Make no mistake, the buzz about California based folk duo, emith, may just be starting, but it’s already developed a life of its own—and their debut Fogbound Child Music CD, '13 Seasons', won’t be in record stores or available on the internet until March. Attempting to get a handle on emith’s compelling blend of folk, blues, country and other eclectic musical strains is no easy task. That’s because Carol Ann Ives and Stevie Gurr, its principals, have allowed their diverse influences to surface, often unexpectedly, at various points throughout the record. One critic, after absorbing emith’s atmospheric live acoustic set, said simply “…not your father’s folk music.”
Ives and Gurr may approach their music from different perspectives, but when they get together it quickly becomes evident that their energy, passion and preparation is decidedly single-minded. Upon closer inspection, emith’s music unfolds as both a product of their experience and creative will. If, as the OC Weekly points out, “…(it’s) a winning sound and style that is equally thought-provoking and catchy,” it’s because these two musicians live and breathe it 24/7. Whereas Gurr displays a spontaneous, feel-oriented approach, he backs it up with an encyclopedic knowledge and appreciation of musical history and tradition. A veteran guitarist and harmonica virtuoso with credits ranging from seven years recording and touring with Elvin Bishop and Dr. John to individual pairings with Don Henley, Zigaboo Modeliste and Otis Clay, Gurr doesn’t like to dissect the music, just play it.
Ives on the other hand takes a more studious approach to the duo’s work. “I keep a pad by the side of the bed, and a hand held digital recorder in my purse. I record lines of text, snippets of melodies, a guitar riff, whatever strikes me as compelling,” she explains. She is emith’s primary writer (eight of the '13 Seasons' songs are hers). She collaborated on three other tunes: “Empty Your Pockets” with Jeff Straker, “Stone Fences” with Swedish Grammis Award winner (equivalent to our Grammy) Merit Hemmingson, and “I’ve Got My Baby” with Gurr. “I love co-writing and the force you get from working with another person,” she says. “You can’t be complacent. The other person brings his own thought and vision and may disagree vehemently with you. It forces you to corral your energy, defend the choices you feel strongly about and be open-minded at the same time.”
Ives and Gurr began discussing their plans for the new album with producer Sheldon Gomberg and the trio eventually shaped and executed the emith master plan utilizing Carriage House Studios in Silver Lake along with other facilities and a variety of players to bring their vision to life. One of their first decisions was to anchor their studio sound with live drums. Gomberg, who had worked previously with Warren Zevon, Five For Fighting, Rickie Lee Jones and Beck, tapped Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello) for the task. That set the bar extremely high for the rest of the cast, but each participant was worth his/her weight in musical and spiritual gold: keyboardist Jeff Young (Sting, Jackson Browne), percussionist Danny Frankel (Laurie Anderson, Jewel), banjo legend Cody Bryant, jazz drummer Kendall Kay (Kenny Burrell, Phil Upchurch), violinist Stevie Blacke (Weezer, Colbie Caillat, Dan Hicks), French horn specialist Probyn Gregory (Brian Wilson Band), guitarist Mark Goldenberg (Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt), keyboardist Phil Parlapiano (Rod Stewart, John Prine), B3 organist Neil Larsen (Leonard Cohen, Greg Allman), percussionist Luis Conte (Madonna, Michael Jackson) and drummer percussionist Karen Teperberg (Chris Botti, Sting). Gary Platt (Bon Jovi, The Cult) mixed most of it. Gomberg mixed two tracks on his own, and engineer David Bianco (Santana, Natalie Merchant), who assisted Gomberg, mixed one track. Joe Gastwirt added the finishing touch and mastered '13 Seasons'.
When things get intense Carol puts it all in perspective: “We’re after musical authenticity, but still, at the end of the day, it’s entertainment, so we try to retain a sense of humor about the whole thing.” Stevie backed Bo Diddley a few times and recalls overhearing these words of wisdom from the rock icon: ”I ain’t a fightin’ man, but if I run don’t catch me.”
www.emith.com
www.myspace.com/emith
Earthworm Ensemble
Earthworm Ensemble, a new group which includes members of the acclaimed Los Angeles alt-Americana band I See Hawks in L.A., will release its first family friendly CD by the same name on February 16, 2010. Rocking guitars, fiddles, steel guitar, accordion, psychedelic bass and drum grooves, and rich vocal harmonies, make Earthworm Ensemble the new standout in family music.
Featuring a diverse range of musical styles, including country, folk, Americana, rock and New Orleans funk, Earthworm Ensemble includes 11 original songs that will bear repeated listening by kids of all ages. These songs offer an imaginative, child’s eye view of nature and the universe, with light and humorous touches throughout. “Bang a Drum” is a deceptively simple percussive piece that will get kids up off the couch and banging along to the beat. A healthy, DIY message is humorously delivered in the father-to-son song “Pizza Moon,” and we can come along for the ride on old-timey songs like “The Traveling Train” and “Walking Boy.”
The authentic and fresh sound of Earthworm Ensemble comes from a who’s who of California folk/country artists. I See Hawks in L.A. artists Paul Lacques, Shawn Nourse and Paul Marshall are joined by host of talented friends and family. The artists have variously played in bands with Emmylou Harris, Dwight Yoakam, Sly Stone, the Strawberry Alarm Clock and John Denver. The wistful voices of the Chapin Sisters (including two of Tom Chapin's daughters) add a sweet and soulful element to three of the tracks, including the resonant lullaby “Good Night Little Spaceship.” The CD also features Discovery Science Channel host and country rapper Zachariah and TexMex/bluegrass vocalist Christina Ortega.
Shawn and Sherri Nourse originally recorded a few songs they’d created for their young son Nolan, who performs on the album. These tunes formed the root and inspiration for more songs and ideas. Paul Lacques teamed up with his wife, Victoria Jacobs, to pen and record a couple of earth-friendly tunes. Mike Stinson, Brantley Kearns, Rob Waller, David Jackson and Jimi Hawes contributed their vocals and instrumental talents.
“This has been a real family effort,” notes Lacques, a steel guitarist whose musicianship has been called “sinewy” and “poetic” by the Village Voice. “We get together with these folks all the time. This collection of songs just grew organically over time from our network of musical friends and family.”
www.earthwormensemble.com
www.myspace.com/earthwormensemble
Edgehill Avenue
Rock and roll with a purpose, Edgehill Avenue's new album, "Rambler", kicks off with the smoldering title track about abolitionist Frederick Douglass and ends with "Justified", an undeniable heart-wrencher dealing with the tragedy of genocide.
Meshing classic 70’s rock traditions, that include Black Crowes and Tom Petty, to Allman Bros and Springsteen, this release on Departure Records finds Edgehill Avenue utilizing their musicianship to convey the energy and imagery that only solid songwriting can produce. In the realm of Americana and southern-rock, this is a record that physically impacts you while resonating intellectually.
"Rambler" sees the band move from their acoustic roots to a more mature and rock-oriented sound, drawn from their rigorous live schedule over the past 2 years. Produced by William Bartley and Nick Stevens at Downtown Studios, this album is as Louisville Music News notes "a piping-hot stew of southern rock, blues, folk, and country, served up in generous portions, that kicks you in the pants one song, then buys you a drink on the next - Throughout the work, we get crisp, dead-on-target musicianship from the entire lineup!”
www.edgehillave.com
www.myspace.com/edgehillave
www.departurerecords.com
Edie Carey
“Accidental Poet,” one of Edie Carey's earliest songs, describes a particularly eloquent friend, but could just as easily refer to Carey herself and the circuitous and serendipitous route that led her to become one of the country's most notable young songwriters. Somehow, all of the seemingly unrelated turns – from her intention to become a doctor, to a tiny music room in the basement of a Morningside Heights' chapel, to a year in Italy – managed to steer her towards music.
Born in Burlington, Vermont and raised in the Boston suburbs by her English teacher father, therapist mother, and poet stepmother, Edie Carey couldn't help but learn to love words. But her ear for music only became apparent after she “took the stage” in the back seat of her babysitter's green Cadillac, belting out her own rendition of “Up Where We Belong.” From age nine, after beginning voice lessons, she became involved in singing groups and musicals, which she continued all the way through high school.
A typical child of the 80's, she dressed in lace and sequins and dreamed of appearing on Ed McMahon's “Star Search.” However, as much as she loved performing, Carey was unaware that there was any middle ground between singing at weddings and being Madonna, and never considered music a real career possibility. So, she made plans to major in English/Creative Writing with Pre-Med classes at Barnard College in New York City. However, during her freshman year, two pivotal discoveries knocked those plans right off course - the Postcrypt Coffeehouse and the Italian language.
In the Postcrypt, an intimate music venue in the basement of St. Paul's Chapel at Columbia University, the seeds of possibility were sewn as Carey watched artists like Jeff Buckley, Ani Difranco, and Lisa Loeb perform unplugged to candlelit audiences. She saw how words could sometimes have even greater power when used in a song, and simultaneously came to appreciate the sonorous quality of words regardless of their meaning or the melody in which they were framed. This appreciation for their musicality grew deeper with the study of Italian, which eventually led her to spend a year abroad in Bologna, where she taught herself to play the guitar.
In Italy, Carey set herself up in a corner of the main piazza and played every Bonnie Raitt, Shawn Colvin, Sarah McLachlan, and Rickie Lee Jones song she knew, throwing in a few of her own tunes, which would later land on her debut album, The Falling Places. Her experience abroad gave her a newfound confidence and encouraged her to begin performing on campus, where she started to build a student following. She made her first album in 1997, while working days at Worth Magazine and recording until the wee hours. Though the process was a daunting one, by the time she was finished, Carey wondered if she might have “accidentally” ended up exactly where she was supposed to be.
After the release of The Falling Places in 1998, she began venturing outside of New York City to play neighboring east coast cities, and gradually expanded throughout the United States, then Canada and the UK. While the debut was a very sparsely produced acoustic contemporary folk album, Call Me Home, Carey's follow-up in 2000, was by comparison an all-out pop record, a tribute to her early musical inspirations and the playfulness of her childhood. Shortly after its release, the “accidents” continued, and Carey unexpectedly found herself achieving her childhood dream of appearing on television with Ed McMahon.
Since 2000, she has been working as a full-time performing songwriter, touring rigorously to promote all of her independently self-released records, which now include her 2002 live CD, Come Close , When I Was Made (2004), and the latest addition to her growing catalog, Another Kind of Fire. Looking back, she has to wonder if maybe this wasn't an accident after all.
Eddie Cole
Groove Eddy, aka Eddie Cole, is a roots-folk artist from the Dandenong ranges outside of Melbourne, Australia. He’s been a drifter, an odd jobs man and guitar teacher. He is also an accomplished singer, player and songwriter.
2010 sees him releasing Groove Eddy’s first album: ‘Overload’.
‘Overload’ brings Eddy’s guitar playing and singing to the fore with his band of Nigel Picknell on drums, bassist Joel Hulme, vocalist Amber Rose and on a couple of tracks, violinist/vocalist Judy Hamilton.
This is folk-roots music with echoes from Prince and Pink Floyd, to Ben Harper and James Taylor, which showcases a totally original voice alongside some wonderful guitar playing. Some of his previous recordings have had airplay across Australia on ABC and community radio, but it’s with this record that he’s starting to garner some serious attention.
He’s played and busked around the country over a twenty-year period, honing his skills and sailing the winds of fortune.
www.grooveeddy.com
www.myspace.com/grooveeddy
Eleanor Angel
Brisbane songstress Eleanor Angel is a stunning vocalist who weaves elements of classical voice, jazz and folk with a sense of bittersweet introspection and poetic optimism.
Her arrangements bear an elegant simplicity, structured around the fingerstyle guitar of her live performances and augmented by lush, spacious string arrangements and soft percussion.
Eleanor’s 2009 debut album ‘Rain On The Street’ was well received for its refined, delicate twists on traditional folk-pop. She performed songs from this record all over the world (from Mexico to Germany to Washington DC, as well as throughout Australia), with many audiences favourably comparing her angelic voice with another Brisbane songstress, Katie Noonan. Angel has had the good fortune to support some fine female musicians recently, including Sophie Koh and Angie Hart, as well as Monique Brumby just this month.
Angel’s multi-instrumental classical background collides spectacularly with her love of charismatic pop and jazz music on this record, generating a soft explosion of piercingly beautiful melodies.
To celebrate the release of her second album ‘Face to Face’, Eleanor Angel is embarking on a series of East Coast performances.
Angel’s development between these releases reflects a growing understanding of her own boldly feminine musical style, creatively fusing eclectic passions for classical voice, jazz and folk, with a new sense of confidence and direction.
www.eleanorangel.com
www.myspace.com/eleanorangel
Eleven Hundred Springs
Eleven Hundred Springs plays real country music. With songwriting hooks Hank Williams himself would be proud of, and a band as tight as Buck Owens’ Buckaroos to back them up, it’s no wonder the dance floors stay packed at their shows. It could be said that the band’s influences such as Hank Thompson blended Western Swing with Honky Tonk, and Waylon Jennings blended country with Rock. Eleven Hundred Springs does all of the above, in a way that is current and relevant in today’s music scene.
Without a doubt, live performance is this band’s specialty. Since the band’s inception, it has maintained a tour schedule of 150 plus dates a year all over the USA and Europe.
The band was founded by Steve Berg (bass) and Matt Hillyer (lead Guitar/vocals). Playing the fiddle, is the incomparable Jordan W Hendrix. Burton Lee makes the pedal steel guitar cry in true country fashion and Arjuna Contrareas rounds out the line-up on the drums. In the tradition of Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys, all of these accomplished musicians’ talents are featured.
Whether listening to their recordings or watching on of their many live performances, Eleven Hundred Springs does not disappoint. With a fan base from coast to coast whose age ranges from eight to eighty, it’s easy to see why these boys have made a name for themselves as some of the best in the business.
New album, "This Crazy Life", out now.
www.elevenhundredsprings.com
www.myspace.com/elevenhundredsprings
Elope
Elope is a righteous power trio in the tradition of Cream, and the first album ‘The No Name Record’ (2003) is a collection of glassy-eyed classic rock escapism. Possibly the mellowest stoner rock album ever, infused with the spirit of the aforementioned Cream, plus broad hints of Badfinger, The Pretty Things, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, uncannily Beatlesque at times; and akin to more modern marvels like Parasol faves Delta and The Green Pajamas! And maybe it's like Supergrass and The Super Furries after a few liters of Quaalude Quoolaid.
Thrill to the compelling sweetness of vocalist and guitarist Sebastian Aronsson's wandering voice and breathtaking guitar gymnastics, bassist Tomas Eriksson's frilly runs and dreamy harmonies, while drummer Anders Persson gets all Ginger Baker and Ringo Starr with it, way back in the pocket. Swedes adore their Neil Young so naturally there's a cover of Young's "Bad Fog of Loneliness", starkly drawn, as are all the band's originals. Understated to the point of paranoia.
If the name is at all familiar maybe it's because Elope previously had a split with California's Backbiter on Man's Ruin at the turn of the century, released just as the label was disappearing into the haze.
Next two albums, recorded together but with the songs slip between rockin' and mellow.
"3WD" is the rockin' record of the pair and falls in line with the Cream, Badfinger, Beatles comparisons heaped upon their briliant debut album "The No Name Record". Elope offer up another helping of late-60s, early-70s classic rock escapism, the kind that Scandinavians seem to be born into. From the serpentine Cream-meets-Faces romp of title track “3WD” to the beauteous flower-power-poetic-serene-pop-McCartney-Lennon-maximalism of “Misbehaving In The Summernight” to the ecstatic Neil Young & Crazy Horse-esque “Not Even Close”. I mean, what’s not to love about a song called “Misbehaving In the Summernight”?
The sequel, ‘9 Distilled Dreams’ is perhaps Elope's finest album to date...and that's saying something considering how brilliant their debut 'The No Name Record' and last year's '3WD' are! It is also their very mellowest, perchance therein lies the magic? '9 Distilled Dreams' is the mainly acoustic companion piece to the rocking '3WD', both albums recorded during the same marathon sessions, with the song split between the two "moods". 9DD explores Elope dreamy side, their hazy prog-mellowosity referencing a big time Big Star vibe, with nods to Pink Floyd, Neil Young, and even CSNY...
SAN FRANCISCO BAY GUARDIAN: "Mashing together such titanic influences as Neil Young, Badfinger, and (gulp) the Beatles is hardly novel, even from a Swedish stoner rock band. Still, I keep dialing up this mellow, mesmerizing album on the iPod and digging it hard every single time."
Elliott Murphy
More than thirty years have passed since the release of Elliott Murphy's first album 'Aquashow' in 1973 and since that time Elliott Murphy, singer-songwriter, rock troubadour, indefatigable road warrior (over 100 shows a year!) and prolific author of fiction has once again proven his dedication to his music and his commitment to his growing legion of fans with the release of his new CD 'Notes From The Underground' featuring thirteen new songs (2 bonus songs only available on the Scandinavian edition!).
'Notes From The Underground' features French guitarist extraordinaire Olivier Durand (Little Bob, Luz Casal) along with keyboardist Kenny Margolis (Willie Deville, Cracker) and Murphy's touring band of drummer Alan Fatras and bassist/celloist Laurent Pardo, along with a guest appearance by Elliott's son Gaspard on guitar.
Born to a show business family in New York, Elliott began his career by winning the New York State Battle of the Bands followed by a troubadour like odyssey in Europe where he played on the streets in Amsterdam, Paris and Rome including a bit part in Federico Fellini's film 'Roma'. Returning to the US he quickly secured a recording contract and following the critical success of 'Aquashow', came in quick succession, 'Lost Generation' (Produced by Doors producer Paul Rothschild), 'Night Lights' (featuring Billy Joel), 'Just A Story From America' (featuring Phil Collins and Mick Taylor) and many others albums.
In 2006 the prestigiuous UK magazine Uncut featured a full page article on 'Aquashow' as an 'album classic.' Highlights from recent albums include a live album with guitarist Chris Spedding ('Live Hot Point') a duo album with Iain Matthews ('La Terre Commune') and an extraordinary duet with Bruce Springsteen ('Selling The Gold'), who often invites Elliott on stage with him during his European tours.
Emm Gryner
Emm Gryner makes records that matter.
Impressed more by the freedom to express herself than by straightjacket promises of major labels and slavery to modern radio, Emm has made records in her native Canada for the past eight years. With sales in the tens of thousands on her own Dead Daisy Records label, Emm has been able to guide her own career and follow her own inspiration. Emm sees no limitations — writing, playing most of the instruments, producing and releasing her own albums has given her a unique perspective.
Inspired by the work of a diverse range of artists who fuelled her passion (Peter Gabriel, The Pretenders, The Cure, Bright Eyes, PJ Harvey, Madonna, Beck, Prince, Guns ’N’ Roses, Tori Amos, The Eurythmics) Emm has crafted her own distinctive sound and path.
“My influences are all over the map. I was raised on classical music, ’80s pop and ’90s grunge and metal. Later I discovered indie rock, britpop and singer-songwriters. When I find a great song I don’t care where it has come from or what anyone else thinks of it.”
As much as Emm enjoys the talents of other artists, happily the reverse is also true. Her unique voice, plaintive and expressive, capable of communicating heartbreak and soaring joy, has brought her to the attention of a number of artists she admires. Emm has been invited to sing on recordings with Lou Barlow, Rob Zombie, David Bowie and Curtis Mayfield, as well as to tour with Ron Sexsmith, Rufus Wainwright, Bernard Butler and The Cardigans. In addition, Nelly Furtado listed Emm’s self-produced album, Science Fair, as one of her all-time favourite albums.
Intimately lo-fi yet never lacking in ambition, Emm’s albums have topped college radio charts and brought her major commercial airplay. Engaging, exciting and emotional live performances have made Emm an artist who has to be seen to be believed. Sometimes solo, often with a band, Emm has toured constantly across Canada and widely in the US and has recently begun to win fans in Europe. Bit by bit, through good old fashioned word-of-mouth, Emm has built up a dedicated following of creative and inspired music lovers. Nominated for three Juno (Canadian Grammy) Awards, Emm makes being a workaholic look like fun and having fun look like the most intoxicating way to live.
Ever looking to broaden her horizons, Emm will sometimes take a song by another artist and pick it apart, lay it bare and then build it up again, this time infused with a little Emm magic.
In 2001, she released a critically-acclaimed album containing the most unlikely combination of songs. On Girl Versions, Fugazi rubbed shoulders with Def Leppard, and Nick Cave was found lurking next to Blur. Add an Ozzy song and a Clash tune and the result is an album only Emm could have made, simple and spectacular all at once.
Asianblue (2002) brought two Emm Gryner assaults on the Canadian charts and with her singles lodged on the airwaves, Emm decided to release a DVD. This followed a launch of a book of lyrics and other writing Emm penned in 2000 called The Secret Letters. Following the success of Asianblue Emm took to the road with her band for 2 sold-out tours across Canada.
“Touring with my band really inspired me to return to making sparse, intimate yet powerful recordings. I like to hear the rough edges and the spontaneity of a song, not just a computer-crafted track similar to what you hear all over mainstream radio these days.”
When a three-week window opened up on the calendar, Emm decided to make a record.
Setting up in her living room in Montréal, Emm got to work with her usual intensity. An album of songs by Irish artists was placed on the drawing board — artists as diverse as Thin Lizzy, The Thrills, The Corrs and Gilbert O’Sullivan, amongst others. As the songs began to be assembled, the twin themes of love and death emerged. Folk legend Kate McGarrigle added some skilled banjo to a Virgin Prunes’ song. Emm stripped The Corrs’ shiny, happy “Breathless” down to piano and cello and rendered it an orchestral suicide note. Therapy’s “Nowhere” was transformed into a downhome kitchen toe-tapper.
Emory Joseph
Singer-songwriter/producer Emory Joseph emerged in 2003 with his self-released debut, 'Labor & Spirits' (Capsaicin Music). The critically acclaimed, self-produced release, with its wide range of American roots styles, crisp production and quality musicianship, found its way to Bonnie Raitt; who not only became a friend and a fan, but ended up covering one of Joseph’s songs on her album, 'Souls Alike'.
“When I’m asked what kind of music I play, I usually just say ‘American,’” says Joseph. “What I mean is that I’m just as likely to write and play ‘Jazz’ and ‘Blues’ music, as I am ‘Country’ or ‘Folk’ music - and that I’m just as likely to record a beat I’ve learned that came from Ninth Ward of New Orleans as I am the South Side of Chicago or the hills of Appalachia.” Joseph’s new release, 'Fennario – Songs by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter' (release date August 19 on Iris Records) could be considered the second installment in the “Emory Joseph’s American Music” series.
Recorded at NYC’s Legacy Recording Studios, Joseph assembled musicians Larry Campbell (before Campbell joined the Dead’s Phil Lesh), Jon Carroll, Duke Levine, Dennis McDermott, T-Bone Wolk, Soozie Tyrell and L.A.-based engineer Chris Brooke to produce 'Fennario'. Special guests would later include bassist Lincoln Schleiffer and long-time Garcia associate, mandolinist David Grisman. At a blistering pace, considering what they walked away with, the seven principal musicians recorded twelve songs in five days on every instrument under the western sky. They played in every beautiful and funky roots-and-roll style, going into great and subtle detail, while never obscuring the goal of illuminating the songs of Garcia and Hunter.
“I wanted to do something special, “ says Joseph, “I think these two were as good a songwriting team as America has ever known, and have always wanted to share them with the non-Grateful Dead fans, who don’t know what they’re missing. The songs they wrote have beautiful melodies and words that fit in your life when you are 15, and yet still and again when you are 60. I don't know of another catalogue that is remotely as deep or as diverse as theirs. I'm sure that there isn't one."
'Fennario' stands as a classy tribute to the timelessness of Garcia and Hunter’s work together, as well as damn-fine, good-ol’ album of American music.
Ernesto De Pascale
One of the key figures in the Italian indepentent music scene for the last 25 years, Ernesto De Pascale, journalist, producer, the voice behind the microphones of R.A.I. (Italian National Broadcasting Corporation), as well as of many other radio stations, finally releases his first solo album, the long awaited “Morning Manic Music”.
“Morning Manic Music” is not properly a debut album: his first album was released in 1982 with Lightshine, the band he gloriously ran to the final evening of the most legendary italian rock contest “Il Rock Italiano Mette i Denti”. Upon leaving Lightshine in 1983, Ernesto De Pascale led his following band, Hypnodance, trough 4 influential albums between 1984 and 1989, playing everywhere in Italy.
Ernesto De Pascale’s name appears on many of the most important Italian albums of the last 25 years: from the seminal “Siberia” and “Tre Volte Lacrime” by Diaframma, the 49 years old musician and producer signed the studio recordings of artists such as Assalti Frontali, Aeroplani Italiani, Steve Piccolo from Lounge Lizard, Massimo Altomare, Articolo 31, and of excellent minor artists like Strange Fruit, Ridillo, Dennis & the Jets, Graziano Romani and many others.
Ernesto De Pascale’s international profile is top notch: he worked with Dr John, The Memphis Horns, Solomon Burke, Michael Toles from the Isaac Hayes Band, Louisiana Red, Zeena Parkins (Bjork), Elliott Sharp, Jono Manson and with the English James Taylor, Brian Auger, Ashley Hutchings (Fairport Convention), Ken Nicol (Steeleye Span), Clive Bunker (Jethro Tull), Peter Zorn (Richard Thompson Band) to name but a few.
“Morning Manic Music” was born thanks to Ernesto de Pascale’s international profile.
The artist, determined to fix in music the most important events in his private and public life in the last two years – his marriage, a long journey to the West, his more and more frequent journeys to Great Britain, many changes in the word of communications that directly involve him as a journalist – has focused the concept behind “ Morning Maniac Music”, nine original songs written early in the morning sitting in front of his grand-coda piano, at the bottom of Fiesole Hills, north-east of Florence.
For “Morning Manic Music”, Ernesto De Pascale chose to have on his side Ken Nicol, excellent rhythm and lead guitar player (now a member of Steeleye Span and Albion Band), and the excellent Kevin Trainor of the Jono Manson Band, from Colorado.
After arranging the the contributions of these international talented artists, Ernesto De Pascale went back to his roots for building up the structure for “Morning Manic Music”, to the rehearsal rooms in one of the oldest basements of the beloved “florentine rock” (“il rock fiorentino”), inviting the rhythm section of one of the most convincing indie bands from Florence to join him in the project. The name of the band is Underfloor, a rock trio which caught the critical national attention thanks to “Rock Contest”, the long-lived competition for indie bands organized by the independent radio station Controradio and of whom Ernesto De Pascale is president of the jury.
www.ilpopolodelblues.com/bio.html
www.myspace.com/ilpopolodelblues
www.cdbaby.com/cd/ernestodepascale
Eryn Shewell
In venues such as the legendary Stone Pony, The Saint, The Cutting Room, Bluebird Café, Café Coco, Six Flags theme parks, as well as popular clubs throughout New Jersey, New York City, New Orleans and Nashville, many crowds and hearts have been won over by the power and sweet sound of the young talented singer and songsmith, Eryn Shewell.
Born in Washington, DC, Eryn moved to New Jersey at an early age. She found inspiration in her musical family (her parents and aunts all sing; her grandfather is a bluegrass musician), and chose music as her career at an early age. She has always known she would work in the music industry. She has been singing publically since she was ten, wrote her first song at fourteen and hasn't stopped writing since. She taught herself guitar to help facilitate her songwriting and performing and even trained as a sound engineer so she could better understand some of the science behind the perfect sound.
In 2007 Eryn began a musical partnership with guitarist Pat Ruh when the two began writing songs together. Two of these songs, 'Window Pane' and 'One More Melody', were featured on Eryn's 'Window Pane' album. In 2009 they formed Rewbie Music, LLC and together produced Eryn's second album '4th & Broadway' which also includes many songs co-written with Pat. You can also hear Pat featured on guitar on both albums.
Eryn embraces every opportunity to perform and write music. She is sought out by other artists as a backup singer because of her natural ability to harmonize. While in New Orleans she was honored to record vocals for blues veteran Walter "Wolfman" Washington's album 'Doing The Funky Thing'. “I love working with other artists and experiencing their music. I have learned something from everyone I've had the pleasure to perform or write with. It’s not the same if I can’t share it anyway”, she says, smiling as she quotes a line from one of her songs.
Eryn's debut album, 'Window Pane', was released in late 2008, and was nominated for Top Local Release at the 2008 Asbury Music Awards. Recording and mixing took place during the Spring of 2008 at Aarius Studios in Sayreville, NJ, with two-time GRAMMY Award winning engineer Jake R Tanner.
'4th & Broadway', Eryn Shewell's sophomore album available early in 2010, continues to showcase her ability to create music that is an inviting fusion of genres blending blues, soul, country and pop into a unique yet somehow comfortable and familiar sound. Jake R Tanner once again joined forces with Eryn and mixed and mastered '4th & Broadway'.
www.erynshewell.com
www.myspace.com/eryn.shewell
Essra Mohawk
Her 1st record release was a single “The Boy With the Way” /b-side “Memory of Your Voice” on Liberty records in 1964. “Newcomer Pick” in Cashbox, it was produced by Hutch Davie (He produced Shirley Ellis “Name Game”). A year later in New York both Koppelman & Rubin and United Artists offered her a position as a staff writer. She took neither offer but Shadow Morton who produced both the Shangri-Las and Vanilla Fudge, discovered her and her music and in 1966 the Shangri-La’s recorded Essra’s song “I’ll Never Learn” . Soon after that, her song, “The Spell That Comes After” was recorded by Vanilla Fudge on their “Renaissance” album. In 1967, Essra was discovered once again. This time by Frank Zappa who, after hearing her play was so blown away, he immediately invited her to join his band, The Mothers of Invention, thus making her their first female member. Within a year he signed her and released her first solo album on Verve. While performing with the Mothers, Essra also opened for Cream (their first time in New York), Procol Harum(Keith Reid’s lyrics to “Quite Rightly So” are about Essra), Albert King, Electric Flag, Grateful Dead (their first performance in N.Y.), and Jimi Hendrix.
By 1969 Essra was recording her second album in L.A. and S.F. for Reprise after Mo Ostin (then Vice President) discovered her singing at a club in N.Y. and asked her on the spot to come to the label. The result was “Primordial Lovers”, an LP that received a 5 star review in Downbeat, raves in Mix, and was stated as being “one of the best 25 albums ever made” in Rolling Stone magazine. Unfortunately, these reviews came over a year after the release of the album and new fans found it hard to secure the LP due to poor distribution and the sale of the Reprise label following the release. Nevertheless, this critically acclaimed musical work continues to generate a cult following for Essra. In fall of 2000 it was released on CD by Rhino Handmade. She wrote most of the songs while living in Mendocino, California. While recording the album, Essra married her producer, Frazier Mohawk, and from that time on was known as Essra Mohawk. She also sang in a background vocal trio with Carole King.
Essra’s third album, released in 1974 on Elektra/Asylum, once again without proper promotion or distribution, led England’s music magazine, Melody Maker, to declare it, “the richest and most unheralded event in American music” that year.
After moving back to Philadelphia in the 70’s, Ms. Mohawk continued to sing as a session vocalist. She is especially known for singing on Schoolhouse Rock, the popular educational and musical cartoon series that continues to air on TV. Essra’s vocals are on “Interjections”, “Sufferin’ Till Suffrage”, and “Mother Necessity”. After ABC Video released the cartoons on video in the 90’s, they received an upsurge of popularity and the troupe, led by music director, Bob Dorough, began performing live in the mid-90’s. A new album on which Essra sang wrote and produced a track entitled “Do You Wanna Party” about political parties in the U.S. was released on Rhino in Sept. ‘98 on an album called “Schoolhouse Rocks the Vote”.
Ms. Mohawk’s fourth album was released on Private Stock records in 1976. After the same lack of support that has kept Essra’s remarkable music in the shadows, she left the label and moved back to California in 1977. Paul Kantner wanted her to be the lead singer in Jefferson Starship after Grace Slick dropped out for a while but he couldn’t convince the rest of the band to use another female vocalist so they chose a male, Micky Thomas, instead. In 1980-82 Essra performed as a background vocalist with the Jerry Garcia Band. During the same period she co-wrote “Haze” with Bobby Weir and his band “Bobby and the Midnights” for their Atlantic release. Also, Essra has collaborated with Al Jarreau, Bonnie Bramlett, Mark McEntee of the DiVinyls, Eric Bazilian, Al Stewart and Narada Michael Walden. She sang and recorded with John Mellencamp. (He’d seek her out wherever she lived for her advice and encouragement.)
Essra’s music and ideas inspired Joni Mitchell’s “Woodstock” (Essra was scheduled to play at the original Woodstock, but her manager missed a turn and they arrived too late. She finally played at the 25th Anniversary at Bethel.) David Crosby’s “Deja Vu” was inspired by Essra’s song “I Have Been Here Before”. David would ask her to play it for him whenever he saw her and then wrote “Deja Vu” as a result.
In 1982, Essra moved back to Philadelphia from L.A. and was brought into the McFadden & Whitehead pre-production sessions. She conjured up “Not With Me” overnight for the duo and they released it on their Capitol album that year.
Essra recorded two more solo albums in the 80’s. Both were released independently and both were produced by her, then, husband Daoud Shaw (Van Morrison’s drummer for many years and original drummer for Saturday Night Live). They first met during those early days on Bleeker St. in New York’s Greenwich Village, where she jammed vocally with jazz greats: Mike Manieri, the Brecker Bros., Eddie Gomez and Jeremy Steig. As a result her vocal style developed more along the lines of a wind instrument than that of a typical pop singer. Being in the Mothers then also helped to propel the youth to such a creative and original stance as a vocalist.
Essra’s eclectic influences begin with her parents, Anne and Henry Hurvitz, who sang and wrote 40’s style standards, and include: Judy Garland, Nina Simone, The Coasters, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Little Anthony & the Imperials, Thelonius Monk, Erik Satie, Billy Holiday, Otis Redding, The Beatles, Ravi Shankar, The Rolling Stones and Ravel. Essra’s career as a songwriter took off when Cyndi Lauper recorded “Change of Heart” in 1986. It went to #3 on Billboard’s top 200 in 1987, winning an award from BMI for airplay. The album it was on (“True Colors”) went platinum. Since then many artists have recorded Essra’s songs and continue to do so. (see list below) The singer-songwriter’s over 600 songs, have recently been archived for future releases.
Three of her early LPs were reissued on CDs in Japan in spring 2003, followed by her recent tours to California, the East Coast and Japan . Essra’s first album on CD “Raindance” which was released on Schoolkids Records in ‘95 was reissued on Evidence Feb., 2005. Her 1999 CD, “Essie Mae Hawk Meets the Killer Groove Band”, was remastered and reissued on Essra’s own label, MummyPump, in 2003. Essra’s been living in Nashville, TN since 1993 where she continues to write and record, playing her music on piano, mandolin and guitar. Keb’ Mo’, Steve Cropper and Bonnie Bramlett are among the stellar performers who joined Essra on her 2003 Evidence CD “You’re Not Alone”. Her songs were used on the CBS series Joan of Arcadia in 2004 and 2005. The new book, “Hotel California” is one of many books about music that mention Essra.
Eugene Ruffolo
Eugene Ruffolo is a NYC based singer-songwriter-guitarist. Ruffolo’s debut CD was self-produced along with Grammy award-winning producer Ben Wisch (Marc Cohn, Kathy Mattea etc), using some of New York City’s finest session musicians.
It received critical acclaim both in the United States and Europe, where it was distributed by Rounder Records. Rolling Stone called it a CD “sure to please women everywhere” and Germany’s Audio Magazine hailed it as a “jewel of folk pop.”
Ruffolo has released 3 other projects on his own independent label, and two on Germany’s renowned audiophile label, Stockfisch Records.
In addition to his original music, his unique vocal talents have made him a favorite of many prominent artists, with whom he has shared the stage. Both in the studio and in live performance, he has worked with artists as diverse as Garth Brooks, Tony Bennett, David Wilcox, Run DMC, Livingston Taylor and Cheryl Wheeler.
He has written and performed hundreds of national television advertising spots, and works regularly on the recorded musical offerings for shows such as 'Saturday Night Live' and 'The David Letterman Show'. A first call studio singer-his voice has been featured in numerous Hollywood sound tracks, and he has worked with famed composers/directors Ennio Morricone, George Lucas, and Brian DePalma.
During Barack Obama’s successful bid for the White House — Eugene’s voice was used in the most widely aired TV campaign ad.
One of Eugene’s passions is his work with children. He has been a part of several successful children’s music projects, including the McClanhan Book Company’s series of children’s recordings, and several Berlitz productions for children around the globe. He is a two time winner of the coveted “Parent’s Choice“ award for his work on “Teddy Bear Tunes” and The Ellipsis Arts series of lullabye recordings - which have reached children worldwide. Eugene also remains active in his favorite charity — The Songs of Love Foundation — which creates personalized songs for terminally ill children.
Last year — Eugene wrote, recorded and produced 115 songs for children in need all over the country.
Eugene's latest project (a duo recording w/Doc Schneider - "Songs & Stories Live") is available right here.
www.eugeneruffolo.nl
www.eugeneruffolo.com
www.myspace.com/eugeneruffolo
emith
Earth Ensemble
Edgehill Avenue
Edie Carey
Eddie Cole
Eleanor Angel
Eleven 100 Springs
Elope
Elliott Murphy
Emm Gryner
Emory Joseph
Ernesto De Pascale
Eryn Shewell
Essra Mohawk
Eugene Ruffolo
