Dennis Jones

Dennis Jones - Falling Up - 2003 - BlueRockRecords

Dennis began playing in his early teens in Baltimore County, Maryland and played guitar in several cover and original bands. He later moved to Europe for a few years and played with some notable blues and R&B bands. For over ten years the Dennis Jones Band has played many blues clubs and festivals throughout the US. "Falling Up" is a blend of electric and acoustic blues with elements of rock, jazz and country. The album is full of expressive vocals and heartfelt lyrics matched with a line up of highly talented musicians. Dennis' playing will remind you of some of today's best and most exciting blues guitarists.

For a debut release, Dennis Jones sounds as though he's been getting it done for years. A fortyish guitarist/vocalist and a veteran of Southern California clubs, he has this blues thing down pat. From a line up of mostly self penned tunes, he fashions an eminently listenable platter steeped in popular urban, country, jazz and rock sounds. He's the rare newcomer to recording who displays mastery over his musical _expression without resorting to bombart, flash, fury or histrionics. Jones possesses a confident, smoky midrange voice and shows a deft touch on both acoustic and electric guitar. The title tune spreads a soft, buttery acoustic guitar around a swaying, syncopated rhythm. There's just a taste of acoustic bottleneck or slide on "Yesterday Blues" and "Chevrolet" (the old Ed and Lonnie Young tune) wouldn't suffer by comparison with the version Taj Mahal released in the '70s. "Big Black Cat" and "I Have You" have an urban electric quality not unlike that of Joe Louis Walker. The former is framed by a tidy harmonica accompaniment, the latter harks of George Benson chord changes and sensibilities. "You Don't Know a Thing About Love" is a soft rocker graced by a soulful vocal backing chorus, with Jones furnishing acoustic and electric guitar tracks. "The N Word" isn't what one might suppose; rather it's a country-tinged lament about a girl who evidently can say "No". "Fresh Out of Love" is something of a smooth operator's equivalent of a full disclosure policy statement. The man also has a bit of a muse in him. "Deep Blues", for instance, has a nice acoustic picking and strumming passage at each stanza's outset and a pensive lyric: "Don't know how I got here/Down which road I came/Been in a deep blues so long/Each direction looks the same". "Pray Your Life Away" advocates hedonism. Jones: "Don't you pray your life away/Live each day like it's gonna be your last". Jones surrounds himself with veteran musicians who work the same Los Angeles territory. "Falling Up" makes a compelling argument that his recording career has already hit it's mid-race stride.
© M.E. Travaglini - Blues Revue Magazine

My name is Brett Fleming and I met you at the IBC in January. I was the time keeper at the Hard Rock and also do a blues radio show on WEVL 89.9 FM in Memphis. You kindly gave me a copy of "Falling Up" when you and Dug were walking down Beale Street on Friday night. I have listened to it several times and featured it two weeks ago on my show. I am sincere when I say it is one of the best albums I've heard in the past 2 or 3 years. Having heard you play with Zac's band I knew you were an excellent player, but didn't know how good you are vocally as well as being a fine songwriter. I had several calls from listeners commenting about the disc, particularly "You Don't Know A Thing About Love" which is a terrific song. But it's difficult for me to pick a favorite from among the tracks; all of them are good!! I also wanted to congratulate you and the rest of the band for winning the IBC. Good luck and I look forward to hearing from you. Say hello to the others in the band and I will see you at the Handy Awards!! © Brett Fleming - WEVL 89.9 FM (Sep 30, 2005)

When asked in an interview "To give one wish for the blues", Dennis replied. "Blues is the core of most styles of American music, from surf to rockabilly, and even soul and funk. The blues is there. I wish the Blues would continue to mature and evolve, and not always rely upon what has already been done". He says, "I was a rock and roller as a kid, and playing some R&B mixed up with Rock and Roll. I went back and discovered where these rock and roll licks were coming from. As you dig deeper you go back to Son House and Robert Johnson and people like that." "…Motown, Country…its all Americana to me. I love blues and if I had only one style of music I could listen to, it would truly be the blues. But I've been influenced by so many things. I love American Roots music. I love Rockabilly, Brian Setzer. On the way here I was listening to some Dwight Yoakum. I love his first three albums, his songwriting…that's what I'm talking about, songwriting. Lucinda Williams, great lyrics. I love things that touch me inside, not just the visual. They've got to deliver something." "I love Jeff Beck on a lot of his stuff. Some of the things he does…He's just a master of what ever he does. Even to this day he's unbelievable. Just unbelievable! I guess some of the early Fleetwood Mac, before they became a pop band. I wasn't really a big Clapton fan, because at the time when Jimi was alive, not many other players existed to me. He was just so far ahead of everybody else." Over the years, Dennis has sat in with such artists as Guitar Shorty, Kenny Neal, Deborah Coleman, Chris Duarte and many more. “Falling Up” consists of blues, blues rock and includes flavours of country, R & B and jazz. This CD was critically acclaimed on it's release. Memphis’ WEVL FM 90 called “Falling Up”, “one of the best albums we’ve heard in years”. Listen to Dennis' "Passion For The Blues" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 110 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Falling Up 3:40
2. Yesterday Blues 3:46
3. Chevrolet 3:33
4. Big Black Cat 3:44
5. You Don't Know A Thing About Love 4:31
6. I Have You 4:21
7. Deep Blues 3:36
8. Stray Bullet 4:06
9. The 'N Word 4:39
10. Fresh Out Of Love 5:20
11. Pray Your Life Away 3:54
12. Crazy Over You 3:07

BAND

Dennis Jones - Guitar & Lead Vocals
Sam Correa - Bass & Vocals
Michael Turner - Drums & Vocals

BIO

Sizzling hot guitar solos. Smooth and soulful vocals. High-energy stage performance. Backed by a rhythm section that is second to none, this IS Dennis Jones. Check out a live show, and you’ll instantly agree, Dennis Jones’s band ROCKS the blues like NO other! With original songs, some of which are sure to become classics, Dennis’s feet are firmly rooted in the past, yet his heart and soul are connected to the present. He writes songs that seamlessly blend the best of both worlds, presenting a unique and contemporary style of American rock and blues. And unlike some others, he isn’t afraid to tackle the controversial issues of today. Dennis also writes songs for other notable artists, e.g. he wrote the song Temporary Man for Guitar Shorty’s 2010 Alligator release, Bare Knuckle. Since 2003, Dennis has released four successful albums on his own label, Blue Rock Records. Each and every one of these CDs has met with rave reviews. Many of his songs and CDs have hit the top 10 on the Blues Charts, including when his 3rd CD, Pleasure & Pain, ranked #2 of best blues CD releases of the year, by the Canadian-based, Real Blues Magazine. The newly released CD, My Kinda Blues, features legendary guest musicians, Kenny Neal, and Guitar Shorty.Dennis is no stranger to film either. Deep Blues from his first CD, Falling Up, was featured in a 2006 Lions Gate movie, Sea of Fear. The title track of Dennis’s 2nd CD, Passion for the Blues, will be in the soon to be released independent film, How We Got Away With It. Finally, Dennis is one of several artists featured in the much-anticipated Babe’s & Ricky’s Inn, a movie about one of the oldest blues clubs in Los Angeles, and its adored owner.The blues music industry is taking note. In May 2012, Dennis was honored to present the Awards for BB King Entertainer of the Year, to Tab Benoit, and Album of the Year, to the Tedeschi Trucks Band, for Revelator, at the Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tennessee.Dennis and his band continue to work hard to achieve the next level of musical success. Increased touring opportunities and greater exposure to new fans will undoubtedly make this band a household name. So if the same old blues has got you down, then it’s time to check out the Dennis Jones Band! Quick Facts about Dennis Jones…Born and raised in Baltimore County, Maryland. Began playing guitar at age 13.Influences include Jimmy Page, Jimi Hendrix, BB King, Albert King. Lived + played in Europe in his late teens, where his musical tastes further developed. Front man of Dennis Jones Band since 1996. Stint with Brian O’Neal and the BusBoys, 2001-2003. Won the International Blues Competition, Memphis, 2004, as part of Zac Harmon’s band. Special guest on Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Pacific, October 2010. Produced 2011 DVD release, Live at the Temecula Theater. Award Presenter at the renowned Blues Music Awards in Memphis, TN, in 2012. Produced Four Shades of Blue at the New Daisy Theater on Beale St., Memphis, TN, in May 2012, featuring the Dennis Jones Band, Zac Harmon, Eddie Turner, and special guest, Lazy Lester. Opened for such greats as Johnny Winter, Dick Dale, and the Experience Hendrix Tour. Plays popular and respected blues festivals around the USA including Doheny, Long Beach, Irvine Lake, Paramount, Northern California, etc.Tours of Europe, including Italy, France, Germany, Austria, and Switzerland © 2013 Dennis Jones http://www.dennisjonescentral.com/

MORE

Blues guitarist Dennis Jones grew up in Baltimore County, Maryland in an area which he describes as the "boonies". As a young man, Dennis was exposed to many styles of music from Motown and Gospel to Rock & Roll and R&B. Dennis first desired to play drums, but his parents thought that they would be too loud. So when he was 13 he asked for a guitar, two years later he had a Marshall Stack in the living room at which point his parents thought maybe the drums weren’t so loud after all. Dennis has always enjoyed tweaking his guitars and amps in search of that magic tone. By the time Dennis was 15, he was playing in his first band with musicians 3 to 4 years older and with more experience, which made his playing mature even faster. His musical exposure was quite varied. He’d listen to artists from Al Green, James Brown to Santana and The Rolling Stones. As a teen his older brother introduced him to Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix and the Who. His major influences were what he affectionately refers to as the three "J’s" (Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Jimmy Page) and the three "K’s" – (B.B. King, Freddie King and Albert King). To this day, Dennis continues to be inspired by these legends. Dennis played guitar in several cover and original bands throughout his youth. For several years while stationed in Europe, he played with notable Blues and R&B bands. This was a great time in life where he got to meet people, experience new cultures and hone his skills. Dennis came back to the states in the early 80s and continued playing in mostly cover bands. In 1985, Dennis moved to Los Angeles where he played in a rock and funk band that was wooed by a few major labels. In the late Eighties, the music scene changed and so did his direction. Dennis decided to concentrate solely on the blues and began writing it and playing it and has continued ever since. Dennis started the Dennis Jones Band in the mid 90s while continuing with other musical opportunities on the side. During his journey he has played with the BusBoys and with Zac Harmon and the Mid South Blues Revue in which he was featured on Zac’s CD "Live At Babe & Ricky's" as well as co-writing a song on "The Blues According to Zacariah". Dennis had the distinct pleasure of performing with Zac Harmon when he won the 2004 International Blues Challenge Championship. Over the years, Dennis has sat in with such artists as Guitar Shorty, Kenny Neal, Deborah Coleman, Chris Duarte and many more. In 2004, Dennis released his debut CD "Falling Up" (Blue Rock Records) produced by Brian O’Neal of the BusBoys. Dennis released his second CD, "Passion For The Blues" (Blue Rock Records) in 2006. Eight out of the ten tunes are penned by Dennis Jones. This CD has received great reviews and has been embraced by radio and fans as well. Life for Dennis Jones, as well as the Dennis Jones Band is shining bright. (quoted from Dennis Jones' page at myspace.com) © 2006-2009 BluesSearchEngine.com

The Eric Steckel Band

The Eric Steckel Band - Havana - 2006 - ESB145

11 tracks recorded live at the Havana, New Hope, Pennsylvania on 17th, December 2005. This brilliant young guitarist is re-igniting the great 60s and 70s blues rock sound. This young guy's talent is simply astonishing and this album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy Eric's "Early Pickin'" album and promote authentic blues rock of the highest calibre [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 151 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. San-Ho-Zay - Freddie King, Sonny Thompson 5:02
2. Radio Blues - Eric Steckel 10:58
3. Espirita Eric Steckel, Wayne Smith 4:55
4. Me and My Guitar - Leon Russell, Chuck Blackwell 4:52
5. Philips Highway - Eric Steckel 5:33
6. The Thrill is Gone - Rick Darnell, Roy Hawkins7:56
7. Deep Fried - Eric Steckel 4:31
8. Jaywalkin' - Eric Steckel, David Frey 4:31
9. Hey Sister - Eric Steckel 4:49
10. Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix 9:50
11. All Your Love - Otis Rush 5:43

N.B: Some releases of The Eric Steckel Band's "Live At Havana" or "Havana" does not include "The Thrill is Gone"

BAND

Eric Steckel - Guitar, Vocals
Nick Franklic - Bass Guitar
Robert Sands - Organ on Tracks 1,4,5,6,10,11: Piano on Tracks 2,8,9
Wayne Smith - Organ on Tracks 2,3,7,8: Drums on Tracks 1,9,10,11
Duane Trucks - Drums on Tracks 2,3,4,5,6,7,8

BIO

Eric Steckel played the Blues with a feeling and natural ability that could not be explained for someone so young. By the time he was 10, Eric delivered a Freddie-BB-Albert King influenced performance with an intensity and skill that belied his youth. His passion for music and natural command of the scene enabled him to share the stage with some of the finest touring artists. Eric quickly became a local favorite as music fans around his then Pennsylvania hometown packed the clubs and festivals to see and hear this new young gun of the Blues. The Eric Steckel Band's debut CD, "A Few Degrees Warmer", was recorded live in April 2002 when Eric was just 11 years old. A Few Degrees quickly became a top selling Blues album as the record delighted Blues Guitar fans across the globe. In 2003 the "ESB" appeared at the Sarasota Blues Festival where Eric's powerful set became the talk of the day. Before the night was over Eric was introduced by John Mayall as the youngest guitarist ever on stage with the Bluesbreakers. Eric left a lasting impression on Mayall and in 2004 Eric appeared in Sweden, Norway and Denmark with Mayall and The Bluesbreakers during their Scandinavian Tour. In early 2005 Eric traveled to Los Angeles where he joined Mayall for session work on the "Road Dogs" record. The ESB developed a faithful fan base through years of club gigs and festival appearances including opening sets in support of Tommy Castro, Shemekia Copeland and B.B. King. The band released a studio record titled "High Action" in 2004 and traveled to Holland and Belgium in 2005 for a 10 concert tour. After relocating to Jacksonville, Florida, Eric was introduced to Duane Trucks who joined the band in late 2005 on drums. In celebration of Duane's arrival, the ESB released their third record, "Havana". Deeply rooted in the Blues, this live recording recalled the sound of the 60s and 70s Blues Rock era. With the European release of "Live at Havana", the ESB returned to Holland in 2006 where they opened for Johnny Winter at The Paradiso in Amsterdam and appeared at the Tegelen Blues Rock Festival. The Summer of 2007 marked another milestone as the ESB played several American music festivals and earned rave reviews and new fans during tours in Holland, Germany, Belgium and Italy. The Italy tour was highlighted by a main stage performance at the legendary Pistoia Blues Festival where Eric shared the prime time bill with John Mayall and Gregg Allman. With the release of “Feels Like Home” in 2008, Eric began his transition from teen Blues phenom to a matured guitarist with an equally impressive talent on the Hammond B3 organ. The international release of “Feels Like Home” was well received with several tracks receiving regular airplay on XM Radio Bluesville. Eric toured "Feels Like Home" in Italy, Holland, Belgium and Germany and cut a few demo tracks now known as "The Soundmine Sessions". In 2009 Eric was back on the Continent for a Blues Guitar Heroes Tribute Tour. The Heroes Tour was a significant success and by popular demand an extended 2010 Tour was booked. Highlights of the 2010 tour included appearances at the Grolsch Blues Festival in Germany, the Highlands Festival in Holland and a headline performance at the Zoetermeer (NL) Blues Festival. Eric returned to the States on a mission to put the feel and soul of the Blues into a modern day rock record. His quest took him back to the Pocono Mountains and led to the "Milestone" release. On Milestone, Eric produced a powerful new sound that incorporated a wide variety of musical influences and styles while reminding us that you can still rock out without losing your soul. Ten Years After.....Eric is back. The youngest Blues veteran is coming home. And the journey continues...... Eric has been featured in The Allentown (PA) Morning Call, The Doylestown (PA) Intelligencer, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The (NY) Times-Herald Record, Music Head Magazine, The Warren (NJ) Reporter Forum, Guitar World Magazine, The Easton (PA) Express, The Bridgewater (NJ) Courier Times, The Sarasota (FL) Herald-Tribune, the Lancaster (PA) Sunday News and The Florida Times Union. International press includes features in the Haagshe Courant, De Telegraaph, BluesMagazine (NL) and a MusikMaker (NL) feature. Eric was also featured in a Comcast CN8 TV News Extra and he has appeared on NBC 10 in Philadelphia, Comcast CN8, Fox Philadelphia, SNN6 in Sarasota and Reuters TV. © Eric Steckel Music http://www.ericsteckel.com/fr_home.cfm

Paul Carrack feat. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra - A Different Hat - 2010 - Absolute UK / Carrack

Paul Carrack is a singer/songwriter that I imagine many people will have heard over the years, perhaps without even realising. The former Mike + The Mechanics vocalist breathed life into such hits as How Long by Ace andTempted by Squeeze, and has written for artists such as The Eagles, Tom Jones and Jools Holland. A Different Hat is Carrack’s latest solo effort, an album that allows him to reinterpret his own back catalogue, as well as the classic hits of numerous other musicians he admires, whilst being accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. I have been in awe of Paul Carrack’s voice since my childhood. Tempted by Squeeze is one of my favourite songs of all time. Without fail, Over My Shoulder and The Living Years by Mike + The Mechanics always get turned up high whenever they start to play on the car radio. There is a beautiful everyman quality to his voice that is undeniable. The first track of A Different Hat sets the tone for the entire album. Randy Newman’s I Think It’s Going To Rain Today has been covered many times, yet with Carrack’s voice we finally get to experience it engulfed in a smokey, velvety quality that completely transforms the entire song. It is such a strong opening that I listened to it several times before continuing onward with the album. I may even prefer it to Newman’s original recording…The success of inclusions such as Moon River and I Can’t Make You Love Me are forgone conclusions; Carrack’s voice is capable of being both gentle and powerful at the same time. He can take well known, well covered songs and still manage to completely make them his own. If the entire album had consisted of such tracks, it would have provided a pleasant, yet safe listen. Thankfully, he pushes things further. The original I Live On A Battlefield, recorded by Carrack in 1989, had an upbeat, electronic sound to it that made it infectiously catchy. Perhaps too catchy: the lyrics were always more downbeat beneath it all, trying to rise up to the surface. The track’s new incarnation here is exquisite, much slower in tempo, allowing the haunting lyrics to finally come to the fore. Peggy Lee’s I Don’t Know Enough About You is wisely not tinkered with, having stood the test of time amazingly well. Elsewhere, Nat King Cole’s For All We Know is slightly sped up and given extra layers with terrific results. Carrack’s own It Ain’t Over ends things on a high, the cherry on top of an album that manages to take a wide range of aging material and successfully bring it bang up to date. Conductor and arranger on the album David Cullen admits during the CD notes that he initially didn’t have a clue who Paul Carrack was prior to agreeing to the project. Yet, just like I am sure many listeners of this album will agree, once he heard Carrack’s voice he was instantly taken aback by his “rich, warm voice.” It seems such a shame that Paul Carrack is still a relatively undiscovered gem. Then again, perhaps that is the key to his success: the music always comes first. My only complaint is that I wish there had been some faster tunes included: his reserved singing style remains enchanting, but I occasionally wished he would just let rip. 9 OUT OF 10 By & © Marty Mulrooney
http://alternativemagazineonline.co.uk/2010/11/25/music-review-a-different-hat-by-paul-carrack/

The great British soul singer takes a bunch of tunes you've heard a million times, and brings something new to them all. Check this blog for more info about one of the best voices in the rock/pop business [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 109 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I Think It's Going to Rain Today - Randy Newman 4:30
2 Moon River - Henry Mancini / Johnny Mercer 3:28
3 Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying - Leo Aguire / Les Chadwick / Fred Marsden / Gerard Marsden 3:53
4 I Can't Make You Love Me - Allen Shamblin 4:16
5 I Live on a Battlefield - Paul Carrack 4:05
6 Eyes of Blue - Paul Carrack 4:17
7 I Don't Know Enough About You - Dave Barbour / Peggy Lee 3:18
8 All the Way - Sammy Cahn / James Van Heusen 4:27
9 If You Love Me - Marguerite Monnot / Geoff Parsons 3:34
10 Love Will Keep Us Alive - Jim Capaldi / Paul Carrack 4:03
11 For All We Know - J. Fred Coots / Sam Lewis 3:12
12 It Ain't Over - Paul Carrack 4:19

MUSICIANS

Paul Carrack - Piano, Vocals
Andrew Vinter, Roderick Elms - Keyboards
Don Richardson - Bass
Benajmin Cunningham, Kylie Davies, Cathy Colwell, David Broughton, Roy Benson, David Gordon, John Holt, Clare Tyack - Double Bass
Neil Wilkinson - Drums
Paul Clarvis, Stephen Quigley, Martin Owens - Percussion
Christopher Parkes, Laurence Davies, Andrew Fletcher, Philip Woods, Kathryn Saunders - Horn
Adam Wright, Craig Wild, Brian Thomson, Joseph Atkins, Mike Allen - Trumpet
Becky Smith, Philip White, Richard Watkins, Matthew Gee, Christopher Dean - Trombone
Patrick Jackman, Paul Frost, Roger Argente - Trombone (Bass)
Duncan Gould, Tom Lessels, Katie Lockhart, Douglas Mitchel, Anthony Pike, Michael Whight, Andrew Webster, Catherine Spencer - Clarinet
John McDougall, David Hubbard - Bassoon
John Anderson - Oboe
Leila Ward - Oboe, Cor Anglais
Kevin Morgan - Tuba
Julian Coward, Helen Keen, Sophie Johnson, Francis Nolan, Kenneth Smith, Joanna Marsh, Emer McDonough - Flute
Claire Roff, Elen Richards, Anthony Protheroe, Jessica O'Leary, Charles Nolan, Naoko Miyamoto, Sian McInally, Gemma McCrisken, Victoria Lyon, Jonathan Lee, Sheila Law, Andrew Klee, Stephen Kear, Andrew Haveron, Patrick Savage, Rebecca Shorrock, Gareth Griffiths, Gerald Gregory, Helena Smart, Andrew Storey, Ikuko Sunamura, Andreas Tamas, Judith Templeman, Rosemary Wainwright, Lynette Wynn, Kaoru Yamada, Lena Zeliszewska, Simon Baggs, Clio Gould, Russell Gilbert, Michael Dolan, Harriet Davies, Peter Dale, Jennifer Christie, Kay Chappell, Erik Chapman, Alex Afia, Tamas Andras, Charlotte Ansbergs, Colin Callow, Emer Calthorpe - Violin
Elisabeth Varlow,Andrew Sippings, Alistair Scahill, Rachel Robson, Emilie Hornlund, Laura Holt, David Hirschman, Esther Harling, Jonathan Hallett, Miranda Davis, Philip D'Arcy, Elizabeth Butler, Kathy Balmain, Emma Sheppard - Viola
William Heggart, Shinko Hanaoka, Daniel Hammersley, David Lale, Julia Dale,Tim Gill, Jonathan Few, Jessica Burroughs, Emma Black, Rosemary Banks-Francis, Zoe Martlew, Dominic O'Dell, Roberto Sorrentino, Rachel Van Der Tang, Chantal Webster, Anne Waddington - Cello
Helen Kamminga - Viola, Violin
Matthew Perry - Timpani
Suzanne Willison-Kawalec - Harp
Davy Spillane - Low Whistle
David Cullen - Arranger, Conductor (Royal Philharmonic Orchestra)

BIO

Paul Carrack was pop music's ultimate journeyman. A vocalist and keyboardist who enjoyed considerable success over the course of his lengthy career while in the service of bands ranging fromAce to Squeeze to Mike + the Mechanics, his finest work often came at the expense of his own identity as a performer; indeed, of the many big hits on which the unassuming singer was prominently featured, only one, 1987's "Don't Shed a Tear," bore his own name. Carrack was born April 22, 1951, in Sheffield, England; he joined the pub rock group Ace in 1972, eventually writing and singing their debut single, "How Long." After reaching the Top 20 in the group's native Britain, the record hit the number-three position in the U.S.; however, after subsequent material failed to match the success of "How Long," Ace disbanded in 1977, and Carrack signed on with Frankie Miller. He soon resurfaced in Roxy Music, appearing on the LPs Manifestoand Flesh and Blood before releasing his solo debut, Nightbird, in 1980. Carrack next joined Squeeze, replacing keyboardist Jools Holland; in addition to contributing to the group's 1981 creative pinnacle East Side Story, he also assumed lead vocal duties on the single "Tempted," their best-remembered hit. However, Carrack's stay in Squeeze was brief, and after working with Nick Lowe he again attempted to forge a solo career with the 1982 LP Suburban Voodoo, cracking the U.S. Top 40 with the single "I Need You." A tenure as a sideman with Eric Clapton followed, and in 1985 he joined Genesis'Mike Rutherford in his side project Mike + the Mechanics. Their hits include "Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)" and "All I Need Is a Miracle." While remaining a rather anonymous figure at home, Carrackachieved a higher level of visibility in America as a result of Mike + the Mechanics' success; subsequently, his third solo album, One Good Reason, proved to be by far his most popular effort to date, with the single "Don't Shed a Tear" reaching the Top Ten. Another tenure withthe Mechanics followed, and with the title track of 1988's The Living Years, the group scored their first number-one hit. After the 1989Carrack solo LP Groove Approved, Mike + the Mechanics issued 1991's Word of Mouth, which failed to repeat the chart performance of its predecessors; by 1993, Carrack was again a member of Squeeze, appearing on the album Some Fantastic Place and also resuming lead chores for a re-recording of "Tempted." However, he was once again back in the Mechanics' fold for 1995's Beggar on a Beach of Gold; the solo Blue Views was issued the next year, followed in 1997 by Beautiful World. Satisfy My Soul was issued in 2000, his first album for Compass Records. Carrack spent the first half the 2000s touring, both as a solo act and as the frontman in Mike + the Mechanics, releasing Groovin' in 2001 and It Ain't Over in 2003. A holiday album appeared in 2005, followed in 2007 by Old, New, Borrowed and Blue. After 2008's knowingly titled I Know That Name, Carrack took a detour on 2010's A Different Hat, an album cut with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Two years later Carrack returned with the soulful 2012 album, Good Feeling. © Jason Ankeny © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-carrack-mn0000746915

Allan Holdsworth

Allan Holdsworth - Sand - 1987 - Relativity Records

Brit guitar hero Allan Holdsworth, ex of the Soft Machine, Gong, U.K., and Bill Bruford and Annette Peacock's solo projects, has been wildly inconsistent when it comes to his solo projects. Completely bonkers for technology, he's employed every gadget he can get his hands on own records, and has gotten results that range from the near sublime to the kind of dross one usually associates with prog excess. But Sand is a different animal, a respite from the relentless kitchen sink approach Holdsworthwas mired in through much of the late '70s and early '80s. Utilizing a new contraption, the "Synthaxe," a guitar that has the tonal and sonic possibilities of the synthesizer but can be played straight as well, it seems to satisfy the artist's technology jones, and allows him to compose sensitively for the instrument while not forgetting he's a guitarist first. Guitar fans might be a little put off by the sounds and textures of the synthaxe, which allows for a guitarist to subvert its limited range of tones and colors for rounded off keyboard sounds and warm textural aspects. In other words, the traditional sound of the electric guitar -- and, in particular, Holdsworth's trademark sound -- is nearly absent. In place is a near keyboard sound played in the same way he plays guitar. The six compositions here range from the knotty, mixed tempo, arpeggio-rich title track to the reflective, near pastoral grace of "Distance Vs. Desire" to the electronically astute, fast and furious jazz-rock fusion of "Mac Man." The only time a keyboard actually appears is Alan Pasqua's solo in "Pud Wud," where the guitarist wields his traditional instrument and rips free of the constraints of his own composition for some truly fiery pyrotechnics. The rhythm section of bassist Jimmy Johnson (a killer electric jazz bassist who has also played with Percy Jones and Brand X) and drummer Gary Husband are more than equal to the task of accompaniment, and, in fact, are creative foils for Holdsworth, who allows his sidemen plenty of room to shine -- also unlike many of his earlier projects. Is Sand the mark of a new contentment and refined aesthetic for Holdsworth? Only time will, but it is safe to say that this is one of his most innovative and texturally beautiful to date. © Thom Jurek © 2013 Rovi http://www.allmusic.com/album/sand-mw0000197286Corp | All Rights Reserved [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 87.4 Mb]

TRACKS

1.Sand 5:25
2.Distance vs. Desire 5:16
3.Pud Wud 6:45
4.Clown 5:14
5.The 4.15 Bradford Executive 8:28
6.Mac Man 4:01

All songs written and composed by Allan Holdsworth, except Track 5 by Allan Holdsworth & Chad Wackerman

MUSICIANS

Allan Holdsworth - Guitar, SynthAxe
Jimmy Johnson - Bass except Track 6
Biff Vincent - Roland Octapad Bass on Track 6
Alan Pasqua - Keyboards
Gary Husband - Drums on Tracks 1, 3
Chad Wackerman - Drums on Tracks 4, 5: Percussion on Track 6
John England - Sound Effects

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 rockersTempest, 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'sGazeuse! (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 © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/holdsworth-mn0000002252

Pete Haycock

Pete Haycock - Pete Haycock's True Blues feat. Glen Turner Live - 2008 - Rmi Sound

A great example of just how good blues and R&B can sound when played by musicians of the calibre of Pete Haycock, the former Climax Blues Band and ELO Part II founder and the great jazz and blues guitarist, Glen Turner. Pete has never had the solo success he had with the CBB, but he is a superb guitarist and slide guitarist. There are some great solos and duets on this album with and great improvisation from both Pete and Glen demonstrating just how versatile and expressive the R&B genre can be [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 146 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Roadhouse Blues - Densmore, John Paul, Jim Morrison, Krieger, Robert A., Manzarek, Raymond D. 6:45
2 Love Sneaking Up On You - Scott, Jimmy J., Tom Snow 5:08
3 Lucienne - Pete Haycock 5:36
4 Call Me The Breeze - Cale, John W. 4:55
5 Midnight Hours - Larry Dale 7:12
6 Feelin' Alright - David Mason 6:21
7 Sleepwalk - Ann Farina, Farina, John S., Farina, Santo A. 4:29
8 When It's Love Time - Ruth McGhee 4:06
9 Dust My Broom/Statesboro Blues - Elmore James 5:32
10 So Many Roads - Paul Marshall 10:12
11 Rocky Mountain Way - Joe Vitale, Kenny Passarelli, Rocky Grace, Walsh, Joseph F. 6:18

BAND

Pete Haycock - Guitar, Vocals
Glen Turner - Guitar
Paul Harriman - Bass
Josef Kirschgen - Drums

BIO (WIKI)

Pete Haycock (born Peter John Haycock, 4 March 1951, Stafford, Staffordshire, England) is a musician and composer of film scores, who started his career as lead guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the Climax Chicago Blues Band. Formed in Stafford in 1968, the band changed their name from the Climax Chicago Blues Band to the Climax Blues Band in 1970. The original band line-up consisted of Haycock (lead guitar, vocals), Derek Holt (guitar, vocals), Richard Jones (bass), Arthur Wood (keyboards), George Newsome (drums), and Colin Cooper (harmonica/vocals). The Climax Blues Band went through a few personnel changes during the early 1970s before arriving at their most stable, creative, and successful, line-up, which consisted of Haycock, Holt (switched to bass guitar), Cooper, and drummer John Cuffley. The band, featuring these players, toured heavily in the 1970s and 1980s. During much of this period, Haycock played concerts with his rare trademark instrument, a gold-plated Veleno guitar, which also graced the cover (and was the namesake) of Climax's Gold Plated album.In May, 2012, the Major League Productions Ltd record label released an until-then unknown vault recording of a 1976 live performance, featuring the Climax Blues Band at the top of their game: Climax Blues Band / World Tour 1976. Haycock provided some insightful liner notes for the CD's insert, and the recording further demonstrates the tight musicianship that was found in the band's lineup at that time. The band produced more than 15 successful albums in their heyday. Though another group of musicians, which at one time was led by late former bandmate, Colin Cooper, is currently calling themselves "Climax Blues Band", their lineup does not consist of any founding members, and has not found the commercial success or following that the original, "true" Climax Blues Band enjoyed during Haycock's years with the band. After he and the original Climax bandmates went their separate ways in 1988, Haycock went on to record an instrumental album for I.R.S. No Speak entitled Guitar and Son, as well as the Night of the Guitars live album (from the tour of the same name). After that tour, Haycock teamed up with fellow guitarist Steve Hunter and former Climax Blues bandmate, Derek Holt, to record an album under the name, H Factor. In 1990, Haycock was approached by Bev Bevan, formerly of Electric Light Orchestra, to join the newly-formed Electric Light Orchestra Part II. The group toured and recorded with Haycock in the early 1990s, releasing both a live CD and video of their performance with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. In the early 1990s Haycock began scoring music for films. He was asked by Hans Zimmer to collaborate on several projects, including K2 and Drop Zone, among others, and it was on the soundtrack for Thelma & Louise that Haycock performed the Thunderbird theme music on slide guitar. Haycock was asked by Zimmer to recreate his performance, with a live symphony orchestra, for the recording of Wings of a Film, which was a compilation album of Zimmer's successful film scores. Other work with Zimmer led to Haycock to begin composing music of his own for film and television. One False Move, (1992) found Haycock collaborating with Derek Holt. More scores would follow, and Haycock helped produce recordings for other artists. Haycock collaborated with Zimmer again in 2011, and played guitar on Ron Howard's soundtrack for The Dilemma, (starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James). In 2005, Haycock supplied all the music for the Hollister Independence Motorcycle Rally DVD charity project, for producer Jeff Byler, with proceeds benefiting Emmaus House, a shelter for battered women and children. When the DVD's producer suggested a follow-up soundtrack to the project, Haycock went back into the studio to complete the album that became Bikers' Dozen, which featured a vocal performance by John Fiddler (Medicine Head). No stranger to charity work, Pete Haycock signed on as a major contributor to the forthcoming Damage Limitation charity CD project in 2009, which was spearheaded by fellow musician Robin George, and was built around Robin's hit song, "LovePower and Peace". Pete contributed many trademark slide guitar tracks and donated studio time to the project, a charity effort to benefit children with cancer and other terminal diseases. This collaboration, which includes the donated talents of scores of veteran musicians , not only resulted in a dynamic album of music, with proceeds benefiting charity, but has resulted in the forming a "super group" called The LovePower Band, which has landed a major record deal and completed its first album, which was released in 2011. There is also talk of a potential LovePower Band tour in the future. After an absence from the stage and live performances, Haycock formed a new band, Pete Haycock's True Blues (featuring Glen Turner). In 2008, they toured Europe and released their first recording together: Pete Haycock's True Blues Live (featuring Glen Turner). In April 2009, Pete Haycock, in an interview, talked about the early days with the Climax Blues Band, the transition to studio work (with and without Hans Zimmer), and his return to the stage with his new band, after an absence from live performances of fourteen years. Pete Haycock continues to record, and perform live, and has been a featured guest performer with the Siggi Schwarz' band, and was on the same bill with ZZ Top and Johnny Winter in 2012.

MORE

Peter John Haycock was born 4th March 1951 at 63, Tixall Road, Stafford, England. He went to St.John's Primary School then King Edward VI School in Stafford.When he tried to join the recorder class the music teacher said he would never become a musician. Eat your heart out Mrs.Barrett! Pete taught himself to play harmonica at the age of 9 and then started to play guitar at the age of 11 with the help of the Bert Weedon instruction book. The big acoustic guitar was bought by Pete's Uncle Bill. He was told it would be ideal for a beginner because it had "plenty of daylight between the strings and the neck"! Pete was very impressed ( as were so many other young English kids at the time ) by Cliff Richard's backing group "The Shadows", who were the first successful British group to feature electric guitars. Hank Marvin's solos were an inspiration and Pete would play them on the stairs of the family home to get extra 'reverb' from the bare walls. He played his first electric guitar (A "Broadway")at a gig aged 12 in a miners' club in Rugeley, Staffordshire.Pete's guitar playing on the stairs had been heard by a couple of local lads with an interest in Blues and they formed "The Mason - Dixon Line", playing not only covers of the current blues - flavoured hits but performing their own versions of lesser - known U.S. Blues recordings. The line - up of the band also included local Stafford musicians Maldwyn Hawkesworth ( vocals, percussion ) Roger Peet ( Rhythm Guitar ) Paul " Flick" Taylor ( Bass) ......and one George Newsome ( Drums ) who would later be invited by Pete to join a certain other local band.....and since the subject has been broached ....it is also worth mentioning that during his time at King Edward VI School he was guest guitarist with a school band called the Velvet Chords gigging at school and college dances ........with Richard Jones on bass............. and Geoff and Tony Nicholls on drums and rhythm guitars respectively. A similar lineup made up the imaginatively named band -'The General Erection' ! Pete remembers.... " The lad who played bass in my first band Mason Dixon Line, Paul "Flick" Taylor, played lefty but with "normal" strings I seem ro recall, or maybe the other way around, it was hard to tell because he seemed determined to "out-Wyman" Bill himself by playing as "vertically" as possible. I recall him resting the guitar neck on his nose for most of the set. His bass was actually a masterpiece of confusion too. It was basically a Burns copy (made by his father who was a qualified "French Polisher" by trade... so he certainly didn't rub the French up the wrong way..sorry...anyway, you can imagine how immaculate the woodworking and finishing was) but the "tracing" of the Burns shape must have been done only on the back of the original and then transferred directly to the "face" of the new timber, so it looked like a mirror image when finished. To complicate matters further the only chunk of plastic "scratchplate" they could get was non-laminated and of an awfully bright orangey red hue.....a weird beast that was. It sounded OK though, despite the two cheap Vox pick-ups, through the old Linear amp! "Flick's Dad" built all of the cabs for our first guitar amps too by the way...again bright red for some reason. What a tolerant chap he must have been Mr.Taylor, bless him, despite perhaps being somewhat colour blind. Albert King played with "upside down" stings too apparently, which helps to explain the major third (4....yes, 4 semitone) bends he could make on that Flying V with heavy strings....whilst Clapton (and myself) could only attempt them using ultra light or banjo strings at first. If you think about it, or better still try it on a lefty guitar, you drag the strings downwards with as many fingers as you like to support the effort as opposed to pushing upwards with only the third finger, it says 'ere. I remember playing gigs in the States and jamming with Hendrix's ex-drummer from the "The Band Of Gypsies"...Buddy.......erm......huge black chap, ex-convict type attitude.."don't mess wiv me you Muvvas".....he actually sat on Luke O'Reilly's head (our short-lived tour manager) when he moaned at him about summat.......that certainly shut him up in a hurry too......sorry, second name escapes me for the moment...NO.....hang on... GOT IT! Buddy Miles! Anyway Buddy obviously learned guitar by playing on Jimi's spare axes whilst posing in the mirror or something equally strange, 'cos he jammed quite effortlessly with me on guitar, and was a useful player indeed (for a drummer) on my spare axe, simply turned over the wrong way - left handed....weird. It reminds me of that Red Dwarf episode where they end up, or rather begin, in Nodnol in the backwards Universe....know that one? A classic. " In 1967 he met up with Colin Cooper who asked him to join the newly - formed soul band "The Gospel Truth" along with some musicians from the Stoke - on Trent area. Despite some local successes the band never progressed beyond playing the odd college gig ( albeit as far afield as Durham and Scotland ) so after this line - up fizzled out the following year Pete initiated the formation of The Climax Chicago Blues Band whose original line-up was Pete Haycock ( lead guitar) Derek Holt ( piano ) Colin Cooper ( vocals, harmonica ) and at Pete's suggestion, Richard Jones ( Bass) and George Newsome ( Drums ). The band was soon augmented by pianist Arthur Wood, leaving Derek Holt free to switch to rhythm guitar.After a few gigs Colin also started to play saxophone with the band. Their first album " The Climax Chicago Blues Band" was on Parlophone and in all honesty it only came about because of the upsurge in the popularity of the Blues in the U.K. during the late 60's . Their friend and "manager" Peter Riley fortunately approached Beatles' Producer George Martin's people at A.I.R. London, then a brand new Production company, at exactly the right time. As fate would have it they were looking for a Blues - based band to record, especially since their strong connections happened to be with E.M.I. - who just happened to be lagging behind a little in the field. The Producer of the first couple of albums at E.M.I.'s Abbey Road Studios was a young lad ( who, oddly enough, had some Stafford family connections ) called Chris Thomas. Chris was officially little more than a " Tea Boy " .....or " Gofer "..for our American readers....when he was given the chance to record this obscure little band from Stafford. He has gone on to become one of the greatest Record Producers of the last quarter of the 20thcentury and continues into the 21st. It is also noteworthy that the Recording Engineer at Abbey Road was none other than Geoff Emerick. Any true Beatles fan will be pleased to tell you about his pedigree..... The debut album was mostly just a studio recording of the Band's favourite songs from the "live" set, completed in 2 days with very few overdubs. But even at this early stage Chris Thomas's slightly zany influence could already be heard. "And Lonely" or the deliberately ancient - sounding version of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" were not exactly your typical "British Blues Band" output - although the barely 17 year old guitarist was also encouraged to... "just jam a 12-bar blues and see what happens..." the result being the Freddie King / Clapton influenced instrumental "Twenty Past One". A willingness to experiment was undoubtedly one of the trade marks of the whole A.I.R. London set -up, a trait no doubt fostered by their association with the Beatles, and this had a positive effect on the band's progress for several years in that they were no longer content to simply churn out cover versions of their Chicago Blues heroes' records. By the time the second album " Plays On" came along this slightly oddball approach to making a "Blues" album had progressed to the point where it was now quite acceptable to mix the styles of the likes of Wilburt Harrison and Otis Rush with Jazz, Cuban and even Classical influences ( indeed the beginning of " Mum's The Word" bears more than a passing resemblance to " Also Sprach Zarathustra" although the bands motivations may have been slightly more focussed on Kubrick rather than Strauss...) and then you chuck in a bit of guitar jamming ( "Twenty Past Two"......yes you guessed it ...another guitar instrumental...) and a pinch of Ragtime for good measure ( "Temptation Rag" ) courtesy of Arthur Wood's nimble fingers . Unlike the first album none of these tracks were truly rehearsed before the band entered the hallowed gates of Abbey Road, which may sound extremely risky especially now that we live in in the age of computer music, deliberately crafted images and truly manufactured Pop. If you bear in mind the fact that the second album, complete with its experimental elements, was recorded in less than a week, it's no wonder that Pete's memories of the session are best summed up as " a blur of activity and creative madness, more or less instigated by Chris Thomas .Although we only had a few days to record an album nobody had made any real plans, unless Chris managed to fool us all, which I don't believe for one second." " But it was a wonderful experience and it's sad that nobody makes records like that any more. It's not a question of youth and fervour either, because even if they have the artistic freedom to try their ideas many "modern" musicians seem content to judge the results of their labours by the standards of their peers, instead of just going for it and trusting in their individuality. Of course you have to be sure of your abilities, whether it be as a player or a singer or whatever - that's your own responsibility - but I've since made those same mistakes myself from time to time and the inevitable conclusion that I reach after 30 odd years of recording is that I can only enjoy listening to those older recordings if they were made with genuine creativity or emotion, even naivety, or better still, all of these elements accompanied by a good dose of chaos. Unfortunately, from the band's point of view, Richard Jones had left before this recording to study for his M.A. in Cambridge, and considering the success Richard had with the musically and theatrically impressive band "Principal Edwards Magic Theatre" a few years later, Pete is of the opinion that it would have been interesting to hear what would have happened to "Plays On" had Richard still been around to enjoy the ride." This is only the first part of Pete's Biography, there is more to follow as the site develops. © http://www.petehaycock.com/biography.htm

Pete Haycock

Pete Haycock - Guitar And Son - 1987 - I.R.S

Good solid instrumental guitar rock from Pete Haycock, the former Climax Blues Band and ELO Part II founder. There are some melodic ballad instrumentals on the album, so don't expect Allan Holdsworth, Dweezil Zappa, or Michael Landau style shred solos. This is a very good album which amply displays the underrated guitar skills of Pete Haycock. If you want to hear some of Pete's "stronger" guitar work, check out his "True Blues feat. Glen Turner Live" and The Pete Haycock Band's "Livin' It" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 92.1 Mb]

TRACKS

A1 Liberty 4:22
A2 Lucienne 3:41
A3 Spikes 3:46
A4 Terry Anne 5:50
A5 Dr. Brown I Presume 3:35

B1 The Claymore 3:39
B2 Down To Bay Six 3:47
B3 Rebecca 4:11
B4 The New York Stakes 5:18
B5 Follow That Frog 3:05

All songs composed by Pete Haycock

MUSICIANS

Pete Haycock - Guitars, Synth.
Livingston Brown - Bass, Synth.
Chris Bucknall - Keyboards
Pete Thompson, Chris North - Drums
Mike Stevens - Saxophone

BIO (WIKI)

Pete Haycock (born Peter John Haycock, 4 March 1951, Stafford, Staffordshire, England) is a musician and composer of film scores, who started his career as lead guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the Climax Chicago Blues Band. Formed in Stafford in 1968, the band changed their name from the Climax Chicago Blues Band to the Climax Blues Band in 1970. The original band line-up consisted of Haycock (lead guitar, vocals), Derek Holt (guitar, vocals), Richard Jones (bass), Arthur Wood (keyboards), George Newsome (drums), and Colin Cooper (harmonica/vocals). The Climax Blues Band went through a few personnel changes during the early 1970s before arriving at their most stable, creative, and successful, line-up, which consisted of Haycock, Holt (switched to bass guitar), Cooper, and drummer John Cuffley. The band, featuring these players, toured heavily in the 1970s and 1980s. During much of this period, Haycock played concerts with his rare trademark instrument, a gold-plated Veleno guitar, which also graced the cover (and was the namesake) of Climax's Gold Plated album.In May, 2012, the Major League Productions Ltd record label released an until-then unknown vault recording of a 1976 live performance, featuring the Climax Blues Band at the top of their game: Climax Blues Band / World Tour 1976. Haycock provided some insightful liner notes for the CD's insert, and the recording further demonstrates the tight musicianship that was found in the band's lineup at that time. The band produced more than 15 successful albums in their heyday. Though another group of musicians, which at one time was led by late former bandmate, Colin Cooper, is currently calling themselves "Climax Blues Band", their lineup does not consist of any founding members, and has not found the commercial success or following that the original, "true" Climax Blues Band enjoyed during Haycock's years with the band. After he and the original Climax bandmates went their separate ways in 1988, Haycock went on to record an instrumental album for I.R.S. No Speak entitled Guitar and Son, as well as the Night of the Guitars live album (from the tour of the same name). After that tour, Haycock teamed up with fellow guitarist Steve Hunter and former Climax Blues bandmate, Derek Holt, to record an album under the name, H Factor. In 1990, Haycock was approached by Bev Bevan, formerly of Electric Light Orchestra, to join the newly-formed Electric Light Orchestra Part II. The group toured and recorded with Haycock in the early 1990s, releasing both a live CD and video of their performance with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. In the early 1990s Haycock began scoring music for films. He was asked by Hans Zimmer to collaborate on several projects, including K2 and Drop Zone, among others, and it was on the soundtrack for Thelma & Louise that Haycock performed the Thunderbird theme music on slide guitar. Haycock was asked by Zimmer to recreate his performance, with a live symphony orchestra, for the recording of Wings of a Film, which was a compilation album of Zimmer's successful film scores. Other work with Zimmer led to Haycock to begin composing music of his own for film and television. One False Move, (1992) found Haycock collaborating with Derek Holt. More scores would follow, and Haycock helped produce recordings for other artists. Haycock collaborated with Zimmer again in 2011, and played guitar on Ron Howard's soundtrack for The Dilemma, (starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James). In 2005, Haycock supplied all the music for the Hollister Independence Motorcycle Rally DVD charity project, for producer Jeff Byler, with proceeds benefiting Emmaus House, a shelter for battered women and children. When the DVD's producer suggested a follow-up soundtrack to the project, Haycock went back into the studio to complete the album that became Bikers' Dozen, which featured a vocal performance by John Fiddler (Medicine Head). No stranger to charity work, Pete Haycock signed on as a major contributor to the forthcoming Damage Limitation charity CD project in 2009, which was spearheaded by fellow musician Robin George, and was built around Robin's hit song, "LovePower and Peace". Pete contributed many trademark slide guitar tracks and donated studio time to the project, a charity effort to benefit children with cancer and other terminal diseases. This collaboration, which includes the donated talents of scores of veteran musicians , not only resulted in a dynamic album of music, with proceeds benefiting charity, but has resulted in the forming a "super group" called The LovePower Band, which has landed a major record deal and completed its first album, which was released in 2011. There is also talk of a potential LovePower Band tour in the future. After an absence from the stage and live performances, Haycock formed a new band, Pete Haycock's True Blues (featuring Glen Turner). In 2008, they toured Europe and released their first recording together: Pete Haycock's True Blues Live (featuring Glen Turner). In April 2009, Pete Haycock, in an interview, talked about the early days with the Climax Blues Band, the transition to studio work (with and without Hans Zimmer), and his return to the stage with his new band, after an absence from live performances of fourteen years. Pete Haycock continues to record, and perform live, and has been a featured guest performer with the Siggi Schwarz' band, and was on the same bill with ZZ Top and Johnny Winter in 2012.

MORE

Peter John Haycock was born 4th March 1951 at 63, Tixall Road, Stafford, England. He went to St.John's Primary School then King Edward VI School in Stafford.When he tried to join the recorder class the music teacher said he would never become a musician. Eat your heart out Mrs.Barrett! Pete taught himself to play harmonica at the age of 9 and then started to play guitar at the age of 11 with the help of the Bert Weedon instruction book. The big acoustic guitar was bought by Pete's Uncle Bill. He was told it would be ideal for a beginner because it had "plenty of daylight between the strings and the neck"! Pete was very impressed ( as were so many other young English kids at the time ) by Cliff Richard's backing group "The Shadows", who were the first successful British group to feature electric guitars. Hank Marvin's solos were an inspiration and Pete would play them on the stairs of the family home to get extra 'reverb' from the bare walls. He played his first electric guitar (A "Broadway")at a gig aged 12 in a miners' club in Rugeley, Staffordshire.Pete's guitar playing on the stairs had been heard by a couple of local lads with an interest in Blues and they formed "The Mason - Dixon Line", playing not only covers of the current blues - flavoured hits but performing their own versions of lesser - known U.S. Blues recordings. The line - up of the band also included local Stafford musicians Maldwyn Hawkesworth ( vocals, percussion ) Roger Peet ( Rhythm Guitar ) Paul " Flick" Taylor ( Bass) ......and one George Newsome ( Drums ) who would later be invited by Pete to join a certain other local band.....and since the subject has been broached ....it is also worth mentioning that during his time at King Edward VI School he was guest guitarist with a school band called the Velvet Chords gigging at school and college dances ........with Richard Jones on bass............. and Geoff and Tony Nicholls on drums and rhythm guitars respectively. A similar lineup made up the imaginatively named band -'The General Erection' ! Pete remembers.... " The lad who played bass in my first band Mason Dixon Line, Paul "Flick" Taylor, played lefty but with "normal" strings I seem ro recall, or maybe the other way around, it was hard to tell because he seemed determined to "out-Wyman" Bill himself by playing as "vertically" as possible. I recall him resting the guitar neck on his nose for most of the set. His bass was actually a masterpiece of confusion too. It was basically a Burns copy (made by his father who was a qualified "French Polisher" by trade... so he certainly didn't rub the French up the wrong way..sorry...anyway, you can imagine how immaculate the woodworking and finishing was) but the "tracing" of the Burns shape must have been done only on the back of the original and then transferred directly to the "face" of the new timber, so it looked like a mirror image when finished. To complicate matters further the only chunk of plastic "scratchplate" they could get was non-laminated and of an awfully bright orangey red hue.....a weird beast that was. It sounded OK though, despite the two cheap Vox pick-ups, through the old Linear amp! "Flick's Dad" built all of the cabs for our first guitar amps too by the way...again bright red for some reason. What a tolerant chap he must have been Mr.Taylor, bless him, despite perhaps being somewhat colour blind. Albert King played with "upside down" stings too apparently, which helps to explain the major third (4....yes, 4 semitone) bends he could make on that Flying V with heavy strings....whilst Clapton (and myself) could only attempt them using ultra light or banjo strings at first. If you think about it, or better still try it on a lefty guitar, you drag the strings downwards with as many fingers as you like to support the effort as opposed to pushing upwards with only the third finger, it says 'ere. I remember playing gigs in the States and jamming with Hendrix's ex-drummer from the "The Band Of Gypsies"...Buddy.......erm......huge black chap, ex-convict type attitude.."don't mess wiv me you Muvvas".....he actually sat on Luke O'Reilly's head (our short-lived tour manager) when he moaned at him about summat.......that certainly shut him up in a hurry too......sorry, second name escapes me for the moment...NO.....hang on... GOT IT! Buddy Miles! Anyway Buddy obviously learned guitar by playing on Jimi's spare axes whilst posing in the mirror or something equally strange, 'cos he jammed quite effortlessly with me on guitar, and was a useful player indeed (for a drummer) on my spare axe, simply turned over the wrong way - left handed....weird. It reminds me of that Red Dwarf episode where they end up, or rather begin, in Nodnol in the backwards Universe....know that one? A classic. " In 1967 he met up with Colin Cooper who asked him to join the newly - formed soul band "The Gospel Truth" along with some musicians from the Stoke - on Trent area. Despite some local successes the band never progressed beyond playing the odd college gig ( albeit as far afield as Durham and Scotland ) so after this line - up fizzled out the following year Pete initiated the formation of The Climax Chicago Blues Band whose original line-up was Pete Haycock ( lead guitar) Derek Holt ( piano ) Colin Cooper ( vocals, harmonica ) and at Pete's suggestion, Richard Jones ( Bass) and George Newsome ( Drums ). The band was soon augmented by pianist Arthur Wood, leaving Derek Holt free to switch to rhythm guitar.After a few gigs Colin also started to play saxophone with the band. Their first album " The Climax Chicago Blues Band" was on Parlophone and in all honesty it only came about because of the upsurge in the popularity of the Blues in the U.K. during the late 60's . Their friend and "manager" Peter Riley fortunately approached Beatles' Producer George Martin's people at A.I.R. London, then a brand new Production company, at exactly the right time. As fate would have it they were looking for a Blues - based band to record, especially since their strong connections happened to be with E.M.I. - who just happened to be lagging behind a little in the field. The Producer of the first couple of albums at E.M.I.'s Abbey Road Studios was a young lad ( who, oddly enough, had some Stafford family connections ) called Chris Thomas. Chris was officially little more than a " Tea Boy " .....or " Gofer "..for our American readers....when he was given the chance to record this obscure little band from Stafford. He has gone on to become one of the greatest Record Producers of the last quarter of the 20thcentury and continues into the 21st. It is also noteworthy that the Recording Engineer at Abbey Road was none other than Geoff Emerick. Any true Beatles fan will be pleased to tell you about his pedigree..... The debut album was mostly just a studio recording of the Band's favourite songs from the "live" set, completed in 2 days with very few overdubs. But even at this early stage Chris Thomas's slightly zany influence could already be heard. "And Lonely" or the deliberately ancient - sounding version of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" were not exactly your typical "British Blues Band" output - although the barely 17 year old guitarist was also encouraged to... "just jam a 12-bar blues and see what happens..." the result being the Freddie King / Clapton influenced instrumental "Twenty Past One". A willingness to experiment was undoubtedly one of the trade marks of the whole A.I.R. London set -up, a trait no doubt fostered by their association with the Beatles, and this had a positive effect on the band's progress for several years in that they were no longer content to simply churn out cover versions of their Chicago Blues heroes' records. By the time the second album " Plays On" came along this slightly oddball approach to making a "Blues" album had progressed to the point where it was now quite acceptable to mix the styles of the likes of Wilburt Harrison and Otis Rush with Jazz, Cuban and even Classical influences ( indeed the beginning of " Mum's The Word" bears more than a passing resemblance to " Also Sprach Zarathustra" although the bands motivations may have been slightly more focussed on Kubrick rather than Strauss...) and then you chuck in a bit of guitar jamming ( "Twenty Past Two"......yes you guessed it ...another guitar instrumental...) and a pinch of Ragtime for good measure ( "Temptation Rag" ) courtesy of Arthur Wood's nimble fingers . Unlike the first album none of these tracks were truly rehearsed before the band entered the hallowed gates of Abbey Road, which may sound extremely risky especially now that we live in in the age of computer music, deliberately crafted images and truly manufactured Pop. If you bear in mind the fact that the second album, complete with its experimental elements, was recorded in less than a week, it's no wonder that Pete's memories of the session are best summed up as " a blur of activity and creative madness, more or less instigated by Chris Thomas .Although we only had a few days to record an album nobody had made any real plans, unless Chris managed to fool us all, which I don't believe for one second." " But it was a wonderful experience and it's sad that nobody makes records like that any more. It's not a question of youth and fervour either, because even if they have the artistic freedom to try their ideas many "modern" musicians seem content to judge the results of their labours by the standards of their peers, instead of just going for it and trusting in their individuality. Of course you have to be sure of your abilities, whether it be as a player or a singer or whatever - that's your own responsibility - but I've since made those same mistakes myself from time to time and the inevitable conclusion that I reach after 30 odd years of recording is that I can only enjoy listening to those older recordings if they were made with genuine creativity or emotion, even naivety, or better still, all of these elements accompanied by a good dose of chaos. Unfortunately, from the band's point of view, Richard Jones had left before this recording to study for his M.A. in Cambridge, and considering the success Richard had with the musically and theatrically impressive band "Principal Edwards Magic Theatre" a few years later, Pete is of the opinion that it would have been interesting to hear what would have happened to "Plays On" had Richard still been around to enjoy the ride." This is only the first part of Pete's Biography, there is more to follow as the site develops. © http://www.petehaycock.com/biography.htm

The Pete Haycock Band

The Pete Haycock Band - Livin' It - 1992 - Bellaphon/L+R Records

Born in the Midlands of England, Pete was playing harmonica aged nine and guitar at the age of eleven. His first band The Mason Dixon Line, played mainly clubs and school concerts. Pete became far better known with the formation of the great Climax Blues Band who rode on the crest of the 60s blues revival in Britain and were also hugely popular in the US. The CBB released over twelve albums and had a US/UK top ten hit with “Couldn’t Get It Right”. The original CBB split up in the early 80s. Pete made a few solo albums and worked on several TV and film scores including “One False Move” and “Filofax”. Hans Zimmer used Pete's guitar talents on the soundtrack of the Thelma & Louise movie. ELO Part Two also employed Pete when they began and touring and recording with The Moscow Symphony Orchestra.

"Livin' It" is an obscure but very good live album recorded at “Die Neue Kulisse”, Pirmasens, Germany in June 1992. Pete Haycock may not be an instantly recognizable name, but he is a great guitarist, and this relatively unknown album will give you a good idea of how this guy can play Rock 'n' Roll, and the Blues. Try and listen to Pete's "Bikers' Dozen" album, and check this blog for related releases [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 139 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Liberty - Pete Haycock
2 So Many Roads - Paul Marshall
3 Communication - Pete Haycock
4 Medley:
Come On In My Kitchen - Robert Johnson
Country Hat - Pete Haycock
Slide Solo - Pete Haycock
5 The Thrill Is Gone - Roy Hawkins, Rick Darnell
6 Lucienne - Pete Haycock
7 Dr. Brown, I Presume - Pete Haycock
8 Blackjack And Me - Pete Haycock

BAND

Pete Haycock - Guitar, Vocals
Livingston Brown - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Mike Stevens - Keyboards, Alto Sax, Flute
Clive Mayuyu - Drums, Percussion: Vocal on Track 3

BIO (WIKI)

Pete Haycock (born Peter John Haycock, 4 March 1951, Stafford, Staffordshire, England) is a musician and composer of film scores, who started his career as lead guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the Climax Chicago Blues Band. Formed in Stafford in 1968, the band changed their name from the Climax Chicago Blues Band to the Climax Blues Band in 1970. The original band line-up consisted of Haycock (lead guitar, vocals), Derek Holt (guitar, vocals), Richard Jones (bass), Arthur Wood (keyboards), George Newsome (drums), and Colin Cooper (harmonica/vocals). The Climax Blues Band went through a few personnel changes during the early 1970s before arriving at their most stable, creative, and successful, line-up, which consisted of Haycock, Holt (switched to bass guitar), Cooper, and drummer John Cuffley. The band, featuring these players, toured heavily in the 1970s and 1980s. During much of this period, Haycock played concerts with his rare trademark instrument, a gold-plated Veleno guitar, which also graced the cover (and was the namesake) of Climax's Gold Plated album.In May, 2012, the Major League Productions Ltd record label released an until-then unknown vault recording of a 1976 live performance, featuring the Climax Blues Band at the top of their game: Climax Blues Band / World Tour 1976. Haycock provided some insightful liner notes for the CD's insert, and the recording further demonstrates the tight musicianship that was found in the band's lineup at that time. The band produced more than 15 successful albums in their heyday. Though another group of musicians, which at one time was led by late former bandmate, Colin Cooper, is currently calling themselves "Climax Blues Band", their lineup does not consist of any founding members, and has not found the commercial success or following that the original, "true" Climax Blues Band enjoyed during Haycock's years with the band. After he and the original Climax bandmates went their separate ways in 1988, Haycock went on to record an instrumental album for I.R.S. No Speak entitled Guitar and Son, as well as the Night of the Guitars live album (from the tour of the same name). After that tour, Haycock teamed up with fellow guitarist Steve Hunter and former Climax Blues bandmate, Derek Holt, to record an album under the name, H Factor. In 1990, Haycock was approached by Bev Bevan, formerly of Electric Light Orchestra, to join the newly-formed Electric Light Orchestra Part II. The group toured and recorded with Haycock in the early 1990s, releasing both a live CD and video of their performance with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. In the early 1990s Haycock began scoring music for films. He was asked by Hans Zimmer to collaborate on several projects, including K2 and Drop Zone, among others, and it was on the soundtrack for Thelma & Louise that Haycock performed the Thunderbird theme music on slide guitar. Haycock was asked by Zimmer to recreate his performance, with a live symphony orchestra, for the recording of Wings of a Film, which was a compilation album of Zimmer's successful film scores. Other work with Zimmer led to Haycock to begin composing music of his own for film and television. One False Move, (1992) found Haycock collaborating with Derek Holt. More scores would follow, and Haycock helped produce recordings for other artists. Haycock collaborated with Zimmer again in 2011, and played guitar on Ron Howard's soundtrack for The Dilemma, (starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James). In 2005, Haycock supplied all the music for the Hollister Independence Motorcycle Rally DVD charity project, for producer Jeff Byler, with proceeds benefiting Emmaus House, a shelter for battered women and children. When the DVD's producer suggested a follow-up soundtrack to the project, Haycock went back into the studio to complete the album that became Bikers' Dozen, which featured a vocal performance by John Fiddler (Medicine Head). No stranger to charity work, Pete Haycock signed on as a major contributor to the forthcoming Damage Limitation charity CD project in 2009, which was spearheaded by fellow musician Robin George, and was built around Robin's hit song, "LovePower and Peace". Pete contributed many trademark slide guitar tracks and donated studio time to the project, a charity effort to benefit children with cancer and other terminal diseases. This collaboration, which includes the donated talents of scores of veteran musicians , not only resulted in a dynamic album of music, with proceeds benefiting charity, but has resulted in the forming a "super group" called The LovePower Band, which has landed a major record deal and completed its first album, which was released in 2011. There is also talk of a potential LovePower Band tour in the future. After an absence from the stage and live performances, Haycock formed a new band, Pete Haycock's True Blues (featuring Glen Turner). In 2008, they toured Europe and released their first recording together: Pete Haycock's True Blues Live (featuring Glen Turner). In April 2009, Pete Haycock, in an interview, talked about the early days with the Climax Blues Band, the transition to studio work (with and without Hans Zimmer), and his return to the stage with his new band, after an absence from live performances of fourteen years. Pete Haycock continues to record, and perform live, and has been a featured guest performer with the Siggi Schwarz' band, and was on the same bill with ZZ Top and Johnny Winter in 2012.

MORE

Peter John Haycock was born 4th March 1951 at 63, Tixall Road, Stafford, England. He went to St.John's Primary School then King Edward VI School in Stafford.When he tried to join the recorder class the music teacher said he would never become a musician. Eat your heart out Mrs.Barrett! Pete taught himself to play harmonica at the age of 9 and then started to play guitar at the age of 11 with the help of the Bert Weedon instruction book. The big acoustic guitar was bought by Pete's Uncle Bill. He was told it would be ideal for a beginner because it had "plenty of daylight between the strings and the neck"! Pete was very impressed ( as were so many other young English kids at the time ) by Cliff Richard's backing group "The Shadows", who were the first successful British group to feature electric guitars. Hank Marvin's solos were an inspiration and Pete would play them on the stairs of the family home to get extra 'reverb' from the bare walls. He played his first electric guitar (A "Broadway")at a gig aged 12 in a miners' club in Rugeley, Staffordshire.Pete's guitar playing on the stairs had been heard by a couple of local lads with an interest in Blues and they formed "The Mason - Dixon Line", playing not only covers of the current blues - flavoured hits but performing their own versions of lesser - known U.S. Blues recordings. The line - up of the band also included local Stafford musicians Maldwyn Hawkesworth ( vocals, percussion ) Roger Peet ( Rhythm Guitar ) Paul " Flick" Taylor ( Bass) ......and one George Newsome ( Drums ) who would later be invited by Pete to join a certain other local band.....and since the subject has been broached ....it is also worth mentioning that during his time at King Edward VI School he was guest guitarist with a school band called the Velvet Chords gigging at school and college dances ........with Richard Jones on bass............. and Geoff and Tony Nicholls on drums and rhythm guitars respectively. A similar lineup made up the imaginatively named band -'The General Erection' ! Pete remembers.... " The lad who played bass in my first band Mason Dixon Line, Paul "Flick" Taylor, played lefty but with "normal" strings I seem ro recall, or maybe the other way around, it was hard to tell because he seemed determined to "out-Wyman" Bill himself by playing as "vertically" as possible. I recall him resting the guitar neck on his nose for most of the set. His bass was actually a masterpiece of confusion too. It was basically a Burns copy (made by his father who was a qualified "French Polisher" by trade... so he certainly didn't rub the French up the wrong way..sorry...anyway, you can imagine how immaculate the woodworking and finishing was) but the "tracing" of the Burns shape must have been done only on the back of the original and then transferred directly to the "face" of the new timber, so it looked like a mirror image when finished. To complicate matters further the only chunk of plastic "scratchplate" they could get was non-laminated and of an awfully bright orangey red hue.....a weird beast that was. It sounded OK though, despite the two cheap Vox pick-ups, through the old Linear amp! "Flick's Dad" built all of the cabs for our first guitar amps too by the way...again bright red for some reason. What a tolerant chap he must have been Mr.Taylor, bless him, despite perhaps being somewhat colour blind. Albert King played with "upside down" stings too apparently, which helps to explain the major third (4....yes, 4 semitone) bends he could make on that Flying V with heavy strings....whilst Clapton (and myself) could only attempt them using ultra light or banjo strings at first. If you think about it, or better still try it on a lefty guitar, you drag the strings downwards with as many fingers as you like to support the effort as opposed to pushing upwards with only the third finger, it says 'ere. I remember playing gigs in the States and jamming with Hendrix's ex-drummer from the "The Band Of Gypsies"...Buddy.......erm......huge black chap, ex-convict type attitude.."don't mess wiv me you Muvvas".....he actually sat on Luke O'Reilly's head (our short-lived tour manager) when he moaned at him about summat.......that certainly shut him up in a hurry too......sorry, second name escapes me for the moment...NO.....hang on... GOT IT! Buddy Miles! Anyway Buddy obviously learned guitar by playing on Jimi's spare axes whilst posing in the mirror or something equally strange, 'cos he jammed quite effortlessly with me on guitar, and was a useful player indeed (for a drummer) on my spare axe, simply turned over the wrong way - left handed....weird. It reminds me of that Red Dwarf episode where they end up, or rather begin, in Nodnol in the backwards Universe....know that one? A classic. " In 1967 he met up with Colin Cooper who asked him to join the newly - formed soul band "The Gospel Truth" along with some musicians from the Stoke - on Trent area. Despite some local successes the band never progressed beyond playing the odd college gig ( albeit as far afield as Durham and Scotland ) so after this line - up fizzled out the following year Pete initiated the formation of The Climax Chicago Blues Band whose original line-up was Pete Haycock ( lead guitar) Derek Holt ( piano ) Colin Cooper ( vocals, harmonica ) and at Pete's suggestion, Richard Jones ( Bass) and George Newsome ( Drums ). The band was soon augmented by pianist Arthur Wood, leaving Derek Holt free to switch to rhythm guitar.After a few gigs Colin also started to play saxophone with the band. Their first album " The Climax Chicago Blues Band" was on Parlophone and in all honesty it only came about because of the upsurge in the popularity of the Blues in the U.K. during the late 60's . Their friend and "manager" Peter Riley fortunately approached Beatles' Producer George Martin's people at A.I.R. London, then a brand new Production company, at exactly the right time. As fate would have it they were looking for a Blues - based band to record, especially since their strong connections happened to be with E.M.I. - who just happened to be lagging behind a little in the field. The Producer of the first couple of albums at E.M.I.'s Abbey Road Studios was a young lad ( who, oddly enough, had some Stafford family connections ) called Chris Thomas. Chris was officially little more than a " Tea Boy " .....or " Gofer "..for our American readers....when he was given the chance to record this obscure little band from Stafford. He has gone on to become one of the greatest Record Producers of the last quarter of the 20thcentury and continues into the 21st. It is also noteworthy that the Recording Engineer at Abbey Road was none other than Geoff Emerick. Any true Beatles fan will be pleased to tell you about his pedigree..... The debut album was mostly just a studio recording of the Band's favourite songs from the "live" set, completed in 2 days with very few overdubs. But even at this early stage Chris Thomas's slightly zany influence could already be heard. "And Lonely" or the deliberately ancient - sounding version of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" were not exactly your typical "British Blues Band" output - although the barely 17 year old guitarist was also encouraged to... "just jam a 12-bar blues and see what happens..." the result being the Freddie King / Clapton influenced instrumental "Twenty Past One". A willingness to experiment was undoubtedly one of the trade marks of the whole A.I.R. London set -up, a trait no doubt fostered by their association with the Beatles, and this had a positive effect on the band's progress for several years in that they were no longer content to simply churn out cover versions of their Chicago Blues heroes' records. By the time the second album " Plays On" came along this slightly oddball approach to making a "Blues" album had progressed to the point where it was now quite acceptable to mix the styles of the likes of Wilburt Harrison and Otis Rush with Jazz, Cuban and even Classical influences ( indeed the beginning of " Mum's The Word" bears more than a passing resemblance to " Also Sprach Zarathustra" although the bands motivations may have been slightly more focussed on Kubrick rather than Strauss...) and then you chuck in a bit of guitar jamming ( "Twenty Past Two"......yes you guessed it ...another guitar instrumental...) and a pinch of Ragtime for good measure ( "Temptation Rag" ) courtesy of Arthur Wood's nimble fingers . Unlike the first album none of these tracks were truly rehearsed before the band entered the hallowed gates of Abbey Road, which may sound extremely risky especially now that we live in in the age of computer music, deliberately crafted images and truly manufactured Pop. If you bear in mind the fact that the second album, complete with its experimental elements, was recorded in less than a week, it's no wonder that Pete's memories of the session are best summed up as " a blur of activity and creative madness, more or less instigated by Chris Thomas .Although we only had a few days to record an album nobody had made any real plans, unless Chris managed to fool us all, which I don't believe for one second." " But it was a wonderful experience and it's sad that nobody makes records like that any more. It's not a question of youth and fervour either, because even if they have the artistic freedom to try their ideas many "modern" musicians seem content to judge the results of their labours by the standards of their peers, instead of just going for it and trusting in their individuality. Of course you have to be sure of your abilities, whether it be as a player or a singer or whatever - that's your own responsibility - but I've since made those same mistakes myself from time to time and the inevitable conclusion that I reach after 30 odd years of recording is that I can only enjoy listening to those older recordings if they were made with genuine creativity or emotion, even naivety, or better still, all of these elements accompanied by a good dose of chaos. Unfortunately, from the band's point of view, Richard Jones had left before this recording to study for his M.A. in Cambridge, and considering the success Richard had with the musically and theatrically impressive band "Principal Edwards Magic Theatre" a few years later, Pete is of the opinion that it would have been interesting to hear what would have happened to "Plays On" had Richard still been around to enjoy the ride." This is only the first part of Pete's Biography, there is more to follow as the site develops. © http://www.petehaycock.com/biography.htm

Tomo Fujita & Blue Funk

Tomo Fujita & Blue Funk - Put On Your Funk Face - 1996 - Tomo Fujita Music

"In my private lessons and blues/funk labs, I teach fundamental techniques for playing good music—getting a good tone from the guitar and keeping a good rhythm. But I try to teach something more valuable for the future, so I really emphasize feeling. Especially in blues playing, I emphasize expression, tone, and time. Sometimes these simple things are really difficult to achieve with quality and detail. So I teach a lot of grooves and rhythm. After I graduated from Berklee, I was interested in discovering more about the blues. I listened to all the records of B.B. King and T-Bone Walker, and I started playing with blues bands. I could play blues technically, but emotionally I couldn't connect myself to the music. I tried to connect my soul with the guitar, to get away from any theory or technique, to stop thinking too much. I started playing gospel music at a Baptist church every Sunday. There were no charts; for every song, all I got was the key. It taught me a lot about feeling, and I thought, 'That's really what music is all about.' You hear things, and you have to feel things. If you make someone read music, and they don't know about the sound of the music, that's like reciting words or sentences that don't mean anything to them. Everything that they play sounds technically right, but musically it's not there. So I try to teach my students as though they're blind. I say, 'Before you start to play your guitar, find an object close to the ceiling, or buy a picture and hang it above eye level. Look at that, and then play. Try to disconnect your mind from time and place while you're playing, so that after you finish the song you don't know where you are, because that much energy is going into the music." - Tomo Fujita

Tomo's influences include B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Pass, Larry Carlton, Ray Charles, James Brown, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and many others. "Put On Your Funk Face" is a great jazz rock/funk album with a blues touch. The album is a studio recording with a "live" feel and contains eleven good instrumental tracks from a very talented guitarist backed by some very experienced and hugely talented musicians. Read more about Blue Funk @ http://www.tomofujita.com/us/band.html Listen to Tomo's great "Pure" album on which he is backed by Will Lee, Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, and Steve Jordan [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 106 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Crossing 6:00
2. Burbank street 5:31
3. Song For Samantha 5:16
4. Meltdown 3:58
5. Just Funky 6:55
6. Dreaming Of You 1:28
7. Orange Juice & Water 5:36
8. I Like Your Smile 4:00
9. Cat Walk 1:06
10. I Have No Clue 1:22
11. Don't Wake Me 5:44

All tracks composed by Tomo Fujita

BAND

Tomo Fujita - Guitar
Anthony Vitti - Bass
Dave Limina - Keyboards
Larry Finn - Drums

SHORT BIO

Tomo Fujita possesses all the elements of great musicianship: astounding technical ability, flawless rhythm skills, and a total command of his instrument. But if asked, Tomo would tell you that music is not just about playing. It’s about feeling. He has a remarkable ability to inject emotion into every phrase he plays, whether the style is blues, jazz, funk or rock. Tomo earned a degree at Berklee College of Music and has been a faculty member at Berklee since 1993. Perhaps the most famous of his former Berklee students are Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno (Kraz) and John Mayer. Tomo is also affiliated with the major music schools in his native Japan. His articles have been published in the Japanese magazines Jazz Life and Jazz Guitar, and he is a regular contributor to the Japanese edition of Guitar magazine. His instructional materials are especially popular in Japan, where guitar players have bought more than 100,000 copies of his videos and books. Tomo has performed with some of the best, including Phil Collins, John Mayer, James Genus (Saturday Night Live), Will Lee (Late Show with David Letterman), Kenwood Dennard (Jaco Pastorious, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith), Darryl Jones (Miles Davis, Sting, Rolling Stones), Paul Jackson (Herbie Hancock, Headhunters), Ronnie Earl, Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, Steve Jordan and Susan Tedeschi. Tomo also enjoyed a guitar-playing gig in a Boston production of the musical Rent. © 1999 - 2013 TrueFire http://truefire.com/blog/gifted-guitarists/part-4/

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa ‎- Black Rock - 2010 - J&R Adventures

It’s a sign of Joe Bonamassa’s increasing profile that he got blues legend B.B. King to guest on his eighth album Black Rock -- and if what you’re doing is good enough to rope B.B. in, there’s not much reason to change, so Bonamassa doesn’t tinker with his formula here, retaining a little of the folky undertow of The Ballad of John Henry, but with its remaining roots in a thick, heavy blues-rock more redolent of ‘60s London than the ‘50s Delta. Of course, Bonamassa has never shied away from his love of Brit-blues, even underscoring it with a good streamlined cover of Jeff Beck’s “Spanish Boots,” but he retains a healthy respect for all manners of classic blues, kicking out a Chicago groove on a cover of Otis Rush’s “Three Times a Fool,” reaching back to Blind Boy Fuller for “Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind” and ably replicating B.B.’s latter-day soul groove on a horn-smacked cover of Willie Nelson’s “Night Life.” Bonamassa has an ear for non-blues writers too, cherrypicking Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire” and John Hiatt’s “I Know a Place,” tying it all together with beefy lead lines, but the provocative moments on Black Rock are all self-penned, whether it’s the clattering stomp “When the Fire Hits the Sea,” the British folk lilt of “Quarryman’s Lament” and “Athens to Athens,” or the droning dramatic epic “Blue and Evil.” These are easily the most intriguing songs here, suggesting Bonamassa realizes that the familiar covers allow him to stretch out elsewhere, and while it might be interesting hearing him follow this path for a full album, what’s here on Black Rock is both satisfying and admirably, if reservedly, ambitious. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/black-rock-mw0001959610

One of Joe Bonamassa's more diverse albums. The ace guitarist opened for his hero BB King when he was 12 years old. He's a big fan of 70s British blues rock and most of his albums reflect this style. However, "Black Rock" is a more varied album. Joe covers Leonard Cohen's "Bird On The Wire" with a nice Mediterranean style touch. John Hiatt’s “I Know a Place" is covered well, as is the Willie Nelson' soul flavoured "Night Life" helped out by B.B. King on guitar and vocals. Joe also covers Tom Waits' folksy "Quarryman's Lament". His own "Athens To Athens" is given a guitar-and-bouzouki blues treatment. If you like great guitar, you will enjoy Joe Bonamassa's covers of these songs. They certainly don't detract from the album in any way. However, overall the blues dominates, and when you listen to Joe's covers of Otis Rush's "Three Times A Fool", Blind Boy Fuller's "Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind", and his own "Blue And Evil" it is easy to see where Joe Bonamassa's heart lies. A great album and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Black Country Communion's "2" album feat. Joe Bonamassa and support great blues rock [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 127 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Steal Your Heart Away - Bobby Parker 3:46
2 I Know A Place - John Hiatt 4:17
3 When The Fire Hits The Sea - Joe Bonamassa 3:53
4 Quarryman's Lament - Tom Waits 5:19
5 Spanish Boots - Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood 4:35
6 Bird On A Wire - Leonard Cohen 5:17
7 Three Times A Fool - Otis Rush 2:00
8 Night Life - Paul Buskirk, Walter Breeland, Willie Nelson 3:23
9 Wandering Earth - Joe Bonamassa 4:17
10 Look Over Yonders Wall - James Clark 3:23
11 Athens To Athens - Joe Bonamassa 2:24
12 Blue And Evil - Joe Bonamassa 5:41
13 Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind - Blind Boy Fuller 4:24

MUSICIANS

Joe "The Stewart" Bonamassa - Guitar, Vocals
B.B. King - Guitar, Vocals on "Night Life"
"Bitter Dave" Pate - Technician [Guitar]
Carmine "Mint Jelly" Rojas - Bass
Rick "The Phoenician" Melick - Keyboards
Colin "Brett Denon" Moody - Technician [Bass, Keyboards]
Anton "The Mink" Fig, Bogie "The Nickel And Deuce" Bowles - Drums, Percussion
Aaron "Hambone" Lakner - Technician [Drums]
David Woodford - Saxophone
Manolis Karadinis - Bouzouki
Thanasis Vasilopoulos - Brass [Nei, Clarino]
Lee Thornburg - Brass, Arranged By [Brass]

SHORT BIO

Guitar mastermind Joe Bonamassa, a young player with the childhood dream of playing music similar to legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, was 22 when he inked a deal with Epic. Hailing from Utica, New York, Bonamassa could play the blues before he could drive a car. He first heard Stevie Ray Vaughan at age four and was instantly taken by Vaughan's high-powered playing. At the age eight, he opened for B.B. King, and at age 12, he was playing regularly around upstate New York. It was soon thereafter that Bonamassa hooked up with the band Bloodline, which featured other musicians' sons: Waylon Krieger (Robby Krieger's son), Erin Davis (Miles Davis' drummer kid), and Berry Oakley, Jr. (son of the Allman Brothers bassist). Bloodline released a self-titled album, but Bonamassa wanted to move on. In summer 2000 he guested for Roger McGuinn on Jethro Tull's summer tour, later releasing his debut solo album, A New Day Yesterday. Produced by longtime fan Tom Dowd, the album marked a move toward a more organic and rock-sounding direction. He put together a power trio with drummer Kenny Kramme and bassist Eric Czar and hit the road to support the album. Upon returning from the road, he hooked up with Dowd to record the muscular and sweeping studio disc So, It's Like That and released a document of the tour, A New Day Yesterday Live. The following year, Bonamassa put out Blues Deluxe, featuring nine cover versions of blues classics alongside three originals. The muscular You & Me appeared in 2006, followed by the more acoustic-tinged Sloe Gin in 2007. A year later, Bonamassa released the two-disc live album Live from Nowhere in Particular, followed in 2009 by The Ballad of John Henry. Late in 2009 he released the DVD Live from the Royal Albert Hall with guest spots from Eric Clapton and Paul Jones. In 2010, the guitarist released his first disc for the Premier Artists label, Black Rock, featuring a guest appearance by B.B. King. It was followed by the debut album from Black Country Communion, a blues-rock supergroup which put him in the company of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, drummer Jason Bonham, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. Bonamassa, ever the overachiever, released his earthy Dust Bowl in March of 2011, followed by Black Country Communion's 2 in June and by his unique collaboration with vocalist Beth Hart on a searing collection of soul covers entitled Don't Explain in September. In May of 2012, Bonamassa released Driving Towards the Daylight. The album reunited the guitarist with producer Kevin Shirley, who brought in Aerosmith's Brad Whitford to play rhythm guitar on the 11 tracks. © MacKenzie Wilson © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved