Kenny Wayne Shepherd curates inaugural 'Backroads Blues Festival' to also feature Buddy Guy and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram

Talk about a killer lineup; so cool that Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Buddy Guy and Christone "Kingfish" Ingram are bringing their talents to select cities this summer...Robert Kinsler

KENNY WAYNE SHEPHERD CURATES INAUGURAL BACKROADS BLUES FESTIVAL TOUR WITH BUDDY GUY, CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM AND KWS BAND                   

KWS BAND NOW ON THE ROAD WITH TROUBLE IS… 25^TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR

From left, Buddy Guy, Kenny Wayne Shepherd and
Christone "Kingfish" Ingram.

Blues rock great and five-time GRAMMY® nominee Kenny Wayne Shepherd, now in the midst of the Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band’s ongoing Trouble Is… 25th Anniversary Tour, has announced the talent line up and dates of the inaugural run of his Backroads Blues Festival Tour for which he serves as both curator and featured performer.  He’ll be joined for the tour’s six dates by blues legend Buddy Guy and young blues sensation, and recent Grammy® winner Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. The tour, envisioned as a yearly sojourn, is slated to stop in Providence RI, Bethel NY, Lewiston NY, Springfield MA, Roanoke VA and Portsmouth VA on August 13, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 21, respectively. 

Taking a few moments off from the Trouble Is.. 25th Anniversary Tour that celebrates the silver anniversary of the release of his RIAA certified Platinum selling breakthrough album, Shepherd discussed his vision for the Backroads Blues Festival.  “These days nobody mounts a traditional touring blues festival. I conceptualized one that will give people a chance to see the best of the best all in one place.  We are extremely excited that  Buddy Guy will be with us for each show. He is, after all, the living king of the blues these days.  Also worthy of great respect is Christone “Kingfish” Ingram who is revitalizing the blues in a potent and powerful way.”   Christone "Kingfish" Ingram performing at The Coach House in San Juan Capistrano, CA on Sept. 10, 2021. Photo credit: Bob Steshetz He continued, “We’re featuring three successive generations of blues artists, underscoring the resonance of the genre.”  He explained that the overall concept for Backroads Blues Festival is an extension of his award winning earlier 10 Days Out: Blues from the Backroads film and album project that saw him bring his band and a portable studio on the road to join forces with both notable and unheralded blues artists documenting those collaborations along the way including Etta Baker, Pinetop Perkins, Honeyboy Edwards, Lazy Lester, Willie “Big Eyes” Smith, Hubert Sumlin and B.B. King, among others.  That project was also certified as a Platinum seller by the RIAA. He expressed hope of producing a sequel to the 2007 release in the future.    Buddy Guy at The Coach House on March 12, 2020. Photo: Bob Steshetz “In the past, I really looked forward to those blues packages both as a fan and as an artist, so I decided to bring the concept back with the Backroads Blues Festival tour.” He recalled his transitioning from ticket holder to the B.B. King Blues Festival, where B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Etta James, Joe Cocker and the Neville Brothers performed, to starring as featured performer on several editions of the festival. “Those were very special shows and once that ended there was a void.  Our Backwoods Blues Festival Tour is firmly rooted in that same tradition.”     Buddy Guy added, “I’m excited to be part of the first annual Backroads Blues Festival and back out with Kenny Wayne and looking forward to jamming with Kenny and Kingfish.” Shepherd noted that while this year’s festival line-up consists of electric bands, “It’s possible we could do an all-acoustic show; we want to be as inclusive as possible.  Christone “Kingfish” Ingram remarked, ““To be back touring again is really great and the opportunity to join Mr. Guy and Mr. Shepherd on stage will be electric. These tour dates will be lots of fun.”   It's worth noting that in addition to the Trouble Is…25th Anniversary Tour and the launch of the Backroads Blues Festival, Kenny will be celebrating his 45th birthday with friends Samantha Fish, the Ally Venable Band and special guest, Blues Entertainer of the Year, Shemekia Copeland with whom he recorded last year’s Americana chart favorite “Hit ‘Em Back”. The two birthday shows are scheduled for June 11 (Sweetwater Pavilion/Ft. Wayne IN) and June 12 (Fraze Pavilion/Dayton OH).  “We will always do what we can to support the music and use my platform to elevate the blues in any way we can.”     The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band:  Kenny Wayne Shepherd - Guitar + Vocals Noah Hunt - Vocals Chris Layton - Drums Kevin McCormick - Bass Joe Krown - Keys Mark Pender - Trumpet Joe Sublett – Sax   Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band on tour (Backwoods Blues Festival Tour dates in blue) 4/6                   Des Moines, IA             Hoyt Sherman Place 4/7                   Kansas City, MO           Uptown Theater 4/8                   Springfield, MO             Gillioz Theatre 4/9                   New Buffalo, MI            Four Winds Casino 4/13                  Warren, OH                  Robins Theatre 4/14                  Glenside, PA                Keswick, Theater 4/15                  Greensburg, PA           Palace Theatre 4/16                  Carmel, IN                    Palladium 4/26                  Midland, MI                   Center for the Arts 4/27                  Champaign, IL              Virginia Theater 4/28                  Milwaukee, WI              Pabst Theatre 4/29                  Green Bay, WI              Epic Event Center 5/1                    Fargo, ND                     Fargo Theater 5/3                   Sioux Falls, SD             The District 5/5                   Ft. Collins, CO              Lincoln Center 5/6                   Denver, CO                  Paramount Theatre 5/7                   Pikes Peak, CO            Pikes Peak Center 5/19                 Norwalk, CT                  Wallstreet Theatre 5/20                  New Brunswick, NJ       State Theatre 5/22                  Annapolis, MD              Chesapeake Bay Blues Festival 5/28                  Marksville, LA               Paragon Casino 6/11                  Ft. Wayne, IN                Sweetwater * 6/12                  Kettering, OH                Fraze Pavilion * 6/17                  Aurora, IL                     Blues on the Fox 6/24                  Wichita, KS                   Hartman Arena (with ZZ Top) 7/9                   Nescopeck, PA             Briggs Farm Blues Fest 7/15                  Houston, TX                 House of Blues 7/16                  Austin, TX                     ACL Live at Moody Theatre 7/30                  Baton Rouge, LA          River Center 8/13                  Providence, RI              Bold Point Park 8/14                  Bethel, NY                    Bethel Amphitheatre 8/16                  Lewiston, NY                Artpark 8/18                  Springfield, MA             Symphony Hall 8/19                  Wantagh, NY                Jones Beach 8/20                  Roanoke, VA                Elmwood Park 8/21                  Portsmouth, VA             Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion  8/22                  Ocean City, NJ              Ocean City Music Pier 9/17                 Biloxi, MS                      IP Casino & Resort 9/29                  San Diego, CA              Humphreys by the Bay 9/30                  Saratoga, CA                Mountain Winery 10/2                  Reno, NV                      Battle Axe & Tracks Festival *KWS birthday celebration with Samantha Fish, the Ally Venable Band and special guest Shemekia Copeland   ­

 

First Four U.S. albums by The Animals, chart-topping 1960s British Invasion Band, to be reissued on 180-gram vinyl, audio CD with bonus tracks due May 20, 2022

 If you are a fan of The Animals, you'll want to read this! Robert Kinsler

The Animals, The Animals on Tour, Animal Tracks, Animalization get mono vinyl treatment for the first time in decades; Mickie Most Years And More Bundle Includes Vinyl Set + I Just Wanna Make Love To You 12” EP ­ ­

­ ­ ­ ABKCO will reissue the first four US albums by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees The Animals this May. Originally released between 1964 and 1966 on MGM Records, The Animals, The Animals on Tour, Animal Tracks and Animalization have been out of print for decades and will be made available on 180-gram vinyl in mono with original cover art on May 20. CD versions of all four titles will come with contemporaneous bonus tracks. Also out on May 20, The Animals Mickie Most Years And More vinyl bundle will come with a reproduction of the ultra rare, one-sided 12” EP I Just Wanna Make Love To You, which kicked off the British Invasion band’s career in 1963.  ­ ­ Pre-order Mickie Most Years And More ­ ­ Formed in Newcastle by frontperson Eric Burdon from the ashes of the Alan Price Rhythm and Blues Combo, The Animals were known for their hard driving, R&B-influenced sound and became a hit-making machine on both sides of the Atlantic right out of the gate. Their self-titled 1964 album includes the #1 US and #1 UK charting “House of the Rising Sun,” and was made in an era when they were “the most important and successful British export after the Beatles,” as asserted by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke. Despite its title, their February 1965 follow-up The Animals on Tour contains studio recordings and features the Top 20 single “I’m Crying.” Animal Tracks was released just six months later, in the same calendar year. As was customary for American versions of British records, hit singles were packed into it—“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” (originally recorded by Nina Simone the previous year), Sam Cooke’s “Bring It On Home to Me” and the Mann/Weil-penned “We Gotta Get Out of This Place,” the latter of which became a de facto anthem for U.S. Armed Forces G.I.s deployed to Vietnam. 1966’s Animalization, released during the band’s final year of existence, saw original producer Mickie Most replaced by Tom Wilson (Bob Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, the Velvet Underground, The Mothers of Invention). There is no shortage of Top 40 material, from “Don’t Bring Me Down” (written for The Animals by Gerry Goffin and Carole King), Ma Rainey’s “See See Rider” and the Animals’ re-imagining of a prison work song originally recorded by American folklorist Alan Lomax, “Inside-Looking Out.”     “To me, The Animals were a revelation,” said Bruce Springsteen at his 2012 SXSW keynote speech. He went on to describe their catalog as “the first records with full blown class consciousness that I had ever heard,” before picking up a guitar and performing a large chunk of “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” and declaring, “That’s every song I’ve ever written. That’s all of them. I’m not kidding either. That’s ‘Born To Run,’ ‘Born In the U.S.A.,’ everything I’ve done for the past 40 years, including all the new ones.” Billy F Gibbons of ZZ Top expounds, “Oddly enough, it was the British bands who turned a lot of us Americans onto the blues that were our own backyard, and no one did it better than The Animals.” Along with numerous other groups, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were also disciples of The Animals, having covered “Don’t Bring Me Down” at Farm Aid in 1985.    The CD versions of these titles will contain bonus tracks relating to the time periods in which they were originally released. The Animals has the unedited “Talkin’ ‘Bout You,” (the LP version was shortened due to the time constraints of the vinyl format), while The Animals on Tour has their versions of Jimmy Reed’s “Baby What’s Wrong,” Ray Charles’ “F-E-E-L” and a radio spot recorded for New Year’s Eve 1964. The CD version of Animal Tracks has five bonus tracks, including the hit “It’s My Life” and the UK version of “We Gotta Get Out of This Place.” The Animalization CD has stereo versions of three of the album tracks, which gradually overtook the mono format in the second half of the ‘60s.   ABKCO Records will be offering The Animals Mickie Most Years And More, a limited edition bundle consisting of all four titles on vinyl plus I Just Wanna Make Love To You—a faithful reproduction of the very first record by the band—a 12” EP privately issued in a run of 500 copies by Graphic Sound Ltd. Recorded on September 15, 1963. It contains the title track, “Big Boss Man,” “Pretty Thing” and an early version of “Boom Boom” (originally by John Lee Hooker) all on one side of a 45 rpm record housed in a plain outer sleeve. Captured by recording engineer Phil Woods at his home in Wylam, Northumberland, I Just Wanna Make Love To You is a peek into the early days of The Animals just before their rise international dominance.       The Animals (U.S., 1964) Side 1 House of the Rising Sun The Girl Can’t Help It Blue Feeling Baby Let Me Take You Home The Right Time Talkin’ ‘Bout You (edited) Side 2 Around and Around I’m in Love Again Gonna Send You Back to Walker Memphis, Tennessee I’m Mad Again I’ve Been Around CD bonus track: Talkin’ ‘Bout You (unedited)   The Animals on Tour (U.S., 1965)  Side 1 Boom Boom How You’ve Changed Mess Around Bright Lights, Big City I Believe to My Soul Worried Life Blues Side 2 Let the Good Times Roll I Ain’t Got You Hallelujah, I Love Her So I’m Crying Dimples She Said Yeah CD bonus tracks: Baby What’s Wrong F-E-E-L New Year’s Radio Spot   Animal Tracks (U.S., 1965) Side 1 We Gotta Get Out of This Place Take It Easy Baby Bring It On Home to Me The Story of Bo Diddley Side 2 Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood I Can’t Believe It Club A-Go-Go Roberta Bury My Body For Miss Caulker CD bonus tracks: Roadrunner Don’t Want Much We Gotta Get Out of This Place (UK Single Version) It’s My Life I’m Gonna Change the World   Animalization (U.S., 1966)  Side 1 Don’t Bring Me Down One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show You’re On My Mind Cheating She’ll Return It Inside-Looking Out Side 2 See See Rider Gin House Blues Maudie What Am I Living For Sweet Little Sixteen I Put a Spell on You CD bonus tracks: Don’t Bring Me Down (Stereo Version) Cheating (Stereo Version) See See Rider (Stereo Version)   I Just Wanna Make Love To You 12” EP (available as part of The Animals Mickie Most Years And More bundle) Side 1 I Just Wanna Make Love To You Big Boss Man Boom Boom Pretty Thing Side 2 intentionally blank   All tracks in mono unless otherwise stated   ABKCO Music & Records, Inc., is one of the world’s leading independent entertainment companies. It is home to iconic music catalogues that include compositions and recordings by Sam Cooke, The Rolling Stones, Bobby Womack, Eric Burdon, The Animals, Herman’s Hermits, Marianne Faithfull, The Kinks as well as the Cameo Parkway masters by such artists as Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Clint Eastwood, The Dovells, ? and The Mysterians, The Orlons, Dee Dee Sharp, Charlie Gracie, Bob Seger, and The Tymes. Releases on ABKCO’s SAR Records include albums by L.C. Cooke, The Soul Stirrers, Billy Preston, Johnnie Taylor, The Valentinos, and more. ABKCO is active on many fronts, including the release of critically lauded soundtracks, compilations, reissues from its catalog, film, commercial placement of its master recordings and music publishing properties in all media. One Night In Miami…, ABKCO’s latest theatrical production, received a nomination for the 2017 Olivier® Award for Best New Play and three Academy Award nominations as a Major Motion Picture directed by Oscar® winner Regina King. ABKCO’s latest TV production is The Durrells in Corfu, based on Gerald Durrell’s book The Corfu Trilogy and ABKCO’s latest releases are The French Dispatch Original Soundtrack and its companion album Tip Top by Jarvis Cocker.    www.abkco.com www.facebook.com/abkco www.twitter.com/abkco

Michael Gurley's Ultrasound to perform at The Art Boutiki in San Jose on April 30

Written by Robert Kinsler

Photography courtesy of Bob Steshetz

Michael Gurley at The Coach
House in San Juan Capistrano, CA
in April 2018.

With the release of their dazzling commercial debut Puzzle in 1992, Dada was rightly celebrated as a groundbreaking band that blended the best of alternative, melodic and psychedelic rock music stylings into an intoxicating and timeless sound. Singer-guitarist Michael Gurley, singer-bassist Joie Calio and singer-drummer Phil Leavitt went on to release a string of subsequent masterworks that equaled the ambition and sonic reach of their debut including American Highway Flower (1994), El Subliminoso (1996), Dada (1998) and How To Be Found (2004).

Now Gurley is back with his aptly-named project Michael Gurley's Ultrasound, and the outfit is ready to emerge in a post-pandemic world in support of the 2020 full-length gem Ultrasound. Because Ultrasound was released during the height of the global COVID-19 health crisis, Gurley was unable to tour in support of the album. The good news is that Gurley will bring his live show to the Art Boutiki in San Jose, CA on April 30. 

"We did one show in Oceanside that was spur of the moment," Gurley recalled in a recent phone interview. "When the show came around (on Feb. 25, 2022), it was incredible. It was so much fun to play again."

Michael Gurley performing with Kiefer Sutherland at the Belly Up in May 2017.

Between 2014 and 2019, Gurley kept busy as a member of Kiefer Sutherland's band, including co-writing a track with the famed singer-songwriter/actor. During that time, Gurley and his wife Stacey also welcomed their son Harrison into the world. This writer asked Gurley if he had named his son after a certain member of The Beatles: "(It was) a name my wife really loved. He wasn't named after George Harrison, but it didn't hurt."

During the global pandemic when the world shut down, full-time musicians couldn't tour.

The artwork for the album "Ultrasound."

"When COVID happened, I couldn't play shows. Since COVID started (in early 2020), I have written more than 100 songs." In addition to the official release of Ultrasound in late 2020, Gurley has now completed a country music-aimed album (the title and release date are yet to be announced).

In addition to his top tier talents as a lead vocalist and songwriter, Gurley is a bona fide guitar master. In fact, one of the highlights on his album Ultrasound is "I Love Your Guitar," an infectious rocker that showcases Gurley's signature fretwork.

"The guitar has done so much for me. I started playing when I was seven…as you get older you appreciate it as a vocation and a hobby. The older I get the more appreciative I am," Gurley said of his love of the instrument.

Whether listening to Ultrasound or seeing Gurley in concert, it's obvious he has been influenced by a vast and diverse array of artists.

"I’ll spend a month on Chopin (composer Frédéric Chopin), and listen to him every night. Then a month on early AC/DC, then go back to the Rolling Stones, then a month on Jimi Hendrix…You learn so much. Always some formula to the greatness and mystery. (The song) 'I Had A Dream Last Night That I Had A Dream' is very ‘60s. I had a Kinks-like riff, fast tempo and right in the middle it goes into a different feel. I go into a half-time, Burt Bacharach feel, replete with major seventh chords and flugelhorn, then right back into the Kinks feel."  

Completed during COVID, Ultrasound took 2-1/2 years to complete, with Gurley producing specific tracks with Shane Soloski and others with Scott Gordon. Additional contributions on the disc included Brian MacLeod (Sheryl Crow) on drums, Sean Hurley on bass (John Mayer), and Victor Indrizzo (Beck, Chris Cornell, Willie Nelson) on drums. 

"I did it in a recording studio — I wanted that feel," Gurley said. "I think the record is more positive than some of my other projects…I didn’t want to make a downer record."

For more information, including details about the upcoming show at the Art Boutiki, visit MichaelGurleyMusic.com.

'The Sex Pistols: The Original Recordings' coming May 27, 2022

Get ready for the return of The Sex Pistols via an important title coming to vinyl, audio CD and digital...Robert Kinsler

'The Sex Pistols: The Original Recordings' - 20 tracks from the world’s most controversial band coming May 27, 2022 via UMe 

 

Available on double vinyl, digital, CD and limited edition 

double transparent green vinyl and collectors’ cassettes

 

Los Angeles, CA – April 1, 2022 – For the first time in over 20 years, 20 of the Sex Pistol’s recordings from 1976 to 1978 are collected together to tell the story of one of the world’s most influential and extraordinary bands.

The Sex Pistols: The Original Recordings covers a historic period when the band were rarely out of the news or the charts and will be available on double vinyl, digital and CD, as well as limited edition double transparent green vinyl and collectors’ cassettes. All configurations of The Sex Pistols: The Original Recordings can be pre-ordered, HERE.

The Sex Pistols left the British Establishment shaking when they exploded onto the music scene, kickstarting what later became known as punk -  a term the band were never comfortable with. Young people ripped up not just their musical forebears but their social ones too and Sex Pistols were the snarling, ferocious figurehead of the revolution.

They made one perfect, 40-minute album for the ages in 1977’s Never Mind The Bollocks and from its artwork to the individual players, the attitude and music - every bit of it influenced the world we live in today.

The record is frequently listed as one of the most influential albums of all time with musicians from Joy Division / New Order to Kurt Cobain, Noel Gallagher, Green Day, to YUNGBLUD all citing them as key inspiration.  And this was not just musically, punk showed that anyone could create and many took the hint across fashion, art and design and more.

Their 1977 single “God Save the Queen” was banned by the BBC and reached Number 1 on the U.K.'s NME chart, but appeared at Number 2 on the Official U.K. Singles chart, leading to accusations that the song was purposely kept off the top spot. For the only time in chart history, the track was listed as a blank, to avoid offence to the establishment.

The collection soundtracks the period and features key singles “Anarchy In The UK,” “God Save The Queen,” “Pretty Vacant” and “Holidays In The Sun,” essential tracks from Never Mind The Bollocks, further originals and covers from The Great Rock & Roll Swindle soundtrack album and some essential B- sides in “I Wanna Be Me” (the flipside of “Anarchy…”), “Satellite” (the b-side of  “Holidays In The Sun”) and “Did You No Wrong” (from “God Save The Queen”).

 

Tracklist:

1. Pretty Vacant

2. God Save The Queen 

3. Bodies

4. No Feelings

5. I Wanna Be Me

6. Anarchy In The UK

7. Submission

8. No Fun

9. (I’m Not Your) Stepping Stone 

10. Holidays In The Sun

11. New York

12. Problems

13. Lonely Boy

14. Silly Thing

15. Something Else

16. C’Mon Everybody

17. Satellite

18. Did You No Wrong

19. Substitute

20. My Way

 

Formats:

• CD
• 2LP (Black vinyl)
• 2LP (Transparent Green)
• Cassette - 5 with individual artwork
• Digital

Grammy Award winning titles are essential listens

The 64th Annual Grammy Awards were held in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 3, and included a surprise virtual appearance from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Amidst that historic turn and all the live performances from the likes of "Record of the Year" winner Silk Sonic and "Album of the Year" winner Jon Batiste, several notable audio releases were celebrated that are revisited in my column this week.

Artist: Brothers Osborne

Title: Skeletons: Deluxe (EMI Nashville)

You might like if you enjoy: Brothers Osborne's first two albums, the Zac Brown Band

Tell me more: Country music hitmakers Brothers Osborne (brothers T.J. Osborne and John Osborne) released a deluxe expanded version of their acclaimed third album Skeletons on Jan. 21; the expanded title included the reflective synth-swept song "Younger Me" which picked up top honors in the "Best County Duo/Group Performance" at the Grammy Awards held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas (this marked the duo's first-ever Grammy Award). Indeed, Skeletons features a myriad of strong tracks including the infectious opener "Lighten Up," playful "All Night," infectious "All The Good Ones Are," tender "High Note" and rocking title track. The trio of new tracks include the heavy countrified rocker "Headstone," genre-blending "Midnight Rider's Prayer" (which uses elements of Willie Nelson's "On The Road Again") and aforementioned "Younger Me." Information: BrothersOsborne.com. 

Artist: Christone "Kingfish" Ingram

Title: 662 (Alligator Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Eric Gales, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Gary Clark Jr.

Tell me more: Only 23, Christone "Kingfish" Ingram is already a top-tier vocalist, bona fide guitar hero and true original. He is also a Grammy winner, having picked up a trophy for "Best Contemporary Blues Album" for his latest album 662 in Las Vegas on Sunday (this was his first-ever Grammy). Likely the most dynamic blues-rock guitar master of his generation, the Clarksdale, Mississippi native's sophomore album 662 is required listening. Sure his guitar playing will blow you away, but like genre champions ranging from Buddy Guy and Walter Trout to Gary Clark Jr. and Eric Gales, Ingram has found his own voice in ways that impress and dazzle. On the soulful "Another Life Goes By," Ingram uses his expressive baritone to ask: "Where does hate come from and how can we make it stop? / We got to make some changes before somebody else gets shot / We need to pay attention to all the helpless cries / we got to stop the madness before another life goes bye." He turns on a dime for the powerful confessional blues rocker "Not Gonna Lie," an intoxicating track where he notes how his guitar playing was his way out of poverty and an uncertain future; his masterful rhythm and lead guitar playing is flawless and electrifying. On the soul-styled ballads "You're Already Gone" and "That's All It Takes," Ingram's emotive vocals take the listener into a cliche-free immersion into romantic loss — his subtle guitar work makes the listen all the more potent. Those who simply want to revel in his incredible guitar fireworks, listen to "662," "My Bad," "I Got To See You" and "Long Distance Woman." Information: ChristoneKingfishIngram.com. 

Artist: George Harrison

Title: All Things Must Pass - 50th Anniversary Edition (Super Deluxe Edition sampler) (Capitol Records)

You might like if you enjoy: George Harrison, The Beatles

Tell me more: The greatest solo album by any member of The Beatles, George Harrison's 1970 masterpiece All Things Must Pass was released in a number of formats in celebration of the album's 50 year anniversary in August 2021; the reissue picked up "Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package" at the Grammy Awards (the award was accepted at the ceremony by Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison). Hearing the remastered tracks and previously-unreleased outtakes across the expanded masterwork is a true treat for rock fans. Critics of the so-called "Wall of Sound" applied by co-producer Phil Spector on the original version of the 23-track triple album recorded between May and October of 1970 (and released in November of that year) will be stunned by the clarity and brightness of the 2020 mixes. Executive produced by George Harrison's son Dhani Harrison and mixed by triple GRAMMY® Award-winning engineer Paul Hicks (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, John Lennon), the new album mixes are a dramatic improvement in every way. Harrison's singing is clear with the nuanced and emotive touch of his signature baritone truly astonishing; the talents of a parade of legendary musicians who contribute includes Ringo Starr, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Dave Mason, Klaus Voormann, Eric Clapton, Bobby Keys, Gary Wright and many more – their contributions are thankfully more vivid now. And just listen to Harrison's soaring slide guitar work. The Americana-swept version of Bob Dylan's "If Not For You" and his own "Behind That Locked Door" and "Apple Scruffs" astound. More rocking material ("Wah-Wah," "Let It Down," "Art Of Dying"), fascinating outtakes (including the rockabilly-styled "Going Down To Golders Green" and acoustic demo for "Cosmic Empire") and timeless favorites ("My Sweet Lord," "What Is Life," "Beware Of Darkness") may well have many audiophiles briefly wondering if they are hearing this artistic triumph for the very first time. Information: GeorgeHarrison.com. 

Artist: Los Lobos

Title: Native Sons (New West Records)

You might like if you enjoy: Los Lobos, the Mavericks, the Blasters

Tell me more: East Los Angeles-spawned legends Los Lobos revisit the music of a diverse field of their influential musical heroes on Native Sons; the LP won "Best Americana Album" at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. The quintet (singer-guitarist David Hidalgo, singer-guitarist Louie Pérez, Jr.,singer-guitarist-keyboardist Cesar Rosas, singer-bassist Conrad Lozanoand saxophonist-keyboardist Steve Berlin) honors 13 classics by infusing their own signature style into each of the well-crafted remakes. Thinks kick off with an infectious run through of Thee Midniters' "Love Special Delivery" (bolstered by the blend of horns, freewheeling drums and lead guitar). Classic rock favorites from Buffalo Springfield get the dual treatment via Los Lobos' intoxicating take on "Bluebird" and Americana-flavored "For What It's Worth." Other highlights include a beautiful and nuanced version of Jackson Browne's "Jamaica Say You Well," a rousing jump blues reading of Percy Mayfield's "Never No More" and soulful take on The Beach Boys classic "Sail On, Sailor." Long a champion of Chicano rock, mariachi and música norteña, Los Lobos performs a rollicking version of Lalo Guerrero's "Los Chucos Suaves" and the tender ballad "Dichoso." Los Lobos' stunning version of War's "The World is a Ghetto" features several guests, including Little Willie G. (who sang on the title track back in 1972) along with Jacob G. (Willie's son), R&B artist Barrence Whitfieldand world class percussionist Camilo Quinones. Los Lobos also ties the thematic journey together via the inclusion of the original "Native Son." Information: LosLobos.org.

Robert Kinsler

The Zombies kick off Merry-Go-Round Tour

Read the information below; an official update from The Zombies...Robert Kinsler

BRITISH PSYCHEDELIC POP LEGENDS ANNOUNCE “LIFE IS A MERRY-GO-ROUND TOUR”

ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES RELEASE “LIVE FROM STUDIO TWO”

RECORDED LIVE AT LONDON’S ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS

SPECIAL CD/DVD PACKAGE AVAILABLE AT SHOWS ONLY!

Despite a busy tour schedule this year, The Zombies have also been recording the follow-up to their 2015 Billboard-charting album, Still Got That Hunger (release date TBD), and will be performing several new songs on this tour, along with fan favorites. Led by founding members, vocalist Colin Blunstone and keyboardist Rod Argent, The Zombies’ 21st-Century line-up features Steve Rodford on drums, renowned session guitarist Tom Toomey, and the newest member, Søren Koch, who joined the band following the untimely passing of their beloved bassist Jim Rodford (formerly of ARGENT and The Kinks) in early 2018.

 

The band is also releasing “Live From Studio Two,” a CD/DVD special package, recorded live at London’s Abbey Road Studios and available at the shows only.

Special Preview of Two Videos

Edge Of The Rainbow

https://youtu.be/ng_syrDWrqA

This Will Be Our Year

https://youtu.be/efGaF0o5y5A

 

The band’s live performances, described by Rolling Stone as “absolutely triumphant”, take fans on a journey through time, from their early hits…their 1968 masterpiece 'Odessey & Oracle'…post-Zombies solo favorites…right to today with 'Still Got That Hunger'.

 

The second U.K. band following the Beatles to score a #1 hit in America, The Zombies infiltrated the airwaves with the sophisticated melodies, breathy vocals, choral back-up harmonies and jazzy keyboard riffs of their 1960’s hit singles “She’s Not There” and “Tell Her No.” Ironically, the group broke-up just prior to achieving their greatest success – the worldwide chart-topping single “Time of the Season,” from their swan-song album Odessey & Oracle, ranked #100 in Rolling Stone’s ‘500 Greatest Albums of All Time'.  To this day, generations of new bands have cited The Zombies’ work as pop touchstones, and the band continues to be embraced by new generations of fans.

 

Following the break-up of the original band, lead vocalist Colin Blunstone went on to develop an acclaimed solo career (with hits including "Say You Don't Mind," "What Becomes of the Brokenhearted", and “Old & Wise” with Alan Parsons Project) and keyboardist/songwriter Rod Argent rocked ‘70’s arenas with his eponymous band ARGENT (“Hold Your Head Up,” “God Gave Rock ‘n’ Roll To You”), but the legend of The Zombies continued to take on a life of its own.  By the start of the new Millennium, Blunstone and Argent were inspired to resurrect The Zombies.

 

The explosive release of 'Still Got That Hunger' proved that Zombies fever is stronger than ever, with premieres at Rolling Stone, Mojo, The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian  Speakeasy, and Spin, alongside special broadcast performances, including Later…With Jools Holland, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Conan, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, CBS Saturday Morning and AOL Sessions. Moreover, it marked a historical moment on the Billboard charts, as The Zombies’ critically acclaimed album 'Odessey And Oracle' re-entered the Billboard 100 forty-eight years later at the same time as 'Still Got That Hunger'!   

 

On March 29, 2019 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center, The Zombies joined Stevie Nicks, Radiohead, The Cure, Def Leppard, Janet Jackson, and Roxy Music as the 2019 Class of The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Fittingly, the Induction Ceremony took place exactly 50 years to-the-day after The Zombies’ classic “Time of the Season” first hit #1 on the charts in America.

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Tour Dates

April  1 - The Plaza Live - Orlando, FL

April  2 - Sunrise Theatre, Fort Pierce, FL

April  3 - The Parker Playhouse, Fort Lauderdale, FL

April  5 - Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater, FL

April  6 - Ponte Vedra Concert Hall, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL

April  7 - Center Stage Theater, Atlanta, GA

April  9 - Manship Theatre, Baton Rouge, LA

April 10 - Iron City, Birmingham, AL

April 13 - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN

April 14 - Bijou Theatre, Knoxville, TN

April 16 - Webster Hall, New York, NY

April 18 - The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA

April 19 - Maryland Hall, Annapolis, MD

April 20 - The Colonial Theatre, Phoenixville, PA

April 22 - Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY

April 23 - The Music Box at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, Atlantic City, NJ

April 24 - The Suffolk Theater, Riverhead, NY

April 26 - Academy of Music Theatre, Northampton, MA

April 27 - Capitol Center for the Arts, Concord, NH

April 29 - Cabot Street Cinema Theatre, Beverly, MA

April 30 - Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT

May  1 - Narrows Center For The Arts, Fall River, MA 

June 21 - Empire Theatre, Belleville, ON

June 22 - Living Arts Centre - Hammerson Hall, Mississauga, ON

June 24 - Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA

June 25 - Point of the Bluff Vineyard, Hammondsport, NY

June 26 - Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall, Munhall, PA

June 28 - The Kent Stage, Kent, OH

June 30 - Ludlow Garage, Cincinnati, OH

July  1 - Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL

July  2 - Codfish Hollow Barnstormers, Maquoketa, IA

July  3 - Barrymore Theatre, Madison, WI

July  5 - First Avenue, Minneapolis, MN

July  7 - Club Regent Event Centre, Winnipeg, MB

July  9 - Deerfoot Inn & Casino, Calgary, AB

July 13 - Alix Goolden Performance Hall, Victoria, BC

July 14 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC

July 15 - Historic Everett Theatre, Everett, WA

TICKETS: THEZOMBIESMUSIC.COM/LIVE