Tantrum T.A. - Inglewood, California

If you're into hip-hop here's a new up and coming artist you need to check out...
https://www.facebook.com/TantrumTAMusic
http://tantrumta.bandcamp.com/album/94

High Horse - Buffalo NY

I recently caught High Horse at a corner bar in Tonawanda, NY and I was pleasantly surprised at the awesome sounds coming from the band. High Horse is a step above your average cover band. The band works very well together to create a great, cohesive, musical sound like a good band should. All the guys seemed to be enjoying themselves and it shined through in the music.

I sought out Pete and the High Horse band after a friend posted an old video of Pete singing live on Facebook. I believe the video has since been taken down.

My goal of going to see Pete was to politely ask him for a CD to post on this blog, never intending to review it.

As far as reviewing the High Horse CD goes I am somewhat biased having known Pete personally for quite a few years now. I agreed to give Pete a honest opinion of Escape From The Glue Factory upon Pete's polite request. 

Before I start the review I have to say that I was very impressed by the live guitar playing of Chuck DeRose. Clint Haycraft played keys, lead guitar and sang backup vocals all very well that night. The entire band sounded great and they closed out the night with a rip roarin' version of In The Light by Led Zeppelin.

OK here we go with the CD review. First up is "The Rider". The Rider is a great, upbeat opening track. The sound is classic rock all the way around, from the drums to the vocals. This song would fit right in on 97 Rock's playlist and nobody would bat an eye. I can picture a big pack of Harley's cruising down the road while I listen to "The Rider". Spectacular keyboard performance on this one.

   "Autumn Girl" is a pure classic rocker. High Horse have the 70's retro sound down pat. This song has a great guitar intro and an excellent farfisa organ track. The vocals provide the perfect, sweet icing on top of the great melodic track. "Clarissa" reminded me of a 70's pop nugget you might hear on AM radio back in the day. Great guitar slides... The vocals on Clarissa highlight Pete's talented, vocal stylings. "Sweet Baby Jane" features Chuck DeRose on guitar. The intro sounds like Stevie Ray and the melodic, lead guitar solo has some Duane Allman sounds sprinkled in. Eli Porter and Chuck crank out some nice, melodic, guitar lines on this rocker. The song tells of Jane and her drug problem. Best line of the song... "By nine'o'clock you're dragging your ass". Next up is "Remiss". I was immediately reminded of the 80's sound upon hearing the intro. Pete manages to change the sound of his voice and his lyrical phrasing to match an 80's style, highlighting his talented vocals. Chuck delivers some pure Fender strat guitar lines on this song trading up with the keyboard solos. "Four Winds" gives the rhythm section of Eli Porter and Sandy Belsky and chance to set a great tempo and really groove together. This song highlights Eli Porter, he is really popping and slapping the bass on this one. "Gone" is the love ballad of the CD. High Horse uses a secret songwriting trick to add even more melody to the song. The band moves up the musical key to give Pete a chance to stretch out on the outro. "Ballad of a Would Be Hero" shows just how well the band works together. Each member contributes a great performance to this "epic" mid-tempo rocker. "Stunner Rumbles" is a jazz fusion/progressive rocker that gives the musicians of High Horse a chance to let loose and "speak" through their instrument of choice. The intro is pure jazz fusion which leads into a melodic figure played by the keys and guitar. Great instrumental! "Earthshine" is a heavy rocker that starts off with some cool, guitar feedback. Pete's talent shows through on another great vocal performance, this High Horse CD is Pete's best recorded work to date. The final track, "The Emperor (Has No Clothes)" is a fun song proving that the High Horse band has a great sense of humor. Pete delivers some funny one liners on this track which also includes a hidden, bonus track. 

Great debut CD from an amazing band! 

Special thanks to Pete and the High Horse band.

The first person who comments on this review piece will recieve my review copy of Escape From The Glue Factory CD.

SUPPORT WNY MUSIC!!

Biography:

We're writing it as we go along...

-2010 Buffalo Night-Life Magazine Music Award Nominee (Best Niagara Falls Band)

-2011 Buffalo Night-Life Magazine Music Award Winner (Best Niagara Falls Band)

Description:

Classic covers & originals...

Genre: Good music

Members: Peter Vogt (lead vocals); Clint Haycraft (keyboards, guitar, vocals); Chuck DeRose (guitar, vocals); Eli Porter (bass, groove); Sandy Belsky (drums)

Check out High Horse on Facebook...

https://www.facebook.com/pages/High-Horse-Rock-Band/130858596925786?fref=ts

Supergoner - Buffalo, NY

Supergoner is a quartet from Buffalo, New York made up of guitarists/vocalists Mike Fuller and Sean Wild, bassist/vocalist Lisa Yamagishi, and drummer Bill O'Connor. Together, they're creating raw, fast music with spirited harmonies evocative of Dinosaur Jr., Built To Spill, and Pavement.
Supergoner have been playing the Buffalo circuit for a few years now. Supergoner can best be described as a 90's indie-rock influence with a grunge and shoe-gaze sensibility. Supergoner have been featured on 107.7fm Alternative Buffalo radio. Supergoner is currently working on a debut CD to be released sometime this fall.

Supergoner have been touring a ton now with shows coming up at Buffalo Iron Works, Mr.Goodbar, and Nietzsche's.
Supergoner upcoming shows: October 16 Nietzches - w/ Bike Cops (Chicago, IL) and Soul Butcher
October 30 Milkie's on Elmwood - w/Kevin Sampson and the Jealous Unknowns

Supergoner can be found on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/supergoner and Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/supergoner

Yesterday Vs. Tomorrow - Buffalo NY

Onward and upward with the Aurora Borealis CD review!

Listened to "A Song For All My Friends" first thing today and I was drawn into the song by the mellow, spacy, guitar riff/vocal intro. The vocals, guitar and keyboard come together to create a great, atmospheric intro. The vocals come forward to bring the energy up and the drums follow suit slowly building and bringing in the rock and roll energy. The band uses elements of alternative/new wave and punk rock music to create a great rockin' sound. I can hear and feel the raw, energetic energy of the band in this song. This is my 2nd fave song on Aurora Borealis.
Song #16 proves that this band is creative enough and open minded when it comes to creating great, musical soundscapes together in the studio. With it's swirling sitar sounds #16 is a super neat intro for A Song For All My Friends.
"Steampunk Hero" as the song title would suggest, is a upbeat, high energy, alternative rock song. I was reminded of Jimmy Eat World when I listened to this song.
"Grey" sounds like a groovy, tropical vacation getaway song. Sweet percussive track coupled with a perfect guitar sound. Great background soundscape.
"Northern Lights" sounds like the soundtrack from a live, electrical generator. Electrifyingly great intro for "Pt. ii"...
"Pt. ii" sounds surprisingly like a song that could've come straight from the 80's. I grew up in the 80's so I like the new wave stuff that MTV used to play 24/7. Great atmospheric guitar track on "Pt. ii".
"Noise Color Excess" sounds like the intro for "Goodbye, Goodnight". The chaotic "Noise Color Excess" serves as the perfect intro for the melodic "Goodbye, Goodnight". The vocals of Jesse Kaufman remind me of Robert Smith from The Cure on this song. The saxophone is a great sounding addition to "Goodbye, Goodnight".
Who is this "Mark Rothko" guy anyway? He must be cool enough to inspire YVT to write a song, so he must be good people. Anyway "Mark Rothko" sounds like a perfectly mixed combo platter of U2 and Coldplay. This song must be killer when the band plays it live, with it's soaring vocals and powerful drum track.
"Sprawl Song Singalong" is a acoustic romp that is simply simple enough to get you to clapping and singing along.
"You Look Like Sunshine" sounds like a love song. The rhythm guitar is solid and the rhyming lyrics top of this song brilliantly.
"Local Millionares" sounds like a combination of 60's garage and surf rock. To be more specific Dick Dale with a splash of Devo and the B-52's. This is a cool rock track full of great guitar sounds.
"Astronomy" is up next, the intro is cool enough to me to be considered pink floydish. The guitar figure that comes in reminded me of U2. Once the entire band kicks in the song proves to be a good, mid-tempo, alternative rock song.
"Just Wait" is a slow one so you can get mellowed out. The vocals of Jesse and a acoustic guitar dominate this song.
"Coffee Shop Theme Song" features a mandolin and an up-front bass track. The tempo quickens as the song progresses' much like a coffee buzz. The more you drink the faster you function. A cool U2 guitar like riff kicks in about 3/4 of the way in, topping off the song much like chocolate flakes on a caffe' mocha.
The intro of "Renaissance Man' is just great. The keyboard and guitar sound great together. The sound is melancholy and rather retrospective. Obvious references to the 80's can be made but the band still manages to sound unique and really rocks out on this song. "Renaissance Man" is my fave song on Aurora Borealis.

"Aurora Borealis" is definitely of the most innovative albums I've reviewed so far.
I'm impressed by the many unique and different sounds Yesterday Vs Tomorrow creates on the CD.
"Aurora Borealis" is sure to please 80's new wave and alternative rock fans alike.

Yesterday Vs. Tomorrow Aurora Borealis album cover.

Basic YVT Info
Founded 2011
Genre: Pretentious Indie Rock
Members: 
Jesse Kaufman
Joshua Keller
Preston Cofta
John DeJac
Hometown Buffalo, NY
Record Label Independent
Influences:Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, Andy Kaufman, Pavement, Christopher Lloyd
Website http://yesterdayvstomorrow.bandcamp.com/
Press Contact yesterdayvstomorrow@gmail.com

Special thanks to Jesse and YVT.

Ian McFeron

Ian McFeron live @ Merge
Friday, October 3rd, 2014 – 7:00pm-10:00pm / FREE

Merge, 439 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, NY 14202 - (716) 842-0600

Ian McFeron tours in support of his album "Time Will Take You", recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy nominated Doug Lancio.  McFeron is joined on stage by longtime friend and musical accompanist Alisa Milner on fiddle, cello, and harmony vocals.  In the Spring and Fall of the last five years, McFeron has scheduled a ten-week tour performing over sixty shows across the nation.  This will be McFeron's ninth national tour.

Seattle-based Ian McFeron released his 7th studio record Time Will Take You on April 2, 2013. Produced by Doug Lancio (Grammy nominated producer for Patty Griffin), the folk-rock album also includes two of Ryan Adams’ Cardinals - drummer Brad Pemberton and pedal steel player Jon Graboff - as well as Nashville-based piano and organ player Micah Hulscher and two from McFeron’s road band -  fiddler and harmony vocalist Alisa Milner, and bassist and harmony vocalist Norman Baker.

Themes for "Time Will Take You" were taken directly from McFeron's own touring experiences performing up to 170 shows per year across the United States.  The album maintains stout-hearted positivity while exploring themes of troubled times, hard traveling, and a thin pocketbook.  Fans of John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and Jackson Browne will feel at home in his music.

More recently, in March of 2014, McFeron released a ten track acoustic album (titled "Acoustic") recorded in just two days at Studio Litho in Seattle, WA with the help of recording engineer and producer Chad Brown of Nashville, TN.  The album features previously released songs as well as four unrecorded songs presented in a stripped down acoustic format with accompaniment from fiddler, cellist, and harmony vocalist Alisa Milner.

Praise for Time Will Take You

“With a jingle of tambourine we get a likely candidate for album of the year – simple as… Soaked in California sunshine one minute, then deep in the dustbowl the next, it’s like a greatest hits of everyone you like.”
- Rudie Humphrey, Americana UK, May 2013

"By diligently listening to Ian McFeron's 7th album, it is a mystery that he is not signed to a major label, although he is mentioned in the same breath as both Bob Dylan and John Lennon....."
-Hans Bloom, Dalademokraten

"McFeron is a wordsmith of quality who seems at ease with acoustic guitar or piano..."
- Blues Matters, August 2011

'Ain't Dead Yet' could easily be a great lost Dylan song from the mid 1960s or more likely a brand new Justin Townes Earl Song - it really is that good."- Maverick Magazine, July 2011

"...You don't have to know about Ian McFeron's background to know that these songs were all probably written in cheap hotels in the middle of the night, and history tells us that's where the best ones come from..."
- Alan Harrison, Maverick Magazine, UK

"Seattle duo pays frequent calls to S.A. That's a good thing because McFeron is a fine singer and songwriter, an alt-folk/rock/Americana performer who strikes a cool balance between the mellow and the edgy."
- Jim Beal, San Antonio Express, 11/25/10

 "Singer-songwriter Ian McFeron has a surprisingly diverse musical palate, shifting from alternative country to acoustic rock and blues."
- Gene Stout, Seattle PI, September 2005

Ian McFeron NEW ALBUM "Acoustic"

Big News!  The Acoustic Album is now available - and for a limited time (until May 1st), we are offering the album at a discount price, free shipping, AND Alisa and I will sign and personalize the album to you (or someone special).  The album, recorded at Studio Litho in Seattle by Chad Brown, features fresh new acoustic arrangement of six previously recorded favorites along with intimate performances of four never-released songs.  You can listen to the album here: http://www.ianmcferon.com/Acoustic_Album

2013 Time Will Take You release

Ian McFeron broke into the Seattle music scene when discovered by “The Mountain” in Seattle (AAA-formatted KMTT at 103.7 FM) shortly after releasing his debut album, Don’t Look Back (2003). Within months, the first single “Love Me Twice” edged out songs by Modest Mouse, Bob Schneider, The Bo Deans, and Ray LaMontagne in The Mountain’s “New Music Throwdown,” a weekly competition where listeners vote for their favorite of two new songs. Ian has shared the spotlight with international and national artists such as Patty Griffin, Nanci Griffith, Shawn Mullins, Brandi Carlile, Amos Lee, Sister Hazel, Mike Doughty, Hayes Carll, Missy Higgins, Julia Fordham, The Hothouse Flowers, and Jars of Clay.

A prolific songwriter whose lyrical prose and fervent work ethic has drawn comparison to Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams, Ian McFeron has released a steady stream of albums: Don’t Look Back (2003), A Long Way To Freedom (2005), Fistfight With Father Time (2006), Let It Ride (2007), Love Me Blue (2009), and Summer Nights (2011). His seventh, full-length album Time Will Take You (released April 2, 2013) was recorded and mixed in just two weeks at Studio G! in East Nashville, TN. Produced by Doug Lancio (Grammy nominated producer for Patty Griffin), the album features musical performances by Lancio as well as Ryan Adams and the Cardinals’ drummer Brad Pemberton and pedal steel player Jon Graboff - as well as Nashville-based piano and organ player Micah Hulscher and fiddler and harmony vocalist Alisa Milner, and bassist and harmony vocalist Norman Baker, (both from McFeron’s road band).

From the beginning, McFeron dedicated himself to building audiences the old fashioned way: on the road. Traveling from city to city, state to state, nation to nation, McFeron performs an average of 200 shows a year spread throughout the United States and Europe, inspiring listeners with his beautifully crafted songs and honest narratives. On the road, McFeron is often joined by Alisa Milner, a Texas-style fiddler, cellist, and harmony vocalist and long-time friends Norman Baker and Mark Bateman on bass and drums.

I'd like to thank Ian and Alisa for taking an interest in my music blog, Thank You!

Check out Ian's great music/videos/pics on his website...

www.ianmcferon.com

Ian's FB page...

www.facebook.com/IanMcFeronMusic

 www.ianmcferon.com
www.sonicbids.com/ianmcferonband
www.myspace.com/ianmcferonband
http://youtu.be/0gaE73lt38s
http://youtu.be/Uv9KyUgp_qM

Remember 9/11

Artwork by Joseph J Militello

New collage Joey did for school, great job Joey!

I really like this painting my son did in school, it reminds me of something from the 60's that Peter Maxx may have painted.
Good Job, Joey!
Dedicated to my son, Joe M.

East West Music Festival

2014 band schedule

Check out Carl Cedermans superb photos from the 2013 event https://www.facebook.com/carl.cederman.3/media_set?set=a.574314905947936.1073741904.100001082962595&type=3
Thank You Carl!

East West Music Festival Music Lineup
2:00pm - 3:00pm - What Is This
3:15pm - 3:30pm- The Bogden girls acoustic
3:30pm - 4:30pm- Wakeless Abandon
Joe from Wakeless Abandon below.

4:30pm - 5:30pm- Cheshire Cat

6:30pm - 7:00pm- Steve Mineo acoustic
8:00pm - 9:00pm- U-People
9:00pm - 10:00pm- SkyWay
10:00pm -11:00pm- Space Ace

All guests are welcome to bring a tent and stay the night ...THIS WILL BE A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT! We have LOTS of space and a clean flushing outdoor bathroom! We'll have can jam, a horseshoe pit as well as some games with prizes for the little ones.

The Art of Bass Playing in a band

Being primarily a bassist I wanted to do a post about the role a competent bassist plays in an original or cover band.
Playing the bass is easily dismissed as being "easy" to play because the traditional bass has just 4 strings, but that is just a comparison to the guitar because a guitar has 6 strings.
The comparison is false because electric basses are available with any amount of strings these days, you can buy an 8 string bass and then you can legitimately say the guitar is easier to play because it only has 6 strings.
Below is a photo of a 12 string bass. This bass would indeed be harder to play than a 6 string guitar because the neck is wider than a guitar (and fretless!) a I'm sure tuning 12 bass strings would be a task in itself.
The reason 4 or 5 string basses' are so widely used is even an absolute beginner can pick up a 4 string bass and play rock and roll. The important thing to remember is the bass is not just played to support the root notes of the guitar. Don't let anyone (guitarist or vocalist) steer you wrong, the bass can support the rhythm of the drums, the root notes of the guitar while enhancing the vocals and the overall melody of the song all at the same time. The only limitations a bassist has are the ones that he/she puts on themselves.

Here are some important things I have learned through my experiences as a rock bassist...
along with a working bass and a good, loud rig a good bassist must have good technique, expert timing, awesome listening skills and the ability to play well within the context of a band setting, any bassist lacking in any of these skills will not get many gigs and the overall sound of the band he/she chooses will be lacking.

An amplified bass needs to move a lot of air, so a good, loud rig with plenty of headroom comes in handy when going thru a PA isn't an option.. You can always go thru the PA in a larger venue, so a loud stage volume isn't always necessary but it's nice to have plenty of headroom (volume) if you need to use it. Learning when to play louder and setting the tone controls correctly for each venue/room is an art in itself. If the bass is too loud it can take over a room and drown out the rest of the band. This is where good listening skills come in handy, it's ALWAYS better to be asked to turn up a little than to be told to turn down. A bassist who always plays too loud and isn't willing to turn down won't last long in any band.

Musical versatility is also required, being versatile will solidify your rep as a competent bassist. A good student of the bass will learn a good bass line can continually weave in and out of the melody, supporting the rhythm while adding harmonic melody to any song. Musical versatility is learned by listening to and appreciating any type of music you usually wouldn't listen to. Learning a couple of bass lines from this music is how you can truly become versatile as a bass player. This skill becomes very important when you attempt to play along with songs and cover them within a band context.

A good bassist is able to listen to the rest of the band, the most basic reason is the bassist should always be in the same key as the rest of the band, a wrong note by the bassist usually throws the band off and the listening audience as well. Knowing when to lay back in the pocket and where to move melodically up the neck will compliment the melody of any song. A good, musical ear will recognize certain points within a song where melodic fills will enhance the music and when to play certain notes to enhance the musical melody. A general rule is to lay back during the verse and play more to enhance the chorus or you can switch it completely around and lay back during the chorus and play more notes to enhance the vocals during the verse music. The most important thing is to creativity and having fun while playing.

Constantly supporting the rhythm is OK but this will result in a boring bass line and a bassist who never goes above the 9th fret or so. These type of players are usually stuck in the background and they go unnoticed until the singer introduces them to the crowd. A bassist who always adds fills can muddy up the melody to a song, there will be no foundation to fall back on and the bass will always be competing with the guitar and vocals for the melodic spotlight.

Most budding bass players usually start playing a laid back rhythmic style until they realize that so much more is possible with the instrument once they listen to a jazz bassist like Jaco Pastorius or full-out rock bass players like Geddy Lee or Billy Sheehan.

Here's a basic start-up plan for a bassist who wants to play rock and roll bass, listen to and learn some basic AC/DC, KISS and Aerosmith songs. The bassists' for these bands tend to play rooted eighth notes following the guitar very often, but if you listen closely, the bass will veer off the main guitar riff for a few bars, thus providing some extra melodic movement within the songs. It's important to recognize these subtle movements and learn how the notes interact with the guitar and vocals to create another artistic voicing with the bass.

After you've mastered and played some of these songs within a band context, you can then move on to listening to Jaco or Stanley Clarke to learn how to solo and move around the melody using more advanced playing techniques. Of course, to be a complete bass player it always helps to read music. Or you can just start playing jazz and learn rock and roll bass later. Either way, good, competent bass players are always in demand because everybody wants to sing or play guitar.

Lost in Franklinville

Recently made a return trip to Franklinville to change a flat tire on my van after playing a great private party filling in on bass for Steelhorse. All in all it was an rather unforgettable experience so I decided to write a blog piece about my day in Franklinville.
Beyond making sure that you bring all the music gear you need in preparation for an out of town trip, be sure to have a spare tire filled with air, a jack and a tire iron, in case you get a flat tire in the middle of nowhere ...out of cell phone range.
Here's where my tour story about Franklinville begins, after filling in for Steelhorse on bass I got a flat tire on the rocky trail down to the road. Not having a spare I had to leave my van in Franklinville and hitch a ride home with a couple of the guys from Steelhorse. Thank You for the ride home guys!
The next day, after calling 3 car parts stores, I learned that you can't just buy a rim for a tire, you have to special order them because car parts stores don't stock them and rims are very expensive.
I ended up calling a junkyard and bought a tire and rim for $50.
So after packing up my spare, a jack and a gas can full of gas my friend and I headed out to Franklinville to change my tire and return back home.
I brought my GPS and didn't bother printing out directions because my GPS got me to Franklinville on my initial trip.
Well my GPS was not fully charged and it died on the way out there, this was our first setback on the way out to Franklinville. After realizing we were lost my friend made a call and with some haphazard directions we were on our way... to getting lost again. After making a couple more calls and writing directions down we thought we were on our way...but being unfamiliar with Franklinville we got lost yet again. My friend and I decided to stop at a few houses to ask for directions, one of the locals finally helped us out and we finally ended up at our destination.
Changing a flat tire on a unlevel dirt road isn't easy. After my friend jacked up the van to change the flat he became overzealous and decided to take the flat tire off before the van was high enough to put the spare on. Well the jack was unlevel and after my friend pulled the flat tire off the jack fell forward and my van fell onto the ground, resting on the axle.
After jacking up the van for a second time the spare tire was on and we were ready to embark on our journey home.
After getting lost yet again we were pulled over by the police because apparently someone called the cops on us because we were "going door to door trying to sell something".
This is where my frustration peaked and I started to become frustrated because we were only trying to ask for directions and now we were being interrogated by a police officer...just great.
I was out of my vehicle when 2 more cop cars pulled up and unbelievably it started pouring rain!
I knew that the cops didn't believe our flat tire story so in my frustration I opened up my trunk and threw out the flat tire on the ground, well I almost got arrested for doing that. Supposedly I wasn't supposed to be "out of my vehicle" in the pouring rain during the traffic stop.
The first cop that pulled us over said we "scared the bejesus out of a couple of people" when we attempted to ask for directions, so after my friend and I conveyed to the police exactly what was going on, one of the cops led us out of Franklinville so we could follow the right path.
After all was said and done what was supposed to take a few hours turned into a all day affair out in Franklinville.

What did I learn from this journey?
1. Make sure to have a spare tire before traveling to a out of town.
2. Always be sure to Fully charge up my GPS!
3. Always print out directions to and from any out of town location, just in case.
4. If you're lost in Franklinville don't stop at any houses and attempt to ask for directions.

darling harbor - Buffalo NY

"Ladies and Gentlemen!"

darling harbor retro "truth in my lies" CD art ...

www.twitter.com/darling_harbor

"ladies & gentlemen" is a uptempo, alt. rock/pop song that is very melodic. ladies & gentlemen is the kind of song that will stick in your head after a couple of listens...if you let it...
Great upbeat opening song, the acoustic guitar and vocal performances are super spectacular.

"house of brass" is a smart, well written song. It's obvious to me that darling harbor know how to compose a great song, adding melodic elements to the music to make the songs interesting to the ear. Hey!..Great gang vocal performances and drum track.

"new providence" starts with a great guitar/egg shaker intro and a melancholy vocal. The drums move the tempo of the song up and down from mellow to strong and driving. Good vocal dynamics on this song.

Do you need a new, original local band to check out? Well, darling harbor has "the answers" to your musical longings. Great drum shuffle and bass guitar performance on this one. The melodic lyrics provide all "the answers" about darling harbor.

"getting better, getting there" continues in the same vein as "the answers"...mixing in a guitar solo for some super rock awesomeness...

"sons and daughters" closes this CD out with a bang...

I was quite impressed seeing the band live for the first time. Everyone in the band and everything sounded great together. I've seen the singer fronting a different band at babeville, and I must say darling harbor sounded much better than that band.

www.facebook.com/darlingharborband

Special thanks to Dan.

Jimi Hendrix, The Bass Player?

Jimi Hendrix, The Bass Player?

Jimi Hendrix is perhaps best known for his blazing (literally blazing as evidenced by his '67 Monterey Pop Festival live performance) lead guitar playing and as his latest release "Valleys Of Neptune'" gains in popularity, his amazing talents are still being recognized and appreciated by every new generation of rock fan since his first appearance onto the music scene in the 60s.
Along with his amazing songwriting, guitar playing and singing, one of Jimi's lesser known talents was his amazing electric bass guitar playing, Jimi could also play the glockenspiel and the flute, amazingly enough, Jimi taught himself to play on all the instruments mentioned above.

He is also credited on several lesser know rock albums as an executive producer and as a guest performer, playing bass for the Buddy Miles penned track "Destruction Of Love" and produced Buddy's "Electric Church" solo album. Hendrix also played bass on an early, rare Crosby, Stills & Nash version of the Joni Mitchell penned song "Woodstock", which was written by Mitchell while she was stranded in a hotel room, not able to get to Woodstock where she was supposed to perform.

Hendrix, who preferred a right-handed Stratocaster flipped upside down and strung backwards, could also easily play a right-handed, standard strung up guitar and bass. This unique talent can be compared to a baseball player batting from the left and right side of home plate, as opposed to just the right or the left. This special talent was captured on an album, when Hendrix guest starred on Timothy Leary's rare, narrative/music album.

Not only did Jimi perform many a bass line on his own recordings but he also took hold of the instrument live on a couple of famous occasions, one of which included an amazing, fiery performance of "Red House" from 1967, in which Noel Redding and Jimi switched instruments at The Olympia in Paris, France.

Having played guitar full-time before his gig with Jimi, Redding was a great guitar player in his own right. So switching instruments was no problem went it came to the multi-talented Jimi Hendrix Experience.

Jimi owned a 1965 Fender Jazz Bass on which he performed many a legendary bass line on in the recording studio. Jimi's bass playing is not present on his 1st album but he recorded several bass lines on his "Axis: Bold As Love" album. Jimi can be heard playing bass on the "Bold As Love", "Spanish Castle Magic" & "She's So Fine" tracks.
Hendrix used his own 8-string Hagstrom bass guitar on the bass track of "Spanish Castle Magic", Hendrix added a uniqueness all his own to the track using the Octavia foot-pedal to enhance the recorded bass lines.

Hendrix also played the 4-string bass guitar on one of his most recognizable and widely known, recorded songs "All Along The Watchtower". A song in which Hendrix recorded because he was such a big fan of Bob Dylan's original version.

Dave Mason originally recorded the bass line on the track, after Redding and Hendrix had a dispute in the studio. Hendrix recorded a new bass line and then re-recorded the bass after "hearing it a bit differently". If you listen to just the bass on this track you can hear it jump out of the mix on several occasions.

Hendrix's iconic album "Electric Ladyland" which included "All Along The Watchtower" featured Hendrix playing bass on "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" & "And The Gods Made Love".

During the sessions for this record, Hendrix plucked the 4-string on 2 of Noel Redding's original songs "Dream" & "Touch You", which were never completed and included on the album.

These sessions also produced "My Friend" a rare, Stephen Stills penned song, on which Hendrix sang and played guitar and bass on. This rare recording surfaced after Hendrix passed on.

Not only does Hendrix's songwriting, singing & guitar playing continue to influence a new generation of fans every year, his bass playing is equally recognized as an important part of the Hendrix legacy and has influenced many a bassist in its own right. Who better to play the bass on some of Hendrix's most famous songs than Jimi himself. Who knew?

Experience Hendrix front and back cover featuring the "Official" First Rays Of The New Rising Sun CD release.

Hendrix Band of Gypsys CD Review

One of the Greatest Live Recording's of All Time

The Band Of Gypsys, first released in April of 1970, is one of Jimi Hendrix's most revered and impressive achievements of his brief , but memorable recording career. This CD was recorded on New Year's Eve of 1969/70 at the Fillmore East in New York City. The Band Of Gypsys was a newly formed trio featuring Jimi Hendrix on guitar, Buddy Miles on drums and Billy Cox on the bass. The Band Of Gypsys was the last official recording of Hendrix's career. Many have called The Band Of Gypsys CD the birthplace of funk. This isn't one of Hendrix's best-known albums but it still packs a musical punch.
This recording was released with a specific purpose in mind. Hendrix needed to fulfill a contractual obligation to a former manager of whom he had signed a recording contract with before he went off to London to begin his fabled career. The Jimi Hendrix Experience recordings sound polished and cleaned up compared to the raw, funky grooves of The Band Of Gypsys. Buddy Miles and Billy Cox combine their efforts to create phat, funky grooves perfect for Hendrix to play on top off and improvise through. Hendrix's playing doesnt carry these songs but tags along, slightly behind the beat to create some sexy, bouncy grooves. For fans of Hendrix, his playing on The Band Of Gypsys is a little different from his solo stuff, it provides interesting new sounds and textures to listen to. Buddy Miles provides some rather impressive vocals on this CD but the highlight is undoubtedly the song "Machine Gun". "Machine Gun" ranks along with "The Star Spangled Banner" as a innovative, inspiring and emotional electric guitar performance. "Machine Gun" is Hendrix's thought provoking statement of a nation at war, a war that the young generation of that time didn't support. "Machine Gun" is a soulful, solo guitar masterpiece created by a young Hendrix, it contains some terrifying, agonizing guitar sounds. One can close their eyes while listening to "Machine Gun" and picture a war-torn battlefield complete with the sounds of bombs and guns going off, along with the wounded cries of dying soldiers all around. All of the guitar sounds on The Band Of Gypsys were created by a primitive guitar/amp set-up by today's standards, but Hendrix most certainly had the loudest and most innovative equipment he could could get his hands on, along with a stock Fender Stratocaster.

The original vinyl release only had 6 songs, but there is a remastered double-disc CD set from the 4 shows, which contains all the best songs from the 4 shows and there is also a Band Of Gypsy DVD, which won a Grammy Award and is a must-see for any serious Jimi Hendrix/Band Of Gypsys fan.

Guitar World 1995 which covered the legal battle for Jimi Hendrix's music, which was won by Experience Hendrix, LLC, who represent Hendrix's family.

Guitar World Jimi Hendrix Tribute issue from 1985.

Jimi Hendrix "Atlanta Special" is a bootleg release I picked up awhile ago.

According to the book Jimi Hendrix: Experience The Music the first 3 songs are from the Berkeley, CA rehearshals from 5/30/70 and the rest of the songs are from The Atlanta Pop Festival 7/4/70.

Guitar World, 11/2000 Hendrix Tribute Issue.
Pete Townsend, Carlos Santana, Billy Cox, Eddie Kramer and Hendrixs' drummer Mitch Mitchell speak out about the life & times of Jimi Hendrix. Eddie Kramer & John McDermott discuss the making of the 1st Hendrix family produced 4-CD box set.

This CD came out in 2007, 40 years after Hendrixs' groundbreaking, performance at The Monterey Pop Festival in California. This is the show where Hendrix made his triumphant return to the U.S. after blowing away many an audience in the U.K. and after releasing his first album with the help of Chas Chandler of The Animals. I've always seen the front view of this famous shot in which Hendrix sacrificed his guitar for the audience, first burning it then smashing it in a feedback frenzy. I had never seen this photograph before this CD came out so after resisting for 3 yrs, I finally picked it up in 2010. This CD includes the intro by Brian Jones of Rolling Stones fame and the entire set that The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed during The Summer Of Love.

West Coast Seattle Boy, The Jimi Hendrix Anthology is the latest release from Experience Hendrix, LLC. This is a must have for any true Hendrix fan, not so much for the casual listener. The 1st CD contains rare recordings Hendrix played on for other artists' such as Little Richard and The Isley Brothers, think classic motown and funky R & B. The rest of the music is quite good, but some of the unreleased stuff is not so good, but interesting to listen to, as it provides some insight into the genius that was Jimi Hendrix. This is the 2nd Hendrix box set released by Experience Hendrix, LLC.

Here's a couple of classic pics when Jimi was in the army, Jimi found the time to play guitar while in the army as shown in the 2nd photo from '61.
Photos courtesy of the book "Becoming Jimi Hendrix" by Steven Roby & Brad Schreiber.

Above, Jimi playing with the King Kasuals from '62.
Below, Jimi playing as a sideman for Little Richard from '65.

Jimi Hendrix with "Others"

Jimi Hendrix Recorded and Performed with Many an Artist Before His Solo Career Exploded!

"I played with this little rhythm and blues group named Curtis Knight & The Squires. And I made a few records and arranged a few songs for him." Jimi Hendrix 1967. Jimi performed and recorded with many great artists' early in his career and later as his worldwide fame grew. Jimi was a session man for many of these recordings and his input was limited to guitar playing and not to singing. Many of the lead guitar parts and guitar solos were not Jimi's but the headliners. After Jimi attained worldwide fame many of these recordings were released as official recordings by Jimi Hendrix but indeed they were not.
Jimi's involvement with Lonnie Youngblood began in 1963, Jimi was hired to play guitar on some of Lonnie Youngblood's recordings. At that time, Youngblood was a well known saxophonist in Philadelphia and Jimi was glad to record with Lonnie. Jimi's unique style of playing soul, blues and rhythm and blues shines through on these recordings. Jimi recorded the songs "Goodbye, Bessie Mae", "Soulfood", "Let Me", "Go Go Shoes", "Sweet Thang", "Under The Table" and "Wipe The Sweat" with Lonnie Youngblood.

The Isley Brothers were in need of a guitarist in 1964 and as luck would have it, a friend of Ronnie Isley's named Tony Rice had seen Jimi perform at the Palm Cafe in New York City and recommended Jimi to Ronnie Isley which led to an audition. The Isley Brothers were impressed with Jimi's raw talent and Jimi was brought on to tour and record with the band in early 1964. Jimi recorded "Testify", "Move Over And Let Me Dance" & "Have You Ever Been Disappointed" with the Isley's. Jimi left The Isley Brothers in the summer of 1964 to seek new musical opportunities in Nashville. 3 of these songs can be found on the new Hendrix box set "West Coast Seattle Boy".

Jimi toured and recorded with Little Richard in 1965. Jimi only recorded a couple of songs with Little Richard. Jimi recorded "I Don't Know What You Got But It's Got Me" and "Dancing All Around The World" which was released as a single by Vee-Jay Records in November 1965. That single peaked on the Billboard charts at number 92. The single reached number 12 on the Billboard Rhythm & Blues chart. These songs can be found on "West Coast Seattle Boy" as well.

Jimi's association with the blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield was brief but it resulted in a single which was released in July of 1967. The songs are "As The Clouds Drift By" & "Suey" and can be found on the Hendrix bottleg "Too Hot To Handle".

In October 1965 Jimi signed a 3-year recording contract with Ed Chalpin's record company PPX Recordings for a disgraceful 1% royalty rate which was a direct result of Jimi's naivete when it came to signing recording contracts. Chalpin was a shrewd business man and he saw a good opportunity to decieve Jimi and take advantage of his remarkable raw talent. This contract came back to haunt Jimi later in his career and the end result was a number of sub-standard studio and live recordings which resulted in a large amount of quasi-legal official releases and bootleg releases. Many of these recordings were altered, faked, edited and falsely identified as Jimi Hendrix recordings.

Later in his career Jimi played lead guitar with McGough & McGear on their single "So Much" & "Ex Art Student" which was produced by Paul McCartney. Jimi added percussion to the Fat Mattress song "How Can I Live?" on their August 1969 release. Jimi also played bass with Robert Wyatt on his song "Slow Walking Talk" from 1968 and on Timothy Leary's song "Live And Let Live" from April 1970. Jimi played guitar on 3 Eire Apparent songs "Rock 'N' Roll Band", "Yes I Need Someone" & "Let Me Stay" from March 1969. Jimi also played bass and guitar on the Lightnin' Rod recording "Doriella Du Fontaine" which was recorded in November 1969. Jimi plays some lead guitar on the self-titled Stephen Stills solo record, of Crosby, Stills & Nash fame, on the song "Old Times Good Times".

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