The Pete Haycock Band

The Pete Haycock Band - Livin' It - 1992 - Bellaphon/L+R Records

Born in the Midlands of England, Pete was playing harmonica aged nine and guitar at the age of eleven. His first band The Mason Dixon Line, played mainly clubs and school concerts. Pete became far better known with the formation of the great Climax Blues Band who rode on the crest of the 60s blues revival in Britain and were also hugely popular in the US. The CBB released over twelve albums and had a US/UK top ten hit with “Couldn’t Get It Right”. The original CBB split up in the early 80s. Pete made a few solo albums and worked on several TV and film scores including “One False Move” and “Filofax”. Hans Zimmer used Pete's guitar talents on the soundtrack of the Thelma & Louise movie. ELO Part Two also employed Pete when they began and touring and recording with The Moscow Symphony Orchestra.

"Livin' It" is an obscure but very good live album recorded at “Die Neue Kulisse”, Pirmasens, Germany in June 1992. Pete Haycock may not be an instantly recognizable name, but he is a great guitarist, and this relatively unknown album will give you a good idea of how this guy can play Rock 'n' Roll, and the Blues. Try and listen to Pete's "Bikers' Dozen" album, and check this blog for related releases [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 139 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Liberty - Pete Haycock
2 So Many Roads - Paul Marshall
3 Communication - Pete Haycock
4 Medley:
Come On In My Kitchen - Robert Johnson
Country Hat - Pete Haycock
Slide Solo - Pete Haycock
5 The Thrill Is Gone - Roy Hawkins, Rick Darnell
6 Lucienne - Pete Haycock
7 Dr. Brown, I Presume - Pete Haycock
8 Blackjack And Me - Pete Haycock

BAND

Pete Haycock - Guitar, Vocals
Livingston Brown - Bass, Keyboards, Vocals
Mike Stevens - Keyboards, Alto Sax, Flute
Clive Mayuyu - Drums, Percussion: Vocal on Track 3

BIO (WIKI)

Pete Haycock (born Peter John Haycock, 4 March 1951, Stafford, Staffordshire, England) is a musician and composer of film scores, who started his career as lead guitarist, vocalist, and founding member of the Climax Chicago Blues Band. Formed in Stafford in 1968, the band changed their name from the Climax Chicago Blues Band to the Climax Blues Band in 1970. The original band line-up consisted of Haycock (lead guitar, vocals), Derek Holt (guitar, vocals), Richard Jones (bass), Arthur Wood (keyboards), George Newsome (drums), and Colin Cooper (harmonica/vocals). The Climax Blues Band went through a few personnel changes during the early 1970s before arriving at their most stable, creative, and successful, line-up, which consisted of Haycock, Holt (switched to bass guitar), Cooper, and drummer John Cuffley. The band, featuring these players, toured heavily in the 1970s and 1980s. During much of this period, Haycock played concerts with his rare trademark instrument, a gold-plated Veleno guitar, which also graced the cover (and was the namesake) of Climax's Gold Plated album.In May, 2012, the Major League Productions Ltd record label released an until-then unknown vault recording of a 1976 live performance, featuring the Climax Blues Band at the top of their game: Climax Blues Band / World Tour 1976. Haycock provided some insightful liner notes for the CD's insert, and the recording further demonstrates the tight musicianship that was found in the band's lineup at that time. The band produced more than 15 successful albums in their heyday. Though another group of musicians, which at one time was led by late former bandmate, Colin Cooper, is currently calling themselves "Climax Blues Band", their lineup does not consist of any founding members, and has not found the commercial success or following that the original, "true" Climax Blues Band enjoyed during Haycock's years with the band. After he and the original Climax bandmates went their separate ways in 1988, Haycock went on to record an instrumental album for I.R.S. No Speak entitled Guitar and Son, as well as the Night of the Guitars live album (from the tour of the same name). After that tour, Haycock teamed up with fellow guitarist Steve Hunter and former Climax Blues bandmate, Derek Holt, to record an album under the name, H Factor. In 1990, Haycock was approached by Bev Bevan, formerly of Electric Light Orchestra, to join the newly-formed Electric Light Orchestra Part II. The group toured and recorded with Haycock in the early 1990s, releasing both a live CD and video of their performance with the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. In the early 1990s Haycock began scoring music for films. He was asked by Hans Zimmer to collaborate on several projects, including K2 and Drop Zone, among others, and it was on the soundtrack for Thelma & Louise that Haycock performed the Thunderbird theme music on slide guitar. Haycock was asked by Zimmer to recreate his performance, with a live symphony orchestra, for the recording of Wings of a Film, which was a compilation album of Zimmer's successful film scores. Other work with Zimmer led to Haycock to begin composing music of his own for film and television. One False Move, (1992) found Haycock collaborating with Derek Holt. More scores would follow, and Haycock helped produce recordings for other artists. Haycock collaborated with Zimmer again in 2011, and played guitar on Ron Howard's soundtrack for The Dilemma, (starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James). In 2005, Haycock supplied all the music for the Hollister Independence Motorcycle Rally DVD charity project, for producer Jeff Byler, with proceeds benefiting Emmaus House, a shelter for battered women and children. When the DVD's producer suggested a follow-up soundtrack to the project, Haycock went back into the studio to complete the album that became Bikers' Dozen, which featured a vocal performance by John Fiddler (Medicine Head). No stranger to charity work, Pete Haycock signed on as a major contributor to the forthcoming Damage Limitation charity CD project in 2009, which was spearheaded by fellow musician Robin George, and was built around Robin's hit song, "LovePower and Peace". Pete contributed many trademark slide guitar tracks and donated studio time to the project, a charity effort to benefit children with cancer and other terminal diseases. This collaboration, which includes the donated talents of scores of veteran musicians , not only resulted in a dynamic album of music, with proceeds benefiting charity, but has resulted in the forming a "super group" called The LovePower Band, which has landed a major record deal and completed its first album, which was released in 2011. There is also talk of a potential LovePower Band tour in the future. After an absence from the stage and live performances, Haycock formed a new band, Pete Haycock's True Blues (featuring Glen Turner). In 2008, they toured Europe and released their first recording together: Pete Haycock's True Blues Live (featuring Glen Turner). In April 2009, Pete Haycock, in an interview, talked about the early days with the Climax Blues Band, the transition to studio work (with and without Hans Zimmer), and his return to the stage with his new band, after an absence from live performances of fourteen years. Pete Haycock continues to record, and perform live, and has been a featured guest performer with the Siggi Schwarz' band, and was on the same bill with ZZ Top and Johnny Winter in 2012.

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Peter John Haycock was born 4th March 1951 at 63, Tixall Road, Stafford, England. He went to St.John's Primary School then King Edward VI School in Stafford.When he tried to join the recorder class the music teacher said he would never become a musician. Eat your heart out Mrs.Barrett! Pete taught himself to play harmonica at the age of 9 and then started to play guitar at the age of 11 with the help of the Bert Weedon instruction book. The big acoustic guitar was bought by Pete's Uncle Bill. He was told it would be ideal for a beginner because it had "plenty of daylight between the strings and the neck"! Pete was very impressed ( as were so many other young English kids at the time ) by Cliff Richard's backing group "The Shadows", who were the first successful British group to feature electric guitars. Hank Marvin's solos were an inspiration and Pete would play them on the stairs of the family home to get extra 'reverb' from the bare walls. He played his first electric guitar (A "Broadway")at a gig aged 12 in a miners' club in Rugeley, Staffordshire.Pete's guitar playing on the stairs had been heard by a couple of local lads with an interest in Blues and they formed "The Mason - Dixon Line", playing not only covers of the current blues - flavoured hits but performing their own versions of lesser - known U.S. Blues recordings. The line - up of the band also included local Stafford musicians Maldwyn Hawkesworth ( vocals, percussion ) Roger Peet ( Rhythm Guitar ) Paul " Flick" Taylor ( Bass) ......and one George Newsome ( Drums ) who would later be invited by Pete to join a certain other local band.....and since the subject has been broached ....it is also worth mentioning that during his time at King Edward VI School he was guest guitarist with a school band called the Velvet Chords gigging at school and college dances ........with Richard Jones on bass............. and Geoff and Tony Nicholls on drums and rhythm guitars respectively. A similar lineup made up the imaginatively named band -'The General Erection' ! Pete remembers.... " The lad who played bass in my first band Mason Dixon Line, Paul "Flick" Taylor, played lefty but with "normal" strings I seem ro recall, or maybe the other way around, it was hard to tell because he seemed determined to "out-Wyman" Bill himself by playing as "vertically" as possible. I recall him resting the guitar neck on his nose for most of the set. His bass was actually a masterpiece of confusion too. It was basically a Burns copy (made by his father who was a qualified "French Polisher" by trade... so he certainly didn't rub the French up the wrong way..sorry...anyway, you can imagine how immaculate the woodworking and finishing was) but the "tracing" of the Burns shape must have been done only on the back of the original and then transferred directly to the "face" of the new timber, so it looked like a mirror image when finished. To complicate matters further the only chunk of plastic "scratchplate" they could get was non-laminated and of an awfully bright orangey red hue.....a weird beast that was. It sounded OK though, despite the two cheap Vox pick-ups, through the old Linear amp! "Flick's Dad" built all of the cabs for our first guitar amps too by the way...again bright red for some reason. What a tolerant chap he must have been Mr.Taylor, bless him, despite perhaps being somewhat colour blind. Albert King played with "upside down" stings too apparently, which helps to explain the major third (4....yes, 4 semitone) bends he could make on that Flying V with heavy strings....whilst Clapton (and myself) could only attempt them using ultra light or banjo strings at first. If you think about it, or better still try it on a lefty guitar, you drag the strings downwards with as many fingers as you like to support the effort as opposed to pushing upwards with only the third finger, it says 'ere. I remember playing gigs in the States and jamming with Hendrix's ex-drummer from the "The Band Of Gypsies"...Buddy.......erm......huge black chap, ex-convict type attitude.."don't mess wiv me you Muvvas".....he actually sat on Luke O'Reilly's head (our short-lived tour manager) when he moaned at him about summat.......that certainly shut him up in a hurry too......sorry, second name escapes me for the moment...NO.....hang on... GOT IT! Buddy Miles! Anyway Buddy obviously learned guitar by playing on Jimi's spare axes whilst posing in the mirror or something equally strange, 'cos he jammed quite effortlessly with me on guitar, and was a useful player indeed (for a drummer) on my spare axe, simply turned over the wrong way - left handed....weird. It reminds me of that Red Dwarf episode where they end up, or rather begin, in Nodnol in the backwards Universe....know that one? A classic. " In 1967 he met up with Colin Cooper who asked him to join the newly - formed soul band "The Gospel Truth" along with some musicians from the Stoke - on Trent area. Despite some local successes the band never progressed beyond playing the odd college gig ( albeit as far afield as Durham and Scotland ) so after this line - up fizzled out the following year Pete initiated the formation of The Climax Chicago Blues Band whose original line-up was Pete Haycock ( lead guitar) Derek Holt ( piano ) Colin Cooper ( vocals, harmonica ) and at Pete's suggestion, Richard Jones ( Bass) and George Newsome ( Drums ). The band was soon augmented by pianist Arthur Wood, leaving Derek Holt free to switch to rhythm guitar.After a few gigs Colin also started to play saxophone with the band. Their first album " The Climax Chicago Blues Band" was on Parlophone and in all honesty it only came about because of the upsurge in the popularity of the Blues in the U.K. during the late 60's . Their friend and "manager" Peter Riley fortunately approached Beatles' Producer George Martin's people at A.I.R. London, then a brand new Production company, at exactly the right time. As fate would have it they were looking for a Blues - based band to record, especially since their strong connections happened to be with E.M.I. - who just happened to be lagging behind a little in the field. The Producer of the first couple of albums at E.M.I.'s Abbey Road Studios was a young lad ( who, oddly enough, had some Stafford family connections ) called Chris Thomas. Chris was officially little more than a " Tea Boy " .....or " Gofer "..for our American readers....when he was given the chance to record this obscure little band from Stafford. He has gone on to become one of the greatest Record Producers of the last quarter of the 20thcentury and continues into the 21st. It is also noteworthy that the Recording Engineer at Abbey Road was none other than Geoff Emerick. Any true Beatles fan will be pleased to tell you about his pedigree..... The debut album was mostly just a studio recording of the Band's favourite songs from the "live" set, completed in 2 days with very few overdubs. But even at this early stage Chris Thomas's slightly zany influence could already be heard. "And Lonely" or the deliberately ancient - sounding version of Scott Joplin's "The Entertainer" were not exactly your typical "British Blues Band" output - although the barely 17 year old guitarist was also encouraged to... "just jam a 12-bar blues and see what happens..." the result being the Freddie King / Clapton influenced instrumental "Twenty Past One". A willingness to experiment was undoubtedly one of the trade marks of the whole A.I.R. London set -up, a trait no doubt fostered by their association with the Beatles, and this had a positive effect on the band's progress for several years in that they were no longer content to simply churn out cover versions of their Chicago Blues heroes' records. By the time the second album " Plays On" came along this slightly oddball approach to making a "Blues" album had progressed to the point where it was now quite acceptable to mix the styles of the likes of Wilburt Harrison and Otis Rush with Jazz, Cuban and even Classical influences ( indeed the beginning of " Mum's The Word" bears more than a passing resemblance to " Also Sprach Zarathustra" although the bands motivations may have been slightly more focussed on Kubrick rather than Strauss...) and then you chuck in a bit of guitar jamming ( "Twenty Past Two"......yes you guessed it ...another guitar instrumental...) and a pinch of Ragtime for good measure ( "Temptation Rag" ) courtesy of Arthur Wood's nimble fingers . Unlike the first album none of these tracks were truly rehearsed before the band entered the hallowed gates of Abbey Road, which may sound extremely risky especially now that we live in in the age of computer music, deliberately crafted images and truly manufactured Pop. If you bear in mind the fact that the second album, complete with its experimental elements, was recorded in less than a week, it's no wonder that Pete's memories of the session are best summed up as " a blur of activity and creative madness, more or less instigated by Chris Thomas .Although we only had a few days to record an album nobody had made any real plans, unless Chris managed to fool us all, which I don't believe for one second." " But it was a wonderful experience and it's sad that nobody makes records like that any more. It's not a question of youth and fervour either, because even if they have the artistic freedom to try their ideas many "modern" musicians seem content to judge the results of their labours by the standards of their peers, instead of just going for it and trusting in their individuality. Of course you have to be sure of your abilities, whether it be as a player or a singer or whatever - that's your own responsibility - but I've since made those same mistakes myself from time to time and the inevitable conclusion that I reach after 30 odd years of recording is that I can only enjoy listening to those older recordings if they were made with genuine creativity or emotion, even naivety, or better still, all of these elements accompanied by a good dose of chaos. Unfortunately, from the band's point of view, Richard Jones had left before this recording to study for his M.A. in Cambridge, and considering the success Richard had with the musically and theatrically impressive band "Principal Edwards Magic Theatre" a few years later, Pete is of the opinion that it would have been interesting to hear what would have happened to "Plays On" had Richard still been around to enjoy the ride." This is only the first part of Pete's Biography, there is more to follow as the site develops. © http://www.petehaycock.com/biography.htm

Tomo Fujita & Blue Funk

Tomo Fujita & Blue Funk - Put On Your Funk Face - 1996 - Tomo Fujita Music

"In my private lessons and blues/funk labs, I teach fundamental techniques for playing good music—getting a good tone from the guitar and keeping a good rhythm. But I try to teach something more valuable for the future, so I really emphasize feeling. Especially in blues playing, I emphasize expression, tone, and time. Sometimes these simple things are really difficult to achieve with quality and detail. So I teach a lot of grooves and rhythm. After I graduated from Berklee, I was interested in discovering more about the blues. I listened to all the records of B.B. King and T-Bone Walker, and I started playing with blues bands. I could play blues technically, but emotionally I couldn't connect myself to the music. I tried to connect my soul with the guitar, to get away from any theory or technique, to stop thinking too much. I started playing gospel music at a Baptist church every Sunday. There were no charts; for every song, all I got was the key. It taught me a lot about feeling, and I thought, 'That's really what music is all about.' You hear things, and you have to feel things. If you make someone read music, and they don't know about the sound of the music, that's like reciting words or sentences that don't mean anything to them. Everything that they play sounds technically right, but musically it's not there. So I try to teach my students as though they're blind. I say, 'Before you start to play your guitar, find an object close to the ceiling, or buy a picture and hang it above eye level. Look at that, and then play. Try to disconnect your mind from time and place while you're playing, so that after you finish the song you don't know where you are, because that much energy is going into the music." - Tomo Fujita

Tomo's influences include B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Pass, Larry Carlton, Ray Charles, James Brown, Jeff Beck, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and many others. "Put On Your Funk Face" is a great jazz rock/funk album with a blues touch. The album is a studio recording with a "live" feel and contains eleven good instrumental tracks from a very talented guitarist backed by some very experienced and hugely talented musicians. Read more about Blue Funk @ http://www.tomofujita.com/us/band.html Listen to Tomo's great "Pure" album on which he is backed by Will Lee, Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, and Steve Jordan [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 106 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Crossing 6:00
2. Burbank street 5:31
3. Song For Samantha 5:16
4. Meltdown 3:58
5. Just Funky 6:55
6. Dreaming Of You 1:28
7. Orange Juice & Water 5:36
8. I Like Your Smile 4:00
9. Cat Walk 1:06
10. I Have No Clue 1:22
11. Don't Wake Me 5:44

All tracks composed by Tomo Fujita

BAND

Tomo Fujita - Guitar
Anthony Vitti - Bass
Dave Limina - Keyboards
Larry Finn - Drums

SHORT BIO

Tomo Fujita possesses all the elements of great musicianship: astounding technical ability, flawless rhythm skills, and a total command of his instrument. But if asked, Tomo would tell you that music is not just about playing. It’s about feeling. He has a remarkable ability to inject emotion into every phrase he plays, whether the style is blues, jazz, funk or rock. Tomo earned a degree at Berklee College of Music and has been a faculty member at Berklee since 1993. Perhaps the most famous of his former Berklee students are Soulive guitarist Eric Krasno (Kraz) and John Mayer. Tomo is also affiliated with the major music schools in his native Japan. His articles have been published in the Japanese magazines Jazz Life and Jazz Guitar, and he is a regular contributor to the Japanese edition of Guitar magazine. His instructional materials are especially popular in Japan, where guitar players have bought more than 100,000 copies of his videos and books. Tomo has performed with some of the best, including Phil Collins, John Mayer, James Genus (Saturday Night Live), Will Lee (Late Show with David Letterman), Kenwood Dennard (Jaco Pastorious, Dizzy Gillespie, Jimmy Smith), Darryl Jones (Miles Davis, Sting, Rolling Stones), Paul Jackson (Herbie Hancock, Headhunters), Ronnie Earl, Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, Steve Jordan and Susan Tedeschi. Tomo also enjoyed a guitar-playing gig in a Boston production of the musical Rent. © 1999 - 2013 TrueFire http://truefire.com/blog/gifted-guitarists/part-4/

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa ‎- Black Rock - 2010 - J&R Adventures

It’s a sign of Joe Bonamassa’s increasing profile that he got blues legend B.B. King to guest on his eighth album Black Rock -- and if what you’re doing is good enough to rope B.B. in, there’s not much reason to change, so Bonamassa doesn’t tinker with his formula here, retaining a little of the folky undertow of The Ballad of John Henry, but with its remaining roots in a thick, heavy blues-rock more redolent of ‘60s London than the ‘50s Delta. Of course, Bonamassa has never shied away from his love of Brit-blues, even underscoring it with a good streamlined cover of Jeff Beck’s “Spanish Boots,” but he retains a healthy respect for all manners of classic blues, kicking out a Chicago groove on a cover of Otis Rush’s “Three Times a Fool,” reaching back to Blind Boy Fuller for “Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind” and ably replicating B.B.’s latter-day soul groove on a horn-smacked cover of Willie Nelson’s “Night Life.” Bonamassa has an ear for non-blues writers too, cherrypicking Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire” and John Hiatt’s “I Know a Place,” tying it all together with beefy lead lines, but the provocative moments on Black Rock are all self-penned, whether it’s the clattering stomp “When the Fire Hits the Sea,” the British folk lilt of “Quarryman’s Lament” and “Athens to Athens,” or the droning dramatic epic “Blue and Evil.” These are easily the most intriguing songs here, suggesting Bonamassa realizes that the familiar covers allow him to stretch out elsewhere, and while it might be interesting hearing him follow this path for a full album, what’s here on Black Rock is both satisfying and admirably, if reservedly, ambitious. © Stephen Thomas Erlewine © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/black-rock-mw0001959610

One of Joe Bonamassa's more diverse albums. The ace guitarist opened for his hero BB King when he was 12 years old. He's a big fan of 70s British blues rock and most of his albums reflect this style. However, "Black Rock" is a more varied album. Joe covers Leonard Cohen's "Bird On The Wire" with a nice Mediterranean style touch. John Hiatt’s “I Know a Place" is covered well, as is the Willie Nelson' soul flavoured "Night Life" helped out by B.B. King on guitar and vocals. Joe also covers Tom Waits' folksy "Quarryman's Lament". His own "Athens To Athens" is given a guitar-and-bouzouki blues treatment. If you like great guitar, you will enjoy Joe Bonamassa's covers of these songs. They certainly don't detract from the album in any way. However, overall the blues dominates, and when you listen to Joe's covers of Otis Rush's "Three Times A Fool", Blind Boy Fuller's "Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind", and his own "Blue And Evil" it is easy to see where Joe Bonamassa's heart lies. A great album and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Listen to Black Country Communion's "2" album feat. Joe Bonamassa and support great blues rock [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 127 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 Steal Your Heart Away - Bobby Parker 3:46
2 I Know A Place - John Hiatt 4:17
3 When The Fire Hits The Sea - Joe Bonamassa 3:53
4 Quarryman's Lament - Tom Waits 5:19
5 Spanish Boots - Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood 4:35
6 Bird On A Wire - Leonard Cohen 5:17
7 Three Times A Fool - Otis Rush 2:00
8 Night Life - Paul Buskirk, Walter Breeland, Willie Nelson 3:23
9 Wandering Earth - Joe Bonamassa 4:17
10 Look Over Yonders Wall - James Clark 3:23
11 Athens To Athens - Joe Bonamassa 2:24
12 Blue And Evil - Joe Bonamassa 5:41
13 Baby You Gotta Change Your Mind - Blind Boy Fuller 4:24

MUSICIANS

Joe "The Stewart" Bonamassa - Guitar, Vocals
B.B. King - Guitar, Vocals on "Night Life"
"Bitter Dave" Pate - Technician [Guitar]
Carmine "Mint Jelly" Rojas - Bass
Rick "The Phoenician" Melick - Keyboards
Colin "Brett Denon" Moody - Technician [Bass, Keyboards]
Anton "The Mink" Fig, Bogie "The Nickel And Deuce" Bowles - Drums, Percussion
Aaron "Hambone" Lakner - Technician [Drums]
David Woodford - Saxophone
Manolis Karadinis - Bouzouki
Thanasis Vasilopoulos - Brass [Nei, Clarino]
Lee Thornburg - Brass, Arranged By [Brass]

SHORT BIO

Guitar mastermind Joe Bonamassa, a young player with the childhood dream of playing music similar to legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, was 22 when he inked a deal with Epic. Hailing from Utica, New York, Bonamassa could play the blues before he could drive a car. He first heard Stevie Ray Vaughan at age four and was instantly taken by Vaughan's high-powered playing. At the age eight, he opened for B.B. King, and at age 12, he was playing regularly around upstate New York. It was soon thereafter that Bonamassa hooked up with the band Bloodline, which featured other musicians' sons: Waylon Krieger (Robby Krieger's son), Erin Davis (Miles Davis' drummer kid), and Berry Oakley, Jr. (son of the Allman Brothers bassist). Bloodline released a self-titled album, but Bonamassa wanted to move on. In summer 2000 he guested for Roger McGuinn on Jethro Tull's summer tour, later releasing his debut solo album, A New Day Yesterday. Produced by longtime fan Tom Dowd, the album marked a move toward a more organic and rock-sounding direction. He put together a power trio with drummer Kenny Kramme and bassist Eric Czar and hit the road to support the album. Upon returning from the road, he hooked up with Dowd to record the muscular and sweeping studio disc So, It's Like That and released a document of the tour, A New Day Yesterday Live. The following year, Bonamassa put out Blues Deluxe, featuring nine cover versions of blues classics alongside three originals. The muscular You & Me appeared in 2006, followed by the more acoustic-tinged Sloe Gin in 2007. A year later, Bonamassa released the two-disc live album Live from Nowhere in Particular, followed in 2009 by The Ballad of John Henry. Late in 2009 he released the DVD Live from the Royal Albert Hall with guest spots from Eric Clapton and Paul Jones. In 2010, the guitarist released his first disc for the Premier Artists label, Black Rock, featuring a guest appearance by B.B. King. It was followed by the debut album from Black Country Communion, a blues-rock supergroup which put him in the company of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, drummer Jason Bonham, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. Bonamassa, ever the overachiever, released his earthy Dust Bowl in March of 2011, followed by Black Country Communion's 2 in June and by his unique collaboration with vocalist Beth Hart on a searing collection of soul covers entitled Don't Explain in September. In May of 2012, Bonamassa released Driving Towards the Daylight. The album reunited the guitarist with producer Kevin Shirley, who brought in Aerosmith's Brad Whitford to play rhythm guitar on the 11 tracks. © MacKenzie Wilson © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

Impact Fuze

Impact Fuze - Moscow - 2011 - Impact Fuze

Impact Fuze is a jazz fusion trio formed in 2011 in Moscow, Russia. The band was formed by drummer and vocalist Damien Schmitt, bassist Anton Davidyants, and guitarist Feodor Dosumov. The power trio's members are all world class session musicians from around the world that convene in Moscow. The band took about a year to write and record their debut album, Moscow, which was released late 2011. The band's style is a very fast-paced and virtuosic, as Dosumov's energetic and Vai/Holdsworthian guitar playing accents Schmitt's precision chops and Davidyants accurate and spot-on bass lines. The music is recommended for fans of hard-hitting and complex jazz fusion. © Andy Webb © Prog Archives, All rights reserved http://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=7360

Sometimes you get introduced to a band and you fall in love with them in an instant. This is exactly what happened when we were introduced to Impact Fuze. The band consist of our latest JTC Artist Feodor Dosumov on guitar, Damien Schmitt on drums and Anton Davidyants on Bass and together they make up this power jazz/rock/fusion trio who create incredible music. The album takes you on a journey through a maze of unexpected. One minute you are traveling through the fast paced 'Moscow' (for which the jam track version will soon be released), the next you are being punished on the extremely heavy second track 'Punisher' and before you know it you are in beautiful ballad heaven on track 3, 'Song For Elena'. This unpredictable adventure carries on throughout all 9 tracks and is one of the reasons we love it so much. On top of this, the musicianship is incredible. These guys were born to make music together and they each attack the album with enviable playing. So we are proud to be selling this Special Edition of the album at JTC. Special you say? That's right! Our version also comes with the full length video for title track Moscow as well. You can also get the physical CD at our sister site www.jtcmerch.com If you have not got this album then please come and check out the previews here (http://www.jamtrackcentral.com/jamtracks/feodor-dosumov/impact-fuze-moscow/). We believe you need this album in your life! Posted by & © Laurie Monk at 19:14 Thursday, 19 April 2012 © http://www.truthinshredding.com/2012/04/feodor-dosumov-impact-fuze-moscow.html

This newly formed power trio consists of Feodor Dosumov (guitar), who hails from Uzbekistan, Anton Davidiants (bass), who I believe is a Muscovite of - possibly - Armenian heritage, and Damien Schmitt (drums) from France, whose last name sounds more German than French to me. As you can see, there is some silver lining to the dark cloud of globalism ... musicians get to play with their counterparts from far away. Dosumov and Davidiants come across as very competent, classy musicians, but they are not truly outstanding or well known outside of their Moscow turf. As for Schmitt ... all comparisons are subjective, but his speed (sometimes a little frenetic), stamina and variety remind me of the titans like Portnoy and Peart. All in all, if you like jazz-rock/fusion, the $10.00 investment into Moscow by Impact Fuze should pay for itself in the very first evening of listening. By & © Avid Amazoner ***** Quality Music From "Somewhere Else" July 7, 2012 © 1996-2013, Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates http://www.amazon.com/Moscow-Impact-Fuze/dp/B006Z94880

Impact Fuze play good energetic power rock fusion with uncomplicated melodies but tight and interesting arrangements [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 120 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Moscow 5:58
2. Punisher 5:36
3. Song For Elena 5:39
4. The Way To Itself 8:58
5. Focused Power 6:55
6. Lost In Found 5:25
7. Idea 3:47
8. Gladiator 5:26
9. Last Question 6:22

All tracks composed by Dosumov, Davidyants, & Schmitt

BAND

Feodor Dosumov - Guitar
Anton Davidyants - Bass
Damien Schmitt - Drums

Brian Auger

Brian Auger - Language of The Heart - 2012 - Ghostown Records

A jazz pianist, bandleader, session musician and Hammond B3 player, Auger has played or toured with artists such as Rod Stewart, Tony Williams, Jimi Hendrix, Sonny Boy Williamson, Led Zeppelin, Eric Burdon and others. He has incorporated jazz, early British pop, R&B, soul music and rock, and he has been nominated for a Grammy. In 1965 Auger formed the group The Steampacket, along with Long John Baldry, Julie Driscoll, Vic Briggs and Rod Stewart. With Driscoll and the band, Trinity, he went on to record several hit singles, notably a cover version of David Ackles' "Road to Cairo" and Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire", which was featured on Dylan Covered. In 1969 Auger, Driscoll and Trinity appeared performing in the United States on the nationally telecast 33⅓ Revolutions Per Monkee. In 1970 he formed Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, shortly after abandoning the abortive "Wassenaar Arrangement" jazz-fusion commune in a small suburb of The Hague. The Oblivion Express served to cultivate several musicians, including future The Average White Band drummers Robbie McIntosh and Steve Ferrone, as well as guitarist Jim Mullen. Likewise, in 1971 he produced and appeared on Mogul Thrash's only album. Two members of that band, Roger Ball and Malcolm Duncan, would also go on to form the Average White Band. Auger toured with blues rocker Eric Burdon in the early 1990s, and recorded the live album Access All Areas with him in 1993. After several projects, including albums with family members, he reformed the Oblivion Express in the late 1990s, with a line-up that eventually featured both his son and daughter. © Heather Caine 2013 © http://sanpedronewspilot.com/events/brian-auger

A great jazz rock album from the the legendary British keyboardist Brian Auger. The album is as good as anything Brian has recorded over his extensive career and is HR by A.O.O.F.C. The album has a mid to late '70's jazz rock/fusion flavour and Brian is aided by musicians that include guitarists Julian Coryell, and no less a guitar giant than a certain Mr. Jeff "Skunk" Baxter! Listen to Brian Auger's Oblivion Express' "Reinforcements" album and read a great interview with Brian Auger @ http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/58720/brian-auger-hammond-rhodes-express.html where he discusses "Language of The Heart" in detail [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 97.8 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Autoroute (6:22)
2. Seasons (5:08)
3. Venice Street Fair (5:37)
4. Flying Free (6:19)
5. Hymn to Morning (7:23)
6. Language of the Heart (5:20)
7. Ella (6:46)

All Tracks composed by Brian Auger, Franck Balloffet, & Phil Bunch

MUSICIANS

Brian Auger - Hammond B3 Organ, Synth., Fender Rhodes, KorgM3 Piano, Vocals
Jeff "Skunk" Baxter - Guitar, Guitar solo on "Venice Street Fair"
Julian Coryell - Guitar, Guitar solo on "Flying Free"
Franck Balloffet - Guitar
Andre Manga - Bass
Phil Bunch - Keyboards, Percussion
Remi Kabaka - Talking Drum, Congas
Karma Auger - Congas
Savannah Auger - Vocals

BIO

Brian Auger was raised in London, where he took up the keyboards as a child and began to hear jazz by way of the American Armed Forces Network and an older brother's record collection. By his teens, he was playing piano in clubs, and by 1962 he had formed the Brian Auger Trio with bass player Rick Laird and drummer Phil Knorra. In 1964, he won first place in the categories of "New Star" and "Jazz Piano" in a reader's poll in the Melody Maker music paper, but the same year he abandoned jazz for a more R&B-oriented approach and expanded his group to include John McLaughlin (guitar) and Glen Hughes (baritone saxophone) as the Brian Auger Trinity. This group split up at the end of 1964, and Auger moved over to Hammond B-3 organ, teaming with bass player Rick Brown and drummer Mickey Waller. After a few singles, he recorded his first LP on a session organized to spotlight blues singer Sonny Boy Williamson that featured his group, saxophonists Joe Harriott and Alan Skidmore, and guitarist Jimmy Page; it was Don't Send Me No Flowers, released in 1968. By mid-1965, Auger's band had grown to include guitarist Vic Briggs and vocalists Long John Baldry, Rod Stewart, and Julie Driscoll, and was renamed Steampacket. More a loosely organized musical revue than a group, Steampacket lasted a year before Stewart and Baldry left and the band split. Auger retained Driscoll and brought in bass player Dave Ambrose and drummer Clive Thacker to form a unit that was billed as Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger and the Trinity. Their first album, Open, was released in 1967 on Marmalade Records (owned by Auger's manager, Giorgio Gomelsky), but they didn't attract attention on record until the release of their single, "This Wheel's on Fire," (music and lyrics by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko) in the spring of 1968, which preceded the appearance of the song on the Band's Music from Big Pink album. The disc hit the top five in the U.K., after which Open belatedly reached the British charts. Auger and the Trinity recorded the instrumental album Definitely What! (1968) without Driscoll, then brought her back for the double-LP, Streetnoise (1968), which reached the U.S. charts on Atco Records shortly after a singles compilation, Jools & Brian, gave them their American debut on Capitol in 1969. Driscoll quit during a U.S. tour, but the Trinity stayed together long enough to record Befour (1970), which charted in the U.S. on RCA Records, before disbanding in July 1970. Auger put together a new band to play less commercial jazz-rock and facetiously called it the Oblivion Express, since he didn't think it would last; instead, it became his perennial band name. The initial unit was a quartet filled out by guitarist Jim Mullen, bass player Barry Dean, and drummer Robbie McIntosh. Their initial LP, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, was released in 1971, followed later the same year by A Better Land, but their first U.S. chart LP was Second Wind in June 1972, the album that marked the debut of singer Alex Ligertwood with the band. Personnel changes occurred frequently, but the Oblivion Express continued to figure in the U.S. charts consistently over the next several years with Closer to It! (August 1973), Straight Ahead (March 1974), Live Oblivion, Vol. 1 (December 1974), Reinforcements (October 1975), and Live Oblivion, Vol. 2 (March 1976). Meanwhile, Auger had moved to the U.S. in 1975, eventually settling in the San Francisco Bay area. In the face of declining sales, he switched to Warner Bros. Records for Happiness Heartaches, which charted in February 1977. Encore, released in April 1978, was a live reunion with Julie Tippetts (née Driscoll) that marked the end of Auger's association with major record labels, after which he dissolved the Oblivion Express and recorded less often. In 1990, he teamed up with former Animals singer Eric Burdon, and the two toured together during the next four years, releasing Access All Areas together in 1993. In 1995, Auger put together a new Oblivion Express. As of 2000, the lineup consisted of his daughter, Savannah, on vocals, Chris Clermont on guitar, Dan Lutz on bass, and his son Karma on drums. This group issued the album Voices of Other Times on Miramar Records one week before Auger's 61st birthday. © William Ruhlmann © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/brian-auger-mn0000625014

Emily Remler

Emily Remler - Catwalk - 1984 - Concord Jazz

Emily Remler's death at age 32 from a heart attack (certainly not helped by her frequent use of heroin) was a shock to the jazz world, and a sad waste. She was just beginning to emerge from the Wes Montgomery influence and develop her own voice. Remler began playing guitar when she was ten, attended Berklee (1976-1979), and recorded as a leader for the first time in 1980. She played with the L.A. version of the show Sophisticated Ladies (1981-1982) and in 1985 had a duo with Larry Coryell, but otherwise mostly worked as a leader with her own small groups. After recording bop-oriented dates for Concord, she had a contemporary set for Justice, and toured with David Benoit before her sudden death. © Scott Yanow © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/emily-remler-mn0000800814

Guitarist Emily Remler's fourth and Concord recording makes one regret even more her premature death at age 32. While her earlier dates were very much in the bop mainstream, this one (in a quartet with trumpeter John D'Earth, bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Bob Moses) finds her looking ahead and partly finding her own voice on her seven diverse originals. Although she never became an innovator, Remler certainly had a lot to offer the jazz world and this fairly adventurous effort was one of the finest recordings of her short career. © Scott Yanow © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

A wonderful jazz guitar album from the late, great Emily Remler who penned all the tracks on this album. Her unique full bodied guitar sound is demonstrated perfectly here with bassist Eddie Gomez, drummer Bob Moses and John D'Earth's trumpet complementing Emily perfectly. Emily never lived long enough to achieve her full potential as a guitarist, but isn't it amazing just how many talented musicians have lived fast and died young. From Jimi Hendrix to Charlie Parker to Patsy Cline, the 20th century was full of incredibly talented artists whose lives were cut short by their self-destructive personalities. Emily Remler should have had a long and distinguished career. The late great jazz guitarist, Herb Ellis, once referred to Emily as "the new superstar of guitar". Instead, Emily died of a heart attack at 32 from heroin abuse. As Ian Dury said, "Wot a f***ing waste". Check out her "Firefly" album and buy her magnificent "East to Wes" album. Emily shows you how to play the blues @ http://neopixeos.weebly.com/how-to-play-the-blues.html

"When the rhythm section is floating, I'll float too, and I'll get a wonderful feeling in my stomach. If the rhythm section is really swinging, it's such a great feeling, you just want to laugh." - Emily Remler [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 89.7 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Mocha Spice Remler 4:26
2 Catwalk Remler 7:19
3 Gwendolyn Remler 4:35
4 Antonio Remler 4:25
5 Pedals Remler 6:54
6 Five Years Remler 5:48
7 Mozambique Remler 7:44

All tracks composed by Emily Remler

MUSICIANS

Emily Remler - Guitar
Eddie Gomez - Bass
Bob Moses - Percussion
John D'Earth - Trumpet

BIO (WIKI)

Emily Remler (September 18, 1957 – May 4, 1990) was an American jazz guitarist who rose to prominence in the 1980s. She recorded seven albums of hard bop, jazz standards and fusion guitar. Born in New York City, Remler began to play the guitar at the age of ten. Initially inspired by rock artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Winter as well as other popular styles of music, she experienced a musical epiphany during her studies from 1974 to 1976 at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. She began to listen to such legendary jazz greats as Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Pat Martino, Charlie Christian, Miles Davis and John Coltrane and took up jazz with a ferocious intensity, practicing almost constantly and never looked back. After graduating Berklee at age 18 she started her professional career touring around the USA. Remler's first significant and formative step as a fledgling professional musician was to settle in New Orleans where she played in blues and jazz clubs working with bands such as FourPlay and Little Queenie and the Percolators before beginning her recording career in 1981. She was championed by guitar great Herb Ellis, who referred to her as "the new superstar of guitar". Ellis introduced her to the world at the Concord, CA Jazz Festival in 1978. In an interview with People magazine, she once said of herself: "I may look like a nice Jewish girl from New Jersey, but inside I’m a 50-year-old, heavyset black man with a big thumb, like Wes Montgomery." ~People Mag. 1982~ Recorded for the famous Concord label, Remler's albums showcase the diverse influences of a fast-developing artist who quickly attained a distinctive jazz style on the guitar through her interpretations of jazz standards and her own compositions. Her first album as a band leader, Firefly, won immediate acclaim and her bop guitar on the follow-up, Take Two, was equally well received. Transitions and Catwalk traced the emergence of a more individual voice, with many striking original tunes, while her love of Wes Montgomery shone through on the stylish East to Wes. In addition to her recording career as a band leader and composer, Remler played with artists as diverse as Larry Coryell, with whom she recorded an album entitled Together, and the singer Rosemary Clooney. She played on Broadway for the Los Angeles version of the show 'Sophisticated Ladies' from 1981 to 1982 and produced two popular guitar instruction videos. She also toured for several years in the early eighties as guitarist for Astrud Gilberto. In 1985, she won the ‘Guitarist Of The Year’ award in Down Beat magazine’s international poll. In 1988, she was 'Artist in Residence' at Duquesne University and, in 1989, received Berklee's Distinguished Alumni award. She married Jamaican jazz pianist Monty Alexander in 1981, the marriage ending in 1984. Her first guitar was her elder brother's Gibson ES-330, and she played a Borys B120 hollow body electric towards the end of the 1980s. Her acoustic guitars included a 1984 Collectors Series Ovation and a nylon string Korocusci classical guitar that she used for playing bossa nova. When asked how she wanted to be remembered she remarked: "Good compositions, memorable guitar playing and my contributions as a woman in music…. but the music is everything, and it has nothing to do with politics or the women’s liberation movement." She appealed to all audiences with her wide understanding of all forms of jazz. She gained respect from fellow musicians and critics because of her dedication, enthusiasm and remarkable skill. Remler, who was a heroin addict, died of heart failure at the age of 32 at the Connells Point home of musician Ed Gaston, while on tour in Australia. Two tribute albums were recorded after her death, Just Friends volume one and two, featuring contributions from Herb Ellis, David Benoit, Bill O'Connell and David Bromberg among many others. In 2006 the Skip Heller Quartet recorded a song called "Emily Remler" in her memory

Kim Nalley

Kim Nalley - Need My Sugar - 2002 - CE Jazz & Blues/City Hall

“Nalley sounds a little like Billie Holiday and a little like Dinah Washington, but ultimately she sounds like no one but herself, and she is spectacular.” - Eric Fidler, Associated Press

“A trip to San Francisco is often said not be complete without hearing Kim Nalley perform. Glamorous, garrulous and dramatic like a diva of the 1950′s, Kim evokes an era when women were classy and brash.”- CDBaby

"GOD, CAN THIS WOMAN SING! It's as if a vocalist from the great post-war blues and jazz combos had been transported to the end of the century." Blues Access Magazine
"Kim Nalley has pipes to burn and works the stage like she means it." San Francisco Chronicle

"Sultry voiced Kim Nalley brings an irresistibly sexy sense of swing, rhythmic dexterity and beautiful sound to the classic, with her crisp diction and playful delivery of earthy lines." - Down Beat

Buy Kim's "Any Woman's Blues" album and support great jazz vocals [All tracks @ 256 Kbps: File size = 70.6 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 September in the Rain - Al Dubin / Harry Warren 3:21
2 At Last - Mack Gordon / Harry Warren 5:36
3 Say It Isn't So - Irving Berlin 3:39
4 Nature Boy - Ahbez Eden 6:13
5 Need My Sugar - Kim Nalley 2:51
6 I Was Telling Him About You - Mark "Moose" Charlap / Don George 3:06
7 Too Close for Comfort - Jerry Bock / Larry Holofcener / George David Weiss 2:59
8 Goin' to New York - Jimmy Reed / Mary Lee Reed 4:12
9 Our Day Will Come - Mort Garson / Bob Hilliard 6:34

MUSICIANS

Kim Nalley - Vocals
Jeff Chambers - Bass
Dave Mathews - Piano
Kent Bryson - Drums

BIO

Awarded "Most Influential African American in the Bay Area," vocalist Kim Nalley, is already being called "legendary" and "San Francisco institution." No trip to San Francisco is complete without seeing Kim Nalley perform. With an international reputation as one of world's best jazz & blues vocalists, she is has graced concert halls from Moscow to Lincoln Center. A true Renaissance woman, Kim Nalley has also been a featured blog writer for JazzWest and SF Chronicle's City Brights, shortlisted for a Grammy, a produced playwright, a former jazz club owner, an accomplished stage actress, a history academic, and an avid lindy hop & blues dancer. Her many philanthropic endeavors include founding the Kim Nalley Black Youth Jazz Scholarship. In looks, Kim Nalley exudes the aura of a diva from a by-gone era. Vocally, she has pipes to burn packing a 3 1/2 octave range that can go from operatic to gritty blues on a dime, projection that can whisper a ballad yet is capable of filling a room with no microphone, and the ability to scat blistering solos without ever losing the crowd's interest or the intense swing. She has been compared to all the greats, but in the end, it's Kim Nalley and no one else - an unforced instrument with clarity and jazzy musicality, effortlessly delivered, and a sense of humor to boot. A born singer from a family that boasts several generations of jazz musicians, Nalley was taught piano by her great-grandmother and studied opera and theatre in high school, before relocating to San Francisco in the footsteps of the Grateful Dead. Working her way through college by singing in small dives and jam sessions, Nalley learned all of the intricacies of jazz the old fashioned way. Music critic Phil Elwood and San Francisco Symphony conductor Michael Tilson Thomas quickly discovered Kim Nalley and brought her to national attention after they noticed her singing nightly at the Alta Plaza to packed audiences - without amplification. Tilson Thomas hired Kim Nalley to sing a program of Gershwin with the San Francisco Symphony and recorded her farewell concert at the Alta Plaza. Since then, Kim Nalley has performed globally, including major jazz festivals such as Monterey, Umbria Jazz and Lincoln Center and lived in Europe for several years before returning to San Francisco to re-open the jazz club Jazz at Pearl's. During her tenure from 2003 to 2008, Nalley raised the club to iconic international acclaim as the owner and artistic director. She has collaborated with artists such as Rhoda Scott, David "Fathead" Newman, Houston Person, James Williams, Michael Tilson Thomas and the San Francisco Symphony. She has recorded several on both major and indie labels, including She Put A Spell On Me, which was short-listed for a 2006 Grammy Award, and Million Dollar Secret, which charted in the Jazz Top 40. Nalley often combines music and history to create historiographical concerts , including her award-winning "Ladies Sing the Blues*," "She Put a Spell on Me: Tribute to Nina Simone," the multimedia presentation Black History Month Concert Series and "The Heart of Lady Day," a Billie Holiday biopic. As a playwright she has written "Ella: the American Dream" a bio-musical about Ella Fitzgerald which premiered in 2008. As an actress she portrayed Billie Holiday in the dramatic play "Lady Day in Love," Blues Speak woman in Zora Neale Hurston's "Spunk" and has starred in Teatro Zinzanni as Madame Zinzanni, a role subsequently filled by Joan Baez and Sandra Reeves-Phillips. Kim Nalley is on faculty at the Jazzschool's Bachelor's of Music program. She is also a history student in UC Berkeley's PhD program with plans to write her dissertation on the Globalization of Jazz and Black Cultural Politics. © 2011 Kim Nalley http://www.kimnalley.net/info/index.php?topgroupid=&groupid=23

Shane Theriot

Shane Theriot - Dirty Power - 2009 - Shose Records

Good progressive jazz-blues with fusion, and some New Orleans style funk in the mix. Shane is a terrific, vibrant guitarist from Nashville, Tennessee (U.S.A.) who describes his style as rock/fusion. He doesn't need to rely on meandering mind numbing guitar solos to get his point across. He is a classy, subtle, stylish and polished guitarist with a great sense of thematic development. Some of the great musicians on this album include Sonny Landreth, Adam Nitti, Johnny Neel, Jim Keltner, Richie Hayward, and "Hutch" Hutchinson. "Dirty Power" is HR by A.O.O.F.C. More albums like this need to be heard to try and stop the rot in today's dire "music" scene. Buy Shane's "The Grease Factor" and "Highway 90" albums and support great music [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 86.4 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Old Men 5:22
2 Dirty Power 3:40
3 Four On The Floor 3:51
4 Bring It 3:47
5 Mr. Ed 3:55
6 Buckshot 4:36
7 Memphis 4:209
8 Buckshot (Reprise) 0:50
9 The Pygmy Love Dance 4:21
10 Kirk's Little Backpack 3:04

All tracks composed by Shane Theriot except Tracks 7 & 9 by Shane Theriot, Johnny Neel, and Richie Hayward

MUSICIANS

Shane Theriot - Guitar on Tracks 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10: Bass on Tracks 2,6: Percussion on Tracks 4,6,10
Sonny Landreth - Slide Guitar, Effects on Track 5
"Hutch" Hutchinson - Bass on Tracks 1,3,5
Adam Nitti - Bass on Tracks 4,7
Johnny Neel - Hammond B3 Organ on Track 1: Keyboards on Tracks 7,9: Wurlitzer Electric Piano on Track 10: Harmonica, Voice on Track 7
David Torkanowsky - Hammond B3 Organ on Tracks 2,6: Keyboards on Track 4
Jim Keltner - Drums, Percussion on Tracks 1,3,5
"Zigaboo" Madeliste - Drums on Tracks 2,6,8
Doug Belote - Drums on Track 4
Richie Hayward - Drums on Tracks 7,9
Johnny Vidacovich - Drums on Track 10
Roderick Paulin - Saxophone on Track 6
Mark Braud - Trumpet on Tracks 2,6,10
"Big Sam" Williams - Trombone on Tracks 2,4
Kirk Joseph - Sousaphone on Tracks 9,10

SHORT BIO

Guitarist/composer Shane Theriot (pronounced Terry-o) hails from the New Orleans area and has been playing guitar since age 11. A top honors GIT grad that was recommended for a teaching position by Scott Henderson at age 20, Shane briefly taught at the Atlanta Institute of Music before making a move to Nashville, where he lived and worked for 8 years before moving back to New Orleans. Theriot’s versatility in both the studio and stage have led to work with many artists in virtually all styles of music. At age 25, he joined the world-renowned Neville Brothers, touring and performing internationally as a member for 8 years, all while continuing to work and record with other artists. Some of the many artists that Shane has recorded and/or performed with include The Neville Brothers, LeAnn Rimes, Willie Nelson, Jewel, Boz Scaggs, John Waite, Idris Mohammed, Leni Stern, Dr. John, Sam Moore, Nick Nolte, Shannon McNally, Aaron Neville, The SYN (with Chris Squire and Alan White from YES), Little Feat, Forest Whitaker, Harry Shearer and Madeleine Peyroux. All of his acclaimed solo records (Hwy 90, The Grease Factor and the most recent Dirty Power) feature burning guitar lines behind the hottest rhythm sections in New Orleans while showcasing his great compositional abilities. (Dweezil Zappa recently chose the composition ‘Shrimp Boots’ from The Grease Factor the winner hands down of the Broadjam Solo Contest out of nearly 500 contestants.) Shane has also authored several instructional books (New Orleans Funk Guitar Styles – Alfred Publishing) and columns for many publications including Guitar Player Magazine. As an emerging composer for TV and Film, his credits include MTV, Discovery Channel, A&E, CMT, VH1 and ESPN. He is co-owner of Fudge Recording Studio in the historic Lower Garden District of New Orleans, La. http://www.fudgerecordingstudio.com/ © Shane Theriot 2010 http://www.shanetheriot.com/biography/

Jan Akkerman Band

Jan Akkerman Band - C.U.2 Live in Tokyo at STB139 - 2006 - Live Music Management BV/& Forest Music

The Jan Akkerman Band recorded live on 29th & 30th November 2006 at STB139, Tokyo, and originally released only in Japan. The CD contains a few old tunes like Focus II and III and also songs from Jan's C.U. album.

There are not many guitarists around today of Jan Akkerman's versatility and skill. He is one of the most innovative and influential guitarists of modern times. He was once selected as the world's greatest guitarist by the influential British rock publication, Melody Maker. Often, these accolades are unmerited and artificial, and do not always reflect true ability, but in Jan Akkerman's case, the title was richly deserved. Jan has proved his greatness with bands like the Hunters, Brainbox and the great Focus. Most of his solo works are marvellous works of originality, incredible guitar technique, and cover ever musical genre. He is one of the very few guitarists who can play any style of music equally well, anything from rock and blues to Spanish and classical. Jan has done almost anything a musician could possibly do. He has worked with musicians like BB King, Charlie Byrd, Cozy Powell, Claus Ogerman and Ice-T. There are no limits or boundaries in music that Jan has not crossed. As stated before on this blog, the terms, world's greatest guitarist, best guitarist of all time, etc, etc, are "bandied" around a lot. However if we take some of the definitions of great, like "of outstanding significance or importance", "superior in quality or character", "powerful; influential", or "remarkable or out of the ordinary in degree or magnitude or effect", then Jan Akkerman is truly a great guitarist, as all the aforementioned definitions apply to Jan's playing. Jan said, "I just don't live a very regular life. That's true. For instance, I don't even wear a watch. But I'm very much disciplined as far as playing the guitar is concerned". "Disciplined" is just one of many words that could be applied to Jan Akkermans playing ! He remains one of the world's greatest and most versatile guitarists with many great albums to his credit. Any Jan Akkerman album is always a revelation, simply because of the man's eclectic style and willingness to try something different. "C.U.2 Live in Tokyo at STB139" is VHR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out his 70's albums like Tabernakel, Profile, and Focus' classic "Live At The Rainbow" album [All Tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 161 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1 In Between The Sheets - Chris Jasper / Ernie Isley / Marvin Isley / O'Kelly Isley / Ronald Isley
2 Tranquilizer - Jan Akkerman
3 You Do Something To Me - Paul Weller
4 Focus II - Thijs van Leer
5 Focus III - Thijs van Leer
6 I'm In The Mood - M.Muleta
7 House Of The King - Jan Akkerman
8 Dance The Blues Away - M.Muleta
9 Slow Man - Jeroen Rietbergen / Ronald Molendijk / M.Muleta
10 Pietons - Focus Pocus - Jan Akkerman / Jan Akkerman & Thijs van Leer
11 I'll Make It Up To You (Bonus) - M.Muleta

BAND

Jan Akkerman - Guitars
Wilbrand Meischke - Bass
Coen Molenaar - Keyboards
Marjin van den Berg - Drums

BIO

A musician of nearly legendary prowess, Jan Akkerman for a time eclipsed Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Jeff Beck among reader polls in England as the top guitarist in the world. Akkerman was born in Amsterdam, Holland, and showed his musical inclinations early, taking up the guitar while still in grade school. His taste and interests were extraordinarily wide-ranging, from pop/rock to classical, with room for blues, Latin, and other influences. He joined his first band, Johnny & His Cellar Rockers, in 1958, at age 11, which included his boyhood friend Pierre van der Linden on drums. Later on, the two were members of the Hunters, an instrumental group whose sound was heavily influenced by that of the Shadows. He acquired a special interest in the lute while on a visit to England during the mid-'60s, during which he saw a performance by legendary classical guitarist Julian Bream, whose repertoire of medieval works also fascinated Akkerman. This interest, which broadened to embrace a fixation on medieval England and its countryside, later manifested itself in such works as "Elspeth of Nottingham" from Focus III. During the late '60s, Akkerman, van der Linden, bassist Bert Ruiter, and singer Kaz Lux formed Brainbox, who were good enough to get a recording contract with Parlophone Records. He was involved with an early incarnation of the group Focus, founded by conservatory-trained flutist Thijs Van Leer, but didn't join until after that group had issued its unsuccessful debut album -- he took van der Linden with him from Brainbox and, with Van Leer and bassist Cyril Havermans (later succeeded by Ruiter) from the original Focus, formed a new group of that name. With Akkerman's virtuoso guitar work and arrangements coupled to Van Leer's classical influence (and his yodeling on their breakthrough hit, "Hocus Pocus"), the new group found a large international audience beginning in 1972, which transformed Akkerman into a superstar guitarist. His solo career actually dated from 1968, though his attempt at a solo album, later titled Guitar for Sale -- containing his covers of numbers such as "What'd I Say," "Ode to Billy Joe," and "Green Onions" -- was so primitive by the standards of the time that it was deemed unreleasable until Akkerman started topping reader surveys in the mid-'70s. Profile, released in 1972 after he'd begun making some headway with his reputation, also dated from 1969 and his days with Brainbox. Akkerman's first real solo album reflecting his music and interests at the time appeared in 1974, in the form of Tabernakel, which was recorded during the summer of that year at Atlantic Recording Studios in New York -- having finally acquired a medieval lute of his own, he taught himself to play it and the results comprise more than half of this LP, made up of authentic medieval music and originals composed in a medieval mode. It was certainly the most unusual record ever to feature the playing of Tim Bogart (bass) and Carmine Appice (drums), as well as soul drummer Ray Lucas. After leaving Focus in 1976, Akkerman began releasing a stream of solo albums, which frequently embraced classical, jazz, and blues, and started leading his own bands. Much of his work during the 1980s wasn't released officially outside of Holland, but his periodic recordings with Van Leer, coupled with efforts to revive Focus with its two major stars, kept his name circulating in international music circles. The only problem that Akkerman faces derives from the sheer eclecticism of his work, which makes him very difficult to categorize -- two different branches of Tower Records in the same city listed him as a jazz and a rock artist, respectively, but one could just as easily make a claim for him as a classical artist.

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa - Had to Cry Today - 2004 - Provogue

Blues-rock guitar wizard Joe Bonamassa can make a set of electric six-strings burn and wail, but like many such guitarists, he still requires focus for it to be truly special. Such intense focus is a hallmark of Had to Cry Today. While some guitarists squander notes, Bonamassa makes each one count whether he's engaging in country-flavored picking (the late, great Danny Gatton was clearly an influence), blistering rock-edged blues, or turbulent, inspired jamming. Had to Cry Today delivers on Bonamassa's previous promise in a big way. © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/album/release/had-to-cry-today-mr0002779119

Check out Joe's "Beacon Theatre: Live from New York" album and search this blog for other releases [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 109 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. Never Make Your Move Too Soon (B.B. King cover) - Stix Hooper, Will Jennings 4:06
2. Travellin' South (Albert Collins cover) - Gwendolyn Collins 3:50
3. Junction 61 - Joe Bonamassa 0:48
4. Reconsider Baby (Lowell Fulson cover) - Lowell Fulson 6:51
5. Around the Bend - Bonamassa, Jennings 5:11
6. Revenge of the 10 Gallon Hat - Bonamassa 2:54
7. When She Dances - Bonamassa, Jennings 4:53
8. Had to Cry Today (Blind Faith cover) - Steve Winwood 6:49
9. The River - Bonamassa, Bob Held 5:30
10. When the Sun Goes Down - Bonamassa, Jennings 2:44
11. Faux Mantini - Bonamassa 2:26

MUSICIANS

Joe Bonamassa - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Vocals
Eric Czar - Bass, Fretless Bass
Benny Harrison - Hammond Organ
Kenny Kramme - Drums, Percussion
Jon Paris - Harmonica

BIO

Guitar mastermind Joe Bonamassa, a young player with the childhood dream of playing music similar to legends like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix, was 22 when he inked a deal with Epic. Hailing from Utica, New York, Bonamassa could play the blues before he could drive a car. He first heard Stevie Ray Vaughan at age four and was instantly taken by Vaughan's high-powered playing. At the age eight, he opened for B.B. King, and at age 12, he was playing regularly around upstate New York. It was soon thereafter that Bonamassa hooked up with the band Bloodline, which featured other musicians' sons: Waylon Krieger (Robby Krieger's son), Erin Davis (Miles Davis' drummer kid), and Berry Oakley, Jr. (son of the Allman Brothers bassist). Bloodline released a self-titled album, but Bonamassa wanted to move on. In summer 2000 he guested for Roger McGuinn on Jethro Tull's summer tour, later releasing his debut solo album, A New Day Yesterday. Produced by longtime fan Tom Dowd, the album marked a move toward a more organic and rock-sounding direction. He put together a power trio with drummer Kenny Kramme and bassist Eric Czar and hit the road to support the album. Upon returning from the road, he hooked up with Dowd to record the muscular and sweeping studio disc So, It's Like That and released a document of the tour, A New Day Yesterday Live. The following year, Bonamassa put out Blues Deluxe, featuring nine cover versions of blues classics alongside three originals. The muscular You & Me appeared in 2006, followed by the more acoustic-tinged Sloe Gin in 2007. A year later, Bonamassa released the two-disc live album Live from Nowhere in Particular, followed in 2009 by The Ballad of John Henry. Late in 2009 he released the DVD Live from the Royal Albert Hall with guest spots from Eric Clapton and Paul Jones. In 2010, the guitarist released his first disc for the Premier Artists label, Black Rock, featuring a guest appearance by B.B. King. It was followed by the debut album from Black Country Communion, a blues-rock supergroup which put him in the company of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, drummer Jason Bonham, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian. Bonamassa, ever the overachiever, released his earthy Dust Bowl in March of 2011, followed by Black Country Communion's 2 in June and by his unique collaboration with vocalist Beth Hart on a searing collection of soul covers entitled Don't Explain in September. In May of 2012, Bonamassa released Driving Towards the Daylight. The album reunited the guitarist with producer Kevin Shirley, who brought in Aerosmith's Brad Whitford to play rhythm guitar on the 11 tracks. © MacKenzie Wilson © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-bonamassa-mn0000118243

The Raging Honkies (Michael Landau Related)

The Raging Honkies - Boner - 1996 - Unconscious Records

Michael Landau is one of the most important guitarists of the modern era. As an ace studio session player, he has appeared on countless albums. James Taylor, Miles Davis, and Joni Mitchell, are just three of the artists he has played with. Considered by many to be one of the best guitarists in the world, Mike has always been admired by musicians and fans alike. He has created some outstanding rock and fusion with his obscure, side-project The Raging Honkies, and in power trios or quartets with artists that include Vinnie Colaiuta, Scott Kinsey, Jimmy Johnson, Jeff Babko, and Toss Panos. Mike has an impeccable grasp of his instrument and all his work is well worth checking out. "Boner" is the 2nd rare studio disc from this phenomenal axemaster backed by his brother Teddy Landau on bass and the magnificent Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums and vocals. This is Grade A, deep, intense, bluesy heavy guitar power riffage and HR by A.O.O.F.C. Don't miss this! See if you can find a copy of The Raging Honkies "We Are The Best Band" album [Tracks @ 254-256 Kb: File size = 74.4 Mb]

TRACKS

1. Why You Lie
2. Nothing
3. Floating Bees
4. Closer to GOD (Bob)
5. Roodis
6. mary Lou
7. Underwear
8. Beautiful Sandwich
9. She Brings her Everything
10. Alien
11. Boner

BAND

Michael Landau - Guitar, Vocals
Teddy Landau - Bass
Abe Laboriel Jr. - Drums, Vocals

Joe Bonamassa

Joe Bonamassa - You & Me - 2006 - J&R Adventures

Despite his statement in the liner notes that "In an era where it is best to play it safe, I chose to take a risk...," there isn't much surprising or risky about young guitarist Joe Bonamassa's fifth studio album. Most of his previous releases have mixed blues covers with his own originals, all played with a rocker's attitude, volume and less-than-subtle approach. This one follows suit and even though he goes on to say that he "wanted to make a blues album, not a rock album that has blues on it," as in the past; it's impossible to claim that he has succeeded with You & Me. That doesn't make this a bad or disappointing disc; quite the contrary, it's a solid blues-rock release and arguably his best work to date. But as early as the second track, an original rocker titled "Bridge to Better Days," Bonamassa takes off on an early Free/Savoy Brown-styled stomper. Things settle down and get more rootsy on the following two slow blues tracks, although a lovely Bonamassa original, "Asking Around for You," adds strings, not exactly a touch most would associate with pure blues. Regardless, it's extremely effective and when the strings return on a nine-and-a-half-minute cover of Led Zeppelin's "Tea for One," it is a spine-tingling experience and possibly this album's finest moment. Drummer Jason Bonham, who is excellent throughout, brings additional authenticity to the song his dad first played on. Bonamassa unplugs for a few mid-disc tracks, including a cover of "Tamp 'Em Up Solid" (oddly credited to Ry Cooder but typically known as a traditional piece, even on Cooder's version). Twelve-year-old harmonica whiz L.D. Miller does his best John Popper imitation on a hyperactive version of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Your Funeral and My Trial" (someone needs to inform the kid that playing lots of notes really fast doesn't mean he has soul), and the instrumental titled "Django" shows that Bonamassa has been listening to Gary Moore's "Parisienne Walkways." It adds up to a quality Bonamassa disc that will please existing fans and might bring some new ones into the fold, but it's also one that doesn't take the chances that he claims might push the guitarist into uncharted territory. © Hal Horowitz © 2013 Rovi Corp | All Rights Reserved

Joe covers seven old tracks by greats like Charlie Patton, Led Zeppelin, Otis Rush, Bobby Bland, Sonny Boy Williamson, and Ry Cooder. The other four tracks were either penned or co-written by Joe. Joe himself described "You & Me" as “heavy music played in a blues style" and his stylish playing is very reminiscent of the early guitar styles of Peter Green, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and John Lee Hooker. Reviewer Hal Horowitz of the music website Allmusic gave "You & Me" 3.5 out of five stars, calling the album "a solid blues-rock release and arguably his best work to date", but also an album "that doesn't take the chances that he claims might push the guitarist into uncharted territory". Music magazine Prefix gave a 4 out of of ten rating, criticising the many "indulgent" guitar solos. There are many ways to interpret the word, "indulgent", but Joe Bonamassa is no "show-off". Joe is one of todays blues guitar greats and his solo work on this album is inspiring. The album is HR by A.O.O.F.C. Check out Joe's "A New Day Yesterday Live", and "North Sea Jazz Festival" albums on this blog. Buy Joe's "Black Rock" album and support great blues rock [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 136 Mb]

TRACKS / COMPOSERS

1. High Water Everywhere - Charlie Patton 4:06
2. Bridge to Better Days - Joe Bonamassa 5:07
3. Asking Around for You - Joe Bonamassa, Mike Himelstein 4:17
4. So Many Roads - Marshall Paul 7:05
5. I Don't Believe - Manuel Charles, Don Robey 3:22
6. Tamp Em Up Solid - Ry Cooder 2:30
7. Django - Robert Bosmans, Etienne Lefebvre 4:56
8. Tea for One - Jimmy Page, Robert Plant 9:34
9. Palm Trees Helicopters and Gasoline - Joe Bonamassa 1:47
10. Your Funeral and My Trial - Sonny Boy Williamson 2:59
11. Torn Down - Joe Bonamassa, Gregg Sutton 4:28

MUSICIANS

Joe Bonamassa - Guitars, Vocals
Pat Thrall - Additional guitar on "Bridge to Better Days"
Carmine Rojas - Bass
Jason Bonham - Drums
Rick Melick - Piano, Organ, Tambourine
LD Miller - Harmonica on "Your Funeral and My Trial"
Doug Henthorn - Vocals on "Tea for One"

BIO

Born: May 8, 1977 in Utica NY. Blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa came of age at a strange time for blues music. Bonamassa was one of three talented teenage guitar wunderkinds - the others being Jonny Lang and Kenny Wayne Shepherd - to emerge from the long shadow of the legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan during the 1990s. While both Lang and Shepherd would release their debut albums in 1995, Bonamassa didn't release his solo debut until 2000 (although it could be argued that the self-titled 1994 Bloodlines album was his coming out party). Since unleashing his acclaimed debut on unsuspecting blues fans, however, Bonamassa has certainly been more prolific than his peers, and he has showed an ambition to improve his craft in every area. Of course, when you have no less than B.B. King singing your praises, you're on the right track. Six-String Blues Prodigy: Call it providence, or maybe fate, but six-string blues guitar prodigy Joe Bonamassa was born on what would have been blues great Robert Johnson's 66th birthday. Destined, perhaps, for a life in music, Bonamassa began playing guitar at the age of four on a small instrument given him by his father, a guitar player and dealer. By the age of seven, young Joe had moved up to a full-size guitar and was working out on Stevie Ray Vaughan songs. Bonamassa began playing gigs in upstate New York at the age of ten, when he would be discovered by the blues great B.B. King. Recognizing the young guitarist's talents, King said "this kid's potential is unbelievable. He hasn't even begun to scratch the surface. He's one of a kind." By the age of 12, Bonamassa was touring with the likes of King, Buddy Guy, George Thorogood, and Robert Cray, among others. King was so impressed that he asked Bonamassa to open the shows of his 80th birthday celebration tour in 2005. Joe Bonamassa's Bloodlines: Joe Bonamassa's recording career began during the early-1990s when, after meeting Berry Oakley, Jr. - the son of the late Allman Brothers bassist - the two formed the band Bloodline. Other members of the band included Waylon Krieger (son of the Doors' keyboardist Robby) and Erin Davis (son of jazz great Miles Davis). Bloodline released a single self-titled album of hard-edged blues-rock in 1994 that featured Bonamassa's scorching guitarwork. After the band's break-up, Bonamassa went back to his solo career. Bonamassa made his solo debut in 2000 with the rock-oriented, Tom Dowd-produced album A New Day Yesterday, named for a classic Jethro Tull song covered by the guitarist. Alongside Bonamassa's original songs, the album also included versions of material from Rory Gallagher, Free, Al Kooper, and Warren Haynes, and included guest appearances by musician friends like Gregg Allman, Rick Derringer, and Leslie West of Mountain. The album would subsequently hit number nine on Billboard magazine's blues chart. Number One On The Blues Charts: Bonamassa followed his debut with 2002's So It's Like That, which would become the guitarist's first number one album, and released A New Day Yesterday, Live, a document of his 2001 tour, the following year. To honor the "Year of the Blues" in 2003, Bonamassa released Blues Deluxe a collection of three original tunes and nine classic blues numbers from artists like John Lee Hooker, Albert Collins, Robert Johnson, and Elmore James, among others. Blues Deluxe would also hit number one on the blues charts, a feat that Bonamassa would accomplish with three of his four following studio albums, as well as 2008's Live From Nowhere In Particular. Rock, Soul & Blues: With 2006's You & Me album, Bonamassa recorded with Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John "Bonzo" Bonham and a seasoned rock music veteran in his own right. With the following year's album, Sloe Gin, Bonamassa played more acoustic guitar and the song's feature the guitarist's warm, maturing vocals along side a typical mix of rock, soul, and blues originals and covers. Sloe Gin proved to be one of Bonamassa's most popular albums, spending nearly three months on the blues charts. Over the course of better than two decades of performing and recording, Joe Bonamassa has built a loyal and still-growing fan base that appreciates his enormous six-string talents, maturing songwriting skills, and dynamic live performances. Bonamassa has also earned the respect of the blues industry. He was the youngest-ever member of the Memphis-based Blues Foundation's Board of Directors, and Bonamassa is heavily involved with the Foundation's Blues In The Schools program, which educates students across the country of the legacy and influence of the blues. Bonamassa was also a popular DJ on Sirius satellite radio, hosting his own blues show. Recommended Albums: Bonamassa's acclaimed debut, A New Day Yesterday, is highly recommended but his 2009 album The Ballad of John Henry displays the full range of the artist's guitar, vocal, and songwriting skills. Bonamassa further stretched his blues-rock muscles with 2011's Dust Bowl, while 2011's acclaimed Don't Explain is an exceptional collection of soul covers recorded with talented L.A. singer Beth Hart. Classic rock fans may enjoy the guitarist's tenure with the classic rock "supergroup" Black Country Communion. By & © Reverend Keith A. Gordon, About.com Guide © 2012 About.com. All rights reserved http://blues.about.com/od/artistprofiles/p/JoeBonamassa.htm

Charlotte Martin

Charlotte Martin - Dancing On Needles - 2011 - Test-Drive Records

Charlotte Martin has certainly suffered for her music, and the resulting album, Dancing on Needles, is a masterpiece because of it. The Los Angeles singer-songwriter overcame a nerve disorder called intercostal neuralgia developed after supporting the weight of her baby son Ronen. Incapacitated for much of a year, Charlotte poured every bit of that harrowing experience into her new music, and she crafted a piano-driven journey that's simultaneously poetic, poignant, and powerful. Delivering each note with palpable emotion, it's impossible not to feel Charlotte as she explores the dreamy darkness of "Volcano" or gives a lilting send-off on "Weird Goodbye." Produced by her husband alternative icon Ken Andrews [Beck, Pete Yorn], Dancing On Needles is a delicate and elegant triumph of the human heart. It's also bound to be remembered as one of the most special albums of 2011 when it drops on February 1st. - from "Charlotte Martin Talks "Dancing On Needles," Overcoming Pain and More" Thu, 30 Dec 2010 10:31:29 © 1997 - 2012 Rogue Digital, LLC. All Rights Reserved http://www.artistdirect.com/entertainment-news/article/charlotte-martin-talks-dancing-on-needles-overcoming-pain-and-more/8441982 Read a full interview with Charlotte at that url

It’s safe to say that Charlotte Martin’s latest album Dancing On Needles wasn’t an easy record to make. In the past year, Charlotte endured what was perhaps the most traumatic time of her life when she was diagnosed with a nerve disorder that prohibited her from playing piano to even holding her young son. But with help and support from those around her, Charlotte bounced back victoriously. In March 2011, she gave birth to her second child, and just a month before she became a mother again, Dancing on Needles dropped along with a brand-new official fan club. Inspired by the events of the last year, Charlotte’s latest musical offerings to listeners is a painstakingly revealing collection of her infliction and the natural responses conjured from such torment. The first track “Any Minute Now” is Charlotte’s confession, slightly informing listeners of what’s to come, raising her voice slowly as if her story is bubbling to the surface. Her account finally makes its grand entrance in the dreamy “Volcano”, which happens to be the first single from the album. From first listen, the childlike keyboard melody evokes a sense of innocence as if Charlotte was unaware of the extent of the tough road ahead. But paying close attention to the lyrics confirms that the artist was already struggling with the extremities of her condition. The album does an outstanding job as far as track order is concerned, providing a see-sawing mix of electronica-woven songs and piano ballads. Not only that, the tracklist plays perfectly like a novel with its main character descending into darkness before finally reaching the light again. With that said, Charlotte drops to a rather melancholy state halfway through the album. “Life Vest” is perhaps the most emotive song on the record, depicting her personal struggles and her despair as she holds tightly on to what matters most. “Great ideas/God, I had great ideas”, she sings sadly. “Complications” follows suit on this vibe but in a more apologetic manner. The studio version of “Tremble” picks up the pace after “Life Vest” featuring a great combination of accompanied instruments that adds a lot of pizzazz, but an earlier acoustic version can be found on YouTube featuring only Charlotte and her piano. The simplicity works just as well. Dancing On Needles truly radiates during its more theatrical tracks. “Ready For a Flight” bounces back and forth between Charlotte’s soft vocal repose and fierce growling. If there’s anything negative to say about “Ready For a Flight”, it’s that the song isn’t as long as I would like it to be. The title track, despite its obvious lyricism chronicling her physical pain, reaches a rather spirited (and dare I say danceable) high by the end, proving that beauty can be created from unhappy circumstances. The second to last track, “Language of God”, could be the twin to “Dancing On Needles” – the otherworldly production is reminiscent of Kate Bush and Cocteau Twins, and Charlotte’s free-spirited choral chanting creates an awesome and positive epicenter for the entire disc. The closing song, entitled “Weird Goodbye”, plays like a summarization of the other (eleven) tracks. Despite her trials, Martin still manages to hold her head high as she repeats “It won’t get me down.” Dancing On Needles is the tale of a woman constrained and her journey to break free from all the hurting, whether it be physical or emotional. As a CharMar fan, I’m thankful that she has crossed the finish line, sharing her personal accounts so honestly and creatively, emerging with her finest work to date. By & © Miss Coolsville April 13, 2011 http://coolsville.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/album-review-charlotte-martin-dancing-on-needles/

Some artists just seem to never make a poor album and one of those is Charlotte Martin. From leaping from piano based melodies to synth rock anthems from her previous albums, Martin’s latest “Dancing on Needles” carefully merges the organic with the synthetic and makes one hell of a rocking album seeping emotion from start to finish. Opening with “Any Minute Now” Charlotte’s piano and vocal delivery are harsh and bold in this ever twisting tense and taut track. The ever present rumblings of low pianos are joined by guitars and pounding drums as Charlotte’s vocal layering pushes to the fore in a great opener. Single “Volcano” swaps sides from organic rock to heavily processed drum samples and etheral electric pianos yet the underlining current is one of pain, grit and detirmination. Even through its spacious angelic chorus (with a fantastic riff may I add) nothing ever feels settled and its this pinprick edge that carries the album and elevates it further. “Truth Cerium” returns to the band sound with a strong pounding track showcasing Martin’s penchant for sticking an slightly detuned chord in her riffs that give a certain rush to the brain. It’s great to see this side of Martin’s music because it shows she’s a master of all different genres of music and I can see this being a great live track. Title track “Dancing on Needles” has a fantastic funky bassline while the backbeat thumps away like a ticking clock while all kinds of atmospherics swirl around – this is the album footstomper arm waver anthem as it continues to evolve and build. This leads effeortlessly into “Animal” which is an absolutely stunning track. Full of drama, intrigue and an epic chorus – the verses chart their course the crawl inside your veins and then coupled with Charlotte’s quivering vocals, the choruses just steal your pulse away. The album hits a quieter period which starts off with the devastingly beautiful “Life Vest” which is the first piano/vocal led track. Charlotte’s high singing register against the piano easily brings you to tears of emotion in what is a heart wrenching performance. You can hear every nuance and second of pain in her every word. “Tremble” is not so much quiet all the way through but its as equally emotive as instrument upon instrument is slowly added into the mix until we reach the final hurrah where the electric guitars, pianos and vocals all whail together with a marching drum beat pulsing through your body and its almost like hitting a state of euphoria. The songs construction is fantastic and is a perfect juxtaposition to the solo version available on youtube. “Starlight” has a beautiful synth piano sound much like someone has crossbred a steel pan and an electric piano. This electro-rock ballad is beautiful for its constantly flowing with different raising chords that feel slightly eastern but quite gritty too. It’s quite a unique sound and stands out because of it. “Ready for a Flight” is a dark track with a full on growling chorus which comes across like a gigantic stand off in a bull arena with stimping drums and grizzly bass backing her up as the dischordant piano rumbles behind them all. The most abstract song on the album is the most hair raising. “Complications” is another lighter waver rock ballad and its here where the electronic and acoustic collide 50/50 and combined with excellent songwriting the merger of most of Martin’s backcatalogue is sewn together seemlessly. If this song doesn’t becomes a romance movie ballad then a crime has been made against humanity. “Language of God” is the big rocking finale on the album with pounding toms and all kinds of fun synths bursting out in the middle. Throughout the album the vocal layers are core but here they also form part of the background hum of music – almost like a background chant. The middle eight is like an electro-Eden. The album closes with “Weird Goodbye” which is an emotional piano/vocal track that doesn’t just tug on the heart strings, it rips them out and jumps up and down on them and is classic early Char Mar. “Dancing on Needles” is mindblowingly fantastic. From the opening note to the closing whimper you can feel every emotion, every word and every teardrop of pain and there’s nothing quite like it. Easily the first must have album of 2011 and early contender for album of the year. It’ll leave you breathless. © http://higherplainmusic.com/2011/01/13/charlotte-martin-dancing-on-needles-review/JANUARY 13, 2011

Buy Charlotte's "Stromata" album. Also check out Thea Gilmore's great "Murphy's Heart" album [All tracks @ 320 Kbps: File size = 114 Mb]

TRACKS

1 Any Minute Now 2:53
2 Volcano 3:57
3 Truth Cerium 3:26
4 Dancing On Needles 4:28
5 Animal 4:39
6 Life Vest 4:10
7 Tremble 5:22
8 Starlight 4:02
9 Ready For A Flight 3:15
10 Complications 3:59
11 Language Of God 4:58
12 Weird Goodbye 4:43

All songs composed by Charlotte Martin except "Complications" by Charlotte Martin & Tommy Walter

MUSICIANS

Charlotte Martin - Piano, Keyboards, Synthesizer, Vocals, Backing Vocals
Ken Andrews - Guitar, Bass Guitar, Programmer for Keyboards, Orchestra & Horns, Backing Vocals
Justin Meldal-Johnsen - Bass Guitar
Fernando Sanchez - Drums
Tommy Walter - Additional Vocals on "Complications"

BIO

Creamy, bittersweet, hypnotic, intimate—such is the sound of DANCING ON NEEDLES, the stunning new album from critically acclaimed indie singer-songwriter CHARLOTTE MARTIN. Produced by Ken Andrews (Pete Yorn, Beck), the rapturous album traces Martin's heartbreaking struggle with intercostal neuralgia, a nerve disorder that left her incapacitated for much of the past year. “It was the most difficult period of my life,” says Martin. “The pain was excruciating. I saw countless doctors, was misdiagnosed countless times and prescribed countless medications. Nothing seemed to help. Forget about not being able to work; getting out of bed was a major undertaking. Worst of all, I couldn’t nurse, or even lift, my baby. As a new mother, that was devastating.” Unable to stand or sit at the piano for extended periods of time, Martin was forced to write and record the album in pieces over the course of a year. Despite the arduous process, she managed to craft a beautifully warm album of faith, hope and love. Released on Martin's own Test-Drive Records, DANCING ON NEEDLES feels like entries from a journal, with Martin staring down the darkness to come out the other side. Musically, each track is wrapped in gorgeous, swirling melodies and soft, dreamy textures. And of all the gentle pleasures that unfold within the album’s grooves, the most remarkable are the perpetually enraptured vocals of Martin, an emotive singer whose ethereal voice alternately conveys feelings of love and fear, yearning and regret, and hope and longing. She shines on songs like “Volcano,” “Truth Cerium,” and “Starlight.” The initial stages of Martin’s affliction can be traced back to the fall of 2009. At the time, she was between albums—since her third full-length, Stromata (2006), she had released a covers album, Reproductions (2007), and a collection of B-sides, Orphans (2008)—and just getting back into the groove of recording and performing since the birth of her son in 2008. Motherhood had caused something of an identity crisis for Charlotte, as she struggled to find the artist in the mother she had become. And she wondered if she could, in fact, be both. While balancing family and work, Charlotte put her songwriting talent to work for others, including Tiesto, BT and Crystal Method, among others. As 2008 came to a close, she started working on her own music again and logged a small tour with her son in tow; she also began experiencing sporadic numbness in parts of her body. By fall 2009, Charlotte was in constant pain. Adding to the hurt was the fact that Charlotte and her husband wanted to have another baby, but couldn't because of her rapidly declining health. Thus began a harrowing year of doctor visits; second, third, and fourth opinions; misdiagnoses; and failed treatments. At the same time, Charlotte also learned that her father was suffering from heart failure, with grim prospects for the future. As close as any daughter can be to her parents, Charlotte was devastated. With stress bearing down on her from all sides, she turned to music for salvation. Charlotte picked up work on the album; though still struggling physically, she could write only in short spurts. As a result, she leaned heavily on her husband, producer Ken Andrews, who built out the tracks from Charlotte’s rough piano and vocal sketches, adding all additional instrumentation and production. The final product is classic Charlotte Martin—lush, densely textured piano-based tracks with alternately soaring and delicate vocals. Her health improving every day, Martin is looking forward to touring, though she admits that the new material is emotionally difficult to perform. For the few shows that she will play in support of DANCING ON NEEDLES, she hopes that the support of her fans will get her through—as well as the support of her father, who has fortunately (if not miraculously) made a full recovery. Charlotte is grateful to be alive and finds comfort in her family, which (also miraculously) is soon to expand: she's pregnant with a baby girl due this spring. Over the course of her career, Martin has recorded both major label and independent releases, performed sold-out shows to audiences around the world and shared stages with the likes of Liz Phair, Pete Yorn, Damien Rice, Jason Mraz, and many others. Her music has been licensed for a plethora of television shows, including “So You Think You Can Dance,” which regularly features her song “The Dance” during the show’s open. Details magazine called her “a seductive performer” and “a skilled lyricist who writes with surgical precision” and Performing Songwriter praised Martin as “a born storyteller and affecting vocalist.” © 2011 CHARLOTTE MARTIN. all rights reserved. http://charlottemartin.com/don/bio.html