Eric Bell

The Eric Bell Band - Thin Lizzy Blues - 2007 - Music Avenue

Thin Lizzy's forgotten guitar hero returns in a bare-bones blues trio format, taped before an appreciative crowd. Curiously, the venue isn't listed, although the album's Swedish-only release in 1996 most likely points there. Angel Air's reissue sweetens the pot with three tracks not on the original release. Straight-ahead blues is the game here. The gig opens with a rampage through "The Stumble," whose 1966 recording featured Eric Clapton on guitar. Bell's style is scrappier, but no less spirited, as he demonstrates on brisk strides through standards like "Baby Please Don't Go," "Oh Pretty Woman," and "Things I Used to Do." Being an Irishman also enables Bell to explore his own roots, as evidenced by a show-stopping slow burn through Van Morrison's epic ballad, "Madame George." Naturally, Bell revisits his Thin Lizzy days with a fiery demolition of the late Phil Lynott's swaggering macho anthem "The Rocker." Bell makes room for Lizzy's rearrangement of the traditional "Whiskey in the Jar" — a song so radical it didn't include a bass part, yet still graced the U.K. Top Ten in 1973, and soars just as highly here. The real surprise is why Bell includes just three originals, including the lovelorn lament of "Two Ships" and "Just to Get By," a world-weary tally of life's ups and downs. That neither track made the original cut is amazing. But that's a minor point, especially since the music here is so crisp. Bell's guitar is succinct and to the point, while bassist Tony Wooton and drummer Romek Parol lend appropriately unobtrusive support. (The Bell-written anecdotes, "Just a Belfast Boy," are also delightful.) Pure blues fans and Lizzy devotees should find plenty to satisfy them here. © Ralph Heibutzki © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fpfwxq80ldte

Eric Bell was a founder member of Thin Lizzy, one of the world's greatest rock bands. In 1969 he met Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey in Dublin, Ireland and they formed Thin Lizzy, one of the first Irish bands to be a huge success worldwide. Eric stayed with Thin Lizzy until 1973 and was part of the band's first three albums: "Thin Lizzy", "Shades of a Blue Orphanage", and "Vagabonds of the Western World". Some of Thin Lizzy's great songs were composed by Eric and Phil Lynott. The band’s first massive hit was "Whiskey in the Jar" which demonstrates Eric Bell's very distinctive guitar style. Before Thin Lizzy, Eric played in an Irish band called The Dreams. He also had his own band: Shades of Blue. Eric has worked with the best, including Van Morrison and Them, Noel Redding, Rory Gallagher, Bo Diddley, Henry McCullough, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Keith Tilman and Keef Hartley. Eric, Thin Lizzy's sometime's forgotten Irish guitar hero does what he does best on this great album, and plays the blues! For far too long he has been overshadowed by the big names around him. On this album he displays his great talent. Eric, like many bluesmen was never a great vocalist, but he more than compensates for this on the album with some terrific guitar work. It's always a pleasure to hear anything from Eric Bell, who plays the blues with a real understated Celtic touch. His small back up band also do a tremendous job on this recording which is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Eric Bell Band's "Irish Boy" album is located @ ERICBELL/IRBOY and Eric Bell Band's "A Blues Night In Dublin" can be found @ ERICBELL/ABNID Check out Thin Lizzy's "Vagabonds Of The Western World" album, on which Eric played an important part. It is also worth hearing Bo Diddley's "Bo's The Man" album on which Eric Bell plays some fine guitar

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 The Stumble [Live] - Freddie King/Sonny Thompson
2 Oh Pretty Woman [Live] - Bill Dees/Roy Orbison
3 Things I Used to Do [Live] - Guitar Slim
4 Baby Please Don't Go [Live] - McKinley Morganfield
5 Madame George [Live] - Van Morrison
6 Walk on Water [Live] - Andy Bell
7 Three O'Clock Blues [Live] - B.B. King/Jules Taub
8 Hold That Plane [Live] - Buddy Guy
9 Whiskey in the Jar [Live] - Trad.
10 The Rocker [Live] - Eric Bell/Brian Downey/Phil Lynott
11 Just to Get By [*] - Andy Bell
12 Two Ships [*] - Andy Bell
13 Gloria [*] - Van Morrison

N.B: Tracks 1-5 recorded at Ghothenburg, Sweden. Tracks 6-10 recorded at Helsingborg, Sweden. Tracks 1-10 originally released as "Live Tonite" in 1996 on BMA Records (Sweden). Album reissued as "Live Tonite...Plus!" in 2001 on Angel Air Records, and in 2007 as "Thin Lizzy Blues" on Music Avenue Records with the extra tracks, "Just to Get By", "Two Ships", and "Gloria"

BAND

Eric Bell - Lead Guitar, Lead & Backing Vocals
Tony Williams - Bass, Lead & Backing Vocals
Tony Woolton - Bass
Andy Golden, Romek Parol - Drums

BIO

Eric Bell may not have been present for Thin Lizzy's best known and most successful era (the mid to late '70s), but he was there for the group's formation, as a founding member. Born on September 3, 1947 in Belfast, Ireland, Bell played guitar throughout the '60s for several local bands (including Them, and John Farrell & the Dreams), but paid the bills by working as a 'street gas lamp lighter,' and in both pickle and shirt factories. One night in 1969, Bell caught a gig by another local Irish outfit, Orphanage, which featured bassist/singer Phil Lynott and drummer Brian Downey. Soonafter, Bell relocated to Dublin, where he joined up with the others to form Thin Lizzy. Bell's bluesy, Hendrix-esque leads were perfect for the hard rock direction that both Lynott and Downey sought for their new outfit, which led to a recording contract with the Deram label. Three albums followed in as many years - 1971's self-titled debut, 1972's Shades of a Blue Orphanage, and 1973's Vagabonds of the Western World - the latter of which contained a pair of early Lizzy classics, "Whiskey in the Jar" and "The Rocker." Bell, Lynott, and Downey also issued an additional recording in 1973 under the alias of Funky Junction, the self-explanatory A Tribute to Deep Purple. But Bell became unhappy with Lizzy's current, more streamlined musical direction (he longed for the early days of free-form jamming). After single-handedly sabotaging an important hometown Dublin gig with unpredictable and drunken behavior, the guitarist was sacked. The fast paced life of being in a rock band had paid its toll on Bell, who had to take a break from being in a band for several years. But a few years later (by which time Lizzy had become a worldwide hit with a pair of replacement guitarists, Brian Robertson and Scott Gorham), Bell was ready to play music again. When ex-Jimi Hendrix Experience bassist Noel Redding launched a solo career during the middle of the decade, Bell signed on as the project's guitarist, playing on such releases as 1975's Clonakilty Cowboys and 1976's Blowin', before moving on. For the remainder of the '70s, Bell appeared on such obscure releases as a self-titled release by Brush Shiels and a Phil Lynott-produced single for Ron McQuinn. With his differences between his former Lizzy bandmates long settled, Bell reunited with Lynott and Downey for a one-off 'flexi-single' for a Euro magazine, "Song for Jimi," and even joined Lizzy on stage for a night during the group's final tour in 1983 (documented on double disc set, Life). The early '80s also saw Bell attempt to launch his own group, the Eric Bell Band. But aside from a four-track EP in 1981, the group failed to get off the ground. Bell then joined up with blues-rockers Mainsqueeze (playing on their 1983 release, International Blues Rock Revue), who also briefly backed Bo Diddley during a European tour in 1984, and appeared on the subsequent live Diddley recording, Hey..Bo Diddley In Concert (aka Bo Diddley/Screamin' Jay Hawkins). Bell began performing again under the name of the Eric Bell Band during the late '90s, issuing such recordings as Irish Boy and Live Tonite...Plus! (a previously unreleased album Bell recorded with Noel Redding 20 years earlier, The Missing Album, was also issued around this time, as well). © Greg Prato, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/eric-bell

BIO (Wikipedia)

Eric Bell (born Eric Robin Bell, 3 September 1947, Belfast, Northern Ireland is a rock musician and guitarist. He was the lead guitarist for Thin Lizzy, and played on the band's first three albums Thin Lizzy, Shades of a Blue Orphanage and Vagabonds of the Western World. Although Thin Lizzy were gaining in popularity, the pressures of recording, touring and the excesses of the rock-star lifestyle, began to take its toll. He left the band after a New Year's Eve concert in 1973, after throwing his guitar into the air in the middle of the concert, pushing the amplifiers into the audience and storming off, as he said on the Gary Moore and Friends DVD interviews. There was a brief reunion for Thin Lizzy's 1983 tour, but for the most part, Bell concentrated on a solo career with his group, the Eric Bell Band. He has subsequently worked extensively with ex-Jimi Hendrix sideman, Noel Redding and toured with Bo Diddley.

Amos Lee

Amos Lee - Amos Lee - 2005 - Blue Note Records

With a dusky soul voice and a knack for literate, thoughtful lyrics, singer/songwriter Amos Lee is a throwback to a more organic-sounding pop time period. Calling to mind a mix of Bill Withers, Arthur Lee, and James Taylor, Lee croons through his mellow eponymous debut with a singular sense of his time and place that adds weight to his already heartfelt songs. Much like Taylor's Sweet Baby James and Withers' Still Bill, Amos Lee is an album about an artist's life and loves in a world that often seems at odds with his desires. On "Arms of a Woman," Lee sings "I am at ease in the arms of a woman/Although now most of my days are spent alone/A thousand miles from the place I was born/But when she wakes she takes me back home." Similarly, the darkly evocative "Black River" has Lee in a gospel mood, drawing comparisons between a swift-moving river, God, and whiskey, while the brisk country-rock-inflected "Love in the Lies" finds him proclaiming that "The world ain't no harder than it's ever been/Lookin' for love in the lies of a lonely friend." For all intents and purposes with Lee, Blue Note has found the male Norah Jones. In fact, Jones guests here and, interestingly, on "Colors," Lee sings about getting "lost in the circus" — one wonders if Blue Note hopes that Jones' "house of fun" is close by. Joining in are other members of the Blue Note extended family, including Jones' longtime bassist Lee Alexander, guitarist Kevin Breit, and others. The result is an album not dissimilar to Jones' multiple Grammy-winning Come Away With Me, as Wurlitzer and Hammond organs pipe softly next to acoustic guitars, allowing Lee to glide on top of a wave of tasteful coffeehouse soul. While the comparison is mostly positive, it does pose one rub in that even Come Away With Me, while unfailingly intimate and classy, was somewhat calculated to be beautifully crafted, deeply emotional wallpaper, and Amos Lee holds to that template. Which basically means that, despite Lee's stellar melodic abilities, the arrangements are often too low-key for their own good. That said, Lee has a phenomenal voice matched by a journeyman's sense of songcraft that is just too good to go unnoticed. © Matt Collar © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:fpftxq8sldae

Though Amos Lee's music is frequently described as a fusion of folk and soul, such an equation fails to reflect the singular artistry of this impressive debut. Like labelmate Norah Jones (who guests on two cuts), the Philadelphia singer-songwriter recognizes the power of simplicity, distilling an emotional essence that cuts across categories. The opening of his "Seen It All Before" echoes Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door"; the stunning "Arms of a Woman" channels Otis Redding's "I've Got Dreams to Remember"; "Give It Up" cuts a classic Bill Withers groove; "Black River" has the sound of an age-old spiritual; and the closing "All My Friends" follows Van Morrison into the mystic. Throughout the song cycle, the bare-bones arrangements behind Lee's vocal flutter reinforce an organic unity that transcends genre. For all of the debts he owes to the music of the 1960s and '70s, the results sound timeless rather than retro. In his cautionary "Soul Suckers," Lee sings that "nothing is more powerful than beauty in a wicked world"--and proceeds to prove it. © Don McLeese [Editorial Review] © 1996-2010, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. http://www.amazon.com/Amos-Lee/dp/B00070G6Y2

Good album from the talented Philadelphian, Amos Lee, featuring eleven original songs which encompass R&B, soul, country, gospel, folk, and jazz. Amos has been consistently compared to to the musical styles of artists like Jackson Brown, Eric Bibb, James Taylor, Bill Withers, and Norah Jones. There are definite comparisons, but the guy is a good songwriter, musician, and vocalist. He has his own style, and this album holds up very well. Check out his "Supply And Demand", and "Last Days At The Lodge" albums

TRACKS

1."Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" – 3:08
2."Seen It All Before" – 4:15
3."Arms of a Woman" – 4:11
4."Give It Up" – 2:38
5."Dreamin'" – 2:54
6."Soul Suckers" – 2:49
7."Colors" – 2:40
8."Bottom of the Barrel" – 2:00
9."Black River" – 3:31
10."Love in the Lies" – 3:23
11."All My Friends" – 4:18

All songs composed by Amos Lee

MUSICIANS

Amos Lee - Guitar, vocals
Kevin Breit - Acoustic guitar, mandolin, resonator guitar
Adam Levy - Electric guitar, Background vocals
Chris Thomas, Jaron Olevsky - Bass guitar
Lee Alexander - Bass guitar, drums
Devin Greenwood - Hammond organ, background vocals, Wurlitzer
Norah Jones - Piano, background vocals, Wurlitzer
Fred Berman - Drums, background vocals
Dan Rieser, James Gadson - Drums
Larry Gold - Cello, string Arrangements
Alexandra Leem - Viola
Nate Skiltes - Mandolin
Zara Bodé - Background vocals

SHORT BIO

Singer/songwriter Amos Lee draws inspiration from such soul and folk artists of the '70s as Bill Withers, John Prine, Neil Young, and James Taylor. The Philadelphia native first became serious about performing while attending the University of South Carolina during the mid-'90s. After graduating, the English major taught elementary school before deciding to pursue a music career full-time. A period of waiting tables and bartending followed as Lee honed his songwriting skills. Eventually, he landed some high-profile opening-slot gigs including an extended tour with pianist/vocalist Norah Jones. He released his eponymous debut album on Blue Note in 2005 and his sophomore effort, Supply and Demand, in 2006. Last Days at the Lodge followed in 2008. © Matt Collar © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:wjfuxqwald0e

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Amos Lee (born June 20, 1978 is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His musical style encompasses folk, soul, and jazz. He has released three albums on Blue Note Records, Amos Lee, Supply and Demand and Last Days at the Lodge. He has been on tour with musicians such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, John Prine, and Dave Matthews Band. Lee performs with drummer Fred Berman and bassist Jaron Olevsky. Some of his musical influences include Stevie Wonder, John Prine, Bill Withers, and James Taylor. Born Ryan Massaro on June 20, 1978, Lee grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He graduated from Cherry Hill High School East. He enrolled at the University of South Carolina in 1995, graduating with an English degree. While attending the university, Lee's stepfather gave him an acoustic guitar. Lee also found a job at a record store that specialized in jazz musicians, where he picked up an affinity for Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis. After college, he moved back to Philadelphia and taught elementary school for two years, but later made the decision to stop teaching in order to pursue a career in music. Lee released a self-produced EP that featured five songs in 2003, and was signed by Blue Note Records soon afterward. The EP sold well in Philadelphia, catching the attention of Norah Jones. Jones invited Lee to open for her on her 2004 tour. Lee has also taken part in shows with Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Paul Simon and John Prine. Some people think his music is a mixture of Folk and R&B. He has publicly said, "I've always gone for that folky-R&B sound for my music." Lee Alexander, the bassist in Norah Jones' band, produced Amos Lee's self-titled debut album, which was released in March 2005. Norah Jones made an appearance on several of the tracks, playing piano and contributing vocals. The album found significant commercial success, hitting a peak of #2 on the Billboard Top Heatseekers chart. Later that month he was named one of Rolling Stone's "Top 10 Artists to Watch." To promote the album, Lee performed on popular television shows such as The Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, Total Request Live, and Austin City Limits, the latter on August 10, 2005, which was also aired on PBS on November 11 of that year. In March and April 2005, Lee opened for Merle Haggard and Bob Dylan. Lee's song "Colors" was featured on House, and on the finale of the second season of Grey's Anatomy. It was also used in the 2005 movie Just Like Heaven, which featured Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. The songs "Colors" and "Sympathize" were also used in episodes of the first season of abc's "Brothers & Sisters". Lee's songs "Shout Out Loud" and "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" were both used during the ABC show Six Degrees. "Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight" was also heard during NBC's Studio 60. NBC also utilised Lee's "Seen It All Before" on an episode of their widely-acclaimed ER primetime drama series. The song "Colors" was also featured on the second season of the Lifetime's Army wives. Lee's second album, titled Supply and Demand, was released on October 3, 2006 in the United States. The album was produced by Natalie Merchant's bassist Barrie Maguire, and peaked at #76 on the Billboard 200. Jazz singer Lizz Wright contributed background vocals on the song "Freedom". The first single from the album is "Shout Out Loud." To promote the album, Lee played on The Tonight Show on September 28, 2006. The track "Skipping Stone" also played on the ER episode "Dying Is Easy" (originally aired February 8, 2007). The song "Sweet Pea" was also featured in December 2007 in television commercials for AT&T. Lee's third studio album, Last Days at the Lodge, was released on June 24, 2008. The first single off the album is "Listen". The track "What's Been Going On" has also gained moderate success among radio stations. Lee has stated that he will be going into the studio in May 2010 to begin work on his fourth studio album which is due out in the fall. Amos Lee recorded a live session at Abbey Road Studios in the summer of 2006 for Live from Abbey Road. His performance was screened on the Sundance Channel in the USA and Channel 4 in the UK in an episode also featuring Randy Crawford and Joe Sample and David Gilmour. There are also two short live recordings available from KCRW, one released in November 2005 and the other in March 2007 (available digitally).

Denny Laine

Denny Laine - Master Suite - 1988 - Magnum Force

Rarely heard instrumental album on which Denny Laine plays 12 tracks, incorporating many musical elements including, classic, Latin, and country. Although Denny Laine is a very underrated guitarist and is capable of some amazing guitar wizadry, on "Master Suite" (which is not rock based), he plays with great subtlety and technique, and guitar pyrotechnics are absent. Seven of the tracks are under three minutes long, but all the music is very well constructed, with melody being the main ingredient. An unusual album from Denny, with absolutely no Wings/McCartney connections. If you want to hear the more rock orientated style of Denny, listen to his "Ahh....Laine" album or his great "Rock Survivor" album. Denny's "Hometown Girls" album can be found @ DENLAIN/HOMTGRLS and his "Wings On My Feet" album is @ DENLAIN/WOMF

TRACKS

1 Loving Touch 02:49
2 The Blue Musician 04:23
3 Rory's Theme 02:52
4 La Manzanera 03:39
5 Campfire 02:26
6 Read the Cards 02:52
7 The Thin Air 04:00
8 Mountain Pass 04:08
9 The Highlands 02:33
10 Moors and Christians 03:23
11 Old Man Loving 02:34
12 Diego 02:41

All music composed by Denny Laine. Guitar, Keyboards,Vocals by Denny Laine

BIO (WIKI)

Denny Laine (born Brian Frederick Arthur Hines, 29 October 1944, Holcombe Road, Tyseley, Birmingham) is an English songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his roles as former guitarist and lead singer of The Moody Blues and, later, co-founder (with Paul McCartney) of Wings. Laine was the only musician in Wings, along with Paul and Linda McCartney, who did not quit. Laine joined Wings in 1971 for their album Wild Life and stayed until 1980, when Wings broke up. Denny Laine is of Romani descent, was educated at Yardley Grammar School in Birmingham, and took up the guitar as a boy under the influence of Gypsy jazz (Jazz manouche) legend Django Reinhardt; he had his first solo performance as a musician at the age of twelve and began his career as a professional musician fronting Denny & The Diplomats, which also included future The Move and Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan. In 1964, Laine left The Diplomats to join Mike Pinder in The Moody Blues and sang their first big hit, "Go Now"; other early highlights included "From The Bottom Of My Heart", "Can't Nobody Love You" and the harmonica-ripping "Bye Bye Bird". However, Denny's tenure with the MB's was short-lived and, after a number of comparative failures, Laine quit the band in August 1966 (the last record issued by The Moody Blues that featured Laine was "Life's Not Life"/"He Can Win" in January 1967, but the October 1966 "Boulevard De La Madeleine" single looked ahead to the fancier sounds for which The Moody Blues would later become famous). After leaving The Moody Blues, he formed The Electric String Band, which featured Denny (guitar, vocals), Trevor Burton (guitar, another former member of The Move) and Viv Prince (drums), also featuring electrified strings in a format not dissimilar to what Electric Light Orchestra would later attempt. They made two singles, "Say You Don't Mind / Ask The People" (Apr 1967, Deram) and "Too Much In Love / Catherine's Wheel" (Jan 1968, Deram); and, in June 1967, they shared a bill with The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Procol Harum at the Saville Theatre in London. However, national attention was not to be, and the pioneering Electric String Band broke up. (There was apparently a third single recorded called "Why Did You Come?". Why it never released is unknown, but there have been rumours that the finished track - and probably the B side as well - was sent by post to Decca and was lost.) Laine and Burton then went on to the band Balls from 1969 until the band's breakup in 1971, with both also taking time to play in Ginger Baker's Air Force in 1970. (Only one single was issued by Balls; "Fight For My Country" / "Janie, Slow Down" on UK Wizard Records. Strangely, the top side was re-edited and reissued on UK Wizard and issued in the US on Epic under the name of Trevor Burton, which was odd since Laine and Burton shared lead vocals on the B side. The single was reissued again as B.L.W. as "Live In The Mountains" for a small Pye distributed label. There was supposed to have been a Balls album recorded, but it has never seen the light of day). Laine's 1967 song "Say You Don't Mind" was a hit when recorded in 1972 by ex-Zombie, Colin Blunstone. In 1971, Denny joined Paul McCartney to found the group known as Wings, and would stay with them for a full ten years until they officially disbanded in 1981; Denny provided lead & rhythm guitars, backing vocals, keyboards, bass, writing and co-writing skills, as well as being a solid solo performer. Together with Paul and his wife, Linda, they formed the nucleus of the band, being called that "strange, 3-winged beast". It was with Wings that Denny enjoyed the biggest commercial and critical successes of his career, including co-writing the smash hit "Mull of Kintyre". In January 1980, McCartney was arrested for possession of marijuana upon arrival at an airport for a tour in Japan. The tour was cancelled. Wings recorded through the year on new tracks as well as tracks still in the vaults, but a press release by Paul in early 1981 officially announced that Wings had broken up. The new tracks ended up on Paul's next two solo albums, and Laine's relationship with McCartney soured (speculation also has it that financial matters were close to the heart of this dissolution, similar to the McCartney/Jackson partnership). The title track of Denny's first solo album after Wings, called "Japanese Tears", appeared to be a visible attack on McCartney much like John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep?" in 1971; however, closer inspection to the lyrics shows that it more likely tells the tongue-in-cheek story of a Japanese fan's disappointment after Wings' tour got cancelled (or possibly even tears of excitement at Wings' arrival in Japan in the first place). In 1986 Denny played at the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986 which was a very special day,raising money for the Birmingham Children`s Hospital. Denny filed for bankruptcy in the mid-80s after selling his lucrative co-publishing rights to "Mull of Kintyre" to co-author McCartney. However, he has continued to record music at a prolific rate and has appeared at Beatles conventions and on tributes to both The Beatles and Wings. He is currently working on an autobiography. He was briefly married to Jo Jo Laine (13 July 1953 — 29 October 2006), with whom he had a son, Laine Hines, and a daughter, Heidi Hines. He has three other children from other relationships: Lucianne Grant, Damian James, and Ainsley Laine-Adams. His current wife is Rosha.

MORE ABOUT DENNY LAINE

For a few months at the height of the British invasion, Denny Laine was one of the most recognizable voices on the entire British music scene. As the lead singer on the Moody Blues' recording of "Go Now" -- a worldwide multi-million seller -- he stood out in a large pack, and did so splendidly. His soulful, agonized lead vocal performance, coupled with Mike Pinder's chiming piano, proved irresistable on the radio. Within a year, however, the band fell by the wayside. Denny Laine was born Brian Hines and grew up in Birmingham, England. As a boy he took up the guitar, not under the influence of Chuck Berry or Buddy Holly, or even Scotty Moore, but rather jazz legend Django Reinhardt. His first band of any significance was Denny and the Diplomats, formed in Birmingham in the early '60s. The group's line-up also included future Move and Electric Light Orchestra drummer Bev Bevan and guitarist-singer Roy Wood. By 1964, Laine had abandoned Denny & the Diplomats and -- with four members of the city's other top bands -- formed the group that became the Moody Blues. Laine's tenure with the band was highlighted by one monster hit ("Go Now"), a brace of superb R&B-styled sides ("From The Bottom of My Heart," "Lose Your Money," etc.), and a string of commercial failures that left the band languishing by the end of 1965. Laine exited the group, to be replaced by Justin Hayward, whereupon the reconstituted Moody Blues adopted an increasingly adventurous sound that ended up making them the premiere progressive rock band of the late '60s. Ironically, Laine himself went in a similar direction with his next major project, the Denny Laine String Band, an electric psychedelic outfit that featured an amplified violin and cello, remarkably similar in many ways to the configuration that the Electric Light Orchestra would adopt more successfully three years later. The Electric String Band failed to attract serious public attention, despite a lot of good press and enthusiastic concert reviews. Laine's next major gig was as a member of Ginger Baker's Air Force, a big-band rock outfit that was a partial offshoot of Blind Faith. The group attracted enormous amounts of press attention on both sides of the Atlantic, played some good shows in England, and then embarked on an American tour that collapsed almost immediately through lack of ticket sales. Laine was the band's lead guitarist and principal vocalist and even had a featured blues spot in their sets. Laine was next heard from in 1971, when Paul McCartney announced that he was forming his first permanent band since exiting the Beatles. The group, christened Wings, was McCartney (joined by his wife Linda McCartney) on bass, guitar, piano, and vocals, with Laine at the core on guitar, bass, and vocals. In a 1980s interview, Laine indicated that he and McCartney got along well, not only because they came out of similar music backgrounds but also because each of them had lost control of bands they'd helped to found. Wings got off to a rocky start with an album called Wild Life, which wasn't really that bad but was mercilessly criticized by reviewers, who pounced on anything that didn't meet their expectations of Beatles-like perfection and importance. Beginning with Red Rose Speedway, however, they began winning the hearts of listeners and the minds of critics. By 1976, with Wings At The Speed of Sound, they'd become one of the top-selling acts of the decade, and the tour that followed was a success of monumental proportions, at least as far as ticket sales were concerned. Wings was, along with ABBA and Led Zeppelin, one of those money acts that seemed to generate tens of millions of ticket sales around the world and reams of press copy with every note they played and utterance that they pronounced. Laine wasn't quite an ex-Beatle, but as the member closest to McCartney (other than his wife), he was the most recognizable member of the band who wasn't a former Beatle. He even got a solo spot during concerts on their "Wings Over America" tour on which he sang and played several of the songs with which he was associated (most notably "Go Now") and a few covers that showcased his talents. Laine had a falling out with the McCartneys at the close of the 1970s, as Wings itself collapsed, amid myriad personal and personnel problems. He recorded several solo albums and was a featured guest at some Beatles conventions, but retained only a fraction of his visibility. He re-emerged in the late '90s with a tribute album to McCartney, and has been the subject of many CD reissues spotlighting odd solo cuts from his post-Wings and pre-Ginger Baker's Air Force period. Laine will likely never achieve the stardom that his career seemed to point toward when he cut "Go Now" in the mid-'60s. On the other hand though, he has played enough interesting and inspired music to make him a recognizable name to two generations of rock & roll fans, and one of the more deservedly enduring alumni from the original British invasion. © Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Johnnie Bassett & the Blues Insurgents

Johnnie Bassett & the Blues Insurgents - Live at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival - 1995 - No Cover Productions

Johnnie Bassett has spent a lot of his life in Detroit. His guitar mastery stems from an eclectic history that includes stints with artists like Joe Turner, Ruth Brown, Little Willie John, Tina Turner, Smokey Robinson and even Jimi Hendrix. His smooth, elegant style and velvet-coated urban sounds conjure up aural images of T-Bone Walker and B.B. King--two of his major influences. In 1994, the Detroit Blues Society presented Johnnie Bassett with a lifetime achievement award. In 1993, he received five W.C. Handy nominations for his great "Cadillac Blues" album. In 1995, The Blues Review said, "This (Live at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival) isn't just the best local release so far this year, it's one of the best discs I've heard period. Johnnie Bassett!! Yes,yes." Living Blues said, "The real draw is Bassett's fleet, tasteful guitar work." The editor of Real Blues called Johnnie Bassett "one of the finest blues/jazz guitarists of the decade." "Live at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival" recorded at the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Festival, Detroit, Michigan on 3/9/1994 is a brilliantly played set of both originals and blues standards. Johnnie's guitar work is not always to the forefront on the album, but what he plays is superb. The musicianship of his backing band, The Blues Insurgents, and guest players including pianist, Bill Heid, and saxophonist, Dezie McCullers, Sr., is incredibly good. This is as good as a jazz blues album as you will ever hear and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to "Cadillac Blues" and "I Gave My Life to the Blues" albums, of which the latter album really showcases Johnnie Bassett's tremendous guitar talents.

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. One Mint Julep - R. Toombs
2. Times Gettin' Tougher Than Tough - J.Witherspoon
3. I Want A Little Girl - Mencher, Moll
4. Hentai Ni - B.Heid
5. Pick Up The Pieces - B.Heid
6. Woke Up This Morning - B.B King
7. Sweet Little Angel - B.B King, Jules Taub
8. Please Send Me Someone To Love - P.Mayfield
9. Honky Tonk - Glover, Butler, Doggett, Scott, Sheppard

MUSICIANS

Johnnie Bassett - Guitar, Vocals

The Blues Insurgents are : -

Scott Petersen - Alto & Tenor Sax.
R.J Spangler - Drums
Chris Codish - Organ on Tracks 5-9

Additional Insurgents : -

Kurt Krahnke - Acoustic Bass
Russ Miller - Alto Sax.
Johnny "Showtime" Evans - Baritone Sax.
John "T-Bone" Paxton - Trombone
James O'Donnell, Walt Szymanski - Trumpet

Special Guests : -

Bill Heid - Piano, Vocals
Dezie McCullers, Sr. - Tenor Sax. on Tracks 8, & 9

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Johnnie Bassett (October 9, 1935, Marianna, Florida) is an American electric blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Working for decades primarily as a session musician, by the 1990s Bassett had his own backing band and has since released six albums. He has cited Billy Butler, Tiny Grimes, Albert King, B.B. King and especially T-Bone Walker as major influences. Born in Florida, Bassett relocated with his family in 1944 to Detroit. As a guitarist in his local group, Joe Weaver and the Bluenotes, they won talent contests, and locally backed Big Joe Turner, and Ruth Brown. In 1958 Bassett enrolled into the United States Army, but on his return to Detroit worked with the Bluenotes as session musicians for Fortune Records. During this time he provided accompaniment to Nolan Strong & The Diablos and Andre Williams. He later backed The Miracles in a short tenure at Chess Records, working on their debut single, "Got a Job" (1958) In concerts while in Detroit, Bassett played on stage alongside John Lee Hooker, Alberta Adams, Lowell Fulson and Dinah Washington. Basset spent most of the next decade doing gigs in Seattle, also backing Tina Turner and Little Willie John. The Detroit Blues Society recognized Bassett's contribution to the blues with a lifetime achievement award in 1994. He released the album I Gave My Life to the Blues on the Dutch label Black Magic in 1996, before recording and touring in North America and Europe with his own backing band, the Blues Insurgents. Their 1998 album Cadillac Blues was nominated for five W.C. Handy Awards. His then record label, Cannonball Records ceased to trade, but Mack Avenue Records signed him to a new recording contract, after its owner saw Bassett and his band play in concert in Detroit's suburb of Grosse Pointe. At the 2003 Great Lakes Folk Festival, Bassett performed as part of the Detroit Blues Revue with Alberta Adams and Joe Weaver. At the 2006 Detroit Music Awards, Bassett won the 'Outstanding Blues/R&B Instrumentalist' title. Bassett's latest album, The Gentleman is Back was released in June 2009. Johnny Bassett and the Blues Insurgents currently play every Monday night at Alvin's bar in Detroit's Midtown.

MORE

Guitarist, singer and songwriter Johnnie Bassett grew up with blues music all around him in his native Florida. His unique ability to combine jump blues and Delta stylings gives his playing a distinctive sound. The self-taught guitarist recalls seeing Tampa Red, Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup and other classic blues artists at fish fries in his grandmother's backyard. Bassett cites Aaron "T-Bone" Walker as a major influence, as well as B.B. and Albert King, Tiny Grimes and Billy Butler. After Bassett's family moved to Detroit in 1944, he made his debut as a guitarist with Joe Weaver and the Bluenotes, a teenage R&B band. The group won local talent contests and were hired to back up Big Joe Turner, Ruth Brown and others on their tour stops in Detroit. Bassett went into the Army in 1958 and played in a country & western group while stationed in Washington state. After returning to Detroit, he found work as a session guitarist for Fortune Records by day and in nightclubs at night. In the studios, he played backup to musicians and groups like Nolan Strong and the Diablos, Andre Williams and the Don Juans and the Five Dollars. He also played guitar on the first recording by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles while traveling to Chicago to record as a session man for the Chess Records label. During his Detroit days, he also accompanied John Lee Hooker, Eddie Burns, Alberta Adams, Lowell Fulson and the T.J. Fowler Band at their live shows, as well as Dinah Washington. In the 1960s, Bassett moved to Seattle, where he backed up Tina Turner, Little Willie John and others. Jimi Hendrix was a frequent guest at the bluesman's club gigs around Seattle. Before the decade ended, he moved back to Detroit, where he's been based ever since. In 1994, Bassett received a lifetime achievement award from the Detroit Blues Society. He later recorded an album for the Dutch Black Magic label, I Gave My Life to the Blues (1996). Bassett and his band, the Blues Insurgents — which he's been fronting since the early 1990s — have made several U.S., Canadian and European tours in support of LPs including 1997's Bassett Hound and 1998's Cadillac Blues. © Richard Skelly © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:w9foxqlhld6e~T1

Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight

Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight - Libertyville - 2006 - Silvercoast

Blues-rock power trio Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight has inspired enthusiasm and loyalty among fans around the world through their explosive live performances and exceptional musicianship. The band is a frequent headliner at Blues festivals throughout Europe, and has earned a growing audience for their live performances in the USA, most countries in Europe . For years, the band toured with the legendary Curtis Knight, mentor of Jimi Hendrix, and they recorded several albums together. The new studio album : "Libertyville" gets incredible reviews and airplay all over the world. © www.recordheaven.net

Excellent new studio disc from this killer obscure blues/rock power trio axeslinger from Holland featuring 12 tracks of low-down, solid, in your face, boogie-fied, bluesy heavy guitar riffage that will rock your blues away. © http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/roborlemans

Blues rock of the highest calibre from Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight. HR by A.O.O.F.C. Buy the band's great "Live In Chicago" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1- Fuzzbox Boogie - Rob Orlemans
2- Jake's Mojo - Orlemans, Dawson
3- Down On Parchman Farm - Orlemans, Alison
4- When The Haze Is Gone - Rob Orlemans
5- 100.000 Dollars - Orlemans, Tromp
6- Blues For Money - Orlemans,
7- Go Down - Orlemans, McNear
8- The Devil Told Me - Orlemans
9- Libertyville - Orlemans
10- Blues Out Of Hell - Orlemans
11- Heartbreaking Money - Orlemans
12- Susie Q - Hawkins / NightLicks (Live) - Orlemans / Live In The USA - Hawkins

BAND

Rob Orlemans - Guitar, Vocals
Piet Tromp - Bass
Yuri Yeryomin - Drums

WITH

Jacob Dawson - Vocals, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar on Track 2 (with Rob Orlemans )
Jeremy Aussems - Lead Guitar on Track 9 (with Rob Orlemans)
Henk-Jan Verstege - Drums on Tracks 1, & 2
Micha - Percussion on Tracks 10, & 11
Rene Schutte - Hammond on Track 2
Dennis O'Connor - Mouth Harp on Track 3

ABOUT THE BAND

Blues-rock power trio Rob Orlemans & Half Past Midnight has inspired enthusiasm and loyalty among fans around the world through their explosive live performances and exceptional musicianship. The band is a frequent headliner at Blues festivals throughout Europe, and has earned a growing audience for their live performances in the USA, Europe and at home in The Netherlands. Their CD release "Live In Chicago" was recorded in the Blues capital of the world, and features several renown guest performers from Chicago's Blues community.(Jacob Dawson, Tommy McCrackin) The CD has been enjoying extensive airplay on radio stations and blues programs throughout Europe and the USA. Blues magazines and web sites have been generous in their praise for "HPM: Live In Chicago". For years, Rob Orlemans toured with the legendary Curtis Knight, mentor of Jimi Hendrix, and they recorded several albums together. Half Past Midnight’s appearances at major European blues festivals are eagerly anticipated by the group’s dedicated fans. The "face" of the band is Rob Orlemans, an innovative and entertaining southpaw guitarist, steeped in guitar lore who has a dynamic, exciting guitar style and sound. In recent years, Rob has led the band to a remarkable international breakthrough. Half Past Midnight's incredible rhythm section, comprised of super drummer Ernst van Ee and Piet Tromp ,a great player on the bass, delivers a powerful yet fluid foundation for Rob's guitar pyrotechnics. The studio album “LIBERTYVILLE” has received great reviews and sales figures. “OPEN THE CAGE” the live DVD with spec.features is a real blast! “INTO THE SPIRIT” is the new upcoming release. © 2010 Rob Orlemans & Halfpastmidnight http://www.halfpastmidnight.nl/press.htm

Lizzy Parks

Lizzy Parks - This And That - 2009 - Tru Thoughts

Well, she’s more than just a lovely person, she’s got a voice to match. And she’s got the good sense to signed up to Tru-Thoughts and work with the jazz giants Riaan Vosloo and Benedic Lamdin, they of the incredible Nostalgia 77 Sessions with Keith and Julie Tippett that came out last month, see review HERE), so ‘prolific’ is their middle names and in addition to the album Raise The Roof, this is a bonus edition if you like. And if you’ve got Shapes 09:01 you’ll know what a great mix that have done on ‘Raise The Roof’. Sadly, that’s not included on This And That as this album concentrates on Ms. Parks in an acoustic setting; of the 9 tracks, five are acoustic versions. And if you know either of those versions of ‘Raise The Roof’, this downtempo string quartet assisted version is the killer defining version (yep, it’s that good!) And the tone is set by the opener ‘This And That’ that’s not much more than Lizzy and the piano of Riaan Vosloo and ‘Soul Bird’ is a Lizzy only version. The acoustic ‘Forever And A Day’ is so stripped as it showcases Lizzy’s vocals with acoustic guitar (Max Gilkes) and a glorious flute solo, it makes you want to live, “forever and a day”. Jazzy mixtape material par excellance. And then ‘Time’ and ‘Eyes Of A Child’ reminds me of some of Deborah Jordan’s recent material; GP should have played both these tracks on his ‘Strings, Things and Cinematic Voices’ last week; or if you’re the other side of pond, think Mia Doi Todd with strings - stunning! There’s two cover versions on the album, ‘A Taste Of Honey’ (as in the 60s film) and showing off her love of jazz (in case you were in any doubt), Wayne Shorter’s ‘Deluge’. Oh yes! Both tracks are so late nite soul-jazz with percussion from Will Fry, Mark Hanslip on sax, Riaan on bass with the added bonus of a string section on ‘A Taste Of Honey’. The deluge is starting for Lizzy Parks and if you don’t know already, you need the albums by Malatu/Heliocentrics, Stonephace, Nostalgia 77 Sessions, Emanative, Get The Blessing and now, the sublime mellow out of This And That. If you don’t get this album, I’ll raise the roof - Parks brings us cosmic psychedelic-soul-jazz love from Devon via Birmingham, Brighton and London. Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Deluge’, ‘Soul Bird’, ‘This And That’, ‘A Taste Of Honey’ © Gerry Hectic Friday 19 June 2009 © Some Rights Reserved FLY 2010 http://www.flyglobalmusic.com/fly/archives/europe_reviews/lizzy_parks_this_and_that.html

Lizzy Parks’ "This And That" has been called a "fully acoustic, heart stopping affair". It is great to hear high calibre soul jazz albums of this quality still being recorded. A great album from a lady with a wonderful voice and superb songwriting talents. Buy her " Raise the Roof" album and promote this talented lady

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 This And That - Benedic Lamdin, Lizzy Parks,, Riaan Vosloo
2 Forever And A Day (Acoustic Version) - Benedic Lamdin, Lizzy Parks, Riaan Vosloo
3 Deluge - Wayne Shorter
4 Soul Bird (Acoustic Version) - Benedic Lamdin, Lizzy Parks, Riaan Vosloo
5 A Taste Of Honey - Ric Marlow, Bobby Scott
6 Time (Acoustic Version) - Benedic Lamdin, Lizzy Parks, Riaan Vosloo
7 Eyes Of A Child - Benedic Lamdin, Lizzy Parks, Riaan Vosloo
8 Raise The Roof (Acoustic Version) - Benedic Lamdin, Lizzy Parks, Riaan Vosloo
9 Leaving Home (Acoustic Version) - Benedic Lamdin, Lizzy Parks, Riaan Vosloo

MUSICIANS

Lizzy Parks - Vocals
Max Gilkes - Guitar
Riaan Vosloo - [Strings Arrangement], Double Bass, Piano
Will Fry - Percussion
Mark Hanslip - Saxophone
Mark Hanslip - Flute
Robin Martin , Rose Redgrave , Roz Gladstone , Sophie Ryan - Strings [String Quartet]

BIO

Blending the female singer songwriter tradition with influences from the cutting edge of Björk to the soaring jazz melodies of Ella Fitzgerald. A stunningly talented singer, Lizzy Parks caught Tru Thoughts’ attention via her involvement with the Nostalgia 77 and Nostalgia 77 Octet projects. She has loved and lived music all her life with the help of an old clarinet (in the very early years), piano, tenor sax and, of course, her vocal chords. She grew up in Devon in the South West of England but opted for a taste of city life when she moved to Birmingham to study Jazz at university. There she did most of her growing up (musically and the rest!) and had the pleasure of playing with some great musicians including Chris Bowden (a killer sax player) who asked her to sing on his ‘Slightly Askew’ album for Ninja Tune in 2001. This and other early successes set the scene for her musical journey. Further sessions followed for various labels and artists including tracks such as Nostalgia 77’s ‘Hope Suite’ for Tru Thoughts, which was nominated for Gilles Peterson’s BBC Radio One’s Track of the Year 2005, and Will Saul’s ‘Space Between’ (Simple). She then worked on her debut album ‘Watching Space’ in 2005 for indie label The Birds and settled in North London where she lives and works, on her own music and a variety of new and exciting projects with artists including Nostalgia 77. She can frequently be found live on stage with the Nostalgia 77 Octet and on occasion The Heritage Orchestra (Brownswood) and of course in her own band, as, you guessed it, Lizzy Parks. Over the years Lizzy has performed at some wonderful venues including The Jazz Café, Cargo, The National Theatre, The Royal Festival Hall, The Spitz, Ronnie Scotts, Birmingham Symphony Hall, Glastonbury Festival, The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall and the Gateshead International Jazz Festival, as well as internationally in Denmark, Portugal, Bratislava, Athens, Ghent, Belgium and Germany. Lizzy describes her music: “To be honest, I love a lot, I listen a lot and I sing a lot and I’m always happiest sharing what I can find with anyone who’ll take the time to listen”. At the Big Chill 2008, she did just that, with a series of impromptu acoustic performances that drew an impressive crowd of revellers, curious to see who was behind the dulcet tones they could hear drifting along on the breeze. Lizzy’s debut album for Tru Thoughts (produced by Nostalgia 77) came out on 22nd September 2008, entitled Raise the Roof. It was preceded by a 7” single of the same name in August. The quirky, soulful jazz and stunning live musicianship of these releases garnered fantastic reactions from tastemakers around the world – including Laurent Garnier, Pete Isaac (Jelly Jazz) and Gilles Peterson, who has supported tracks on his BBC Radio 1 show – and firmly cemented Lizzy’s reputation as a bona fide soulful chanteuse for our times. In 2009, hot on the heels of her debut album, Lizzy Parks is taking her talent in a new direction with an acoustic album entitled This And That. A collection of totally new and exclusive acoustic material, interspersed with gloriously re-worked acoustic versions of songs from her previous album, ‘This And That’ sees Lizzy exploring new terrain, dipping into the worlds of folk, jazz and soul with her characteristic charm and lightness of touch. © www.myspace.com/lizzyparksmusic © 2010 Tru Thoughts http://www.tru-thoughts.co.uk/artists/lizzy-parks

David Bowie

David Bowie - VHI Storytellers (CD 1) - 2009 - EMI

VH1's sadly short-lived series Storytellers was ideal for an old charmer like David Bowie, giving him an intimate platform to spin stories both old and new. When he appeared on the show on August 23, 1999, he was a few months away from releasing Hours..., an album where he comfortably came to terms with his past, so it fits that he's looking back fondly here, telling stories about the Mannish Boys and Iggy Pop, sliding the new tunes "Thursday's Child" and "Seven" in between "Life on Mars?" and "Drive-In Saturday," plus "Can't Help Thinking About Me," a single he released with the Lower Third in 1965. These are all good, relaxed, unplugged readings, but the chief attraction of VH1 Storytellers is, appropriately enough, those stories Bowie tells, as they not only offer a glimpse into the creation of these songs, they do what great stories should do: they entertain. [VH1 Storytellers is available as a CD/DVD package, with the CD containing a mere eight songs and the DVD containing a full program of 12 tunes, adding "Always Crashing in the Same Car" and Tin Machine's "I Can't Read" into the mix.] Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wnfwxzr0ldke

Recorded live at Manhattan Center Studios, New York, on 23-08-99 as part of the VH1 Storytellers series, to promote his 'Hours' album, this concert is remembered by Bowie fans as a highlight of VHI's Storytellers series. There is great banter with the audience, and the musicianship is superb.The album was released as a CD/DVD featuring the original televised performance of eight songs, plus an additional four songs that were taped, but were not featured during the original air date. The DVD bonus tracks are "Survive", " I Can't Read", "Always Crashing in the Same Car", and "If I'm Dreaming My Life", none of which are included on this post. If you are not familiar with Bowie's live act, this album is a great introduction to the rock superstar. It also takes a fresh look at a legend for the diehard Bowie fan. The album is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Give David Bowie's fabulous classic "Aladdin Sane" album a listen. Read the great man's bio @ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bowie

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Life on Mars? - David Bowie
2 Conversation/Rebel Rebel - David Bowie
3 Thursday's Child - David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
4 Can't Help Thinking About Me - David Bowie, The Lower Third
5 China Girl - David Bowie, Iggy Pop
6 Seven - David Bowie, Reeves Gabrels
7 Drive-In Saturday - David Bowie
8 Word on a Wing - David Bowie

MUSICIANS

David Bowie - Guitar, Vocals
Mark Plati, Reeves Gabrels - Guitar
Gail Ann Dorsey - Bass, Vocals
Mike Garson - Piano, Keyboards
Sterling Campbell - Percussion, Drums
Holly Palmer, Lani Groves - Vocals (bckgr)
Ray Davies - Inspiration

Peter Erskine

Peter Erskine - Peter Erskine - 1982 - Contemporary

Drummer Peter Erskine's debut as a leader (originally made for Contemporary and reissued on CD in the OJC series) finds him using top players (most of whom had played with Steps Ahead) in various combinations. Erskine performs a few of his own originals (including an 11-minute "All's Well That Ends" and a short drum solo) plus "My Ship," Wayne Shorter's "E.S.P.," and Bob Mintzer's "Change of Mind." With such musicians as trumpeter Randy Brecker, tenors Michael Brecker and Mintzer, pianist Kenny Kirkland, and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri getting some solo space, this post-bop music (from an often-overlooked set) is of consistent high quality © Scott Yanow © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:jzftxqugldke

One of the greatest drummers of modern times, and a highly sought after session musician. This s/t album brilliantly demonstrates Peter Erskine's drumming style. Listen to Andy Laverne's "Liquid Silver" album, Weather Report's "Night Passage" featuring Peter Erskine, and Peter's own "Motion Poet" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Leroy Street - R. Brecker, Erskine (7:55)
In Statu Nascendi - Erskine (1:30)
E.S.P. - Wayne Shorter (2:58)
Change of Mind - Bob Mintzer (7:29)
All's Well That Ends - Erskine (11:08)
My Ship - Kurt Weill, Ira Gershwin (5:44)
Coyote Blues - Erskine (4:42)

MUSICIANS

Peter Erskine (Synthesizer), (Percussion), (Drums), (Oberheim)
Eddie Gomez (Bass)
Don Grolnick (Synthesizer), (Piano), (Piano (Electric)
Kenny Kirkland (Piano)
Don Alias (Percussion), (Conga), (Drums), (Shaker)
Eliane Elias (Percussion)
Michael Brecker, Bob Mintzer (Saxophone), (Tenor Sax)
Randy Brecker (Trumpet), (Flugelhorn)
Bob Mintzer (Bass Clarinet)
Mike Mainieri (Vibraphone)

BIO

A highly skilled, versatile drummer, Peter Erskine has anchored big bands and jazz-rock/fusion groups. He's known for sophisticated rhythms, distinctive accompaniment, and powerful, rippling solos. Erskine began drumming at three, and participated in Stan Kenton's National Stage Band Camps from the age of six. He studied with Alan Dawson and Ed Soph, attending the Interlochen Arts Academy in Michigan and Indiana University. He played with Kenton from 1972 to 1975, then from 1976 to 1978 with Maynard Ferguson. Erskine joined Weather Report in 1978, and was their drummer and percussionist until 1982. He also did several West Coast sessions in the late '70s, and was a member of Steps and Steps Ahead. During the '80s he worked with John Abercrombie's groups and the quartet Bass Desires. Erskine has recorded as a leader for Contemporary, Denon, Ah Um, RCA/Novus, and Passport Jazz. He's worked with Joe Farrell, Marc Johnson, Mike Brecker, Randy Brecker, John Scofield, Bob Mintzer, Lew Soloff, Kenny Kirkland, Mike Mandel, and Kenny Werner, among others. He has several sessions available on CD. Ron Wynn © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

Guitar Shorty

Guitar Shorty - Roll Over, Baby - 1998 - Black Top

William Kearney aka Guitar Shorty keeps it lean, mean and direct on this outing. Recorded in New Orleans, this session features his regular road band, abetted by Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff and some top N.O. players like Buckwheat Zydeco bassist Lee Allen Zeno. Shorty penned seven of the 12 tunes aboard, and the mix on this album runs from Texas shuffles ("Sugar Wugar," "I'm Going Back to Houston"), low down blues ("I Wonder Who's Sleeping in My Bed," "You're a Troublemaker," "Me and You Last Night") to New Orleans rock & roll ("I Want to Report a Crime," "Hard Time Woman," "The Porkchop Song" and the title track) and funk ("Don't Mess with My Woman," "Let's Get Close"), plus a heartfelt tribute to Hendrix on an extended workout on "Hey Joe." A wide and varied session that showcases the guitarist's wide-ranging chops and skills. © Cub Koda © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:avfpxqyjld0e

One of the most underrated guitarists playing today, the great Texan bluesman Guitar Shorty (David Kearney) can turn out some classy scorching slow burning blues. "Roll Over, Baby" is a great album up to his usual high standards. It arguably is his "best" album. The Chicago Tribune described Guitar Shorty's music as "Defiant, electric blues with piercing intensity and raw venom that'll leave your ears singed." A great album from a man who needs to be heard by more people. Listen to Guitar Shorty at his best on his "My Way or the Highway" album, and buy his brilliant "We the People" album. His "Get Wise To Yourself" album is @ GUITSHO/GW2Y

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 I Want to Report a Crime - Jerry Williams 4:06
2 Roll over, Baby - Jerry Williams 4:48
3 Sugar Wugar - D.Kearney, H.Scott 4:46
4 You're a Troublemaker - D.Kearney, H.Scott 5:21
5 Don't Mess With My Woman - D.Kearney 4:36
6 Me and You Last Night - Jerry Williams 3:20
7 Let's Get Close - D.Kearney 3:10
8 I Wonder Who's Sleeping in My Bed - D.Kearney 7:04
9 The Porkchop Song - Jerry Williams 2:46
10 I'm Going Back to Houston - D.Kearney 4:16
11 Hard Time Woman - E.Alexander, D.Kearney 4:14
12 Hey Joe - Billy Roberts, Dino Valenti 7:15

MUSICIANS

Guitar Shorty - Guitar, Vocals
Lee Allen Zeno - Bass, Rubboard
David Torkanowsky - Organ, Piano, Wurlitzer
Shannon Powell, Kenneth Blevins, Danny Pucillo - Drums
Mark "Kaz" Kazanoff - Sax (Baritone), Sax (Tenor)
Ernest Youngblood, Jr. - Sax (Tenor)
Gary Slechta, Jamil Sharif - Trumpet
Rick Trolsen - Trombone

BIO

When he's not turning somersaults, doing backward flips, and standing on his head — all while playing, of course — Guitar Shorty is prone to cutting loose with savagely slashing licks on his instrument. Live, he's simply amazing — and after some lean years, his recent albums for Black Top and Evidence have proven that all that energy translates vividly onto tape. Born David Kearney on September 8, 1939, in Houston, TX, he started playing guitar at an early age. His early influences included fellow blues guitar slingers B.B. King, Guitar Slim, T-Bone Walker, and Earl Hooker. By the time he was 17, Kearney was already gigging steadily in Tampa, FL. One night, he was perched on the bandstand when he learned that the mysterious "Guitar Shorty" advertised on the club's marquee was none other than him! His penchant for stage gymnastics was inspired by the flamboyant Guitar Slim, whose wild antics are legendary. In 1957, Shorty cut his debut single, "You Don't Treat Me Right," for Chicago's Cobra Records under Willie Dixon's astute direction. Three superb 45s in 1959 for tiny Pull Records in Los Angeles (notably "Hard Life") rounded out Shorty's discography for quite a while. During the '60s, he married Jimi Hendrix's stepsister and lived in Seattle, where the rock guitar god caught Shorty's act (and presumably learned a thing or two about inciting a throng) whenever he came off the road. Shorty's career had its share of ups and downs — once he was reduced to competing on Chuck Barris' zany Gong Show, where he copped first prize for delivering "They Call Me Guitar Shorty" while balanced on his noggin. Los Angeles had long since reclaimed Shorty by the time things started to blossom anew with the 1991 album My Way or the Highway for the British JSP logo (with guitarist Otis Grand in support). From there, Black Top signed Shorty; 1993's dazzling Topsy Turvy, 1995's Get Wise to Yourself, and 1998's Roll Over, Baby have been the head-over-heels results so far. In 2001, the appropriately titled I Go Wild was released on the Evidence label, proving that Guitar Shorty has no intentions of slowing down; he remains a master showman and lively blues guitarist. Watch Your Back appeared in spring 2004. A single-disc overview of his career, The Best of Guitar Shorty, appeared from Shout! Factory in 2006, as well as a new studio album, We the People, from Alligator Records. © Bill Dahl & Al Campbell, allmusic.com

MORE ABOUT GUITAR SHORTY (DAVID KEARNEY) / ALBUMS

"Defiant, electric blues with piercing intensity and raw venom that'll leave your ears singed" -- Chicago Tribune. Guitarist/vocalist and blues legend Guitar Shorty is a man of the people. With the ability to pack clubs and festivals as one of the blues' most celebrated live performers (even before he had any nationally available recordings) and now among the top-selling recording artists in the blues world, he is clearly the people's choice. Between his blistering, rocked-out guitar work and his fierce, soulful vocals, the power of his music is unmatched, and his perceptive and meaningful lyrics unique among modern bluesmen. Credited with influencing both Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Guy, Shorty has been electrifying audiences for five decades with his supercharged live shows and his incendiary recordings (beginning in 1957 with a Willie Dixon-produced single on the Cobra label). Through the years, Shorty has performed with blues and R&B luminaries like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, B.B. King, Guitar Slim and T-Bone Walker. Although he had recorded a handful of singles for a variety of labels, it wasn't until the 1990s that the wider world opened its collective ears to one of the blues' most exciting performers. His albums since then all received massive critical acclaim, and his legendary live performances have kept him constantly in demand all over the world. His 2004 Alligator Records debut, WATCH YOUR BACK, became the best received, best-selling album of his career. GuitarOne magazine said, "Guitar Shorty is a superb bluesman who can scorch your ears off with lethal licks and heavyweight blues-rock grooves." With his new CD, WE THE PEOPLE, he's prepared to continue what he's started, taking his music, and his fans, to deeper places and even greater heights. Produced by Wyzard and Brian Brinkerhoff, WE THE PEOPLE finds Guitar Shorty singing and playing with ferocious urgency and a fierce righteousness. WE THE PEOPLE burns with heavy rock and roll fire from start to finish, putting Shorty's infectious energy and guitar pyrotechnics on full display. And more than ever before, his songs tell the story of the harsh realities of everyday life in terms both stark (We The People), pointed (Cost Of Livin') and poignant (Down That Road Again). What he began with WATCH YOUR BACK, Shorty accelerates with WE THE PEOPLE, creating an album that is as memorable for its menacing guitar work and defiant vocals as it is for its incisive and wide-ranging stories. Guitar Shorty was born David William Kearney on September 8, 1939 in Houston, Texas and raised in Kissimmee, Florida by his grandmother. He began playing guitar as a young boy, excited by the sounds of B.B. King, Guitar Slim, T-Bone Walker and Earl Hooker. His first lessons came from his uncle, but when it became clear that the youngster was serious about his music, his grandmother hired a tutor for him. "I learned so fast I was always two or three pages ahead of my teacher," he recalls. After a move to Tampa when he was 17, Kearney won a slot as a featured guitarist and vocalist in Walter Johnson's 18-piece orchestra. Being younger—and shorter—than the rest of the band, the club owner bestowed the name Guitar Shorty on him, and it stuck. After a particularly strong performance in Florida, the great Willie Dixon, who was in the audience, approached Shorty and said, "I like what you're doing. You've got something different. I gotta get you in the studio." A few weeks later Shorty was in Chicago and, backed by Otis Rush on second guitar, he cut his first single, Irma Lee b/w You Don't Treat Me Right, for Chicago's famed Cobra Records (the first label home for Rush, Magic Sam and Buddy Guy) in 1957. "Willie Dixon was a huge influence on me and my singing," Shorty remembers. "If it hadn't been for him, I never would have recorded." After recording the Cobra single, Shorty's fortunes continued to rise, as the great Ray Charles hired the young guitar slinger as a featured member of his road band. While touring Florida, Shorty met one of his idols—guitarist/vocalist Guitar Slim, famous for his hit Things That I Used To Do as well as for his wildman stage antics. Slim's manager offered Shorty the opening slot on the guitarist's upcoming tour, and Shorty jumped at the chance, following his hero to New Orleans. Inspired by Slim, Shorty began incorporating some of the older artist's athletic showmanship into his own performances. Before long, he was doing somersaults and flips on stage. Between his blistering talent and his wild stage shows, Guitar Shorty found his audience growing even larger. He recorded three 45s for the Los Angeles-based Pull Records label in 1959. Those six sides—all Guitar Shorty originals incorporating techniques learned from Willie Dixon—showcased his first-rate vocals and his dynamic guitar style. He gigged steadily through the late 1950s and 1960s, working with Little Milton, B.B. King, Lowell Fulson, Sam Cooke, Otis Rush, Johnny Copeland and T-Bone Walker. Settling down in Seattle, he married Marsha Hendrix, Jimi's stepsister. Hendrix loved his guitar-playing brother-in-law, and confessed that in 1961 and 1962 he would go AWOL from his Army base in order to catch Shorty's area performances, picking up licks and ideas. "I'd see Jimi at the clubs," Shorty recalls. "He'd stay in the shadows, watching me. I hear my licks in Purple Haze and Hey Joe. He told me the reason he started setting his guitar on fire was because he couldn't do the back flips like I did." Guitar Shorty moved to Los Angeles in 1971 and worked as a mechanic during the day while playing gigs at night until 1975, when he again became a full-time musician. He had his share of career tribulations, though, including a performance (albeit a winning one) on The Gong Show in 1978, playing guitar while standing on his head. After overcoming a serious auto accident in 1984, he recorded an EP for Big J Records and a few more singles (this time for Olive Branch Records) in 1985, showcasing his fat-toned guitar licks and deep blues vocals. The strength of these recordings kept him busy on the club scene, and he eventually landed a British tour in 1990. Guitar Shorty cut his debut album for the JSP label in 1990 while on tour in England. Released in 1991, My Way Or The Highway received the Blues Music Award for "Contemporary Foreign Blues Album Of The Year" and revitalized Shorty's career in the U.S. With all the attention Shorty received, the New Orleans-based Black Top label signed him and released three albums (Topsy Turvy, Get Wise To Yourself and Roll Over, Baby) during the 1990s, and in 2001 Evidence Records issued I Go Wild. All received an abundance of positive press as he barnstormed his way across the U.S. and around the world, with stops in Europe, China and Malaysia. The Chicago Tribune declared, "Shorty's forte is his high-energy style and fluid, imaginative fretboard work." DownBeat raved, "Guitar Shorty's music is a funky, boisterous buffet of off-the-wall blues fun." Appearances at major festivals like The Monterey Bay Blues Festival, The San Francisco Blues Festival and The King Biscuit Blues Festival brought him to larger and larger audiences. At the 1998 Chicago Blues Festival, Shorty opened for his old boss Ray Charles and thrilled an audience of thousands with his jaw-dropping stage show. With the release of WATCH YOUR BACK in 2004, Guitar Shorty's long rise to blues stardom grew exponentially. The outpouring of soulful emotion, the power of his playing and the strength of the material added up to the toughest album of Shorty's renowned career. Living Blues called Shorty "a blues rock original [who plays] screaming, empowered guitar and sings with streetwise defiance." Now, with WE THE PEOPLE Guitar Shorty delivers a moving and soulful statement, featuring some of the most fire-coated fretwork he has ever laid down and the most thought-provoking songs he's ever recorded. He's playing with a passion and dedication almost unmatched in today's music scene. With dates constantly being added to his tour calendar, this guitar-wielding, soul-singing, rock-solid performer is set to bring his mind-expanding music to locations North, South, East and West. Always a celebrated live performer and now a top-selling recording artist as well, Guitar Shorty will no doubt find that WE THE PEOPLE will once again make him the people's choice. © www.intrepidartists.com

Russell Gunn

Russell Gunn - Ethnomusicolgy Volume 3 - 2003 - Justin Time

Trumpeter/composer Russell Gunn continues his music lesson for the world with Ethnomusicology Volume 3 — a rich fusion of sound that's part jazz, part spoken word, part techno, part hip hop. Ethnomusicology Volume 3 is the ninth album from Gunn, twice nominated for a Grammy for the first two CDs in this series — Ethnomusicology Volume 1 and Ethnomusicology Volume 2. Gunn produced the collection and composed or collaborated on seven cuts on the latest CD. The thread running through each of the diverse cuts is the theory that most modern music can trace its roots to the African-American community. Gunn combines traditional jazz riffs with hard rock guitars, turntable artists, funk bass... sometimes all on the same track. The emotional landscape is equally diverse, celebrating old friends, hometowns and even hate crimes and discrimination. Gunn weaves together elements of Cuban, Brazilian, African, Washington, D.C.'s "Go-Go" music and hip hop into a progressive jazz style. Gunn grew up on the mean streets of East St. Louis, and his first aspiration was to be a rapper. He took up the trumpet in the fourth grade, and he's been creating a furious fusion of both music genres ever since. He first drew notice playing at New York City's famed Blue Note club and soon earned a place on the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and has been touring on his own and as part of other bands since the mid-1990s. Copyright 2010 NPR http://www.discogs.com/Russell-Gunn-Ethnomusicolgy-Volume-3/release/1735251

Maybe more commercial, and less original than other albums in this series, but good, nevertheless. If you are not into rap/hip-hop, you may not like this album, but there are other musical elements like prog.jazz, rock, and soul funk on the album, and musically there is a lot to recommend it. Check out his brilliant "Gunn Fu" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Celebrity Room Intro - Russell Gunn 0:46
2 No Separation - Russell Gunn 4:11
3 The Critic's Song - Russell Gunn 2:52
4 Variations (On A Conspiracy Theory) - Russell Gunn 6:04
5 East St. Louis - Russell Gunn 5:44
6 John Wicks - Russell Gunn 7:03
7 Yesterdays - Jerome Kern, Otto Harbach 7:31
8 Strange Fruit - Lewis Allan, Lewis Allen 4:03
9 Stranger Fruit - Russell Gunn, Jody Merriday 7:01

MUSICIANS

Russell Gunn - Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Keyboards, Soloist, Electric Trump
Carl Burnett - Guitar (Acoustic), Guitar (Electric)
Carlos Henderson - Bass (Electric), Bass (Acoustic)
Marc Cary - Piano, Soloist
Nick Rolfe - Piano, Korg Synthesizer, Fender Rhodes, Soloist
James Hurt - Synthesizer, Soloist
Dana Murray, Rocky Bryant - Drums
Kahlil Kwame Bell - Percussion
Oliver Lake - Sax (Alto), Soloist
Kebbi Williams - Sax (Tenor), Soloist, Electric Saxophone
Antoine Drye - Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Duane Eubanks - Trumpet
Vincent Chancey - French Horn
Stefon Harris - Vibraphone, Soloist
DJ Neil Armstrong - Turntables, Soloist
Montez Coleman - Voices
Kenny "Blue" Campbell, Gary Noble, Todd Britt - Performers

BIO

Trumpeter/multi-instrumentalist Russell Gunn was born and raised in Illinois; weaned on rap, he turned to jazz in his professional pursuits, although hip-hop remained a primary influence on his work. First attracting the attention of critics and audiences through his contributions to Wynton Marsalis' Blood on the Fields, Gunn also backed the likes of Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove, James Moody, and R&B hitmaker Maxwell, appearing on the latter's MTV Unplugged session. After a handful of independent releases, he signed to Atlantic to issue the solo Ethnomusicology, Vol. 1 in early 1999. That album was nominated for a Grammy in 2000. Smokingunn followed a year later and, in 2001, Gunn explored more of the same themes as the first volume of Ethnomusicology with Ethnomusicology, Vol. 2. Since that time, Gunn has released two more volumes in his "Ethnomusicology" series, including Ethnomusicology, Vol. 3 and Ethnomusicology, Vol. 4: Live in Atlanta. In 2007, the trumpeter paid homage to fellow St. Louis, IL, native and trumpet icon Miles Davis with Russell Gunn Plays Miles. © Jason Ankeny © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll

Dave Pike

Dave Pike - The Doors Of Perception - 1970 - Vortex

Although the music could be classified as "free jazz" or avant garde jazz, which sometimes deters people from listening to this kind of music, it's a great album full of experimental modal jazzed-out pieces with some heavy psychedelic soul jazz grooves from Dave Pikes vibraphone and marimba, and with just enough echo to make it "trippy". There's also fuzz bass and some rainstorm sound effects. Very accessible, listenable, and enjoyable. It is worthwhile listening to Dave Pike's "Pike's Groove" album

TRACKS

A1 Free Improvisation 3:06
A2 The Drifter 7:09
A3 The Doors Of Perception 3:29

B1 Ballad 5:30
B2 Anticipation 8:05

All music composed by Dave Pike

MUSICIANS

Electric Bass - Chuck Israel
Piano - Don Friedman
Drums - Arnie Wise
Alto Saxophone - Lee Konitz
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet - Eddie Daniels
Marimba, Vibraphone - Dave Pike

REVIEWS

Friedman's hip piano work. "Ballad," on the other hand, is relatively straight, sweet, soft, and tender, but again features those spacy vibes. The whole joint gets taken out the door with "Anticipation," a hard bop number with great alto work from Konitz (albeit sounding a little warped by shifting primitive stereo effects) and Daniels that alternates between the latter's down-and-dirty blowing and the former's elegant phrasing. The rhythm section just dazzles, with Friedman doing some of his best work in both comping and soloing here. He's deep into the groove laid down by Wise and Israel — the latter of whom walks that line and gets good wood on his upright. When Pike enters with his bright vibes, the whole thing moves off into jazz via the Jetsons! While The Doors of Perception may not be every Pike fan's cup of what have you, it will certainly appeal to those who dug his sides for the German MPS label in the early '70s. The bottom line: there is so little of his work available on CD in America anyway that this one — particularly as a budget release — is well worth plunking down the cash for. © Thom Jurek © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:dxfyxqrgldse

Groovily tripped-out work from vibist Dave Pike – and one of the few American albums that matches the experimental sound of his work for MPS! The session's often quite free and open – in a way that not only uses odd instrumental combinations and arrangements, but which also features some offbeat production by Herbie Mann that further abstracts the sound! Elements of Pike's earlier work shine through in a few of the more straightforward groovers, but his new European-endowed sense of hipness wins in the end – thanks to a good deal of modal grooves, psychedelic elements, and even a bit of fuzzy Fender bass! Other players include Lee Konitz on alto sax, Don Friedman on piano, Chuck Israel on bass (electric and acoustic), and Eddie Daniels on tenor and clarinet – and titles include "Free Improvisation", "The Drifter", "Ballad", "The Doors Of Perception", and "Anticipation". © 1996-2010, Dusty Groove America, Inc. http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=2y6wfmww4v

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

David Samuel Pike (born March 23, 1938 in Detroit) is a jazz vibraphone player. He learned drums at the age of eight and is self-taught on vibes. He has also played marimba, particularly with Herbie Mann. Lionel Hampton, Milt Jackson, and Cal Tjader were early inspirations for him. He began putting an amplifier on his vibes when working with flautist Herbie Mann in the early 1960s. There are several other works he did inspired by Brazilian jazz, Latin jazz, or world music. By the late 1960s, Pike's music became more exploratory, contributing a unique voice and new contexts that pushed the envelope in times remembered for their exploratory nature. "Doors of Perception," released in 1970 for the Atlantic Records subsidiary Vortex Records and produced by former boss Herbie Mann, explored ballads, modal territory, musique concrete, with free and lyrical improvisation, and included musicians like alto saxophonist Lee Konitz, bassist Chuck Israels (of Bill Evans and Ornette Coleman fame) and the vastly underrated pianist Don Friedman whose artistry was up to the task of finding new spaces in the jazz idiom. Pike's move to Europe and tenure at MPS/Saba records produced some of the most original jazz of the period. With the collaboration of Volker Kriegel (guitar), J. A. Rettenbacher (acoustic and electric bass), and Peter Baumeister (drums), he formed the Dave Pike Set. The group recorded 6 brilliant records from 1969-1972 that spanned the gamut from funky grooves to free, textural territory. The group, though short-lived, created a unique identity and textural palette. Kriegel's compositional and instrumental (playing acoustic, classical, and electric guitar as well as sitar) contributions to the group helped set the Dave Pike Set's sound apart, organically incorporating influences from jazz, soul jazz, psychedelia, avant garde music, and world (Indian, Brazilian, Latin and Middle Eastern sounds) music.

Raful Neal

Raful Neal - Louisiana Legend - 1987 - Fantastic/King Snake

Kenny Neal's dad Raful is a longtime Baton Rouge swamp blues stalwart whose own discography is way sparser than it should be. This album, first out on Bob Greenlee's King Snake logo, is an atmospheric indication of what the elder Neal can do with a harmonica, mixing covers ("Steal Away," "Honest I Do," "No Cuttin' Loose") with spicy originals. © Bill Dahl, All Music Guide © 2010 Answers Corporation http://www.answers.com/topic/louisiana-legend

The late Raful Neal from Baton Rouge, was a powerhouse blues harmonica player. He had a heavy, gut-grabbing style of blues, reminiscent of Solomon Burke at times, but with a personal stamp best heard in tracks like his wrenching "Down and Out". His laid-back vocals and powerful harmonica was the soul of South Louisiana blues. He was influenced in his early days by artists like Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters and Little Walter, and in his later life he played with greats like Buddy Guy. A brilliant harmonicist, this album is a perfect example of pure Baton Rouge home blues.The album was co-produced by his son Kenny Neal, who also plays lead guitar. Buy Raful's great "I Been Mistreated" album

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

Luberta - Raful Neal
Steal Away - Jimmy Hughes
Blues On The Moon - Raful Neal
Down And Out - Raful Neal
You Don't Love Me (Anymore) - Daniels, Marks, Moore
No Cuttin' Loose - Daniels, Marks, Moore
Been So Long - Raful Neal
Late In The Evening - Raful Neal
Honest I Do - Jimmy Reed, Ewart Abner
Let's Work Together - Wilbert Harrison

MUSICIANS

Kenny Neal (Lead Guitar)
Bryan Bassett (Guitar)
Bryan Lancaster, Ernie Lancaster (Rhythm Guitar)
Bob "Rattlesnake" Greenlee (Bass), (Baritone Sax)
Red Simpson, Barry Rupp (Keyboards)
Jimmy Payne, Scott Corwin, Denny Best (Drums)
Noble "Thin Man" Watts (Trombone), (Tenor Sax)
Jon Paltishall (Trombone)
Bruce Staelens (Trumpet)
Raful Neal (Harmonica), (Vocals)

BIO

When he wasn't busy siring progeny (the Neal household produced ten kids, most of them seemingly now playing the blues), Raful Neal was staking his claim as one of the top harpists on the Baton Rouge blues front. Unfortunately, until recently, his discography didn't reflect that status — but albums for Alligator and Ichiban have righted that injustice. Born in Baton Rouge in 1936, Neal took up the harp at age 14, tutored by a local player named Ike Brown and influenced by Chicago mainstay Little Walter. Neal's first band, the Clouds, also included guitarist Buddy Guy. This was the band Little Walter heard while in Baton Rouge and invited them to move up to Chicago and fill in at the gigs Walter couldn't make. Guy jumped at the chance but Neal decided to stay in Louisiana and raise his family. The harpist debuted on vinyl in 1958 with a 45 for Don Robey's Houston-headquartered Peacock Records. But "Sunny Side of Love," fine though it was, didn't lead to an encore for Peacock or anywhere else until much later, when Neal turned up with 45s on Whit, La Louisiane, and Fantastic. Neal's debut album, the aptly titled Louisiana Legend, first emerged on Bob Greenlee's King Snake Records and was picked up by Alligator in 1990. I Been Mistreated, Neal's equally swampy follow-up, was released on Ichiban the following year; sons Noel (on bass) and Raful Jr. (on guitar) pitched in to help their old man out. Neal toured around the world and in 1997 he contributed harp to a couple of tracks on Tab Benoit's Live: Swampland Jam record. The understated but solid Old Friends appeared in 1998. After a long bout with cancer, Raful Neal died on September 1, 2004, after a long bout with cancer. © Bill Dahl © 2010 Rovi Corporation. All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0ifuxq95ld0e~T1

BIO (WIKIPEDIA)

Raful Neal (6 June, 1936 – September 1, 2004 was an American, Louisiana blues singer, harmonicist and songwriter. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Neal took up the blues harp at age 14, tutored by a local player named Ike Brown and influenced by Little Walter. Neal's first band, the Clouds, also included the guitarist, Buddy Guy. Neal debuted on vinyl in 1958 with a single for Don Robey's Houston, Texas based Peacock Records. But "Sunny Side of Love" was not successful. Neal's debut album, Louisiana Legend, first emerged on King Snake Records and was picked up by Alligator Records in 1990. I Been Mistreated, Neal's follow-up, was released on Ichiban Records the following year. Neal toured around the world and in 1997 he contributed harp to a couple of tracks on Tab Benoit's Live: Swampland Jam record. Neal's next long-player, Old Friends, appeared in 1998. After a long bout with cancer, Neal died in Baton Rouge, in September 2004. Nine of his ten children are also blues musicians, and several performed with him on his later releases on the Alligator label.

Pete York

Pete York - Superblues - 1994 - Koch

"Superblues" was recorded live on tour at the Zelt Music Festival in Freiburg, Germany on June 19th 1991. It contains a cover of John Lee Hooker's "Dimples" which was the first single released by The Spencer Davis Group in 1964, and a great cover of Ashton, Gardner and Dyke's brilliant 1971 hit, "Resurrection Shuffle". "Lover Man" was a 1941 hit especially composed for Billie Holiday. Musicians include Tony Ashton on vocals and keyboards, Chris Farlowe on vocals, and Miller Anderson and Spencer Davis on guitar and vocals. The album covers many different music styles, including jazz, rock, R&B, and soul. A great album and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out Pete York's "Wireless" album, "Hardin & New York", and "The Best Of The Spencer Davis Group"

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

"High Heel Sneakers" (Higginbottam)
"Flip, Flop And Fly" (Calhoun/Turner)
"Parchman Farm" (Mose Allison)
"Lover Man" (Davis/Ramirez/Sherman)
"Dimples" (Hooker/Bracken)
"Born Again"/"Get Back" (Davis/Dean + Lennon/McCartney)
"Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City" (Price/Walsh)
"Never Too Old To Rock" (Jupp/East)
"Resurrection Shuffle" (Ashton)
"Out Of Time" (Jagger/Richards)
"Johnny B. Goode" (Chuck Berry)

MUSICIANS

Miller Anderson, Spencer Davis (g, voc)
Gary Twigg, Harvey Weston (b)
Wolfgang Dahlheimer (keyb)
Eddie Hardin, Tony Ashton (keyb, voc)
Pete York (dr, lead vocals on "Flip, Flop And Fly")
Dick Morrissey (sax)
Roy Williams (tromb)
Chris Farlowe (voc)
Bea Gebauer (lead vocals on "Lover Man")

BIO

PETE was born in Middlesbrough, England on 15th August 1942. The Second World War was raging but he had nothing to do with it. 1950 - He began to play on a toy drum and his mother's cooking pots while listening to American jazz on the radio; probably his first exposure to drum legend, Gene Krupa. Pete played drums throughout his school years and joined the Trent College Jazz Club, School Orchestra and Army Cadet Force Band. On leaving school in 1960 he had acquired some rudimentary technique on the drums and his enthusiasm was growing fast for a life in music. He went to Birmingham and soon got involved in the music scene there, playing everything from Dixieland to modern jazz. In 1962 came his first TV appearance with an award-winning new jazz group. Pete had also begun to play blues and R & B with Spencer Davis, Steve and Muff. Eventually the Spencer Davis Group would record in 1964. The record releases that followed resulted in critical acclaim in many countries and ever-increasing chart success. "Keep On Running" reached Number One in 1965 to be followed in the next year by "Somebody Help Me", "When I Come Home", Gimme Some Lovin'" and "I'm A Man". Pete appeared with the SDG in several films, countless TV shows around the world and is heard on all the million selling singles and albums. But there always comes that time to move on and Steve and Muff had already left. In 1969 Pete left Spencer on friendly terms to form a unique duo with Eddie Hardin. Hardin & York were sometimes dubbed "the World's Smallest Big Band" and released several albums with great success, especially in Europe. The duo often played as opening act for bands like Deep Purple and it is from this time that Pete's friendship with Jon Lord and Ian Paice stems. The 70´s - By 1972 Pete York's Percussion Band had hit the road. It featured a brass section and three drummers as well as guitarist/singer Miller Anderson. Occasional guest drummers in this adventure were Ian Paice, Keef Hartley, Roy Dyke and Keith Moon. Klaus Doldinger was a much acclaimed saxophonist bandleader from Germany and in 1973 he put together a package including his own Passport group plus guests, Alexis Korner, Brian Auger, Johnny Griffin and Pete York. It was a mixture of stylists and it worked beautifully. The next year came a call from Jon Lord for Pete to play with "Rock Meets Classic" an experimental mix of rock group and orchestra which Jon had pioneered with Deep Purple a couple of years earlier. This year of 1974 also included a revival of the Spencer Davis Group for American and European tours. Six weeks in Bali with Eberhard Schoener and a German film crew resulted in the album and TV special "Bali Agung" in 1975. In the same year Klaus Doldinger invited Pete to tour again with Johnny Griffin, Les McCann and Buddy Guy. The recording of Jon Lord's "Sarabande" also took place during this year. In 1976 Pete could not resist Chris Barber's invitation to play "Echoes of Ellington" with his band and Russell Procope and Wild Bill Davis from the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Pete stayed happily with the band to tour Africa and Australia and accompany exciting guests. In spite of playing more than 250 shows a year Pete took time to marry Mecky on 16 June 1977 and their village wedding was a star-studded event with everyone from the Purples to the Barbers showing up. Trummy Young from the Louis Armstrong All Stars and John Lewis from the Modern Jazz Quartet joined the Barber Band for "Swing Is Here" in 1978. The 80´s - The formation of Pete York's New York took Pete away on tour a lot . Daughter Stephanie was born on 3 May 1979. The responsibility of keeping a regular band on the road as Chris Barber had always done was not easy but Pete kept it going until 1983 and produced several recordings of their jazz-rock music. There were many other sideman gigs for Pete, such as with Dr John and Charlie Watts Rocket 88. The Rock and Blues Circus made its first tours with Chris Farlowe, Jon Lord and Colin Hodgkinson and there were Direct to Disc albums produced. In 1984 Pete moved to Germany with Mecky and Stephanie and a new phase of life began for them. Pete decided to invite some of his old colleagues to tour under the motto "Pete York Presents...." Spencer, Chris Farlowe and Brian Auger all came on the road with Pete and frequent rhythm partner Colin Hodgkinson. A chance meeting with TV director Michael Maschke led to discussions about various TV projects and the idea for " Superdrumming" was born. Brian, Colin and Pete continued touring and made TV shows which included their comic lunacy as well as some great music. In 1986 a cartoon film scripted by Pete and called "Dracula Junior" was completed involving their music and voice talents. By now the group had been christened "Daddy and the Steamers" by Stephanie. Pete had long wanted to play some straight swinging jazz with some of his old friends and the opportunity came in 1987. The TV series "Villa Fantastica" was written by Pete and directed by Michael Maschke. Every show featured a live number played by a swinging quintet, Roy Williams, Dick Morrissey, Brian Auger, Harvey Weston and Pete. Pete was writing and performing in the series "Vorhang Auf" and the first series of "Superdrumming" featuring Ian Paice, Louie Bellson, Cozy Powell, Gerry Brown and Simon Phillips was filmed in a church during a snowy February. The next year, 1988, the production of the second series of "Superdrumming" featured Billy Cobham, Bill Bruford, Dave Mattacks, Zak Starkey, Nicko McBrain, Jon Lord and Eddie Hardin. In 1989 there were tours with Chris Farlowe, Zoot Money, Tony Ashton, Jon Lord, Miller Anderson, Colin Hodgkinson and Pete in an All Star group. The "Superdrumming" TV show won a Silver Award in America and a third series was planned. By now the location was a disused steelworks and the guests included Jon Hiseman, Steve Ferrone, Mark Brzezicki, Trilok Gurtu and the return of Ian Paice. The band on this series featured Miller, Colin, Brian, Jon and Barbara Thompson. There were also more TV tapings of "Villa Fantastica" with the Swing band plus singers Maria Muldaur and Zoot Money. The success of live gigs with the Swingers encouraged Pete to take a jazz group on the road. The 90´s - "Superdrumming" was now well-known in Germany and in 1990 an invitation came to present it live in Freiburg. The drummers were Ian Paice, Jon Hiseman, Cozy Powell and Pete together with the All Star band. The show was sold out in a couple of hours. Daddy and the Steamers continued to tour and Pete played in a duo with Brian Auger. January of 1991 saw the first extended jazz tour "Hollywood Swing" featuring the musicians from "Villa Fantastica" and the tours would go out every January for the next ten years. The Freiburg Festival invited Pete to organise a week of events involving around forty of his musical friends. There were concerts of "Superblues", "Wind In The Willows", "Lady Sings The Blues" and "Hollywood Swing" which featured many of the stars from Pete's life in music. Pete's Fiftieth Birthday was celebrated with a big open-air bash in Switzerland in August 1992. Musicians from all Pete's bands and projects came together to play for a crowd of 8000. On a TV Award show Pete's Sixties All Stars with Jon Lord, Spencer Davis, Eddie Hardin and Paul Jones had the celebrity audience dancing in the aisles with a medley of their hits. The revival of interest in Sixties music led to more offers for the Spencer Davis Group and they played to 10,000 people at a festival in Scotland and 15,000 in Amsterdam. The old hits like "Gimme Some Lovin" were being used in Hollywood movies. In August Pete took a five piece band into Europe's biggest Variety theatre in Berlin for a three month run. There were more jazz gigs, more Spencer Davis gigs in 1994 but the highspots were concerts with Jon Lord and Orchestra. By the following year this project was known as Jon Lord and the Gemini Band. 1995 was the debut year of the Pete York Big Band playing a programme of swing classics. All the old Spencer Davis Group recordings were now available in a CD box set and, during a sell-out week in Birmingham, Steve and Muff Winwood both came along to hear the band. The Birmingham International Jazz Festival invited Pete to play for a week and at the same time rehearse and premiere the Tribute to Gene Krupa "Drummin' Man" which Pete had devised. The swing band was now called the Blue Jive Five and the first CD "Listen here" was released. "Drummin' Man" was booked onto jazz festivals from Finland to Cork. Pete performed with the Big Band and the Steamers under the sponsorship of a cooking pot company who constructed a drum set made of kitchen equipment. It was back to his beginnings on Mum's pans and created great public interest. Amongst the many projects Pete had been involved in the Krupa Tribute was dear to his heart and in 1998 he was invited on a similar show for the Hundredth Birthday of George Gershwin. But this time with a string orchestra and he had to play drums and percussion on "Rhapsody in Blue" as well as playing and singing the Gershwin standards. The Centenary year of Duke Ellington was 1999 and this was irresistible to Pete. Once again the strings swung with the jazz combo as Pete sang some of his favourite items of Ellingtonia. As in any other year there were tours with the perennial colleagues but new friends were made such as the original Duke Ellington bass player, Jimmy Woode. He would join the Pete York All Star Jazz Band for concerts in 2000 to honour the Centenary of jazz great, Louis Armstrong. Today - Pete's old friendship with Eddie Hardin continued and, when Eddie announced himself ready to return to the road after many years running his own studio in the South of France, a revival of Hardin and York pleased the many fans. In early 2001 it was possible to tour England with "Drummin' Man" featuring the cream of the British jazz scene. Another happy re-union with Jon Lord in Zermatt resulted in them performing Jon's chamber music for an international symposium of Nobel prize winners. And the SDG made its annual trip around Europe with Eddie Hardin back on the organ. A major tour of the UK was a highlight of early 2002 with the SDG headlining for the Troggs and the Yardbirds in a package presentation such as they had not appeared on since the Sixties. 53 days on the road performing 46 shows in 43 cities and towns. The last night was at the Royal Albert Hall and the SDG segment of the show was released on DVD. Hardin & Yorks "Wind In The Willows" and "Pete York's Super Drumming", both filmed some years before, also appeared on DVD. These releases were a satisfying way for Pete to celebrate his 60th birthday in this year, as well his 25th wedding anniversary with Mecky. In September Pete staged a sell-out concert with an all-star cast in Starnberg playing swing and R&B. A trio with Helge Schneider and Jimmy Woode had already proved a success and Helge produced a film "Jazz Club" in which the trio played a central part. This would arrive in German cinemas in 2004. © 2007 www.drumsoloartist.com http://www.drumsoloartist.com/Site/Drummers3/Pete_York.html