The B-52s

The B-52s - Planet Claire - 1995 - Karussell

I'm a B-52's fan, just so you know from the start. This CD is for the collector, or for the fan who just discovered Love Shack and wants to hear more like it. This CD has some of The B's best early songs, along with some of the wacky ones. This is a party album(as every B-52 CD is), and it's highly amusing. Let's see, we have Planet Claire (a classic song, but highly simple.) Lava with nifty guitars, and nicely contrasted voices. Downtown, a funky new wavish version of the original. Strobe Light, a song focusing mainly on having a good time, sure to lighten up a dull atmosphere. Future Generation, a song as interesting as it is true. I can go on, and list the good qualities this CD has, but I think i'll let you buy it yourself, leaving you with this last message-- This CD is a certified "B's" cd, none of their commercial crap. ****/5 - Yet another CD with a collection of already made songs. By & © Ashley on March 2, 2001 © 1996-2014, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Claire-B-52s/dp/B000005RZ2

Good 1995 compilation album from The B-52s featuring 14 early hits & key album tracks, including 'Planet Claire', 'Rock Lobster', 'Strobe Light', '52 Girls', 'Dirty Back Road', 'Give Me Back My Man', 'Future Generation' and 'Girl From Ipanema Goes To Greenland'. Listen to the band’s great “Wild Planet” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 134 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Planet Claire - Wilson, Schneider, Mancini, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 4:35
2 Rock Lobster - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 6:50
3 Lava - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 4:56
4 Downtown - Hatch 3:18
5 6060-842 - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 2:52
6 52 Girls - Wilson, Schneider, Ayers, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 3:35
7 Give Me Back My Man - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson, Waldrop 4:00
8 Strobe Light - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 4:02
9 Dirty Back Road - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson, Waldrop 3:19
10 Loveland - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 5:02
11 Nip It In The Bud - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 3:33
12 Future Generation - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 3:59
13 Wig - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson 4:21
14 Girl From Ipanema Goes To Greenland - Wilson, Schneider, Pierson, Strickland, Wilson, Waldro 4:22

BIO

The first of many acts to cement the college town of Athens, GA, as a hotbed of alternative music, the B-52's took their name from the Southern slang for the mile-high bouffant wigs sported by singers Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson, a look emblematic of the band's campy, thrift-store aesthetic. The five-piece group, which also included founding members Fred Schneider, guitarist Ricky Wilson (Cindy's older brother), and drummer Keith Strickland, formed in the mid-'70s after a drunken evening at a Chinese restaurant; the band members had little or no previous musical experience, and performed most of their earliest shows with taped guitar and percussion accompaniment. After pressing up a few thousand copies of the single "Rock Lobster," the B-52's traveled to the famed Max's Kansas City club for their first paying gig. Subsequent appearances at CBGB brought the group to the attention of the New York press, and in 1979, they issued their self-titled debut album, a collection of manic, bizarre, and eminently danceable songs which scored an underground club hit with a reworked version of "Rock Lobster." The following year, they issued Wild Planet, which reached the Top 20 on the U.S. album charts; Party Mix!, an EP's worth of reworked material from the band's first two proper outings, appeared in 1981. Released in 1982, the EP Mesopotamia arose out of a series of aborted sessions with producer David Byrne which saw the B-52's largely abandon their trademark sense of humor, a situation rectified by the following year's Whammy!, a move into electronic territory. After a Schneider solo LP, 1984's Fred Schneider & the Shake Society, the group returned to the studio to record 1986's Bouncing Off the Satellites. On October 12, 1985, however, Ricky Wilson died; though originally his death was attributed to natural causes, it was later revealed that he had succumbed to AIDS. In light of Wilson's death, the group found it impossible to promote the new album, and they spent the next several years in seclusion. In 1989, the B-52's finally returned with Cosmic Thing, their most commercially successful effort to date. Marked byStrickland's move from drums to guitar and club-friendly production from Don Was and Nile Rodgers, the album launched several hit singles, including the party smash "Love Shack," "Roam," and "Deadbeat Club." In 1990, Cindy Wilsonretired from active duty, leaving the remaining trio to soldier on for 1992's Good Stuff. A year later, dubbed the BC-52's, they performed the theme song for Steven Spielberg's live-action feature The Flintstones. Wilson returned to the group for a tour supporting the release of 1998's hits collection Time Capsule. Four years later the double-disc Nude on the Moon compilation would dive deeper into their catalog by featuring rare tracks, live recordings, and remixes along with the hits. The year 2008 found the band returning with a new album for the first time in 16 years. Released by Astralwerks, Funplex, was a slick, synthesizer-driven effort produced by Steve Osborne. © Jason Ankeny
© 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved

Hans Platz

Hans Platz - Time Stamps - 2013 - Piazza

Timestamps is what german guitarist Hans Platz offers with his debut under his own name. He has been in bands I have never heard before so this is my first meeting with this guys and his music, he plays the guitar on this album and has guests for the other instruments. Well known guests as well. It is an instrumental rock album that comes in the colour of green, nice artwork and interesting liner notes in the booklet is a nice touch. It is eleven tracks dominated by strong guitar lines, no vocals, strong melodies and an excellent production. The sound is very exciting, it goes in green, like an interesting walk through an exciting jungle where there is a lot more to be seen than what first meets the eye. There are a lot of interesting details to be found here, but it is not overly complicated and the songs are quite short and to the point where all eleven songs plays for just over 35 minutes. I wrote no vocals but in the tenth track This is War there are some spoken words within the music just to add a bit more depth or something. I think this is a quality production and a quality album, not being a big fan of the instrumental rock music I find myself not overly excited about the music but I still enjoy listening to it. I think that the fans of the genre could be a bit blown away by this album as it is very interesting and has a lot to offer. I think Platz shows a lot of competence and he shows here that he knows how to make good music. I have enjoyed this album, even though it works best as background music for me. The album shows a lot of strength but it is best on the first half of the album, especially the second track. That track is my favourite of the album, excellent track and very amusing to listen to. You could say that the album starts out well but looses a bit towards the end, not that it ends poorly but it is noticeably less good in the end than in the start. Do you like instrumental rock music? if the answer to that question is yes, then I think you will do yourself a favour to pick it up. © Daniel Kallmalm(4/7) © http://www.hallowed.se/english/music/reviews/2014/hans_platz-timestamps.htm

The Erlanger guitarist Hans Place gathered on his album 'timestamps' world class musicians such as Marco Minnemann (Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani, Aristocrats), Wolfgang Haffner (Passport, Metro, Till Bronner), TM Stevens (James Brown, Joe Cocker, Steve Vai, Billy Joel, John McLaughlin) or Pete Griffin (Zappa plays Zappa) around, and conjures up out of nowhere a virtuoso instrumental album on the table that does not need to shy away from the international comparison. Mixed by Fabio Trentini (produced including the Guano Apes) the songs are presented in a glorious sound garment that expresses and still lets air to breathe. As a purely instrumental album of traditional song structures free, creativity knows no bounds, and the guitar can occupy the space that is denied in her classic bands. Especially because the musicians it is not an album become only for guitarists, bassists, drummers or just people who are interested in unusual rock music will love this album. © Hans Place © http://hansplatz.de/hp/

Excellent guitar playing from Hans Platz aided by musicians that include Mattias IA Eklundh, Marco Minnemann, and Pete Griffin. This is a good example of modern progressive metal rock with symphonic and classical leanings. Hans has created a very different sound with some very original guitar lines and good compositions. Its a very short album but full of quality. Watch out for more from this guy. Read more reviews @ http://hansplatz.de/hp/ and more about Hans @ https://www.facebook.com/hansplatzofficial?fref=photo [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 80.5 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Birdrange - Hans Platz, Wolfgang Haffner, Fabio Trentini
2. Spanish Race On A Devil's Highway - Hans Platz, Marco Minnemann, Fabio Trentini
3. Pull It Out - Hans Platz, Marco Minnemann, Pete Griffin
4. Father - Hans Platz, Wolfgang Haffner, Fabio Trentini
5. Red Room Nine - Hans Platz, Wolfram Kellner, Pete Griffin
6. Axetasy - Hans Platz, Wolfram Kellner, Fabio Trentini
7. Freak Sauna - Hans Platz, TM Stevens, Wolfram Kellner
8. Deadman - Hans Platz, Simon Michael, Fabio Trentini, Mattias IA Eklundh
9. Timestamps - Hans Platz, Marco Minnemann, Pete Griffin
10. This Is War - Hans Platz, Marco Minnemann, Fabio Trentini
11. Alive - Hans Platz, Wolfgang Haffner, Pete Griffin

MUSICIANS

Hans Platz - Guitars
Mattias IA Eklundh - Guest Guitar Solo on Track 8
Fabio Trentini, Pete Griffin, TM Stevens - Bass
Marco Minnemann, Wolfgang Haffner, Wolfram Kellner, Simon Michael - Drums

James Armstrong

James Armstrong - Got It Goin' On - 2000 - Hightone

California-based blues guitarist, songwriter, and singer James Armstrong may be small in physical stature, but his guitar playing, original lyrical themes, and singing will leave the most hardened of blues fans convinced of his brilliance. It's fair to say that Armstrong has the music in his blood: he is the son of a jazz guitar-playing father and blues singing mother. Raised in the Los Angeles area, he founded his first group in junior high school. He cites Jimi Hendrix, Robert Cray, Albert Collins, Albert King, and Eric Clapton as inspirational in his development. Highlights from his years in the Los Angeles area -- before moving north to the San Francisco Bay area -- include shows backing Collins, Big Joe Turner and Los Angeles veteran Smokey Wilson. After releasing the critically acclaimed Sleeping with a Stranger in 1995 for the San Francisco-based Hightone label, Armstrong's promising touring career was interrupted by tragedy. One night in April 1997, a robber broke into his home and nearly stabbed Armstrong to death. After weeks in the hospital and months of rehabilitation, Armstrong picked himself up, dusted himself off, and started all over again. In the late '90s and into the new century, Armstrong has hit the blues festival circuit with a passion, and put in a particularly impressive performance at the Pocono Blues Festival in Pennsylvania. By the spring of 2000, Armstrong again entered the studio to record Got It Goin' On an album that showcases Armstrong's delicate guitar stylings and soulful singing backed by Joe Louis Walker's rhythm section and a guest appearance on two tracks by keyboardist Jimmy Pugh of the Robert Cray Band. After his tragic stabbing, Armstrong found he couldn't run his fingers up and down the guitar neck as fast he once was able. He realized that faster isn't necessarily better, and recognized that good blues is more about feeling anyway, citing the slow, powerful, methodic stylings of one of his influences, the late Albert King. While Got It Goin' On showcases Armstrong's evolution as a songwriter since his debut release in 1995, both albums are recommended for blues fans who are tired of the same old themes. "2 Sides," a selection from Got It Goin' On was included in the movie Speechless starring Michael Keaton, but there are plenty of other originals on the release that demonstrate why Armstrong is to be taken seriously as a songwriter who continues to sail into heretofore uncharted lyrical waters. In 1999, Hightone released Dark Night, with Joe Louis Walker and Doug MacLeod taking lead guitar turns on two tracks. © Richard Skelly © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/james-armstrong-mn0000783716

Got It Goin' On is an apt title for this third release from California bluesman James Armstrong. While his previous release, Dark Night, was steeped in a soul/blues vein, this album is a solid, stripped-down blues session. Armstrong's guitar chops (especially on slide guitar) and impassioned vocals continue to gain strength following the horrendous attack on his life in 1997. Making an encore appearance is guitarist Michael Ross, who blends in with the dominant role Armstrong assumes, while the keyboard work is provided by Jimmy Pugh of the Robert Cray Band. The majority of cuts were written or co-written by Armstrong, including the heartfelt ballad "Another Dream," the funky rocker "2 Sides," included in the movie Speechless, and the New Orleans-influenced "Mr. B's." © Al Campbell © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:gD8-ou3dlgsJ:www.allmusic.com/album/got-it-goin-on-mw0000619357+&cd=5&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

Not a groundbreaking album but a hugely enjoyable album,and even though the songs' arrangements usually stick to familiar blues structures, they leave James plenty of room for some stinging solos. James’ “Blues at the Border” abum can be found on this blog. Check out his “Dark Night” album, and his "Sleeping with a Stranger" album is well worth buying. Support great blues rock [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 118 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Got It Goin' On - D. Mac Leod, D.Amy, F.Brown 4:24
2 Pennies and Picks - R. Lily, James Armstrong, M.Heaney 4:23
3 Another Dream - D. Amy, James Armstrong, J. Brown 5:23
4 2 Sides - James Armstrong 3:48
5 Mr. B's - James Armstrong, J.Hahn 3:30
6 Love Can Make You Do Wrong - D.Steen 4:28
7 Beat Up By Love - D. Mac Leod, R. Lily, James Armstrong, F.Brown 4:33
8 Shut My Eyes - D. Amy, James Armstrong, D. Wilson 3:57
9 Likes Her Lovin' - R.Lily, K.Besbeck, James Armstrong 3:19
10 Lucky Guy - D. Amy, James Armstrong, K.Besbeck 4:17
11 I'll Learn Sometime - S. Brown, R.Lily 3:34

MUSICIANS

James Armstrong - Guitar (Lead, Slide & Rhythm), Vocals
Michael Ross - Rhythm Guitar solo on "Likes Her Lovin'"
Robert Watson - Bass
Endre Tarczy - Bass on "2 Sides", "Mr.B.s", & "Love Can Make You Do Wrong"
Mike Emerson - Piano & Organ
Jimmy Pugh - Piano on "Beat Up By Love", & Organ on "Pennies And Picks"
Stanley Hale - Drums
David Tucker - Drums on "2 Sides", "Mr.B.s", & "Love Can Make You Do Wrong"

BIO (WIKI)

James Armstrong (born April 22, 1957, Los Angeles, California, United States) is an American soul blues and electric blues guitarist, singer and songwriter.He released three albums on HighTone Records and is signed with Catfood Records. His songs have been used in the soundtracks of three films;Speechless, Hear No Evil, and The Florentine. Armstrong's father was a jazz guitarist and his mother a blues singer. Having learned the guitar at a young age, Armstrong formed his first band at school, and was touring the United States in his late teens. Inspired by Albert King and Robert Cray, his musical education included backing musicians such as Albert Collins, Big Joe Turner and Smokey Wilson. Armstrong relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area and, in 1995, released his debut album, Sleeping with a Stranger, on HighTone. However, in April 1997, Armstrong was almost stabbed to death by an intruder at his home. The shoulder injury necessitated months of rehabilitation, which still left Armstrong with limited guitar playing ability in his left hand. He adjusted his playing style, hired a lead guitar player, and realised that playing slide guitar helped to slowly recover his dexterity. His second, introspective, album, Dark Night, was issued in 1998. It incorporated Joe Louis Walker and Doug Macleod playing lead guitar on a couple of the songs.The album track, "Bank of Love", was used in the films Hear No Evil and The Florentine. Armstrong recommenced live performances on the blues festival circuit, with a noteworthy appearance at the 1999 Pocono Blues Festival in Pennsylvania. In early 2000, Armstrong returned to the recording studio to work on his next album, Got It Goin' On. He was aided in the project by utilising Walker's rhythm section, plus a guest appearance from the keyboardist Jim Pugh. In 2001, Armstrong's song "Pennies and Picks" from Got It Goin' On, earned him a W.C. Handy Award nomination for 'Song of the Year'. Armstrong himself was nominated for 'Contemporary Male Blues Guitarist of the Year'. "2 Sides," another song from Got It Goin' On was included in the film soundtrack for Speechless. Armstrong has worked with Albert Collins, Keb' Mo', Coco Montoya, Roy Brown, Chaka Khan, Ricky Lee Jones, Jan and Dean,Mitch Mitchell and Tommy Castro. Armstrong's 2011 release on Catfood Records, Blues At The Border, was his first recording in 11 years.

CRITICAL COMMENTS

Living Blues: "... With a skintight band and a well-balanced combination of fire, technical proficiency, and taste, Armstrong continues on his way to the upper echelon of contemporary blues artists."

CBC Radio: “…full of haunting and subtle nuances that point to a life rich with experience, this musician has definitely paid his dues. James plays for and with his audience, extending the reach of the blues to include highly-charged sensuality, yearning, healing and good lowdown fun!”

JazzTimes: "...Demonstrates the kind of flexibility that allows him easily and convincingly shift gears from slow blues... to urban funk... to N’awlins grooves to rousing roadhouse shuffles..."

Tony Russell: "If you define 'blues' by the rigid categories of structure rather than the flexible language of feeling allusion, Robert Cray... Larry Garner, Joe Louis Walker and James Armstrong are a new and uncategorizable breed, their music blues-like rather than blues, each of them blending ideas and devices from a variety of sources – soul, rock, jazz, gospel – with a sophisication beyond the reach of their forerunners".

Terry Silverlight

Terry Silverlight - Wild - 2004 - www.terrysilverlight.com

The versatile studio session drummer Terry Silverlight, a pioneer from fusion's heyday, returns to his fusion roots while also embracing shuffles, funk grooves and bebop on Wild!! (TerrySilverlight.com). Joining him is an all-star cast of New York ringers including guitarists Hiram Bullock and Chuck Loeb, bassist Will Lee, keyboardists Paul Shaffer and Charles Blenzig, tenor saxophonist David Mann and special guest Edgar Winter, who contributes nasty vocals and alto sax on the funky "Brown 'N Serve." They groove in party-time mode on the shuffle blues opener "Sparkey J's," sparked by Bullock's stinging guitar solo, while "Yo" is a surging, uptempo swinger paced by Silverlight's brisk ride cymbal work and highlighted by Lew Soloff's bristling high note trumpet solo. "Insane" is classic, hard-hitting old school fusion-full of challenging heads, stop-time unison lines, daredevil trading of eights and lots of thunderous double bass drum thumping in the tradition of Billy Cobham's early '70s work. Loeb's sizzling, distortion-laced guitar solo on this throbbing drum-heavy number is far more aggressive and dissonant than fans of his recent smooth jazz offerings may be accustomed to, though Will Lee ups the sickness factor here with his own ugly fuzz-bass solo. The title track shifts nimbly back and forth from intense fusion to relaxed swing, as Silverlight adeptly straddles those two worlds. But for all-out drumming bravura, nothing tops "Phantom of Bebopera," which is basically one long drum solo surrounded by orchestral punctuation. Silverlight traverses the kit in muscular fashion on this one, with double bass drum pedal flailing away madly. By © & Bill Milkowski © 1999–2014 JazzTimes, Inc. All rights reserved. http://jazztimes.com/articles/15134-wild-terry-silverlightl

Great fusion with terrific compositions and uptempo grooves by the very underrated composer and drummer Terry Silverlight. Outstanding musicianship on this album from artists including Edgar Winter, Hiram Bullock, Chuck Loeb, Lew Soloff and more. HR by A.O.O.F.C Check out Terry’s “Diamond in the Riff” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 133 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Sparkey J's 5:51
2 Pugnacious 5:04
3 Brown 'n Serve 6:46
4 Windsurfing 7:04
5 Wild 6:20
6 Phantom of Bebopera 4:47
7 Yo 6:23
8 WTC 6:16
9 Insane 6:25
10 Closing 4:38

All tracks composed by Terry Silverlight

MUSICIANS

Edgar Winter - Alto Saxophone, Vocals
Paul Shaffer - Organ
Hiram Bullock, Chuck Loeb - Guitar
Will Lee - Bass
Terry Silverlight - Keyboards, Drums, Percussion
Charles Blenzig, Mike Ricchiuti - Keyboards
David Mann - Tenor & Soprano Saxophone
Lew Soloff - Trumpet
John Clark - French Horn

BIO (WIKI)

Terry Silverlight is a jazz, pop, rock and R&B drummer, composer, producer, arranger and author.Silverlight was born in Newark, New Jersey and grew up in North Plainfield, New Jersey. He made his debut as a drummer on Barry Miles' White Heat album, recorded in 1971 when Silverlight was fourteen years old.That early jazz/fusion album featured Barry Miles's compositions along with performances by guitarists Pat Martino, John Abercrombie (guitarist), and saxophonist/flutistLew Tabackin. Silverlight drummed on several more Barry Miles recordings throughout the 1970s performing alongside Al Di Meola, Vic Juris, Eric Kloss, andRichard Davis. After attending Princeton University, Silverlight moved to Manhattan and embarked upon a studio session career, playing drums on recordings for artists including Billy Ocean, George Benson, Laura Nyro, Stephanie Mills, Freddie Jackson, Anne Murray, Natalie Merchant, Jonathan Butler, Stephen Stills, Mel Tormé, Phil Woods, Tom Jones, Change, Odyssey, jingles, and film scores including You've Got Mail, One Fine Day, My Blue Heaven, Titus, What Planet Are You From? and Frida. Silverlight has authored three drum books; The Featured Drummer, The Stick Bag of Jazz, Funk, Fusion and Gig Bag Series for Drummers: Rhythm & Percussion. All are published by Music Sales Corporation. He has been an educator appearing at clinics including PASIC (Percussive Arts Society), Sam Ash, and Brooklyn College. He taught drums at the Drummers Collective (DCI) in Manhattan from 1981-1985. Silverlight toured worldwide as a member of Roberta Flack's band from 1986–1988, and has toured Japan yearly as a member of David Matthews's Manhattan Jazz Orchestra (MJO) since 1996, having recorded several albums with that group. Simultaneous to his drumming career, Silverlight has written songs, composed, produced, and arranged music for network TV shows including One Life to Live, The Young and the Restless, The Sopranos, All My Children, Beverly Hills, 90210, Melrose Place, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS, Smallville, Ghost Whisperer, Strong Medicine, The District, Las Vegas, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, 7th Heaven, The Shield, Burn Notice, South Beach, jingle products Reebok, Nicorette, Pantene, Crisco, the films Invincible with Mark Wahlberg, Head over Heels with Monica Potter/Freddie Prinze, Jr., Marci X with Lisa Kudrow,Sunshine Cleaning with Alan Arkin/Emily Blunt/Amy Adams, Mad About Mambo with Keri Russell, and songs recorded byNancy Wilson, Les McCann, Carl Anderson, Phillip Ingram (Switch V), Louise Redknapp and Judy Torres. Silverlight has seven solo artist recordings featuring his drumming and original compositions.Four are in the jazz genre:Terry Silverlight,Wild!!,Diamond in the Riff,and Live!, showcasing performances by Barry Miles, Will Lee, Paul Shaffer,Edgar Winter, Hiram Bullock, Chuck Loeb, Lew Soloff, and Bill Evans, among others. Three of the albums are in the pop genre featuring Silverlight's work as a songwriter, producer and arranger: Songwriter Producer: Volumes I & II, Collaborations: Volumes I & II, and Music To Picture.

Maestros Of Cool (Steely Dan Related)

Maestros Of Cool - A Tribute To Steely Dan - 2006 - Esc

There have been many covers of Steely Dan songs, and very few have managed to capture the essence of The Dan’s complex jazz rock sound. Check this blog for some good examples of a few exceptions to this. “Maestros Of Cool” has received a lot of criticism for it’s interpretations of Steely Dan/Donald Fagen songs. One article described it as “a half-hearted” attempt”. I have feen following Steely Dan since 1972 and have heard many cover versions of their songs. “Maestros Of Cool” is in fact, an excellent compilation of Dan tunes. Many of the tunes are available on other albums and the musicianship is outstanding. There are many very different interpretations of the Dan’s songs by artists that include greats like Nathan Haines, David Garfield, Carl Orr, Chuck Loeb, The HR Big Band, the late Cornelius Bumpus who was a brilliant sideman for Steely Dan, and Justin Morell. There is no rubbish here with every artist making a very valid and important effort to cover some of the best jazz rock songs ever written. Three of the tracks are not Steely Dan tracks but are compositions played in a Steely Dan style and are very worthwhile. HR by A.O.O.F.C. [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: 2 x rar files: Part 1 (Disc 1) = 135 Mb, & Part 2 (Disc 2) = 161 Mb]

DISC ONE

1. Nathan Haines - Fm (4:38)
2. Stereo - Remember (5:01)
3. Debbie Deane - Any World (4:07)
4. Raw Stylus - 37 Hours (5:23)
5. Nash Kato - Dirty Work (3:36)
6. Pam Bricker - Home At Last (4:55)
7. Tony Gallo - Black Cow (5:38)
8. Groove Thing - The Fez (5:29)
9. David Garfield - Josie (5:38)
10. Carl Orr - Tomorrow's Girls (4:19)
11. Liquid Blue - Rikki Don't Lose That Number (4:43)
12. Jango - Joyful Caravan (4:32)

DISC 2

1. David Garfield - Babylon Sisters (6:22)
2. Chuck Loeb - Maxine (5:25)
3. Don Braden - Kid Charlemagne (6:36)
4. HR Big Band - Pretzel Logic (5:25)
5. Justin Morell - My Rival (4:47)
6. Abebi Stafford - Green Earrings (4:08)
7. Gustavo Assis-Brasil - Aja (7:00)
8. Stolen Van - Caves of Altamira (5:38)
9. Alex Gunia & Philipp Van Endert - Third World Man (6:43)
10. Cornelius Bumpus - Chain Lightning (5:05)
11. Ben Lacy - Hey Nineteen (3:15)
12. Trinity - Steal It Again Dan (10:02)

All tracks composed by Walter Becker & Donald Fagen except "Remember" by John Beasley & Tim Mullane, "Tomorrow's Girls" and "Maxine" by Donald Fagen, "Joyful Caravan" by Steve Le Gassick & Michael Price, and "Steal It Again Dan" by Matthias Krauss, Franz Holtmann, & Stephan "Gudze" Hinz

MUSICIANS

Chuck Loeb, Michael Landau, Carl Orr, Nash Kato, George Wadenius, Justin Morell, Gustavo Assis-Brasil, Alex Gunia, Philipp Van Endert, Ben Lacy, Franz Holtmann - Guitar
John Patitucci, Lee Sklar, Gudze - Bass
David Garfield, Matthias Krauss, Rob Aries - Keyboards
John Beasley - Keyboards, Vocals
Wayne Wilentz - Piano, Keyboards, Vocals
Debbie Deane - Piano, Vocals
Sean Wayland - Piano
Bill Ware - Fender Rhodes, Vibes
Abebi Stafford - Fender Rhodes
Cornelius Bumpus - Saxophone
Nathan Haines, Don Braden - Tenor Saxophone
Steve Nieves - Saxophone, Vocals
Marco Minnemann,Dave Weckl, Mauricio Zottarelli, Jim West - Drums
Klaudia Salkovic, Damon Albarn, Jules Brookes, Pam Bricker, Tony Gallo, Alex Ligertwood - Vocals

Paul Gilbert & Jimi Kidd

Paul Gilbert & Jimi Kidd - Raw Blues Power - 2002 - Blues Bureau International

In the album notes, Paul Gilbert writes: "My uncle Jimi was a legend of my youth. He lived in Chicago and played fantastic guitar in a variety of rock and blues bands. I lived in a farm house in rural Pennsylvania, so a visit from Jimi was a rare and wonderful thing. When I was 10 years old, he showed me how to mute the strings with my right hand, and how to play the riff in 'Whole Lotta Love'. He also showed me how to use a fuzz-tone and how to control feedback. But most importantly, I got to see him play. I was taking guitar lessons at the time and Jimi was about a million times better than my teacher. Jimi had great vibrato, killer tone and a deep musical sense that came out in every note. Seeing and hearing him play close up was enormously inspiring. Jamming with my uncle is now an incredible experience. We have similarities in our approach to guitar that can only be explained by genetics! At the same time we have pursued different styles for the last 20 years. Jimi has a huge and natural vocabulary of blues and slide guitar, while I followed my teenage passion for heavy metal. On Raw Blues Power we wanted to write and play songs that allowed our styles to meet. Not a compromise, but a trip to a new place that neither of us have gone before! After four days of wild string bending, screaming into microphones and losing a few more decibels of our hearing, I think we got there. So crank up the volume and let Jimi and me take you to our musical family reunion in Las Vegas in the summertime. Kick out the jams brothers and sisters (and nephews and uncles)!" © 1996-2014, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.co.uk/Raw-Blues-Power-Paul-Gilbert/dp/B00005UOH4

There was almost certainly a lot of lip-pooching going on at the sessions for Raw Blues Power, which teams shred virtuoso Paul Gilbert with his uncle and childhood hero, Jimi Kidd, for a disc of blues-rock. The results certainly sound nothing like anything resembling traditional blues, instead gravitating more toward the late 20th century bastardization of the genre as a platform for fast playing. Accepting that as a genre of its own, Raw Blues Power contains some fine dual playing from Gilbert and Kidd. The songs are mostly interchangeable and veer toward power pop at times (such as the anthemic "Freedom"). For Gilbert, late of Mr. Big, the project is surely a step in an interesting -- or at least new -- direction. The record doesn't necessarily push in bold new directions, but it's well played, well produced, and the musicians are clearly having a good time at the gig. © Jesse Jarnow © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/raw-blues-power-mw0000214649

What happens when you pair Racer X/Mr. Big shed master Paul Gilbert with a classic rock/blues guitarist like Jimi Kidd, well you get "Raw Blues Power", with the emphasis on "Power". There are no subtleties here, no shyness, little restraint and no delta blues or otherwise. What you get is gigawatts of testosterone elevating solos by two extremely talented guitarists. These guys are not from the school of minimalists. If it doesn't contain 120 notes per second, it's not worth playing. This is not Eric Clapton and B.B. King or Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert King. This is Godzilla meets Rodan. Call it what you might, just don't call it "blues". Sit down, strap a seatbelt on, crank it up and blast off. – from ****/5 Pure Rock! By & © deepbluereview on August 30, 2002 © 1996-2014, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Blues-Power-Paul-Gilbert/dp/B000060O1S

Raw Blues Power is a collaborative Blues rock album by guitarist Paul Gilbert and his uncle Jimi Kidd. Paul Gilbert has sold over three million records in the United States from from his fantastic work with Racer X, Mr. Big and as a solo artist. On "Raw Blues Power", Paul exhibits his diverse playing and writing styles with his uncle and Chicago blues legend Jimi Kidd. Paul returns to his blues rock roots in this great dual guitar showdown which is reminiscent of the days of 70's blues rockers Robin Trower, Johnny Winter and ZZ Top. A great blues rock free for all with some amazing jamming by two guitar greats. Listen to Paul Gilbert’s “King of Clubs” album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 105 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Girls Watching - Paul Gilbert, Jimi Kidd 3:46
2. A 180 - Jimi Kidd 3:41
3. Pacific Coast Highway - Paul Gilbert 3:00
4. Good Foot - Kidd 6:29
5. 12 Days of the Blues - Gilbert, Kidd 3:50
6. Freedom - Kidd 3:54
7. Stranded - Gilbert 3:30
8. Play Guitar - Kidd 2:50
9. Sookie Sookie - Don Covay 3:09
10. Blues Power - Kidd 9:27

MUSICIANS

Paul Gilbert, Jimi Kidd - Guitar, Vocals
Mike Szuter - Bass guitar, Vocals
Johnny Fedevich - Drums, Vocals
Jeff Martin - Bongos, Vocals

ABOUT PAUL GILBERT

Metal guitar virtuoso Paul Gilbert was born November 6, 1966 in Carbondale, IL and raised primarily in Greenburg, PA; he began playing music at age five, and by age 15 was not only touring local clubs with his band Tau Zero but was even spotlighted in Guitar Player magazine alongside fellow up-and-comer Yngwie Malmsteen. In 1984 Gilbert relocated to Los Angeles to attend the Guitar Institute of Technology, becoming an instructor there the following year; concurrently he formed the band Electric Fence, which by 1986 evolved into Racer X. Their debut album Street Lethal appeared later that year, but in the wake of the follow-up, 1987's Second Heat, Gilbert exited to join Mr. Big, which in 1992 topped the pop charts with the ballad "To Be with You." Mr. Big disbanded in 1996, and a year later Gilbert made his solo debut with King of Clubs; Flying Dog followed in 1998, trailed by Beehive Live in 1999 and Alligator Farm in fall 2000. © Jason Ankeny © 2014 AllMusic, a division of All Media Network, LLC. | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/paul-gilbert-mn0000747761/biography