Monti Amundson

Monti Amundson - The Mean Eighteen - 1993 - Munich Music

His name is Monti Amundson but most people call him Big Monti. Not just because of the man’s physical appearance, but because of his larger than life voice, guitar virtuosity, and sheer presence. When Big Monti takes the stage, it’s clear that there’s more going on than the usual extended guitar solos – the man plays and sings larger than life. Monti’s breakout band, The Blubinos (pronounced blue-bye-nose), were a dominant force in the Northwest music scene from 1987 to 1992 and shared concert stages with some of the biggest names in the business, including John Lee Hooker, Johnny Winter and Buddy Guy. In 1991 The Blubinos won Portland Music Association’s award for “Outstanding Blues Act”. In 1993 Monti signed on with Munich Records in Holland and promptly moved his headquarters to Amsterdam. Over the next six years Monti recorded five albums and toured extensively in Europe, developing a huge fan base. When Monti gets compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan or Johnny Winter he just says “thank you”. The fact is, the big man has his own style. “I’m a blues guitar player in a band that plays rock n’ roll,” is how Monti explains it. He doesn’t so much as straddle the line between the genres as bend it, ignore it, or race back and forth across it until both sides go up in flames. The blues of Big Monti comes straight from the heart, cuts through your soul and is as real as it gets. © 2009 Silverback Management & Monti Amundson http://www.montiamundson.com/bio.php

When Monti Amundson gets compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan or Johnny Winter he just says thank you. But the fact is the big man has his own style. His influences range from the aforementioned and fellow Texas rocker Billy Gibbons to B.B. King and rock legends Jimi Hendrix and Jeff Beck. The blending of these styles in combination with Amundson’s vocals is what makes him unique. Above all Monti Amundson is a great live performer who gets his point across. Whether it’s an acoustic slide number or an all out show stopper, Amundson knows how to move a crowd. Known to live out of a suitcase for years at a time, Amundson’s music has already made a great impression throughout Europe. In his home base Portland, Oregon his music has been highly valued for almost twenty years. The blues of Monti Amundson comes straight from the heart, cuts through your soul and is as real as it gets. © 2012 Last.fm Ltd. All rights reserved http://www.last.fm/music/Monti+Amundson

The 18 songs here (including 12 studio tracks from the "Straight Out!" and 6 bonus tracks from a live show at Key Largo in Portland) were penned by the great Monti Amundson, a veteran of the same Eugene to Portland I-5 axis that spun off bands like the Robert Cray Band, the Jackals, and Johnny and the Distractions. Monti sounds like a rough-and-ready rock'n'roll Everyman, except that not every man can play like this. Monti says "I'm a blues guitar player in a band that plays rock'n'roll," but Monti's music covers many genres of music and the rhythm team of bassist Debbie Smith and drummer Cory Burden struts, slams and shuffles with the best in the business. Monti and the band revs up the smoky soul of barn-burning Texas blues and translates it into their own take of great rock'n'roll music. Monti is often likened to to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Johnny Winter. He may not be as good a guitarist as these two legends, (few are), but he can still play some killer guitar and is a great songwriter. "The Mean Eighteen" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Monti Amundson should be far better known than he is. Buy his great "Man On The Floor" album and support great blues rock. "MOTF" was recently on sale used on Amazon @$7.37 and is a real bargain. Check out Monti's website @ http://www.montiamundson.com/ [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 137 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Take A Walk 3:44
2 Cruel Is Your Name 4:12
3 Ninety-nine Below 2:46
4 Shake A Leg Meg 2:30
5 Lesson Or Two 3:13
6 I'm Wrong 3:25
7 Sin No More Blues 3:55
8 Female Dictionary 3:16
9 Purple Heart 2:52
10 In Over My Head 3:42
11 Big Block Rock 3:01
12 Broke Down Car 3:03
13 Rock Treatment 3:53
14 Brain Grenad 3:12
15 Red Hot Wire 2:59
16 Not A Day Goes By 3:38
17 Bad Day Rough Week 2:57
18 Lightning Strikes 3:11

All tracks composed by Monti Amundson

BAND

Monti Amundson - Guitar, Vocals
Debbie Smith - Bass
Cory Burden - Drums

BIO (WIKI)

"Big" Monti Amundson is an American guitar player who plays blues and rock and roll. His style has been compared to that of Stevie Ray Vaughan, and while commercial success has eluded him, he has built a reputation as a live act in the United States and in Europe, first as a power trio called Monti Amundson & The Blubinos, then under his own name. Amundson's first band was The Blubinos, variously marketed under that name and as Monti Amundson & The Blubinos. Besides Amundson, the band consisted of Debbie Smith (bass) (later replaced by Stan Becraft, then Johnny Wilmont) and Cory Burden (drums), and played Texas blues in clubs in Eugene, Oregon, from the 1980s on. The band recorded half a dozen records in Portland and Eugene, and was signed to a Dutch label after the second album, Mean Eighteen. The band played a farewell show in Eugene in 1992, but recorded two more albums until 1997. Distribution in the United States was problematic, and Amundson was so frustrated that in 1997 he had bootlegs printed of his own Man on the Floor to sell at shows in the US ("Man, I've done some bone-head shit in my time," as he later acknowledged), which led to a conflict with his Dutch company which, in the end, was amiably settled. Bothered by personal problems and a lack of commercial success, he was without record deal and didn't record any albums between 2000 and 2005, when he hooked up with Billy Triplett, a Portland studio engineer, and recorded Big Monti, now without the Blubinos, which was released in 2005. A side project of his is the Sultans of Slide, a group of slide blues guitar players that performed occasional shows starting in 2009, when it consisted of Amundson, Franck "Paris Slim" Goldwasser, Jim Mesi, Bob Shoemaker, and Ben Bonham. In 2011, the Sultans of Slide consisted of Amundson, Henry Cooper and Goldwasser, and released a record, Lightning Strikes, which was promoted with a tour in Europe. In 2010 he released a 4-CD compilation, gathering "30 years of songwriting"; he noted that he's been writing the same song since he was thirteen and penned "Woman": "I've been writing pretty much the same song ever since. Yeah, there's broke down cars and drinking songs, but mostly it's about love and loss. I've had both in spades."

Doyle Bramhall

Doyle Bramhall - Is It News - 2007 - Yep Roc Records

Considering that it took Texas drummer and singer/songwriter Doyle Bramhall's 12 years to issue his debut album, 1994's Bird Nest on the Ground and that nine years passed before his sophomore effort, Fitchburg Street, dropped, his third set, arriving only four years after its predecessor, is quick work. Bramhall is a bit of a living legend in Texas music circles. He's worked with everyone from Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, to Marcia Ball and Mason Ruffner to Jennifer Warnes -- and a whole lot of others. Is It News was co produced by songwriting guitar slinger C.C. Adcock and Bramhall and recorded in five locations from Minnesota to Los Angeles to Austin to New Orleans. Bramhall wrote or co-wrote everything on the set, including "Chateu Strut" with Stevie Ray. The cast of players here is also impressive. It includes everyone from his co-producer and Jimmie Vaughan to his son Doyle II to Denny Freeman, Jason Burns, Billy Etheridge, Jimmy Mac, and Matt Perrine, just to name a few. That doesn't make it a cluttered effort, however, and Is It News feels all of a piece. The music, rooted in blues and Texas-style R&B, comes roaring out of the gate, but it's not simply some boogie bar-band effort. By the standards of his other records, this is downright slick and better for it. There is real variety in the tunes here. "Lost in the Congo" is Bo Diddley by way of New Orleans funk and swamp rock with a smokin' little guitar solo by Mato Nanji and slide work by Mike Keller. But Freeman and Adcock also play guitar here, and it's one dense, spooky rock number. The title track has a little more Texas swagger in its backside, a bluesy broken love song with great production and backing vocals. The mix is really warm and inviting and Bramhall's singing is at its very best. The swamp sound returns but the vibe is different, Texas soul. Speaking of soul, "I'll Taker You Away," with its big reverb, warm wall of guitars, and Bramhall's B-3 work, is a smoking plea for forgiveness. "Big" features the huge nasty blues-rock that made his other records so popular with I-IV-V beatheads, but Bramhall and Adcock are talking enormous here. They listened to a lot of Diddley records to get these guitar sounds and the drums. Their sound can be likened as popping up through the floor of the apartment downstairs and knock dishes off your table. It's enormous, noisy, and nasty. "Ooh Wee Baby" is a slowish love song, but made for the dancefloor. It's got all this country-styled production in it, but the sound is something from the '50s, all innocent and soulful like the best in rhythm and blues. The humorous "Top Rank Boxing" has the swamp shuffle happening, but the canned handclap sound on it would have been better left out of the mix. Also, "That Day," an acoustic number that sounds like an elegy to S.R.V., just doesn't fit here, especially so near the end of the set. The roiling-snake toughness of big-bumpin' blues is in full force on "Little Star (The Moon Is Shining)." Bramhall's voice with all that reverb on it sounds like it's coming out of a canyon in the middle of a foggy night. But it works. "Is It News" is loud and proud, full of twists and turns in its eclectic production. (Dave Edmunds, Nick Lowe, and Jim Dickinson will likely really dig this -- even as the squares scratch their heads and wonder, What the...?) But it's also very warm. It's so warm, baby, it'll snuggle up to ya nice and slow like, then grab ya and wrassle ya to the ground and demand your full attention. Then it'll leave you panting for more. Thankfully, all you have to do to reproduce this feeling is play it again. It's retro, sure, but in all the righteous ways -- in others it sounds as space-age freaky-friendly as the Jetsons. Either way it rocks. Is It News is nearly hip beyond belief. Who would have though this kinda cool still existed? This CD was nominated for a Grammy award in 2007 for Best Contemporary Blues Album. © Thom Jurek © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/is-it-news-mw0000725815

Great roots blues from the late Doyle Bramhall influenced by artists like John Lee Hooker , OV Wright, Buddy Miles, Otis Redding , Howlin 'Wolf, Erma Franklin and many more. In 2007 "Is It News" was nominated for a Grammy award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Listen to Doyle's "Bird Nest on the Ground" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 110 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Lost In the Congo - CC Adcock, D. Bramhall 4:31
2 Is It News - D. Bramhall 4:07
3 Chateau Strut - B. Etheridge, D. Bramhall, Stevie Ray Vaughan 3:55
4 Tortured Soul - D. Bramhall 4:30
5 Cryin' - CC Adcock, D. Bramhall 3:10
6 I'll Take You Away - CC Adcock, D. Bramhall 4:31
7 Big - CC Adcock, D. Bramhall 4:35
8 Ooh Wee Baby - D. Bramhall 4:12
9 You Left Me This Mornin' - CC Adcock, D. Bramhall 1:12
10 Top Rank Boxing - B. Logan, CC Adcock, D. Bramhall 4:15
11 That Day - D. Bramhall 2:43
12 Little Star (The Moon Is Shining) - D. Bramhall 4:06

MUSICIANS

Doyle Bramhall - Acoustic Guitar, Drums, Percussion, Hammond Organ, Vocals, Human Whistle
Denny Freeman - Guitar, Leslie Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Slide Guitar, Hammond Organ, Piano
Mike Keller - Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Leslie Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Soloist
Doyle Bramhall II - Slide Guitar, Background Vocals
Mato Nanji - Guitar, Leslie Guitar, Soloist
Jimmie Vaughan - Guitar, Maracas
Tarka Cordell - Acoustic Guitar
Scott Nelson - Bass
Billy Etheridge - Keyboards, Organ
Justin Stanley - Percussion
Derek Huston - Baritone & Tenor Sax
Jimmy Mac - Accordion
Matt Perrine - Sousaphone
Georgia Bramhall, Strutts - Vocals

BIO

Born in Dallas in 1949, this singer/songwriter/drummer grew up listening to Dallas radio (with heavy doses of Jimmy Reed, Ray Charles, and Bobby Blue Bland on rock & roll stations) and locals the Nightcaps, one of the country's first white electric blues bands. In high school he joined the Chessmen, which soon included a young Jimmie Vaughan on guitar; they opened in Dallas on Jimi Hendrix's first U.S. tour. Moving to Austin in 1970, he and Vaughan formed Texas Storm, which later shortened its name to Storm and occasionally included Jimmie's younger brother Stevie on bass. Doyle next formed the Nightcrawlers with Stevie (now on lead guitar), who later credited Bramhall as a primary vocal influence. During this time the two also co-wrote "Dirty Pool," which Vaughan included on his debut, Texas Flood. Doyle wrote or co-wrote seven more songs on subsequent Stevie Ray albums, and collaborated on three for Family Style by the Vaughan Brothers (which also featured Bramhall on drums). While drumming with Marcia Ball and Mason Ruffner in the early '80s, Bramhall began stockpiling solo recordings, which eventually comprised his long-awaited debut on CD, featuring both Vaughans and Doyle's son, guitarist Doyle Bramhall II, formerly of the Arc Angels. He also began a collaboration that proved interesting -- with pop singer Jennifer Warnes. The striking Bird Nest on the Ground appeared in 1994 from Discovery, followed by Fitchburg Street in 2003 and Is It News in 2007, both from Yep Roc. Purportedly suffering from pneumonia, Bramhall died of heart failure in his sleep on November 12, 2011 in Alpine, Texas. He was 62. © Dan Forte © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/doyle-bramhall-mn0000167549

Kevin Eubanks

Kevin Eubanks - Turning Point - 1992 - Blue Note

Down Beat (7/92, p. 50) - 4 Stars - Very Good - "... he's back on the right track... an uncompromising Blue Note debut.... suggests a bold new direction...

" Option (11-12/92, p. 114) - "... guitarist Eubanks returns to `real' jazz with a vengeance... "

Turning Point is a highly appropriate title for this album. After recording his share of commercial fluff for GRP, Kevin Eubanks switched to Blue Note with this heartfelt CD and strived for excellence instead of going out of his way to avoid it. Creativity, personal improvising, and spontaneity are main ingredients of the album, which unites the talented electric and acoustic guitarist with bass explorer Dave Holland and drummer Marvin "Smitty" Smith, among others. Like so much intellectual jazz, Point requires several listenings in order to be fully appreciated. Alex Henderson © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/turning-point-mr0000128190

Kevin Eubanks has released several albums and similar to great guitarists like Larry Carlton has been involved with far too many bland, smooth jazz, commercial recordings which have stifled style and magnificent guitar ability. However, "Turning Point" manages to avoid the boring commercial trends and is a quality album of great jazz guitar by a very underrated artist. This album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Kevin's terrific "Zen Food" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 109 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Turning Point, Pt. 1 5:21
2 Aftermath, Pt. 2 4:44
3 Initiation, Pt. 3 4:47
4 New World Order 7:02
5 Colors of One 5:04
6 Spiral Ways 5:44
7 Freedom Child 6:40
8 On My Way to Paradise 6:27
9 Lingering Destiny 4:44

All tracks composed by Kevin Eubanks except Track 7 by Kevin Eubanks & Gamal Buhaina

MUSICIANS

Kevin Eubanks - Electric & Acoustic Guitar
Dave Holland - Acoustic Bass on Tracks 1,2,3,6
Charnett Moffett - Acoustic Bass on Tracks 4,5,7,8
Marvin "Smitty" Smith - Drums on Tracks 1,2,3,6
Mark Mondesir - Drums on Tracks 4,5,7,8
Kent Jordan - Alto Flute except Track 9

BIO (WIKI)

Kevin Tyrone Eubanks (born November 15, 1957 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American jazz guitarist and composer who was the leader of The Tonight Show Band with host Jay Leno from 1995 to 2010. He also led The Primetime Band on the short-lived The Jay Leno Show. Eubanks was born into a musical family. His mother, Vera Eubanks, is a gospel and classical pianist and organist. His uncle, Ray Bryant, was a jazz pianist. His older brother, Robin Eubanks, is a trombonist, and his younger brother Duane Eubanks is a trumpeter. Two cousins are also musicians, the late bassist David Eubanks and the pianist Charles Eubanks. Kevin studied violin and trumpet, before settling on the guitar. As an elementary school student, Eubanks was trained in violin, trumpet, and piano at the Settlement Music School in Philadelphia. He later attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and then moved to New York to begin his professional career. Eubanks is a pescetarian and maintains a diet of fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, egg whites, and fish. He is also an avid fan of Philadelphia sports teams. He once lost a bet on the Philadelphia 76ers, and he was forced to eat a corn dog when he lost. In 2007, he was voted PETA's "World's Sexiest Vegetarian Man". After Eubanks moved to New York, he began performing with noted jazzmen such as Art Blakey (1980–81), Roy Haynes, Slide Hampton and Sam Rivers. Like his brother Robin, he has played on record with double bassist Bill Dryden and Dave Holland. In 1983, while continuing to perform with others, he formed his own quartet, playing gigs in Jordan, Pakistan, and India on a tour sponsored by the U.S. State Department. His first recording as a leader, Guitarist, was released on the Elektra label when Eubanks was 25 years old. It led to a seven-album contract with the GRP label and four albums for Blue Note. In total, Eubanks has appeared on over 100 albums. In 2001, he founded the label Insoul Music on which he has released six albums. Eubanks has taught at the Banff School of Fine Arts in Canada, at Rutgers University, and at the Charlie Parker School in Perugia, Italy. In 2005, Eubanks received an honorary doctorate degree from the Berklee College of Music, of which he is an alumnus, but not a graduate. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity and has served as an active member of the Artistic Advisory Panel of the BMI Foundation since 1999. In 1992, Eubanks moved to the West Coast to assume the guitar spot in The Tonight Show Band. At this time, he composed The Tonight Show with Jay Leno's closing theme music, "Kevin's Country". In 1995, Eubanks replaced Branford Marsalis to become the leader of The Tonight Show Band. He served in this capacity from 1995 to 2010. When NBC moved Leno's show from late night to primetime (10PM in the Eastern time zone), Eubanks moved with the band to continue conducting the music for the short-lived The Jay Leno Show. Eubanks appeared on the new show as The Primetime Band. It was announced on February 16, 2010 that Eubanks would only be returning for a short time as band leader when Jay Leno began his second tenure on The Tonight Show. On April 12, 2010, Eubanks announced on the show that he would be leaving The Tonight Show following its 18th season. His last show was on Friday, May 28, 2010. Eubanks indicated in an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer that he wanted to refocus on music, adding that his leaving was not provoked by any problems with Jay Leno or NBC. Following his departure from The Tonight Show, Eubanks began touring with band mate Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums and Bill Pierce on sax. Eubanks has appeared on various TV shows such as Hollywood Squares, V.I.P., Muppets Tonight, Girlfriends, Longshot and Days of our Lives. He has written four feature film scores. On his website Eubanks states his preference for Abe Rivera guitars, Mesa/Boogie amplifiers and D'Addario guitar strings

Allan Holdsworth

Allan Holdsworth - None Too Soon - 1996 - Polydor

"Django Reinhardt, Charlie Christian, Jimmy Raney, Wes Montgomery in fact most of the great guitar players; I loved them all. The newer guys: John McLaughlin, Pat Metheny, John Scofield, Scott Henderson and Frank Gambale... They're all amazing with very different musical personalities. Of course there's Michael Brecker and Keith Jarrett, but they don't play the guitar (thank God!). I think I've been influenced by all instruments. I was influenced a lot by horn players, from Charlie Parker, Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane on to Michael Brecker. There's many, many more that you could fill this whole page with people that have brought great gifts to the world of music." - Allan Holdsworth on his influences

Allan's ninth album is a collection of interpretations of jazz standards by John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Django Reinhardt, and Joe Henderson, along with an Irving Berlin tune, two compositions by the late Gordon Beck (the album's pianist, and Allan's close personal friend of many years), and an intriguing arrangement of The Beatles' "Norwegian Wood". Holdsworth fans are in for a special treat, as the musical settings provide an intriguing backdrop for some of his more adventurous soloing to date. The project's underlying agenda is revealed in his quote from the reissue liner notes: "... after I’d completed Hard Hat Area, Gordon was visiting again and he said, ‘Maybe you should do a record of tunes that people might be able to relate to.’ He had the impression that my music mostly sailed past people, and he thought that maybe if I played something recognizable, they might be able to appreciate what was going on.”Voted "Album of the Year" in 1997 by Audiophile Imports, None Too Soon is a modern jazz classic and remains unique among Allan Holdsworth’s many recordings. It also has the noted distinction of being the only Holdsworth album to date to feature the renowned Tribal Tech battery of bassist Gary Willis and drummer Kirk Covington. Presented in digipak format, with fresh liner notes scribed by MJR artist and Guitar Player Magazine editor, Barry Cleveland. © http://www.moonjune.com/catalog/043_ALLAN-HOLDSWORTH_None-Too-Soon_MJR043/

The brilliant guitarist, Allan Holdsworth was a member of the great Canterbury progressive jazz rock bands Soft Machine and Gong. He has also played with greats like Ian Carr's Nucleus, Tony William's Lifetime, UK, Jean Luc Ponty, Bill Bruford, and Level 42. He has influenced countless others, including musicians like Frank Zappa, Eddie Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Alex Lifeson and Steve Vai. But as as a solo artist he has also recorded some incredible albums like "Metal Fatigue" and "With a Heart in My Song". "None Too Soon" is a collection of jazz standards by legends like Irving Berlin, John Coltrane, Bill Evans, Django Reinhardt, and Joe Henderson. The album also includes an arrangement of Lennon and McCartney’s “Norwegian Wood”, and two compositions by Keyboardist Gordon Beck. Allan didn’t change his guitar style or make any compromises when covering these tracks. Allan said “Gordon (Beck) chose most of the tunes, which I hadn’t grown up playing, so when he would teach me one, it would be just like I was learning a piece of original music. I made my own charts, and my approach to playing the songs was exactly the same as on my previous albums.” [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 113 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Countdown - John Coltrane (3:09)
2. Nuages - Django Reinhardt (5:40)
3. How Deep is the Ocean - Irving Berlin (5:29)
4. Isotope - Joe Henderson (5:41)
5. None Too Soon Pt. I / Interlude / None Too Soon Pt. II - Gordon Beck (7:42)
6. Norwegian Wood - Lennon & McCartney (5:55)
7. Very Early - Bill Evans (7:40)
8. San Marcos - Gordon Beck (3:22)
9. Inner Urge - Joe Henderson (6:15)

MUSICIANS

Allan Holdsworth - Guitar, Synthaxe
Gary Willis - Bass
Gordon Beck - Digital Piano
Kirk Covington - Drums

BIO

Guitarist Allan Holdsworth is widely considered to be one of the finest instrumentalists in all of jazz fusion, yet has never truly received the recognition that he so rightfully deserves. Born on August 6, 1946, in Bradford, Yorkshire, Holdsworth was originally taught music by his father, who was a pianist. Holdsworth didn't pick up the guitar until he was 17 years old, but learned the instrument quickly. After playing in local outfits (and learning the violin), Holdsworth relocated to London, where he was taken under the wing of saxophonist Ray Warleigh. By 1972, Holdsworth had joined progressive rockers Tempest, appearing on the group's self-titled debut a year later before joining Soft Machine in December 1973 -- and radically changing the latter outfit's sound to guitar-based fusion in the process. U.S. drummer Tony Williams discovered Holdsworth around this time, which led to an invite for the up-and-coming guitarist to replace John McLaughlin in Williams' Lifetime project -- Holdsworth abruptly left Soft Machine in March of 1975, subsequently appearing on the Williams recordings Believe It and Million Dollar Legs. But Holdsworth's union with Williams was a brief one, as the guitarist joined up with French-English prog rockers Gong for such albums as 1976's Gazeuse! (released as Expresso in the U.S.) and 1978's Expresso II, in addition to guesting on recordings by Jean-Luc Ponty, Bill Bruford, Gordon Beck, Jack Bruce, and UK. Also in the late '70s, Holdsworth launched a solo career, which over the years has seen the release of nearly 20 albums (a few standouts include 1983's Road Games, 1985's Metal Fatigue, 1994's Hard Hat Area, and 2000's The Sixteen Men of Tain), as the guitarist has been joined by such acclaimed musicians as Paul Williams (a former bandmate of Holdsworth's in Tempest), Gary Husband, Chad Wackerman, Gary Husband, Jimmy Johnson, Steve Hunt, and Alan Pasqua, among others. In the mid-'80s, Holdsworth was one of the first musicians to use a Synthaxe, a guitar that contained a breath controller that proved to be a cross between a synthesizer, guitar, and saxophone (Holdsworth was awarded Best Guitar Synthesist from 1989 through 1994 in the readers' poll of Guitar Player magazine). In the '90s, Holdsworth also created his own signature guitar model with the Carvin company. In the mid-'90s, Holdsworth briefly shifted away from his fusion originals and recorded an album with longtime musical partner Gordon Beck that dipped into jazz standards. The Sixteen Men of Tain (2000) marked another shift, in that it was the first Holdsworth release to feature an all-acoustic rhythm section. This was followed in 2002 by All Night Wrong, his first official live release. Then! Live in Tokyo was next, featuring Holdsworth's 1990 live band, which was followed by Against the Clock, a career retrospective, in 2005. © Greg Prato © 2012 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/allan-holdsworth-p6754/biography

Tommy Castro

Tommy Castro - Right as Rain - 1999 - Blind Pig

Young guitar slinger Tommy Castro came back with his third Blind Pig album in early 1999, again produced by veteran Jim Gaines (Stevie Ray, Santana, Huey Lewis, etc.), and it's another bid for mainstream blues-rock success. From the opening notes of the kickoff tune, "Lucky in Love," Castro is in the driver's seat with a set of blues-rock originals that give him plenty of room to spray his Stevie Ray-inspired guitar licks in between his soul-man vocals. Dr. John makes guest keyboard appearances on "I've Got to Love Somebody's Baby" and "Don't Turn Your Heater Down," the latter also sporting a guest vocal turn from Delbert McClinton. An off-the-wall cover choice is "Chairman of the Board," sandwiched between solid originals like the ballad "Just a Man" and the funky "My Kind of Woman." There isn't much hard blues on this outing, but Castro continues to define his own spin on the form without being just another pretty-boy Stevie Ray Vaughan-abee in the process -- this being a very good thing. © Cub Koda © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/right-as-rain-mw0000602040

Right As Rain, is his best yet. Featuring eight radio-friendly originals and guest appearances by Dr. John and Delbert McClinton, Right As Rain is sure to garner rave reviews, strong radio play and outstanding sales. © 2012 Blind Pig Records, a division of Whole Hog, Inc. - All Rights Reserved http://www.blindpigrecords.com/index.cfm?section=album&catalognum=BPCD5051

"A gifted lead guitarist firmly in touch with his lyrical voice, Castro writes an alluring blend of straight-ahead blues and Memphis-style soul. While he has his own definable sound, Castro calls to mind great blues-rock players such as Billy Gibbons of Z.Z. Top, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and even Duane Allman." - Blues Revue

Buy Tommy's great "Gratitude" album and support great soul blues and blues rock [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 91.3 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Lucky in Love - Tommy Castro / Billie Lee Lewis 3:56
2 Like an Angel - Tommy Castro / Randy McDonald 4:38
3 Right as Rain - Tommy Castro 4:19
4 Don't Turn Your Heater Down - Steve Cropper / Alvertis Isbell 2:30
5 I've Got to Love Somebody's Baby - Isaac Hayes / David Porter 4:19
6 I Got to Change - Tommy Castro / Scott Mathews 3:08
7 If I Had a Nickel - Tommy Castro / Keith Crossan 4:42
8 Callin' San Francisco - Tommy Castro / Randy McDonald 4:20
9 Just a Man - Tommy Castro 5:09
10 Chairman of the Board - Lamont Dozier / Brian Holland / Eddie Holland 4:55
11 My Kind of Woman - Tommy Castro / Elmore James / Billie Lee Lewis / Marshall Sehorn 3:49
12 Kickin' In - Tommy Castro / Mark Gilbert 3:53

MUSICIANS

Tommy Castro - Guitar, Vocals
Randy McDonald - Bass, Background Vocals
Jimmy Pugh - Organ, Wurlitzer Piano
John Turk - Piano, Background Vocals
Dr. John - Piano on "I've Got to Love Somebody's Baby", & Organ on "Don't Turn Your Heater Down"
Billy Lee Lewis - Drums, Background Vocals
Keith Crossan - Saxophone, Background Vocals
Tom Poole - Trumpet
Delbert McClinton - Vocals on "Don't Turn Your Heater Down"
Charles Jones, Annie Stocking, Jeanie Tracy, Ron E.Beck, Roosevelt Winchester, L.Z. Love, Cheryl Serame - Background Vocals

BIO

Tommy Castro is one of the most popular and creative roots artists to emerge in recent years. On his newest CD, Painkiller, Castro teamed up with producer John Porter, renowned for his work with a Who's Who list of artists such as Los Lonely Boys, Taj Mahal, Keb Mo, Santana, B.B. King, Elvis Costello, adn Buddy Guy. Said Castro, "When I started looking for a producer, I realized that John had produced some of my favorite records of the last ten years. After working with him in the studio, I understand now why that is. With John, everything just seems to be right; all the parts work and flow together." Everything indeed just seems right about Painkiller. With the Tommy Castro Band anchoring the sessions, Porter has fashioned a most tasteful album from the many talented parts of Castro's patented rock 'n' soul music. Special guests Coco Montoya, Angela Strehli, David Maxwell, and Teresa James join the fun. Tommy's career has been marked by one triumph after another. Considering his innate charisma and his skills as a supremely talented guitarist, gifted vocalist, and engaging songwriter, it is easy to see why Castro has enjoyed so much success so quickly. In a remarkably short time, he went from performing at a tiny San Francisco saloon to opening act on B.B. King's national tours and international acclaim as one of the most compelling artists on the scene. Born and raised in San Jose, California, Tommy expressed interest in learning to play the guitar at age ten. Young Castro was initially inspired by the likes of Eric Clapton, Mike Bloomfield and Elvin Bishop. Later, wanting to know who their influences were, Tommy became enthralled with the guitar playing of B.B., Buddy Guy, Muddy Waters, Elmore James and Freddie King, as well as the vocal stylings of Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and James Brown. Castro went on to play with many Bay Area bands. "When I was a kid, music was something I did for fun. Later, it became obvious to me that playing music was the thing I was meant to do, so I made a decision to pursue it as a career." For two years he toured the U.S. extensively with Warner Brothers recording artists The Dynatones. In 1991 he formed the Tommy Castro Band, and they quickly became one of the hardest-working and most popular groups in the Bay Area. In 1993 they were named "Club Band of the Year" at the Bay Area Music Awards, an especially prestigious honor since it is a write-in category that includes all musical genres. They won that distinguished award, regarded as an indicator of their success, again in 1994. Previous recipients of the award include Chris Isaak and Huey Lewis and the News. In 1996, Tommy's first major release, Exception to the Rule on Blind Pig, garnered near unanimous raves from blues and mainstream publications around the world as the press took notice of a great new artist on the scene. Industry trades took notice as well. Calling him "an up and coming blues phenom," Billboard said, "Castro combines the earthy soulfulness of Albert Collins and B.B. King with the polish of Robert Cray." And importantly, radio's insider "bible," The Gavin Report, said of the album: "Castro has etched one of those rare blues records that rises above the usual cliches of the genre. Castro is the awesome exception to the blues rule... the next blues rock hero." Blues Revue noted, "Castro's energy and charisma leap right out of each and every one of the cuts on the album. Castro's clearly got the goods and knows how to use them." Living Blues offered, "Castro's stinging, clean guitar tone shines. A talented guitarist who shows much promise, Tommy Castro can play with both scorching power and restraint." Even mainstream music magazines were lavish in their praise, with Musician magazine exclaiming, "Castro could be a star," while Guitar magazine noted, "It's straightforward, grooving blues that'll get your feet moving." Castro released his second album for Blind Pig Records in 1997, Can't Keep A Good Man Down. Grammy award winner Jim Gaines (known for his production with Stevie Ray Vaughan, Santana, and Huey Lewis, among many others) helmed its production and offered listeners a heady mix of Tommy's trademark slashing guitar work and his commanding vocal skills. The radio trade Album Network said, "This recording burns through a mixture of blues, rhythm & blues and a splash of rock 'n' roll. Castro is the real deal." The CD soon received continuous airplay and regular fan requests on well over 400 radio stations nationwide. Castro was featured on the cover of Blues Revue with a highly laudatory feature article. Another national publication Blues Access, highlighted Castro's burgeoning appeal: "If you're looking for driving blues-rock with soulful vocals and a Southern accent, your search is over. This is party music, good-time music with the potential to appeal to an audience outside of the blues crowd." One recognition of this mainstream appeal came with the selection of the Castro group by HBO Productions as the house band for NBC-TV's "Comedy Showcase," airing after that network's legendary "Saturday Night Live." The band appeared on national television for three consecutive seasons. Castro's music has also been featured in network television programs such as "Nash Bridges" and "The Young and the Restless." Castro's next recording-produced by the talented Jim Gaines-was 1999's Right As Rain. The CD showcased Castro's electrifying blue-collar rock 'n' soul music in an engaging program that features guest appearances by roots rock legends Dr. John and Delbert McClinton. Guitar magazine said, "With soulful, no-nonsense vocals and a prevalent horn sound, Castro creates an accessible Stax/Volt vibe. The guitar soars any time he decides to cut loose, but the songs also benefit from his ability to play with tasteful restraint." Playboy added, "Worshipped for his guitar virtuosity, Castro throws a bit more rock and two bits of soul into his basic blues mix on Right As Rain. He has the voice, the band, and the guitar to pull it off." And perhaps most impressive of all, the readers of Blues Revue magazine voted the disc one of the best 40 albums of all time! Tommy has wowed and won fans on every stage he's performed on, with is riveting presence growing stronger by the year. In 2000, to demonstrate Castro's remarkable charisma and ability to command a stage, Blind Pig released Live At The Fillmore, both as a long form video (on DVD and VHS) and an enhanced CD. The San Francisco Chronicle said "Castro's loose-jointed blues-rock sound is captured in all its onstage glory. He has distilled the essence of great bar bands everywhere and put his personal stamp on it at the same time." Blues Revue said the live disc "demonstrates Castro's strengths as a singer, guitarist, and bandleader. His rapport with the audience-and his sheer joy in performing-highlight this tight set." Other additions to his discography include the 2001 album Guilty of Love from the fledgling 33rd Street Records label, and the 2003 release Gratitude on his own Heart and Soul label, on which he paid tribute to his influences. He also appeared on the 2003 title from Telarc entitled Triple Trouble, which also features guitarist Lloyd Jones and harmonica/sax player Jimmy Hall. Prominent observers of the blues have extolled Tommy's dynamic musicianship and pointed to him as being among a small few that represent the future of the blues. B.B. King was so enamored of the Tommy Castro Band that he invited them to be openers on his 2001 concert tour, and again in 2002. When teenaged Castro bought his very first blues album (B.B. King's Live at the Cook County Jail) and listened to it incessantly, trying to copy the guitar licks, he never dreamed that one day he'd be sitting side by side on a concert stage actually playing those licks with B.B. himself. In all, the band played over eighty concert dates with "the King of the blues." And Carlos Santana, who's also invited Castro to share the stage with him, said of Tommy, "The blues is in good hands. This is the person who has the voice, the sound, and the right intentions to touch everybody's heart." Anxious to give his ever-growing fan base another album of new "Tommy Castro Band music," Castro and company set out to create Soul Shaker by focusing first and foremost on the songs. Said Tommy, who for the first time had a hand in writing all the songs on the album, "I've been working on songs for this record for a couple of years, writing with some of the best songwriters in the business, members of the band and on my own. Producer Kevin Bowe and I, with the help of all the musicians involved, let the songs dictate the approach. The result is that, which for the most part the material was done in a familiar way, we were also led into some new territory. So, our long-time fans will hear more of what they know and love about us, and there'll also be some pleasant surprises." On Soul Shaker, with a spark and vitality as fresh as day one, without conforming and without compromise, Tommy and the band continue to explore the boundaries of American roots music. And their mesmerizing blend of rock, blues and Memphis soul provides all the soul shakin' you need. Tommy Castro and his brilliant band have captured a hold of legions of fans and critics alike around the world with their mesmerizing blend of rock, blues adn Memphis soul. On Painkiller, style and soul, they continue to explore the boundaries of American roots music. © http://www.tommycastro.com/bio_castro.htm

Joel Hoekstra

Joel Hoekstra - Undefined - 2000 - Joel Hoekstra

"Hoekstra is bound to become a major name in the field of guitar-oriented instrumental music. Let him take his place among the greats; 'Undefined' proves he's earned that right." - Christopher Thelen, The Daily Vault

"'Undefined' is a positively breathtaking album. Yes, it's that good. Hoekstra probably won't be unknown for long."- Don Zulaica, Alternate Music Press

"Hoekstra is an ideal guitar hero for 2001. Undefined showcases the creativity of a truly unique artist with impeccable talent." - Carla Archuletta, IndiePerformer.com

"There are no weak songs. The only problem with this disc is that a follow-up will be hard to top. An extremely entertaining disc with dark melodies and monster musicians that combine on this powerhouse effort." - Randy Allar, The Music's Bottom Line

"Discs like this one make us still believe that guitar music is doing well. "Undefined" is the most interesting debut of recent years."- Piotr Nowicki, Gitara i Bas magazine

"I can't say enough about the ability of the players on this cd. If I had one word to describe this cd it would be HOT (note all caps)!" - Ted Viera, omniguitar.com

"Joel Hoekstra, clearly is the leader of the musical portraits that are conceived on Undefined. Clearly Joel has had a wide range of influences to mix with his great ears, training, and keen sense of writing. This is a cd that gets better with every listen." - MJ Brady, Prognosis

"Fans of high-end instrumental guitar music would do well to investigate both this CD and the man behind it. Wondering what the future of the electric guitar looks like? One listen to Undefined may provide a glimpse." - Mike O'Cull, chicagogigs.com
"Joel Hoekstra's debut album shows what the guy can do: play great guitar and write damn cool songs in every style you can think of. " - Max, Guitarist Heaven

"...really shows off Hoekstra's impressive chops and his ability to tweak out the blues with some crazy futuristic-yet-retro tones"- Mike Grimes, EXPOSE

Joel Hoekstra has come up with a collection of tracks that aim to make this album fall into the category of "Undefined" in your local music store. Though there is a definite thread of style that is woven through this album, Hoekstra is not easily pinned to one genre or style, and apparently likes it that way so that he is free to indulge in his wide-ranging musical fancies. Undefined squarely plants one leg in the realm of jazz fusion, but hops around with the other leg into a number of other musical styles resembling smooth jazz, progressive, instrumental rock, and sometimes just plain, goofy (though musically involved and entertaining) songs. But, Hoekstra is not contented by just staking his wide musical territory, and he is intent on proving his talent and capabilities in every venue that he ventures into. The album opens with a slew of tracks that establish the groove-based jazz / fusion foundation of the effort. The tracks present accessible themes, rhythms, and grooves that are accentuated by Hoekstra's savvy brand of soloing. The stream takes a diversion with the sixth track, "Gorilla Man 2000", that introduces a more hard-edged rock style with its crunching, distorted rhythms and instrumental rock-like guitar solos. This new dimension to the album is a pleasant surprise because it offers a new direction that adds scope to the overall concept. But, Hoekstra does not stop there. The next track, "Kill Swing", ventures further out into the realm of musical styles by incorporating into the album the swing jazz underpinnings that are highlighted by the aggressive, fusionoid guitar solos that immediately bring Scott Henderson to my mind. This track, "Kill Swing", seems to me to be the point in the album where Hoekstra really opens up and lets loose in a manner that makes you think he was holding back up until this point in the album. Now that he has grabbed your attention with his divergence from the low-keyed jazz / fusion that characterizes the early part of the album, Hoekstra continues on his boundary-stretching rampage with the next track, "Space Cowboy". "Space Cowboy" is a goofy, country / Western, finger-picking, cowboy jamboree that spoofs the old-time Chet Atkins guitar style with Western vocals. Though the song spoofs this type of Western, it actually pays an impressive tribute to the style of country / Western guitar work that it embraces and does so in a very entertaining way through the use of space-oid affects and the comical lyrics. The versatility demonstrated by "Space Cowboys" is reminiscent of Steve Morse's wide scope of styles. Hoekstra is able to continue his romp through the realm of musical styles with the track "Slide Tune" that brings yet another pleasant surprise to the album. This track features some very melodical and well-felt slide guitar work. The themes presented are really classy and addictively accessible with their upbeat and inspiring nature. The feel is that of a straight ahead rock song, though strictly instrumental and thankfully so because the instrumental music stands on its own. "Slide Tune" is my favorite track from the album and is good enough that it could receive radio airtime on a number of different venues. Sometimes you might listen to a new album where the musicians try to cover a wide array of styles to demonstrate their Steve Morse-induced need to prove their diverse capabilities. Once in a while, you will come across a new artist that is actually capable of pulling something like this off without seeming like an imitation, and, in fact, seems more like the genuine article. Hoekstra is the exception that can pull it off, and he has on Undefined. This guy is a the real deal and is worth checking out. If Virgil Donati thought this music was good enough to warrant his attention on the drums, this just might be an indication of the caliber of music that you will get on this album. It's not just good music here, it's good entertainment! © 2001 - 2003 Christopher Ruel. All Rights Reserved http://www.chrisruel.com/ChrisRuel.com/MusicReviews/JoelHoekstraReviews.htm

The core of the band is the trio of Joel Hoekstra on guitar, Virgil Donati on drums, and Ric Fierabracci on bass. Hoekstra's band has some credentials of note as Donati has played with Steve Vai and Fierabracci has played with Andy Summers. They're joined throughout the set by various guests on keyboards, saxophone, banjo, mandolin and harmonica. First a warning... this is an [almost] all instrumental GUITAR album! If you don't want to be assaulted from start to finish with mind blowing shred guitar then you should stay away. But if you love to have your face blown off by amazing guitar played with both passion and proficiency then step right this way. Hoekstra is clearly a child of 70's jazz fusion and he plays that style well. Having grown up with Return To Forever, Jeff Beck's Blow By Blow and Wired albums, and a whole host of jazz and funk artists, this brings back fond memories. In fact, one of my favorite albums of the era that the straight ahead fusion parts of the album remind me of is John Tropea's A Short Trip To Space, an album I still dust off from time to time. Actually the CD seems almost intentionally split into two parts, the first several tracks sounding like they're long lost 70's fusion classics, and the remainder of the set exploring heavier shred rock territory. "Electric Fields" is a beautiful 70's styled jazz-fusion tune that opens the set and introduces us to Hoekstra's killer guitar. I love Fierabracci's bass sound too... deep and smooth. Sounds like a fretless. But there are some heavier proggy moments as well. "Urban Experiments" and "Mad Bar" both feature cool funky jazz and nice soloing, and the former is embellished by freaky synth efx. "Homework" reminds me of the Barney Miller theme, but veers off into heavier rockin fusion territory. And "Corny" is a kick ass rockin fusion tune with healthy doses of funk. But starting with "Gorilla Man 2000", Hoekstra strays from his initial theme to crank out a searing rocker. The band is relentless and Hoekstra is a monster on the guitar. Seriously potent rock music with a fusion edge. "Plot In Motion" is the other heavy rocker on the album that grabbed me hard. But there's even more variety. "Kill Swing" is a good fun quirky rocking swing tune with, of course, Hoekstra's axe pyrotechnics at front and center stage. "Reflection" has kind of a spacey prog rock feel. "Slide Tune" is a light rock instrumental with parts that sound a bit like Brian May. "Afghanistan Blues" is a somber yet timely song. "Space Cowboy" is something of a novelty tune that I got a kick out of. And "Spank Me" is a Bluesy and seriously soulful song that WILL get you on your feet. In summary, I can see Joel Hoekstra's music appealing to guitar worshippers of many tastes. On the one hand I suppose he fits nicely in the Vai/Satriani/Eric Johnson school, but I find him far more varied and interesting than what I've heard from those musicians. But if anything I've described has aroused your curiosity, then you're unlikely to be disappointed. For more information you can visit the Joel Hoekstra web site at: http://www.joelhoekstra.com. Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz © Jerry Kranitz From Aural Innovations #20 (July 2002) http://www.aural-innovations.com/issues/issue20/hoekstra.html

Really good groove based instrumental jazz rock/fusion from the N.Y.C based guitarist, Joel Hoekstra. Listen to Joel's great "The Moon is Falling" album and buy his "13 Acoustic Songs" album [All tracks @ 224 Kbps: File size = 91.5 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Electric Fields (3:29)
2. Urban Experiments (3:58)
3. Mad Bar (4:17)
4. Homework (4:15)
5. Corny (4:51)
6. Gorilla Man 2000 (3:28)
7. Kill Swing (2:55)
8. Space Cowboy (3:23)
9. Reflection (3:28)
10. Slide Tune (3:58)
11. Plot in Motion (3:38)
12. Afghanistan Blues (5:13)
13. Spank Me (9:36)

All tracks composed by Joel Hoekstra except "Spank Me" by Joel Hoekstra (music, lyrics) & Cathy Richardson (lyrics)

MUSICIANS

Joel Hoekstra - Guitar
Ric Fierabracci - Bass
John Rice - Banjo, Mandolin
Chris Grove, Doug Ackman - Keyboards
Jay Cappo - Keyboards, Loops, Samples
Virgil Donati - Drums
Ken Partyka - Alto & Tenor Sax
Steve Graeber - Alto Sax
Howard Levy - Harmonica
Cathy Richardson - Vocals, Ass Slapping

SHORT BIO (WIKI)

Joel Hoekstra is an American guitarist currently in the band Night Ranger. The son of classical musicians, he started out playing cello and piano at a young age, but it was hearing Angus Young that inspired him to start guitar. He was raised in Chicago he has lived in New York City for over 10 years. When not touring with Night Ranger, he performs as a guitarist in the Broadway musical, Rock of Ages. He also made a cameo appearance alongside Sebastain Bach, Nuno Bettencourt, Kevin Cronin and Debbie Gibson in the big screen movie adaptation. Hoekstra also plays with Trans-Siberian Orchestra on their Winter tours. Joel has played on stage and in studio with Foreigner (band), Dee Snider, Jeff Scott Soto, Jim Peterik, The Turtles, Big Brother & the Holding Company and many more.

Jimmy Herring, T.Lavitz, Richie Hayward, Kenny Gradney

Jimmy Herring, T.Lavitz, Richie Hayward, Kenny Gradney - Endangered Species - 2001 - Tone Center

During the '90s and through 2001, guitarist Jimmy Herring and keyboardist T. Lavitz have been recording/performing with the quasi-fusion jam band outfit known as Jazz Is Dead. Meanwhile, Herring has garnered a laudable reputation due to his work with the inventive Aquarium Rescue Unit band, whereas Lavitz gained prominence with the Dixie Dregs (aka the Dregs) amid several solo outings. Here, the duo aligns with Little Feat's rhythm section: drummer Ritchie Hayward and bassist Kenny Gradney. Essentially, the quartet goes straight for the jugular via a no-nonsense approach; however, the artists pay strict attention to compositional form. Heated soloing abounds as the band also incorporates New Orleans-style shuffle rhythms along with a few nods to the Dregs' infamous melding of Southern rock, jazzy chord progressions, and tricky time signatures. Nonetheless, the quartet sustains quite a bit of interest throughout, largely due to Herring and Lavitz's superb soloing and the rhythm sections' pulsating attack. Highly recommended. Glenn Astarita © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/endangered-species-mw0000012337

A great album of progressive jazz rock, funk, and Southern rock from master guitarist Jimmy Herring (The Dead, ARU, Project Z), the late keyboardist T. Lavitz (Jazz is Dead, Dixie Dregs), and the rhythm section of Little Feat, bassist Kenny Gradney and the late, great drummer Richie Hayward. The album is loaded with tight funky grooves and sophisticated music interplay. HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Jimmy Herring's "Lifeboat" album, T. Lavitz "Gossip" album, and Little Feat's "The Last Record Album" [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 119 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Headstrong - Jimmy Herring 5:31
2 The New Berkley Park - T Lavitz 4:03
3 Slowlo - T Lavitz 5:35
4 Pickled Hearing - Jimmy Herring / T Lavitz 5:00
5 Lockwood Folley - Jimmy Herring 8:08
6 Justice - T Lavitz 5:36
7 Cats Out Da Bag - Kenny Gradney / T Lavitz 5:49
8 Camel Lope - T Lavitz 5:01
9 The Gospel Truth - Ricky Keller / T Lavitz 5:18

MUSICIANS

Jimmy Herring - Guitar
Kenny Gradney - Bass
T Lavitz - Organ, Piano
Richie Hayward - Drums

David Clayton Thomas

David Clayton-Thomas - In Concert: A Musical Biography - 2006 - Justin Time

The former Blood, Sweat & Tears singer is in fine voice on this live 2005 retrospective of his notable successes with the jazz-rock group and solo. Well-known musical memorabilia, such as his version of Billie Holiday's "God Bless the Child," and the BS&T originals "And When I Die," "Spinning Wheel," and "(You've Made Me) So Very Happy," make this set an entertaining jaunt down memory lane, while a sensitive reading of Holiday's "God Bless the Child" puts the bombast of "Lucretia MacEvil" into perspective. © Rovi © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/in-concert-a-musical-biography-mw0000573002

Recorded live at Toronto’s Opera House on October 27th, 2005, this is a great live soul jazz album by the legendary David Clayton-Thomas, the heart and soul of the great Blood, Sweat & Tears band and also one of the greatest vocalists of his generation with one of the most recognizable voices in music. Listen to David's "Aurora" album and Blood, Sweat & Tears' classic "Child Is Father to the Man" album. Read B,S &T's bio @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood,_Sweat_%26_Tears [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 162 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. And When I Die (L. Nyro)
2. Self Centred Woman (D. Clayton-Thomas/B. Cassidy)
3. Go Down Gamblin' (D. Clayton-Thomas)
4. Me & Amaretto (D. Clayton-Thomas)
5. Lucretia Mac Evil (D. Clayton-Thomas)
6. Wild Women & Po’ Boys (D. Clayton-Thomas)
7. God Bless The Child (B. Holiday/A. Herzog Jr)
8. Gimme That Wine (J. Hendricks)
9. Don’t Explain (A. Herzog/B. Holiday)
10. Spinning Wheel (D. Clayton-Thomas)
11. (You've Made Me) So Very Happy/Variations On A Theme (B. Gordy Jr./B. Holloway/P. Holloway/F. Wilson)/Variations on a Theme by Eric Satie
12. You're The One (D. Clayton-Thomas/W. Smith)

MUSICIANS

Bernie LaBarge - Electric Guitar
George Koller - Acoustic Bass
Doug Riley - Keyboards, Piano
Paul DeLong - Drums
Waleed Abdulhamid - Percussion
Michael Stuart - Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute
Vernon Dorge - Alto Sax, Baritone Sax, Flute
Bruce Cassidy - Trumpet & Electronic Valve Instrument
Jason Logue - Trumpet
Doug Gibson - Tuba, Bass Trombone
Gord Myers - Trombone
David Clayton-Thomas - Vocals
Neil Donnell & Joel Feeney - Background Vocals

BIO (WIKI)

David Clayton-Thomas (born David Henry Thomsett; 13 September 1941) is a Canadian musician and singer best known as the lead vocalist for the American band Blood, Sweat & Tears. Clayton-Thomas has maintained a busy solo career over the years as well. Clayton-Thomas was born in Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, UK, the son of a decorated Canadian soldier of World War II who met his piano-playing mother when she came to entertain the troops at a London hospital. They were married, and when the war ended, the family moved to Willowdale, a suburb of Toronto, when Clayton-Thomas was not yet school-aged. Growing up, he was taught music by his mother but had difficulties with his father in what was described as a dysfunctional family. He left home in his early teens, and according to his official biography, spent time in jail as a juvenile delinquent until his release in 1962. He idolized the music of John Lee Hooker and began playing guitar and singing, and by the time he was 21 had his own band, The Shays. David Clayton-Thomas & The Shays recorded for Roman Records of Toronto. Clayton-Thomas released two albums on the record label, "A Go Go" (with The Shays) and "Like It Is" (with The Bossmen). In February 1966, he joined a new band, The Bossmen, fronted by the child prodigy, pianist Tony Collacott, who had played with Sarah Vaughan at New York's Carnegie Hall at the age of 14. The group recorded a lone single, the jazz-rock song "Brainwashed," which was a Canadian hit record in June 1966 and gave an indication of his future work. The band broke up soon afterwards and he travelled to New York. In October 1967, he joined forces with former members of the Toronto R&B outfit, Jon and Lee & The Checkmates and renamed them his new backing band, The Phoenix. The group started a residency at a New York nightclub, Steve Paul's The Scene, but he was soon deported for working illegally in the States. In February 1968, Clayton-Thomas formed a new band in Toronto, the David Clayton-Thomas Combine with former Bossmen guitarist Jack Mowbrey, ex-Phoenix bass player Peter Hodgson, and drummer Pat Little from Luke & The Apostles. The group recorded the original version of his hit "Spinning Wheel" but the band broke up a few months later when Clayton-Thomas was offered a more attractive offer from Bobby Colomby, the drummer with Blood, Sweat & Tears. Under the stage name David Clayton-Thomas, he is best known as a vocalist with the band Blood, Sweat & Tears, whose first album with him as lead singer in 1969 produced three gold singles and three Grammy Awards including the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. The album included his own composition "Spinning Wheel" which became a hit on both sides of the Atlantic. In 2002, the album was honoured with a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Clayton-Thomas left the band twice, but he was still touring with a reconstituted Blood, Sweat & Tears through 2004. Clayton-Thomas was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1996. In January 2006, the song "Spinning Wheel" was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He also won the last Festival Internacional da Canção in 1972, in Rio de Janeiro, with the song "Nobody Calls Me Prophet". He lived in New York City for more than 30 years, but returned to Toronto in 2004, where he once again has made a name of himself as a solo artist, releasing several DVDs (including one featuring a live performance). His band Blood, Sweat and Tears was the first western band to tour behind the Iron Curtain. The band agreed to do this in exchange for Clayton-Thomas getting permanent residency status in the US as he was in the US as an illegal immigrant yet the band had 3 top selling albums. (Revealed by Clayton Thomas in an interview on CBC Radio One's Go 13 March 2010). In 2010 David contributed a track to the World Jazz For Haiti charity album, recorded at Number 9 Audio Group in support of the Red Cross disaster relief fund. The album featured Canadian artists such as John McDermott, George Koller and Holly Cole. On 8 June 2010, it was announced that he would receive a star on Canada's Walk of Fame.

On The Virg - Serious Young Insects -1999 - Vorticity

To put a label on the music of On the Virg, an Australian band led by drummer extraordinaire Virgil Donati, would be downright difficult. While there is an obvious metal feel, the harmonic level of sophistication and complex arrangements elevate this above standard prog/metal fare. The maturity of the musicians and their sensitive interaction prevent this from being just another technical showcase. That being stated, all these guys can certainly play -- but the drumming acrobatics of Donati truly make this a recording worth seeking out. His rhythmic abilities are on a par with Dave Weckl, while his footwork will give even the speediest thrash metal drummers a fit. The term jazz-metal has been thrown around for years to describe everything from Mike Stern to Allan Holdsworth; if the label is necessary (as pointless as such stylistic labelling can sometimes be), perhaps it could best apply to the music on this album. After hearing Serious Young Insects, one has to wonder how much higher the bar for technical competency could be raised. © Robert Taylor © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/serious-young-insects-mw0001149754

A very good album of highly technical and original heavy, progressive jazz rock fusion by the extraordinary Australian drummer, Virgil Donati and his band, On The Virg. Virgil Donati's fantastic multi-dimensional polyrhythms are legendary, but all the players on the album are given ample room to improvise and express themselves. Simon Hosford (guitar), and Phil Turcio (keyboards) are amazing musicians, and together with guest guitarists Brett Garsed and T.J Helmerich and guest bassist Ric Fierrabracci have created an album of immensely challenging and complex song structures. There are lots of odd timing grooves and amazing individual solos from all the players on this album. These guys may have invented some sounds you've never heard before! The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Frank Gambale, Virgil Donati, & Ric Fierabracci's "Made In Australia" album and Brett Garsed, TJ Helmerich, Gary Willis, & Dennis Chambers' "Uncle Moe's Space Ranch" [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 130 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Native Metal
2 Malfunction
3 Alien Hip-Hop
4 Sort Yourself Out
5 Pyramids on Mars
6 Dragon Bones
7 Trencherman
8 Out of the Haze
9 Invasion of the Ants
10 Running from the Aliens
11 Penthalon

MUSICIANS

Simon Hosford - Guitar
Brett Garsed - Guitar [Guest] on Tracks 3,11
T.J Helmerich - Guitar [Guest] on Tracks 1,3,4
Evripides Evripidou - Bass
Ric Fierrabracci - Bass [Guest] on Tracks 2,5,9,10
Phil Turcio - Keyboards
Virgil Donati - Drums, Keyboards

ABOUT VIRGIL DONATI

Virgil was born of Italian descent in Melbourne, Australia, and got his first drumset at age 2. He started playing right away with his father's showband, and kept on doing these shows until he was around 6 years old. He began taking lessons at age 7 with Brian Czempinski and later Graham Morgan, now a legend in the Australian drumming community. He joined his first rock band at the age of 20. The band was called Cloud Nine, later to become Taste. (www.taste.us.com) Donati left school when he was 16, focusing mainly on the drums, but also piano, and practicing hard every day. These days he spends most of his time in the United States playing with a number of different bands. Playing 6 nights a week with Taste was what really “got his chops together”. Australia was very isolated as far as instructional books and big international tours, so he had to rely on self-motivation and listening to records. With his father's choice of records, including Louie Bellson and Buddy Rich albums, Virgil quickly became a fan of those great jazz drummers, trying to emulate their solos. The first rock drummer to make a big impact on him was Ian Paice of Deep Purple. Donati was “blown away by his clarity and power”, something for which he later would become famous himself. Practice became a way of life for Virgil, who tried to learn as many different styles as possible, enabling him to cope with any musical situation he was confronted with. At age 19 Virgil travelled to the U.S. to study with Philly Joe Jones, and at Dick Groves School in L.A. He also took lessons from snare drum specialist Murray Spivack. He returned to Australia at the age of 21 where his career finally took off. Playing jazz with Allan Zavod and Brian Brown, and rock with Peter Cupples' band, he was a busy touring and session drummer Down Under. His own pop band, The State turned into Southern Sons, which led to Virgil's first taste of international fame, with their self-titled debut selling multi-platinum and producing the international hit single 'Heart In Danger'. The big break came in 1995 where Virgil's first solo album Stretch was released to a stunned community of drummers worldwide. In 1999 Virgil released On The Virg: Serious Young Insects through Melbourne based record company Vorticity Music. With tracks like the timebending Native Metal this CD cemented Virgil's status as a progressive musical mastermind. Virgil was voted the number 1 clinician of the year (2004) by the readers of the popular drummer magazine, Modern Drummer. Virgil's own band 'Planet X', formed after Virgil's collaboration on Derek Sherinian's 1999 solo album "Planet X", is one of the most advanced progressive fusion groups, setting new standards for other musicians to follow. They have released three studio albums; Universe, Moonbabies, Quantum and one live album, Live From Oz. Virgil has also made numerous live appearances worldwide with fusion leaders Scott Henderson and Tribal Tech. © Lion Music 2012. http://www.lionmusic.com/artists/shadrane.html

Phil Brown

Phil Brown - The Jimi Project - 2006 - Apaches From Paris

Along with the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix is widely considered -- and with good reason -- to be one of the most sacred artists of rock history. And as a result, it's pretty darn hard to cover Hendrix, since the original renditions of his songs are widely agreed to be definitive, and extremely well-known and instantly recognizable. But that's not to say that admirers haven't taken a crack at Hendrix's catalog, and in 2006, it was Phil Brown's turn, with the appropriately titled The Jimi Project. For those who may not be familiar with his work, Brown is primarily a session guitarist who has played with a multitude of artists, in addition to replacing the late, great Lowell George in Little Feat. Joining Brown for his Hendrix tribute are two players with heavy jazz chops -- bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Gary Novak. And the results are what you'd expect -- expertly played renditions, loaded with tasty guitar work courtesy of Brown. For the most part, the trio uses Hendrix's renditions as a starting point, before adding their own personal laid-back stamp (and never straying too far from the originals), especially on such tracks as "Purple Haze" and "Fire." Additionally, Brown and company don't just stick to Hendrix's best-known tracks, as such oft overlooked Axis: Bold as Love gems as "One Rainy Wish," "You've Got Me Floating," and "Ain't No Telling" share the spotlight. © Greg Prato © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-jimi-project-mw0000402744

The brilliant ex-Little Feat guitarist, Phil Brown spent three years making this album. There are many albums of Jimi covers, but this is one of the best albums of Hendrix covers you will ever hear from a guitarist you may never hear. The sleeve notes state that "The Jimi Project" is without a doubt the best and most original "Hendrix Tribute" disc you have ever heard that is guaranteed to trip your brain into the deep, blue outskirts of infinity. Highly recommended to fans of Jimi Hendrix and first rate serious bluesy heavy guitar magic". This guy is a disgracefully overlooked musician. Check out his terrific "Cruel Inventions" album, and please support real music and buy his "Imagine This" album. "The Jimi Project" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: File size = 66.8 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Manic Depression 4:51
2 Purple Haze 2:56
3 I Don't Live Today 3:56
4 Voodoo Child 4:19
5 Fire 3:29
6 One Rainy Wish 4:17
7 If 6 Was 9 5:12
8 Love or Confusion 3:45
9 Spanish Castle Magic 3:38
10 You've Got Me Floatin 4:00
11 Ain't No Telling 2:28
12 Are You Experienced? 4:02

All songs composed by Jimi Hendrix

MUSICIANS

Phil Brown - Guitar, Vocals
Jimmy Haslip - Bass
Gary Novak - Drums
Phil, Fredie Lopez, Reggie Knighton, Michael Drebert, Bobby Yanez - Background Vocals

BIO

To begin with, Phil's got 40 years of touring and studio work behind him (going back to a stint with Little Feat in the early 80's as Lowell George's successor on guitar and vocals), but plays and sings (his songs, and reinventions of rock standards that he makes very much his own) with the energy of 16 year old kid headlining his first school dance. That said, Phil's musical gifts (guitar/voice) reflect the grace, wisdom and consummate musicanship that can only come from a full and rich lifetime dedicated to rock and roll.  (He's also written lots of songs I suspect you know or will recognize on hearing.) Phil started on the violin at age 7. Got his first guitar that year too. Classically trained with lots of lessons and lots of practicing - a guitar slinger was born. He grew up around much of 50's music playing in his parent's house... Chet Atkins, Tony Bennet, opera, classical, jazz. Phil couldn't wait to follow his dream and left home -- which was Los Alamos/hub of the atomic bomb -- at 17 with an electric guitar, a suitcase and a pocketful of dreams. Hitched all around the US picking up one nighters and joining this band only to 'quit it' or be fired - there was always a 'better' band somewhere with more talented players. The end of the road for many musicians is L.A and somehow or not surprisingly Phil ended up in Los Angeles in 1976 where he survived driving a truck delivering gear for recording studios and where he met the likes of Alice Cooper, Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs and The Englishmen where they were rehearsing. . . .He ended up joining "Little Feat" and started writing songs - a lot of songs - thus worked for a few major music publishing houses. Check Phil's discography. Phil's solo career started in 2003 when a French label contacted him and asked him to make a record. "Cruel Inventions", Phil's first solo album was released in France, then throughout several European countries where it did pretty well. Meanwhile, Phil was toying with the idea of recording some of his fav Jimi Hendrix songs, re-arranged of course ala Phil -- Bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Gary Novak joined him for a few days, recording [the jimi project] was born. Originally Phil planned to make a few thousand CD's for friends and family, but we all know that there are no such things as 'coincidences'. Friends talking to friends and other friends and [the jimi project] ended on many desks – It all starting going nuts with international and national press and airplay, such as NPR syndicated Sunday Morning Show which noted [the jimi project] as one of the '10 must own" CDs for the 2006 holiday season.... [the jimi project] was recently re-mixed by Frank Filipetti with Nuendo technology. Phil moved to Austin, Texas some time in 2006 where he loves the people who in turn luv music and support the artiste`in a way that defies description. Phil, always involved in projects, creating/developing projects, is featured on the latest Kool and the Gang album, as well as realizing the final touches of his third solo album "Good To Be Back" . Still writing songs and playing "live" in Austin is a must if you want to "let/get your ya-ya's out." He's traveling and producing other artist as well. "The good life" according to Phil is "being open minded and challenging yourself in co-creative ways in order to access the light force that propels us all towards greatness." Not many would disagree with that sentiment. In the meantime, Phil's met a few of the many pedigree musicians in Austin, has big fun and as a "happy accident" an MP.TU recording was created. Phil recently moved to Oklahoma City from Austin and is "tearing up the place" from the standpoint of fans and local critics alike. Phil's working on re-release of several of his most recent independent projects (including his acclaimed 2006 "Jimi Project" tribute to the music of Jimi Hendrix, and a new recording entitled "Imagine This" being produced with Walter Quintus in Germany - Walter is Jack Bruce's long time archivist/producer, and a producer/collaborator with artists as diverse as the Brecker Brothers, Ralph Towner, Pat Metheny and Joe Zawinul, among others). Phil's currently working with a superb power trio (drummer Peter Pollack's got a PhD in percussion and 7 years with The blue man group in las vegas under his belt, bassist dave copenhaver is a veteran of 200 indie and label recording projects as a player/producer).
Phil also has summer festival dates lined up for a new sextet being billed as "Phil Brown's Guitar Army". © http://philbrownrocks.moonfruit.com/#/bio/4549008968

UZEB

UZEB - Uzeb Club - 1989 - B.C.C.L.

The jazz fusion band UZEB from Montreal, Quebec played from 1976 to 1992 releasing quite a few well received albums. They toured extensively in Europe and Asia but rarely played the US. Downbeat magazine considered UZEB one of the world'd best electric jazz groups. When the band broke up, it had earned 9 Felix awards (Jazz Album of the Year in 1983-84-86-87-90-91, Group of the Year 1984-1989, Most Famous Performer Outside Quebec 1990), a Gémeaux prize in 1989 (best original music), a SOCAN prize in 1990 (jazz category), a Musique Plus prize for the UZEB CLUB video, and the Oscar Peterson prize in 1991, awarded by the Montreal International Jazz Festival. In July 1992, UZEB played its last major concert at the Montreal Jazz Festival before 96,000 people. By 1989, international sales of UZEB's first eight recordings had exceeded 200,000 units, which the Encyclopedia of Music in Canada calls "an unprecedented figure for a Canadian jazz group." "Uzeb Club" is a greatl late '80's jazz fusion album by a band with a dazzling blend of instrumental technique and technology.
See if you can find the band's great "Live in Bracknell" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 105 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

A1 Uzeb Club - Michel Cusson, A. Caron 4:45
A2 Not Even The Shadow Of The Tail Of A Lizard - Michel Cusson, A. Caron, P. Brochu 6:25
A3 Après Les Confidences - Michel Cusson, A. Caron, P. Brochu 5:13
A4 Loose - Michel Cusson 7:16

B1 Mister Moe - Michel Cusson, A. Caron, P. Brochu 4:13
B2 Perrier Citron - Michel Cusson, A. Caron, P. Brochu 6:46
B3 Time To Go - Michel Cusson, A. Caron, P. Brochu 5:02
B4 Bouncer - Michel Cusson, A. Caron, P. Brochu 7:04

MUSICIANS

Michel Cusson - Acoustic & Electric Guitar
Alain Caron - Bass, Piccolo Bass
Paul Brochu - Drums, Percussion, Cymbals, Stick
Alain 'Chepito' Labrosse, Mario Labrosse, Luc Boivin - Additional Percussion

SHORT BIO (WIKI)

UZEB was formed in 1976 in Drummondville, Quebec, by guitarist Michel Cusson. After the band's debut in St-Eusèbe, Qc, the name Eusèbe-Jazz was used; this name was later shortened to UZEB. The band soon moved to Montreal. Drummer Jean St-Jacques and bassist Alain Caron joined Cusson in 1978. The drummer's position was next filled by Sylvain Coutu, and then in 1980 by Paul Brochu. Until 1987, UZEB also used a keyboard/synthesizer player. In the 1980s, UZEB had what was then a very technologically advanced MIDI system for its synthesizers. After 1987, UZEB became a trio consisting of Cusson, Caron, and Brochu. UZEB won Quebec Félix awards as group of the year in 1984 and 1989 (in competition with Quebec pop and rock bands). As well, the band won awards for jazz album of the year in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987. UZEB did Quebec-wide and several Canadian tours. In 1991 UZEB received the Oscar Peterson Lifetime Achievement Award which was presented at the 1991 Montreal International Jazz Festival. UZEB played its first European concert in 1981 at the Bracknell (England) Jazz Festival. In 1983, UZEB appeared at the Festival de Jazz de Paris and recorded at the Olympia in Paris. UZEB also played in other European countries and in Southeast Asia (in 1990). However, UZEB rarely played concerts in the US. UZEB's most popular songs include Junk Funk, Smiles and Chuckles, Mile 'O', 60 rue des Lombards, Spider, and Uzeb Club.

Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Live! In Chicago - 2010 - Roadrunner Records

Kenny burns through a set of 14 great blues-rock tracks. He plays with style, energy, and dedication, and with exceptional technique. He is backed by his own band, members of Double Trouble and the late, great Hubert Sumlin. Buy Kenny's "The Place You're In" album and support great blues rock [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 149 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Somehow, Somewhere, Someway - Danny Tate, Kenny Wayne Shepherd 4:37
2 King's Highway - Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mark Selby, Tia Sillers 7:02
3 True Lies - Danny Tate, Kenny Wayne Shepherd 5:54
4 Deja Voodoo - Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mark Selby, Tia Sillers 7:03
5 Sell My Monkey - B.B. King 4:18
6 Dance for Me Girl - Buddy Flett 5:09
7 Baby, Don't Say That No More - Jimmy Reed 6:00
8 Eye to Eye - Willie "Big Eyes" Smith 6:18
9 How Many More Years - Chester Burnett 4:32
10 Sick and Tired - Christopher Kenner, Dave Bartholomew 5:16
11 Feed Me - Hubert Sumlin 4:47
12 Rocking Daddy - Chester Burnett 3:54
13 Blue on Black - Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Mark Selby, Tia Sillers 5:32
14 I'm a King Bee - James Moore 4:53

MUSICIANS

Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Lead Guitar, Vocals
Scott Nelson - Bass
Buddy Flett - Guitar (Guest)
Bryan Lee - Guitar (Guest)
Hubert Sumlin - Guitar, Harmonica (Guest)
Riley Osbourn - Hammond B-3, Keyboards
Chris "Whipper" Layton - Drums
Willie "Big Eyes" Smith - Drums, Harmonica (Guest)
Tommy Shannon - Drums (Guest)
Noah Hunt - Lead Vocals

ABOUT KWS

Kenny Wayne Shepherd and his group exploded on the scene in the mid-'90s and garnered huge amounts of radio airplay on commercial radio, which historically has not been a solid home for blues and blues-rock music, with the exception of Stevie Ray Vaughan in the mid-'80s. Shepherd was born June 12, 1977, in Shreveport, LA. The Shreveport native began playing at age seven, figuring out Muddy Waters licks from his father's record collection (he has never taken a formal lesson). At age 13, he was invited on-stage by New Orleans bluesman Brian Lee and held his own for several hours; thus proving himself, he decided on music as a career. He formed his own band, which featured lead vocalist Corey Sterling, gaining early exposure through club dates and, later, radio conventions. Shepherd's father/manager used his own contacts and pizzazz in the record business to help land his son a major-label record deal with Irving Azoff's Giant Records. Ledbetter Heights, his first album, was released two years later in 1995. Ledbetter Heights was an immediate hit, selling over 500,000 by early 1996. Most blues records never achieve that level of commercial success, much less ones released by artists who are still in their teens. Although Shepherd -- who has been influenced by (and has sometimes played with) guitarists Stevie Ray Vaughan, Albert King, Slash, Robert Cray, and Duane Allman -- is definitely a performer who thrives in front of an audience, Ledbetter Heights is impressive for its range of styles: acoustic blues, rockin' blues, Texas blues, Louisiana blues. The only style that he doesn't tackle is Chicago blues, owing to Shepherd's home base smack dab in the middle of the Texas triangle. 1998's Trouble Is... earned a Grammy nomination; Live On followed a year later. In 2004 The Place You're In was released on Reprise Records, the first album that featured Shepherd doing the majority of the lead vocals (singer Noah Hunt handled the lead vocals on the previous two albums). Shepherd's next project saw him traveling in the American South with a documentary film crew and a portable recording studio as he backed up several veteran blues players on their home turf. The resulting album and film, 10 Days Out (Blues from the Backroads), appeared in 2007. Live! In Chicago followed in 2010. © Steve Huey © 2012 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

BIO (WIKI)

Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born Kenny Wayne Brobst, June 12, 1977, in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He has released several studio albums and experienced a rare level of commercial success both as a blues artist and a young musician. Shepherd graduated Caddo Magnet High School in Shreveport, Louisiana. The guitarist is "completely self taught", and does not read music. Growing up, Shepherd's father (Ken Shepherd) was a local radio personality and some-time concert promoter, and had a vast collection of music. Shepherd got his first "guitar" at the age of three or four, when his grandmother purchased a series of several plastic guitars for him with S&H Green Stamps, which Shepherd has said he would "go through like candy". Shepherd stated in a 2010 interview that he began playing guitar in earnest at age seven, about six months after meeting and being "pretty mesmerized" by Stevie Ray Vaughan, in June 1984, at one of his father's promoted concerts. His self-taught method employed a process of learning one note at a time, playing and rewinding cassette tapes, utilizing "a cheap Yamaha wanna-be Stratocaster...made out of plywood, basically", learning Muddy Waters, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Albert Lee licks from his father's vast music collection. At the age of 13, Shepherd was invited on stage by the New Orleans bluesman Bryan Lee. After proving his abilities, he decided on music as a career. Demo tapes were made and a two-camera video was shot at Shepherd's first performance at the Red River Revel Arts Festival in Shreveport. It was this video performance that impressed Giant Records chief Irving Azoff enough to sign Shepherd to a multiple album record deal. From 1995 on, Shepherd took seven singles into the Top 10, and holds the record for the longest-running album on the Billboard Blues Charts with Trouble Is.... In 1996, Shepherd began a longtime collaboration with vocalist Noah Hunt, who provided the vocals for Shepherd's signature song, "Blue on Black". Shepherd has been nominated for five Grammy Awards, and has received two Billboard Music Awards, two Blues Music Awards and two Orville H. Gibson Awards. In September 2008, Fender Musical Instruments Corp. released the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Signature Series Stratocaster, designed exclusively by Shepherd. In 2007, he released a critically acclaimed and two time Grammy nominated DVD–CD project, 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads. This documents Shepherd as he travels the country to jam with and interview the last of the authentic blues musicians. As they tour the backroads, Shepherd, with members of the Double Trouble Band, play with a host of blues greats including Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown and Bryan Lee, Buddy Flett (with whom he jams at Lead Belly's grave), B. B. King, blues harp master Jerry "Boogie" McCain, Cootie Stark, Neal Pattman, John Dee Holeman, Etta Baker, Henry Townsend with Honeyboy Edwards, and a concert session with the surviving members of Muddy Waters' and Howlin' Wolf's bands, including luminaries such as Hubert Sumlin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith and Pinetop Perkins. In 2010 Shepherd was nominated for a Grammy for Live In Chicago which featured performances with Hubert Sumlin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Buddy Flett and Bryan Lee. In 2011, Shepherd released his seventh CD entitled How I Go on Roadrunner Records. Shepherd married actor Mel Gibson's eldest daughter, Hannah Gibson, on September 16, 2006, and they have three children, a daughter born October 10, 2007, and sons born 2009 and March 12, 2011.

Phil Brown

Phil Brown - Cruel Inventions The Remix - 2006 - Apaches From Paris

"Phil Brown, former Little Feat vocalist/guitarist aims to please you with his Bowie meets Johnson ambient, blues rock sound". © http://artistsfirstmusic.com/

This is the amazing story of a brilliant songwriter who was a king one day, and the next day, a beggar. Known as one of the best guitarists/ singer-songwriters based in the ‘City of Angels’, Phil Brown has written for and/or played with Pat Benatar, Cher, Tower of Power, Bonnie Tyler, Kim Carnes, Kix, Lou Graham (Foreigner) and Steve Perry (Journey). With his magic touch, some of the songs we wrote for a number of well known artists went gold and platinum many times over. But L.A. which made him famous for a while, also took all the glory back, relentlessly. After twenty years of writing songs for other artists and bands and recording and touring with them, Phil now releases, with “CRUEL INVENTIONS”, his first shot under his own name – after a lifetime as a musician. He gives a new and very special taste to Mingus or Hendrix songs, and the way he makes his guitar sing reminds us of the late Jimi. Full of emotion, he plays like it is going to be his last day on earth, every time around. © http://www.metisse-music.com/en/artists/phil%20brown [Based on 2003 release]

Phil Brown, a name that speaks as examiners liner notes. Session musician of the 80s, the man was hired by Warner as songwriter house (like the writers for cinema), for artists "mainstream" of the catalog ( Cher , Bonnie Tyler, Pat Benatar or Tower of Power) . On the occasion studio guitarist even credited ( Little Feat ), Phil Brown has two groups of experiments: second guitarist Neil Schon behind in 1979 (with John McVie on bass and Andy Newmark on drums) for the singer's album Robert Fleischman, second guitarist in 1980 still obscure group of the Black Rose (Cher was the singer Steve Porcaro on keyboards and lead guitarist Led Dudek). Try to be familiar with it! "Cruel Intentions" is the first album under his own name, in fifty years, and it is quite a nice success. For if a man know how old veteran, he never uses it as a shield, and knows the contrary install atmospheres, as of his own compositions on the daring times he allows himself ( Jimi Hendrix , Charlie Mingus ...). Phil Brown takes care of everything, guitar, drums, bass and sings a breathy voice as it should, with reminiscences of Steve Miller's "Sailor" or "Children of the future" or Tony Joe White . The guitar can remember Jeff Beck and Robin Trower (big power drops, well saturated effects, dissonance). "Charmed Life" opening demonstrates that Brown did not play commercial piece is sealed, heavy sustain and distortion guitar and creeping plant, just touched by the voice and metronomic drum ... not really "marketing". "I Grind" installs the overall tempo, median, traveled chills funky song that invites slower "Hour to kill". Before the end of the album most agreed more casting, less exciting, smelling his Knopfler ("Heaven") or sometimes the variety ("La-lah-land", "Diva"), the heart is in the fourth line, with strung three times in a row: "Rolling and Tumbling" by Muddy Waters (tortured voice) "If 6 was 9" Hendrix (version baroque stuffed breaks and effects but without overloading, kind of hallucinatory experience without acid voice and very close to the spirit Hendrix) and "Goodbye pork pie hat" Mingus (almost hovering, we think Weather Report for Santana guitar especially for low altitude flying ...). by & © Francois Branchon on 30/10/2004 Rating: 8.0 © 1997-2012 Sefronia - administration [Translated from French]

Phil Brown joined the great Little Feat in the early 80's on guitar and vocals as the late Lowell George's successor. Phil's style is a blend of Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, and Steve Lukather, and nothing wrong with that. This guy can really play. Phil is a master musician and is often overlooked. He has written songs for artists including Cher, Pat Benatar, Kim Carnes, Kix, Bonnie Tyler, Steve Perry and also recorded with most of these artists. His solo career began in 2003 when the DixieFrog label in France asked him to record this album. The original CD, "Cruel Inventions" contained the extra track, "If 6 Was 9". Guitar fans may like the Austin resident's amazing tone, and the exuberance and energy he shows in his often eccentric and unconventional but tuneful solos. This remixed album is different, has some great grooves, some superb heavy electric blues rock, great vocals and exceptional original tunes. Check out "Hour To Kill". "Rolling And Tumbling" is a spectacular cover, and his Beck tribute, "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" is another great cover. "Cruel Inventions" received very little media coverage but is a great album and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Phil's 2008 album, "The Jimi Project", and support real music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 107 Mb]

TRACKS

1 The Heaven 4:34
2 The Charmed Life 4:07
3 The Diva (Acidized) 5:10
4 Goodbye Pork Pie Hat 5:49
5 The La-Lah-Land 4:28
6 Rolling And Tumbling 2:34
7 The Cruel Inventions 4:32
8 The Hour To Kill 2:56
9 The Ahh... Baby It's You 3:26
10 The All Over Now 3:29
11 The Grind Me 3:44

All tracks composed by Phil Brown except Track 4 by Charles Mingus, and Track 6 by McKinley Morganfield

MUSICIANS

Phil Brown - Guitar, Vocals
Francis Gabriel, Joel Bennett - Bass
K,JJ+, Michael Drebert - Keyboards
Duke Champagne, Eric Eldinius - Drums, Percussion, Loops
Tim Anderson - Tenor Saxophone
Phil Brown & The Apaches From Paris - Choir, Background Vocals

SHORT BIO

Born in San Francisco, in the fifties, Phil Brown begins to travel very young. Growing up in Santa Fe, New Mexico he discovers his first instrument: a violin given to him by his grandma. Then he buys a guitar for 50 cents from a neighbour and plays “live in concert” at school, for the first time. Marty Robbins, George Jones and soon after, the “British Invasion” are his most important influences at that time. Rythm and blues and the Beatles will be the beginning of a new musical approach. Comes 1965 and here are The Kinks, The Rolling Stones, The Yardbirds, The Byrds, Canned Heat, Little Stevie Wonder, Elvis and Willie Dixon, Howlin’ Wolf, John Lee Hooker, Robert Johnson, Buddy Miles, Mike Bloomfield and then, the discovery of a whole bunch of classical musicians : Mozart, Chopin, Beethoven, Bach and last but not least the Jazzmen : Louis Prima, Louis Armstrong and Nat King Cole. A hurricane is on the way. The Cream and Hendrix are on the radio. Phil Brown cuts a first CD of covers : Hendrix, Kinks and Cream songs. He returns to New Mexico when The Jeff Beck Album “Truth” is just released and the awesome “Electric Ladyland” album changes his world for ever! Chicago, Saint Louis, Cleveland, Kansas City, New Orleans, San Diego, L.A., Denver. Phil plays in small clubs for no money. The blues becomes a way of life. Heading out to L.A. Phil gets a new job as a driver for Studio Instrument Rentals during the day and as a roadie at night (working as part of the stage crew) at the infamous “Whiskey a Go-Go” on the Sunset Strip. He meets the big names of the day such as Humble Pie, Joe Cocker, Three Dog Night, Alice Cooper, Steppenwolf and more. L.A, the Magic City and the chance to play with Bob Mosely of Moby Grape at the Record Plant, with Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young in the next room recording their next album. In 1981, a tour with Little Feat right after the death of Lowell George, playing 1/2 his own tunes and 1/2 Feat songs. Lots of dope and booze, (Phil has been sober for over 17 years now). Then, coming back to Los Angeles, “The City of Angels”, a writing/composing job with Warner Bros. Music for 3 years and then with A&M Records’ Publishing structure for 2 more years. Lots of famous female singers cut his songs, from Cher to Pat Benatar; there is Bonnie Tyler’s “Matter of the Heart”, a duet with Kim Carnes, Lisa Hartman … then Ace Frehley from Kiss, Tower of Power, Kix, Steve Perry (Journey), Lou Graham (Foreigner), a song on the soundtrack for the movie “The Wild Life” featuring Sean Penn in his first film role and tons of other amazing projects and then, the big gap… NOTHING! Well, almost nothing …in the loneliness of a home studio, a first, almost wholly written and composed CD cut under his own name, with the guts, the experience and the knowledge of a lifetime as a traveller, with its ups and downs. The story of life as a musician in L.A. © http://www.metisse-music.com/en/artists/phil%20brown