James McMurtry

James McMurtry - Saint Mary of the Woods - 2002 - Sugar Hill

After the more laid-back excursion of Walk Between the Raindrops, James McMurtry returns to the more raucous sound of his John Mellencamp-produced debut, Too Long in the Wasteland, and the follow-up, Candyland. Aided by the electric guitars of Stephen Bruton, David Grissom, and McMurtry himself, Saint Mary of the Woods rocks as much as it "folks." The talent for vividly painted, finely honed observations of rural life and interactive hearts that he inherited from his father (Larry, the novelist) has been augmented here by some diverse musical influences. "Lobo Town" borrows from Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love," while the rhythm of his "Choctaw Bingo" lyrics can trace a direct lineage to Chuck Berry's "Maybellene." McMurtry also covers a Dave Alvin tune ("Dry River") and enlists composing help from bandmates and engineers. Rather than add up to a writer having creative problems, it appears here more like an egoless acceptance of inspiration where he finds it. It works. Saint Mary of the Woods is a fine addition to a first-rate catalog by a consistently excellent artist. © Michael Ross © 1996-2010, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates
http://www.amazon.com/Saint-Mary-Woods-James-Mcmurtry/dp/B00006IGUF/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1285094614&sr=1-1

A very underrated singer, musician and brilliant songwriter, James McMurtry from Fort Worth, Texas has a lot of great songs under his belt. The guy has a voice that sounds like a cross between Johnny Cash, David Byrne, and Lou Reed. Lyrically, the guy is a great storyteller. Like Leonard Cohen, David Byrne, Mose Allison, Janis Ian, Tino Gonzales, Lou Reed, or the young Dylan, James writes songs often with a socio-political theme. He writes evocative lyrics, often cynical and dry, but never boring, and like the aforementioned artists he has the rare talent of writing great music for what often sounds like dull topics. His music is steeped in Americana, and he produces brilliant music. "Saint Mary of the Woods" is a wonderful album of great Americana/country roots rock flavoured songs. In his regular column for Entertainment Weekly, noted author (and passionate rock ’n’ roll enthusiast) Stephen King cited McMurtry as “the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.” "Saint Mary of the Woods " is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy James' great "Just Us Kids" album. Promote this great artist. He's never gonna win the X-Factor, nor would he want to. We’re talking real music here! Check out James’ “It Had to Happen” album on this blog and listen to James McMurtry & The Heartless Bastard's "Live In Aught-Three" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 121 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Dry River
2. Valley Road
3. Saint Mary Of The Woods
4. Out Here In The Middle
5. Lobo Town
6. Broken Bed - with Ronnie Johnson & Daren Hess
7. Red Dress
8. Gulf Road
9. Gone To The Y
10. Choctaw Bingo

All songs composed by James McMurtry except Track 1 by Dave Alvin/James McMurtry, and Tracks 3, & 6 by Flash/Hess/Johnson/James McMurtry

MUSICIANS

James McMurtry (vocals, guitar, slide guitar)
Stephen Bruton (electric guitar, slide guitar, baritone guitar, mandolin)
David Grissom (guitar)
Ronnie Johnson (guitar, bass, background vocals)
Earl Poole Ball (piano)
Ian McLagan (organ, Wurlitzer organ)
Paul Pearcy (drums, cowbells, tambo, maracas, percussion, sound effects)
Daren Hess (drums, cymbals, shaker, sound effects)
Lisa Mednick (accordion)
Randy Garibay, Jr., Myra Spector (background vocals)

BIO

Texas singer/songwriter James McMurtry, known for his hard-edged character sketches, comes from a literary family; his father, novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry, gave James his first guitar at age seven, and his mother, an English professor, taught him how to play it. McMurtry began performing his own songs while a student at the University of Arizona and continued to do so after returning home and taking a job as a bartender. When it transpired that a film script McMurtry's father had written was being directed by John Mellencamp, who was also its star, McMurtry's demo tape was passed along, and Mellencamp was duly impressed, serving as co-producer on McMurtry's 1989 debut album, Too Long in the Wasteland. McMurtry also appeared on the soundtrack of the film (Falling from Grace), working with Mellencamp, John Prine, Joe Ely, and Dwight Yoakam in a one-off supergroup called Buzzin' Cousins. McMurtry has continued to record, releasing albums in 1992 and 1995. Walk Between the Raindrops followed in 1998, and 2002 saw the release of Saint Mary of the Woods, his last for the Sugar Hill label. He signed with Compadre the following year, releasing Live in Aught-Three in 2004 and Childish Things in 2005. Just Us Kids appeared in 2008 on Lightning Rod Records, with another concert album, Live in Europe, arriving in 2009. © Steve Huey, Rovi © http://www.answers.com/topic/james-mcmurtry#Discography_d

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

James McMurtry (born March 18, 1962 in Fort Worth, is a Texas rock and Americana music singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader and occasional actor (Daisy Miller, Lonesome Dove). With his veteran bandmates and rhythm section The Heartless Bastards (Darren Hess and Ronnie Johnson) he tours regions of the United States and, increasingly, Europe, for parts of each year, performing in intimate and mid-sized venues, especially those with dancing room for his audiences. His father, novelist Larry McMurtry, gave him his first guitar at age seven. His mother, an English professor, taught him how to play it: "My mother taught me three chords and the rest I just stole as I went along. I learned everything by ear or by watching people." James spent the first seven years of his boyhood in Ft. Worth but was raised mostly in Leesburg, Virginia. He attended the Woodberry Forest School, Orange, Virginia. He began performing in his teens, writing bits and pieces. He started performing his own songs at a downtown beer garden while studying English and Spanish at the University of Arizona in Tucson. After traveling to Alaska and playing a few gigs, James returned to Texas and his father's "little bitty ranch house crammed with 10,000 books". After a time, he left for San Antonio, where he worked as a house painter, actor, bartender, and sometimes singer, performing at writer's nights and open mics. In 1987, a friend in San Antonio suggested he enter the New Folk songwriter contest. He was one of six winners that year. John Mellencamp was starring in a film based on a script by James's father, which gave James the opportunity to get a demo tape to Mellencamp. Mellencamp subsequently served as co-producer on McMurtry's 1989 debut album, Too Long in the Wasteland. McMurtry also appeared on the soundtrack of the film Falling from Grace, working with Mellencamp, John Prine, Joe Ely, and Dwight Yoakam in a "supergroup" called Buzzin' Cousins. McMurtry released follow-up albums in Candyland (1992) and Where'd You Hide the Body (1995). Walk Between the Raindrops followed in 1998 and 2002 brought St. Mary of the Woods. In April 2004, McMurtry released a tour album called Live In Aught-Three. In 2005, McMurtry released his first studio album in 3 years. Childish Things again received high critical praise, culminating in him winning the song and album of the year at the 5th Annual Americana Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. The album was perhaps McMurtry at his most political, as his working-class anthem "We Can't Make It Here" included direct criticism of George W. Bush, the Iraq War, and Wal-Mart. McMurtry released his follow up album to Childish Things in April 2008. Just Us Kids continued with the previous album's political themes and included the song Cheney's Toy, McMurtry's most direct criticism of George W. Bush so far. Like We Can't Make It Here from the previous album, Cheney's Toy was made available as a free Internet download. James McMurtry currently resides in Austin, Texas. When in Austin McMurtry and The Heartless Bastards play a midnight set at The Continental Club on Wednesday nights. He's usually preceded by another Austin roots rock legend, Jon Dee Graham.

James McMurtry

James McMurtry - It Had to Happen - 1997 - Sugar Hill

James McMurtry's fourth album of new material concerns itself with change. Showing a maturity that doesn't show itself much in the roots rock genre, It Had to Happen winds its way through many stories set to music. "Sixty Acres" deals with inheritance, while "No More Buffalo," a standout cut, dwells on both natural and personal destruction. Tastefully done, McMurtry and his fellow travelers offer fine music done maturely. © James Chrispell © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/it-had-to-happen-r277628/review

A very underrated singer, musician and brilliant songwriter, James McMurtry from Fort Worth, Texas has a lot of great songs under his belt. The guy has a voice that sounds like a cross between Johnny Cash, David Byrne, and Lou Reed. Lyrically, the guy is a great storyteller. Like Leonard Cohen, David Byrne, Mose Allison, Janis Ian, Tino Gonzales, Lou Reed, or the young Dylan, James writes songs often with a socio-political theme. He writes evocative lyrics, often cynical and dry, but never boring, and like the aforementioned artists he has the rare talent of writing great music for what often sounds like dull topics. His music is steeped in Americana and roots rock. "It Had to Happen" is an album of beautiful poetic songs with wonderful lyrics and brilliant instrumentation all round. In his regular column for Entertainment Weekly, noted author (and passionate rock ’n’ roll enthusiast) Stephen King cited McMurtry as “the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.” "It Had to Happen" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. This album is already posted on this blog @ 192 Kpbs. Buy James' "Candyland" album, and promote this hugely talented artist [All tracks @ 320 kbps: File size = 142 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Paris
2. Peter Pan
3. For All I Know
4. No More Buffalo
5. 12 O'Clock Whistle
6. Sixty Acres
7. Be With Me
8. Wild Man From Borneo
9. Stancliff's Lament
10. Jaws Of Life

All songs composed by James McMurtry except "Paris" by James McMurtry & Wally Wilson, and "Wild Man From Borneo" by Kinky Friedman

MUSICIANS

James McMurtry - Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Bass, Claves, Harmonica, Vocals, Handclapping
Lloyd Maines - Slide Guitar, Lap Steel Guitar, Tambourine, Handclapping
Ronnie Johnson - Bass, Background Vocals, Vocal Harmony, Handclapping
Charlie Sexton - Mandolin, Bouzouki, Background Vocals
Lisa Mednick - Keyboards, Accordion
Chris Searles - Drums, Percussion, Handclapping
Randy Garibay, Jr. - Background Vocals, Vocal Harmony

SHORT BIO

Texas singer/songwriter James McMurtry, known for his hard-edged character sketches, comes from a literary family; his father, novelist and screenwriter Larry McMurtry, gave James his first guitar at age seven, and his mother, an English professor, taught him how to play it. McMurtry began performing his own songs while a student at the University of Arizona and continued to do so after returning home and taking a job as a bartender. When it transpired that a film script McMurtry's father had written was being directed by John Mellencamp, who was also its star, McMurtry's demo tape was passed along, and Mellencamp was duly impressed, serving as co-producer on McMurtry's 1989 debut album, Too Long in the Wasteland. McMurtry also appeared on the soundtrack of the film (Falling from Grace), working with Mellencamp, John Prine, Joe Ely, and Dwight Yoakam in a one-off supergroup called Buzzin' Cousins. McMurtry has continued to record, releasing albums in 1992 and 1995. Walk Between the Raindrops followed in 1998, and 2002 saw the release of Saint Mary of the Woods, his last for the Sugar Hill label. He signed with Compadre the following year, releasing Live in Aught-Three in 2004 and Childish Things in 2005. Just Us Kids appeared in 2008 on Lightning Rod Records, with another concert album, Live in Europe, arriving in 2009. © Steve Huey © 2011 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-mcmurtry-p4878/biography

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

James McMurtry (born March 18, 1962 in Fort Worth, is a Texas rock and Americana music singer, songwriter, guitarist, bandleader and occasional actor (Daisy Miller, Lonesome Dove). With his veteran bandmates and rhythm section The Heartless Bastards (Darren Hess and Ronnie Johnson) he tours regions of the United States and, increasingly, Europe, for parts of each year, performing in intimate and mid-sized venues, especially those with dancing room for his audiences. His father, novelist Larry McMurtry, gave him his first guitar at age seven. His mother, an English professor, taught him how to play it: "My mother taught me three chords and the rest I just stole as I went along. I learned everything by ear or by watching people." James spent the first seven years of his boyhood in Ft. Worth but was raised mostly in Leesburg, Virginia. He attended the Woodberry Forest School, Orange, Virginia. He began performing in his teens, writing bits and pieces. He started performing his own songs at a downtown beer garden while studying English and Spanish at the University of Arizona in Tucson. After traveling to Alaska and playing a few gigs, James returned to Texas and his father's "little bitty ranch house crammed with 10,000 books". After a time, he left for San Antonio, where he worked as a house painter, actor, bartender, and sometimes singer, performing at writer's nights and open mics. In 1987, a friend in San Antonio suggested he enter the New Folk songwriter contest. He was one of six winners that year. John Mellencamp was starring in a film based on a script by James's father, which gave James the opportunity to get a demo tape to Mellencamp. Mellencamp subsequently served as co-producer on McMurtry's 1989 debut album, Too Long in the Wasteland. McMurtry also appeared on the soundtrack of the film Falling from Grace, working with Mellencamp, John Prine, Joe Ely, and Dwight Yoakam in a "supergroup" called Buzzin' Cousins. McMurtry released follow-up albums in Candyland (1992) and Where'd You Hide the Body (1995). Walk Between the Raindrops followed in 1998 and 2002 brought St. Mary of the Woods. In April 2004, McMurtry released a tour album called Live In Aught-Three. In 2005, McMurtry released his first studio album in 3 years. Childish Things again received high critical praise, culminating in him winning the song and album of the year at the 5th Annual Americana Awards in Nashville, Tennessee. The album was perhaps McMurtry at his most political, as his working-class anthem "We Can't Make It Here" included direct criticism of George W. Bush, the Iraq War, and Wal-Mart. McMurtry released his follow up album to Childish Things in April 2008. Just Us Kids continued with the previous album's political themes and included the song Cheney's Toy, McMurtry's most direct criticism of George W. Bush so far. Like We Can't Make It Here from the previous album, Cheney's Toy was made available as a free Internet download. James McMurtry currently resides in Austin, Texas. When in Austin McMurtry and The Heartless Bastards play a midnight set at The Continental Club on Wednesday nights. He's usually preceded by another Austin roots rock legend, Jon Dee Graham.

The Ford Blues Band

The Ford Blues Band - Here We Go! Live in Germany '90 - 1991 - CrossCut Records

This thrilling live set from the Ford Blues Band was recorded live at the Schauburg, Bremen, Germany on October 4th, 1990. Featuring two of California's most powerful and innovative harmonica players, Mark Ford and Andy Just. Led by Robben Ford's brothers Patrick and Mark, this is a dynamic live band reminiscent of the great Charles Ford Band. Not unusual considering the Ford family blues tradition. The album comprises eight great propulsive, Chicago blues style tracks with occasional jazzy interludes. The tracks were recorded direct to digital [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 129 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Get Yourself Together - Bugsy Maugh
2 Tramp - Lowell Fulson & Jimmy McCracklin
3 One More Mile - James Cotton
4 One Kind Favor aka "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" - Blind Lemon Jefferson
5 Blue And Lonesome - Little Walter Jacobs
6 You're A Bad One - Garth Webber
7 Fannie Mae - Bobby Robinson, Clarence Lewis, Buster Brown
8 Fool For Love - Mark Ford

BAND

Jeff Stratton - Guitar
Stan Poplin - Bass
Patrick Ford - Drums
Mark Ford, Andy Just - Harmonica, Vocals

Ray Bonneville

Ray Bonneville - Solid Ground - 1996 - Bluetone Productions

Many of those familiar with Red House recording artist Ray Bonneville know that he is a hard driving, blues influenced, song and groove man who often writes about people who live on the fringe of society. Ray’s vibe is loose and soulful. With a greasy guitar style, horn-like harmonica phrasing, smoky vocal style and pulsing foot percussion he immediately rivets audiences. His solo performance fills a concert hall with all the sound layering and drama of a full band. The consummate, driven professional, Ray plays more that one hundred and fifty shows a year across the US, Canada and Europe. He has a loyal, enthusiastic fan base wherever he goes. In 1999 he won the Juno award (Canada’s Grammy) and was nominated twice more after that. His song about the resilience of New Orleans, “I am the Big Easy” was the most played song by North American folk DJs, and won “Song of the Year” at Folk Alliance in Memphis in 2009, the same city where he took first place in the International Blues Challenge in 2012. About that award he says “I just went to Memphis to meet some new folks, so it took me by surprise when they announced my name; I see what I do as the offspring of traditional blues music”. He was forty-one when he started writing songs and making records after playing all over for twenty years. When asked why it took so long, he replied “it’s hard to say, but I only spoke French until I was twelve years old when my family suddenly moved us from Quebec to the Boston area, so maybe it took me that long to really feel the nuance of the English language”. © http://raybonneville.com/about/

A really good album of electric and acoustic blues, country, roots rock, Americana and folk by a hugely underrated artist. Blend together the sounds of Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Willy DeVille, Ry Cooder, J.J. Cale, James McMurtry, and Lucy Kaplansky and you’re coming close to the sound of Ray Bonneville. Don’t let this music pass you by. Artists like Ray Bonneville really show up the garbage out there masquerading as music. Check out Ray’s “Gust Of Wind” album on this blog and try and listen to his "On The Main” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 95.9 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Nothing to Lose 3:49
2. Blue Guitar 4:19
3. If Your Love Is Strong 3:21
4. Love in Danger 4:40
5. When the Night Time Comes 3:34
6. Blonde of Mine 3:14
7. What Else Is New 3:42
8. When Will I Learn 4:11
9. Solid Ground 3:26
10. Excuse Me 4:03
11. Say Those Things 3:23

All tracks composed by Ray Bonneville except Track 11 by Ray Bonneville & Bradford Hayes

MUSICIANS

Ray Bonneville - Guitar, Harmonica, Vocals
Pat Donaldson - Electric & Acoustic Bass, Guitar
Brad Hayes - Guitar, 6-String Bass
Rick Haworth - Lap Steel Guitar
Bob Stagg - Organ
Thom Gossage, John McColgan - Drums
Kim Richardson - Background Vocals

SHORT BIO

Blues singer, musician, and songwriter Ray Bonneville is a Juno Award winner originally from Canada. Before he reached his teens, his large family moved to the United States; a few years later, when they returned to Canada, Bonneville stayed in the States on his own. He found work as a member in different bands and as a studio musician, playing both the harmonica and guitar. When he discovered being a musician wasn't paying all of the bills, he studied flying and put in enough hours to get his pilot's license. He was influenced by and performed with great bluesmen like the legendary Muddy Waters and Bukka White. In 1993, Bonneville finished his debut recording On the Main. It was followed by 1997's Solid Ground, which underscored his growing writing and playing skills. Gust of Wind, which earned Bonneville a Juno Award for Canada's Blues Album of the Year, was released in 1999 and Rough Luck came out in 2000. The folk-tinged Roll It Down followed three years later, while 2007's Goin' by Feel boasted a darker, smokier sound and a tribute to New Orleans in the song "I Am the Big Easy." Bonneville reunited with that album's producer, Gurf Morlix, for his next album, 2011's Bad Man's Blood. © Charlotte Dillon © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ray-bonneville-mn0000403774/biography

Mike Zito

Mike Zito - Pearl River - 2009 - Eclecto Groove Records

Guitarist Mike Zito was born in St. Louis, Missouri on November 19, 1970. He got his start in music by singing at local events at a young age. As a teenager he picked up the guitar and began playing regularly around his hometown. By 2008 Zito was releasing records on his own self-titled label while touring the U.S; this was also the year he signed with Eclecto Groove Records and released Today. Pearl River was released the following year, and Zito was awarded Song of the Year at the 2010 Blues Music Awards for the title track off that album. Zito released his final session on Eclecto Groove, Greyhound, in 2011. A track taken from that session, "Roll On," was featured on the TV show Sons of Anarchy. Also in 2011 Zito formed Royal Southern Brotherhood with Cyril Neville, guitarist Devon Allman (son of Gregg Allman), bassist Charlie Wooton (of Zydefunk), and Yonrico Scott (former drummer for the Derek Trucks Band). The group released its self-titled debut album on the Ruf label in 2012, and Zito also debuted his new band, the Wheel, that year. © Al Campbell © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/mike-zito-mn0000994328/biography

Mike Zito is one who enjoys returning to his blues roots, playing electric guitar and ripping though songs with his sawtooth-sharp voice. Pearl River -- his fifth album -- is quite different than the previous effort Today, which was more rock-oriented, and focuses on not only contemporary urban tunes but a few acoustic folk-oriented ones, and the basis of all of his music, the sound of New Orleans. He's got help from guitarist Anders Osborne and keyboardist Reese Wynans from Stevie Ray Vaughan's band, and there are guest appearances from Cyril Neville, Johnny Sansone, Lynwood Slim, Randy Chortkoff (also his producer,) and Susan Cowsill (yes, she of the Cowsills fame). It's good to hear Zito dig deep into songs like the title track, Neville's pure, slow blues, the New Orleans shuffle treatment of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Eyesight to the Blind," and Mel London's rocksteady "Sugar Sweet." Zito is no slouch as a songwriter, and his "Dirty Blonde" is a swing jump blues, as he admonishes a lady "friend" for her entire persona being low-down and scurrilous from the neck down. He does get into some choogling voodoo à la Charlie Musselwhite, and plays toy piano on "The Dead of Night," while the acoustic tunes, especially with rising star Osborne, offer a sweeter side to Zito's normally rough exterior. With Cowsill, "Shoes Blues" is the most humorous song, and interactive as he trades lines with the former pop star/girl next door. This is not a cookie-cutter album from Zito and friends, as it shows off all the musical styles that have led him to the point of being an individualist. It's well worth the purchase price, and comes highly recommended. Michael © G. Nastos © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/pearl-river-mw0000827794

A rollicking slice of greasy New Orleans funk, gritty electric blues, soul, and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll with beautiful and unique melodies. This album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. If there was any justice in the music business, the name, Mike Zito would be part of the higher echelon of rock and blues guitarists. Don’t let this great music pass you by. Listen to Mike’s “Greyhound” album. For more great Americana, listen to the incredibly underrated James McMurtry’s exceptional “Where'd You Hide the Body” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 142 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Dirty Blonde - Mike Zito 3:36
2 Pearl River - Cyril Neville / Mike Zito 4:53
3 Big Mouth - Mike Zito 4:08
4 Change My Ways - Mike Zito 5:14
5 Eyesight to the Blind - Sonny Boy Williamson II 3:21
6 One Step at a Time - Anders Osborne 3:37
7 39 Days - Mike Zito 4:07
8 Shoes Blues - Mike Zito 3:23
9 The Dead of Night - Mike Zito 4:05
10 Sugar Sweet - Mel London 3:29
11 Natural Born Lover - Mike Zito 5:29
12 All Last Night - Little George Smith 5:26
13 C'mon Baby - Mike Zito 4:56

MUSICIANS

Mike Zito - Guitar, Toy Piano, Vocals
Anders Osborne - Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Lonnie "Popcorn" Trevino Jr. - Bass, Background Vocals
Reese Wynans - Keyboards
Eric Bolivar - Drums, Percussion
Jumpin' Johnny Sansone - Accordion
Randy Chortkoff, Lynwood Slim - Harmonica
Susan Cowsill, Cyril Neville - Vocals

Dipankar

Dipankar - Journey - 2007 - Dipankar Shome

Dipankar Shome is a Jazz Rock Guitarist born in Kolkatta, India on September 29th, 1973. He is a great fan of Rama Krishna, Rabindranath Tagore, Eric Clapton, BB King, Bob Marley, Miles Davis, Vimsen Joshi, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, John Lee Hooker and others. Dipankar started playing guitar when he was 11 years old. He has been working with various jazz rock players from different parts of the world to realize his musical ambitions. In 1994 he travelled to Europe where he spent ten years in the music business before moving to the USA in 2004. Some of Dipankar's albums include "Different People and their Meaningless Lives", and "Ashes" both released in Europe. "Journey" was his first album released commercially in the USA. "Journey" is good experimental fusion very much in the style of Wayne Krantz. Jimmy Johnson helps out on bass and the incredible Virgil Donati is on drums. Check out Dipankar's "Different People and their Meaningless Lives" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 76.8 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Surfing In The Wave
2 Journey
3 Absent Minded
4 All My Beauties
5 A Slow Train Ride
6 Snowing Winter
7 Wild Jungle
8 My Early Days

All tracks composed by Dipankar Shome

MUSICIANS

Dipankar Shome - Guitar
Jimmy Johnson - Bass
Virgil Donati - Drums

José De Castro

José De Castro - Live - 2009 - Jopilines

Many modern Spanish guitarists have released good, instrumental, rock, metal and fusion guitar-oriented records. Sadly, many of these albums receive little or no exposure. Check out the work of Tony Hernando, Tony Baena, David Garcia, Manu Herrera, Porty (Antonio Portillo), Robert H. Rodrigo and David Valdes, all great guitarists who deserve a wider audience. Jose De Castro is a great musician, composer and in-demand session guitarist. He tours constantly and is a stupendous stage musician. José has said that "If you work as a pop guitarist on tours and recordings, you can earn a lot of money. If you try to play jazz, blues, heavy metal, then everything changes totally and you have to do alternative things (such as give classes) to earn your living". This all instrumental double "Live" album was recorded on 21st & 22nd November, 2007 at "Rigoberta Menchu" Theater, Leganes, Madrid, Spain. It’s got funk, fusion, blues and many more elements and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Some of José's influences include Hendrix, Beck, Clapton, Brent Mason, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Joe Satriani, Jake E. Lee, Paul Gilbert and Vinnie Moore. Buy José's “Un Poco De Lo Mío” album and promote real music and the lesser known artists. Read an interview with José @ http://www.guitar9.com/interview138.html [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 206 Mb]

TRACKS

CD 1

1. Atmosphere 4:30
2. For You 4:39
3. Pasos En Las Cuerdas/Train 7:22
4. Conversation 4:50
5. Hot Sounds 6:10
6. When She Walks 5:21
7. Tic, Tac, Time 7:24
8. Entrando En La Noche 4:31

CD 2

1. Pasion 5:33
2. M.K. 4:23
3. Crazy Chicken 3:35
4. Lullaby 5:07
5. Groovemania 5:42
6. Thousand Words 6:31
7. Dynamic 6:50
8. Tornado 5:24

All tracks composed by Jose De Castro

MUSICIANS

Jose De Castro - Guitar
Jose Vera - Bass
Alexis Hernandez - Hammond Organ
Enzo Filippone - Drums

Brian Stoltz

Brian Stoltz - East of Rampart Street - 2002 - Long Overdue Recordings

Brian Stoltz has more to offer than just the funk. East Of Rampart Street succeeds because of Stoltz’s versatility as a songwriter.” - Jason Songe, Where Y’at Magazine, New Orleans, LA

East Of Rampart Street is a fundamentally funky CD with smart, catchy songs that will last, a groovy disc that will sound good today, tomorrow and ten years from now.” - H. Andrew Schwartz, Offbeat Magazine, New Orleans, La

Brian Stoltz is known to many of his fans around the world as the "New Orleans' premiere King of Funk Guitar". For ten years, Brian toured and recorded with the renowned "First Family of Funk," the Neville Brothers. He has a unique raw, blistering, funky signature guitar style. As well as being an in demand session guitarist famous for his awesome virtuosity and unmistakable sound, His skill as a songwriter has caught the attention of people like film director John Sayles, blues artist Coco Montoya, and zydeco artist Zachary Richard. His performances have been featured on recordings by artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Edie Brickell, Linda Ronstadt, and Dr. John, to name a few. “East of Rampart Street” is a great album of funky, New Orleans style soul & R&B and HR by A.O.O.F.C. All his solo albums are worth a listen. Try and check out Brian's "Up All Night Live" album, and read a great interview with him @ www.jambands.com/features/2003/04/26/brian-stoltz-digs-in-east-of-rampart-street [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 145 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Jungle Funk 00:41
2 Hoodoo Thing 3:45
3 Seven Desires 5:43
4 Down 4:30
5 Funky Forever 4:09
6 I Been Up All Night 4:34
7 Norma's House 4:37
8 My Debbie Lou 3:42
9 This Old World 5:49
10 Fearless 5:56
11 Tangled, Twisted and Tossed 4:08
12 Our Own Tears 6:16
13 Take Your Heart Away 7:17

All tracks composed by Brian Stoltz except Tracks 3 & 10 by B. Stoltz, G.Nicholson, W.Wilson

MUSICIANS

Brian Stoltz – Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Bass, Keyboards, Moog Bass, Drum Loops, Sequencing, Hand Drums, Tambourine, Vocals
Ian Neville – Guitar
Dave Easley – Pedal Steel
Peter V, Dennis Cedeno, George Porter Jr. – Bass
John Gros – Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer Piano
Ivan Neville – Hammond Organ, Clavinet
Mark Dillon – Hammond Organ
George Cureau - Piano
Eddie Perret, Doug Belote – Drums
Art Neville, Irene Sage – Vocals

BIO

Brian Stoltz has toured and recorded with Rock ‘n Roll Royalty and has performed on a string of recordings – playing, producing or writing for various artists. Basing his art on street virtuosity, raw emotion and a stinging signature style, he is becoming known as New Orleans’ premiere guitarist and songwriter extraordinaire. While touring, writing and recording throughout the 80′s with the world-renowned Neville Brothers Band and for fourteen years with The funky Meters, Brian has created unique, original bodies of work. In addition to being in demand as a phenomenal guitarist, his skill as a songwriter has caught the attention of artists like Aaron Neville, The Neville Brothers, Coco Montoya, The Wild Magnolias, Zydeco artist Zachary Richard and writer/film director’s John Sayles and Alex Lemay. Never satisfied with the stereotype of a funk guitarist, and being a chameleon by nature, Brian’s unmistakable sound has been featured on recordings by artists as diverse as Dylan, Edie Brickell, Linda Ronstadt, the Neville Brothers, Dr. John, The funky Meters and Aaron Neville. His panoramic career also includes the release of four solo albums including Up All Night/Live (2007), God, Guns & Money (2005) and East Of Rampart Street (2003) and the now out-of-print Starving Buddha (1999). His television appearances include The Tonight Show (with Jay Leno & Johnny Carson), Saturday Night Live, Late Night with David Letterman, Austin City Limits, Cinemax and Showtime specials, and concerts with the Grateful Dead. Ever socially conscious, Brian toured, along with the Neville Brothers, U2, Peter Gabriel, the Police and Lou Reed as the torch bearers of the first Amnesty International Tour in 1986 to raise consciousness of the fate of political prisoners around the world. Stoltz has received awards from CMJ (College Music Journal) and the New Music Corporation for Lifetime Achievement. His co-written Healing Chant, performed by the Neville Brothers, won a Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental in 1991. Brian was nominated for a 2004 Grammy in the Best Traditional Blues category for his solo rendition of You Gotta Move on Telarc Records’ Preachin’ The Blues: The Music Of Mississippi Fred McDowell. He has performed in numerous music videos and his songs and performances have found their way to film soundtracks such as John Sayles’ City of Hope, Alex Lemay’s Desert Bayou, nominated for the 2008 Image Award (theatrical and television) and the film, The Mighty Quinn. © 2013 Brian Stoltz http://brianstoltz.com/biography/

Tribal Tech

Tribal Tech - Salzburg (Live April 2nd, 1996) - 1996 - unof.

Tribal Tech is a virtuoso progressive jazz fusion band, formed in 1984 by guitarist Scott Henderson and bass player Gary Willis. From 1993 onwards the band included Scott Kinsey on keyboards and Kirk Covington on drums. From 1985 to 2000 the band released nine albums fusing elements of blues, jazz, and rock. Tribal Tech disbanded after releasing their "Rocket Science" album in 2000, but got together in 2010 to record their "X" album released in 2012. All band members are acclaimed musicians in the jazz rock/fusion world and all their albums are worth checking out. Floridian guitarist Scott Henderson has been quoted as saying that he is a "blues player at heart" and much of his music is based on blues, jazz, and rock influences. His early years were influenced by rock, blues, funk and soul, and his later jazz influences included artists like John Coltrane and Miles Davis. The tracks on this album were recorded live in Salzburg, Austria, on April 2nd, 1996. The tracks are complex at times but very listenable with odd-meters and great intertwining rock and bebop lines. BuyTribal Tech's classic "Thick" album and support jazz fusion at it's very best [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 240 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

CD 1

1 Big Fun - Henderson 8:56
2 Renegade - Willis11:10
3 Improvisation 1 - Henderson, Willis, Kinsey, Covington 8:35
4 Self Defense - Willis 11:10
5 Fence Climbing Blues - Henderson 7:10

CD 2

1 Actual Proof - Scott Henderson, Dennis Chambers, Jeff Berlin 7:59
2 Improvisation 2 - Henderson, Willis, Kinsey, Covington 7:36
3 Pride & Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan 6:05
4 Improvisation 3 - Henderson, Willis, Kinsey, Covington 7:41
5 Shining Star - Maurice White, Larry Dunn, Philip Bailey 7:56
6 There's No Greater Love - Isham Jones, Marty Symes 13:00
7 The Big Wave - Willis 7:56

BAND

Scott Henderson - Guitar
Gary Willis - Bass
Scott Kinsey - Keyboards
Kirk Covington - Drums, Vocals

Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Törnqvist (Steely Dan Related)

Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Törnqvist ‎- Fire In The Hole Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Törnqvist Sing Steely Dan - 2006 - Moule Recordings

I've always thought the tradition in jazz, to do covers of standards, is strange. It's like the performance is everything and the song writing means nothing. Ok, only a few artists are gifted enough to both be a song writer and performer. This is why I was happy to hear that these two Swedish jazz singers were doing a album with Steely Dan covers. Not only is this a fresh change in the song material, it is also a statement on the value of good songs. To me, Steely Dan is not jazz. However, the interpretations on this album sound quite natural. It's mostly two voices and a piano. It's definitely a jazz take, maybe not a typical one though. The production is so basic you could easily mistake this for a demo. Small gestures. I like their performance, and the straight-on style. Being a Steely Dan fan, I miss some of the sound quality and the intellectual touch of the originals. This cover album does not have that typical SD groove - but then again, it was probably never the idea. The focus is on the songs and everything else is secondary. © erikb 2007-02-24 http://boralv.se/blog/?id=1172337442

A labour of love ended up a CD released on their own label. Neither Sara nor Rebecka are hardcore fans of Steely Dan, and perhaps that helped them break away from the polished Steely Dan sound and go for simple piano and vocals arrangements. They wanted the songs, the music and the lyrics to take centre stage and - in the process - perhaps help people discover the beauty in the compositions. And it works. What we get is 12 tracks that add another dimension to the songs for a Steely Dan fan like myself, and hopefully open up a few pairs of ears previously shut to the talents of Fagen & Becker as well as Isaksson & Törnqvist. © N.S. © www.pergunnareriksson.se/cover57.htm

One website pointed out that "An album with two middle-aged women who sit by a piano and sing 30 year old Steely Dan songs is, on paper, a hopelessly uncommercial idea". Don't let the album pic fool you. Rebecka was born in 1964 and Sara in 1971. On the cover, their photos are replaced with a picture of two unknown women by Maine, USA photographer/artist Melanie West. This is obviously an idea borrowed from Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, themselves, who were once averse to letting their images appear on official studio recordings. This is an incredibly good album of Steely Dan covers. There have been many interpretations of Steely Dan compositions. Most of them have been a failure, as the complex song structures and jazz chord changes have just not been covered adequately on most of Becker & Fagens unique compositions. A notable exception would be "The Justin Morrell Quintet Plays The Music of Steely Dan", an instrumental jazz album that stretches the limits of Becker & Fagens songs in a jazz context. However, Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Törnqvist have done the seemingly impossible, and covered twelve Dan songs brilliantly. The vocals are so good, and it seems that their "simple on the surface" piano arrangements have done what few artists have been able to do, and given these classic songs a satisfactory interpretation. A stunning album, and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Sara and Rebecka said that "We've recorded twelve songs of the American duo, mainly using just piano and vocals. As a contrast to the originals, we wanted it as simple as possible, to focus on the songs fantastic stories and melodies." This album has been previously posted on this blog at a lower bitrate. The post here is @ 320 Kbps. Buy Rebecka Törnqvist's brilliant 1996 pop jazz album, "A Night Like This." She is virtually unknown outside Sweden, but if more people heard albums like "A Night Like This," the lady would be world famous! She deserves more recognition. Also try and track down the 2002 album, “Anders Widmark featuring Sara Isaksson." He also has an album released called "Pool of Happiness," which again features Sara Isaksson, and is well worth listening to. Anders Widmark is a great Swedish pianist who has recorded many albums featuring blues, jazz, hip hop and classical piano. Check out his back catalogue. Give these artists the fame they deserve! [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 84.4 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Rose Darling
2 Barrytown
3 Gaucho
4 Green Earrings
5 Your Gold Teeth
6 Brooklyn (Owes The Charmer Under Me)
7 Don't Take Me Alive
8 Josie
9 Do It Again
10 Fire In The Hole
11 Pearl Of The Quarter
12 Midnite Cruiser

All compositions by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen except "Gaucho" by Donald Fagen, Walter Becker & Keith Jarrett

MUSICIANS

Lars Halapi - Guitar on Tracks: 5, 7, 8, 9, 12: Bass on Tracks 1, 7, 8, 9, 12: Vibraphone on Track 10: Autoharp on Track 3: Bass Drum on Track 6
Per 'Texas' Johansson - Saxophone & Oboe on Track 10
Sara Isaksson - Vocals
Rebecka Törnqvist - Vocals, Piano, Synth.

REBECKA TÖRNQVIST (BIO)

Rebecka Törnqvist was born in the university town Uppsala, north of the Swedish capital Stockholm. Daughter of a journalist/teacher mother and physicist/musician father, Törnqvist spent parts of her childhood in Lesotho and Kenya before returning home to boarding school. She began writing songs at the age of five and a few years later moved onto confiscating the family radio in the dead of night to record music from Radio Luxemburg and other foreign stations. Alongside classical and East African music and the songs of Alice Tégner it was pop music, which kept Törnqvist company and provided respite as the family uprooted itself at regular intervals. In 1993, the strongly jazz-derived debut album “A Night Like This” was released to critical and unexpected commercial success. The following album “Good Thing” played extensively on the radio and propelled Törnqvist onto the continental and Japanese markets. The collaboration with the Grammy Award-winning musician Per “Texas” Johansson led to the album ”The Stockholm Kaza Session”. It was produced on the Kaza label that Törnqvist had created with Kjell Andersson, legendary A&R at EMI. ”Tremble My Heart” (1998) was a milestone in Törnqvists work as she considers it to be her first “own” album, marking a change in her composing and of musical concept.. Pål Svenre remained as producer while Johan Lindström entered as arranger och guitarist. The collaboration with Lindström had great impact on Törnqvists music making, and 2006 he produced ”Melting Into Orange”, followed by ”The Cherry Blossom And the Skyline Rising from the Street” 2008. Earlier Törnqvist had joined forces with Sara Isaksson as singers in the new group “Gloria”. The song “Party On My Own” became a minor hit from the first album. Isaksson and Törnqvist returned as a duo a few years later to produce “Fire In The Hole”, acoustic interpretations of Steely Dan’s music. In 2006 Törnqvist worked with producer Jari Haapalainen on her contribution to the Olle Adolphson-homage album “Dubbeltrubbel”. Thoughts of a future and more extensive collaboration took hold and has now come to fruition with the upcoming album “Scorpions”. Törnqvist lives in the countryside where she is torn between her cosmopolitan yearnings and her gardening hermit romanticism. © http://www.rebeckatornqvist.se/me

SARA ISAKSSON (BIO)

Sara Isaksson is a Swedish vocalist who made her solo album debut in 1995 but was most successful in later years in collaboration with others, in particular Rebecka Törnqvist and Anders Widmark. Born on February 19, 1971, she made her solo album debut in 1995 with Red Eden, an English-language country-rock album released on MCA. The album was a moderate hit, reaching number 24 on the Swedish albums chart and spawning the single "May." Follow-up album Walking Through and By (1996) and its accompanying single, "Shifting Dream," were less successful, however, and Isaksson's solo tenure on MCA came to a close. In subsequent years she found work as a backup vocalist on a variety of projects. More notably, she joined the band Gloria, in which she sang alongside jazz-pop vocalist Törnqvist. The band released two albums, Gloria (1999) and People Like You and Me (2003), the first of which reached number 13 on the Swedish albums chart, the latter number 26. In 2006 Isaksson and Törnqvist teamed up as a vocal duo for the release of Fire in the Hole, an album of Steely Dan covers that was fairly popular, reaching the Top 30. Meanwhile, Isaksson also collaborated with pianist Widmark on the albums Anders Widmark Featuring Sara Isaksson (2002) and Pool of Happiness (2008), the latter of which was a Top Ten hit. © Jason Birchmeier © 2011 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/sara-isaksson

Tom Robinson Band

Tom Robinson Band ‎- Rising Free (The Very Best Of TRB) - 1997 - EMI

Many of Tom Robinson's songs contain socio-political, and sexual elements, even if the subject matter is not immediately evident. Songs like "2-4-6-8 Motorway" and "Power in the Darkness" are brilliant mainstream rock songs. Tom is one of England's greatest songwriters and rock musicians but not all his recorded output has received the credit it deserves. Check out his "Last Tango: Midnight at the Fringe", "North By Northwest", and "War Baby: Hope and Glory", (on which Tom does a great cover of Becker & Fagen's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number") [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 151 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 2-4-6-8 Motorway - Robinson 3:21
2 I Shall Be Released - Dylan 4:37
3 Don't Take No For An Answer - Robinson 4:40
4 Glad To Be Gay - Robinson 4:47
5 Martin - Robinson 2:50
6 Right On Sister - Robinson, Butterfield, Kurstow, Taylor 3:28
7 Alright Jack (Live) - Robinson, Kurstow 2:37
8 Up Against The Wall - Robinson, Butterfield 3:34
9 Grey Cortina - Robinson 2:10
10 Too Good To Be True - Robinson, Taylor 3:35
11 Long Hot Summer - Robinson 4:44
12 Winter Of '79 - Robinson, Kurstow, Taylor, Ambler 4:30
13 Power In The Darkness - Robinson, Ambler 4:56
14 Waiting For My Man (Live) - Reed 4:25
15 Getting Tighter - Camicia 3:57
16 Alright All Night - Robinson, Kurstow, Taylor, Parker 3:01
17 Bully For You - Robinson, Gabriel 3:30
18 Never Going To Fall In Love...(Again) - Robinson, John 4:38

MAIN CREDITS

Danny Kustow - Guitar
Tom Robinson - Bass, Vocals
Mark Ambler - Keyboards
Ian Parker - Organ, Piano
Charlie Morgan, Dolphin Taylor - Drums

BIO

Although his career had pretty much flamed out by the start of the '80s, there were few punk-era major-label performers as intensely controversial as Tom Robinson. Cutting his teeth with folk-rockers Café Society (who released a Ray Davies-produced record on the head Kinks' Konk label in 1975), Robinson roared into the spotlight in 1978 with a great single ("2-4-6-8 Motorway") and a much-ballyhooed contract with EMI. What was remarkable about this was that Robinson was the kind of politically conscious, confrontational performer that major labels generally ignored: he was openly gay and sang about it ("Glad to Be Gay"), vociferous in his hatred for then-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, helped form Rock Against Racism, and generally spoke in favor of any leftist political tract that would embarrass the ruling ultraconservative Tory government. His debut album, 1978's Power in the Darkness, was an occasionally stunning piece of punk/hard rock agitprop that, along with being ferociously direct, was politicized rock that focused more on songs than slogans. However, by the release of the second album, the Todd Rundgren-produced TRB Two, the songs were getting weaker and Robinson began sounding like a boring ideologue. Similarly, the band, even terrific guitarist Danny Kustow, sounds as if on automatic pilot. By the end of the '70s, Robinson had been dropped by EMI and signed to maverick major IRS as a solo act. In a wise move, he ditched the hard rock polemics of TRB for a more sophisticated pop/rock sound, but found his audience dwindling. A brief period of silence ended with him, somewhat surprisingly, signing with Geffen and releasing Hope and Glory. It was a politically tinged but mostly mainstream rock record that featured a cover of that decidedly non-punk song, Steely Dan's "Rikki Don't Lose That Number," with Robinson deftly exploring the song's homoerotic subtext. Still, it wasn't enough to resuscitate his career and for the remainder of the decade Robinson released England-only albums that tried the patience of even longtime fans. As to his current whereabouts, Robinson is (amazingly) rumored to be married to a woman and raising a family in England. He's still writing songs and occasionally performing, also working as a DJ for BBC6. © John Dougan © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:3ifoxqr5ldje~T1

BIO (WIKI)

Tom Robinson (born 1 June 1950) is an English singer-songwriter, bassist and radio presenter, better known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band. He later peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart with his solo single "War Baby". Tom Robinson was born into a middle-class family in Cambridge on 1 June 1950. He attended Friends School Saffron Walden, a co-ed privately funded Quaker school, between 1961 and 1967. Robinson has two brothers and a sister: Matthew (former executive producer of BBC One's EastEnders, currently running Khmer Mekong Films in Cambodia), George and Sophy. At the age of 13, Robinson realized that he was a homosexual when he fell in love with another boy at school. At that time, same-sex activity was still a crime in England, punishable by prison. Wracked with shame and selfhatred, he had a nervous breakdown and attempted suicide at 16. A head teacher got him transferred to Finchden Manor, a therapeutic community for disturbed teenagers in Kent, where he would spend his following six years. At Finchden Manor, Robinson was inspired by John Peel's The Perfumed Garden on pirate Radio London, and by a visit from Alexis Korner. The legendary bluesman and broadcaster transfixed a roomful of people with nothing but his voice and an acoustic guitar. The whole direction of Robinson's life and career became suddenly clear to him. In 1973, Robinson moved to London and joined the acoustic trio Café Society. They impressed Ray Davies of The Kinks enough for him to produce their debut album, though it sold only 600 copies. The working relationship with Davies supposedly ended when, infuriated by Davies' lack of punctuality, Robinson sarcastically performed The Kinks' hit "Tired of Waiting for You" to him when he finally arrived at the studio. Davies retaliated with the less-than-complimentary Kinks single "Prince of the Punks", about Robinson. In London, Robinson became involved in the emerging gay scene and embraced the politics of gay liberation, which linked gay rights to the wider issues of social justice. Inspired by an early Sex Pistols gig, he left Café Society in 1976, and founded the more political Tom Robinson Band. The following year the group released the single "2-4-6-8 Motorway", which peaked at #5 in the UK Singles Chart for two weeks. The song alludes obliquely to a gay truck driver. On February 1978, the band released the live extended play Rising Free, which peaked at #18 in the UK Singles Chart and spawned the hit "Glad to Be Gay", originally written for a 1976 London gay pride parade. The song was banned by the BBC Radio 1. On May 1978, the band released its debut album, Power in the Darkness, which was very well received, peaking at #4 in the UK Albums Chart, and receiving a gold certification by the BPI. Their second album, TRB Two, however, was a commercial and critical failure, and the band broke up four months after its release. In 1980, Robinson co-wrote several songs with Elton John, including his minor hit "Sartorial Eloquence (Don't Ya Wanna Play This Game No More?)" which peaked at #39 in the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Robinson organized Sector 27, a less political rock band that released a critically acclaimed but unsuccessful album produced by Steve Lillywhite. The band nevertheless received an enthusiastic reception at a Madison Square Garden concert with The Police. However, their management company went bankrupt, the band disintegrated, and Robinson suffered another nervous breakdown. Desolate and in debt, Robinson fled to Hamburg, Germany. Living in a friend's spare room, he began writing again and ended up working in East Berlin with local band NO55. In 1982, Robinson penned the song "War Baby" about divisions between East and West Germany, and recorded his first solo album North By Northwest with producer Richard Mazda. "War Baby" peaked at #6 in the UK Singles Chart and at #1 in the UK Indie Chart for three weeks, reviving his career. His following single, "Atmospherics (Listen To The Radio)", peaked at #39 in the UK Singles Chart and provided him further income when it was covered by Pukka Orchestra in 1984. The Pukkas' version was a top 20 hit in Canada under the title "Listen To The Radio". Robinson's return to Britain, led to late-night performances in cabarets at the Edinburgh Fringe, some of which later surfaced on the live album Midnight at the Fringe. His career enjoyed a resurgence in the mid 90s with a trio of albums for the respected folk/roots label Cooking Vinyl. In 1986, a BBC producer offered him his own radio show on the BBC World Service. Since then, Robsinson has unusually presented programmes on all the BBC's national stations: Radio 1, Radio 2, Radio 3, Radio 4 5 Live and 6 Music. He has presented The Locker Room, a long running series about men and masculinity, for Radio 4 in the early 1990s, and later hosted the Home Truths tribute to John Peel a year after his death in 2004. In 1997, he won a Sony Academy Award for You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, a radio documentary about gay music, produced by Benjamin Mepsted. He currently presents his own show on 6 Music, featuring live music sessions, on Monday and Tuesday nights, and freelances on Radio 2's Mark Radcliffe Show and Radio 4's Something Understood, and Pick of the Week. In 1994 he wrote and presented Surviving Suicide, about his suicide attempt. Currently, Robinson rarely performs live, apart from two annual free concerts, known as the Castaway Parties, for members of his mailing list. These take place in South London and Belgium every January. In the Belgian Castaway shows, he introduces many songs in Dutch. The Castaway Parties invariably feature a wide variety of established and unknown artists and groups who have included Show Of Hands, Philip Jeays, Jan Allain, Jakko Jakszyk, Stoney, Roddy Frame, Martyn Joseph, The Bewley Brothers and Paleday alongside personal friends such as Lee Griffiths and T. V. Smith. Although widely assumed from his public posture at the time to be homosexual, Robinson is indeed bisexual. A longtime supporter and former volunteer of London's Gay Switchboard help-line, it was at a 1982 benefit party for the organization that he met Sue Brearley, the woman with whom he would eventually live and have two children, and later marry. In the mid-1990s, when Robinson became a father, the tabloids ran stories about what they deemed as a sexual orientation change, running headlines such as "Britain's Number One Gay in Love with Girl Biker!" (The Sunday People). The gay press reviled him, but Robinson continued to identify as a gay man, telling an interviewer for the Manchester Guardian: "I have much more sympathy with bisexuals now, but I am absolutely not one". "Our enemies do not draw the distinction between gay and bisexual", he added. Robinson eventually added an additional verse to "Glad to be Gay", in which he sings: "I won't wear a 'straight jacket' for you". In a 1994 interview for the Boston Globe, Robinson asserted, "We've been fighting for tolerance for the last 20 years, and I've campaigned for people to be able to love whoever the hell they want. That's what we're talking about: tolerance and freedom and liberty—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. So if somebody won't grant me the same tolerance I've been fighting for for them, hey, they've got a problem, not me". In 1996, Robinson released an album about his bisexuality, titled Having It Both Ways. In 1998 his epic about bisexuality Blood Brother won three awards at the Gay & Lesbian American Music Awards in New York. Peter Tatchell criticized an article by Vanessa Thorpe about Robinson published in The Independent. In his view, "Tom Robinson has behaved rather commendably" since his relationship has been revealed by the press, once he still calls himself a gay man. "I'm campaigning for queer rights because people should be able to love who they wish, without fear of prejudice or discrimination. I don't have a problem with people switching their affections from one sex to the other. It's their life", he added. Robinson has been a strong advocate of liberty for all. He is a supporter of Amnesty International and Peter Tatchell's Outrage! human rights organization and a leader of the Rock Against Racism campaign. He is also an enthusiastic proponent of Apple computers, which he has used extensively since the mid 1980s. In 1999 and 2000, Robinson was involved in a celebrity seminar work for Apple to promote their home video editing software iMovie. A 31-year-old fictionalized vesion of Tom Robinson (portrayed by Mathew Baynton) appeared in the last episode of the first series of the BBC One drama Ashes to Ashes, as the leader of a Gay Liberation Front protest in London. He is later incarcerated with the other protestors and sings "Glad to Be Gay" in his cell. Over his career, Robinson has released more than twenty albums either as a solo performer or as a member of a group. He has also released fanclub only bootlegs known as the Castaway Club series.

Greg Howe

Greg Howe - Uncertain Terms - 1994 - Shrapnel

Greg Howe's third all-instrumental solo album of blazingly-fast instrumental melodic and funk jazz-flavored metal with amazing rock/fusion guitar solos. Greg unleashes an awesome display of his unbelievable fretboard work and lightning fast speed. There are many great shred guitarists playing today. The problem is that many shred albums are just displays of the guitarist’s technical ability without giving much thought to originality of composition. Greg Howe is not just a stupendous guitarist and certainly not a typical shredder. This is a true solo album in every sense of the word with intelligent and original compositions. Many people regard Greg as the best guitarist in the world today, but there are so many different guitar styles and musical genres in existence, the word “best” is probably too general a word to use as regards technically brilliant guitarists. Listen to Paul Gilbert and Guthrie Govan who, like Greg Howe are masters of the instrument and are proving that the “impossible” is now “possible” on a fretboard. These guys’ advanced techniques juxtaposed to intricate rhythms are simply mind-blowing. Check out Greg’s “Hyperacuity” and “Introspection” albums on this blog and listen to Greg’s 1988 s/t album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 108.3 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Faulty Outlet 4:22
2 5 Mile Limit 4:42
3 Run With It 4:07
4 Business Conduct 4:33
5 Public And Private 5:29
6 Song For Rachelle 5:15
7 Stringed Sanity 6:02
8 Solid State 5:18
9 Second Thought 5:20

All tracks composed by Greg Howe. All instrumentation by Greg Howe except Guitar Synth solo by Lee Wertman on “Run With It”

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

Paul Weller

Paul Weller - Modern Classics: The Greatest Hits - 1998 - Island

Paul Weller's status as the most resilient survivor from Britpunk's class of `76 was challenged by his last album of original songs. Whether Weller's fire had really gone out or he'd merely succumbed to midlife doldrums, a refresher was urgently required. Weller can afford to wear his influences on his sleeve because, as this new collection attests, the man remains, ultimately, his own best and truest guide. Modern Classics showcases a songwriter whose singular voice endures; it's grown quieter perhaps, but no less vital or honest. Born in 1958 and raised in Woking, Paul Weller formed The Jam at 14, who were influenced by The Beatles, Amen Corner and The Small Faces. In 1976 (Weller was 18) after hearing The Who's 'My Generation' and seeing The Sex Pistols play London's Lyceum, Weller found the direction he was looking for and established the blueprint for what would be Britain's biggest band for the next five years. From the release of their debut album 'In The City' through the seminal 'Down In The Tube Station' and 'That's Entertainment' and the classic straight-in-at-number one singles 'Going Underground', 'A Town Called Malice' and 'Beat Surrender', The Jam were a huge critical and commercial success. Weller penned a succession of songs, brilliantly reflecting his audiences experiences, until in 1982, convinced he'd taken the group as far as he could, he split The Jam to form The Style Council. Radically different to The Jam, The Style Council, incorporated touches of funk & soul. While his first solo album had firmly established Paul Weller as a potent solo artist, the second album, 1994's 'Wild Wood', was to see him hailed as one of the finest British songwriters of the last three decades. 1995 found Paul Weller riding high on a heady mix of popularity and critical acclaim leading up to the release of 'Stanley Road'. 'Stanley Road' managed to even outstrip 'Wild Wood' in its critical acclaim. Having risen from the wreckage of The Style Council to regain his status as an important figure in British music, Weller closes the first chapter of his solo career with this greatest hits set. It's a perfect encapsulation of the harder side of Weller, gritty vocals, water-tight backing and some lovely guitar flourishes. The years have seem Mr Well his temper and look at the world without the blinkers of his adolescent youth. Included on this album we find the softer Weller with haunting guitar solo and the gentle shuffle of ballads. This album reaffirms that Weller can still churn out the nuggets as well as he did in the halcyon days of The Jam. The onset of middle-age has meant he's settled effortlessly into the role of Mod Father of British guitar music. While the tracks may not be invested with the freneticism of yore but they still have the passion and commitment he's invested in everything he's turned his hand to. As ultimately impossible as it might be for Weller to ever top his tenure with the Jam in terms of watershed artistic achievement or cultish notoriety, you've got to hand it to the guy for trying, or more accurately, for not trying. Weller's never attempted to replicate the sound and fury of that celebrated group who, along with the likes of the Clash and Sex Pistols, ignited a musical revolution in the U.K. that (for a while at least) swept the established dinosaurs of rock to the margins of relevance. Weller can afford to wear his influences on his sleeve because, as this new collection attests, the man remains, ultimately, his own best and truest guide. Modern Classics showcases a songwriter whose singular voice endures; it's grown quieter perhaps, but no less vital or honest. Some twenty years after the Jam boldly announced a new era of "the Modern World," an older, wiser, but seemingly no less satisfied Weller continues to take stock of it. He's still grappling and searching for ways to live in a world that perhaps hasn't turned out to be so terribly different from the old one. Changing Man Weller delivers on hos own terms sometimes he gets it right somtines he doesn’t. This is Weller at his best – from ***** The Changing Man, 30 Mar 2010 By & © P. Frizelle (England) © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.co.uk/product-reviews/B00000FDNW/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt/279-3825979-0571455?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

It's easy to gripe that '90s pop has become pasteurized and fake, but proto-mod Weller has spent the decade crafting simple, heartfelt, old-fashioned rock-soul that stands apart from the bogus phenomenettes foisted upon the market... - Rating: A - Entertainment Weekly

Wrapping up his contractual commitment to Go! Records, Paul Weller delivered Modern Classics: Greatest Hits, his first compilation of solo material, late in 1998. Modern Classics plays it safe, collecting all of his singles and adding a fine new song, "Brand New Start," which may not at first seem live up to its title, but eventually reveals itself to be a weightier ballad variation of the trad rock of Heavy Soul. Regrettably, the album is not sequenced in chronological order, but there was a consistency to Weller's solo work that makes the compilation hold together well. And while it certainly confirms that his solo work is easily his most conservative music to date, it also proves that it wasn't slight -- these singles are uniformly solid, whether it's the driving "Into Tomorrow," the rugged soul-pop of "Uh-Huh Oh-Yeh," the passionate "Sunflower," the ersatz ELO tribute "The Changingman," or ballads like "Broken Stones" and "Mermaids." Like Snap! and The Singular Adventures of the Style Council, Modern Classics is a testament to Weller's strength as a singles artist and a terrifically enjoyable listen in its own right. [The U.K. edition of Modern Classics included a bonus live disc, culled from various shows, which was every bit as good as Live Wood.] Stephen © Thomas Erlewine © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/modern-classics-the-greatest-hits-mw0000046224

The main Greatest Hits album collects many of Paul Weller’s best songs from his four solo albums released between 1992 and '97. This double cd issue includes a Bonus 13 track live disc recorded at Victoria Park, Hackney, London on August 8th, 1998. Listen to Paul’s wonderful “22 Dreams” album, and The Jam’s brilliant “All Mod Cons” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size (2 x CD’s) = 285 Mb]

TRACKS

CD ONE

1 Out Of The Sinking
2 Peacock Suit
3 Sunflower
4 The Weaver
5 Wild Wood
6 Above The Clouds
7 Uh-Huh Oh-Yeh
8 Brushed
9 The Changingman
10 Friday Street
11 You Do Something To Me
12 Brand New Start
13 Hung Up
14 Mermaids
15 Broken Stones
16 Into Tomorrow

All tracks composed by Paul Weller except "Brushed" by Paul Weller, Steve White, Mark Nelson, Brendan Lynch: "The Changingman" by Paul Weller & Brendan Lynch

MUSICIANS

Paul Weller (guitar, bass, piano, electric piano, Wurlitzer piano, organ, Mellotron, Moog & Mini-Moog synthesizers, novatron, percussion, vocals)
Steve Cradock, Dr. Robert (guitar, bass, background vocals)
Yolanda Charles (bass)
Mark Nelson (bass, sitar)
Brendan Lynch (Mellotron, Mini-Moog synthesizer, accordion, cyremin)
Mick Talbot (Fender Rhodes)
Helen Turner (organ, novatron)
Max Beasley (organ)
Steve White (drums, percussion)
Jacko Peake (saxophone, flute)
The Wired Strings (strings)
Chris Bangs (various instruments)
Carleen Anderson (vocals)
Simon Fowler (background vocals)

CD TWO [Live Classics]

1 Into Tomorrow
2 Peacock Suit
3 Friday Street
4 Mermaids
5 Out Of The Sinking
6 Heavy Soul
7 Wild Wood
8 Up In Suzes' Room
9 Can You Heal Us (Holy Man)
10 The Changingman
11 Porcelain Gods
12 Sunflower
13 Broken Stones

All tracks composed by Paul Weller except "The Changingman" by Paul Weller & Brendan Lynch

BIO

As the leader of the Jam, Paul Weller fronted the most popular British band of the punk era, influencing legions of English rockers ranging from his mod revival contemporaries to the Smiths in the '80s and Oasis in the '90s. During the final days of the Jam, he developed a fascination with Motown and soul, which led him to form the sophisti-pop group the Style Council in 1983. As the Style Council's career progressed, Weller's interest in soul developed into an infatuation with jazz-pop and house music, which eventually led to gradual erosion of his audience -- by 1990, he couldn't get a record contract in the U.K., where he had previously been worshiped as a demigod. As a solo artist, Weller returned to soul music as an inspiration, cutting it with the progressive, hippie tendencies of Traffic. Weller's solo records were more organic and rootsier than the Style Council's, which helped him regain his popularity within Britain. By the mid-'90s, he had released three successful albums that were both critically acclaimed and massively popular in England, where contemporary bands like Ocean Colour Scene were citing him as an influence. Just as importantly, many observers, while occasionally criticizing the trad rock nature of his music, acknowledged that Weller was one of the few rock veterans who had managed to stay vital within the second decade of his career. Weller's climb back to the top of the charts was not easy. After Polydor rejected the Style Council's fifth, house-influenced album in 1989, Weller broke up the group and lost both his record contract and his publishing deal. Over the next two years, he was in seclusion as he revamped his music. In 1991, he formed the Paul Weller Movement and released "Into Tomorrow" on his own independent label, Freedom High Records. A soulful, gritty neo-psychedelic song that represented a clear break from the Style Council, "Into Tomorrow" reached the U.K. Top 40 that spring, and he supported the single with an international tour, where he worked out the material that comprised his eponymous 1992 solo debut. Recorded with producer Brendan Lynch, Paul Weller was a joyous, soulful return to form that was recorded with several members of the Young Disciples, former Blow Monkey Dr. Robert, and Weller's then-wife, Dee C. Lee. The album debuted at number eight on the U.K. charts, and was received with positive reviews. Wild Wood, Weller's second solo album, confirmed that the success of his solo debut was no fluke. Recorded with Ocean Colour Scene guitarist Steve Cradock, Wild Wood was a more eclectic and ambitious effort than its predecessor, and it was greeted with enthusiastic reviews, entering the charts at number two upon its fall 1993 release. The album would win the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contemporary Song Collection the following year. Weller supported the album with an extensive tour that featured Cradock as the group's leader; the guitarist's exposure on Wild Wood helped him successfully relaunch Ocean Colour Scene in 1995. At the end of the tour, Weller released the live album Live Wood late in 1994. Preceded by "The Changingman," which became his 17th Top Ten hit, 1995's Stanley Road was his most successful album since the Jam, entering the charts at number one and eventually selling nearly a million copies in the U.K. By this point, Weller decided to stop attempting to break into the United States market and canceled his North American tour. Of course, he was doing so well in the England that he didn't need to set his sights outside of the U.K. Stanley Road may have been greeted with mixed reviews, but Weller had been re-elevated to his status as an idol, with the press claiming that he was the father of the thriving Brit-pop movement, and artists like Noel Gallagher of Oasis singing his praises. In fact, while neither artist released a new album in 1996, Weller's and Gallagher's influence was felt throughout the British music scene, as '60s roots-oriented bands like Ocean Colour Scene, Cast, and Kula Shaker became the most popular groups in the U.K. Weller returned in the summer of 1997 with Heavy Soul. Modern Classics: Greatest Hits followed a year later. Heliocentric -- which at the time of its release he claimed was his final studio effort -- appeared in the spring of 2000. The live record Days of Speed followed in 2001, and he released his sixth studio album, Illumination, in 2002. A collection of covers called Studio 150 appeared in 2004, followed by an all-new studio release, As Is Now, in October of 2005 on Yep Roc. Released in 2006, Catch-Flame! Live at the Alexandra Palace preceded Yep Roc’s mammoth Hit Parade box set. It was followed in 2008 by 22 Dreams, a two-disc studio epic that managed to touch on all of Weller’s myriad influences. His tenth solo album, Wake Up The Nation, was released in 2010 and it proved another success, earning a nomination for the Mercury Music Prize. Weller's next album, Sonik Kicks, arrived in the spring of 2012. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-weller-mn0000029791/biography

The Jigawatt Trio

The Jigawatt Trio - Scenes - 2007 - The Jigawatt Trio

“Absolutely one of the coolest & warmest sounding records I have heard in a long time” – Larry Kriz, Owner, LNL Recording - Elgin, IL

“It's amazing... You guys are so tight. You have a great sense on how to shape the music.” – Paul Ward, Music Director, North Coast Family Fellowship - Seaside, OR

“There are some cool hooks going on.” – Prashant Aswani, ESP Guitars Clinician, former GIT Instructor - Los Angeles, CA

In 2005, guitarist Steve Richards, drummer Chris Morrow and bassist Justin Franciose formed the Jigawatt Trio. Inspired by fusion icons Herbie Hancock and Weather Report, the guys sought to combine elements of rock, funk, Latin, and jazz with plenty of improvisation. Their goal, to make music that would engage both casual listeners and skeptical critics. For two years, the Jigawatt Trio gained traction as they performed live in Chicago clubs and festivals. Spontaneous deviations from arrangements during live performances often led to productive new directions for their music. A year-long residency at a local coffee house allowed the Jigawatt Trio to closely interact with their audience. The Jigawatt Trio debut album, Scenes, is the culmination of these experiences. Containing seven original tunes and three club-hardened standards, Scenes conjures a vibrant urban soundscape. In 2008, the Jigawatt Trio will perform in Chicago and beyond to promote Scenes. With a collection of new arrangements ready for the road, their live show will continue to evolve. The Jigawatt Trio will help you feel more than the funk. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jigawatttrio

Exceptional album from three very talented musicians based in Chicago, Illinois who have managed to create a unique jazzy urban sound. “Scenes” is a very satisfying and original blend of jazz, rock, funk and fusion and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out for future releases from this band [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 131 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Scenes 7:27
2. Dark Matter Sandwich 5:21
3. Five Too Many 7:56
4. Joshua 4:36
5. Mr Popular 3:49
6. Ball 3:43
7. That 70s Song 5:28
8. Mystery Meat 4:06
9. Postluge 4:53
10. Afro Blue 9:54

All tracks composed by Steve Richards, Justin Franciose & Chris Morrow except Track 4 by Miles Davis, Track 9 by Richards,Franciose, Morrow & Wayne Shorter, and Track 10 by Mongo Santamaria

MUSICIANS

Steve Richards – Guitar
Justin Franciose – Bass
Chris Morrow – Drums, Percussion
Chris Richards – Violin on “Afro Blue”

José de Castro

José de Castro - Conversation - 2006 - Jopilines

Every country has a BEST player ( guitar / bass etc..... ) and this guy might be the best in spain. Amazing compositions that don't borrow from anyone and are full of brilliant ideas and melodies. Timing changes, phrases and tone that is second to none from this complete unknown. I am not sure if I can make a valid comparison to another player despite my 1100 or so cd's. This is totaly original and captivating music. This is pure guitar genius from an exceptional player. If you are into the guitar in any form, you should buy this now as it is as good as anything else on offer in instrumental guitar music. If pressed to compare DE CASTROS playing, I'd say he's a hybrid between JOHNNY A / RITCHIE KOZEN / ANDY TIMMONS and about a half a dozen other amazing players. ***** By & © HANS D HARMS (runaway bay, QLD Australia) © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Conversation-Jose-De-Castro/product-reviews/B000WGX58Q/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Many Spanish guitarists have released good, instrumental, rock, metal and fusion guitar-oriented records. Sadly, many of these albums receive little or no exposure. Check out the work of Tony Hernando, Tony Baena, David Garcia, Manu Herrera, Porty (Antonio Portillo), Robert H. Rodrigo and David Valdes, all great guitarists who deserve a wider audience. Jose De Castro is a great musician and in-demand session player. He tours constantly and is a brilliant stage musician. José has said that "If you work as a pop guitarist on tours and recordings, you can earn a lot of money. If you try to play jazz, blues, heavy metal, then everything changes totally and you have to do alternative things (such as give classes) to earn your living". The all instrumental "Conversation" has got funk, fusion, blues and many more elements and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Some of José's influences include Hendrix, Beck, Clapton, Brent Mason, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Joe Satriani, Jake E. Lee, Paul Gilbert and Vinnie Moore. Buy José's “Un Poco De Lo Mío” album and promote real music and the lesser known artists. Read an interview with José @ http://www.guitar9.com/interview138.html BTW: Has anybody listened to The Aristocrats new “Culture Clash” album featuring Guthrie Govan on guitar? Guthrie is a stupendous player and a total master of the guitar. If you think you’ve heard all the “best” guitarists in the world, give this guy a listen [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 110 Mb]

TRACKS

1. For You 4:35
2. Train 6:31
3. A Short Story 3:50
4. Lullaby 5:00
5. Groovemania 5:31
6. M.K. 4:50
7. Dynamic 5:19
8. Nostalgia 4:53
9. Move Your Neck 3:55
10. Conversation 4:29

All tracks composed by José de Castro

MUSICIANS

José de Castro - Guitar, Bass on “For You”
Melvin Lee Davis - Bass
Jose Vera - Bass on "Groovemania" and "A Short Story"
Inaki Quijano - Hammond
Enzo Filippone - Drums
Denis Bilanin - Pad

Ray Bonneville

Ray Bonneville - Gust Of Wind - 1999 - Stony Plain

Many of those familiar with Red House recording artist Ray Bonneville know that he is a hard driving, blues influenced, song and groove man who often writes about people who live on the fringe of society. Ray’s vibe is loose and soulful. With a greasy guitar style, horn-like harmonica phrasing, smoky vocal style and pulsing foot percussion he immediately rivets audiences. His solo performance fills a concert hall with all the sound layering and drama of a full band. The consummate, driven professional, Ray plays more that one hundred and fifty shows a year across the US, Canada and Europe. He has a loyal, enthusiastic fan base wherever he goes. In 1999 he won the Juno award (Canada’s Grammy) and was nominated twice more after that. His song about the resilience of New Orleans, “I am the Big Easy” was the most played song by North American folk DJs, and won “Song of the Year” at Folk Alliance in Memphis in 2009, the same city where he took first place in the International Blues Challenge in 2012. About that award he says “I just went to Memphis to meet some new folks, so it took me by surprise when they announced my name; I see what I do as the offspring of traditional blues music”. He was forty-one when he started writing songs and making records after playing all over for twenty years. When asked why it took so long, he replied “it’s hard to say, but I only spoke French until I was twelve years old when my family suddenly moved us from Quebec to the Boston area, so maybe it took me that long to really feel the nuance of the English language”. © http://raybonneville.com/about/

Ray Bonneville combines electric blues motifs, a light sense of humor, and a pop approach to song-making. On pieces like the opening "Don't Look Back," with electric piano from Richard Bell, this combination comes across as a sort of Memphis Randy Newman. Colin Linden here produces this unique, memorable Canadian songwriter on his third album. Linden provides slide, baritone, and other guitar work on the album. Like Linden, Bonneville is adept at incorporating blues styles into accessible pop gems. Recorded in Canada and Nashville, this album features mandolin maestro Tim O'Brien on "Canary Yellow Car" and the Band's Rick Bell playing keyboards on five selections. Like the album, Bonneville is a constantly moving dual citizen of Canada and the United States. This broad base of experience reflects in an album featuring North American themes of pop, rock, and blues. © Tom Schulte © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/gust-of-wind-mw0000241323

A really good album of electric and acoustic blues, country, roots rock, and folk by a hugely underrated artist. If you like artists like Ry Cooder, Lucy Kaplansky, James McMurtry, or J.J. Cale then give Ray Bonneville a listen. “Gust Of Wind” is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Try and listen to Ray’s “Solid Ground” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 96.5 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Don't Look Back 4:44
2. Gust Of Wind 4:40
3. That's Why 3:17
4. Oh It's You 4:48
5. The Price To Pay 4:20
6. Canary Yellow Car 3:17
7. Foolish 3:28
8. Gone Too Long 3:36
9. Listen 3:48
10. The Changing Sky 4:36
11. Darlin' Don't Forget 2:51

All songs composed by Ray Bonneville

MUSICIANS

Ray Bonneville - Guitar, Harmonica, Foot Percussion, Vocals
Colin Linden - Guitar, Baritone Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Slide Guitar, Background Vocals
Brad Hayes - Guitar
Bryan Owings, Gary Craig - Drums, Percussion
John Dymond - Bass
Terry Wilkins - Upright Bass
Tim O'Brien - Mandolin
Richard Bell - Organ, Hammond Organ, Piano, Electric Piano
Bob Stagg - Keyboards, Keyboard Programming
Keith Glass, Linda Benoy - Background Vocals

SHORT BIO

Blues singer, musician, and songwriter Ray Bonneville is a Juno Award winner originally from Canada. Before he reached his teens, his large family moved to the United States; a few years later, when they returned to Canada, Bonneville stayed in the States on his own. He found work as a member in different bands and as a studio musician, playing both the harmonica and guitar. When he discovered being a musician wasn't paying all of the bills, he studied flying and put in enough hours to get his pilot's license. He was influenced by and performed with great bluesmen like the legendary Muddy Waters and Bukka White. In 1993, Bonneville finished his debut recording On the Main. It was followed by 1997's Solid Ground, which underscored his growing writing and playing skills. Gust of Wind, which earned Bonneville a Juno Award for Canada's Blues Album of the Year, was released in 1999 and Rough Luck came out in 2000. The folk-tinged Roll It Down followed three years later, while 2007's Goin' by Feel boasted a darker, smokier sound and a tribute to New Orleans in the song "I Am the Big Easy." Bonneville reunited with that album's producer, Gurf Morlix, for his next album, 2011's Bad Man's Blood. © Charlotte Dillon © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/ray-bonneville-mn0000403774/biography