Tony Monaco Trio & Friends

Tony Monaco Trio & Friends - Fiery Blues - 2004 - Summit Records

Tony Monaco, whose organ playing is similar to that of Jimmy Smith in the late '50s, performs nine diverse blues on this set plus Horace Silver's "The Preacher." Monaco has an enthusiastic and spirited style, one that is a constant joy to hear. Even with the program having nine straight blues, there is a surprising amount of variety due to the many tempos, moods and changes in instrumentation. Several different guitarists have their spots, tenor-saxophonist Gene Walker is on six numbers and Willie Pooch's three vocals are an asset. After "The Preacher" concludes, there is a "hidden track," "Takin' My Time Blues," that is repeated from the previous CD Intimately Live at the 501. All in all, this is an excellent outing easily recommended to fans of jazz organ and swinging soul-jazz. © Scott Yanow © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/fiery-blues-mr0001302414

The great keyboardist Tony Monaco is right up in the upper echelon of the Hammond Organ’s leading champions. This kind of music may be “unfashionable” to some people, but it’s a classy album with great musicianship and a terrific selection of songs. Willy Pooch sings on three tracks. HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Tony’s "Burnin Grooves” album. [Tracks @ 203-320 Kbps: File size = 120 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Goin' To A Meetin' - Don Patterson
2. Everyday I Have The Blues - Pinetop Sparks & Marion Sparks
3. Greasy Spoon - Gene Redd & Hank Marr
4. Mellow Soul - Don Patterson
5. Ashleen - Tony Monaco
6. Crosscut Saw - Tommy McClennan
7. The Hooker - Tony Monaco
8. Stormy Monday - T-Bone Walker
9. All Blues - Miles Davis
10. The Preacher - Horace Silver
11. Takin' My Time Blues - Tony Monaco

MUSICIANS

Tom Farrell, Robert Kraut, Derek DiCenzo, Colin Lazarski (guitar)
Tony Monaco (Hammond)
Louis Tsamous, Jim Rupp, Marino Monaco (drums)
Gene Walker (tenor saxophone)
Willie Pooch (vocals)

BIO

"Tony Monaco may be the best organ player you have yet to hear of flying stealth while playing arguably some of the hottest B-3 around. Mentored by the legendary Jimmy Smith in what is considered the more classic style, Monaco does not swing, smolder or smoke. Tony Monaco burns is this most fitting!" CriticalJazz Review2012. Tony Monaco began his keyboard life at age eight, on the accordion. When he was twelve, his destiny as a jazz organist was sealed when he first heard Jimmy Smith. An enthusiastic student, Tony began working in Jazz clubs as a teenager in his native Columbus, Ohio, guided by local organ gurus Hank Marr and Don Patterson. For further inspiration, he studiously absorbed the mastery of Jimmy McGriff, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Charles Earland, Jack McDuff, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. All would play a role in the development of his musical palette. On Tony's sixteenth birthday, his prayers were answered. He received an encouraging phone call from Jimmy Smith, who soon became his Mentor/Teacher. Four years later, Jimmy Smith invited Tony to come play at his club in California--a peak lifetime experience for Tony. From 1980 to 2006, Tony stood by his family businesses and married to have three daughters, while running Monaco’s Palace Italian restaurant for ten years while performing weekly in the lounge. Tony then entered the food brokerage industry peaking towards Torchbearer status with SYSCO foods. Always inspired by music, Tony then went to work as an assistant Broadcast producer for a prominent ad agency learning his production skills and playing gigs at night to continue supporting his family. After graduating from college with a B.S.B.A. from Franklin University in 1989, Tony's occupation changed again to supervisor of Monaco Concrete ( “my Father needed a good manager and my daughters were getting close to going to college!”). Tony now enjoys and concentrates in all his musical energies flourishing completely as he pursues his passions. In April 2000, Tony met fellow jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, who offered to produce a debut CD for him. This collaboration resulted in the critically acclaimed "Burnin Grooves”. The international success of the recording served as the catalyst for regional and national tours.This success was followed by two more releases for Summit Records that received critical acclaim and significant sales, charting in the Jazzweek Top 10. In September 2003, Summit Records released "A New Generation”, a unique recording featuring both Tony's and Joey DeFrancesco's Trios. They recorded the project using two "Hammond-Suzuki New B3's" as Tony was awarded a major endorsement role with Hammond and Suzuki. As Tony’s reputation has grown, he has been blessed to play with some of greatest musicians in jazz, including Mel Lewis, Lewis Nash, Red Holloway, Plas Johnson, Sonny Fortune, Jon Faddis, Adam Nussbaum, Bruce Forman, Harvey Mason, Chester Thompson (drummer) Herlin Riley, Matt Wilson, Jeff Clayton, Terrell Stafford, Eric Alexander, Late Bobby Durham, Russell Malone, Peter Bernstein, Paul Bollenback, Bruce Forman, Kevin Mahogany, Victor Lewis, Pat Martino, Fareed Haque and even George Benson. An ardent student of the organ, it's no surprise that Tony is an accomplished teacher as well. In addition to private students, classes and clinics, Tony has produced a series of instructional DVDs titled "Playing Jazz Hammond" that have quickly become indispensable for any serious student of the organ. Tony has decided to expand his catalogue and has created MotherHenMusicEd.com and now has a system of giving lessons one on one online to anyone from anywhere around the globe! Presently, Tony maintains the busiest world touring schedule imaginable, including festival appearances ,clinics and workshops In 2007, Tony celebrated a special anniversary, celebrating 40 years as a musician and appearing on the cover of Keyboard Magazine. April 2012, Tony released "Celebration Life * Love * Music, a two disc set of all originals as he continues to Celebrate his Musical gifts and shares his gifts to everyone. Tony’s drive as an innovator and missionary continues to carry forward his passion for the Hammond Organ. Now Executive Producer of the Summit Records subsidiary Chicken Coup Records, he has recorded and released CDs for several undiscovered organists around the globe, and his role as educator has allowed him to spread and cultivate many new hopefuls to the art of the jazz organ. Tony continues his mission to raise awareness and appreciation of jazz organ and its importance in genres as diverse as traditional Gospel, RnB and Modern Jazz. He is now Hammond/Suzuki’s prime instrument endorser worldwide. Tony has recently ended nearly two and a half years playing world tours with Pat Martino as he resumes his personal playing and teaching ambitions. He has begun expanding his educational series to include other organist and styles with his new MotherHenMusicEd.Com t . He is formulating new strategies and record deals using his network through Chicken Coup Records to help himself and his peers and students advance in this ever changing music market and utilize new technologies and markets. Tony is a vital source of musical experience, knowledge and humility ready , willing and able !!!! © http://www.b3monaco.com/bio.htm

The Aristocrats

The Aristocrats - Boing, We'll Do It Live! - 2012 - Boing!

The Aristocrats is a rock group formed in 2011. The band consists of Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller, and Marco Minnemann. The band name is inspired by the venerable Aristocrats joke and consequently the song titles on the progressive rock compilation are rife with salacious double-entendres. The band was formed after a wildly enthusiastic response to a concert performance at The Anaheim Bass Bash during the Winter NAMM show in January. The trio had just one rehearsal before the concert but still performed well and amazed the audience as well as themselves. Guitarist Guthrie Govan stated “The chemistry was so great, that when we came offstage we all said to each other, ‘This is working. We should record this.’” The band would later get together and meet in Chicago to record their debut album, which took just under two weeks. The music album reflected their respective influences, ranging from ’70s fusion (Return To Forever), to progressive (King Crimson), to instrumental rock (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani), to groove metal (Rage Against The Machine) and to just plain absurdity (Frank Zappa). Bassist Bryan Beller stated, “We ended up using our different influences to write for each other. I wrote "Sweaty Knockers" specifically for Guthrie to have fun with, while Guthrie wrote “I Want A Parrot” with bass leads in mind. As for Marco’s material, we’re just lucky to be able to keep up with it!”. In 2012 the band released its first live album, Boing, We'll Do It Live!. Footage and sound for this release were recorded in two concerts held at Alvas Showroom in Los Angeles, California. During those concerts the band played material from their debut album as well as songs from each band members' solo projects. In 2013, they will release their second studio album Culture Clash. – Wikipedia

The tracks on this 2 x CD set were recorded in two concerts held over two nights in June 2012 at Alvas Showroom in San Pedro, California. The band played material from their debut album as well as songs from each band members' solo projects. This album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. It could be true that the devil sold his soul to Guthrie Govan, who may be the greatest guitarist on the planet today. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 301 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS [CD ONE]

1.Bad Asteroid - Guthrie Govan 7:14
2.Greasy Wheel - Bryan Beller 7:52
3.Boing!... I'm in the Back - Marco Minnemann 8:07
4.Flatlands - Beller 8:31
5.I Want a Parrot - Govan 10:00
6.Blues Fuckers/Drum Solo - Minnemann 15:30
7.Waves - Govan 5:50

TRACKS / COMPOSERS [CD TWO]

1.Get It Like That - Minnemann 11:25
2.Furtive Jack - Govan 7:48
3.Train Trax - Minnemann 4:48
4.Cave Dweller - Beller 8:11
5.Mr. Kempinski - Minnemann 7:08
6.See You Next Tuesday - Beller 5:09
7.Dance of the Aristocrats - Minnemann 5:54
8.A Very Metal Introduction 2:00
9.Sweaty Knockers - Beller 11:29
10.Erotic Cakes - Govan 7:45

MUSICIANS

Guthrie Govan - Guitar
Bryan Beller - Bass
Marco Minnemann - Drums

Rob Balducci

Rob Balducci - Violet Horizon - 2009 - Favored Nations

“ ROB IS AN EXCELLENT GUITARIST… I’VE ALWAYS HAD HIS CDS AROUND AND I AM WAITING FOR HIM TO BECOME THE NEXT BIG GUITAR PLAYER ” - JOE SATRIANI

“THERE ARE TWO THINGS THAT MAKE AN EFFECTIVE MUSICIAN, ONE IS THE TECHNICAL ABILITY TO PERFORM ON THE INSTRUMENT AND THE SECOND IS AN EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT IN WHAT YOU ARE PLAYING. ROB HAS A REALLY GOOD EQUILIBRIUM FOR THE TECHNICAL SIDE OF THINGS AND THE EMOTIONAL INVESTMENT” - STEVE VAI

A native of New York, Rob Balducci has defined himself as a guitarist, musician, composer and one of the most sought after instructors in New York. Balducci’s music is drenched in layers of sonic colors, each representing a tangible emotion, desire, depth, feeling, thought and mood. Rob said “There’s this cliche that instrumental guitar music has gotten to be too much of a vehicle for soloing and showing off technique. That’s completely the opposite of what I’m trying to do. My music is really like vocal songs with the guitar as the vocals.” Guitar World said after hearing Balducci’s debut CD “ Hum-able Shred! What a concept.” © 2012-2012 ROB BALDUCCI.

“Our past is simultaneous with the present as the future has entirely surpassed, dimension symmetry are as one… can it be between our existance, the violet horizon…” - Rob Balducci: And so starts the journey into the Rob Balducci’s newest CD Violet Horizon. Words worth pondering from a bold Musician, Artist and Guitarist. The words come from the inside cover of the CD. The 4th CD from The Favored Nations Artist is an instrumental journey one will play again and again.Balducci takes his listeners through a musical journey of ups and downs. Beginning with the title track “Violet Horizon” it has some smooth cool tones, then moves into “Friction”. “Friction” will smack you in the mouth with it's wild leads and tones. The song gives the feeling of driving a race car with the gas pedal pushed to the floor and hitting the breaks at the same time, it’s a wild ride through some good musical effects. The songs all have that Rob Balducci’s sigature on them, you will make no mistake when listening to the CD that this is Rob Balducci…at his best. In the song “The Essence”, Balducci uses his signature vibrato work that he is known for along with some old and new school soloing. “Liquid Soul” does just that. It turns your soul to liquid. Balducci uses his guitar techniques to drive some hard edge licks and then makes you feel like the music world has turned to liquid. The phrasing, licks and chops are simply amazing to listen to. Balducci slows it all back down again with some old school blues in the song “Trinity” adding of course some slick vibrato and switching between clean tones and effects. I felt the phrasing in this song was some of the best on the CD. Literally one that I could listen to over and over. The Song “Float” takes you through some well done chorus effects that actually gives the feeling of floating. Slow and easy it’s a good song that will have a calming effect on you. “My Desire”, another favorite of mine. It just has some nice grooves and the phrasing again it is spectacular. Two thumbs up on “Bal’s Grove Thing”, I just loved hearing the old school blues with Rob’s signature tone on them. I feel like he really captured the essence of the blues grooves on this one. Nice clean tones with the flavor of Balducci written all over it. “Shine” has a most origional groove to it. The rhythm had my head bobbing up and down, the leads had it moving back and forth. A very soulful, bright sounding song. “Sleekstack” could easily be the star of the CD. With a guest solo from Guthrie Govan. Rob Balducci fuses a dark metal beat with his leads. It works and it works well. The song again has the signature of Balducci. The tones, effects, groove and vibrato make it an accomplished piece of work. Another guest soloist Dave Weiner adds some cool flavor to “Devil’s Juice”. Weiner Gives the song a fantastic rhythm, Balducci again adds his signature to the song. I think that the new CD from Rob Balducci is easily his best work to date. Keeping pace with what his fans expect from his work yet putting a touch to it that should attract loads of new listeners. Violet Horizon will be in my collection for many years to come. © http://rockhousemethod.blogspot.ie/2009/06/review-rob-balduccis-violet-horizon.html

In case you haven’t heard of Rob Balducci yet here is a little background for you, Rob is a native of New York where he won a contest back in 1990 sponsored by Guitar For The Practicing Musician (I loved that mag!) proclaiming him as New York’s best guitarist. Since then Rob Balducci has defined himself as a guitarist, musician, composer and one of the most sought after instructors in New York. Rob has a popular YouTube Channel where he does “Lick Of The Week”, not to be confused with fellow Favored Nation’s artist and Steve Vai band member Dave Weiner’s Riff Of The Week. Don’t worry they are friends, Dave even features on Violet Horizon! Rob has this to say about his music: “There’s this cliche that instrumental guitar music has gotten to be too much of a vehicle for soloing and showing off technique. That’s completely the opposite of what I’m trying to do. My music is really like vocal songs with the guitar as the vocals.” Balducci’s newest 2009 Favored Nations CD (Steve Vai’s label) is titled Violet Horizon and features 15 new tracks with special guest appearances by Guthrie Govan and Dave Weiner. The album essentially follows in the footsteps of the great guitar albums of the 80s with rocking rhythms and tasteful melodies with a smattering of jaw dropping shred solos. There are some great riffs like the George Lynch-esque Shape Shifter intro and the Wah octave bends in Friction that Steve Vai would be proud of. Guthrie’s solo on Sleestack is, as always, enough to make you want to give up playing guitar and a great conclusion to a track full of blistering solos and moments of “neo-classical” style licks. Dave Weiner also lays down a nice solo among the twisted melodies and driving rhythms of Devil’s Juice. The album isn’t all fast paced rock though there are plenty of slower tracks which give the album a bit of light and shade. The title track for instance is a bluesy solo that wouldn’t be out of place on a Pink Floyd album and there are a couple of ballady tracks such as The Essence which has a nice bit of Whammy Pedal usage throughout. Trinity is another slow track with a bluesy swing to it. If you like listening to guitar instrumental music from artists as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Andy Timmons then check out Rob Balducci’s Violet Horizon. Rob is also currently working on his debut instructional DVD for The Rock House Method. - January 13, 2010 at 12:00 am | Posted by admin in Reviews © 2013 Guitar Noize. All Rights Reserved.

How much better can guitarists get? This is a great album from the world renowned guitar virtuoso Rob Balducci. Rob never goes over the top, and the album has the perfect balance of fast tempo guitar tracks and downtempo grooves. Listen to Rob playing “Liquid Soul” @ http://www.guitar-tube.com/watch/rob-balducci-plays-liquid-soul Watch him playing the album’s title track @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lIBWuCD6bcE Buy Rob’s “Balance” album and support great modern instrumental rock guitar. For more music in the same vein, check out Guthrie Govan (who plays on this album)and Paul Gilbert [Tracks @ 192-244 Kbps: File size = 116 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Violet Horizon 2:10
2 Friction 4:30
3 Devil's Juice 5:01
4 The Essence 6:20
5 Liquid Soul 6:10
6 Shape Shifter 4:46
7 Trinity 5:31
8 Choke 3:49
9 Float (I Remember...) 3:37
10 My Desire 4:56
11 Bal's Groove "Thang" 4:56
12 Shine 4:47
13 Sleestack 6:29
14 Violet Horizon - Reprise 2:50
15 Ilu 9-5 (Bonus Track) 2:20

All tracks composed by Rob Balducci

MUSICIANS

Rob Balducci - Guitars
Dave Weiner - Guitar Solo on “Devil’s Juice”
Guthrie Govan - Guitar Solo on “Sleestack”
Ethan Mexisell - Bass
Chris Ingram - Keyboards on “Trinity”
Ian Fry - Drums

Brett Garsed

Brett Garsed - Big Sky - 2002 - Paranormal Records

Brett Garsed is probably best known to the masses (though not necessarily by name) for his exquisite guitar work on Nelson records and for his long-standing relationship with Australian pop star John Farnham, with whom he has recorded and toured for many years. To instrumental fusion fans, however, Brett is known as a superb player with a highly individual style and several extraordinary albums under his belt, most notably his first two records with multi-finger-tapper T. J. Helmerich (Quid Pro Quo and Exempt). This album, his first as a solo artist, showcases the evolution of his playing in recent years; his legato phrasing is still jaw-dropping, but his tone is both more biting and less distorted than on his other more fusion-oriented albums, no doubt because of his use of a warm-sounding Telecaster-style guitar. Brett is remarkably accompanied by the extremely versatile and inventive Ric Fierabracci on bass and Zappa/Keneally/Workman acolyte Toss Panos on drums, who lay down muscular yet subtle and swinging rhythm tracks. The songs on this record are more rock and blues oriented than Brett's jazzier work, with more songlike structures than traditional fusion, highly hummable and memorable melodies, slide guitar, and ever-tasteful solo breaks. This is still fairly complex music, however, with odd time signatures and mind-boggling playing from everyone involved. But what makes this album truly stand out is not so much the players' virtuosity as their sense of restraint, expressiveness and taste; there no unnecessary flash, and every note and drum beat feels perfectly appropriate. Garsed's solo playing is as inspiring and stunning as ever, with his characteristic knack for starting long legato runs and always concluding them as complete melodic statements, rather than the often meandering solo excursions heard on so many instrumental albums. This is a highly, highly recommended album that should appeal to instrumental music fans of all stripes. Review by & © Rog The Frog Billerey-Mosier Review date: 05/2003 © 1997-present John Chedsey | All Rights Reserved http://www.ssmt-reviews.com/artist/garsed.html

Legendary Australian guitarist Brett Garsed serves up a big helping of solo delights on "Big Sky," his latest musical offering. On a large canvas fitting for a grand Monet, Garsed once again paints a musical landscape using large and brilliant brushstrokes highlighted by subtle colors and fine detail. Fittingly titled "Big Sky," the new album satisfies as it delivers extraordinary playing from the trio of Garsed, Ric Fierabracci (bass) and Toss Panos (drums). The trio’s versatility is aptly demonstrated across the CD’s ten tracks of melody-infused instrumental rock music. Rich textures are combined with bursts of sound and other-worldly playing, lending credence to the album’s title. Over an hour’s worth of enjoyment is provided; every track provides a new element or dimension to the music. Garsed has a real talent and this album reveals the ‘substance’ in his playing. His style and technique are varied, but unmistakably Brett. He lets it rip on "Fu’d Fight" and "The Myth" while "Got The Horn" features some truly inspired playing by all three (check out the bass!). A few subtle moments are also included, rounding out a creative and remarkable recording. This album is not one to be passed over. © EDITORIAL REVIEW © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000DK31Z

Brett Garsed is a great Australian guitarist. He is capable of shredding your brain with his fantastic guitar technique. However, on “Big Sky” Brett does not engage in unnecessary guitar pyrotechnics. There is no overkill here. Brett’s legato laced guitar solos are extraordinary and tasteful. His acoustic and electric guitar work is complemented perfectly by some great bass and drumming. There are some great melodies throughout this fusion tinged instrumental blues/rock album which is totally absorbing and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to The Mark Varney Project’s “Centrifugal Funk” album where Brett unleashes some insane but brilliant guitar licks. Read an interview with Brett @ http://www.alloutguitar.com/interviews/brett-garsed-interview-liquid-virtuosity [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 134 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Undoing 4:57
2. Trinity 7:26
3. Brothers 5:40
4. Drowning 8:08
5. Fu'd Fight 5:14
6. Breathe 5:05
7. Got The Horn 5:55
8. The Myth 4:41
9. Friend Or Foe 5:33
10. Big Sky 8:43

All music composed by Brett Garsed except Track 2 by Brett Garsed & John Glance

MUSICIANS

Brett Garsed – Guitar
Ric Fierabracci – Bass
Anastasios Panos – Drums

BIO

Brett Edward Garsed (born April 20, 1963) is an Australian musician, best known for his work as a guitarist with John Farnham and T. J. Helmerich, as well as being a former member of the American band Nelson. Garsed was featured on Derek Sherinian's solo records Planet X (1999) and Planet X's Quantum (2007), and more recently Sherinian's Molecular Heinosity (2010). Garsed was born in rural Victoria, Australia and began playing guitar at age 12 after hearing Deep Purple's Ritchie Blackmore play "Speed King". After about a month of initial lessons, he continued to teach himself and formed a band composed of his two cousins and a mutual friend and began playing live. In July 1985, Brett was featured in Guitar Player magazine’s “Spotlight” column, which was devoted to exposing new talent to the rest of the world. This encouraged Brett to give up his job as a licensed plumber and pursue a career as a professional musician, prompting him to send demo tapes to as many record companies and management companies as he could find. “I wasn’t looking for a record deal. I just wanted to get into a good band.” One of the tapes was heard by Ross Fraser of the Wheatley Organization, which led to an audition for a short tour by Australian superstar John Farnham. Farnham, at this time still a member of the Little River Band, was planning a solo album and invited him to be a part of the project. The resulting album, Whispering Jack, went on to become the biggest selling album in Australian history, followed by sellout tours of Australia and Europe. Garsed continued to tour and record with Farnham until early 1989, when he was invited to the US to audition for Nelson, a band led by Gunnar and Matthew, sons of the late Ricky Nelson. The audition was a success and the resulting album, After the Rain, went on to sell in excess of three million copies and yielded a national No. 1 ('Love and Affection') as well as two Top Ten follow-up singles. In early 1990 Brett also recorded Centrifugal Funk for Mike Varney's label Legato Records, an intense guitar album featuring Frank Gambale and Shawn Lane. For most of 1991 Garsed toured the US with Nelson, and spent ‘92 recording Quid Pro Quo with Chicago-born guitarist T J Helmerich after the duo decided to sign to Varney’s label. With Nelson on a seemingly permanent hiatus, Brett and TJ pursued their career promoting Quid Pro Quo, which featured Bobby Rock on drums, Gary Willis on bass and Paul Mirkovich on keys. Greeted with critical acclaim worldwide, the pair recorded the follow-up album Exempt in 1993. In 1996 Bobby Rock released Out Of Body, a progressive rock album featuring Brett on guitar. In 1994 Garsed also filmed an instructional video for REH/Warner titled Rock Fusion which covers, in detail, his unique approach to guitar improvisation. Garsed’s most recent recording projects include the Uncle Moe’s Space Ranch album featuring TJ Helmerich, Gary Willis, Dennis Chambers and Scott Kinsey, the Tapestry album which was released under the band name Mojo and features Ric Fierabracci on bass and Kofi Baker, son of Ginger Baker on drums, and more recently his debut solo album Big Sky with Fierabracci returning for bass and production duties and Toss Panos behind the drums. Brett returned to Australia after 14 years in Los Angeles and completed the seven-month-long “Last Time” tour with John Farnham. His first solo album, Big Sky, was released in 2002. After nearly a decade, he followed this up with Dark Matter in 2011. In 2004, Rock Guitar Improvisation, his second instructional DVD was released covering many aspects of his technique. This DVD also included some live footage. In 2011, Brett is currently taking part in the John Farnham "Whispering Jack - 25th Anniversary" tour around Australia, revisiting the parts he created on Australia's highest selling locally made album. Garsed also released his solo album Dark Matter in 2011. Garsed is mainly an improviser guitarist, renowned for his legato and hybrid picking technique, a combination that provides him with an extremely fluid sound to his playing. He has also mastered a distinctive slide guitar sound, specially noticeable in his latest releases. Rather than relying on scale patterns and figures, he's stated to play with a relative pitch approach, that allows him to play the melodies in his mind. A fundamental component of his music is the use of wide intervals and chromatic passing tones. His early influences were Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, David Gilmour and Jimi Hendrix. This later expanded to more diverse styles such as Leo Kottke, Allan Holdsworth, Rory Gallagher, Scott Henderson, and Edward Van Halen.

Guthrie Govan & The Fellowship

Guthrie Govan & The Fellowship - Live At The Bassment Club - 2008 - Unoff.

Govan is known for his virtuoso command of the electric guitar, due to both his technical ability and proficiency in various styles. Fellow virtuosos Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert have praised Govan's playing. Satriani said "What sets Guthrie apart, is that no matter what he’s doing - picking, tapping, slapping, playing legato, whatever - he mixes everything up gracefully and absolutely nails each approach. And all the while the music sounds natural." Gilbert said "Guthrie Govan gives shred a good name. It’s absolutely heartwarming to hear someone play super fast and have musical depth to match. What a breath of fresh air."

Recorded at The Bassment Jazz Club, Chelmsford, Essex, England in 2008, this is sensational stuff. Guthrie does not dominate thie gig with his playing, and every band member gets a piece of the action. This album is more jazz than fusion based, but the playing is incredible led by one of the most skilful and technically proficient guitarists in the world today. A comment on YouTube says, “Legend has it that the Devil once sold his soul to Guthrie Govan”. What a great quote! HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Guthrie play some unbelievable funky blues @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TmofRKpekA and buy Guthrie’s “Erotic Cakes” album. [All tracks @ 192 Kbps: File size = 91.6 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS [A big TVM to Lou Kiss for this info]

1. Seventh Heaven - Oscar Pettiford
2. One Shining Soul - Joshua Redman
3. Phase Dance - Lyle Mays, Pat Metheny
4. Lucky Seven - Bob James
5. Can’t Dance - Joshua Redman
6. Mercy, Mercy - Josef Erich Zawinul
7. Work Song - Nat Adderley Jr., Oscar Brown, Jr.
8. I Remember Wes - George Benson, Don Sebeski
9. Access Denied - Unknown
10. The Chicken - Pee Wee Ellis

THE FELLOWSHIP

Guthrie Govan - Guitar
Seth Govan - Bass
Pete Riley - Drums
Zak Barrett - Saxophone
Keyboards by ? [Can you help?]

ABOUT GUTHRIE GOVAN

Guthrie Govan (born 27 December 1971 in Chelmsford, Essex, England) is an English guitarist and teacher, known for his work with the bands The Aristocrats, Asia (2001–2006), GPS, The Young Punx and The Fellowship as well as Erotic Cakes (a vehicle for his own music). He is a noted guitar teacher through his work with the UK magazine Guitar Techniques, Guildford’s Academy of Contemporary Music and currently the Brighton Institute of Modern Music. He is the 1993 winner of Guitarist magazine's "Guitarist of the Year" competition. Despite his magazine success and achievements with Asia and other bands, it was his exposure on YouTube through clips of his playing which has led him to being considered one of the world's best contemporary electric guitar players, and one of the most flexible players in musical scope, although is primarily considered a jazz fusion player and shred guitarist. As a result, Govan now regularly travels internationally, teaching at various clinics around the world. Govan began playing guitar aged three, encouraged by his father but initially learning mainly by ear. His father taught him five chords and introduced him to his extensive record collection. He began by listening to music in chronological order, from 50s rock 'n' roll such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard and then The Beatles, Cream and Jimi Hendrix, and then Frank Zappa and AC/DC etc., working out chords and solos from listening to the records. Learning to play the guitar and music was as natural a process as learning to speak English for Govan. At the age of nine he and his brother Seth Govan played guitar on a Thames Television programme called Ace Reports. At secondary school he was exposed, via older classmates, to "shred" guitarists of the time. He considers himself to have been the "weird little kid" in school who would play in various gigs with older students, but was never in a formal group as a teen. His first decent guitar was a Gibson SG which he still keeps locked up in his house as a sacred monument, afraid to take it on tour in fear of it being stolen or damaged. After leaving school, Govan read English at the University of Oxford, though he left after a year to pursue a career in music. Around this time (by Govan’s own estimation, 1991 he sent demos of his work to Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records. Varney was impressed and offered him a record deal; ultimately however, Govan declined. Regarding his reasons he has explained: "it was as though all I really wanted to know was that I was good enough. I found I was getting a bit wary of the shred movement." In 1993, he won Guitarist magazine’s "Guitarist of the Year" competition with his instrumental piece Wonderful Slippery Thing (a version of which would eventually appear on his debut solo album); the demo of the track earned him a place amongst several other entrants in the live final, which he then won. The award money allowed him to buy his first amplifier. Subsequently, he submitted a sample transcription (of a Shawn Lane piece) to Guitar Techniques magazine; this earned him a job as a contributor to the magazine, ending a spell working in fast food at McDonalds. Govan has since worked with Guitar Techniques, including an article providing a transcription of his track Wonderful Slippery Thing. Since the late 1990s, Govan has taught at the Guitar Institute in Acton, Thames Valley University, and the Academy of Contemporary Music; he currently teaches at Brighton Institute of Modern Music, but is regularly invited to teach in seminars and clinics all around the world. In this context, he is known for his ability to teach a wide range of styles. Govan has published two books on guitar playing: Creative Guitar Volume 1: Cutting Edge Techniques and Creative Guitar Volume 2: Advanced Techniques. Govan began his involvement with Asia playing on the album Aura. With his work on the album complete, Govan was added to the Asia line-up for the tour to support the new album. Bad Asteroid, an instrumental in the live shows, was a Govan original composition; it dates back to his early 1990s demo. He went on to play on the band’s 2004 album Silent Nation. In 2006, Asia keyboardist Geoff Downes left to reform an earlier Asia line-up; Govan and the other two band members, John Payne and Jay Schellen, along with and Erik Norlander continued as Asia featuring John Payne. Govan left in mid-2009 and was replaced by Mitch Perry. Payne, Govan and Schellen also formed GPS (named after the members' initials) and after the addition of Ryo Okumoto on keyboards the band released the album Window to the Soul (2006). Govan performs on a number of tracks on Your Music Is Killing Me, the debut album of UK electronic dance music act The Young Punx and is part of their live act. He also appears in the music video for their track Rockall. Govan has played live guitar for Dizzee Rascal, including a performance on Later With Jools Holland. Govan’s debut solo album, Erotic Cakes, was released through Cornford Records in August 2006. In the album's sleeve notes, Govan states the album is a Simpsons reference; he also explains that when playing live, the band is billed as Erotic Cakes rather than simply Guthrie Govan. In addition to bass by Govan’s brother Seth and drumming by Pete Riley, the album features guitar solos by Richie Kotzen (whose Los Angeles studio was used to record the guitar tracks on the album) on Ner Ner and Bumblefoot on Rhode Island Shred respectively. Seth Govan and Pete Riley also complete the Erotic Cakes live band. Previous versions of Waves and Rhode Island Shred appeared on the compilation Guitar on the Edge, Vol 1. no.4 (Legato Records, 1993). A version of his Guitarist of the Year winning piece, Wonderful Slippery Thing appears on the album. While this is his first album, Govan had been collaborating with drummer Pete Riley on the music since the mid-1990s. Govan faced a set back after the albums were produced when several thousand copies of Erotic Cakes were stolen during a warehouse robbery and were never recovered, but the record company said that "if the thieves can sell all of the records they have a job here with us". The album has also become one of the most illegally downloaded records. The Erotic Cakes band line up, with the addition of saxophonist Zak Barrett, also forms jazz-fusion band The Fellowship. The band plays at the Bassment club in Chelmsford, Essex, every Thursday night and has done so for several years. Govan performed on all tracks on Docker's Guild's debut album The Mystic Technocracy - Season 1: The Age of Ignorance, released in June 2012 on Lion Music. The project also features some other Asia artists, notably John Payne on vocals and Simon Hanhart, who mixed the album. Other special guests include Gregg Bissonette (drums), Tony Franklin (bass), Jeff Watson (guitars), Douglas R. Docker (keyboards), Goran Edman, Tony Mills and Amanda Somerville (vocals). In late 2011, Govan announced a new tour with new band The Aristocrats, featuring Bryan Beller on bass and Marco Minnemann on the drums. Their self-titled album was released worldwide in September 2011. In 2012, TBS began running a TV ad for the popular show "House of Payne" that features part of his solo from his jam track "Les is More." In June 2012, Govan was featured with a guest solo on the song, "Have a Blast" on progressive metal band Periphery's, second album Periphery II: This Time It's Personal. In September 2012, it was announced that Govan will be playing guitar on Steven Wilson's upcoming third solo album. Govan’s earliest influences were Jimi Hendrix and Cream-era Eric Clapton; as such he describes himself as coming from a "blues rock background". While he is "wary" of 1980s technique driven guitar music ("shred") he cites the imagination of Steve Vai (as well as Frank Zappa, with whom Vai played) and the passion of Yngwie Malmsteen as influences. Jazz and fusion elements are an important part of his style: he cites Joe Pass as a pivotal influence in this respect. Govan is known for his virtuoso command of the electric guitar, due to both his technical ability and proficiency in various styles. Govan’s MySpace profile lists quotes from various guitarists to this effect; elsewhere, fellow virtuosos Joe Satriani and Paul Gilbert have praised Govan's playing. Satriani said "What sets Guthrie apart, is that no matter what he’s doing—picking, tapping, slapping, playing legato, whatever—he mixes everything up gracefully and absolutely nails each approach. And all the while the music sounds natural." Gilbert said "Guthrie Govan gives shred a good name. It’s absolutely heartwarming to hear someone play super fast and have musical depth to match. What a breath of fresh air." – from WIKIPEDIA

The Aristocrats

The Aristocrats - The Aristocrats - 2011 - Boing!

The Aristocrats is the eponymous debut album from instrumental rock/fusion’s rowdy new power trio featuring guitarist Guthrie Govan (Asia/GPS, Dizzee Rascal) bassist Bryan Beller (Steve Vai, Dethklok, Mike Keneally), and drummer Marco Minnemann (Adrian Belew, UKZ, Necrophagist). Featuring three compositions from each band member, the album showcases a uniquely explosive band chemistry, translating each individual’s well-known virtuosity into an aggressive, melodic, and sometimes even cheeky group dynamic…in which anything goes. The band was formed practically by demand after a wildly enthusiastic response to a single performance at The Anaheim Bass Bash during the Winter NAMM show in January. With just one rehearsal the night before the gig, the trio unexpectedly floored the audience – and themselves – with near-telepathic interplay and boundless musical energy, leaving heads shaking in disbelief that it was their very first gig. “The chemistry was so great,” recalls Govan, who was just featured on the cover of Guitar Player, “that when we came offstage we all said to each other, ‘This is working. We should record this.’”Not content simply to rush together a remote recording, each far-flung band member left their homes (outside London; Nashville, TN; southern California) to meet in a Chicago studio and track the record in person, which took just under two weeks. The music became a melting pot of their respective influences, ranging from ’70s fusion (Return To Forever) to prog (King Crimson, UK) to instrumental rock (Vai, Satriani) to groove metal (Rage Against The Machine) to just plain absurdity (Frank Zappa). Says bassist Beller, “We ended up using our different influences to write for each other. I wrote “Sweaty Knockers” specifically for Guthrie to have fun with, while Guthrie wrote “I Want A Parrot” with bass leads in mind. As for Marco’s material, we’re just lucky to be able to keep up with it!” The ever-mischievous Minnemann’s song titles – such as “Boing!...I’m In The Back” (borne from a publicly indescribable incident in Russia) and “Blues Fuckers” (in which a typical blues form is violated in every way imaginable) – along with Beller’s shameless pole-dance rocker “Sweaty Knockers,” prompted Govan to wonder if the band shouldn’t be named The Aristocrats, after the infamous dirty joke and movie of the same name. It stuck, and The Aristocrats were born. “We’re going to have a raucous rock vibe and a sense of humor about the music,” says Govan, “which you might not expect to find in other muso projects in which people are flung together to make an album in a hurry.” The Aristocrats will be released on the band’s own label, BOING Music, and available both digitally and in hard copy through their website at www.the-aristocrats-band.com, as well as other major e-tailers. Internationally, the record will be also available from many distributors of Suhr Guitars, whose guitars Guthrie Govan plays and endorses. A full list of Suhr distributors carrying The Aristocrats is also available at the band’s website. © http://the-aristocrats-band.com/media/2011/07/The-Aristocrats-One-Sheet.pdf © 2011-2013 The Aristocrats. All rights reserved. http://the-aristocrats-band.com/about/#presskit

Recorded in just eight days, The Aristocrats s/t album was hailed as an instant classic in many leading music publications worldwide, appearing on many 2011 top ten best album lists. Guthrie Govan’s face suddenly appeared on guitar magazine covers around the world. In many music schools a wave of students took to covering Aristocrats tunes similar to the way Steve Vai’s “Passion And Warfare” inspired aspiring guitarists a generation ago. Incredibly, in under twelve months, The Aristocrats progressed from playing a single pickup gig to becoming one of the most sought-after live instrumental rock/fusion acts in the world. The great guitarist, Paul Gilbert is a big fan of Guthrie Govan’s talents. That is one hell of a good recommendation! This album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to the band’s “Boing, We'll Do It Live!” album and Guthrie Govan’s amazing solo album “Erotic Cakes” [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 136 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Boing!... I'm in the Back - Minnemann 4:59
2. Sweaty Knockers - Beller 8:09
3. Bad Asteroid - Govan 5:53
4. Get It Like That - Minnemann 7:46
5. Furtive Jack - Govan 6:52
6. I Want a Parrot - Govan 9:58
7. See You Next Tuesday - Beller 4:32
8. Blues Fuckers - Minnemann 5:00
9. Flatlands - Beller 7:13

BAND

Guthrie Govan – Guitar
Bryan Beller – Bass
Marco Minnemann – Drums

BIO (WIKI)

The Aristocrats is a rock group formed in 2011. The band consists of Guthrie Govan, Bryan Beller, and Marco Minnemann. The group name is inspired by the venerable Aristocrats joke and consequently the song titles on the progressive rock compilation are rife with salacious double-entendres. The band was formed after a wildly enthusiastic response to a concert performance at The Anaheim Bass Bash during the Winter NAMM show in January. The trio had just one rehearsal before the concert but still performed well and amazed the audience as well as themselves. Guitarist Guthrie Govan stated “The chemistry was so great, that when we came offstage we all said to each other, ‘This is working. We should record this.’” The band would later get together and meet in Chicago to record their debut album, which took just under two weeks. The music album reflected their respective influences, ranging from ’70s fusion (Return To Forever), to progressive (King Crimson), to instrumental rock (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani), to groove metal (Rage Against The Machine) and to just plain absurdity (Frank Zappa). Bassist Bryan Beller stated, “We ended up using our different influences to write for each other. I wrote "Sweaty Knockers" specifically for Guthrie to have fun with, while Guthrie wrote “I Want A Parrot” with bass leads in mind. As for Marco’s material, we’re just lucky to be able to keep up with it!”. In 2012 the band released its first live album, Boing, We'll Do It Live! Footage and sound for this release were recorded in two concerts held at Alvas Showroom in Los Angeles, California. During those concerts the band played material from their debut album as well as songs from each band members' solo projects. In 2013, they will release their second studio album Culture Clash.

MORE

The word “supergroup” is tossed around a lot in instrumental music circles, the result of a seemingly endless supply of efforts to package together individual virtuoso players and make a band out of them. But every once in a while, the group part of that shopworn term becomes authentic and real. Such is the case with The Aristocrats – guitarist Guthrie Govan, bassist Bryan Beller, and drummer Marco Minnemann – who defiantly and joyously blow the supergroup stereotype to bits, thrilling audiences and fans around the world in the process with a preternatural band chemistry that equals exponentially more than the sum of its parts. Let’s get the requisite individual credentials out of the way: Guthrie Govan is arguably the hottest guitarist on the international music scene today, and his 2006 solo album Erotic Cakes was widely recognized as an instant classic. His top-level touring experience (Asia/GPS, Steven Wilson) complements his busy schedule as one the most in-demand guitar clinician/educators in the world, and he was featured on the cover of Guitar Player Magazine in July of 2011; * Bryan Beller’s numerous credits include guitarists Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa), and the hugely popular metal “band” Dethklok, borne of the Adult Swim (U.S.) animated TV show Metalocalypse. His solo artist catalog includes three CD’s, two DVD’s, and an instructional DVD for Alfred Publishing, and he was featured on the cover of Bass Player Magazine in October of 2012; * Marco Minnemann is widely seen by fans and peers as one of the most gifted, innovative, cutting-edge drummers in the world. He’s graced the covers of several drum magazines (including Modern Drummer) and enjoys an ultra-versatile sideman career (Adrian Belew, UKZ, Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani, Necrophagist). Perhaps less known: He’s a multi-instrumentalist and compulsively productive composer with nearly twenty CD & DVD solo releases to date. Despite their individual followings, The Aristocrats’ formation was a matter of happenstance on a barely-paying gig. Beller and Minnemann had a trio slot scheduled at the Winter NAMM show in Anaheim, CA in January of 2011, and their guitarist was a late dropout. Govan was a last-minute replacement who they met for the first time in rehearsal, the night before the show. The electricity was immediately obvious, with their unbeknownst-to-them shared influences infusing a high-energy instrumental fusion with an aggressive, playful, even cheeky edge. The audience response was overwhelming, and the band formed practically by demand on the spot. “The chemistry was so great,” recalls Govan, “that when we came offstage we all said to each other, ‘This is working. We should record this.’” Three months later, the band convened in person – eschewing the usual remote file sharing method in favor of actual live band chemistry – to track the album. Consisting of nine tracks (three contributions from each member), the material was a melting pot of their respective influences, ranging from the seminal ’70s jazz-rock fusion of Return To Forever and Mahavishnu Orchestra, to the progressive rock of King Crimson and UK, to guitar heroes like Steve Vai and Joe Satriani, to the absurdly complex and satirical music of Frank Zappa and Mike Keneally, and even to ’90s groove metal like Rage Against The Machine. Beller says of the tunes, “We ended up using our different influences to write for each other. I wrote “Sweaty Knockers” specifically for Guthrie to have fun with, while Guthrie wrote “I Want A Parrot” with bass leads in mind. As for Marco’s material, we’re just lucky to be able to keep up with it.” The ever-mischievous Minnemann’s song titles – such as “Boing!…I’m In The Back” (borne from a publicly indescribable incident in Russia) and “Blues Fuckers” (in which a typical blues form is violated in every way imaginable) – along with Beller’s “Sweaty Knockers,” prompted Govan to wonder if the band shouldn’t be named The Aristocrats, after the infamous dirty joke and movie of the same name. It stuck, and The Aristocrats were born. Tracked in just eight days, The Aristocrats [BOING, 2011] was hailed as an instant classic in leading music publications worldwide, appearing on many of that year’s top ten lists. Guthrie Govan suddenly found himself on guitar magazine covers across the globe. Music schools in particular felt the impact, as a wave of students took to covering Aristocrats tunes much in the same way Steve Vai’s Passion And Warfare inspired players a generation ago. In less than a year, The Aristocrats went from doing a single pickup gig to becoming one of the most sought-after live instrumental rock/fusion acts in the world. The next 18 months saw the band successfully tour both coasts and the Midwest/mid-south of America, eastern Canada, the U.K., Benelux, France, Spain, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Turkey, Greece, Israel, Korea, and Japan. The band’s live energy and otherwordly chemistry was captured on the DVD/2CD release BOING, We’ll Do It Live! The Aristocrats At Alvas Showroom [BOING, 2012]. In 2013, the band reconvened to track their long-awaited sophomore album, Culture Clash, whose title is an allusion to the multi-national makeup of the band (Govan is British; Beller is American; Minnemann is German), as well as a sly reference to a scene from the Coen-brothers film A Serious Man. They used the same formula – three songs from each band member – but weaponized it with the collective experience of eighteen months of touring as a unit. As a result, the new music is more aggressive, adventurous, and intense, embodying a refusal to rest on the laurels of the debut album’s surprise success. Featuring everything from techno-fusion (Minnemann’s “Dance Of The Aristocrats”) to nitro-powered rockabilly (Beller’s “Louisville Stomp”) to Govan’s rhythmically serpentine title track, Culture Clash is set for a July 2013 release, and will be followed immediately by a U.S. tour, with international touring to follow in 2014. The key thing to remember is that The Aristocrats are a true band. Whether it’s about the music, the touring plans, the record artwork and sequence, the business decisions, or what have you, everyone has an equal say. Perhaps Guthrie said it best when he used the phrase “a rowdy democracy of musicianship.” It’s not just fusion. It’s not just shredding. It’s not even meant to be taken seriously at times. It’s just the sound of three guys who did a single pickup gig and suddenly discovered they had something musically deep going on together…along with a propensity for employing R-rated song titles. So what do you call an act like that?......The Aristocrats. © 2011-2013 The Aristocrats. All rights reserved. http://the-aristocrats-band.com/about/

Nicola Costa

Nicola Costa - Electric Roots - 2007 - Nicola Costa

Guitarist, Nicola Costa's playing sounds like an Austin, Texas musician who travels to L.A. a lot. However, Rome, Italy is actually home for Costa whose latest recording "Electric Roots" is a Strat-o-Brother pick for 2007, and blasting my ears this very moment! If you like Johnny A, Robben Ford, David Grissom and Michael Lee Firkins, with heaping portions of fat "Tore Down House" Strat tones and tasteful twists, you absolutely must get Electric Roots! Yeah, the Scott Henderson influence shows up too. So what more can you ask for? Not simply a shredder or a fusion player, Costa synthesizes Blues, Funk & American Roots with Progressive guitar styles, and just goes over the top with TASTE! Each of the ten tunes on Electric Roots is a gem for combining sounds, styles and guitar playing approaches from a spectrum I can only describe as a road trip from Texas to California. Costa also wears all three hats of producer, engineer and guitarist. www.myspace.com/nicolacosta provides some tasty tracks and links for purchasing Electric Roots. Also, click on the above image to visit Nicola's main website. Ya gotta get this one folks!! © 2006-2013 JP HOLESWORTH UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED http://www.stratoblogster.com/2007/10/nicola-costa-american-electric-roots.html

"Costa is an extremely gifted guitarist who offers 10 tracks of original and extremely diverse instrumentals on this CD. He is all over the board style and sound wise, which adds much to the charm of this recording......."Electric Roots" is truly a remarkable recording by an artist who has such a bright future ahead of him. I am considering this a "must own" recording for anyone who likes great blues, blues/rock, or jazz guitar work or just plain good music in general". Tom Branson – Bluesrockers

"Nicola Costa is an outstanding, world-class player who stands tall with the best of them. The bluesy-fusion direction/vibe grooves hard and his liquid organic tones are authentic/pure. The heavy Michael Landau inspiration on "Little Boy Blues" shines deep. Costa & his people did a excellent job on the rather superb "Electric Roots" disc". Joe Romagnola - Grooveyard Records

All songs are written by Nicola, and it starts out with a song which reminds of "Left Turn" by Jeff Beck and is somewhat along the line of "Scatterbrain". On "The bridge" we hear tight funky beats on which Nicola plays the most wonderfull plays guitar solo with Beck as a large example. Right after that we get blues, which can be compared best with the layed back Hendrix and SRV songs, in "Little Boy Blues" with a nice hammond organ passage of Ettore Gentile... Also still a song where a considerable portion of blues is "Blue Day" a song in Scott Henderson style. Virtuoso! "Get On Dreamin" has not stolen its name, a thoughtful number with elements of (yes) Jeff Beck and Stevie Ray Vaughan mixed. Still worth mentioning is "Burning Night" a number song that seems along the lines of the work of Gov't Mule and where the typical Beck sound is audible again during the solos.The cd ends with a song called "Goodbye B", a jazzy song with great tone and talent. We were extremely surprised by this artist who brings qualitatively high standard music. Nicola Costa, is a name to remember! - Ronnie Bervoets/Rootstime

An outstanding instrumental album, featuring 10 original tracks of outstanding, powerful and dynamic blues, funk and progressive jazz/rock guitar with a real American roots flavour. If you like artists who can tastefully blend many different guitar styles like Robben Ford, David Grissom and Michael Lee Firkins, then this album will be right up your alley. Great music and VHR by A.O.O.F.C [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 127 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Left Turn 5:34
2. The Bridge 4:17
3. Little Boy Blues 8:15
4. Old School 4:20
5. Blue Day 5:15
6. Get On Dreamin' 6:39
7. I Don't Mind 5:18
8. The Orange Song 4:43
9. Burning Night 4:46
10. Goodbye B 5:59

All music composed by Nicola Costa

Nicola Costa – Guitar
Massimo Pizzale – Bass
Lorenzo Capelli, Clemente Ferrari – Keyboards
Cristiano Micalizzi – Drums

BIO

Musician and composer, Nicola Costa started playing guitar at the age of 10. In his early teens Nicola became interested in Rock, Blues and Electric Jazz music. He grew up with the music of Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Weather Report and Jeff Beck. In the early 80’s Nicola played with several young bands covering a variety of musical styles and experiences. At the age of 19 he decided to pursue his musical education at the Academy of Music. Nicola is also a qualified double-bass graduate. In the meantime he continued his guitar studies with Scott Henderson (G.I.T - Hollywood L.A.) and Jim Kelly (Berklee College of Music - Boston). At the age of 23 he began session works. He has performed, on over 40 different television shows, including the Sanremo Music Festival from 2002 to 2006. He has recorded, toured and played on TV with a variety of international and italian artists like Lionel Richie, Natalie Cole, Michael Bublè, Blues Brothers, Gavin DeGraw, Jose Feliciano, Vasco Rossi, Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, Renato Zero, Loredana Bertè, Luca Barbarossa, Amii Stewart, Alexia, Ivana Spagna, Marco Masini, Fiorella Manoia, Chiara Civello & Anà Carolina to name a few. He also worked with composer and arranger like Ennio Morricone, Nicola Piovani, Geoff Westley. In October 2007, Nicola released his first solo album "Electric Roots". The CD was well received by critics in Italy, Spain and in the US. Highlights included live performance at the most important Italian Rock Blues Festivals. Here's a quote from a review by Joe Romagnola of Grooveyard Records: "Nicola Costa is an outstanding, world-class player who stands tall with the best of them. The bluesy-fusion direction, hard vibes and grooves with liquid-organic tones are authentic and pure. The heavy Michael Landau inspiration on "Little Boy Blues" shines deep. Costa & his people did a excellent job on the rather superb "Electric Roots" disc". In 2009 “Electric Roots” has been nominated for a JPF Music Award in the “Best Instrumental Rock Album” category. In 2008, Nicola toured nationally and internationally with the legendary film music composer and director Ennio Morricone. In 2009, he toured with Fiorella Mannoia. In 2010, he toured and recorded with Fiorella Mannoia. He also has arranged songs for the live album called “Il Tempo e L’Armonia”. Nicola currently performes with his own Group and Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, David Lee Roth) Trio. © Nicola Costa 2012 - All Rights Reserved http://www.nicolacosta.com/biography.html

Gianluca Galli

Gianluca Galli - Evolution Revolution - 2011 - Horus Music

"Evolution Revolution" is Italian axeman Gianluca Galli's (Manta, Time Machine) third instrumental rock CD. It contains twelve tracks with guest guitarists Alex Masi, and the brilliant Frank Gambale. Gianluca is also joined by drummer Ricardo Confessori, bassists Tony Franklin, Andrea Castelli and Andrea 'Ace' Bartolini. Gianluca Galli is quite a good composer and the music here is aggressive, and often melodic, with some great harmonic grooves. Check out Gianluca's "Back Home" album [All tracks @ 160 Kbps: File size = 62 Mb]

TRACKS / MAIN PERFORMERS

1 No Exceptions (Feat. Ricardo Confessori) 4:55
2 Countdown To Extinction (Feat. Ricardo Confessori) 4:30
3 The Walking Man (Feat. Tony Franklin, Ricardo Confessori, Frank Gambale) 4:49
4 Day X (Feat. Frank Gambale, Ricardo Confessori) 4:43
5 The Guardians (Feat. Tony Franklin, Ricardo Confessori) 4:44
6 Ordinary Miracle (Feat. Tony Franklin, Frank Gambale, Ricardo Confessori) 4:58
7 Will No Faith (Feat. Andrea Castelli, Ricardo Confessori) 4:08
8 Sacrifice (Feat. Andrea 'Ace' Bartolini, Ricardo Confessori, Alex Masi) 5:04
9 Old Sun For A New Tomorrow (Feat. Andrea 'Ace' Bartolini, Ricardo Confessori) 5:15
10 End Of Days (Feat. Tony Franklin, Frank Gambale, Ricardo Confessori) 4:50
11 The Dark Side (Feat. Andrea Castelli, Ricardo Confessori) 3:35
12 Abun D'bashmaya (Feat. Tony Franklin) 2:41

All music composed by Gianluca Galli

MUSICIANS

Gianluca Galli - Guitar & Bass
Frank Gambale, Alex Masi - Guitar
Andrea Castelli, Tony Franklin, Andrea 'Ace' Bartolini - Bass
Ricardo Confessorsi - Drums

Gass

Gass - Gass aka Juju - 1970 - Polydor

Formed in London in May 1965, in London, England by Errol and Godfrey McLean (from British Guiana) and Robert Tench (from Trinidad), Gass played rhythmically complex music with elements of blues, soul, and progressive rock with Latin jazz influences. Band members Godfrey McClean, DeLisle Harper, & Robert Tench penned some great songs often reminiscent of Lennon & McCartney. Peter Green, having just left Fleetwood Mac, plays guitar on two songs. Gass' regular guitarist Bob Tench later appeared on albums by Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, Roger Chapman and many more. The band was managed by Rik Gunnell and split up in 1971

A feast for the ears of any early 70s prog rock aficionado, this complex bouquet of soul, Latin jazz, progressive rock, blues and Beatlesque melodic and tempo experimentation defies classification altogether and through the years has been sadly and criminally neglected. CD reissue treatment definitely overdue, as this masterpiece has been forever out of print, and copies in good condition fetch ridiculous sums on the collectors market! Stylistically, it was perhaps closest to what the likes of Ginger Baker's Airforce, Pete Brown & Piblokto! and Graham Bond were doing at the time, and definitely paved the way for further groups in the same vein in the coming years, such as Hanson (founded by Junior Kerr aka Junior Hanson, ex-Keef Hartley Band, to join Bob Marley & The Wailers) and Hummingbird. Priceless. © Alex Gitlin, February 2001 http://www.alexgitlin.com/npp/gass.htm
[All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 98 Mb]

TRACKS

1.Kulu Se Mama
2.Holy Woman
3.Yes I Can
4.Juju
5.Black Velvet
6.House for Sale
7.Cold Light of Day
8.Cool Me Down

All songs composed by Godfrey McClean, DeLisle Harper, & Robert Tench

MUSICIANS

Robert Tench - Guitar, Bass Guitar, Organ, Percussion,Vocals
Alan Roskans - Lead Guitar
Junior Kerr - Guitar -
Michael Piggott - Guitar, Violin
Peter Green - Guitar on Tracks 4 & 5
DeLisle Harper - Electric & Acoustic Bass, Percussion
Derek Austin - Organ, Piano, Flute, Percussion
Frank Clark - Organ
Godfrey McLean - Drums, Percussion, Congas, Dustbin Lid, Vocals
Errol McLean - Congas
Humphrey Okah - Saxophone

Ray Manzarek

Ray Manzarek - The Golden Scarab - 1974 - Mercury

More than Full Circle and Other Voices, The Golden Scarab is the best embodiment of the Doors by one of the three surviving members, and it is amazing it wasn't a huge underground smash. With mentions of moonlight drives, tightrope rides, and titles of past Doors tunes in "The Solar Boat," drummer Tony Williams, guitarist Larry Carlton, bassist Jerry Scheff, and producer Bruce Botnick generate an eerie sound behind the singer, creating a title track as mysterious and fun as anything by Morrison and company. With intense rhythms and tons of creativity, Ray Manzarek brings us on a musical journey as unique as The Phantom's Divine Comedy, and if Robbie Krieger brought the commercial element to the Doors' gravy train, it is clear here that the eldest of the quartet had more a hand in the development of the Doors persona than he may have been given credit for. One can't fault Krieger and John Densmore for stretching out with Butts Band, but there is a certain responsibility hit artists should have to their audience. The Bright Midnight releases finally address those concerns, but decades before the opening of the Doors tape vaults, that sound from L.A. Woman was most obvious on "The Purpose of Existence Is?" on this solo effort. Yes, Ray Manzarek veers off into his jazz leanings; given the players on this, how could he not? But he gives enough of a taste of past glories to make The Golden Scarab accessible, spoon feeding his musical styles to those who couldn't get enough of the music he was associated with. It's dramatic and cohesive, making more sense than Jim Morrison much of the time, with more controlled insanity. It is amazing that such a fine work as The Golden Scarab escaped the masses, and shameful that classic hits stations don't add this to their incessant repertoire. Had Jim Morrison lived, this is the path the music of the Doors should have taken. Smooth and demanding of repeated spins. © Joe Viglione © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-golden-scarab-mw0000078008

Good jazz rock/fusion with an exotic percussive flavour of Latin and Caribbean rhythms played by the great drummer, Tony Williams. At times the music has touches of zany Zappaesque humour and playing, but like Frank Zappa, highly original and mostly enjoyable. Ray penned seven of the eight tracks on the album and does a cover of Chuck Berry’s "Downbound Train". The tune fits in nicely with the other tracks. Larry Carlton also plays on this album as does the great bassist, Jerry Scheff. The late Ray Manzarek was arguably underrated as a composer and keyboardist. His playing was an essential part of the Doors’ unique sound. During his long musical career, he covered the entire musical spectrum. As a solo artist, he was futuristic in his musical creativity and did not always receive the acclaim he deserved for his contribution to great music. Try and listen to Ray’s neglected but excellent “Carmina Burana” album and the Doors’ brilliant “Morrison Hotel” album. “The Golden Scarab” is HR by A.O.O.F.C. RIP. [All tracks@ 320 Kbps: File size = 99 Mb]

TRACKS

Side 1

He Can't Come Today - 4:40
Solar Boat - 5:58
Downbound Train - 5:31
The Golden Scarab - 6:42

Side 2

The Purpose Of Existence Is? - 6:38
The Moorish Idol - 5:38
Choose Up And Choose Off - 4:43
Oh Thou Precious Nectar Filled Form (or) A Little Fart - 4:57

All tracks composed by Ray Manzarek except "Downbound Train" by Chuck Berry

MUSICIANS

Ray Manzarek - keyboards, piano, organ, synthesizer, kalimba, vocals
Larry Carlton - guitar
Jerry Scheff - bass
Tony Williams - drums
Mailto Correa - percussion, bongos, conga, wood block
Steve Forman - tuned cowbells, tuned wood blocks, whistles, guiro
Milt Holland - pandeiro, African cowbells, cabassa, quica
Ernie Watts - tenor saxophone
Oscar Brashear - trumpet

BIO (WIKI)

Raymond Daniel Manczarek, Jr., known as Ray Manzarek (February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013),was an American musician, singer, producer, film director and author, best known as a founding member and keyboardist of The Doors from 1965 to 1973. He was a co-founding member of Nite City from 1977 to 1978, and of Manzarek–Krieger from 2001 to his death. Manzarek died on May 20, 2013, of complications related to bile duct cancer. Manzarek was of Polish descent, born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois, as were his parents, Helena and Raymond Manczarek. Growing up, he took private piano lessons from Bruno Michelotti and others. He originally wanted to play basketball, but he only wanted to play power forward or center. When he was sixteen his coach insisted either he play guard or not at all and he quit the team. Manzarek said later if it was not for that ultimatum, he might never have been with the Doors. He went to Everett Elementary School on S. Bell St. and attended St. Rita High School in Chicago. He graduated from DePaul University with a degree in economics and played in many shows at the school. From 1962 to 1965, he studied in the Department of Cinematography at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he met film student Jim Morrison. At UCLA, he also met Dorothy Fujikawa, whom he married. They have a son, Pablo. Forty days after finishing film school, thinking they had gone their separate ways, Manzarek and Morrison met by chance on Venice Beach in California. Morrison said he had written some songs, and Manzarek expressed an interest in hearing them, whereupon Morrison sang a rough version of "Moonlight Drive". Manzarek liked the songs and co-founded the Doors with Morrison at that moment. Manzarek met drummer John Densmore and guitarist Robby Krieger at a Transcendental Meditation lecture. Densmore says, "There wouldn't be any Doors without Maharishi." In January 1966, the Doors became the house band at the London Fog on the Sunset Strip. According to Manzarek, "Nobody ever came in the place...an occasional sailor or two on leave, a few drunks. All in all it was a very depressing experience, but it gave us time to really get the music together." The same day the Doors were fired from the London Fog, they were hired to be the house band of the Whisky a Go Go. Their first performance at the Whisky was with the group Them. The Doors' first recording contract was with Columbia Records. After a few months of inactivity, they learned they were on Columbia's drop list. At that point, they asked to be released from their contract. After a few months of live gigs, Jac Holzman "rediscovered" the Doors and signed them to Elektra Records. The Doors lacked a bassist, so Manzarek usually played the bass parts on a Fender Rhodes piano. His signature sound is that of the Vox Continental combo organ, an instrument used by many other psychedelic rock bands of the era. He later used a Gibson G-101 Kalamazoo combo organ (which looks like a Farfisa) because the Continental's plastic keys frequently broke, according to Manzarek. Manzarek occasionally sang for the Doors, including the live recordings of "Close To You" and on the B-side of "Love Her Madly," "You Need Meat (Don't Go No Further)." He also sang on the last two Doors albums, recorded after Morrison's death, Other Voices and Full Circle. Additionally, he provided one of several guitar parts on the song "Been Down So Long." Manzarek played in several groups after the Doors, including Nite City. He recorded a rock adaptation of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana with Philip Glass, produced and backed Echo & the Bunnymen and Los Angeles band X, played with Iggy Pop, backed San Francisco poet Michael McClure's poetry readings and did improvisational composition with poet Michael C. Ford. He also worked extensively with "Hearts of Fire" screenwriter and former SRC front man Scott Richardson on a series of spoken word and blues recordings entitled "Tornado Souvenirs". His memoir, Light My Fire: My Life with The Doors, was published in 1998. The Poet in Exile (2001) is a novel exploring the urban legend that Jim Morrison may have faked his death. Manzarek's second novel, Snake Moon, released in April 2006, is a Civil War ghost story. In 2000, a collaboration poetry album titled Freshly Dug was released with British singer, poet, actor and pioneer Punk rocker Darryl Read. Read had previously worked with Manzarek on the Beat Existentialist album in 1994, and their last poetical and musical collaboration was in 2007 with the album Bleeding Paradise. In 2006, he collaborated with composer and trumpeter Bal. The album that resulted, Atonal Head, is an exploration in the realm of electronica. The two musicians integrated jazz, rock, ethnic and classical music into their computer-based creations. On August 4, 2007, Manzarek hosted a program on BBC Radio 2 about the 40th anniversary of the recording of "Light My Fire" and the group's musical and spiritual influences. In April 2009, Manzarek and Robby Krieger appeared as special guests for Daryl Hall's monthly concert webcast Live From Daryl's House. They performed several Doors' tunes ("People Are Strange", "The Crystal Ship", "Roadhouse Blues" and "Break on Through (To the Other Side)") with Hall providing lead vocals. After living many years in Hollywood, Manzarek moved to Napa County, California, to a house that he remodeled extensively. In his last years he played with local bands in the Napa area. In 2009 Manzarek collaborated with "Weird Al" Yankovic, playing keyboards on the single "Craigslist", which is a style parody of the Doors. Manzarek was a co-producer on a few tracks for Universal Recording artist Michael Barber. A track appeared on the Internet, titled "Be Ok", on Barber's Universal Records debut. In May 2010, Manzarek recorded with slide guitarist Roy Rogers in Studio D in Sausalito. The album Translucent Blues, released in mid-2011, was ranked No. 3 on the Top 100 Roots Rock Albums of 2011 by The Roots Music Report. Manzarek married Dorothy Fujikawa in Los Angeles on December 21, 1967, with Jim Morrison and his long time companion, Pamela Courson, as witnesses. Manzarek and Fujikawa remained married until his death. They had a son, Pablo, and three grandchildren, Noah, Apollo and Camille. On May 20, 2013, Manzarek died after a long battle with bile duct cancer at a hospital in Rosenheim, Germany, aged 74. Robby Krieger said, "I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today. I'm just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him." John Densmore said, "There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison's words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother." Greg Harris, CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, said in reaction to Manzarek's death that "The world of rock 'n' roll lost one of its greats with the passing of Ray Manzarek." Harris also said that "he was instrumental in shaping one of the most influential, controversial and revolutionary groups of the '60s. Such memorable tracks as 'Light My Fire', 'People are Strange' and ' Hello, I Love You' – to name but a few – owe much to Manzarek's innovative playing."

Steve Hackett, John Paul Jones, Paul Gilbert, Nuno Bettencourt

Steve Hackett, John Paul Jones, Paul Gilbert, Nuno Bettencourt - (Hard Rock Cafe, Japan 20th Anniversary Special Live) Guitar Wars - 2004 - Universal International

A live concert celebrating the twentieth anniversary of the famous Japan Hard Rock Cafe. Performances took place on 28th & 29th, August 2003 at Akasaka Blitz, a music venue in Minato, Tokyo, which is owned and operated by Tokyo Broadcasting System Television, Inc. The guitar summit features the “Guitar Wars” participants Steve Hackett, John Paul Jones, the amazing Paul Gilbert and Nuno Bettencourt, better known as the axemen from Mr.Big, Genesis, Extreme and the bassist from Led Zeppelin. Each of the 'band' members gets a set, so there is a Paul Gilbert set, a John Paul Jones set, a Nuno Bettencourt set and a Steve Hackett set. This CD version of the gigs include 13 great tracks including a ripping closing encore of the Zeppelin classic "Rock And Roll”. As long as these guys are playing, Rock & Roll will never die. Great stuff! You can buy a DVD of this concert with extra tracks and features [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 179 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Paul Gilbert Set

1 – Gettin’ Betta - Cowling, Travers 5:35
2 – Viking Kong - Gilbert 7:32
3 – I Like Rock - Gilbert 3:22

John Paul Jones Set

4 – Tidal - Jones 5:13
5 – Steel Away - Jones 5:41
6 – Nobody’s Fault But Mine - Page, Plant 8:04

Nuno Bettencourt Set

7 – Gravity - Bettencourt 5:47
8 – Get The Funk Out - Bettencourt 6:47
9 – More Than Words - Bettencourt, Cherone 5:35

Steve Hackett Set

10 – Firth Of Fifth - Genesis 3:30
11 – Mechanical Bride -Hackett 8:03
12 – Los Endos - Hackett 6:27

ENCORE

13 – Rock And Roll - Bonham, Jones, Page, Plant 6:05

MUSICIANS

Paul Gilbert - Guitars, Vocals
Steve Hackett - Guitars, Harmonica, Vocals
Nuno Bettencourt - Guitars, Drums, Vocals
Mike Szuter - Guitar, Bass Guitar, Vocals
John Paul Jones - Bass Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Mandolin
Roger King - Keyboards
Pat Mastelotto - Drums
Gary Cherone - Vocals

Modern Gustin Trio (Beatles Related)

Modern Gustin Trio - The Beatles Go Jazz - 1995 - Double Play

Gérard Gustin is a well known French orchestra leader and pianist and this album is his interpretation of fifteen Lennon & McCartney songs, 1 George Harrison tune, and his own composition, "Remember John". It is really difficult to mess up a Beatles tune, however in some of the tracks the melody is lost in some very uninteresting arrangements. There are other Beatles tunes which are more suitable to a jazz arrangement. Tracks like "Yellow Submarine" and "Girl"
do not really work here. There are better Beatles jazz covers available. Has anybody heard Chick Corea's amazing cover of "Eleanor Rigby". However, if you are a Beatles fan you will be interested in all aspects of the Beatles music. Your opinion on this album is welcome [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 118 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Michelle
2. Let It Be
3. Something
4. I Wanna Hold Your Hand
5. With A Little Help From My Friends
6. Can't Buy Me Love
7. Yesterday
8. Ob-la-di Ob-la-da
9. A Hard Day's Night
10. Girl
11. Hey Jude
12. Yellow Submarine
13. Ticket To Ride
14. I Feel Fine
15. Penny Lane
16. Get Back
17. Remember John

All songs composed by Lennon & McCartney except "Something" by George Harrison, and "Remember John" by Gérard Gustin

TRIO

Gérard Gustin - Piano
B. Rousselet - Bass
P. Riou - Drums

Georgie Fame

Georgie Fame - Cool Cat Blues - 1991 - Go Jazz

An anonymous donor sent me this cd recently, its title having agonisingly lingered on my wish list for some time. I can only proffer my apologies to Mr Fame for having taken so long to discover this album's excellence and to my generous benefactor a humble and most appreciative thank you. Mr Fame is a legend in his own right, with a career spanning some forty years, he needs no introduction. Originally a blues aficionado his skills began to lend to the jazz genre in the early eighties. Mr Fame is indeed a talented man and has that rare pleasure of being not only a first class vocalist but a talented musician too. I'm blessed too have his title "Name Droppin" (Live) and I didn't really think it could be beat. But of course Mr Fame pulls off excellence with frightening ease time and time again and this album exudes the essence of an album that was a joy to produce. A self-contained and extraordinary album, it flows effortlessly in its excellence from track one to track thirteen all too disappointingly soon. I normally like to quote my favourite track but dam, aint it so hard to do. Maybe its Moondance but then maybe its Yeah, Yeah .... no its definitely It Should Have Been Me ... no wait its Georgia ..... all wonderful classics in their own right and if my humble opinion is worth anything you should stop reading this and go press the purchase button. – from ***** SPLENDIFEROUS !!!, June 26, 2002 By & © H. J. Sandford "jazzyjaney" (Yorkshire, England) © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Cool-Cat-Blues-Georgie-Fame/product-reviews/B00005AQI8/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/187-6829984-0203647?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

“The hardest part of making this album was chosing the material - the musicians kind of chose themselves (anybody you called to perform on a Georgie Fame session immediately said yes). Because Georgie is equally adept at blues, R&B and bebop, we narrowed the repertoire down to our favorites from the books of Louis Jordan, Ray Charles, Mose Allison, Hoagy Carmichael, Van Morrison (Georgie's band-mate at the time) and of course several of his sophisticated originals”. – Ben sidran from Go Jazz, 1989

Ben Sidran assembled some of the best jazz players in the business to record “Cool Cat Blues” with the celebrated Georgie Fame. Some of the great musicians on this album include the late Hugh McCracken, Van Morrison, Boz Scaggs, Steve Gadd, and Robben Ford, and these guys don’t appear on any old rubbish. Apart from the great vocal standards, there is a great reworking of Georgie’s "Yeah Yeah" and a dynamic version of Van Morrison's classic "Moondance". The legendary vocalist, songwriter, and keyboardist Georgie Fame remains one of the great British jazz and R&B musicians. This album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. The "Shorty featuring Georgie Fame" album is @ http://overdoseoffingalcocoa.blogspot.com/2009/06/georgie-fame.html Try and listen to the Georgie Fame & Alan Price “Together” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 158 Mb]

TRACKS/ COMPOSERS

1 Cool Cat Blues - Georgie Fame & Alexander Ryan 4:05
2 Every Knock Is a Boost - Georgie Fame, Louis Jordan, B. Waters 5:15
3 Moondance - Van Morrison 6:44
4 It Should Have Been Me - Memphis Curtis 5:02
5 Yeah Yeah - Rodgers Grant & Jon Hendricks 5:05
6 I Love the Life I Live, I Live the Life I Love - Willie Dixon 3:17
7 Big Brother - Mose Allison 4:58
8 Georgia on My Mind - Hoagy Carmichael & Stuart Gorrell 5:11
9 Cat's Eyes - Georgie Fame 6:17
10 You Came a Long Way from St. Louis - John Benson Brooks & Bob Russell 4:30
11 Survival - Georgie Fame & Alexander Ryan 9:00
12 Little Pony - Neal Hefti & Jon Hendricks 2:40
13 Rocking Chair - Hoagy Carmichael 3:58

MUSICIANS

Robben Ford, Hugh McCracken - Guitar
Dennis Irwin, Will Lee - Bass
Georgie Fame - Organ, Piano, Horn Arrangements, Vocals
Richard Tee - Organ, Piano, Acoustic & Electric Piano
Michael Weiss - Piano
Steve Gadd - Drums
Ralph MacDonald - Percussion
Ben Sidran - Tambourine, Vocals
Ronnie Cuber, Lawrence Feldman - Saxophone
Bob Malach - Saxophone, Horn Arrangements
Boz Scaggs, Jon Hendricks - Vocals
Van Morrison - Vocals, Vocal Ad-Libs

BIO

Georgie Fame's swinging, surprisingly credible blend of jazz and American R&B earned him a substantial following in his native U.K., where he scored three number one singles during the '60s. Fame played piano and organ in addition to singing, and was influenced by the likes of Mose Allison, Booker T. & the MG's, and Louis Jordan. Early in his career, he also peppered his repertoire with Jamaican ska and bluebeat tunes, helping to popularize that genre in England; during his later years, he was one of the few jazz singers of any stripe to take an interest in the vanishing art of vocalese, and earned much general respect from jazz critics on both sides of the Atlantic.
Fame was born Clive Powell on June 26, 1943, in Leigh, Lancashire (near Manchester, England). He began playing piano at a young age, and performed with several groups around Manchester as a teenager, when he was particularly fond of Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis. In 1959, his family moved to London, where the 16 year old was discovered by songwriter Lionel Bart (best known for the musical Oliver). Bart took Powell to talent manager Larry Parnes, who promoted British rockers like Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Johnny Gentle, and Vince Eager. Powell naturally had to be renamed as well, and as Georgie Fame, he played piano behind Wilde and Eager before officially joining Fury's backing band, the Blue Flames, in the summer of 1961. (the Blue Flames also included guitarist Colin Green, saxophonist Mick Eve, bassist Tony Makins, and drummer Red Reece.) When Fury let the band go at the end of the year, Fame became their lead singer, and they hit the London club circuit playing a distinctive blend of rock, pop, R&B, jazz, and ska. Their budding reputation landed them a residency at the West End jazz club the Flamingo, and thanks to the American servicemen who frequented the club and lent Fame their records, he discovered the Hammond B-3 organ, becoming one of the very few British musicians to adopt the instrument in late 1962. From there, the Blue Flames became one of the most popular live bands in London. In 1963, they signed with EMI Columbia, and in early 1964 released their acclaimed debut LP, Rhythm and Blues at the Flamingo. It wasn't a hot seller at first, and likewise their first three singles all flopped, but word of the group was spreading. Finally, in early 1965, Fame hit the charts with "Yeh Yeh," a swinging tune recorded by Latin jazz legend Mongo Santamaria and given lyrics by vocalese virtuoso Jon Hendricks of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. "Yeh Yeh" went all the way to number one on the British charts, and Fame started living up to his stage name (although the song barely missed the Top 20 in America). His 1965 LP Fame at Last reached the British Top 20, and after several more minor hits, he had another British number one with "Getaway" in 1966. After one more LP with the original Blue Flames, 1966's Sweet Thing, Fame broke up the band and recorded solo; over the next few years, his backing bands included drummer Mitch Mitchell (later of the Jimi Hendrix Experience) and the young guitarist John McLaughlin (Miles Davis, Mahavishnu Orchestra). At the outset, Fame's solo career was just as productive as before, kicking off with the Top Ten big-band LP Sound Venture (recorded with Harry South's orchestra); thanks to its success, he toured with the legendary Count Basie the following year. Several hit singles followed over the next few years, including "The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde," which became his third British chart-topper in late 1967 and, the following year, his only Top Ten hit in America. But by 1969, his success was beginning to tail off; hoping to make inroads into the more adult-oriented cabaret circuit, Fame was moving more and more into straight-up pop and away from his roots. In 1971, he teamed up with onetime Animals organist Alan Price and recorded an album of critically reviled MOR pop, Fame & Price; the partnership produced a near-Top Ten hit in "Rosetta," but ended in 1973. Fame re-formed the Blue Flames with original guitarist Colin Green in 1974 and attempted to return to R&B, but his records for Island attracted little attention. He spent much of the '70s and '80s making ends meet by performing on TV and the cabaret circuit, as well as writing advertising jingles; he also continued to make records, to little fanfare. In 1989, Fame played organ on Van Morrison's Avalon Sunset album, which grew into a fruitful collaboration over the course of the '90s; Fame played on all of Morrison's albums through 1997's The Healing Game, received co-billing on Morrison's 1996 jazz album How Long Has This Been Going On, and even served a stint as Morrison's musical director. Meanwhile, Fame's own solo work during the '90s received some of his best reviews since the '60s, starting with 1991's jazzy Cool Cat Blues, which featured a duet with Morrison on "Moondance." 1995's Three Line Whip featured his sons Tristan and James Powell on guitar and drums, respectively, and 1996's The Blues and Me further enhanced his growing jazz credibility. In 1998, Fame split with Morrison to record and tour with former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman's new group the Rhythm Kings, contributing organ and vocals to several albums. In 2000, now signed to Ben Sidran's Go Jazz label, Fame released the acclaimed Poet in New York, which established him as an impressive student of jazz's vocalese. © Steve Huey © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/georgie-fame-mn0000543055

Greg Howe

Greg Howe - Hyperacuity - 2000 - Tone Center

Hyperacuity is Greg Howe's debut offering for the Tone Center label and is an instrumental extravaganza comprised of fusion compositions that highlight Howe's incredible techniques and melodic flair. As one of the most versatile guitarists in jazz, rock, or fusion, Howe really stretches on his highly anticipated seventh solo release and follow-up to Ascend. The popular guitarist opens with "Hyperacuity," a musical personification of Howe's razor-sharp guitar licks that are further exemplified on "Blindfold." This is a "killer" jam and solidifies Howe's furious guitar licks in the annals of jazz/rock. His ability to adapt his acclaimed speed as a legato for the lower tones on "Order of Dawn" is even more reason for listeners, both new and hardcore fusionists, to get excited about Howe's musical genius. "Heat Activated" is a workout of tempos, blues-inflected changes, and great use of wah-wah frequencies that awakens a nostalgic muse with this fiery wake-up call. Along with his successful use of synth sounds and programming on Howe's cover of the Stevie Wonder classic, "I Wish," this CD becomes the musical vision realized by uniting great rock, blues, and jazz with the 21st century musical mindset of Greg Howe. © Paula Edelstein © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/hyperacuity-mw0000065171

“Hyperacuity” is a fantastic instrumental mosaic of fusion, blues, jazz, rock, funk, and of course, shred from the incredibly talented guitarist, Greg Howe. The album contains six Howe originals and a cover of Stevie Wonder's "I Wish". This album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Greg's "Introspection" album. Just how good can a guitarist get? For a mindblowing example of an inspired guitar solo, listen to Paul Gilbert @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsK30xHb7mk [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 109 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Hyperacuity 5:54
2 Blindfold Drive 6:13
3 Order of Dawn 8:33
4 Heat Activated 5:03
5 Receptionist 6:28
6 Trinka 6:12
7 I Wish 6:44

All tracks composed by Steve Howe except "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder

MUSICIANS

Greg Howe - Guitars: Acoustic Guitar (Right Side) on "Order of Dawn"
Prashant Aswani - Acoustic Guitar (Left Side) on "Order of Dawn"
Dale Fisher - Bass
Kevin Soffera - Drums: Udu Drums and Beck Drum Kit on "Receptionist"

BIO

Easton, PA's Greg Howe was a breath of fresh air amidst the seemingly never-ending stream of harmonic minor guitar virtuosos pouring forth from the Shrapnel Records label in the late '80s. While other post-Yngwie Malmsteen players of the "shred guitar" genre were pursuing the dramatic neo-classical vein, Howe brought a sense of funk and groove to the table that was sorely needed. Howe paid his dues playing the Easton/Allentown club circuit in the '80s with the band Duke, featuring his brother Al on lead vocals. When one of his instrumental demos grabbed the ear of talent scout and Shrapnel Records owner Mike Varney, Howe was signed to the Shrapnel label in 1987. His all-instrumental debut, Greg Howe, featuring the talents of Billy Sheehan and Atma Anur on bass and drums, respectively, was released in 1988, to considerable acclaim. Howe's second album, High Gear, released under the moniker Howe 2, was less a solo album than a Van Halen-styled band effort, featuring his brother Al Howe on lead vocals. The band broke up after releasing its more commercially minded follow-up, Now Hear This, in 1990 and Greg Howe returned to making all-instrumental albums in his home studio, taking a decidedly more fusion-styled direction. Howe released Introspection in 1993 and Uncertain Terms in 1994 and has continued to produce albums at a prolific rate since then. Aside from releasing Parallax and Five in 1995 and 1996, respectively, Howe collaborated with fellow Pennsylvania virtuoso and Shrapnel labelmate Richie Kotzen on the Tilt album in 1995 and again on 1997's Richie Kotzen/Greg Howe Project. His last Shrapnel album, Ascend, was released in 1999, followed by his debut on the Tone Center label, Hyperacuity, released in 2000.Outside of his solo career, Greg Howe is also a sought-after sideman who has toured with the likes of Michael Jackson and N'Sync. © Andy Hinds © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/greg-howe-mn0000195552