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| Cd,Dvd e Blue Ray...Tutte le Offerte del Web da Stradivariusconcerti.com |
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| Proudly presents 3 new thrilling
recordings : GARY WIGGINS Saxin' The Blues Live FGR 017 1-How Long 2-Cobb’s Blues 3-The Way You Make Me Feel 4-Lookin' Sharp 5-Next Time You See Me 6-Still In Love 7-Chicken Shack 8-Jubilee Jump 9-Sax Boogie Stew 10-Master Blaster 11-Bad 12-Evans Jump ***Available for concerts all year !*** “My feeling about the state of blues in Europe is appreciative. Simple as that. Europeans appreciate me and I appreciate them. Of course, we know that it is not like it used to be back in the day when there was much more activity on the scene; however, when we do come out and blow the blues, folks still come out and have a good time. So after almost three decades, Europe is OK by me.” So says saxman Detroit Gary Wiggins. Tano Ro organised, promoted, recorded and released this show on CD, and with his familiarity with Gary’s music – “Gary and I, we have known each other for 15 or more years, from the period of The International Blues Duo, when he performed with Christian Rannenberg” – plus the fact that it was recorded in front of a knowledgeable and appreciative audience (“Gilgamesh has been the best blues club in Turin and in the north of Italy for the past 18 years”, Tano informs me), the results are bound to showcase Gary’s music at its best. Over the last couple of decades, the instrumental focus of the blues has been guitarists, with the saxophone’s golden years being the 40s and 50s – so Gary himself is a bit of a rarity. He explains his approach: “First, I define my style as one of my own inspired by the big sound tenor players (such as Arnett Cobb, Jack Perkins*, or Big Jay McNeely) that came along before me, plus me buying into the concept that the tenor sax is the closest instrument to the human voice; then I am also inspired by the cadence and vocal timbre of the preachers of the black church, with the goal of trying to make my saxophone sing, speak, or preach.” Arkansas-born blues and soul singer EB Davis echo this statement: “Gary has played on several albums with me. I like his playing mainly because he knows how to tell a story with his horn. I like the deep and melodic journey that he paints every time he plays. He is one of the few horn players left that has an understanding of the Blues and the feelings and emotions that it should express. He is popular in Europe because I have found that the Europeans in general approach the music more from a cultural standpoint as opposed to American audiences”. “When I am building my live show, it is always directed to take the listener through a gamut of emotions”. That is certainly the case as Gary opens with a low-down blues before launching into Michael Jackson’s ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’, a seemingly unlikely choice to present to a blues and jazz audience, though as you listen, it makes perfect sense! Then come jazz, jump, blues, Mr. Jackson’s ‘Bad’, Stevie Wonder’s take on reggae - and examples of Gary’s vocals: “As for my singing, I have never considered myself as a singer so I only used my voice from time to time in order to deliver a lyric.” Too modest - he can do far more than “just” deliver a lyric – though it may help that the words of ‘Looking Sharp’ are self-descriptive, I guess.We may not have that visual aspect of Gary’s performance here, but no matter because his music speaks for itself - as indeed does his sax. Detroit’s loss has certainly been Europe’s gain. Norman Darwen VIVIAN VANCE KELLY Rock My Soul FGR 016 1-You Win Again 2-Love Of Mine 3-Love & Happiness 4-Don't Hurt No More 5-Simple As This 6-Clean Up Woman 7-Breakin' Up Somebody Home 8-Further Up On The Road 9-Let It Rock 10-Last Two Dollars 11-Can I Change My Mind 12-Something You Got 13-I Feel So Bad 14-You Hurt Me So Bad 15-He's Crazy ***Available in Europe, January 15th - 28th, 2012*** Vivian Vance Kelly was born into music – a grandfather sang Rhythm & Blues and gospel, a grandmother was a member of powerhouse gospel group The McCauley Singers, her father is the noted blues singer and guitarist Vance Kelly, and she herself was singing in church by the age of 4. She may have been interested in hip-hop as a youngster but soon she was working with her father. When he felt she was ready, she honed her talents with him in the blues clubs of her native Chicago and then refined them on the international stages of Europe. So, not only does she have a firm grounding in the music – and the slightly unconventional blues story means she can easily add individual, distinctive touches – but she also has a good understanding of what the blues is about: as she says, “what the blues means to me, it is the soulful tale of one’s own experience, to which many people can relate. When someone can relate to a certain blues song, it makes a person get a certain joy as if the artist wrote it just for them. Blues is the mother of many types of music in America and is today still much alive.” Certainly it is whilst Vivian is around. But Vivian is no hidebound traditionalist - maybe the audacious blues reworking of Hank Williams’ country staple 'You Win Again' reveals that from the outset! - and here she displays all the influences of the confident, young, modern African-American blueswoman: “I chose the materials for my CD because they are situations that have been turning points in my life. What I mean by that, I have lived these songs, and after the experience, I’ve tried not to repeat it again. That is how the songs have been the turning point in my life. I would say that all of the songs are my favourites”. The song selections are indeed revealing. Let’s look at a few: Bobby Bland’s ‘Further On Up The Road’ was one of the earliest hits of this most influential of soul-bluesmen, and Vivian’s rocking treatment is a genuine crowd-pleaser. Her wistful version of Tyrone Davis’ 1969 soul classic, ‘Baby Can I Change My Mind’, reminds us that this has long been a Windy City blues club favourite, and also that in Tyrone’s music – as with Vivian’s – the blues and soul strands are inextricably intertwined. Betty Wright's 'Clean Up Woman' is a nice example of Vivian's funky side, whilst Al Green’s ‘Love And Happiness’, besides being a superb example of both Vivian's vocal talents and the band's considerable musicianship, underlines the influence of Memphis soul on the modern blues; the same comments apply to Vivian's excellent take on George Jackson's 'Last Two Dollars', best known from Johnnie Taylor – in the 80s the twin successes of Robert Cray and ZZ Hill, both using this type of sound, rejuvenated the blues, whilst ‘Breaking Up Somebody’s Home’ reaffirms the southern element and is also a prime example of just what a huge influence Albert King (and yes, I checked – Vivian did get this from Albert’s version) has been on just about every subsequent blues guitarist of note. Which seems like a good point to bring in Vivian’s comments on the musicians here: “the musicians were great to work with. I’ve enjoyed those guys. They are wonderful people. But more than that, they are terrific musicians. I would love to continue working with them in the future.” To close, I asked Vivian to define her approach: “I describe my music as being more on a bluesy soul level. Importantly, I will give you the blues with a lot of soul. Norman Darwen TEXAS SLIM Cooking With Gas Live FGR 015 1-Welcome To The Game 2-See See Baby 3-Driving Blues 4-Coffee Shop Girl 5-High Alert 6-Mellow Together 7-When It's Cold Outside 8-Funky Love 9-Expresso Girl 10-Boot Hill 11-Drama Queen 12-I'm Good ***Available in Europe from February 13th to March 4th, 2012*** Over the last couple of decades or so, Texas has come to be recognised as the blues guitar centre it has been since early in the last century. Texas Slim fits right in with the tradition, and in fact he has links right back to the music’s early days. He told me, “My biggest influences on the styles I play are Johnny Winter, Freddie King, Lightnin’ Hopkins, T-Bone Walker, and Little Joe Blue. But I am influenced by all types and eras of blues. Pianist Alex Moore (Paramount Records 1929) is my biggest blues influence and gave me my name - Texas Slim - back in 1982!” It is still important for blues musicians to have paid their dues, and Slim has been an active performer around the local clubs in the Dallas - Fort Worth area too. That mention of Little Joe Blue prompted me to check out the opinion of my friend, guitarist Andrew “Junior Boy” Jones, who told me: “I know Slim very well. He is a very fine entertainer and guitarist. I can't remember how we met exactly, but I remember after I left Charlie Musselwhite in 1995, he was one of the first to play my guitar that Gibson gave me. He came to one of my gigs and I let him sit in. He is a very good player.” Andrew has never let me down yet, and as even the briefest of listens to these tracks confirms, he hasn’t here! Even if Slim can't quite put his finger on just what makes Texas so special blues guitar wise (“I don't know honestly, but I am truly proud and honored to help carry on this tradition. It motivates me to play and sing my very best!”), which puts him in some very fine company - Albert Collins, U.P. Wilson, and Jesse "Guitar" Taylor were likewise stumped - he certainly knows what it is all about. Take a listen to how Slim tackles Freddy King’s ‘See See Baby’ - fine, almost relaxed vocals and plenty of fiery guitar, and then it leads into the shuffling title track of Slim’s 2009 album, with a typical blues theme and some even rawer playing, rocking into the powerhouse ‘Coffee Shop Girl’ (Slim does seem to have a thing for a decent cup of coffee - there's an ‘Espresso Girl’ here too) before slowing things down for “blues time, people” with the high intensity ‘High Alert’, like the opener, an example of just how skilled Slim is at weaving contemporary references into his material. Then there is the classic ‘Boot Hill’ – “Yes, this is an archetypal ‘Texas’ style blues. I chose this song to perform live in Europe because of its raw power and emotion. Also, I am honored to pay tribute to a true Texas legend - Johnny Winter! I am proud to be a part of the Texas blues tradition!” But I don’t want to spoil your enjoyment in discovering this music for yourself... Suffice to say, Slim puts a lot of thought into his show: "I write a set list of the songs I want to perform, making sure I have mostly my own songs with a handful of covers. Then I try to put them in a nicely flowing order - bring it to a full boil a couple of times with a dessert treat at the end. That is how we ‘cook with gas’!” And yes, Slim is cooking here! He was inspired by the setting and audience: “I think European audiences listen more carefully to the music to appreciate it and respect it as a work of art. It is always an honor take your art to another country and be so well received. You feel like a big star when the people cheer for you at the concerts - it makes you play better!” The proof of that last statement can clearly be heard on this CD. And incidentally, with all this focus on Slim’s considerable guitar prowess, please don't make the mistake of under-estimating the quality of his vocals (“My goal is to sound pleasant yet powerfully emotional in my own way!”) or his excellent song-writing - Slim is indeed an all-round blues master. To close, I can do no better than repeat Texas Slim’s closing words to me – “To all fans of the Blues: ENJOY!” With a performance of this quality, that is not difficult, not difficult at all... Norman Darwen CDs ready to delivery from May 9th Feelin' Good Productions & Records - Viale Stelvio 51 - 20159 Milano - Italy Cell: (+39) 348.7635854 - Tel & Fax: (+39) 02.6685753 - Skype: boogietano Email: info@feelingoodproductions.com Websites: www.feelingoodproductions.com - www.myspace.com/boogietano |
| DUNGEON MEDIA, WESTLINK RECORDERS & MAGIX
PROMOTION Presentano: AMBRAMARIE "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish" Comunicato Stampa AmbraMarie rappresenta una delle voci femminili piu' belle e potenti che il mondo rock italiano abbia mai avuto. Dopo la partecipazione al talent show di Raidue X-Factor nel 2009 ed un tour lunghissimo che l'ha portata sino a Bucarest la Rocker Bergamasca é entrata al Westlink Studio con il produttore artistico Alessandro Paolucci (Prozac+ , Vanilla Sky) per la produzione del tanto atteso debut album che vedra' la luce nell'autunno del 2011. Il team di AmbraMarie annovera la presenza di Steve Lyon (Depeche Mode, The Cure, Paul McCartney). Il percorso compositivo é giunto alla sua maturazione grazie ad una forte evoluzione artistica e personale della cantante ed alla collaborazione con la band che lavora al progetto sin dagli inizi. In perfetta sintonia con la voce potente, graffiante e melodica di AmbraMarie i brani sono stati sviluppati con una forte inclinazione al rock. L'album conterrà 14 brani e verrà pubblicato in due versioni, una per il mercato italiano e una per il mercato estero. il titolo scelto " Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish " è una frase citata da Steve Jobs in un suo famoso discorso tenuto alla Stenford University, dal quale AmbraMarie è rimasta particolarmente colpita. Preparatevi ad ascoltare un disco caratterizzato da un groove incalzante e crescente che trasmette emozione ... Per maggiori informazioni: A&R/Executive Production - Carlo Bellotti (carlo@alkemist-fanatix.com) Booking and management – Marco Piu (info@magixpromotion.it) Mobile: +39 335 5230855 AMBRAMARIE "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish." English version - For immediate release! AmbraMarie has been portrayed as one of the most beautiful and powerful female voices of the Italian rock scene. Straight afterwards her partecipation at the infamous talent show "X-Factor" during 2009 (Italian edition, broadcasted by channel RaiDue) she took up a long and important tour hitting italian and foreign major cities. The young Italian rocker from Bergamo has been recently working at the West Link Studio with producer Alessandro Paolucci (Prozac +, Vanilla Sky) on the making of her long-awaited debut album which will be released in Autumn 2011. AmbraMarie's team includes Steve Lyon (Depeche Mode, The Cure, Paul McCartney). Thanks to her strong personal experience and the help and collaboration of her band, AmbraMarie's path as a composer eventually took shape. Every track on the album has been developed attuned to her powerful, scratched yet melodic voice and along with a rock fondness. The album, containing 14 tracks, will be released in 2 versions, one for the Italian market, the other designed for the foreign market. The album title "Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish." is a quotation from a famous speech delivered by Steve Jobs at the Stenford University. Those words, in fact, strongly impressed AmbraMarie. Get ready for an emotional album with punchy groove... Contacts: A&R/Executive Production - Carlo Bellotti (carlo@alkemist-fanatix.com) |
