Ian Carr's Nucleus

Ian Carr's Nucleus - Live at the Theaterhaus - 1985 - Mood

Formed in 1969 by the late trumpeter and flugelhornist Ian Carr, Nucleus aka Ian Carr's Nucleus was among the very first groups to fuse rock and jazz from the jazz perspective. The band was regarded as one of the most technically brilliant jazz rock/fusion bands in the world. Ian had played for ten years, first in the EmCee Five (which included the brilliant guitarist, John McLaughlin) and then in the Rendell-Carr Group, which released five albums prior to 1969. "Live at the Theaterhaus" recorded at the Theaterhaus Stuttgart, Germany, 6 Apr 1985 is recommended to lovers of all jazzrock/fusion fans, and also to those who enjoy good Canterbury Rock style bands like Soft Machine, or Matching Mole. The album contains all previously unreleased compositions, and also heralded the return of John Marshall. Search this blog for other Ian Carr/Nucleus releases

TRACKS

1. Dawn Choruses
2. Bouquets Pour Ma Belle
3. For Miles and Miles
4. Easy Does it Now
5. Something for Mister Jelly Lord

N.B:Track order in rtf file is incorrect. Thanks to speedyg1962 for pointing this out to me (A.O.O.F.C)
All compositions by Ian Carr

BAND

Ian Carr (tpt/fghn)
Phil Todd (saxes)
Mark Wood (g/g-syn)
Dill Katz (b)
John Marshall (d/pc)

IAN CARR BIO

Ian Carr has been on the cutting edge of the British jazz scene for nearly four decades. Self-trained as a musician, Carr played an important role in the development of jazz-rock fusion, playing with John McLaughlin in the early '60s, forming one of England's first electronic jazz-rock fusion groups, Nucleus, in 1969 and playing with the international band the United Jazz Rock Ensemble, since 1975. In 1982, Carr received a Calabria award in southern Italy for Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Jazz. Wire Magazine presented him a special award for services to British jazz in 1987. Carr has been equally influential as a music journalist and educator. The co-author of a jazz encyclopedia, The Essential Companion, Carr was also the author of Music Outside, an examination of contemporary British jazz published in 1973; Miles Davis: The Definitive Biography, published in 1982; and Keith Jarrett: The Man and His Music, published in 1991. Since 1992, Carr has written a monthly column for BBC Music Magazine. Carr is an associate professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Dance and lectures weekly on jazz history. Born in Scotland and raised in England, Carr thought little of a career in music until he was nearly 30 years old. Educated at King's College in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where he studied English literature, Carr served in the Army in the late '50s. Shortly after his discharge, he formed a band, the EmCee Five, with his brother Mike and John McLaughlin. Carr remained with the band for two years, leaving to form the Rendell-Carr Group with saxophonist Don Rendell in 1962. During the seven years he worked with Rendell, Carr helped the band record five albums. In September 1969, Carr helped form the groundbreaking fusion band Nucleus. The group attracted international acclaim when it took the top prize in a competition at the Montreaux International Festival in 1970. Carr continued to play with Nucleus until 1989 when he left to tour the United Kingdom and Europe as a soloist on electric trumpet with an Anglo-American orchestra led by American composer George Russell. Old Heartland was recorded with the Kreisler String Orchestra in 1988 while Sounds and Sweet Airs was recorded with organist John Taylor in 1992. © Craig Harris, allmusic.com

IAN CARR BIO (WIKI)

Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr was born in Dumfries, Scotland, the elder brother of Mike Carr. From 1952 to 1956, he went to King's College, now Newcastle University, where he read English Literature, followed by a diploma in education. At the age of seventeen Carr started to teach himself trumpet. After university he joined his brother in a Newcastle band, the EmCee Five, from 1960 to 1962, before moving to London, where he became co-leader with Don Rendell of the Rendell–Carr quintet (1963–1969). In its six years, the group (including pianist Michael Garrick, bassist Dave Green, and drummer Trevor Tomkins) made five albums for EMI – all of which have been re-issued – and performed internationally. After leaving the quintet, Carr went on to form the ground-breaking jazz-rock band Nucleus. This led to the release of twelve albums (some under the band's name, some under Carr's), and a successful international career. In their first year they won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival, released their first album (Elastic Rock), and performed at both the Newport Jazz Festival and the Village Gate jazz club. He also played with the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble since 1975. Carr worked as a session musician in non-jazz contexts, with Nico, No-Man, Faultline, and others. He also doubled up on flugelhorn. Apart from writing a regular column for the BBC Music Magazine, Carr wrote biographies of the jazz musicians Keith Jarrett and Miles Davis. He was also the co-author of the reference work The Rough Guide to Jazz which has passed through four editions from 1994 (originally Jazz, The Essential Companion, 1988). In addition he contributed sleeve notes for the albums of other musicians (e.g. Indo-Jazz Fusions by Joe Harriott and John Mayer). In 1987, he was appointed associate professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he taught composition and performance, especially improvisation and was founder of the jazz workshop at the Interchange arts scheme, where pianist Julian Joseph, amongst others, was one of his students.

NUCLEUS BIO

Nucleus began its long jazz-rock journey in 1969, when it was originally formed by trumpeter Ian Carr. They attracted a following after a successful performance at the Montreux International Festival in 1970, which led to the critical success of albums Elastic Rock and We'll Talk About It Later. The other members consisted of saxophonist Karl Jenkins, drummer John Marshall, and guitarist Chris Spedding. Spedding split after the first two albums, but the rest of the lineup lasted until 1972, when Jenkins and Marshall both left to join Soft Machine. Belladonna was the first album with only Carr, and although he enlisted the help of guitarist Allan Holdsworth, the band eventually became a solo venture for his music. They finally broke up in the mid-'80s after several Carr-only albums. © Bradley Torreano, allmusic.com

NUCLEUS BIO (WIKI)

Nucleus were a pioneering jazz-rock band from Britain who continued in different forms from 1969 to 1985. In their first year they won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival, released the album Elastic Rock, an essential creation in the crystallization of a new musical expression, Jazz fusion, and performed both at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Village Gate jazz club. They were led by Ian Carr, who had been in the Rendell-Carr Quintet during the mid and late 1960s, and was a respected figure in British jazz for more than 40 years. Their jazz-based music evolved from an early sound incorporating elements of progressive and psychedelic rock towards a funkier sound in the mid and late 1970s. Nucleus' first lineup was leader and trumpeter Ian Carr, keyboardist/oboist Karl Jenkins, saxophonist/flautist Brian Smith, guitarist Chris Spedding, bassist Jeff Clyne and drummer John Marshall. By their third album, the band had expanded to include trumpeters Kenny Wheeler and Harry Beckett, saxophonist Tony Roberts, bassist Ron Mathewson, percussionist Chris Karan and Keith Winter on VCS3 synthesizer. Dave MacRae joined soon after for several albums.Over the years the band has seen many members: Trumpet & flugelhorn: Ian Carr, Kenny Wheeler, Harry Beckett, , Chris Batchelor: Tenor sax, soprano sax, flute: Brian Smith, Bob Bertles, Phil Todd, Tim Whitehead: Clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor sax: Tony Roberts, Tony Coe: Baritone sax, oboe, piano, electric piano: Karl Jenkins: Piano and electric piano: Dave MacRae, Gordon Beck, Geoff Castle: Guitar: Chris Spedding, Allan Holdsworth, Jocelyn Pitchen, Ray Russell, Ken Shaw, Mark Wood: Bass guitar: Jeff Clyne, Ron Mathewson, Roy Babbington, Roger Sutton, Billy Kristian, Mo Foster, Dill Katz, Rob Statham Drums: John Marshall, Clive Thacker, Tony Levin, Bryan Spring, Roger Sellers Percussion: Chris Karan, Trevor Tomkins, Aureo de Souza, Richard Burgess, Chris Fletcher Synthesizer: Keith Winter, Paddy Kingsland, Geoff Castle, Neil Ardley Vocals: Norma Winstone, Joy Yates (Mrs. Dave MacRae), Kieran White Organ: John Taylor. In August 2005, a special one-off reincarnation of Nucleus, with old and new members, performed at London's Cargo venue, to an enthusiastic reception. This was followed on 30 March 2007 by a Nucleus Revisited concert at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club as part of a series of concerts to mark Jazzwise magazine's 10th anniversary. Nucleus Revisited featured, amongst others, Nucleus stalwarts, Geoff Castle, Mark Wood and Tim Whitehead and on trumpet, as at the 2005 Cargo concert, Chris Batchelor. Although Ian Carr did not play due to ill health, he was present at the concert and received a standing ovation from the ecstatic audience. Nucleus Revisited also appeared at Ronnie Scott's club in London on 4 August 2009 as part of their two week long Brit Jazz Fest. The double billing with Michael Garrick's Quartet drew an appreciative packed house.

Nucleus

Nucleus - Direct Hits - 1976 - Vertigo

Formed in 1969 by the late trumpeter and flugelhornist Ian Carr, Nucleus aka Ian Carr's Nucleus was among the very first groups to fuse rock and jazz from the jazz perspective. The band was regarded as one of the most technically brilliant jazz rock/fusion bands in the world. Ian had played for ten years, first in the EmCee Five (which included the brilliant guitarist, John McLaughlin) and then in the Rendell-Carr Group, which released five albums prior to 1969. "Direct Hits", a retrospective of key Nucleus recordings from key albums such as Elastic Rock, Belladonna and Solar Plexus, is recommended to lovers of all jazzrock/fusion fans, and also to those who enjoy good Canterbury Rock style bands like Soft Machine, or Matching Mole. Search this blog for other Ian Carr/Nucleus releases

TRACKS

1. Song for the Bearded Lady (Jenkins)
2. Crude Blues Part One (Carr/Jenkins)
3. Crude Blues Part Two (Carr)
4. Suspension (Carr)
5. Torso (Carr)
6. Bull Dance (Carr)
7. A Taste of Sarsaparilla (Carr)
8. Sarsaparilla (Carr)
9. Roots (Carr)

MUSICIANS

Ian Carr / trumpet, flugelhorn
Allan Holdsworth, Chris Spedding, Ken Shaw, Jocelyn Pitchen / guitar
Roger Sutton, Ron Matthewson, Jeff Clyne, Roy Babbington / bass
Dave Macrae, Gordon Beck / electric piano
Karl Jenkins / keyboards, saxophones
Tony Levin, John Marshall, Clive Thacker, Bryan Spring / drums
Chris Karan, Trevor Tomkins, Aureo DeSouza / percussion
Brian Smith / Tenor & Soprano Saxophone, Alto & Bamboo flute
Bob Bertles / saxophone
Kenny Wheeler / trumpet
Tony Roberts, Tony Coe / wind
Norma Winstone / vocals

IAN CARR BIO

Ian Carr has been on the cutting edge of the British jazz scene for nearly four decades. Self-trained as a musician, Carr played an important role in the development of jazz-rock fusion, playing with John McLaughlin in the early '60s, forming one of England's first electronic jazz-rock fusion groups, Nucleus, in 1969 and playing with the international band the United Jazz Rock Ensemble, since 1975. In 1982, Carr received a Calabria award in southern Italy for Outstanding Contribution in the Field of Jazz. Wire Magazine presented him a special award for services to British jazz in 1987. Carr has been equally influential as a music journalist and educator. The co-author of a jazz encyclopedia, The Essential Companion, Carr was also the author of Music Outside, an examination of contemporary British jazz published in 1973; Miles Davis: The Definitive Biography, published in 1982; and Keith Jarrett: The Man and His Music, published in 1991. Since 1992, Carr has written a monthly column for BBC Music Magazine. Carr is an associate professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Dance and lectures weekly on jazz history. Born in Scotland and raised in England, Carr thought little of a career in music until he was nearly 30 years old. Educated at King's College in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, where he studied English literature, Carr served in the Army in the late '50s. Shortly after his discharge, he formed a band, the EmCee Five, with his brother Mike and John McLaughlin. Carr remained with the band for two years, leaving to form the Rendell-Carr Group with saxophonist Don Rendell in 1962. During the seven years he worked with Rendell, Carr helped the band record five albums. In September 1969, Carr helped form the groundbreaking fusion band Nucleus. The group attracted international acclaim when it took the top prize in a competition at the Montreaux International Festival in 1970. Carr continued to play with Nucleus until 1989 when he left to tour the United Kingdom and Europe as a soloist on electric trumpet with an Anglo-American orchestra led by American composer George Russell. Old Heartland was recorded with the Kreisler String Orchestra in 1988 while Sounds and Sweet Airs was recorded with organist John Taylor in 1992. © Craig Harris, allmusic.com

IAN CARR BIO (WIKI)

Ian Carr (21 April 1933 – 25 February 2009) was a Scottish jazz musician, composer, writer, and educator. Carr was born in Dumfries, Scotland, the elder brother of Mike Carr. From 1952 to 1956, he went to King's College, now Newcastle University, where he read English Literature, followed by a diploma in education. At the age of seventeen Carr started to teach himself trumpet. After university he joined his brother in a Newcastle band, the EmCee Five, from 1960 to 1962, before moving to London, where he became co-leader with Don Rendell of the Rendell–Carr quintet (1963–1969). In its six years, the group (including pianist Michael Garrick, bassist Dave Green, and drummer Trevor Tomkins) made five albums for EMI – all of which have been re-issued – and performed internationally. After leaving the quintet, Carr went on to form the ground-breaking jazz-rock band Nucleus. This led to the release of twelve albums (some under the band's name, some under Carr's), and a successful international career. In their first year they won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival, released their first album (Elastic Rock), and performed at both the Newport Jazz Festival and the Village Gate jazz club. He also played with the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble since 1975. Carr worked as a session musician in non-jazz contexts, with Nico, No-Man, Faultline, and others. He also doubled up on flugelhorn. Apart from writing a regular column for the BBC Music Magazine, Carr wrote biographies of the jazz musicians Keith Jarrett and Miles Davis. He was also the co-author of the reference work The Rough Guide to Jazz which has passed through four editions from 1994 (originally Jazz, The Essential Companion, 1988). In addition he contributed sleeve notes for the albums of other musicians (e.g. Indo-Jazz Fusions by Joe Harriott and John Mayer). In 1987, he was appointed associate professor at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he taught composition and performance, especially improvisation and was founder of the jazz workshop at the Interchange arts scheme, where pianist Julian Joseph, amongst others, was one of his students.

NUCLEUS BIO

Nucleus began its long jazz-rock journey in 1969, when it was originally formed by trumpeter Ian Carr. They attracted a following after a successful performance at the Montreux International Festival in 1970, which led to the critical success of albums Elastic Rock and We'll Talk About It Later. The other members consisted of saxophonist Karl Jenkins, drummer John Marshall, and guitarist Chris Spedding. Spedding split after the first two albums, but the rest of the lineup lasted until 1972, when Jenkins and Marshall both left to join Soft Machine. Belladonna was the first album with only Carr, and although he enlisted the help of guitarist Allan Holdsworth, the band eventually became a solo venture for his music. They finally broke up in the mid-'80s after several Carr-only albums. © Bradley Torreano, allmusic.com

NUCLEUS BIO (WIKI)

Nucleus were a pioneering jazz-rock band from Britain who continued in different forms from 1969 to 1985. In their first year they won first prize at the Montreux Jazz Festival, released the album Elastic Rock, an essential creation in the crystallization of a new musical expression, Jazz fusion, and performed both at the Newport Jazz Festival and the Village Gate jazz club. They were led by Ian Carr, who had been in the Rendell-Carr Quintet during the mid and late 1960s, and was a respected figure in British jazz for more than 40 years. Their jazz-based music evolved from an early sound incorporating elements of progressive and psychedelic rock towards a funkier sound in the mid and late 1970s. Nucleus' first lineup was leader and trumpeter Ian Carr, keyboardist/oboist Karl Jenkins, saxophonist/flautist Brian Smith, guitarist Chris Spedding, bassist Jeff Clyne and drummer John Marshall. By their third album, the band had expanded to include trumpeters Kenny Wheeler and Harry Beckett, saxophonist Tony Roberts, bassist Ron Mathewson, percussionist Chris Karan and Keith Winter on VCS3 synthesizer. Dave MacRae joined soon after for several albums.Over the years the band has seen many members: Trumpet & flugelhorn: Ian Carr, Kenny Wheeler, Harry Beckett, , Chris Batchelor: Tenor sax, soprano sax, flute: Brian Smith, Bob Bertles, Phil Todd, Tim Whitehead: Clarinet, bass clarinet, tenor sax: Tony Roberts, Tony Coe: Baritone sax, oboe, piano, electric piano: Karl Jenkins: Piano and electric piano: Dave MacRae, Gordon Beck, Geoff Castle: Guitar: Chris Spedding, Allan Holdsworth, Jocelyn Pitchen, Ray Russell, Ken Shaw, Mark Wood: Bass guitar: Jeff Clyne, Ron Mathewson, Roy Babbington, Roger Sutton, Billy Kristian, Mo Foster, Dill Katz, Rob Statham Drums: John Marshall, Clive Thacker, Tony Levin, Bryan Spring, Roger Sellers Percussion: Chris Karan, Trevor Tomkins, Aureo de Souza, Richard Burgess, Chris Fletcher Synthesizer: Keith Winter, Paddy Kingsland, Geoff Castle, Neil Ardley Vocals: Norma Winstone, Joy Yates (Mrs. Dave MacRae), Kieran White Organ: John Taylor. In August 2005, a special one-off reincarnation of Nucleus, with old and new members, performed at London's Cargo venue, to an enthusiastic reception. This was followed on 30 March 2007 by a Nucleus Revisited concert at London's Pizza Express Jazz Club as part of a series of concerts to mark Jazzwise magazine's 10th anniversary. Nucleus Revisited featured, amongst others, Nucleus stalwarts, Geoff Castle, Mark Wood and Tim Whitehead and on trumpet, as at the 2005 Cargo concert, Chris Batchelor. Although Ian Carr did not play due to ill health, he was present at the concert and received a standing ovation from the ecstatic audience. Nucleus Revisited also appeared at Ronnie Scott's club in London on 4 August 2009 as part of their two week long Brit Jazz Fest. The double billing with Michael Garrick's Quartet drew an appreciative packed house.

Paul Carrack

Paul Carrack - It Ain't Over - 2003 - Carrack-UK

'It Ain't Over' is the stunning 2003 studio LP from ex-Mike + The Mechanics frontman Paul Carrack. Released on his own Carrack-UK label, the album features eleven previously unreleased tracks, including three collaborations with his former Squeeze band mate Chris Difford - including the first single to be released from the album, the wistful 'She Lived Down The Street'. With the exception of some string & horn arrangements, Paul produced & performed the entire album himself, playing everything from drums & bass to guitar & organ at his Hertfordshire home studio. © Carrack-UK.
If ever a guy deserved more it's Paul Carrack. Carrack has fronted some of the most symbolic pop/rock bands in the last 30 years, from Ace to Squeeze to Mike + the Mechanics. He's written brilliant songs -- "Tempted," "How Long" -- and issued brilliant solo records -- Suburban Voodoo -- but is still regarded as a journeyman, rather than as a star in his own right. That's just wrong. It Ain't Over is a case in point for Carrack's consistency and brilliance. This set of 11 new songs were all penned and played by Carrack himself, with the exception of horns and strings. From the gorgeous soul groove of "Nothing to Lose," to the laid-back, sultry hook in the title cut, to heartbreaking Stax-styled R&B of "Empty Space," to the dirty funk of "Never Too Late," Carrack showcases his amazing versatility and his taut, in-the-pocket style of writing. As a singer, he's one of the most disciplined around, and still he manages to get across the deeper, subtler emotions in a song. If there some kind of "Pop Justice," Carrack's It Ain't Over would be on every adult contemporary station in the States. But alas, Clear Channel's not exactly known for its vision, and other programmers seemingly have no place on their playlists for smart, sophisticated, sassy, classy pop music. © Thom Jurek, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/it-ain-t-over-rock-album

Baz "Vinyl man", said on amazon.co.uk, "Paul Carrack is undoubtedly one of the greatest underrated talents this country has ever produced. His list of credits is almost endless yet most people haven't a clue who he is. Best seen live - don't hesitate. He only plays in small venues and is constantly touring so you dont have to wait too long before he will be somewhere near. I must have seen him a dozen times in the last 6 ears or so and he never disapppoints. Fabulous voice, pianist, guitarist and song writer and all accompanied by some very decent musicians. If you like quality soul, pop and soft rock all mixed up Paul is your man". http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:72Qr_NAe7YcJ:www.amazon.co.uk/Old-Borrowed-Blue-Paul-Carrack/dp/B000WTNCVI+paul+carrack+groovin+credits&cd=12&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ie

That article says a lot about Paul Carrack. Not a household name, but one of the greatest British vocalists, songwriters, and musicians ever born. The guy is a legend. His name may be unfamiliar to many, but his great soulful voice is one of the most recognizable voices in the rock business. He has been a member of several bands including Warm Dust, Ace, Squeeze, Mike + The Mechanics, and Roxy Music, been a session and touring musician for several others, and has enjoyed success as a solo artist as well. His distinctive voice shows up on some of his affiliated bands' best-known hits, two of the most memorable being "How Long" with Ace, and "Tempted" with Squeeze. Will Paul ever be forgotten for writing Ace's "How Long"? As a result of this song much of Paul's later work has been largely overlooked. Even on some of Paul's "eightyish" AOR style albums, his great voice made some average songs listenable. On his later albums he abstained from the trendy, '80s style dance orientated pop sound, he was becoming accustomed to, and reverted to a more soulful, adult contemporary, pop soul sound, which is the real sound of Paul Carrack. The great vocalist has always been heavily influenced by '60s and '70s soul and pop music. "It Ain't Over" is another brilliant blue-eyed soul album from this great musician, and extraordinary vocalist. The 11 tracks here speak for themselves - wonderful, sophisticated soul pop, and VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Paul's "Suburban Voodoo" album can be found @ PAUCAR/SUBVOO Listen to his brilliant "I Know That Name" album. Search this blog for other releases

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. She Lived Down The Street - Chris Difford, Paul Carrack
2. Nothin' to Lose - Paul Carrack
3. It Ain't Over - Paul Carrack
4. Happy To See You Again - Paul Carrack
5. Where Did I Go Wrong ? - Paul Carrack
6. Empty Space - Chris Difford, Paul Carrack
7. One Small Step - B.A. Robertson, Paul Carrack
8. Forever - Paul Carrack
9. Never Too Late - Paul Carrack
10. Just A Little Lie - Charlie Dore, Paul Carrack
11. Ain't No Love - Paul Carrack

MUSICIANS

Paul Carrack (vocals, drums, guitar, bass, organ)
Steve Beighton (saxophone)
Edmund Collins (trumpet, flugelhorn)

BIO

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

Steve Gornall

Steve Gornall - Steppin' Out - 1997 - Golden Gate Records

Sideman for Bob Seger and Joe Cocker steps out on his own. From Detroit Michigan, blues guitarist Steve Gornall tears it up with some west coast heavies: Don Bassey: Bass, Kevin Hayes: Drums ( Robert Cray Band), Jimmy Pugh: Keyboards (Robert Cray Band, Chris Isaak), Jim Boggio: Accordion (Sonoma Swamp Dogs). The vocals wail, and the guitar soars as the band thunders through ten songs (eight new originals). This isn't "fall asleep in your beer" blues. No, this is "get on your feet and have a good time" rockin' blues! Awarded an Honorary Lifetime Membership by ther Detroit Blues Society © http://www.globerecords.com/cgi-bin/db/search.cgi?phrase=Steve+Gornall&specific=focus

Steve is originally from Detroit where he received an Honorary Lifetime Achievement Award from the Detroit Blues Society in 1992. He has played guitar for Bob Seger; and in 1996, he toured the USA as Joe Cocker's lead guitarist on the House of Blues Barnburner Tour. This is Steve's 2nd CD. It features Robert Cray's drummer and keyboard player (Kevin Hayes and Jimmy Pugh, respectively). Steve's long-time bass player, Don Bassey, lays down a nice heavy groove for Steve to play some amazing blues-guitar licks. There's some nice slide work on here as well! There are 10 originals and 2 covers on this recording. A good "Honest To God" blues rocker. Check out Steve Gornall & The Blue Collar Blues Band's s/t album

TRACKS

1 Vodka, Beer, Wine & Whiskey
2 Blue Monday
3 Who's Been Talking?
4 Howl, Wind, Howl
5 Highway 29
6 Steppin' Out
7 Good Woman Blues
8 Honk If You Have The Blues
9 Cajun BBQ
10 Seven Year Itch

All songs composed by Steve Gornall except "Who's Been Talking?" by Chester Burnette, and "Steppin' Out" by James Bracken

MUSICIANS

Steve Gornall - Guitar, Vocals
Don Bassey - Bass
Kevin Hayes - Drums [ Robert Cray Band]
Jimmy Pugh - Keyboards [ Robert Cray Band]
Jim Boggio - Accordion on "Cajun BBQ" [ Sonoma Swamp Dogs]

Reuben Wilson

Reuben Wilson - Movin' On - 2006 - Savant

A veteran of the '60s soul-jazz movement, Reuben Wilson sounds in fine form throughout this set which was recorded when he was 71-years-old. The music is reminiscent of the late '60s with catchy grooves, long vamps and some heated solos from Wilson, saxophonist Robert Chaseman and guitarist Grant Green Jr. (who occasionally scats). The mixture of basic originals and R&B covers works well and even if the program is not all that memorable, the good-time music will please fans of the idiom. © Scott Yanow © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wvfpxqldldhe

A classy album of soul-jazz funk. Even though the album was released in the mid 2000's, it's very much in the late '60's/early '70's acid jazz and soul funk style. "Movin' On" is as good as any urban contemporary music of the same genre. If you're into great B-3 playing, you'll like this album. Reuben Wilson may not be a household name, but he's a soul jazz great, and an organ maestro. This is timeless music, and it's great to hear this kind of sophisticated funk still being played today. "Movin' On" is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy his amazing "Azure Te" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Movin' On - Cunningham, J./C. Carson Parks 4:11
2 Slick Willie - Reuben Wilson 4:58
3 Waita Minute - Reuben Wilson 7:14
4 Miss Mansfield - Samuels, G. 5:12
5 Funk Farm - G.C. Green/Wilson, R. 7:03
6 Watch Me Fly - Reuben Wilson 4:26
7 Feel Free - Reuben Wilson 4:59
8 What You Won't Do for Love - Caldwell, R./Kettner, A. 4:13
9 Caught Up in the Rapture - Glenn, G./Quander, D. 4:43

MUSICIANS

Reuben Wilson - Organ (Hammond), Hammond B3
Grant Green, Jr. - Guitar
Wilbur Bascomb, Jr. - Bass
J.T. Lewis Jr, Shawnique Hill - Drums

BIO

Reuben Wilson was one of many soul-jazz organists to emerge in the late '60s, but he was one of only a handful of new organists from that era to be signed to Blue Note. By that point in the label's history, most of their artists were concentrating on accessible soul-jazz, and while he occasionally strayed outside of the conventions of the genre, Wilson more or less followed their rule. Between 1968 and 1971, he recorded five sessions for the label. None of his records received much acknowledgment at the time, but they were later rediscovered by a new generation of soul-jazz fans, becoming collector's items within acid jazz and soul-jazz revivalist circles. Wilson began performing professionally in 1962. A native of Mounds, OK, he moved to Pasadena, CA, as a child, where he attended school with such future jazz musicians as Bobby Hutcherson and Herb Lewis. As a teenager, Wilson began to teach himself to play piano, but his attention was diverted by boxing. When he was 17, he moved to Los Angeles and married a nightclub singer, through whom he met a number of professional musicians. Associating with musicians conviced Wilson to return to music. Instead of pursuing the piano, he decided to take up the organ, and it wasn't long before he became a regular at the Caribbean club, where he played with drummer Eddie Williams, guitarist George Freeman, and, eventually, Clifford Scott. He played the L.A. circuit for several years before deciding to try his luck in Las Vegas. That venture proved unsuccessful, so he moved back to L.A., where he struck up a friendship with Richard "Groove" Holmes, an organist who would greatly influence his own style. In December 1966, Wilson relocated to New York, where he formed the soul-jazz trio the Wildare Express with drummer Tommy Derrick. The Wildare Express lasted about six months, playing venues throughout the East Coast and Detroit, and then Wilson decided to concentrate on more complex variations of hard bop and soul-jazz. Eventually, such respected musicians as Grant Green, Roy Haynes, and Sam Rivers began playing with Wilson. Around the same time, Blue Note offered the organist a contract based on a demo he had sent the label. On Broadway, Wilson's first album for Blue Note, was a quartet session featuring his old bandmate Derrick and was recorded in October of 1968. It was followed in March of 1969 by Love Bug, which featured contributions from trumpeter Lee Morgan and guitarist Grant Green. His third album, Blue Mode, was cut in December 1969 and offered some of his hottest playing. With his fourth album, 1970's A Groovy Situation, Wilson moved in a commercial direction, much like many of his Blue Note peers. In July of 1971, he recorded Set Us Free, his final album for the label. Wilson's contract with Blue Note expired after Set Us Free and he moved to Groove Merchant, where he released three albums — Cisco Kid, Bad Stuff, and The Sweet Life — during the mid-'70s. Throughout the decade, he also played on sessions by funk, soul, and jazz artists, including a record by the Fatback Band. During the late '70s, he recorded sporadically, eventually retiring from music in the early '80s. By the late '80s, Wilson's music had been rediscovered by a new generation, listeners who didn't dismiss his records as commercial fluff. Like several of his peers, his late-'60s and '70s records, through sampling, became cornerstones in the newly emerging acid jazz and jazz-rap genres. Soon, his out of print records became collector's items, and his sampled licks were appearing on dancefloors throughout England and parts of New York. Eventually, samples of his records were included on hit albums by A Tribe Called Quest, Us3, Brand New Heavies, and Nas. In light of all this new attention, Wilson decided to return to performing, and he toured with Guru's Jazzamatazz revue in 1995. He also began writing new material and performing in new groups, including combos he led himself. In 1996, he signed to Hip Bop and released two albums, Live at SOB's and Organ Donor. The following year, he recorded Organic Grooves with Dr. Lonnie Smith and Doug Carn. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:w9foxql5ldte~T1

D.F.A

D.F.A. - 4th - 2008 - Moonjune Records

4.5 stars "..too fabulous to describe...so thoroughly composed...4th's shortcomings seem so slight that one is inclined to greet the album with unabashed enthusiasm. For anyone waiting past 30+ years for a worthy successor to [Hatfield & The North's] The Rotters' Club, here it is! Long live Canterbury, Italy!" – Dave Lynch, All Music Guide/Billboard.com

"D.F.A.'s reputation as one of the best of the new breed of progressive/fusion groups remains intact." – John Kelman, AllAboutJazz.com

"Definitely a 2008 top 10 candidate. Highest recommendation!" – Laser's Edge, USA

"D.F.A. has reached the enviable artistic maturity." – Vincenzo Giorgio, contributor to Musica Jazz Magazine & WS Magazine, Italy

"Explosive!" – Progpulsion, France

"Spectacular" – Tom Gagliardi, Gagliarchives Z88.9 Radio, USA

"Believe me You want this! Highly recommended" – Wayside Music, USA

(15 out of 16 stars) "Masterful musciians... D.F.A.'s music brims with Rhythmic crosscurrents, varying textures, dynamic ebb and flow and absolutely monstruous chops. There's also a cool melodic sensibility in play throighout, if not deliberately structured melodies, per se. " – Progression Magazine, USA

A blend of 70s Canterbury Rock, Focus, Magma, classical piano, and jazz rock fusion. The album is composed of epic, mainly largely instrumental compositions played with amazing skill. Try and listen to D.F.A's great "Duty Free Area" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Baltasaurus (DeGrandis / Bonomi) (14:19)
2 Flying Trip (DeGrandis) (7:51)
3 Vietatao Generalizzare (Bonomi/ DeGrandis) (6:40)
4 Mosog Runa (Bonomi/ DeGrandis) (18:57)
5 The Mirror (DeGrandis) (10:16)
6 La Ballata de S'Isposa 'e Mannori (Nulchis / DeGrandis; lyrics traditional) (6:16)

MUSICIANS

Silvio Minella - electric guitars
Luca Baldassari - bass guitar
Alberto Bonomi - Hammond A-100 organ with Leslie 760, Fender Rhodes piano
Alberto De Grandis - drums, percussion, vocals on 5
Steinway acoustic piano, synths, flute
Andhira vocals on 6: Elena Nulchis, Cristina Lanzi, Egidiana Carta
Zoltan Szabo cello on 4 & 6
Maria Vicentini violin & viola on 4 & 6

ALBUM PROFILE

It's been just one year short of a decade since D.F.A.'s second studio album, 1999's critically acclaimed Duty Free Area. Although two additional releases have seen the light of day in the interim - Work In Progress Live, documenting their performance at NEARfest 2000, and Kaleidoscope, an anthology of their first two albums with bonus live material - none contained any new music. So what happened ? Well, membership of a leading progressive rock band is hardly a full-time job these days, and our lads were simply getting on with their "real" lives - families, jobs and the like... So music took a back seat for a while, gigs became less frequent (which they never really were anyway), and it took much longer than planned for them to get to the point where making a new studio album seemed a realistic prospect. Listening to the results now, the impressive amount of musical substance on offer speaks for itself, and more than makes up for the seemingly endless wait. Most of the album is D.F.A. as we know and love them, with their sonic and stylistic trademarks fully intact - the warm analog sounds, the impressive interplay, with guitar (Silvio Minella) and keyboards (Alberto Bonomi) trading or sharing leads over an ever-shifting rhythmic foundation (Luca Baldassari and Alberto De Grandis), and the unmistakably "Latin" extroversion and exuberance. Anyone who liked the band's first two albums will welcome 4th as a worthy successor. In several ways it is even superior - there is more subtlety, restraint and nuance in the instrumental performance, which allows the epic, largely instrumental compositions to unfold naturally and organically, as if created on the spur of the moment. This is saying a lot about D.F.A.'s almost telepathic interplay, as very little of their music is actually improvised. Although it may display strong similarities to 1970s jazz-fusion at times, it ultimately owes more to the (often maligned) tradition of progressive rock, with its heavily structured compositions characterised by a constant turnover of thematic content. It should be noted that D.F.A.'s main composer is drummer De Grandis - ably assisted by Bonomi -, and he is no exception to the rule that drummers usually have an excellent orchestral feel. The way the opening track, "Baltasaurus", slowly but surely builds up to jamming frenzy from its rather minimalist starting point, is a textbook example of how to structure a group performance. Another example of the band's maturity is "Vietato Generalizzare", which balances passages as intricate as the infamous "Trip On Metro" (from DFA's debut Lavori In Corso) with welcome contrasting, quieter sections. In true "progressive" tradition, there are also moments on the album that depart more radically from the established D.F.A. "formula". The piano- and strings-based intro and outro bookending "Mosoq Runa" mark an unprecedented foray into pure classical music. More importantly, "La Ballata de 's'Isposa e Mannorri", a collaboration with the Sardinian vocal trio Andhira, in an oustanding achievement. If anything, it shows that the human voice can be integrated satisfactorily into the D.F.A.'s music - which has long been a moot point despite the best efforts of Alberto De Grandis and assorted guest vocalists - and suggests exciting new developments for the future. In any case, D.F.A.'s new album is an unmitigated success which not only re-establishes the Italian quartet as a musical force to be reckoned with, but is also certain to be acclaimed as one of the best progressive rock releases of 2008, quite possibly the best - but the competition remains open, of course. © Aymeric Leroy http://www.moonjune.com/MJR021-N.htm#alb

ARTIST PROFILE

With two critically-acclaimed albums - now reissued as one double-CD package with bonus live material - under their belts, D.F.A.have proven themselves one of Italy's leading lights in the new generation of progressive rock bands that appeared in the wake of the genre's 1990s revival. With fifteen years of experience and live appearances across the globe, they are now ready to confirm their status with their highly anticipated third studio effort. Formed in Verona during 1991 around Alberto De Grandis, drummer, occasional vocalist and main composer, and bassist Luca Baldassari, D.F.A.was initially an instrumental keyboard-led trio, a formula that evolved over the years, first with the arrival of guitarist Silvio Minella in 1993, and two years later with the introduction of vocal parts in the compositions, following the release of a demo tape entitled Trip On Metro. Later in 1995, Alberto Bonomi replaced the original keyboard player and D.F.A.found its definitive shape. Bonomi was soon to become an essential creative force in the band alongside De Grandis, co-writing most of the material with him. The new quartet made its live debut in January 1996, and soon afterwards embarked on the recording of their first proper album. Alberto Piras, the frontman of fellow Italian proggers Deus Ex Machina, had heard the demo tape, and offered to produce the album for his own label, Scolopendra. By 1996 Lavori In Corso ("works in progress") was ready, and was soon greeted by many favourable reviews. A staff writer for the respected US new music publication Exposé called the album "an absolute masterpiece of complex progressive rock". The high level of musicianship and the attention to detail in the compositions and arrangements - which drew comparisons with luminaries such as Gentle Giant, National Health, Gong, Banco or Weather Report - helped to make Lavori In Corso a natural candidate for a lot of "Best Of '97" lists among fans of the genre. During the following months,D.F.A.'s profile as a live band increased, supporting the likes of Italian veterans Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso and Le Orme. Meanwhile, work started on new material, and by June 1999 the quartet was finally back in the studio to record the eagerly-awaited follow-up to Lavori In Corso, which saw the light of day the following October on Italian Mellow Records - its title, Duty Free Area, finally revealing what the three letters stood for. "We liked the idea of an area free from all constraints", explained Bonomi, "where we can play what we feel". With their second work,D.F.A.broadened their musical palette with new sounds, especially in the keyboard department (occasionally bringing to mind Ozric Tentacles), and further perfected their craftmanship, both as composers and players. Critics unanimously acclaimed Duty Free Area as a major progression from the already excellent Lavori In Corso, particularly in terms of melodic accessibility and overall coherence of the often fiendishly complex epic compositions masterminded by De Grandis and Bonomi. Another significant improvement on Lavori In Corso was to be found in the vocals, arguably not D.F.A.'s forte. A larger percentage of the music was instrumental (showcasing the breathtaking interplay between Minella's guitar and Bonomi's keyboards), the one track sung by De Grandis (with backing by Bonomi) was ideally suited to his range, and the other two pieces with vocals used guests - Alberto Piras and female singer Giorgia Gallo. All in all, Duty Free Area could be called a success in all departments : little could be improved upon. D.F.A.'s watershed appearance at NEARfest in June 2000 was documented on a best-selling live CD, brining together the best of both albums and proving that the band was able to "pull it off" on stage like the best of them ! Invitations to other foreign festivals and venues duly followed, in France, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, USA and Italy. Meanwhile,D.F.A.started work on their next album, aiming at breaking away from existing musical categories (such as progrock, jazz-rock, etc.) and further establishing the unique D.F.A.identity. This long process is now over, and D.F.A. is expected to follow it with festival appearances and concerts in the next few years, worldwide, supplyuing as their best a well deserved demand. © Aymeric Leroy http://www.moonjune.com/MJR021-N.htm#alb

Steve Hillage Band

Steve Hillage Band - Live At The Gong Unconvention - 2009 - G-Wave

In November 2006, the great Canterbury Rock guitarist and vocalist, Steve Hillage re-formed the Steve Hillage Band and made an unexpected return to the Gong fold when he and Miquette Giraudy played at the Gong Unconventional fan gathering at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, Holland. The musicians played material from the 70's albums - mainly from "Fish Rising", which was itself essentially Hillage using most of the rest of the Gong band as his own), as System 7, Hillage and Giraudy's current set up, and also as members of Gong. This album has also been released on CD and DVD with various track listings, bonus tracks, etc. Check out Steve Hillage's great "Fish Rising" album, and search this blog for Gong related albums

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Hello Dawn - Miquette Giraudy/Steve Hillage
2. It's All Too Much - George Harrison
3. AftaGlid Part 1 - Miquette Giraudy/Steve Hillage
4. AftaGlid Part 2 - Miquette Giraudy/Steve Hillage
5. AftaGlid Part 3 - The Golden Vibe - Miquette Giraudy/Steve Hillage
6. Solar Musick Suite Part 1 - Miquette Giraudy/Steve Hillage
7. Solar Musick Suite Part 2 - The Dervish Riff - Miquette Giraudy/Steve Hillage
8. The Salmon Song - Miquette Giraudy/Steve Hillage
9. These Uncharted Lands - Miquette Giraudy/Steve Hillage

MUSICIANS

Steve Hillage - Guitar, Vocals
Mike Howlett, Paul Francis - Bass
Miquette Giraudy - Synthesizer, Vocals
Basil Brooks, Tim Blake - Synthesizer
Chris Taylor, Andy Anderson - Drums
Didier Malherbe - Saxophone
Daevid Allen - Vocals

BIO

A guitarist who first found fame in the progressive rock era only to later resurface as an ambient techno cult hero, Steve Hillage was born August 2, 1951. In 1967 he co-founded the group Uriel with bassist Mont Campbell, organist Dave Stewart, and drummer Clive Brooks; the unit subsequently continued on as the trio Egg upon Hillage's 1968 departure for university. He did not return to music for another three years, reuniting with Stewart in 1971 in Khan, which recorded the 1972 prog rock effort Space Shanty before soon splitting. After touring in support of Kevin Ayers, Hillage joined Gong, winning acclaim for his echo- and delay-heavy brand of guitar work over the course of the group's 1972-1975 "Radio Gnome Invisible" trilogy (consisting of the LPs Flying Teapot, Angel's Egg, and You). In 1975 Hillage went solo with the album Fish Rising, the first fruits of a longstanding writing partnership with keyboardist Miquette Giraudy. He next traveled to New York to cut 1976's L, produced by Todd Rundgren and featuring guest appearances from Utopia as well as jazz great Don Cherry. At the peak of the punk era, Hillage's work was by no means fashionable, but he pressed on regardless; in 1977 he issued Motivation Radio, an album recorded with Malcolm Cecil (the creator of an influential early electronic project, the studio-synthesizer T.O.N.T.O.). He subsequently issued 1978's Green, 1979's Rainbow Dome Musick (an early ambient outing) and Open, and 1983's For to Next/And Not Or, but as interest in his music continued to dwindle, Hillage turned to production, helming records for the likes of Robyn Hitchcock and Simple Minds. By the close of the 1980s, Hillage had largely disappeared from music; however, in 1989 he was visiting the ambient room of a local club when, much to his surprise, his own Rainbow Dome Musick began to play. He introduced himself to the DJ, one Alex Paterson, and soon Hillage was working with Paterson's seminal group the Orb; out of their collaboration grew a new Hillage-Giraudy project, System 7, a dance collective also comprised of club luminaries including Paterson and fellow DJ Paul Oakenfold. After debuting with an eponymously titled 1991 LP, System 7 plunged completely into blissed-out ambient sound on 1993's 777, which reached the Top 40 on the U.K. album charts. Released in 1994, Point 3 appeared in two different versions: the first, The Fire Album, offered heavy beats and rhythms, while The Water Album featured drumless mixes of the same music. With 1996's Power of Seven, System 7 turned to Detroit techno, recruiting the services of mixers Carl Craig and Derrick May. The group continued to release studio albums for many years to follow, including Golden Section (1997), Seventh Wave (2001), Encantado (2004), and Phoenix (2008). Hillage also reunited with Gong on the album 2032, released in September of 2009. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifixqe5ld0e~T1

Liz Melendez Band

Liz Melendez Band - Sweet Southern Soul - 2005 - King Mojo

Getting burnt out from listening to the blues is easy. And, after retreating to that cave for so long, a musical detour is needed. Once achieved, the listener's perspective is fresher. Fitting when listening to Sweet Southern Soul from the Liz Melendez Band. This Atlanta native's musical formula is a conjuration of the classic 70's rock era. The roots are from the past only with a different tree. If you came of age during the 70's, then you can grasp this concept. Liz has the blues chops to work in studio and live settings. Melendez can brew a cauldron of riff rock that salutes its forefathers. Title track "Sweet Southern Soul" is classic FM radio and opens the floodgates for 70's styled rockers and ballads. Tracing her New Mexican heritage gives "Justice County" an autobiographical flavor while planting the seeds of a newer kind of southern rock. Hard riffage isn't everything. Liz can handle many forks in the road. Her electric trio can embrace ballads like "Drink From My Cup" and kiss gospel comfortably in the guitar/keyboard driven "Third Degree". The tribal rhythmic beat of "Battle Cry" is the
closest thing to feeling a Native America at war. The only blues to be found is in "Do My Thing." Reconnecting with the past can be a good thing. Sweet Southern Soul is the mirror of a
looking glass from a bygone era where music triumphed over image and was not eaten by corporate machines. Liz Melendez uses these songs to tell stories and not be showpieces for over-the-top guitar playing. Once you have this sustenance, the circle is complete. © Gary Weeks - Southwest Blues CD Review - May 2005

Liz Melendez has been referred to as "the female Stevie Ray Vaughan". Most guitarists will never achieve that level of greatness, but is great to have ambition, and Albuquerquean, Liz Melendez has plenty of that. She, herself has said "It is my goal to become one of the most successful woman performers in the business." Her vocal and guitar skills are, without doubt good enough to send this great blues lady a long way. Liz penned all the songs on "Sweet Southern Soul", and it really is a quality album, and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Do Liz Melendez and yourself a favour and promote this lady. Try and listen to Liz's "Mercy" album, and you can buy her terrific "Liz Melendez LIVE" album through http://www.lizmelendezband.com/STORE.htm

TRACKS

Sweet Southern Soul
No More Love
Drink from My Cup
Again and Again
Caza De El Niño
Justice County
Do My Thing
Sacrifice
Third Degree
Battle Cry (Rhythm of Suffering)

All songs composed by Liz Melendez

MUSICIANS

Liz Melendez (Guitar, Vocals)
Jimmy Byrd (Guitar Solo on "Do My Thing"
Lex Luther (Bass)
Joey Huffman (Keyboards)
Joanie Ferguson (Percussion), (Drums)
Diane Durrett (Vocals Background)

REVIEWS

Liz's previous CD, Mercy, was reviewed in issue 6, here we have her new one and how she has grown - the sound is fuller and the voice stronger! This is one fine album, if you like the rocky side then here is a lady for you. The title track is catchy and the voice soulful. No More Love has a building intro to power level and lift off! Like warming up your car then taking off on a hard drive. Drink From My Cup is Liz in ballad form, neat organ here and electro acoustic plays neatly, Caza De El Nino is a short instrumental, Justice County lifts to an emotional climax then fades, Do My Thing has a good groove, Battle Cry Rhythm has an interesting start and climactic tribal sense about it, eerie but hooks you in. What a great album! © BLUES MATTERS MAGAZINE - UK

I have a friend who once told a young Alison Krauss that she was a terrific fiddle player. And then, for some reason, he added, "I mean, for a girl..." Alison walked away in disgust and my friend felt really, really stupid. He meant it as a compliment, but it came out all wrong. The fact is, string-instrument virtuosity is still a primarily male trait; women, by nature or nurture or just plain old male chauvinism, whether in bluegrass or blues, tend to get confined to rhythm playing. Liz Melendez, an Atlanta-based blues singer and guitarist, probably hears things like that all the time. Because while her throaty vocals and sharp, moody songwriting would be enough to distinguish her, she really can play the hell out of an electric guitar. Even more than her few female blues-guitar peers, Melendez combines grinding passion with fiery precision. The most obvious influence on her playing is Stevie Ray Vaughn, and it's a mantle she carries ably (she also carries off some muy convincing Santana-flavored Latin playing). She and her band treated Knoxvillians to a reportedly storming show on New Year's Eve at Sassy Ann's, and now she's back for a double header. From 5-8 p.m., Melendez is the feature of the week at the Knoxville Museum of Art's "Alive After Five" series. Then, from 9 p.m.-1 a.m., she'll be back at Sassy Ann's. Catch her at one or both stops. She rocks and swaggers and moans and sizzles as well as any current blues player-of any gender. MetroPulse-Knoxville, TN Review © Jesse Fox Mayshark

ALBUM NOTES

Her guitar playing has been compared to everyone from Carlos Santana to Stevie Ray Vaughan and her voice has been compared to everyone from Bonnie Raitt to Janis Joplin. Considered by many to be one of the top lead guitarists in the country, Liz Melendez is quickly becoming one of the most exciting new artists on the musical horizon. To her fans and professionals in the industry, she is a rare talent: a prolific songwriter, powerful vocalist, and super dynamic performer. Melendez has garnered a sizeable following touring the southeast and beyond. She has headlined major festivals such as Riverbend Music Festival's Bessie Smith Strut in Chattanooga (the only female headliner in Riverbend history besides Koko Taylor), and co-headlined major festivals such as the Cape Fear Blues Festival in Wilmington, N.C. and the Blues 2003 Festival in New York and been invited to open for artists like the Nappy Roots. She has performed on stage with such notables as Bob Margolin, Henry Butler, Francine Reed, E.G. Kight,Hubert Sumlin, Chris Duarte and Candye Kane. Born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Liz was taught and heavily influenced by her father Dan Melendez. She began playing guitar at 5 with her father teaching her rock and roll and blues standards. "He taught me the fundamentals and what it meant to be a good musician." That combined with the unconditional support of her mother she says. "I can honestly say that everything I know and everything I've become I owe to being blessed with great parents." "She rocks and swaggers and moans and sizzles as well as any current player-of any gender. " - Jesse Fox Mayshark, MetroPulse, Knoxville, TN. Sweet Southern Soul, the new 10-song, all-original release from Atlanta blues rocker, Liz Melendez, interlaces her southwestern roots, her southern rock influences, and the great blues infused album rock of the 1970s that inspired her to pick up the guitar all tightly wrapped in an edgy and contemporary package. In contrast to her first release Mercy, which was a great showcase for her song writing and guitar chops, Sweet Southern Soul focuses more on using songs to tell a story. The cover inscription reads, "Estas Canciones Son La Historia de Mi Vida. (These songs are the story of my life)." Songs such as Justice County are inspired by her New Mexico outlaw heritage (her great great grandfather was a member of Billy the Kid's gang and fought in the legendary Lincoln County wars) written in true southern rock, outlaw anthem style while tracks like Battle Cry (The Rhythm of Suffering) infuse the pueblo indian drumming she heard as a child with the modern electric blues she loves today. More edgy tracks like No More Love and the title track Sweet Southern Soul will take listeners back to the time before lip-synch tracks and drum machines, when great blues rock powerhouse groups ruled the earth, while fan favorites like the delicate Drink from My Cup, the upbeat Again and Again, and the gospel juiced Third Degree round out the album making it a must have for LMB fans and rock and roll music lovers alike. © http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/lizmelendez2#

BIO

The name Liz Melendez is becoming synonymous with great guitar across the globe. While her lead and rhythm guitar prowess alone puts her far ahead of her contemporaries, the strength of her vocal ability and her skills as a songwriter make Liz a genuinely unique and powerful artist. Her dynamic live performances thrill audiences as she effortlessly demonstrates her versatility, often paying homage to her influences as a highlight to her own clearly defined lead guitar and vocal style. After arriving on the music scene as a solo artist a few years ago, Liz has established herself as one of the most exciting and promising new artists on the music horizon. Born and raised in the South Valley of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Liz moved to Atlanta in the late 1990s to continue her burgeoning music career as a formidable guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and performer. While she prides herself on the strengths of her lead and rhythm guitar proficiency in almost any genre, she is most often compared to Stevie Ray Vaughan and she does a full Stevie Ray Vaughan Tribute show about every 2 months to pay homage to the man who changed modern blues guitar forever. As an independent recording and performing artist she has proven to be a passionate and driven individual; writing, arranging and producing her own releases and is an uncompromising advocate for her artistic creations and performing career. With three CD releases now to her credit, Liz's talent as a songwriter has not gone unnoticed. Both CDs have been praised for the quality and substance of the guitar work and songwriting and nearly every track on Mercy and Sweet Southern Soul quickly became fan favorites receiving accolades in publications worldwide and receiving airplay on several radio stations across the globe. Known far and wide as an intensely dynamic performer, Melendez has garnered a sizable following touring the southeast and beyond. She has headlined major festivals such as Riverbend Music Festival's Bessie Smith Strut in Chattanooga (the only female headliner in Riverbend history besides Koko Taylor), and co-headlined major festivals such as the Cape Fear Blues Festival in Wilmington, N.C. and the Blues 2003 Festival in New York and been invited to open for artists like the Nappy Roots. She has performed on stage with such notables as Bob Margolin, Henry Butler, Francine Reed, Hubert Sumlin, E.G. Kight, Chris Duarte and Candye Kane.

The 70s at 120 Decibels

Growing up, Liz was taught and heavily influenced by her father Dan Melendez, who, she admits proudly in the liner notes of her most recent CD, "lovingly blasted at deafening volume the great album rock and blues of the 70s during her tender formative years." Liz dedicates all of her musical pursuits to her dad who passed away shortly after the release of Liz's first CD Mercy in 2001. At age 5, she heard the guitar intro to Freddie King's I Wonder Why and her fascination with the electric guitar began. Her father started teaching her rock and roll and blues standards like Johnny B. Goode and Hideaway and challenged her early on to learn Bill Doggett's Honky Tonk. While much of what he taught her seemed to make no sense, he assured her as if he could see into her future, "This will all mean something very important to you someday." And he was right. By the time Liz had discovered the rockin' Brit-blues of Led Zeppelin, the harder rock of bands like Black Sabbath, the out-of-body Latin rock of Santana, and the life-changing Texas shredding of then new-comer Stevie Ray Vaughan, she found that learning their songs came very naturally as her father had equipped her with the tools she needed to tackle just about any style of music. Much of the earliest techniques and guitar fundamentals Liz learned from her father can still be heard in her music to this day. "Probably more important to me than the guitar methods themselves," she emphasizes, "my father taught me the fundamentals of what it meant to be a great musician. He was an exceedingly intellectual man and he drove home his philosophy that becoming a great rhythm guitarist was an essential part of being a great lead guitarist and that the importance of learning to be a good support player as part of an ensemble was paramount in my pursuit of becoming a great musician." Her father's support and wisdom are the basis for much of Liz's conviction. "He always told me 'Liz, never be afraid to get on stage with anyone. Don't ever be intimidated. You can hang with anybody out there.' He was always saying things like that." she remembers. "One afternoon he was listening to me practice in the next room. I don't remember what I was playing, but it was probably loud and wild. After a minute he came in and said matter-of-factly, 'Liz, you are going to be one of the best guitar players on the planet someday.' It was a very powerful thing to say not because I think I am one of the best or that I think I will be one of the best but because when he said it I knew I didn't have to be it, I just had to believe it." Liz says the guidance and support of her father combined with the unconditional support of her mother has been the key. "My mother has to be the hippest and most enlightened, intelligent and tolerant person I know. She put up with all my early band practices, endured some of the loudest music known to man, and my late-night tests of the Ampeg V4's maximum volume. She has always supported and encouraged my music and is always the voice of reason when things go topsy-turvy on me in my music business endeavors. I could not have survived the challenging life of a music artist without her support and counsel. I can honestly say that everything I know and everything I've become I owe to being blessed with great parents." http://www.lizmelendezband.com/BIO.htm

Offstage

While she focuses much of her time on her musical pursuits, Liz has vastly varying talents and interests. She is an accomplished writer and graphic artist, designing her own web site, CD covers, logos and promotional materials as well as designing web sites and CD covers for only her closest musical friends such as Atlanta folk legend Caroline Aiken and blues diva Diane Durrett. Liz is also an avid golfer whose game, while impressive, is perpetually in varying states of struggle. © http://www.lizmelendezband.com/BIO.htm

Kim Simmonds

Kim Simmonds - Blues Like Midnight - 2001 - Blue Wave

Savoy Brown's founding leader unplugs once again for his second solo outing. Considering that his band has released some lackluster, highly derivative, and plain plodding boogie material, especially in the '80s and '90s, this subtle set is remarkably affecting in its low-key, moody intensity. Simmonds doesn't have a great voice, but it works well in this stripped-down setting dominated by originals that sound like classic covers. A nearly eight-minute version of Jimmie Rodgers' title track is the album's centerpiece, yet the entire disc is an emotionally stirring showcase for a style of music seldom associated with the traditionally spotlight-stealing leads of Simmonds' electric blues band. Piedmont, folk, and Delta approaches are all evident, with an Indian feel heightened by simmering congas on the appropriately titled instrumental "Rag Ah." Drums and bass make an appearance on two tunes, one a cover of J.J. Cale's "Hold on Baby" that takes the already greasy song into the Mississippi swamps. The closing "Blues for Lonesome" instrumental (the entire CD is dedicated to his old bandmate and later Foghat founder Lonesome Dave Peverett) shows Simmonds' exceptional slide prowess and is a touching coda to an extraordinarily moving and introspective acoustic blues album. It proves that Kim Simmonds is talented enough to be in the top ranks of '60s British blues guitar legends, a category where he's often considered an also-ran. © Hal Horowitz, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/blues-like-midnight

The brilliant blues guitarist from Savoy Brown plays an unplugged set of 13 songs covering many blues styles. Kim penned 11 of the tracks, and the album sounds like it was recorded 50 years ago. This is the real authentic blues deal played with passion and style by one of Britains most underrated blues guitarists. Check out Kim's "Struck By Lightning" album @ KIMSIM/SBL and search this blog for Savoy Brown releases

TRACKS

Cry Before She Goes
Morning Light
Tell the World
Move to a Country Town
Hold on Baby
My Woman Blues
Rag Ah
Sometimes You Gamble
Long Ways from Heaven
Blues Like Midnight
Baby Says She's Leaving
Crying the Blues All Night
Blues for Lonesome

MUSICIANS

Kim Simmonds (vocals, acoustic guitar)
Dave Malachowski (guitar)
Pat DeSalvo (bass)
Bob Hall (piano)
Garnet Grimm (drums)
Dave DeSiro (percussion)
Dan Atkins (mandolin)
Kevin Curry (violin)

All songs composed by Kim Simmonds, except "Hold on Baby" by J.J Cale, and "Blues Like Midnight" by Jimmy Rogers

BIO

Kim Simmonds, born in Newbridge, Wales, in 1947, is considered a legendary blues guitarist by almost any musical standard. He has even been called one of the founding fathers of British blues by some. Besides his mastery with the guitar, he can hold his own with vocals, piano, harmonica, and even Dobro. The strength of his talent and his willingness to hang tough when weaker men would toss in the towel have carried him through more than three decades in the survive-if-you-can music business. Thanks to an older brother, Simmonds heard plenty of music when he was growing up. He favored everything from the Beatles to James Brown. In 1966, when Simmonds was still in his teens, he formed a rock and blues group called Savoy Brown. Other members were bassist Ray Chappell, keyboardist Bob Hall, singer Bruce Portius, drummer Leo Manning, and guitarist Martin Stone. The band got its start performing in small pubs throughout London. In a year's time there was a Savoy Brown debut album, Shake Down. The list of members changed often around Simmonds, but he persisted, and the group released album after album. In 1995 the PolyGram Records label put together a two-piece box set of many of the recordings, titled simply Savoy Brown. Taking a chance at a solo career, Simmonds recorded a debut solo offering, appropriately called Solitaire. It was released in 1997 by Blue Wave Records. Some of the acoustic blues numbers that fans can sample on this release are "I Keep Calling My Baby," "Bad Morning," "Depression Blues," and "Blues Vibration." Blues Like Midnight followed in spring 2001. © Charlotte Dillon, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/kim-simmonds

MORE ABOUT KIM SIMMONDS

For over 30 years Kim Simmonds has been synonymous with 'legendary British blues guitar', being mentioned in the same breath as Eric Clapton, Peter Green and Mick Taylor in the hierarchy of England's best guitar slingers from the 60s golden era of British blues. Kim started his career in London, England in 1966 by forming the group Savoy Brown and has since enjoyed international fame. He's been featured on the front cover of Guitar Magazine, made over 3 dozen records and performed around the world. He has an international fan club based in Wales and a web site at www.savoybrown.com. Kim's records with Savoy Brown (many produced by himself) have sold millions, with albums such as Looking In and Hellbound Train reaching the Billboard Top 40 charts. Many of his songs have been covered by such diverse artists as Rare Earth, Hugo Montenegro and Great White. In 1995, a two CD boxed set, The Savoy Brown Collection released by Polygram Records, chronicled his and the band's astonishing career. As a solo artist and in the acoustic field Kim has released three CDs - Savoy Brown's 1986 Slow Train, his own 1997 Solitaire, and the 2001 release Blues Like Midnight. Born in Wales in 1947 and playing the pubs of London with Savoy Brown at the very tender age of 18, Kim Simmonds recorded albums that helped start the 60s blues boom. While others have strayed from their roots, Simmonds has stayed the course .... a true journeyman and road warrior, who's comfortably settled into an elder statesman role at the same time as burning up the fretboard on the concert stage while remaining at the top of his game. © The British Blues All Stars 2004, www.thebritishbluesallstars.co.uk/kim_simmonds.htm

John Hiatt

John Hiatt - Live at the Hiatt - 2006 - Fontana/Hip-O Select

According to the liner notes to Live at the Hiatt, this disc (recorded during a 1993 date in London) was previously released as a promo-only item preserving "what was considered one of the great John Hiatt concerts," which in time was "fetching a hefty price online." After hearing the album, it's a little hard to say why; there's no arguing that Hiatt and his band the Guilty Dogs (Michael Ward on guitar, Davey Faragher on bass and Michael Urbano on drums) are in good form on these ten tunes, and that Hiatt sings with his typically impressive degree of raw passion and proves to be a fine rock & roll frontman, one of his less widely acknowledged talents. However, this gig doesn't sound all that different than the one that appeared on the official 1994 live release Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan?, recorded during the same tour with the same band, and another Guilty Dogs gig of similar vintage recorded for the TV series Austin City Limits has recently found its way to CD as Live from Austin, TX. And while it's fun at first to hear Hiatt talk about "the Stewardess Dance" on "Child of the Wild Blue Yonder," without being able to see it, it's pretty "huh?" inducing. Once upon a time, when John Hiatt live discs were a rare thing, Live at the Hiatt might have been something worth digging deep into the crates to find, but while it documents a gifted artist having a great night on-stage, the ready availability of two similar albums makes this seem a lot less essential, though completists won't be disappointed with Hiatt's performance. © Mark Deming © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wxfexqqrldhe

Recorded at the Forum, London, England in October 1993, with his band, Guilty Dogs, this album was originally only available as a 10 track promotional album on A&M Records. A great concert which demonstrates why John Hiatt is such a great singer/songwriter, as well as being one of the world's greatest but underrated folk blues artists. John has had his songs covered by dozens of great artists like Three Dog Night, Bob Dylan, Willy DeVille, Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, B.B. King, Joan Baez, Buddy Guy, Iggy Pop, Emmylou Harris, Nick Lowe, and The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. And yet, like so many other great artists, his own albums, have not always received the acclamation they deserve. In fact, his name is still unknown to many music fans. "Live at the Hiatt" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out John's "Crossing Muddy Waters" album @ JHIATT/CMW and try and listen to his exceptional "Riding with the King", and "Slow Turning" albums

TRACKS

1 Through Your Hands
2 Child of the Wild Blue Yonder
3 Loving a Hurricane
4 When You Hold Me Tight
5 I Don't Even Try
6 Feels Like Rain
7 Something Wild
8 Perfectly Good Guitar
9 Slow Turning
10 Lipstick Sunset

All songs composed by John Hiatt

BAND

John Hiatt - Guitar, Piano, Vocals [the Guilty Dogs]
Michael Ward - Guitar [the Guilty Dogs]
Davey Faragher - Bass [the Guilty Dogs]
Michael Urbano -Drums [the Guilty Dogs]

BIO

John Hiatt's sales have never quite matched his reputation. Hiatt's songs were covered successfully by everyone from Bonnie Raitt, Ronnie Milsap, and Dr. Feelgood to Iggy Pop, Three Dog Night, and the Neville Brothers, yet it took him 13 years to reach the charts himself. Of course, it nearly took him that long to find his own style. Hiatt began his solo career in 1974, and over the next decade he ran through a number of different styles from rock & roll to new wave pop before he finally settled on a rootsy fusion of rock & roll, country, blues, and folk with his 1987 album Bring the Family. Though the album didn't set the charts on fire, it became his first album to reach the charts, and several of the songs on the record became hits for other artists, including Raitt and Milsap. Following its success, Hiatt became a reliable hit songwriter for other artists, and he developed a strong cult following that continued to gain strength into the mid-'90s. While he was growing up in his hometown of Indianapolis, IN, John Hiatt played in a number of garage bands. Initially, he was inspired by the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and the music of those two artists would echo strongly throughout his work. Out of all the bar bands he played with in the late '60s, a group called the White Ducks was the one that received the most attention. Following his high-school graduation, he moved to Nashville at the age of 18, where he landed a job as a songwriter for Tree Publishing. For the next several years, he wrote and performed at local clubs and hotels. Within a few years, his songs were being recorded by several different artists, including Conway Twitty, Tracy Nelson, and Three Dog Night, who took Hiatt's "Sure as I'm Sittin' Here" to number 16 in the summer of 1974. Eventually, his manager secured him an audition at Epic Records, and the label signed him in 1974, releasing his debut album, Hangin' Around the Observatory, later that year. Despite their critical acclaim, neither Hangin' Around the Observatory nor its 1975 follow-up Overcoats sold many copies, and he was dropped by the label. By the end of the year, Tree Publishing had let him go as well. Following his failure in Nashville, Hiatt moved out to California. By the summer of 1978 he had settled in Los Angeles, where began playing in clubs, opening for folk musicians including Leo Kottke. With Kottke's assistance, Hiatt hired a new manager, Denny Bruce, who helped him secure a record contract with MCA Records. Slug Line, his first record for MCA, was released in the summer of 1979. Where his first two records were straight-ahead rock & roll and folk-rock, Slug Line was in the new wave vein of angry English singer/songwriters like Elvis Costello, Graham Parker, and Joe Jackson, as if Hiatt was vying for the role of the American angry young man. The new approach earned some strong reviews, yet it failed to generate any sales. Two Bit Monsters, his second MCA album, faced the same situation. Although it was well-received critically upon its 1980 release, it made no impression on the charts, and the label dropped him. Apart from working on Two Bit Monsters, Hiatt spent most of 1980 as a member of Ry Cooder's backing band, playing rhythm guitar on the Borderline album and touring with the guitarist. Hiatt stayed with Cooder throughout 1981, signing a new contract with Geffen Records by the end of the year. Produced by Tony Visconti (David Bowie, T. Rex), his Geffen debut All of A Sudden was released in 1982, followed by the Nick Lowe/Scott Matthews & Ron Nagel-produced Riding With the King in 1983. As with his previous records for Epic and MCA, neither of his first two Geffen releases sold well. By this time, Hiatt's personal life was beginning to spin out of control as he was sinking deep into alcoholism. Around the time he completed 1985's Warming Up to the Ice Age, his second wife committed suicide. Following the release of Warming Up to the Ice Age, Hiatt was dropped by Geffen. By the end of 1985, he had entered a rehabilitation program. During 1986, he remarried and signed a new deal with A&M Records. For his A&M debut, Hiatt assembled a small band comprised of his former associates Ry Cooder (guitar), Nick Lowe (bass), and Jim Keltner (drums). Recorded over the course of a handful of days, the resulting album, Bring the Family, had a direct, stripped-down rootsy sound that differed greatly from his earlier albums. Upon its summer 1987 release, Bring the Family received the best reviews of his career and, for once, the reviews began to pay off, as the album turned into a cult hit, peaking at 107 on the U.S. charts; it was his first charting album. Hiatt attempted to record a follow-up with Cooder, Lowe, and Keltner, but the musicians failed to agree on the financial terms for the sessions. Undaunted, he recorded an album with John Doe, David Lindley, and Dave Mattacks, but he scrapped the completed project, deciding that the result was too forced. Hiatt's final attempt at recording the follow-up to Bring the Family was orchestrated by veteran producer Glyn Johns, who had him record with his touring band, the Goners. Despite all of the behind-the-scenes troubles behind its recording, the follow-up album, Slow Turning, actually appeared rather quickly, appearing in the summer of 1988. Slow Turning, like Bring the Family before it, received nearly unanimous positive reviews and it was fairly well-received commercially, spending 31 weeks on the U.S. charts and peaking at 98. Within the next year, Hiatt successfully toured throughout America and Europe, strengthening his fan base along the way. Inspired by the success of Hiatt's two A&M albums, Geffen released the compilation Y' All Caught? The Ones That Got Away 1979-85 in 1989. That same year, other artists began digging through Hiatt's catalog of songs, most notably Bonnie Raitt, who covered "Thing Called Love" for her multi-platinum comeback album, Nick of Time. In 1990, Hiatt returned with Stolen Moments, which was nearly as successful as Slow Turning, both critically and commercially. "Bring Back Your Love to Me," an album track from Stolen Moments that was also recorded by Earl Thomas Conley, won BMI's 1991 Country Music Award. By the time "Bring Back Your Love to Me" won that award, it had become a standard practice for artists to cover Hiatt's songs, as artists as diverse as Bob Dylan, Ronnie Milsap, Suzy Bogguss, and Iggy Pop all covered his songs in the early '90s. In 1993, Rhino Records released Love Gets Strange: The Songs of John Hiatt, which collected many of the cover versions that were recorded during the '80s and '90s. During 1991, the group that recorded Bring the Family — Hiatt, Cooder, Lowe, and Keltner — re-formed as a band called Little Village, releasing their eponymous debut in early 1992. Based on the success of Bring the Family and Hiatt's A&M albums, expectations for Little Village were quite high, yet the record and its supporting tour were considered a major disappointment. Later, the individual members would agree that the band was a failure, mainly due to conflicting egos. Hiatt decided to back away from the superstar nature of Little Village for his next album, 1993's Perfectly Good Guitar. Recorded in just two weeks with a backing band comprised of members of alternative rock bands School of Fish and Wire Train, the album was looser than any record since Bring the Family, but it didn't quite have the staying power of its two predecessors, spending only 11 weeks on the charts and peaking at number 47. The following year, he released his first live album, Hiatt Comes Alive at Budokan? Hiatt left A&M Records after the release of the record, signing with Capitol Records the following year. Walk On, Hiatt's first Capitol album, was recorded during his supporting tour for Perfectly Good Guitar and featured guest appearances by the Jayhawks and Bonnie Raitt. Walk On entered the charts at 48, but slipped off the charts in nine weeks, indicating that his audience had settled into a dedicated cult following. Fittingly, after 1997's Little Head quickly came and went in the marketplace, Hiatt parted ways with Capitol, and his next album, 2000's Crossing Muddy Waters, was released on the established independent imprint Vanguard Records. After a second album with Vanguard, The Tiki Bar Is Open, Hiatt aligned himself with another independent label, New West, for the release of his 2003 set Beneath This Gruff Exterior. Master of Disaster, along with CD and DVD versions of Live from Austin, TX, followed in 2005. Hiatt's 18th studio album, Same Old Man, appeared in 2008. The Open Road arrived early in 2010. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:difixqe5ld0e~T1

Jack the Lad

Jack the Lad - Jackpot - 1976 - United Artists

Jack the Lad were one of the big hopes of the early '70s but, by the time they cut 1976's Jackpot, the excitement had very much fallen away — which was a shame, because the group remained as exhilarating as it ever was. Naturally reminiscent of parent band Lindisfarne but without the crash in quality that hallmarked that band's later, saddest years, Jackpot is an effervescent folky feast, stuffed full of singalongs and spontaneous madness, a treat that this reissue amplifies via the inclusion of seven sterling bonus tracks. It begins with four songs from the original pre-LP demos: the album-opening "Eight Ton Crazy" (which itself is a classic slice of Andy Fairweather Low songwriting), Billy Mitchell's "Trinidad" and "Amsterdam," and — most impressive of all — Simon Cowe's "See How They Run." Cowe quit the band shortly before the album sessions themselves kicked off, leading to the loss of both this delightful number and the ramshackle excitement that he naturally contributed to the music. This cut reveals what listeners missed out on, although it's to Jack the Lad's credit that they never allowed the album to suffer unduly. It remains a remarkable set. The final three cuts on the reissue were recorded live in Plymouth, England, on the tour that followed the album's release and never made it onto vinyl: Woody Guthrie's "Will You Miss Me," a rocking rendition of Johnny Kidd's "Hungry For Love," and a folky medley that takes listeners all the way back to Lindisfarne's own early days on the folk circuit. In fact, the only regret here is that the reissue doesn't include the rest of the show — on a good night, Jack the Lad were a terrific live act, and this sounds like a very good night indeed. © Dave Thompson © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fxfexql5ld0e [N.B: Review based on bonus CD issue].

Founded in Tyneside, N.E England in 1973 by Rod Clements, Simon Cowe, Ray Laidlaw and Billy Mitchell, after the disbandment of the original folk rock band, Lindisfarne, Jack The Lad released three successful albums for United Artists, and although "Jackpot" did not include Rod Clements and Simon Cowe, Hedgehog Pie's Ian Fairbairn and Phil Murray play on this final album. More in the pop rock vein than the band's previous albums, Andy Bown (ex-Herd, Status Quo) play keyboards on some tracks, and some songs also feature a brass section. Andy Fairweather Low's "Eight Ton Crazy" is covered well here, but many of the other tracks do not measure up to this standard. Really an interim band between the fall and rise of Lindisfarne, Jack The Lad's "Jackpot" is quite a good album and worthy of a listen. The music should not be compared to Lindisfarne's folk rock sound. Try and hear the band's 1974 "The Old Straight Track" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Eight Ton Crazy (Fairweather Low)
2. Amsterdam (Mitchell)
3. Steamboat Whistle Blues (Hartford)
4. Walter's Drop (Trad arr. Jack The Lad)
5. We'll Give You The Roll (Mitchell)
6. Trinidad (Mitchell)
7. You, You, You (Mitchell)
8. Let It Be Me (Mitchell)
9. The Tender (Trad arr. Jack The Lad)
10. Take Some Time (Mitchell)

MUSICIANS

Billy Mitchell, Walter Fairbairn - Guitar, Vocals
Phil Murray - Bass, Vocals
Andy Bown - Keyboards
Ray Laidlaw - Drums
The Howdon on Tyne Illegal Immigrants Club - Steel Drums
Chris Mercer, Steve Gregory, Bud Beadle - Horns
Ray Jackson - Harmonica

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Jack the Lad were a folk-rock group from north-east England formed in 1973 by three former members of Lindisfarne - Rod Clements (bass, violin, guitar, vocals), Simon Cowe (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals), and Ray Laidlaw (drums), with Billy Mitchell (guitar, banjo, vocals). They had originally thought of calling themselves The Corvettes, but decided it would make them sound too much like a rock'n'roll revival outfit, and instead took their name from a phrase that Status Quo had used when they and Lindisfarne were touring Australia together earlier that year. The first line-up of Jack the Lad recorded one album, 'It's Jack the Lad', released in 1974, and two singles, 'One More Dance' (1973), and 'Why Can't I Be Satisfied' (1974). Neither charted, though they received positive reviews for their records and live performances. While Lindisfarne without them had become a harder rocking outfit, Jack the Lad retained much of the folksy spirit, warmth and good humour of the original group. Though his talents had previously been overshadowed by the more prolific songsmith Alan Hull, Clements, who had penned Lindisfarne's first hit single 'Meet Me On The Corner', continued to write most of their material, which in the view of some fans and critics was the equal of anything Lindisfarne produced at around the same time. They also remained more true to their traditional influences, not least by including an 8-minute medley of traditional jigs, reels and polkas on their first album, which staked a claim to their being in part a Geordie answer to Fairport Convention and others of that ilk. Clements left in late 1974 and was replaced by two former members of folk-rock band Hedgehog Pie, Ian 'Walter' Fairbairn (guitar, mandolin, violin, banjo, vocals) and Phil Murray (bass, vocals). The second album 'The Old Straight Track' (1974) was voted Folk Album of the Year by Melody Maker. The third album 'Rough Diamonds' and single 'Gentleman Soldier' (both 1975) were both produced by Fairport Convention stalwart Simon Nicol. The latter, which featured John Kirkpatrick on button accordion, was a gem - a new arrangement of a traditional song which borrowed the vocal four-part harmony break from 'Twist And Shout' for the introduction, and featured a Scottish accordion reel back to back with a mock-heavy rock guitar solo. Presenter John Peel chose it as one of his favourite singles of the year. Cowe left shortly before the group recorded their final album, 'Jackpot', (1976). Closer to pop and rock territory than its predecessors, it featured Andy Bown on keyboards, and a brass section on some tracks. But chart success still eluded them, and they disbanded soon afterwards. Lindisfarne had split in early 1975 but Clements, Cowe and Laidlaw continued to join founder members Alan Hull and Ray Jackson to play Christmas concerts in their native Newcastle-on-Tyne each year, and the response was so positive in 1977 that the original five reformed the following year. Cowe left Lindisfarne in 1993, while Mitchell joined the band in 1996 after the death of Hull. He, Clements and Laidlaw remained members until they disbanded for the last time in 2003.

MORE ABOUT JTL

The success of the Newcastle-spawned folk-rock group Lindisfarne -- which had enjoyed a pair of hit albums and a string of U.K. hit singles over the previous two years -- came to a crashing halt in 1973, when the band decided to split. Alan Hull and Ray Jackson hung onto the name Lindisfarne, while bassist/violinist Rod Clements, drummer Ray Laidlaw, and guitarist Simon Cowe were left to their own devices. Among the first things they did was get guitarist/singer Billy Mitchell -- who'd played in an early incarnation of Lindisfarne -- back from Canada to rejoin his former bandmates. According to Laidlaw, they'd thought of calling themselves the Corvettes, but it sounded too much like a name that went with a rock & roll revival band, which they were not -- they ran through Larry the Lamb and Atilla the Hun, when they remembered a phrase they'd heard from Status Quo when they'd toured together, and the group settled on Jack the Lad. The resulting quartet was a lot more rootsy than Lindisfarne had been, much less a progressive folk-rock outfit, mixing blues and elements of jazz. Charisma Records kept them under contract, hoping that the Lindisfarne split might yield two successful groups, and Jack the Lad ended up cutting three LPs for the label. But those were mere shadows of what the group was about -- starting out working in small pubs and moving up to larger venues and finally to festivals, they became known for their wild and woolly stage act, which included ludicrously funny monologues explaining their songs as well as antics in their playing that made their performances seem like theater-of-the-absurd. They made it to television showcases such as The Old Grey Whistle Test, and their on-air presentations were even more elaborate and seemingly anarchic, only with an overarching wit that was as pronounced as their musicianship was serious and virtuoso in quality. Clements departed in 1974, the demand for his violin playing leading him into session work for the next few years. He was replaced by two new members, Phil Murray (bass, vocals) and Walter Fairbairn (guitar, vocals), both of whom had previously played in the folk revival outfit Hedgehog Pie. The group split up in 1976, after four tries with LPs and a string of singles that failed to chart. Laidlaw returned to working with Alan Hull, first in a band called Radiator and then in a revived Lindisfarne, which Clements and Cowe also joined. Murray became a member of the Doonan Family Band, while Billy Mitchell became half of the comedy duo Maxie and Mitch, while Fairbairn became a journeyman player on the English folk circuit. Lindisfarne went on to draw audiences in England -- and especially their native Newcastle -- for the next 30 years, even outliving Alan Hull (who died very suddenly in 1996). Although it took some time to respond to what demand there was, Virgin Records, which had acquired the Charisma library and later became part of EMI, eventually reissued the three Jack the Lad albums in their vaults on CD. © Bruce Eder, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/jack-the-lad