Fanfare was made in Los Angeles over a 9-month period. “There
were a few weeks of sessions with the band tracking live, as well as
many weeks with just myself and engineer Bryce Gonzales. There were many
weeks at a time of just me working alone, as I did with Gentle Spirit.
I’ve always worked alone in some capacity since I first started
recording, it’s a very important part of the process for me.”Produced by Wilson at his Fivestar Studios in Echo Park, Fanfare was recorded to 2″ analog tape and then mixed down to 1/2 inch tape at
Jackson’s Browne’s Groove Masters studio in Santa Monica through a Neve
8078 analog console. The “next generation hi-fi” attention to the
smallest sonic details is the kind you might expect from a consummate
craftsman/perfectionist that Wilson is.“Analog simply captures things better and it takes the edges off. It creates a beauty much like film,” Wilson says. “Fanfare
is a vehicle to explore fully blown out analog production, from the
strings to the hi-fi cymbal sounds. The recording used a live echo
chamber extensively. ”Featuring vocal and instrumental contributions from heavy friends like
Graham Nash, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Josh Tillman (aka Father John
Misty), Wilco’s Patrick Sansone, Dawes’ Taylor Goldsmith and Mike
Campbell and Benmont Tench from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, the
album is a celebration of friends and family. Additionally, Wilson and
British folk legend Roy Harper co-wrote several songs on the record.Sometimes Wilson seems to need a pinch to believe his good fortune: “There are an awful lot of wizards on this album. Wizards of all ages
and life experiences. All these amazing voices and musicians. There is a
high degree of musical prowess and pedigree here. Cross-generational
musical sharing and passing down traditions is very important to me and
something that must continue. This is the way you keep the Fanfare’s
blowing, this is how you keep the energies interacting.”In “Lovestrong,” one of the last songs on the record, Wilson sings,
“Just a while ago and up the road a piece, a Fanfare when you are born, a
ballad when you are released. All the while these were the lyrics that
you sang, every lifetime plays the song of every living thing.” And so
it goes… JONATHAN WILSON
This album bills itself as the “Sound of Asbury Park.” Bingo. Guitarist
Danny Petroni has done the Garden State proud. Somewhere “The Boss” is
smiling. Somewhere “Miami Steve” is smiling. Somewhere “Southside
Johnny” is smiling. And blues-loving jazz heads everywhere will be
smiling, too, when they hear this disc. Petroni created this project to
provide a little bit of work for the musicians, engineers and studios of
Asbury Park that suffered so badly in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. He
assembled a star-studded New Jersey cast to perform here—from Gary
Oleyar on violin and Gene Boccia on bass to Dave Halpern and John Allen
on drums and many more. It’s an eclectic blues stew with a sharp jazz
edge. At the centerpiece of this excellent recording is a true surprise
for jazz fans. Ku-umba Frank Lacy adds deep, cool vocals—not to mention
amazing horn arrangements that compete with the best of the Miami Horns.
The result is one of my favorite albums of the year, so far. “I’ve Seen
Everything” swings hard as a hysterical opening tune. The next track,
“Tastes Like Chicken,” ain’t far behind! “I’ve Changed My Ways” slides
in as a beautiful ballad. “Peanut Butter & Jelly” delivers. “Mouse
In The House” offers a sad look at the extermination business of love.
And Petroni’s beautiful, reverb-filled “Diminishing Returns” offers a
touching conclusion to this 10-song set. Sandy couldn’t take these guys
out. It just spurred their artistry. They deserve a few minutes of your
attention.THE BLUE PROJECT
Léna and The Deep Soul agrippe les hanches, dégrippe les articulations,
agite pieds et mains. "Free your mind and your ass will follow", comme
disait l'autre.
C'est de funk dont il s'agit, canal historique, avec George Clinton
comme figure tutélaire. Son Mothership ne cesse d'accoucher une nation
(under a groove) de funkateers parmi lesquels Léna and The Deep Soul
forme un commando de choc. Avec ses propres armes, le couteau entre les
dents : un fantastique gang de sept musiciens rodés à la scène, des
compositions originales chargées de soul, des orchestrations qui
combinent le foisonnement psyché des 70's et le clinquant discoïde des
80's, des solos qui claquent, des jams qui nous mettent la fièvre. Et
Léna : l'âme, la voix, l'énergie, le glamour; la foi chevillée dans le
groove.
I Want to Funk U, chante Lena and The Deep Soul, mais ne prenez pas
peur : ça pulse, ça tourne, c'est jouissif et ça ne fait pas mal, c'est
même pour votre bien. LENA AND THE DEEP SOUL
Sometimes, it takes a breakup to make a great album. Just ask Charlie Faye,
who split up with her longtime partner, Will Sexton, during the
creation of her latest record. Soldiering forward while their
relationship crumbled, the two co-wrote most of the album together,
taking the opportunity to put into music the things they couldn’t put
into words.It’s not the happiest album you’ll hear this summer, but You Were Fine, You Weren’t Even Lonely
(out August 6) does find a way to make heartbreak beautiful. It doesn’t
hurt that Faye has an A-list backing band at her disposal, including
players like Greg Leisz and Jay Bellerose. On “It’s a Fighter,” she
sings about a war-torn heart while the others back her up, adding
brushed percussion, light guitar and Rhodes to the mix.“‘It’s A
Fighter’ is a song about doing battle with your own heart — and
ultimately, losing the fight,” Faye tells us. It’ll lead you down some
crazy paths, it might have some stupid, self-defeating ideas and try to
drag you down along with it… you can try to fight it with reason, but
the odds are against you — the heart almost always wins.” Charlie Faye
Lady Daisey (Daisey Traynham - Brooklyn, NY) is a soul/funk singer who
spent her childhood touring the U.S. with her parent’s band. Raised on
the road, home-schooled and surrounded by music, it was natural for her
to blossom into the artist that she is. Since then, she’s been following
her musical path and developed her own playful style, ranging from
sultry love songs to powerhouse feel-good old-school soul. Lady Daisey
has played venues and festivals around the globe, spreading her message
of love and positivity, soulfully presented over head noddin' Batsauce
beats. A small woman with a huge voice, Lady Daisey is sure to grab the
attention and steal the hearts of everyone within ear's reach.Daisey’s
music career started in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to singing
lead for a few local pop/rock cover bands, she also performed solo
acoustic guitar sets, writing her own songs, in search of her own sound.
In 2002, she met Batsauce (producer/husband). His influence and
dedication sent Daisey in a new direction. His beats and production,
together with her unique and soulful vocals, developed a loyal following
gaining recognition in local press and media. The husband/wife duo
paired up with Paten Locke (aka Therapy, from Asamov) and formed the
Smile Rays in 2005, releasing albums on Rawkus, 6-Hole, Jakarta and
Subcontact. After recording a track with George Clinton and being
selected as Rawkus 50 artists, they quickly won the hearts of the indie
hip hop scene. They toured and played festivals throughout Europe, which
propelled Lady Daisey to the next chapter of her musical career,
releasing “In My Pocket” (bbe) and now finishing her second album “In My
Headphones” (bbe). LADY DAISEY
TCLB
Live has been a long time in the making for The Captain Legendary Band.
Since it's inception, fans have enjoyed the band's sometimes rowdy and
always entertaining live shows. Winning the Academy of Texas Music's
"Live Band of the Year" award in 2010 solidified TCLB as one of the
premier live acts in the South. With the awards and vigorous touring
schedule came the clamoring for a live record from fans old and new.
With the support of The Captain Legendary Band's loyal fan base, the
group pulled off a two set fan appreciation extravaganza that just
happened to be recorded. The band put on two shows, one acoustic, and
one electric to a packed house at the historic "Firehouse Saloon" in
Houston, TX. It included many of the band's fan favorites along with
several new songs that are soon to be standards as well. Throw in the
engineering magic of Grammy winner Adam Odor and you have TCLB Live. It
really is like you were there! THE CAPTAIN LEGENDARY BAND
JJ Grey is from Jacksonville, Florida. He made his recording debut in
2001 with Blackwater, following up in 2004 with Lochloosa (both albums
reissued by Alligator). In 2007 Grey released his Alligator debut,
Country Ghetto, followed by 2008's Orange Blossoms. With the release of
2010's Georgia Warhorse, Grey stepped further into the mainstream view
with the AAA radio breakout single The Sweetest Thing. In 2011 the full
fury of the band's live show was captured on the live CD/DVD Brighter
Days.JJ has played countless festivals, including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo,
Wakarusa, Austin City Limits Festival, Byron Bay Blues Festival
(Australia), Montreal Jazz Festival and Fuji Rock (Japan). Over the
course of his career, Grey has shared stages with the likes of Lenny
Kravitz, B.B. King, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Los
Lobos, Jeff Beck, Ben Harper, Booker T. Jones, Mavis Staples and many
others. In 2011 the band extensively toured the UK. That same year, back
in the U.S.A., Grey embarked on his first-ever solo tour, playing
packed-to-capacity clubs. The band returned to Europe in 2012, playing
multiple dates in the UK, Germany and The Netherlands. Grey and his
band, who continue to play over 125 shows a year, will return to Europe
in 2013.JJ's songs have appeared in film and network television including House,
Flashpoint, Crash, Friday Night Lights, The Glades, The Deadliest Catch
and the film The Hoot. In November 2009, JJ wrote his first film score
for the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning documentary The Good
Soldier, that appeared in theatres and on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. In
2010, JJ played piano, sang and contributed a song (The Wrong Side) to
Buckwheat Zydeco's Grammy-winning Alligator Records album Lay Your
Burden Down. JJ als appears on Shemekia Copeland's Grammy-nominated 2012
CD 33 1/3. JJ GREY MOFRO
Slowly Rolling Camera, a new project that teams pianist-composer Dave
Stapleton, producer Deri Roberts, vocalist-lyricist Dionne Bennett and
drummer Elliot Bennett, is proof positive that some of the most
interesting work often arises from a meeting of many minds. The result
is music that has distinct echoes of the ‘invisible soundtracks’ of UK
progressives Cinematic Orchestra and Portishead as well as the polychrome textures of maverick Scandinavian artists like Sigor Ros and Oddarrang. The intricate deployment of glowing
keyboard colours and shifting rhythmic patterns imbues tracks such as
Temptation and Eight Days In with the kind of stark atmospheres that
often define the best scores for both big and small screen. Stapleton’s
keyboards and Elliot Bennett’s drums create a wide range of sharp, often
crunching timbres that are augmented by Roberts’ artful electronic
washes, but it is the presence of guest players, double bassist Jasper
Hoiby, guitarist Chris Montague and saxophonist Mark Lockheart that
significantly enriches the sound palette. These greatly respected
figures in British jazz contribute a heavy, bulky low end, eerie,
crackling chords and crystalline solos that make for much more than a
cut ‘n’ paste studio session. Their attention to detail is great. SLOWLY ROLLING
Formed in in 2009, Tuba Skinny has steadily evolved from a loose
collection of street musicians into a solid ensemble dedicated to
bringing the traditional New Orleans sound to audiences around the
world. Drawing on a wide range of musical influences—from spirituals to
Depression-era blues, from ragtime to traditional jazz—their sound
evokes the rich musical heritage of their New Orleans home. The band has
gained a loyal following through their distinctive sound, their
commitment to reviving long-lost songs, and their barnstorming live
performances. We are happy to say that our newest album "Pyramid Strut" is finally
complete. Recorded this past March in Tasmania, complete with 15 songs, 2
new original compositions by the band, and artwork by Shaye. Thanks
for your patience! Hard copies are available now from The Louisiana
Music Factory or at any of our shows. TUBA SKINNY
