Macon, GA – Blind producer Joey Stuckey, the official Music Ambassador for his hometown of Macon, Georgia—a true music city—has released an all-female musical compilation, “Joey Stuckey Presents Ladies of the South”, that encompasses twelve incredible artists that he has produced over the past 6 years.
Stuckey’s roster of musical legends with whom he has worked includes Alan Parsons, Chuck Leavell, Jimmy Hall, The B-52s, Mike Mills (REM), Trisha Yearwood, Hughie Thomasson (Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Outlaws), and many others.
The decision to release this compilation was made after Stuckey’s co-writing the album’s feature song “What You See Ain’t What You Get” with Charlie Hoskyns (The Popes), Will Morrison (Modern English), and Paul McGuinness (The Pogues). Says Stuckey, “We wrote this amazing song about incredibly strong women and loved it so much that we had to record it. We chose long-time friend and Georgia treasure Sue Wilkinson (aka Sue Lu) to perform the lead vocals on this track. We needed the attitude of Janis Joplin and the vocal chops to go with it and Sue was the perfect woman to bring the song to life. After ‘What You See Ain’t What You Get’ was completed, I realized that I knew and had worked with so many amazing female artists across all genres that it was time to share that talent and ‘Joey Stuckey Presents Ladies of the South’ was born.”
Whether you are a fan of rock, pop, singer/songwriter, country, or contemporary Christian, this compilation has it all!
The artists and songs included in this southern exposé are:
1. The Shadow Bandits featuring Sue Lu “What You See Ain’t What You Get”
2. Kim Meeks “Everybody’s Pretty”
3. Hugh Hession featuring Camille Scoggins & Sue Tomlin “Start Over”
4. Someday Merry featuring Eline Chavez “With You”
5. Vanessa Moses “Danish Cookies Is My Name”
6. Tyler Moore featuring Camille Scoggins “Box Labeled Questions”
7. Katherine Daniel “Lonely Boulevard”
8. The Vineyard Band featuring Amber Pierce and Heidi Clinite “Letting Go”
9. Louise Warren “Home”
10. Doc Henderson featuring Kim Meeks “Lately (Morning Dove, Mourning Sparrow)”
11. Stacy Hostler “Something More”
12. TATB featuring Rachel Elkins “Johnny 9 (Blind Man Remix)”
To learn more about these artists please visit: http://www.ladiesofthesouthmusic.com https://itun.es/us/GDHOdb http://cdbaby.com/cd/joeystuckeypresentsladie
Also make sure to check out the music videos for “What You See Ain’t What You Get” and “Danish Cookies Is My Name”.
“What You See Ain’t What You Get” Music Video http://youtu.be/zpW5A1nl4ck
“Danish Cookies Is My Name” Music Video http://youtu.be/joFth0t78UQ
For more information about producer Joey Stuckey:
Www.joeystuckey.com
Www.joeystuckeyproductions.com
Www.shadowsoundstudio.com
Facebook.com/joeystuckey
Twitter.com/jstuckeymusic
Classic Rock Legends Wishbone Ash ‘Take It Back’ on North American Fall Tour
Musical journey through back catalog plus selections from recent recordings on tap
Wishbone Ash, one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock, bring it to their North American fans on the 2016 “Take It Back” Tour. As they celebrate their 47th anniversary at shows from Denver, CO, to New York City, the guys will present time-honored classics and deep tracks from the back catalog, as well as material from recent recordings.
“We’d like to mix it up a little,” says founding member Andy Powell. “Perhaps include a different epic instrumental, dust off a couple of the old harmony-driven songs, feature an unexpected track from our latest album, ‘Blue Horizon.’”
Formed in 1969, Wishbone Ash finds itself in rare company these days. Not many bands are still going strong after nearly 50 years. It takes a serious lifetime of commitment to the craft of making music; but, more importantly, real skill is required to navigate the shifting seas of the music industry, and few know that better than Powell.
“We laid down strong musical roots in the ’70s, and these roots continue to prove productive,” he says. “Also, we nurtured our fan base as much as possible through fan club conventions, newsletters and the like; but this was all given a great boost once the digital age came into being, with websites and social media.”
Wishbone Ash is led by Powell on guitar and vocals, trading licks with Finnish guitar master Muddy Manninen. Bassist Bob Skeat, an 19-year veteran of the band, sets the pace with Joe Crabtree, one of the best of Britain’s new breed of drummers, himself an 8-year Ash veteran who also handles a lot of the band’s tech requirements.
Through the years the band has delved into various musical genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica. Whatever the style, Wishbone Ash’s hallmark is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth.
True road warriors, each year the band logs around 30,000 miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth.
“The hours, days and weeks we spend touring and recording results in a close-knit group, for sure,” says Powell. “It allows us to bring a level of intensity to the table that people seem to pick up on and appreciate.”
The fruitful results of near-constant touring are evident on the latest DVD release, “Live in Paris,” recorded in May 2015 during a three-day residency at Le Triton Theatre in Les Lilas, Paris.
Powell says, “We recorded three nights of material, including current versions of some classic songs, plus some deep tracks that people won’t necessarily expect.”
The band recently released a four-disc “Road Works” box set, a compilation of four separate shows recorded in Germany and the UK. In October 2015, Powell completed his autobiography, “Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,” co-written with Irish music journalist Colin Harper. The book, published by Jawbone Press, has met with public and critical acclaim.
“Our concept was to root my musical story and that of the band’s to the times in which I came of age,” says Powell. “That is to say, relating it to those times, decade by decade, so that the reader could get a picture of how I was impacted by the social and musical trends and how I weathered those changes. We also wanted to keep it breezy and poke a little fun at this music game at the same time.”
There is no other rock band in history that has done more with the twin guitar concept than The Ash. Be sure to catch them on the Take It Back Tour this September. Tour dates and more information can be found at http://www.wishboneash.com.
WISHBONE ASH “Take It Back” Tour North America September 2016
SEPT 8 Denver CO Soiled Dove
SEPT 9 Colorado Springs CO Stargazers
SEPT 10 Kansas City MO Knuckleheads
SEPT 12 Milwaukee WI Pabst Theatre – Turner Hall
SEPT 13 Minneapolis MN Famous Dave’s
SEPT 16 Edwardsville IL Wildey Theatre
SEPT 17 St. Charles IL Arcada Theatre
SEPT 18 Auburn Hills MI Callahan’s
SEPT 19 Fort Wayne IN C2G Music Hall
SEPT 20 Pittsburgh PA Rex Theater
SEPT 21 Buffalo NY Sportsmen’s Tavern
SEPT 22 Albany NY The Upper Room
SEPT 23 Jim Thorpe PA Mauch Chunk Opera House
SEPT 24 Norfolk CT Infinity Hall
SEPT 25 Londonderry NH Tupelo Music Hall
SEPT 26 Annapolis MD Rams Head
SEPT 27 Sellersville PA Sellersville Theater
SEPT 28 New York NY Highline Ballroom
SEPT 29 Pawling NY Daryl’s House Club
Press Inquiries: Glass Onyon PR, Billy James, PH: 828-350-8158, glassonyonpr@gmail.com
and
Kate Goldsmith, kate_goldsmith@wishboneash.com
To download electronic press kit: http://www.wishboneash.com/epk
Guitar Virtuoso Gustavo Assis-Brasil Releases New Album “Chromatic Dialogues”
Boston, MA – Much to the anticipation of guitarists worldwide, guitar virtuoso Gustavo Assis-Brasil has released a new album “Chromatic Dialogues”! The tracks were conceived and recorded in Boston, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh during the Fall of 2015, and brought to Grammy winner engineer Dave Darlington for mixing and mastering at Bass Hit Studios, New York City, in January 2016.
Says Gustavo, “The main idea of recording this album was to combine compositions with improvised musical dialogues (duets). The result was an original blending of spontaneous instrumental conversations with intricate and introspective musical statements.
“My compositions are abstract. I want the listeners to interpret the dialogues and compositions the way they want. It becomes easier to understand the dialogues after listening to them a few times. I’d love to keep attracting a diverse and open-minded audience.”
Gustavo has performed/recorded with John Stowell, Esperanza Spaulding, Frank Potenza, Bob Mintzer, Richard Smith, Hiromi, Tony Grey, Prasanna, Julio Herrlein, Richard Bona, Greg Hopkins, Vardan Ovsepian, Brett Wilmott, Mauricio Zottarelli, Tim Ries, Nelson Faria, Prasanna, Mozik, among others.
Based in Boston, USA, Gustavo began playing the guitar at the age of 13. He attended the Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil, to get his bachelor in classical guitar at the age of 21.
In 1995 he was featured in Guitar Player Magazine – USA (Spotlight session). In 1999 he got a full scholarship to get his Master Degree In Jazz at Berklee College of Music. His main teachers were Mick Goodrick, Wayne Krantz, and Hal Crook. While studying at Berklee, he had the opportunity to attend master-classes with Kurt Rosenwinkel, Pat Metheny, Frank Gambale, Mike Stern, Dave Liebman and John Scofield. Gustavo also studied improvisation and composition with Charlie Banacos.
From 2001 until 2006, Gustavo played/toured with the renowned group the Dig Trio. Gustavo is the director of the Jazz and Contemporary Music Ensembles and is a faculty member of at the Cambridge School of Weston. His other teaching experience includes: Berklee College of Music (Boston), Musicians Institute (Hollywood), University of Southern California (Los Angeles), Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Federal University of Santa Maria, and University of Passo Fundo (Brazil).
In 2005, Gustavo released the book “Hybrid Picking for Guitar”, a method entirely dedicated to the art of combining pick and fingers. In 2008, he released the follow up book “Hybrid Picking Exercises: Single Note Permutations”, with more than 1,400 different exercises based entirely on math permutations. Also in 2008, Gustavo released a live DVD/CD combo called “In Concert”. On that same year, he was invited by ESC Records (Germany) to write and record an arrangement of Steely Dan’s “Aja”, for which was to be included in a tribute CD called “Maestros of Cool”.
In 2009, Gustavo was invited to participate in the project “Mahavishnu Re-Defined – a Tribute to John Mclaughlin & the Mahavishnu Orchestra”. In 2010 he released the soundtrack for the Brazilian movie “Manhã Transfigurada”. In 2011, Gustavo released his third book, “Hybrid Picking Lines and Licks”. Guthrie Govan wrote the foreword for it.
And now, Gustavo has released his highly anticipated new solo album “Chromatic Dialogues”!
The album features: Gustavo Assis-Brasil (guitars / compositions) Tony Grey (electric bass) – performed and collaborated with John McLaughlin, Hiromi, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter Vardan Ovsepian (piano and synthesizer) – performed with V.O.C.E., Peter Erskine, Jerry Bergonzi, Mick Goodrick, and more… José Pienasola (acoustic bass) – performed/recorded with Elis Regina, Chico Buarque, Leny Andrade, Emilio Santiago, and more… Mauricio Zottarelli (drums) – performed/recorded with Lee Ritenour, Eliane Elias, Hiromi, Dig Trio, Chuck Loeb, and more…
Upcoming show dates:
9/14 – Ryles Jazz Club, Cambridge, MA, USA (CD release concert)
9/18 – Rockwood Music Hall, New York, NY, USA (CD release concert)
10/6 – Uppsalla Guitar Festival, Uppsalla, SWEDEN (workshop and solo performance)
10/8 – Uppsalla Guitar Festival, Uppsala, SWEDEN (workshop and solo performance)
Fall 2016 – will record instructional videos for MyMusicMasterclass.com
Here’s what the press has said about Gustavo Assis-Brasil:
“Gustavo Assis-Brasil is an accomplished guitarist with a remarkably fluid linear concept and a distinctive, ultra-sophisticated harmonic sense, who also exhibits a fully developed voice as a composer.” – BILL MILKOWSKI
“Gustavo is a blazing fretboard master!” – METRONOME MAGAZINE, Doug Sloan
“Assis-Brasil’s writing and playing are exceptional! His sound, phrasing and harmonic sense are impeccable!” – JUST JAZZ GUITAR Magazine, Jeff Barone
“…dazzling…” – GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE, Spotlight column
“… a sophisticated tone that’s suffused with warmth and complemented by razor-sharp technique but, more significantly, the ability to play with emotion.” – MARK F. TURNER, AllAboutJazz.com
Prog Legends Stick Men Feat. King Crimson Members New Album “Prog Noir” Available For Pre-Order
Berlin, Germany – Much to the excitement of music aficionados worldwide, prog legends Stick Men will be releasing their new album “Prog Noir” on October 21, 2016. It is now available for pre-order as a single disc edition and a super deluxe box set, which contains an additional bonus CD with exclusive material, a double vinyl version of the album, a t-shirt and poster. The band, featuring members of King Crimson, has also released a new lyric video for the track, The Tempest’ A departure from their previous efforts, “Prog Noir” includes song oriented material, featuring vocals on several tracks.
Says Tony Levin, “The album is somewhere between being the best of our current compositions, and having a unifying concept overall. Part way through the our recording process, the ‘Prog Noir’ title, lyrics and idea came up – it sort of shone a dark, noir light on what had come before, and it influenced what came after (including some ‘noir’ instrumental interludes that will be part of the box set version.) For me that’s a good way to go – I like a concept involved with an album sometimes, but I don’t feel it needs to encompass every piece.”
Stick Men is a progressive rock band created by musicians with extensive experience playing together. Pat Mastelotto and Tony Levin are the rhythm section of the legendary band King Crimson. Mastelotto is in demand all over the world as the premier drummer for progressive rock. Levin plays in Crimson, with Peter Gabriel, and has recorded with John Lennon, David Bowie, Pink Floyd and others. Markus Reuter is a renowned composer/guitarist who designed and plays his own unique touch style guitar.
Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto, the powerhouse bass and drums of the group King Crimson for more than 2 decades, bring that tradition to all their playing. Levin plays the Chapman Stick, from which the band takes it’s name. Having bass and guitar strings, the Chapman Stick functions at times like two instruments. Markus Reuter plays his 8-string touch guitar – again covering much more ground than a guitar or a bass. And Mastelotto’s drumming encompasses not just the acoustic kit, but a unique electronic setup too, allowing him to add loops, samples, percussion, and more.
The result; audiences are fascinated by watching just three musicians onstage perform their unique compositions as well as wild improvisations and some cover versions of songs by King Crimson, Mike Oldfield, etc.
Before “Prog Noir”, Stick Men have released 4 studio CDs (Soup, Absalom, DEEP, Open) as well as two live albums.
Says Markus, “What’s unusual about ‘Prog Noir’ is that we spent years composing it. Usually we get the ideas and quickly turn them into an album or start playing them in on the road. The imperative of a band like ours, that’s out on the road touring a lot of the time, is to have new material each year. But this time the idea was to really refine the material, reject all but the best (indeed, there are some very nice pieces that didn’t make the cut) and create a really special album that might define our band in terms of where our journey has taken us.”
Stick Men is:
Tony Levin – Born in Boston, Tony Levin started out in classical music, playing bass in the Rochester Philharmonic. Then moving into jazz and rock, he has had a notable career, recording with John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Yes, David Bowie, Alice Cooper, and many more. He has also released 5 solo CDs and three books. In addition to touring with Stick Men, he is currently a member of King Crimson, of the Peter Gabriel Band, and of the Levin Brothers jazz band. His popular website, tonylevin.com, featured one of the web’s first blogs, and has over 4 million visits.
Pat Mastelotto – Very rarely does a drummer go on to forge the most successful career on the demise of their former hit band. Phil Collins and Dave Grohl have managed it, so too has Pat Mastelotto, a self taught drummer from Northern California, who has also been involved with pushing the envelope of electronic drumming. Pat has spent a lifetime jumping genres from pop, to prog, to electronica to world music with – among others – Mr. Mister, XTC, David Sylvian, The Rembrandts, Kimmo Pohjonen, and for the last 20 years with King Crimson.
Markus Reuter – Markus is a composer, guitarist, and producer. Initially trained as a pianist, he subsequently studied Robert Fripp’s Guitar Craft and learned to play the Chapman Stick, later moving onto the U8 Touch Guitar. Reuter has released many solo recordings and worked extensively with other musicians. He is one of the core members of the experimental band Centrozoon, is half of the duo Tuner (with Pat Mastelotto) and was also a member of Europa String Choir. Reuter has collaborated with Ian Boddy, Robert Rich, No-Man singer Tim Bowness, and many others.
In support of “Prog Noir” Stick Men will tour Europe in October 2016, then again in January/February 2017 in the U.S. and Canada. Says Markus, “We love covering a lot of territories, so the future after those booked shows will involve our heading to S. America, Japan, and more places. Yes, we’ll have some videos to offer of the new material – hard to describe those now because we’re in the process of making them.”
“Prog Noir” is available in pre-sale in 3 formats:
Signed Limited Edition Combo Package – Deluxe Box Set (2LP/2CD/Poster) with T-Shirt; Regular CD and Download (WAV, FLAC, ALAC and/or MP3-320 formats)
SIGNED LIMITED EDITION COMBO PACKAGE DELUXE BOX SET (2LP/2CD/POSTER) + T-SHIRT
The combo package includes:
• 2LP 180 grams gatefold (the LP has a, 11 minute bonus tracks on the Side B of the second LP, which is not included in the regular CD package)
• 2CD special edition of the new album, Digipack. (Disk One is the regular 10 track album. Disk Two contains 8 bonus tracks.)
• Full color poster of the album artwork (17×22 inches)
• Full color T-Shirt (front only). Available in Navy Blue and Black.
ALL BOX SETS WILL BE SIGNED BY ALL 3 BAND MEMBERS (Tony, Pat & Markus).
All orders will be shipped in the late October.
Pre-orders are $140 USD / 120 EUR plus shipping.
Those who contribute $200 USD / 190 EUR or more, will have their names included in credits inside of the box set.
This special box set includes digital pre-order of “Prog Noir”. Fans will get 4 tracks now (streaming via the free Bandcamp app and also available as a high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more), plus the complete album the moment it’s released.
SINGLE CD, REGULAR EDITION of “Prog Noir” (10 tracks) can be pre-ordered for $17 USD / 15 Euros plus shipping
DOWNLOAD of “Prog Noir” (10 tracks in WAV, FLAC, ALAC and/or MP3-320 formats) can be pre-ordered for $10 US / 8 EUR
Dutch Prog Legend Arjen Anthony Lucassen Re-Releases Rare Out of Print Album “Strange Hobby” OUT NOW!
London, UK – STRANGE HOBBY was previously released in 1996 WITHOUT SAYING WHO THE ARTIST WAS! It can now be announced it was legendary Dutch prog artist ARJEN ANTHONY LUCASSEN! Arjen Anthony Lucassen is a Dutch progressive metal/rock songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist and record producer, best known for his long-running progressive opera project titled Ayreon.
“Strange Hobby” has been OUT OF PRINT for OVER A DECADE and is now a much sought after collectors’ item. This edition includes FOUR bonus tracks which have not been available on CD previously.
Of this re-release, Arjen said “Back in 1996 I had so much fun recording Strange Hobby! It was great to take a break from recording my complex, bombastic Ayreon prog-extravaganzas and blow off some steam blasting out these rocky cover versions of my favorite songs from the sixties. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to this psychedelic blast from the past as much as I enjoyed recording it! Groovy!”
This re-release of “Strange Hobby”, the first on Arjen’s own Aluca Music imprint via Cherry Red, is likely to be a BIG SURPRISE to many of his fans!
Bay Area Music Ensemble ‘On Dolphin’ To Release Debut Album “LAYERS” on Vinyl – July 22, 2016
Music to take you out of the grind and into the flow
San Francisco – Bay Area music ensemble On Dolphin will be releasing their debut album “LAYERS” on vinyl on July 22, 2016! Fronted by Melissa Lyn, the band’s music has been described as “Indie rock for people that are hopeful and curious.” The band’s new album explores the evolutions of ideas from curiosity and experience to beliefs and knowledge. And, finding comfort within the structures of family and community while making space to be.
After years of playing solo acoustic shows, Melissa dusted off her electric guitar and teamed up with her husband, engineer and producer Ryan Clark to create On Dolphin’s debut full length album “LAYERS” to be released on vinyl July 22, 2016. The band’s influences include Spoon, Aimee Mann, Cat Power, Billie Holiday, Jets to Brazil, Belle & Sebastian & Des Ark.
“The sounds range from straight forward rock on the opening track ‘more good days’, the thick drum beat and dreamy soundscape of ‘dance in the kitchen’, to the textured and orchestral dynamics of ‘New York’ and title track ‘Layers’.” – FalafelRockNews
“LAYERS” – This album was born in a barn – Melissa Lyn
“Fresh out of a relationship and laid off from my day job, I left the city on a series of travels and adventures, landing in a Barn in Northern California. I was settling into my new home, reflecting on poems and sounds from my trip to Africa, when I finished writing the title track ‘Layers’ and the following song ‘Worth the Drive’. I was exploring the contrasting layers of traditions and comfort amidst new beliefs and landscapes.
“In The Barn, I was surrounded by 360 degrees of nature, with horses downstairs and chickens outside. It was peaceful and inspiring and I was writing a lot. The songs ‘Dance in the Kitchen’ and ‘Inventing Fences’ are stories of my assimilation into the new space and the community that was quickly growing around me. I became very active in the local music scene attending weekly open mics. One night, at Bazaar Cafe I met Ryan Clark. It was a pleasant meeting, though neither of us predicted that we would marry exactly one year later.
“Ryan was building his recording business and helped me prepare and complete my first solo EP ‘Roads’. We set up a part-time recording studio in the bedroom at The Barn. Friends and band mates joined us for retreat-style recording. ‘Together’ and ‘Laugh it Off ‘are a tribute to a community of musicians working together to bring songs and ideas to life.
“We married and moved into a tiny room in the city of San Francisco, a huge transition from the country space that The Barn provided. Writing continued to be the best way to identify new feelings and reflect on joys and pains. ‘Slowdown’ and ‘More Good Days’ represent the challenges of a crowded city life. I made space for myself in Yogic chanting and joined the Vak Choir project. ‘Let a Little Light’ was born as I explored my breath and sound in a new way.
“We found more space in a larger apartment down the road and began building our life, and this album, together. Ryan is an amazing producer and multi-instrumentalist. His arrangements and vision really brought these songs to life.
“To say that our friends’ vocal and instrumental talents added color and texture to these recordings is an understatement. These folks add color and texture to our lives. The support in the San Francisco songwriting community is like super food to a developing musician. The contrasting layers culminate in New York. A ‘coming home’ song about Love & Frustration, Wanderlust & Home.”
“Worthy of a Quentin Tarantino film, ‘Worth The Drive,’ by On Dolphin is worth the listen.” – Indie Shuffle
On Dolphin is:
Melissa Lyn – guitar & vocals: An active member of the SF songwriter scene since 2008, Melissa Lyn hosted and curated, Songwriter Saturdays at the Exit Theatre. She has booked and shared the stage with over 150 bay area songwriters and bands between 2011 and 2015. She released her debut solo EP Roads in 2012 and started On Dolphin in 2015.
Anderai Maldonado – bass: Anderai has performed in numerous musical projects from ska to jazz… From Puerto Rico to San Francisco. Crafting bass lines that move you.
Nathan Dennen – keys: Born and raised in the small country town of Oakdale, California, Nathan started learning piano at the age of six. Though he took a couple years off to teach himself guitar he eventually fell back into his old piano playing ways and started writing songs. His music has been described as a mash-up of old saloon style, mixed with a little jazz and a touch of folk funk; if such a thing exists. http://www.nathandennen.com
Ryan Clark – drums: Ryan Clark is a Bay Area music producer and recording engineer. He’s a muti-instrumentalist currently playing drums in On Dolphin, Say Disaster, and Invisible End. He is also the singer, songwriter and guitar player for Obstacle Course. http://obstaclecourse.bandcamp.com
In closing On Dolphin has this to impart, “Peel away the layers, live truth!”
YES Legend Jon Anderson To Receive Prog God Award From Progressive Music Awards!
London, UK – Music legend Jon Anderson will be presented with the Prog God award at this year’s Progressive Music Awards, in association with currencies.co.uk, which will be held at London’s Underglobe on September 1, 2016! This very special honor is awarded to musical innovators within the world of progressive rock music and sees Anderson joining such music luminaries as Rick Wakeman, Ian Anderson, Peter Gabriel and Tony Banks, in collecting the prestigious award.
Says Jon “After all these years, it’s just wonderful to be getting this very special award. Music has guided me along to this point in my life and I’m forever excited about the new and progressive musical adventures I am given by the gods of music. Making music is like breathing to me, and I am blessed to be able to create music every day. A very grateful and humble thank you.”
YES’s original singer/songwriter for 35 years, Jon Anderson has had a successful solo career, which includes working with such notable music artists as Vangelis, Kitaro, and Milton Nascimento. Jon recently joined musical forces with jazz violin legend Jean Luc Ponty to form the AndersonPonty Band. The duo released their critically acclaimed CD/DVD titled “Better Late Than Never” in 2015 and have completed two successful tours of North America. Jon’s new album with Swedish guitarist Roine Stolt titled “Invention of Knowledge” was released on InsideOut Records on July 8, 2016 and it’s getting amazing rave reviews worldwide! His latest venture is reuniting with YES alumni Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman – ARW.
Prog Duo Middlesong Release New EP “Directions” Feat. YES Legend Billy Sherwood
Buffalo, NY – Prog duo Middlesong has release a new three-song EP titled “Directions” featuring YES legend Billy Sherwood. With Joe Schneider (vocals, guitar, keyboards) and Phil Tomczak (keyboards, guitars), Middlesong has heavy Prog and Classic Rock influence, along with hints of Folk, Pop and Americana. Middlesong’s eclectic sources produce a universal sound that musicians and non-musicians will appreciate!
The three new tracks (“Directions in D Minor (Make Sure That You Learn)”, “See This Through”, “Rain to Sun”) were started at Middlesong Studios in Hamburg NY, followed by mixing and production by Billy Sherwood at his studio in California. Billy, who plays bass, drums, keyboards, guitar on the tracks, is a renowned producer, musician and performer, and is currently the bass player for the progressive rock band YES. Billy has worked as producer and engineer for countless artists in the rock and progressive rock genres. His musicianship and talent is respected world-wide.
“It was great fun working on the music with the guys, I’m very proud to have been a part of it all and very much looking forward to having it now get out there for everyone to hear and enjoy.”- Billy Sherwood
Says Phil and Joe, “We both love to write music. We were surprised and very pleased by the way the songs evolved. Never having worked together previously as songwriters, we soon found that the music seemed to write itself, and took off into directions all their own (which led us to the title for the EP). Nothing was off the table. We allowed all of our influences to enter into the songwriting process. Billy Sherwood was then able to polish and bring the songs to life while preserving our original tunes.”
For all three songs in the EP, Joe and Phil wanted to write songs with a solid musical structure, but take some chances along the way. Most of their songwriting begins with a nylon and steel string guitar, developing a musical theme, and taking shape from there (the “Middlesong Method”).
“In particular, with ‘Directions in D Minor (Make Sure That You Learn)’, we explored the key of D minor, while providing the listeners with different styles within the same song – a classic Prog offering. Each section of the song represents a stage of one’s life; chasing the musical dream; wrestling with the muse.
“With ‘See This Through’, our intent was to write a song that everybody could relate to, tapping their foot along the way. A fun part of the song for us was setting the scene for an old Western saloon in the bridge and lead section – providing a change from the main structure of the song, and a bit of an unexpected adventure. The theme of the song itself is one of perseverance, and speaks to both the whole of humanity, as well as to the individual.”
“Rain to Sun” is a great example of the “Middlesong Method”. The song came together quickly, with an instrumental lead melody written by Joe, and an initial arrangement of strings and choir voices written by Phil. In this song (as well as in “Direction in D Minor”), they left plenty of room for producer and performer Billy Sherwood. “In ‘Rain to Sun’, we were thrilled by his meandering bass line that complimented the dual guitar tracks. Billy precisely interpreted and felt the pulse of all of our songs with his bass and percussion.”
Joe Schneider and Phil Tomczak formed Middlesong in 2015. It didn’t take long to realize the synergy and soul of their collaborative songwriting! Joe is a veteran of the performance stage. Augmented by his guitar playing, Joe’s vocals soar with clarity, smoothness of texture, and deep feeling. Joe finds inspiration from singer-songwriters such as Lennon-McCartney, Tom Petty and Billy Joel. He has great, natural instincts for melody and harmony, and a gift for writing lyrics that touch our souls in just the right place. Phil’s love for music stems from the piano, influenced by the likes of Rick Wakeman and Keith Emerson. His versatility extends to the guitar, which plays a significant role in Middlesong’s songwriting and distinctive sound. Phil’s musicianship evokes imagery and will carry you along on the clear road ahead, or sweep you off into a surprising new direction.
As well as Billy Sherwood, Middlesong has worked with renowned mastering engineer Maor Appelbaum. The duo are currently in the studio writing and arranging the remaining tracks to fill out the complete, debut album to be released sometime in 2017.
In closing Phil and Joe have this to impart, “We appreciate your listening and at the purest level, we hope you enjoy our music!”
Dutch Music Legends Focus Release New Album “Focus 8.5 / Beyond The Horizon” OUT NOW!
London, UK – Dutch music legends Focus are known around the world for their iconic albums, including the hits HOCUS POCUS, SYLVIA and HOUSE OF THE KING. After the reunion of Focus and the release of the Focus 8 album, the band toured the world and was introduced to new musical styles and influences. The line-up on this album features THIJS VAN LEER, PIERRE VAN DER LINDEN, BOBBY JACOBS and JAN DUMÉE.
The sessions for the album were all recorded in between South American tour commitments during 2005, and every track is a previously unreleased composition by the members of Focus or producer MARVIO CIRIBELLI.
Thijs van Leer said of the album: “For Focus it was a thrill to first jam with Marvio and Marcio in a club in Niteroi and then end up in Rio de Janeiro in order to compose and record these beauties. Having one of the best drummers in Europe with Pierre van der Linden and one of South America’s best drummers with Marcio Bahia on the same album makes the world a better and happier place! Here they are!”
The album features all-star Brazilian musicians including ARTHUR MAIA and MARIO SEVE joining Focus on new recordings, and vice versa, plus a drum duet with MARCIO BAHIA…as musicianship once again goes Beyond the Horizon…
Rare Release Feat. Legendary Guru Guru Founding Members Mani Neumeier and Uli Trepte
“Guru Guru Groove Band – The Birth of Krautrock 1969” Now Available!
Los Angeles – A newly discovered gem finally sees the light of day courtesy of Guru Guru founding member of Mani Neumeier! Titled “Guru Guru Groove Band – The Birth of Krautrock 1969”, this historically important release was recorded in a small studio in Heidelberg Germany 1969 with Neumeier and future Guru Guru member Uli Trepte, as well as a host of guest musicians, performing a collective free style modal improvisation that would form the foundation of many Krautrock bands to come!
“It was the year 1967, when Mani Neumeier and Uli Trepte left the Free Jazz Trio Irene Schweizer Group. It was the time of a musical revolution, and a sense of change was in the air. When they first heard Jimi Hendrix on the radio, they were so turned on by his tripped out sound that they decided they wanted to create something radical that hadn’t been heard or done before. Drawing more musical inspirations from the likes of The Mothers of Invention, Karl Heinz Stockhausen, Indian music, Albert Ayer, and Pink Floyd, Mani Neumeier and Uli Trepte developed the concept of collective free style modal improvisation. Each musician and instrument was supposed to play an equally important role. They had a huge sound, which was dominated by the use of two full Marshall stacks and Mani Neumeier’s fluent and inventive drum style. In the first half of 1968, they formed their own sound. The first studio session took place in Heidelberg, Germany. It was a sound expedition recorded on LSD, with several guests on sax, voice and guitar. The band told the engineer that they wanted to play all night. The music was fed through an echo machine to add to the spaced out feel. Now forty years later, Mani Neumeier discovered these very recordings, which can be heard on this album for the very first time! All tracks were recorded two years prior to the first GURU GURU album UFO, which came out in 1970. They were also recorded five years before anyone used the term Krautrock. So here it is, the birth of Krautrock! You better believe it!” – Jurgen Engler
“Guru Guru Groove Band – The Birth of Krautrock 1969” is available on both CD and a special 200 gram white label, hand stamped vinyl pressing!
Glass Onyon PR 