’s lasted to this day.” In 10th grade, he began studying with John Justus, the local jazz guitar guru in Toledo, Ohio. “I started studying with John in the Spring of 1974,” he remembers. “And I was working with John on a chord melody of an Ellington tune about the time Duke passed away (May 24, 1974).” While studying with Justus, McIntosh met and befriended fellow guitarist Scott Henderson, who had moved to Toledo to work in a Top 40 band. “I met him at a music store in Toledo,” he recalls. “We both used to sit in with a local jazz band and hung out together. Scott was already an incredible player.” After graduating from high school in 1976, Jimmy attended the Berklee College of Music for two years and later got a bachelors degree in music arts with a major in guitar performance from the University of Michigan. In 1981, he moved to Las Vegas, a place with deep roots for the McIntosh family. “In 1905 my grandfather built the first saloon in Las Vegas, a place called The Arizona Club, which was literally the first permanent structure in Vegas,” he explains. Since relocating to Las Vegas, he’s been an in-demand guitarist on the music scene. Over the years McIntosh has played with R&B singer Doris Troy (of “Just One Look” fame) and Little Anthony & The Imperials, backed up Buddy Hackett and Ben Vereen, and also had a longstanding gig with the popular Vegas show “Legends In Concert.” He has also included work on more than 40 national tv shows, appearing in the house band for Penn & Teller’s “Sin City Spectacular,” which aired for 24 one-hour episodes on the FX network (performing with the likes of Slash, Lyle Lovett, Weird Al Yankovic, Eric Idle, Jennifer Holliday and Clarence Clemmons). He also played in the house band on Comedy Central’s “Viva Variety,” and The WB network Ron White show. For 15 years, beginning in 1990, McIntosh also played in a popular after-hours band called the Lon Bronson All-Stars Band, a powerhouse horn band that had a longstanding weekly residency at the Riviera, where they entertained crowds ‘til the wee hours and featured such special guests sitting in as Tower Of Power, former Doobie Brothers guitarist and producer Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, guitarist Joe Walsh, comedian (and sometime trumpeter) Drew Carey, Penn Jillette and The Tonight Show guitarist, bandleader and Jay Leno sidekick Kevin Eubanks. In 1999, following his longstanding engagement with the “Legends” show, McIntosh moved to the Rio Hotel to perform in a show with pop stars Sheena Easton and David Cassady, then worked for the following two years in Cassady’s touring band. Jimmy first got turned on to the Neville Brothers from a 1981 Rolling Stone interview with Keith Richards, in which the Stones’ guitarist mentioned Fiyo on the Bayou as being one of the best albums of the year. “I hunted that record down, brought it home and fell in love with it,” he recalls. “And then I purchased everything I could find by the Meters as well. I met Art and Willie Green when they started coming to Las Vegas around 1994, and we’ve been really good friends ever since.” Through Art Neville, Jimmy met Ronnie Wood in 1999. More recently, Wood heard about Jimmy’s project and expressed an interest in playing on it. So McIntosh and his wife Carol flew to England with basic tracks he had recorded with the Nevilles and company and had Wood overdub guitar parts. “Initially, Ronnie was only supposed to play on ‘It Was a Virus’,” says Jimmy, “but he ended up playing on five tracks. I always felt that Ronnie was one of the most underrated musicians, and boy was I right. His musicality was just amazing. Everything he did was first take and just brilliant. He’s a great improviser.” During the recording of “It Was a Virus,” Wood explained to Jimmy that a friend of his might drop by for the session. “Ronnie said 'I told Jeff Beck about your record with the Nevilles and he might drop by and want to play on it.' Well, I didn’t even react to that because I was in shock when he said it.” Beck did indeed show up and was so inspired by what he heard that he ended up applying his six-string magic to “G-Spot,” “Rogent” and the vocal number “It Was a Virus” before the night was over. “This was like I died and went to heaven,” says Jimmy. “The only way it could’ve gotten any better is if Mick and Keith would’ve stopped by.” Maybe that’ll happen on his followup CD. But for now, McIntosh is still immersed in the afterglow of his serendipitous debut as a leader, Orleans To London. It’s a project that should have immense appeal to funk fans and fretboard aficionados alike. It stands as the crowning achievement to date in Jimmy’s ongoing career as a working guitarist. © http://www.jimmymcintosh.com/bio.html

Scott McKeon

Scott McKeon - Can't Take No More - 2006 - Wasted Lion

‘Scott plays heavy, muddy blues which doesn’t just rely on standard rhythms and traditional chord patterns… He plays it like a scarred bluesman with a sound that makes me jealous, at the same time his quite young but well developed voice completes it all in a perfectly suitable manner. His guitar sound oozes of the seventies with all the appropriate attributes such as rotovibe, octaver, fuzz and of course all of it coming from a dynamically loaded Strat.' - FUZZ Magazine (Oct 2006)

Outstanding debut studio disc from this excellent obscure blues/rock axeslinger from England. Top-shelf soul-powered bluesy heavy guitar grooves from this amazing new player on the scene. Excellently produced by Jesse Davey (The Hoax) and is highly recommended to fans of INDIGENOUS, THE HOAX, DOYLE BRAMHALL, BUDDAHEADS, CRAIG ERICKSON, IAN MOORE, CHRIS AARON, WARREN HAYNES, ROBIN TROWER, SRV, JOHNNY WINTER & RORY GALLAGHER, among others. If you heavily dig awesome, deep, organic bluesy heavy guitar riffage with kool soulful vox, the "Can't Take No More" disc by Scott McKeon is just what you're looking for. - Editorial Review © 1996-2012, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Cant-Take-More-Scott-Mckeon/dp/B000MTOR44

Bournemouth based Scott McKeon first picked up a guitar at age 4 and since then has devoted himself to honing his craft. Although well established as one of the U.K.’s most talented and promising emerging guitarists, he also shows a great deal of promise as a singer and, more importantly, as a songwriter. McKeon has written, or co-written, all ten of the songs on his debut effort, Can’t Take No More, providing himself with a platform to show off his impressive chops as a guitar player. The 20 year old guitarist shows a technical proficiency the envy of players twice his age, but it’s the feel and the soul that he wrings from the notes of his battered ’62 Strat that bring to mind the Stevie Ray Vaughn, Albert King, and Jimi Hendrix comparisons. There are elements of McKeon’s playing that sound like all these players. His tone is very much like Stevie Ray Vaughn’s, and his phrasing and attack are reminiscent of Albert and BB King. However, the way it all comes together is in McKeon’s songs is what really matters. From the slow-burning Texas shuffle of "All The Same" to the blazing, gutsy blues "I Can See Through You" the underlying sound is McKeon’s. His songs vary from the riff-based, "Can’t Take No More" and "Shot Down" - heavy and high octane; to the slow, classic blues romp "Last Thing I Do" with a tender and strangely world weary vocal performance. His guitar playing is impeccable throughout. With a killer tone, provided by a homemade pedal, and fearsome attack, McKeon switches from subtle licks to full throttle searing blues guitar with the flick of a switch, always with taste and fantastically soulful, natural sounding phrasing. With the new wave of British blues/rock in full swing, and artists such as Ian Parker and Aynsley Lister rising to prominence, Scott McKeon has arrived at precisely the right moment to make an impact, and at such a young age, I’m sure the best is still yet to come. - Author: Rhys Williams — Published: Apr 08, 2009 at 8:41 am © Rhys Williams © Technorati, Inc / Technorati Media / Technorati.com / Blogcritics http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-scott-mckeon-cant-take/

Initially influenced by his dad's love of '50's Rock 'n' Roll and blues, Scott started playing guitar aged four. At fourteen, he was already leading his own band. He was named Guitarist magazine's Young Guitarist of the Year in 1998. When he was eighteen, Mark Knopfler's manager, Paul Crockford heard a demo of Scott's playing which eventually resulted in the release of "Can't Take No More". This is a good album of dynamic and raw modern electric blues played with a flair and precision that is lacking in too many blues guitarists today. Scott has already toured extensively throughout the UK, Europe and the US, and has shared the bill with greats that include Eric Clapton, Buddy Guy, Johnny Winter, and Joe Bonamassa. Scott has also played the Montreal Jazz festival and has appeared on US TV. Buy Scott's "Trouble" album and support good modern blues rock. Read an interview with Scott @ http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/scott-mckeon/1072 and go and see this guy if he's playing in your area. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 113 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Can't Take No More - Scott McKeon
2 Shot Down - Scott McKeon, Ben Jones
3 Honey Baby - Scott McKeon
4 I Used To Have Something - Scott McKeon, Ben Jones
5 All The Same - Scott McKeon, Ben Jones, Geoff Lai
6 I Can See Through You - Scott McKeon, Ben Jones
7 Last Thing I Do - Scott McKeon, Ben Jones, Jesse Davey
8 Cool Lookin' Woman - Scott McKeon
9 Maybe - Scott McKeon, Ben Jones
10 Fuzz Six Six Six - Scott McKeon, Ben Jones

MUSICIANS

Scott McKeon - Guitar, Bass, Drums, Percussion, Vocals
Jesse Davey - Guitars, Hammond Organ, Percussion, Solo on Track 7
Geoff Lai - Bass on Tracks 1,5,6
Ben Jones - Bass on Tracks 2,3,7: Drums on Tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9
Wanbdi - Backing Vocals on Track 1
Holly McKean - Claps on Track 2

Jens Johansson

Jens Johansson - Fission - 1998 - Heptagon Records

Jens Johansson is joined by, jams with, and fuses expertly alongside his brother, drummer Anders along with guitar virtuosos Shawn Lane and Mike "Sterno" Stern on this release. Sounds too hot, too frenetic, too in your face jazz fusion? Not so. Jens structures it all just right. Let's say the backbeat funk keeps the fun upfront in this fusion fission fest. Out of nine tracks, Lane solos in a very Holdsworth-ian fashion, guesting only on tracks one and four. Stern plays his trademark Telecaster tone in an Is What It Is mode on track two, trades licks with Jens and Lane on track four, and on track six. This album's gestalt is Jens Johansson flat-out getting down, laying out the grooves, and racing with his brother Anders on drums. Jens provides multi-styled synth basslines like Jan Hammer did in his days with Jeff Beck. Anders tears it up on percussion like a monster rhythm dervish. Jens solos splendidly all over this structure, while guitarists Lane and Stern add the icing on the cake served hot outta Jens' oven. Fission is for folks who got into Jan Hammer's post-Mahavishnu Orchestra boogie-fuze-rock, dug early Chick Corea quirky change-ups and tempo, and enjoyed Adam Holzman's omnipresent synth-key grooves post-Miles Davis. You'll like the basic jazz fusion feel and the driving pulse in all the compositions. Jens spent years backing up neo-classical shredmaster Yngwie Malmsteen and playing in Dio. He deftly dances all the parts of keys, guitarist leads, and cookin' bass heartbeats and comes away leaving an interesting stamp on the listener. Recommended © John W. Patterson © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/fission-mw0000062863 [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 150 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Hooded Strangers 10:41
2 Phase Camouflage 6:49
3 Zero Sum Game 3:36
4 Acrostic Shibboleth 8:12
5 Don't Mention the War 10:49
6 Race Condition 7:32
7 Crowd Tectonics 6:15
8 Nystagmus 3:59
9 Beautiful Lung Dogs 10:46

All tracks composed by Jens Johansson

MUSICIANS

Shawn Lane - Guitar (Tracks 1, 4)
Mike Stern - Guitar (Tracks 2, 4, 6)
Jens Johansson - Keyboards, Bass synth
Anders Johansson - Drums, Percussion

Jonas Hellborg & Shawn Lane

Jonas Hellborg & Shawn Lane - Time Is The Enemy - 1997 - Bardo

Ex-John McLaughlin electric bass guitarist Jonas Hellborg gains considerable notoriety for his flashy style, huge sound, undeniable virtuosity, and monster chops. This recording showcases his trio on various concert dates worldwide, with electric guitarist Shawn Lane and drummer Jeff Sipe in tow. It is Lane who steals the show -- his fluid, exciting, stinging lines need nothing more than a little amplification to get the point across. The power trio acts as Beck, Bogert & Appice wannabes, except that Lane plays perfectly in tune. All the members claim co-writing credit on the six hard-nosed jams. "Heretics" is a heavy metal New Orleans shuffle, with boogie bass and a finger-popping solo from the leader. "Wherever You Walk" has a cool swing funk about it that is undeniably jazzy, featuring Lane's clean, musical, teeth-gritting guitar. Darker rhythms with echoey chords set to loping six/eight rhythm and rock bass signify the developed piece "Space Time Continuum," and the hard funk of "The King's Letter" has the most dizzying, steely guitar licks. A slower funk "Barua a Soldani" cuts Hellborg loose on an extended solo, while the closing title track is another hard rock-funk that stretches the confines of fusion into a vehicle for Lane to dig in a bit more. As much as fusion has grown stale over the years, this trio is pumping some stark vitality into it, keeping it alive. Shawn Lane is the man, and Hellborg has to sit back and marvel at what he's capable of. © Michael G. Nastos © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/time-is-the-enemy-mw0000599139 [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 123 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Heretics
2 Wherever You Walk
3 Space Time Continuum
4 The King's Letter
5 Barua A Soldani
6 Time Is The Enemy

All music composed by Shawn Lane, Jonas Hellborg, & Jeff Sipe

MUSICIANS

Shawn Lane - Guitar
Jonas Hellborg - Bass
Jeff Sipe - Drums

Alex Milella

Alex Milella - Light Shades - 2005 - Nicolosi

Alex Milella produced one of my top fusion albums of 2004. Light shades is full of top quality legato fusion, with a real sense of quality and taste, with overtones of Scott Henderson and Allan Holdsworth, coupled to top notch guitar tones and excellent production that stands up today. I'd certainly recommend it to fusion fans. Posted by & © Laurie Monk at 20:12 © Truth In Shredding http://www.truthinshredding.com/2011/02/alex-milella-new-top-of-line-cd-in_13.html Read more about this great Italian fusion guitarist @ http://pl.ayli.st/Alex+Milella#4
[All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 151 Mb]

TRACKS

1. High Pressure
2. Orient Express (Chinese Way)
3. Inside You (Prelude)
4. Allan's Worth (to Allan Holdsworth)
5. Signal for Scott (to Scott Henderson)
6. Alti e Bassi
7. Before The...
8....Light Shades
9. Oversteppin'
10. Inside You

All tracks composed by Alex Milella

MUSICIANS

Alex Milella - Guitar, Synth Programming
Pierluigi Balducci - Bass
Beppe Sequestro - Bass on Track 10
Luca Cacucciolo - Rhodes/Synth
Davide Santorsola - Piano on Track 4
Giuseppe Berlen - Drums, Percussion
Michele Carrabba - Sax on Tracks 5, 9
Roberta Carrieri - Vocal on Track 3

Colin Hay

Colin Hay - Looking for Jack - 1986 - Columbia

Upon the demise of the mega-successful group Men at Work in 1985, lead singer and songwriter Colin Hay ventured forth with his first solo album in 1987. Hay's distinctive voice was the most recognizable component of Men at Work, and as such it cuts through the sometimes over-ambitious arrangements on this album. A big drum sound and big rock arrangements threaten at times to overshadow Hay's songwriting and singing. Elsewhere, songs such as the smooth, relaxed title song and "Circles Erratica" rank with the best output of his career. Unfortunately, the album went virtually unnoticed, ensuring Hay's status as a cult artist. His subsequent work, though, has been by and large excellent. © Rob Caldwell © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/looking-for-jack-mr0000278826

A very underrated album from the ex Men at Work's Scottish born lead singer and songwriter Colin Hay. Every track on this album is unique and worth listening to. There is not one dud song on the album, and you may just find yourself listening to the album all the way through. There is brillant use of a variety of instruments by musicians that include Robbie McIntosh on guitar, Herbie Hancock on piano, Paul "Wix" Wickens on Hammond Organ, Chad Wackerman on drums, and Nicky Payne on tenor sax. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Colin's "Transcendental Highway" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 93.3 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Hold Me 4:09
2 Can I Hold You? 3:35
3 Looking for Jack 4:10
4 Master of Crime 4:57
5 These Are Our Finest Days 4:07
6 Puerto Rico 4:28
7 Ways of the World 4:05
8 I Don't Need You Anymore 3:04
9 Circles Erratica 4:02
10 Fisherman's Friend 5:31

All tracks composed by Colin Hay except "Looking for Jack" by Colin Hay & Jeremy Alsop

MUSICIANS

Colin Hay - Electric, Acoustic, & 12 string guitar, Keyboards, Synclavier, Vocals
Robbie McIntosh - Guitar, Electric Guitar
Jeremy Alsop - Bass, Synth Guitar, Keyboards
Mike Brittain, Chris Laurence - Double Bass
Helen Liebmann, Martin Loveday - Cello
Herbie Hancock - Piano
Paul "Wix" Wickens - Hammond Organ, Organ
Robin Millar - Keyboards
Chad Wackerman - Drums, Percussion
David Bitelli - Baritone & Tenor Sax
Nicky Payne, Nick Pentelow - Tenor Sax
Raul d'Oliveira, Steve Sidwell - Trumpet
Rick Taylor - Trombone
Ginya Joseph, Joe Legwabe, Dee Lewis, Linda Lewis, Ashley Maher, Noel McCalla, Russell Hitchcock, Morris Michael, Rufus Sefothoma - Vocals

BIO

As the singer, guitarist, and main songwriter of Australia's Men at Work, Colin Hay was responsible for penning several of the quirkiest pop hits of the early '80s. Although he and his former band will forever be associated with "the land down under," Hay originally hailed from Scotland, where he was born in the town of Kilwinning on June 29, 1953. Hay relocated to Australia in 1967, by which time he had begun playing guitar and singing. Although the country is probably best known for spawning hard rock bands (AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Radio Birdman, etc.), Hay sought to form a band that was more in line with the burgeoning new wave style, but one that also embraced pop. Shortly after joining up with guitarist Ron Strykert in 1978, Hay's master plan was realized, as Men at Work were formed. Rounding out the band was saxophonist/flutist Greg Ham, bassist John Rees, and drummer Jerry Speiser, who in 1982 issued their debut full-length, Business as Usual. Earning quite a few comparisons to then-reigning chart kings the Police, Men at Work quickly became MTV favorites (during the station's early days). Since he was the group's main singer and songwriter, Hay quickly became the focal point of the band, as such humorous videos for "Who Can It Be Now" and "Down Under" pushed the debut album to the top of the U.S. charts -- making Men at Work an overnight sensation. Perhaps sensing that they should strike again while they were still fresh in people's minds, Men at Work went directly back in the studio to work on another album. Issued in 1983, Cargo was another sizable hit, but did not fare nearly as well as its predecessor -- commercially or artistically. Taking an extended break, Hay and company did not resurface again until 1985's Two Hearts, an unfocused recording that saw almost half of the band replaced. With the album's disappointing showing, Men at Work split up shortly thereafter. Hay embarked on a solo career, debuting in 1987 with Looking for Jack (the title of which supposedly referred to a brief encounter Hay had with actor Jack Nicholson), which once more failed to match the success of his early work with Men at Work. Hay continued to release solo material with regularity throughout the '90s, including such titles as 1990's Wayfaring Sons, 1992's Peaks & Valleys, 1994's Topanga, and 1998's Transcendental Highway. The same decade, Hay also launched his own record label, Lazy Eye Records, and sporadically acted in cult movies (which he had began doing the previous decade) and TV shows, including parts on such series as JAG, The Larry Sanders Show, and The Mick Molloy Show, among others. Hay continues to release albums and tour to this day. The first few years of the 21st century saw the release of a pair of recordings -- a new studio album in 2001, Going Somewhere, and a collection of re-recorded Men at Work and solo tracks in 2003 (Man at Work). Hay also toured with Ringo Starr in the summer of 2003, as part of the former Beatles drummer's annual All Starr Band. He issued Are You Lookin' at Me? in 2007 and American Sunshine in 2009, both of which were released on the Compass label. Two years later, Hay released his eleventh album Gathering Mercury © Greg Prato © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/colin-hay-mn0000097395

Clifford T. Ward ‎- Singer Songwriter - 1972 - Dandelion

Clifford Thomas Ward (10 February 1944 – 18 December 2001) was a popular English singer-songwriter, best known for his career as a solo artist. Although Clifford wrote many great songs, four of his songs, "Gaye", "Home Thoughts From Abroad", "Scullery" and ""Jigsaw Girl" are beautifully written classic pop songs and should be heard by every lover of great modern pop music These are no run-of-the-mill pop songs forgotten in a week but songs as good as Lennon & McCartney compositions with great lyrics and fantastic melodies. If you have never heard "Home Thoughts From Abroad" give it a listen. It has a spellbinding melody with unusual and extremely clever lyrics. "Singer Songwriter" was released in 1972 on the late, great disc jockey John Peel's Dandelion label just before it went into liquidation. As a result, the album received no real media coverage and went unnoticed. Clifford signed a new recording deal with Charisma Records, and went on to have a huge hit with the single "Gaye" which sold over a million copies worldwide and reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart in July 1973. The album here is remastered but the vocals are placed ridiculously too far back in the mix. Don't let that deter you from listening to the album. Buy Clifford's "Gaye and Other Stories" album and listen to one of the finest singer/songwriters ever to come out of England. Read more about Clifford @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clifford_T._Ward [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 85.9 Mb]

TRACKS

A1 Coathanger
A2 Sam
A3 Leader
A4 A Dream
A5 Anticipation
A6 Rayne
A7 The Session Singer

B1 Carrie
B2 God Help Me
B3 The Cause Is Good
B4 Sympathy
B5 Circus Girl
B6 You Knock When You Should Come In
14 Sidetrack (Bonus CD Track)

All songs composed by Clifford T.Ward

MUSICIANS

Clifford T. Ward - Keyboards, Vocals, Background Vocals, Producer
Derek Thomas - Guitars
Bev Pegg - Bass, Background Vocals
David Skinner - Keyboards
Ken Wright - Drums, Percussion, Background Vocals
John Sawyer - Vibes
Will Roper - Flute
Richard Hewson - String & Brass Arrangements

BIO (WIKI)

Clifford Thomas Ward (February 10, 1944, Stourport, Worcestershire – December 18, 2001), was a popular English singer/songwriter, best known for his career as a solo artist.Ward was one of five children, having one sister and three brothers. He was educated at Stourport Secondary Modern School, and there he met his wife, Pat, when she was 13 years old, and he 14. At school he spent some time as a choir boy. Ward and Pat married when he was 17 and she 16, after Pat became pregnant with the first of their four children: Debbie, Martin, Sam and Polly.In 1962, shortly after leaving school, Ward formed a beat band called Cliff Ward and The Cruisers. The band was popular in Birmingham and also in demand at American Army bases in France. It was during this time abroad that Ward wrote Home Thoughts From Abroad (a song that would later appear on his second solo album). In the mid 1960s and after several member changes, the group was re-named Martin Raynor and The Secrets with Ward in the role of the elusive Raynor. The fictitious name was soon dropped and the band continued on, simply known as The Secrets. It went on to do some extensive touring around Britain and France, achieving moderate success. Along the way, six singles were recorded by the group (ten of the songs penned by Ward himself), though these made little impact on the music world.In 1968, following the demise of The Secrets, Ward decided he needed to get a 'real job', and so spent the following three years at a teacher training college, ultimately finding employment at nearby Bromsgrove High School, teaching English and drama. In his spare time, he continued songwriting and recorded his first solo album Singer Songwriter. His first album, Singer Songwriter, was released in 1972 on Dandelion Records (a label formed by the late disc jockey John Peel) just before it went into liquidation. As a result, the album received little media coverage and went largely unnoticed. Signing a new contract with Charisma Records, Ward went on to have a hit with the haunting single Gaye. It sold over a million copies worldwide and reached number 8 in the UK Singles Chart in June 1973. In July 1973, following the success of Gaye, Ward's second album Home Thoughts achieved healthy sales and reached number 40 in the UK Albums Chart. At this point, wanting to concentrate on music full time, he gave up the teaching profession. He made a rare public appearance in August, performing Gaye on Top of the Pops. In January 1974 Ward entered the singles chart again at number 37 with Scullery, a track from his third album Mantle Pieces. Subsequent singles, notably No More Rock'n'Roll, Jigsaw Girl, Ocean of Love, and I Got Lost Tonight (written by US singer-songwriter Tim Moore, one of the very rare occasions when he recorded outside material) were much loved by BBC radio presenters and programmers but Ward never made it into the UK charts again. It was said that he would have had more commercial success were it not for his dislike of touring, public appearances, interviews and photo shoots. The Best Is Yet To Come, from the album Both of Us, enjoyed success when covered by Justin Hayward, and his songs were also recorded by Cliff Richard, Jack Jones, Art Garfunkel, and Judy Collins. He was compared to Paul McCartney by reviewers and his songs have strong melodies and concise, original lyrics.In 1984 Ward was diagnosed as having multiple sclerosis. He continued to record and write songs while living at home, cared for by his wife Pat. In September 1994, Ward was interviewed by local paper, the Wolverhampton Express & Star. He told reporter Aidan Goldstraw: "I have not and will not come to terms with this illness. There are times - usually quite late at night - when I'm almost normal again. But unless they find a cure for this dreadful MS, then I don't see a future." Also in 1994, he recorded his eleventh and what would be his last new album, Julia And Other New Stories, crawling on all fours into his home-based recording studio to finish it. At around the same time, a stage musical, Shattered World, was produced as a tribute to him, based on his life and his battle against MS. Half of the songs were Ward's own and half were numbers written by others about him. In the winter of 2001, he fell ill from pneumonia and entered hospital. He died there a few weeks later, at 9 a.m. on Tuesday December 18.

OHMphrey

OHMphrey - OHMphrey - 2009 - Magna Carta Records

OHMphrey is an American instrumental jazz fusion group formed in January 2008. An offshoot of the band OHM, OHMphrey features three members of the Chicago-based progressive rock jam band Umphrey's McGee (guitarist Jake Cinninger, keyboardist Joel Cummins and drummer Kris Myers). The band also includes the brilliant former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland and bassist Robertino Pagliari.

As the band's rather clunky name implies, this is a confluence of members from existing bands Ohm: (guitarist Chris Poland and bassist Robby Pagliari) and Umphrey's McGee (Jake Cinninger, Joel Cummins,and Kris Myers respectively on guitar, keyboards, and drums). Both Um and Ohm: typically traffic in complex, prog-oriented, electrified jazz fusion, so except for the purely instrumental nature of this project, (Umphrey's features a vocalist), there isn't much unexpected here. Regardless, it's an often taut, sometimes loose, always intriguing, hour-long set that will satisfy followers of both acts, with perhaps a slight tendency towards Ohm: fans. While the members are all top-flight musicians, it's hard not to single out drummer Myers and guitarist Poland who drive the majority of these pieces, pushing the level of musicianship throughout. The tunes twist and turn with each shifting mood from jazz to a metal-ish attack, heavy on the Frank Zappa/Joe Satriani patented interplay, but lacking the former's wry sense of musical humor. If you don't appreciate the direction any of the eight selections are going, gears will likely shift within the long-playing times. The 12-minute "What's the Word, Thunderbird" starts off New Orleans funky, with distorted '70s-styled guitar intertwining with a Garcia like lead. It then moves to a frantic bass section and shifts into driving, experimental space rock, creating room for a Hendrix riff and dynamics that never seem forced or pretentious. It's that malleability that allows this music breathing room, even as solos tend to steal the spotlight. Some of the selections could surely have been abbreviated, but even the 15-minute "Shrooms' 'N' Cheese" doesn't seem overlong, due to the inspired playing, terse energy, and sheer enjoyment these talented musicians exude as they exercise their impressive chops. A few slower songs such as the piano propelled "Lake Shore Drive" provide respite from the fireworks that ignite the rest of the program including the following "Not Afraid of the Dark." Clearly there aren't many overdubs, if any, since this jam heavy arrangement thrives on intricate interpersonal interaction. Jazz-rock fusion often gets a bum rap for showcasing demanding solos over the body, soul, and congenial atmosphere inherent in jazz. But when it's done properly, as on most of this project, letting the musicians determine the path of the music, the emotion and jawdroppingly tight instrumental conversations take on a life, and art, of their own. © Hal Horowitz © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/ohmphrey-mw0000817866

Explosive jazz-rock fusion with tight funky jazz grooves played by five monsters of the genre, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to the band's "Posthaste" album [All tracks @ 224 Kbps: File size = 103 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Someone Said You Were Dead
2 The Girl From Chi Town
3 Denny's By The Jail
4 Ice Cream
5 Lake Shore Drive
6 Not Afraid Of The Dark
7 Shrooms 'N Cheese
8 Whats The Word, Thunderbird

All tracks composed by Chris Poland, Jake Cinninger, Robertino Pagliari, Joel Cummins, & Kris Myers

MUSICIANS

Chris Poland, Jake Cinninger - Guitar
Robertino Pagliari - Bass
Joel Cummins - Keyboards
Kris Myers - Drums

BIO

What happens when five great musicians locked themselves in a studio for two days, fueled by nothing but pizza and their shared musical vision? If you’re the super jam band OHMphrey, the result is an electrifying fusion debut flush with so much creative currency that its vibrant music buzzes with musical surprises, intense improvisation and even instrumental virtuosity. OHMphrey, the brainchild of three members of the Chicago-based jam-band Umphrey’s McGee (keyboardist Joel Cummins, guitarist Jake Cinninger and drummer Kris Myers) and OHM guitarist Chris Poland, a legendary player who’s perhaps best known for work with headbanging pioneers Megadeth, and bassist Robertino Pagliari (a.k.a. “Pag”), unleashes their improv-heavy self-titled debut – a record that assimilates not only disparate musical genres but the individual playing styles of everyone involved. “We’re all music dogs,” says Cummins. “To be in the studio with Chris and Pag and create this kind of music was really exciting and a great challenge for all of us.” “It was so spontaneous,” says Cinninger. “We went all out, wearing our hearts on our sleeves.” Gathering so much talent under one band banner, much less in one room, is historic. Then again, so often supergroups fail miserably and fall pitifully short of their potential. Fortunately for OHMphrey (and the rest of us), this project cuts against the grain in so many ways, not the least of which is by eschewing the pitfalls of modern production techniques in favor of a straight-ahead live recording setting. “We wanted to make a good old fashioned fusion statement,” says Cinninger, who cites John McLaughlin and Al DiMeola as influences on his guitar style. “It was all about just getting the right vibe in the room and hitting the record button.” Having jammed on stage at Martyrs’ Restaurant and Pub in Umphrey’s McGee’s hometown of Chicago, the OHMphrey outfit formed a kind of mutual admiration society amongst themselves. When the opportunity arose to record in a band setting, the five titans needed little convincing to descend upon Poland’s downtown L.A. studio to rekindle the musical hellraising they’d stirred up months earlier. “If someone was to tell me ten years ago that I would be recording with Chris Poland, I wouldn’t have believed him,” says Cinninger. “Chris is one of the most fluid players in the world. He’s like Jan Hammer on the guitar. I was so psyched about playing with him. We really played well off of one another.” “Jake, Joel and Kris are musical monsters,” offers Poland in the spirit of the project. “They have no musical boundaries. They are fearless!” Having plugged into a wealth sonic textures and musical influences, the OHMphrey crew displays a high degree of melodic interplay that recalls the excitement of Return to Forever, the Super Session with Mike Bloomfield, Stephen Still and Al Kooper, Allan Holdsworth’s mind-bending solo material, Joe Satriani’s Surfing With the Alien, and Miles Davis’ fusion explorations (circa A Tribute to Jack Johnson and Bitches Brew). That isn’t to say that OHMphrey’s music is merely empty homage to classic heroes. Far from it. OHMphrey dips into the deep well of jazz-rock virtuosity, but it also ignites its own sphere of firebrand (and sometimes simmering) fusion, circumventing repetition and mimicry. Dig such multidimensional tracks as the driving “Denny’s By the Jail,” the heavy, feel-good vibe of “Ice Cream” (which wouldn’t have been out of place on a mid 1970s Tony Williams Lifetime record), the Police-meet-Tribal Tech “’Shrooms ‘n’ Cheese,” the funky Jeff Beck-esque “What’s the Word, Thunderbird”, and “Lake Shore Drive”, which boasts repetitive rhythms as constant as the churning waters of Lake Michigan. Blowing through a set of explosive jazz-rock fusion was just the kind of musical liberation that Cummins, Cinninger and Myers were in desperate need of: they’d spent the last three years writing, recording, perfecting and producing Umphrey’s McGee’s recently released album, Mantis (SCI Fidelity Records). “The OHMphrey record is the polar opposite of Mantis,” says Cinninger. “OHMphrey was a change of pace from what we were experiencing in the studio. It was more of a warts-and-all, present-tense way of collaborating.” Every note played, every beat pounded out, was inspired by the creative goings-on during the two-day whirlwind jam fest. OHMphrey spun a creative cocoon that insulated them from the outside world, and this intense focus inspired some burning, impromptu composition and even the titles of the tracks. “There are zero overdubs on this record,” says Cinninger. “It was as if we literally had walked into Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in New Jersey and laid down the sessions, as is. That’s the way records used to be made.” Complementing and rooting the stratospheric musical moments heard on this record is the rubbery and often tricky rhythmic approach of the Myers-Pagliari/drum-bass tandem. “Kris [Myers] is a really challenging drummer to play with,” says Cummins. “He uses a lot of odd time signatures and rhythmic illusion. When he and Pag locked in to the pulse of a song, it really opened Chris and Jake up so that they could play some amazing stuff. The rhythm section’s a big factor in why the record came out the way it did.” These extended instrumental jams are exciting and cohesive statements, not endless and mindless noodling. Despite differences in background and musical styles, the band seamlessly weaves together elements of metal, jazz, blues and prog rock. This familiarity is evident in the fluidity of the music. It’s the mark of a good group—indeed, a supergroup -- that material is developed in the spirit of cooperation not competition. “For me, the sessions were about playing less notes, almost having a David Gilmour-like vibe within a fusion context, while staying out of the way of everyone else,” says Cinninger. “In this atmosphere we could rebound off of each other’s ideas, like we were on the basketball court tossing the ball around.” “What was so special about this project was that we were able to assimilate everyone’s musical personality while allowing each member to retain his individual musical voices,” Poland says. “We all had similar instincts. That’s why it worked so well.” “The best part was when Chris took his guitar, put it behind his head and Jake played solos on it … just kidding,” says Cummins. “That didn’t happen. But that sentiment pretty much sums up the level of comfort we all had with one another.” Cinninger sums up: “We didn’t really go into this project knowing that we could actually do it. The idea was to jam and have fun. After a while we realized, ‘Hey, we really had something going here.’ It was cool just how intentional this whole project was.” © http://www.magnacarta.net/ohmphrey/index.html

Burton Gaar

Burton Gaar - Home Of The Blues - 2003 - SVR

Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Burton Gaar began his professional musical career in 1959 at the age of 16 playing bass guitar behind the legendary Louisiana bluesman Slim Harpo. Throughout the 1960’s, his association with the Boogie Kings, one of the South’s most popular R&B acts at the time, solidified his musical direction. As the 1970’s dawned, although blues music was no longer fashionable for any audience, Burton managed to thrive with his Stone River Band, handling all requests from doowop to R&B. In the 1980’s, he joined zydeco great Rockin’ Sydney (My Toot Toot) Simien’s band - a musical relationship that was to turn into a lifelong friendship. This decade also saw Burton spend five years as a writer/producer at a major studio in Houston, Texas. The end of the decade and early 1990’s brought yet another connection with a legend, as Burton performed for several years with R&B superstar Percy Sledge.In 1995 Burton Gaar recorded his debut CD for Lanor Records “Still Singing The Blues” and during his first European tour in 1996, he recorded his second CD “One Hundred Pounds of Trouble” which was released in the spring of 1997 on the CrossCut label.In a review of the latter, Blues Revue magazine noted it to be, “. . . one of the top 10 most listened to CD in Blue Revue offices worldwide.” Grammy Nominated Handy Winner Charlie Musselwhite recorded Gaar’s song “No” from this disc as the first cut on his Grammy nominated album, Continental Drifter. Musselwhite later chose Gaar’s song to perform while promoting his cd on the Conan O’Brian Show. In the year 2000, Gaar released his third CD named “Mighty Long Road”. The disc, recorded in Nashville was distributed through New Orleans based Louisiana Red Hot Records.Burton Gaar and T.C. Davis produced the project. The Mighty Long Road features the legendary, Guitarist - Jack Pearson, Harmonica man Tim Gonzalez, Organist - Johnny Neel, Guitarist - Shane Theriot and others. Bluesman Carl Weathersby said, “Burton Gaar has it all” The 2003 release titled - Home Of The Blues was recorded in Nashville Tennessee at Colemine Studios. Louisiana Blues Hall Of Fame artist Larry Garner was quoted: “I am a hard man to please and I like every song on the Home Of The Blues disc.” Charlie Musselwhite said “every tune is an A side.” (Making reference to the days of 45 r.p.m. vinyl singles when it was standard to have your best song on “side A”). I was born in Louisiana and after all these years, I still live here. The music I write has its roots in Louisiana. It’s bluesy, funky and SPICY - sorta like our gumbeaux! [Edited by In2TheBlues on 10 Jun 2011, 05:02 - Sources http://www.burtongaar.com/#anchor_70 © 2012 Last.fm Ltd. All rights reserved http://www.last.fm/music/Burton+Gaar/+wiki

Lea’s Lunchroom ain’t the only thing cookin’ down in LeCompte, Louisiana. Resident bluesman Burton Garr has brewed one powerful CD, Home of the Blues. Seldom is a new release completely solid from beginning to end. Well, folks, Garr accomplished just that with his latest CD. Each song is right in the slot and smokes from beginning to end. This is one grooving blues album. In addition to his really fine songwriting on all tracks but one, Garr covers all vocals. An amazingly versatile singer with apparent Southern Louisiana R&B roots, Garr pulls you in with vocal performances that are strong, melodic, sophisticated and solid. Home of the Blues kicks off with the title song supported by a bass line reminiscent of "Born Under a Bad Sign." "Home of the Blues" is a moderate tempo tune and sets the pace and standard for the next 11 cuts. "Blow Wind Blow" on track 2 is a nice up tempo shuffle and is played strong, like shuffles should be played. The track features a tasty harp solo and fine organ and guitar solos. "Repoman" opens with a guitar/bass hook that continues through the song backed by a kick ass horn section. "Hole in My Heart" has some nice double stop guitar and a catchy chorus that goes, "She left a hole in my heart bigger than the Robert E. Lee," which you will find yourself singing days later. A standout with excellent sax work and smooth vocals laid on top of a funky groove, this song deserves to become a standard and alone would well be worth the price of the CD. A rhythmic guitar and keys are featured on "Hall of Fame," which is one of those classic blues ballads that vamp between G and C. Personally, they always feed good and sound great. Well done. I especially like "I Wonder" and "Still Singing the Blues," which incorporate great interplay between the members of the rhythm section and in the latter, the dynamic horn section. The remaining cuts are all strong, with "Mississippi Water" the only one played in a minor key (Cm). Each song stands on its own. There is no filler material added to lengthen the album. All solos, no matter who is playing, are melodic and appropriate – no inflated egos here – just great musicianship. Garr assembled a premier group of musicians. Some appeared on his previous album, Mighty Long Road. Randy Coleman is once again on bass (Home of the Blues was also recorded in his studio, Colemine Studios in Nashville). Other personnel include Shane Theriot (Neville Brothers) on guitar, Tim Gonzales on harp, former Allman Bros. Band member Johnny Neel (who co-wrote track 8, "My Little Feel Good," with D. Jones and R. Cullison) on organ and keys, and Marty Ojeda on tenor sax. Floyd Saizon handles drum chores this time around and works great with the other members of the rhythm section. The horn section is top notch and includes Steve Herrman on trumpet, Dennis Taylor and Ojeda on tenor saxes, and Tom McGinnley filling up the bottom with baritone sax. Danny Hamblin and Clay Krasner handle some of the guitar and bass tracks. Home of the Blues is in the tradition of the great soul and R&B music of the ‘60s – what the Europeans call "deep soul." This album should do well in overseas markets. Surf to Garr's fine website for info on buying Home of the Blues. Photos, upcoming gig info, a bio and music samples that also include cuts from two of Garr's previous CDs, Mighty Long Road and 100 Pounds of Trouble, are also available. CD review Copyright © 2006 Sonny Boy Lee. All rights reserved.http://sonnyboylee.com/cdreviews/bgaar.htm

Good solid Louisiana soul blues and R&B from the Baton Rouge born Burton Gaar. Burton has an unmistakeable voice and sings from the heart. His lyrics are good and he penned eleven of the twelve album tracks. He is backed by great musicians that include Tim Gonzales on harmonica, organist Johnny Neel of the Allman Brothers and Government Mule, guitarist Shane Theriot of the Neville Brothers band, guitarist Danny Hamblin, bassist Randy Coleman of the T Graham Brown Band, and drummer Floyd Saizon of The Delta Rockets. There is no flashy playing on the album but the album is full of class. Listen to Burton's "Mighty Long Road" album [Tracks @ 256-320 Kbps: File size = 71 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Home of the Blues 3:49
2 Blow Wine Blow 4:51
3 Repoman 3:52
4 Hole in My Heart 3:49
5 Hall of Fame 4:47
6 Stone Cold Blues 3:59
7 Rainbow 4:54
8 My Little Feel Good 3:22
9 I Wonder 3:44
10 Mississippi Water 3:48
11 Wonderland 3:05
12 Still Singing the Blues 4:55

All tracks composed by Burton Gaar & George Hollingshead except Track 8 by Johnny Neel, Doug Jones, & R.Cullison

MUSICIANS

Shane Theriot - Guitar except Tracks 1,6,8,9,11
Danny Hamblin - Guitar except Tracks 2,3,4,5,7,8,10,12
Doug Jones - Guitar on Track 8
Randy Coleman - Bass except Track 2,3,7,8, Background Vocals
Clay Kasner - Bass except 1,4,5,6,8,9,10,11,12
Dennis Gully - Bass on Track 8, Background Vocals
Johnny Neel - Organ, Keyboards - Tracks 1-12
Floyd Saizon - Drums except Track 8
Mike Caputy - Drums on Track 8
Tim Gonzales - Harmonica except Tracks 1,3,4,5,6,7,8,10,11,12
Dennis Taylor - Tenor Sax
Marty Ojeda - Tenor Sax, Background Vocals
Tom Mcginnley - Baritone Sax
Steve Herrman - Trumpet
Burton Gaar - Lead Vocals Tracks 1-12

SHORT BIO

Cajun bass player and singer Burton Gaar grew up listening to the sounds of great blues artists such as electric guitarist B.B. King and vocalist Bobby "Blue" Bland. Before he hit his teen years, he decided he wanted to become a musician and play the blues, too. Within a couple of years, as the '50s were drawing to a close, he got his chance when he started working in his hometown of Baton Rouge, alongside blues legend Slim Harpo. Frequently, they worked the city's Glass Hat Club. Gaar also played for a short time with the Boogie Kings. During the '60s, Gaar went on to form a band of his own and they found work playing backup for visiting artists to Baton Rouge, a list that included zydeco artist Rockin' Sidney and soulful singer Percy Sledge. Gaar drew such inspiration from Rockin' Sidney that in the future he would dedicate one of his albums, Mighty Long Road, to the zydeco musician. Despite the fact that Gaar made music for almost four decades, he didn't record a solo album of his own until 1996, when the Cajun-influenced Still Singing the Blues was issued with the Mudcats. The following year in Holland, he recorded One Hundred Pounds of Trouble, an album that performed well internationally. He is one of the musicians featured in the book Blues: Keeping the Faith by Keith Shadwick © Linda Seida © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/burton-gaar-mn0000638924

Drew Zingg

Drew Zingg - Drew Zingg - 2012 - Ind.

If you haven’t heard of Drew Zingg ’81 (yet), you are not alone. Outside of the music industry and die-hard guitar aficionados, he hasn’t exactly been a household name. But that might be about to change. If a group of Vassar alumnae/i succeeds in its mission, Zingg is about to get his long-due time in the spotlight. They are The Infrangible Syndicate, founded in 2010. The group is “dedicated to supporting the artistic endeavors of the ‘unsung creative genius’ … [to] identify and support active creative artists who have yet to receive the broad based, public acclaim and success they deserve.” In other words, the Syndicate isn’t designed to manufacture stars. Its mission is to find overlooked diamonds and hold them up for the world to see. The Syndicate’s first project? Drew Zingg. After more than three decades as a professional rock and blues guitarist, Zingg has established himself as one of the best in the business. During the mid-1990s, he was lead guitarist and musical director for Steely Dan. He also served as lead guitarist and musical director for New York Rock and Soul Revue, an aggregate of notable artists that included Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan), Walter Becker (also of Steely Dan), Michael McDonald (of the Doobie Brothers), Boz Scaggs, and Grammy winner Patti Austin. He’s played venues from Madison Square Garden to the Grand Ole Opry. He also played Broadway, sitting in the pit as the lead guitarist for shows including Jersey Boys, Spamalot, Mama Mia!, and Hairspray. The New York Times, New York Post, and a long list of others sang very high praises. All of this, and Guitar Magazine still called him one of the 12 “best guitarists you’ve never heard of.” Then along came The Infrangible Syndicate last year. Six Vassar alums comprise the Syndicate’s core: music producer George (Weiss) Petit ’83, Susan (Miller) Copperman ’81, Kerry O’Connell ’80, Robin Skye ’80, Helen Mahoney Pardoe ’80, and Daniel Schneider ’79. They all knew Zingg way back when, and want to see him get the public acclaim he deserves now. A cornerstone of their effort is the Drew Zingg Debut Album Project. Zingg, Petit, and a cadre of musicians and engineers recently finished a major bout of recording in the studio. This month, they’re headed back to wrap up. A DVD behind-the-scenes documentary is also in the works. After decades as one of the most sought after backing musicians around, Drew Zingg is about to arrive.from "The Arrival of Drew Zingg" by & © Peter Bronski © Vassar College http://alums.vassar.edu/publications/newsletter/issues/2011/10/drew-zingg.html

Brilliant album from one of the most underrated guitarists playing today. This album includes lead vocals from Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, and Monet Owens. The album also contains a cover of Becker & Fagen's "Megashine City" aka "Talkin' About My Home". Guitar Magazine listed Drew as one the 12 “best guitarists you’ve never heard of.” In Guitar Player magazine, the fabulously talented guitarist, Mike Keneally noted of a Drew Zingg performance, that he “..burned so resolutely, the stars were singed.” Jon Pareles of The New York Times describes Mr. Zingg as “superb”… …and Pat Metheny has said that Drew “..is the best guitar player I have seen in years”. This s/t album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Please buy it (DETAILS @ http://www.dzdap.com/) and support great music. Listen to the "Steely Dan Alive in America" album which features Drew on “Third World Man” and “Green Earrings" and read an interview with Drew @ http://www.dzdap.com/press/ 

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Megashine City aka "Talkin' About My Home" - Donald Fagen & Walter Becker 5:41 *
2. Easy - Lionel Ritchie 5:35
3. One Off - George Whitty 4:57
4. The Black Dog - George Petit 5:35
5. Save Your Love For Me - Buddy Johnson 4:50
6. Cactus - Don Grolnick 9:36
7. Downstream - George Whitty 6:01
8. Two Steps From The Blues - John Riley Brown / Deadric Malone 6:49
9. Dear Lord, What The Hell Are You Trying To Say? - Will Lee 5:51
10. Tennessee Street - George Walker Petit 7:14
11. You Make It Right When It Rains - George Whitty 5:31
12. Highway 86 - George Whitty 5:14

N.B: * This is an instrumental version of Walt & Don's "Talkin' About My Home" which can be found on the "Gaucho Outtakes" album

MUSICIANS

Drew Zingg - Guitar on all tracks
George Walker Petit - Acoustic & Trem guitars on Track 4
Will Lee - Bass on all tracks
George Whitty - Keyboards on all tracks: Hammond Organ on Track 5: Lead Vocal on Track 7: Background Vocals on Track 11
Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums on all tracks
David Mann - Horns on Track 1: Alto Solo on Track 3
Michael McDonald - Lead Vocals on Track 2
Boz Scaggs - Lead Vocal on Track 5
Christine Lynch - Lead Vocals on Track 8
Monet Owens - Lead Vocal on Track 11: Background Vocals on Tracks 2,7,11
Bob Merrill, David Smith - Trumpets on Track 3
Eric Crystal - Saxophone on Track 3

BIO

Drew Zingg was lead guitarist and musical director of Steely Dan for their reunion tour in 1993 and continued in that capacity through 1995. During this period he toured with the band throughout theUnited States, performing at such venues as Madison Square Garden in New York, the Greek Theater in Los Angeles and the Shoreline Amphitheater in San Francisco, as well as stadiums across the country. A sampling of these appearances were recorded and released as the Giant Records release, “Steely Dan; Alive in America.” His tenure with the band also included a tour throughout Japan in 1994. Drew’s guitar work is featured on the Donald Fagen Box Set, “The Nightfly Trilogy.” Preceeding his work with Steely Dan, Mr. Zingg worked with Donald Fagen as lead guitarist and music director for Mr. Fagen’s “New York Rock and Soul Revue”, an aggregation of artists that included Walter Becker, Michael McDonald, Boz Scaggs, Phoebe Snow, and Patti Austen. “The New York Rock and Soul Revue” toured extensively throughout the States and culminated in the Giant Records release, “Live at the Beacon.” Drew has been touring for the last several years with Boz Scaggs, his work with Mr. Scaggs is prominently featured on the “Greatest Hits Live” CD and DVD. 2010 has found Drew touring the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the Far East with Mr Scaggs and Michael McDonald. He has toured and recorded throughout the last 2 decades with David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Shawn Colvin, Rickie Lee Jones, Gladys Knight. Drew’s work with Michael McDonald was prominently featured in the film “Leaving Las Vegas” starring Nicholas Cage and Elizabeth Shue. Drew delivers a blistering solo on a revamping of the Doobie Brother’s “Minute By Minute”, featured on Michael McDonald’s greatest hits package.In between tours and album dates, Drew has been very busy in the New York studio scene recording commercial jingles, movie soundtracks and TV. He has also done extensive work on Broadway, as lead guitarist in the shows Jersey Boys, Spamalot, Hairspray, Mamma Mia!” (based on the music of Abba), and Smokey Joe’s Café the Music of Lieber and Stoller whose cast album features Drew’s work, and won a Grammy Award for best Broadway soundtrack of 1995. Mr. Zingg has kept a roster of private students all the while he has been busying himself with these various duties. Dan Aquilante, senior music editor of the New York Post wrote the following in his review of a Steely Dan performance. “Topping the list of backup players was Drew Zingg, one of the most outstanding jazz/pop guitarists I’ve ever heard. Whenever he had the lead, the moment soared. He has a knack for bringing a song to climax. His work was often rewarded with applause during a tune, as if Madison Square Garden was a snug jazz club”. Robert Goldberg of the Wall Street Journal has remarked on Drew’s “glistening, dramatic solos” and puts him “in the ranks of Vernon Reid, Larry Carlton and Danny Gatton”. Guitar Magazine listed him as one the 12 “best guitarists you’ve never heard of.” In Guitar Player magazine, Mike Keneally noted of a Drew Zingg performance, that he “..burned so resolutely, the stars were singed.” Jon Pareles of The New York Times describes Mr. Zingg as “superb”… …and Pat Metheny has said that Drew “..is the best guitar player I have seen in years”. Drew attended Buckley School (New York City), Loomis Chafee (Windsor, Ct.), Trinity School (New York City) and has a BA in Art History from Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, New York). He currently resides in San Francisco.© 2012 The Infrangible Syndicate http://dev.dzdap.com/bio/

Paul Rodgers & Friends

Paul Rodgers & Friends: Live At Montreux 1994 - 2011 - Eagle Records

Good live concert from the Montreux Festival in July 1994, when the great Paul Rodgers was touring in support of his great 'Muddy Water Blues' album. He was joined by greats including Brian May, Steve Lukather, Eddie Kirkland, Sherman Robertson, Luther Allison, Robert Lucas and Kenny Neal. Paul sings some old Free and Bad Company favourites along with songs from his 'Muddy Water Blues' album and other old standards. Paul Rodgers is not called "The Voice" for nothing. SQ on this album is only fair to good and it would be worthwhile buying the CD/DVD version of the concert [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: File size = 109 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Travelling Man - Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Simon Kirke
2 Wishing Well - Paul Rodgers, Simon Kirke, Tetsu
3 Louisiana Blues - Muddy Waters
4 Fire and Water - Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers
5 Muddy Water Blues - Paul Rodgers
6 Good Morning Little School Girl - Sonny Boy Williamson
7 I'm Ready - Willie Dixon
8 Little Bit of Love - Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Simon Kirke
9 Mr. Big - Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers, Paul Kossoff, Simon Kirke
10 Feel like Making Love - Paul Rodgers
11 Let Me Love You Baby - Willie Dixon
12 The Hunter - Steve Cropper, Donald "Duck" Dunn, Booker T. Jones, Al Jackson, Jr., Junior Wells
13 Can't Get Enough (Of Your Love) - Mick Ralphs
14 All Right Now - Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers
15 Crossroads - Robert Johnson
16 Hoochie Coochie Man - Willie Dixon

MUSICIANS

Paul Rodgers - Guitar, Vocals
Ian Hatton, Eddie Kirkland, Steve Lukather, Brian May, Neal Schon, Luther Allison, Robert Lucas, Kenny Neal, Sherman Robertson - Guitar
John Smithson - Bass
Jason Bonham - Drums
Claude Nobs - Harmonica

Robert Randolph & The Family Band - Live in Concert - 2011- Dare Records Inc.

Early in Robert Randolph’s career, his over-the-top gospel-infused pedal steel playing burned with desire, frequently veering into on-the-edge Hendrixesque territory. A good thing then, this live album reveals what a little time and maturity can do. Randolph’s still-stellar playing shows increased restraint (though no less intensity) and allows The Family Band equal footing. The disc opens with vocal/guitar harmonization and scorching licks of “Traveling Shoes,” followed by the instrumental tour staple “Squeeze.” Whether a song’s gospel-, rock- or blues-based, the band adeptly plays tightly to Randolph’s exaggerations, whether they are slow and greasy or fast and furious. The set also features choice covers from The Staple Singers, Prince and Earth, Wind & Fire. Fittingly, Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” finishes things off in explosive style. By & © Glenn BurnSilver Published: 2011/12/23 © Relix Media Group LLC. All Rights Reserved http://www.relix.com/reviews/cds/2011/12/23/robert-randolph-and-the-family-band-live-in-concert

Robert Randolph & the Family Band is an American blues, funk, rock, Gospel, Soul and 'Jam' band who started their career in 2002. It is composed of Robert Randolph (guitar and vocals), Marcus Randolph (drums), Danyel Morgan (bass) and Jason Crosby (keyboards). Robert Randolph was once rated by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the all time 100 greatest guitarists. This album is the band's first live album since their 2002 debut album, Live at the Wetlands. The twelve tracks were recorded across the United States during his 2011 nationwide tour. The album includes band classics like "Squeeze" and "If I Had My Way." The latter features Blind Boys Of Alabama's Joey Williams, who also plays on Prince's "Walk Don't Walk." Susan Tedeschi, Ryan Shaw, Chuck Campbell and Nigel Hall join in on the Staple Singers' "I'll Take You There" while Shaw, Tommy Sims, Ryan Scott and The Monophonic Horns guest on Earth, Wind & Fire's classic "Shining Star." The album also includes a powerful version of Jimi Hendrix's classic "Purple Haze." Listen to Robert Randolph & The Family Band's terrific "Unclassified" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 147 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Traveling Shoes - Burnett, Randolph, Tonio K.
2. Squeeze - Randolph, Morgan
3. Don't Change - Gray, Hamlin
4. Sacred Steel - Randolph
5. If I Had My Way - Burnett, Johnson, Randolph, Tonio K.
6. Electric Church - Randolph
7. Peekaboo - Randolph
8. I'll Take You There - Bell
9. Walk Don't Walk - Prince
10. Back To The Wall - Gray
11. Shining Star - White, Dunn, Bailey
12. Purple Haze - Jimi Hendrix

BIO

A virtuoso on the pedal steel guitar, Robert Randolph set the music world on fire in 2000 when he began playing his first club dates in New York City. Randolph started playing the instrument as a church-going teenager in Orange, NJ, a small city just outside of Newark. He regularly attended the House of God Church, an African-American Pentecostal denomination that had been implementing steel guitars (or "Sacred Steel") in services since the '30s, with the pedal steel in particular being introduced during the '70s. Randolph learned to play by watching other steel players during church services; years later, he updated that sacred basis with a secular mix of funk and soul, giving a new multicultural facelift to an instrument that had often been associated with country music. In early 2000, Jim Markel heard Randolph play at the Sacred Steel Convention in Florida and subsequently introduced him to his friend, Gary Waldman. Together, Waldman and Markel began to manage Randolph's career, which took flight after Matt Hickey, a talent buyer at Manhattan's Bowery Ballroom, signed Randolph on as the opening act for the North Mississippi Allstars. Within a month, Randolph had graduated to the Beacon Theater, where he played alongside Medeski, Martin & Wood. Keyboardist John Medeski enjoyed Randolph's playing so much that he asked him to record an instrumental gospel/blues album with the band. The resulting record, The Word, was released in August 2001 to great critical and popular acclaim. Randolph's own group, the Family Band, includes cousins Danyell Morgan and Marcus Randolph (bass and drums, respectively) and John Ginty (Hammond B-3 organ). The band's career began with opening gigs for a variety of blues, jazz-funk, and jam bands such as the Derek Trucks Band, Karl Denson's Tiny Universe, and Soulive; headlining gigs became the norm within a few months' time. Robert Randolph & the Family Band released Live at the Wetlands in fall 2001, capturing the band's live performance at the legendary Wetlands venue shortly before it closed. The group's studio debut, Unclassified, followed in 2003 and introduced Randolph to an even wider audience. One new fan was veteran guitarist Eric Clapton, who brought the band out on tour and appeared on Robert Randolph's third release, Colorblind, in 2006. In 2010, Randolph teamed-up with producer T-Bone Burnett and released the album We Walk This Road which featured guest appearances from Ben Harper, Leon Russell and Doyle Bramhall II. © Ann Wickstrom © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/robert-randolph-mn0000288350

The Beauty Room

The Beauty Room - The Beauty Room II - 2012 - Far Out

This is glorious!’ – Mark Sampson (Songlines)
‘A very well produced West Coast soft rock album’ – Robbie Vincent (Jazz FM)
‘It sounds wonderful!’ – Dick Hovenga (Written In Music)
‘This project is amazing!’ – Dj Ausar (WFRG 89.3 FM Atlanta / Soulandjazz.com)
‘Quality!’ - Kevin Beadle

'It's a fantastic record, with some wonderful string arrangements. But most of all, exceptional songwriting.' - John Armstrong (BBC Radio 2 / Kilombo Soundsystem)

The craftiest revivalists of that early ’70s, soft, soulful LA rock sound are a couple of guys from the UK, virtually unknown stateside. But The Beauty Room, as they’re called, deserves wider notice on these and other shores. It’s been six years since their critically well-received self-titled debut but singer Jinadu and producer/keyboardist Kirk Degiorgio put in a lot of work on the follow-up release The Beauty Room II to avoid the dreaded sophomore letdown. A couple of new tracks which appeared on the band’s MySpace page in 2009 gave hope that the next album was forthcoming, and after a few more years, we finally got confirmation that this album will go on sale at long last next week. Ace session drummer Chris Whitten (Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Dire Straits) returns, but is now joined by Jamiroquai guitarist Rob Harris and superbassist Brian Bromberg. String arrangements? The legendary Paul Buckmaster has that covered, with Amsterdam’s Metropole Symphony Orchestra. Grammy winner Peter Henderson handles the engineering. So, like Becker and Fagen, Jinadu and Degiorgio carefully assembled together the right supporting cast, but ultimately it’s about their songs and how they present them. Theirs is a songwriting partnership that sparks from two opposing forces rubbing together: Degiorgio and his predilection for chord progressions that are a little unusual for pop and Jinadu’s ear for crafting compelling hooks and meditative verses. They got that down on their first collaborative project, and the chemistry persists on II. And like the first album, the most distinguishing feature of the record is Jinadu’s lushly layered vocals that snuggles up to the ears like the best Crosby, Stills and Nash recordings, or — dare I say — the Beach Boys do. Degiorgio conjures up warm, analog sonic washes, never revealing a preference for neither electronic nor acoustic instruments to get that kind of sound; one of the more gorgeous selections is the piano/strings “Walking The Fine Line,” in fact. On cuts such as “We Can’t Throw You Away”, “The Last Calling” and “No Rejection” you can pick up traces of his gurgling techno/electronica heritage submerged in the mix; there’s often small hints that these recordings indeed come from the present and not from 1974, but those hints are kept discreet. Whitten is once again perfect on these sessions: his precise fills, cymbal splashes and overall timekeeping is up to par with the craftsmanship applied elsewhere, and he even gives songs like “Shadows Falling” a little propulsive nudge. The progression from the first album to the second comes in the additional help they brought on board. Buckmaster has lost none of his touch with orchestral arrangements for about half of the tracks, he understands that in pop and rock settings, the role of them is to bolster the songs, not dominate them. Rob Harris’ presence introduces electric guitars into The Beauty Room mix for the first time, subtly pushing the music toward a more rock direction, but still deployed with a lot of discretion (his savory blues licks on “So Far” is the most up-front he gets). Resonant and quirk-free with refined production and swelling choruses, The Beauty Room II confirms that the Jinadu/Degiorgio union can recreate the thoughtful song craft, graceful production and soulful, soaring vocals of a bygone era when such things were in ample supply. by & © S. Victor Aaron © 2012 — Something Else! Reviews. All Rights Reserved http://somethingelsereviews.com/2012/09/18/the-beauty-room-the-beauty-room-ii-2012/

The Beauty Room return with their second album following on from their self-titled 2006 debut on Peacefrog Records. Recorded in LA and London the record updates and hybridizes folk, soul, RnB and soft rock of the late-60s and early-70s. World famous techno/electronica DJ and producer Kirk Degiorgio re-unites with vocalist Jinadu on a deeply musical record channelling the likes of the Doobie Brothers, David Crosby and Brian Wilson with a fresh sound all their own. 'Beauty Room II' was recorded at Sunset Sound - LA, British Grove - UK, Olympic Studios - UK and Studio Heuvellaan - Holland using the best session musicians including Chris Whitten (Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Dire Straits), Rob Harris (Jamiroquai), Brian Bromberg (Elvis Costello, Herbie Hancock) and engineered by Grammy-winning producer Peter Henderson (Supertramp, Frank Zappa). Perhaps the most exciting addition to the follow up is the incredible string arrangements of Paul Buckmaster (Elton John, David Bowie, Rolling Stones), which were recorded with the Metropole Symphony Orchestra in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Combining traditional craftsmanship and modern electronics, it stands uniquely alone, there's timeless urban sophistication alongside a strong cerebral groove reminiscent of Steely Dan. What The Beauty Room achieve here is a similar blend of sharp-creased strut and spiritual meditation, all of it laced with plenty of that most essential yet indefinable alchemical element, soul. © Far Out Recordings, London http://farout.greedbag.com/buy/the-beauty-room-beauty-room-ii/

A beautifully crafted album which hybridizes high quality late '60s and early '70s soft rock with modern R'n'B, folk, soul and electronica. This album has a wonderful cool urban groove throughout with some beautiful melodies and musicianship of the highest calibre and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Kirk Degiorgio's "Synthesis" album, and The Beauty Room's brilliant s/t album. Check out the piano & voice version of 'All In My Head' @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbjBujUio9U&feature=autoplay&list=PLOZYbYEYUmcgGxH27U9UI-COjD8sWzc6J&playnext=1 Beautiful stuff and very impressive [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 99.4 Mb]

TRACKS

1. We Can’t Throw You Away
2. Shadows Falling
3. All in My Head
4. But For Now
5. Wonders in the Sky
6. Walking the Fine Line
7. One Man Show
8. So Far
9. The Last Calling
10. Heaven Is In Your Mind
11. No Rejection

All tracks composed by Jinadu & Kirk Degiorgio

MUSICIANS

Rob Harris - Guitar
Brian Bromberg - Bass
Jinadu - Lead Vocals, Keyboards
Kirk Degiorgio - Keyboards, Vocals
Chris Whitten - Drums, Percussion
Paul Buckmaster - String Arrangements recorded by the Metropole Symphony Orchestra in Amsterdam, Netherlands.

BIO

The core of the Beauty Room is Kirk Degiorgio (producer, keyboards, vocals) and Jinadu (lead vocals, keyboards). Though the group didn't make its recorded debut until late 2005, with a low-key 10" single on the New Religion label, Degiorgio and Jinadu first collaborated four years prior, when the latter provided vocals on the former's 21st Century Soul album. For Degiorgio, an early champion of Detroit techno -- and, more importantly, a pioneering and prolific producer in his own right -- the Beauty Room represents a sharp turn away from 15-plus years of productions, a bold acknowledgment of his interests in the likes of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Joni Mitchell, Terry Callier, Jon Lucien, and Steely Dan. Jinadu, a distinctive vocalist, has made a couple solo singles (both for Bitches Brew), in addition to guest vocals on tracks by a handful of other producers (Jimpster, Zoltar, Si Begg, Tidal). Aided by a host of associates -- including guitarist and longtime Degiorgio peer Ian O'Brien, keyboardist Tom O'Grady, drummer Chris Whitten, and the Heritage Orchestra -- the duo put together a self-titled album, released in September 2006 through Peacefrog. The album also featured an arrangement from Eumir Deodato, whose work for the CTI label (in particular) has significantly affected Degiorgio. © Andy Kellman © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

ABOUT KIRK DEGIORGIO

As One's Kirk Degiorgio is one of the lesser recognized key players in the U.K. techno underground. While his visionary fusions of Detroit soul and cold, crystalline tech on records such as Reflections and Celestial Soul have earned him a strong reputation as a producer, Degiorgio has been as influential on the label front, with his Applied Rhythmic Technologies (A.R.T.) and more recent Op-Art imprints contributing greatly to the birth and continuing vitality of the U.K. experimental techno/electronica scenes often more closely associated with and credited to labels such as Rephlex and Warp. Formed in 1991, A.R.T. released early tracks from Black Dog, B12/Redcell/Stasis, and Neuropolitique, and helped bring wider attention to a core of U.K. artists working in a vein inspired by (but not simply reducible to) the music's Detroit originators. Although the label has gained wider acknowledgment through co-release projects with names such as Rephlex, B12, and New Electronica (with two label comps titled Objets d'ART released on the latter), A.R.T. remains something of a connoisseur's choice, with limited releases that tend to disappear soon after they're released. Degiorgio slowed A.R.T.'s already leisurely release schedule in 1996, establishing Op-Art as a more artist-oriented label geared toward wider exposure. With his own material, Degiorgio has released records through A.R.T. and R&S (as Future/Past), as well as New Electronica and future funk Rephlex breakaway Clear (under his As One guise). Degiorgio's music dwells most often on his split affinity for Carl Craig/Derrick May, -style Detroit gear and an ongoing commitment to the mid-'70s experimental jazz and funk fusions of Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. The latter influence is less evident on his earlier A.R.T. and New Electronica records (such as Celestial Soul and Reflections), which tend to stick to a comparatively more conservative dancefloor framework, but his more recent R&S and Clear material has moved progressively to the fringes of techno/jazz fusion, particularly in the increasingly bold keyboard work. His debut Clear release, The Message In Herbie's Shirts (a tribute to Hancock, whose artistic evolution, Degiorgio somewhat facetiously claims, can be traced through the styles of shirt worn on the sleeves of his records), though hardly characteristic of the label, remains one of its strongest, most consistent releases (and the higher seller of Degiorgio career). © Sean Cooper © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

Lucrezio de Seta & His Scurvy Brothers (Steely Dan Related)

Lucrezio de Seta & His Scurvy Brothers - The Music Of Steely Dan Live - 2006 - Headache Production

Donald Fagen and Walter Becker are fundamental points of reference in my musical development. I have listened to Fagan's "Nightfly" (produced by Becker) at least a thousand times and to see them still prolific and active today keeps me hopeful for future surprises. It goes without saying that in '99, when I wanted to form my own band, I immediately took inspiration from them and thus entered into the 'tunnel' of cover bands… I justify this to myself thinking that I am doing nothing but bringing new life to the compositions of the great artists of the twentieth century, arranged in my own way. Their repertory is so beautiful from every point of view that I accept having added to the moniker, 'Cover Band' with this project. Who know, however, why in Rock and Pop we talk of "covers," when in Jazz the same practice is labeled, "Standards." Anyway! I have a great time and have produced two CDs with this band that are available for purchase on this site. It is up to you to decide: Cover or Standard? © Lucrezio de Seta http://www.lucreziodeseta.com/projects.html

The Scurvy Brothers, an Italian Steely Dan cover band, were formed in 1999 and are now known as Lucrezio de Seta & His Scurvy Brothers. There used to be a website devoted to the band's music with some great mp3 samples. One of the tracks was a really great version of "Century's End". Sadly the web link is now dead. The original Scurvy Brothers were one of the best Dan cover bands outside the US. Stefania Calandra is a great vocalist and has played with many noted artists. She was a finalist in the IBC Blues Festival in Memphis. Her hoarse husky voice suits the Dan songs on this album beautifully. Pierpaolo Borgia can be heard playing and singing Donald Fagen's "Walk Between The Raindrops" @ http://www.myspace.com/pierpaoloborgia1/music/songs/walk-between-raindrops-d-fagen-scurvy-b-56387342 Lello Panico is a cracking guitarist, and plays some great solos on this album. Read his STEELY BLUES article @ http://www.axemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=109:tutte-le-sfumature-del-blues&catid=11:lessons&Itemid=21

This live gig was recorded at the BIG MAMA Blues Club in Rome and is one of the best Steely Dan covers albums available. The vocals, horn and guitar work is great, and the Italian accents really add to the overall sound. Buy this band's great "The Nightfly Show - LIVE" album. Don't forget to listen to Donald Fagen's new "Sunken Condos" album out soon. Real music is back judging by the pre-release track [All tracks @ 320 Kbps except "Century's End" @ 64 Kbps: File size = 124 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Green Earrings
2 Peg
3 Kid Charlemagne
4 Don't Take Me Alive
5 Black Cow
6 Pretzel Logic
7 Do It Again
8 Bodhisattva
9 Josie
10 Cousin Dupree
11 Century's End *

*[Not on official album but added here. Track is taken from now defunct Scurvy Brother's website]

All songs composed by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen, except "Century's End" by Donald Fagen

MUSICIANS

Pierpaolo Borgia, Lello Panico - Guitar
Saverio Capo - Bass
Vittorio Iue - Piano, Keyboards
Lucrezio de Seta - Drums
Aldo Bassi -Trumpet 
Gianni Savelli -Tenor Sax
Claudio Pantaleone, Stefania Calandra - Vocals

BIO

Lucrezio was born in Rome on 12 September 1970. In 1982, he began studying drums and percussions and playing in various Rock and Jazz bands of Rome musical scene. In 1986, he joined the Deutsche Schule Rom orchestra under the lead of the director Maestro Hansjürgen Hörnel thanks to which he could enrich his professional experience in genres such as the Musical and the Greek tragedy. He worked in the productions of "West Side Story" by L. Bernstein, "Romeo and Juliet" by W.Shakespeare, "Antigone" by Sophocles, "Three Penny Opera" by Brecht and "Cats" which gave him the opportunity to tour Europe and play as a drummer as well as a classic percussionist in several theatres around Europe. In the meantime, Lucrezio attended many workshops which allowed him to get to know his idols: Vinnie Colaiuta, Tony Oxley, Dave Weckl, Jeff "Tain" Watts, Trilok Gurtu. On the occasion of one of these workshops held in 1991, he met Peter Erskine whose advice persuade him to move to the States in order to widen his knowledge of the instrument. A few months later he was admitted to the Drummers Collective of New York where he lived and studied for some time learning from masters like Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Kim Plainfield, Duduca da Fonseca, Michael Lauren, Pete Zeldman, Ricky Sebastian, Mike Clark, Frankie Malabe and others. He then attended the Master-Classes held by Vinnie Colaiuta, Dave Weckl, Dennis Chambers among others. Since 1991 he has been working live and in studio with a lot of artists and bands: Donovan, Stefano Di Battista, Tom Harrell, Gianni Togni, PFM - Premiata Forneria Marconi, Franz Di Cioccio, Franco Mussida, Patrick Djivas, Lucio Fabbri, Don Backy, Michael Landau, Bestaff, Tinkara, Gerardina Trovato, Niccolò Fabi, Linley Marthe, Luca Barbarossa, Tony Scott, Fontella Bass and Deitra Farr, Tina Arena, Garou Seul, Alex Britti, Tollak, Alessandro Safina, Phillip Ingram, Anggun, Syria, Romano Musumarra, Vittorio Gigolo, Linda Kiràly, Chrissy Hynde, Placido Domingo. He has taken part in several kermesses and television shows such as the May 1st Live Concert at San Giovanni in Rome, "Festivalbar" (Italia 1), "Un disco per l'estate" (Canale 5), "Euro Folies" in Paris (Radio Inter and Radio France), "Help!" and "Roxy Bar" by Red Ronnie (Tmc 2), "Mio Capitano" (Rai Due), "Tarattattà" (Rai2), "Top Of The Pops". From 2002 he co-leads the Power-Trio Virtual Dream with whom he has recorded the CD "Casuality" published by 99th Floor-Audio Globe and the recent “Three Sides of a Coin” (Headache Production – Schoots Records). He has recorded and coproduced Stefania Calandra - Blues Volume One, the debut album of Fritz Gang's blues quartet (BAOL), Bootleg Blues Band (Pagina 3), Haze (soon to be released), The Scurvy Brothers (Headache Production), Next Trio (soon to be released). He has founded the trio "Blues In Vein" with Stefania Calandra (finalist at the I.B.C. 2007 edition in Memphis) and has produced their first eponymous CD. Besides his activity as an instrumentalist, Lucrezio de Seta is fairly active as a teacher of drums and music theory and collaborates with many famous drummers in clinics and workshops (Kim Plainfield, Pete Zeldman, Virgil Donati, Akira Jimbo, David Garibaldi). He has realized a Minus One Drum Method featuring the music of his Trio ‘Virtual Dream’. His credits include clinics and tours as endorser of the following brands: Gretsch, UFIP, Vic Firth, Gibraltar, Toca, AKG, Acquarian. His drums sounds are available as samples in Native Instrument’s Battery 3 © http://www.lucreziodeseta.com/biography.html