Percy Jones, Scott McGill, Ritchie DeCarlo - 2010

This trio produces music like nothing you’ve heard before! You can download their DEBUT at iTunes, Napster and Rhapsody. Percy Jones is the most revered fretless player alive and has inspired thousands of bassists with his unique style. He has forged his own path in his approach to the instrument, bewitching the listener with what he brings to the music. Scott McGill, Proclaimed “The Thinking Man’s Yngwie Malmsteen” by celebrated jazz and fusion author/critic Bill Milkowski, has been playing guitar for over twenty five years. He studied over a decade with noted composer Dennis Sandole (who also taught John Coltrane, Pat Martino, and James Moody, among others). Scott is also breaking new ground with the fretless guitar and iGuitar synth. Ritchie DeCarlo is the driving force behind this music. His combination of bombastic double bass one minute mixed with subtle world music beats the next keeps you guessing. You never know what is coming around the bend with these “over the top” musicians!



 Songs / Tracks Listing
 1. Menagerie Animoto
2. Rumsfeld's Spleen
3. F-Hole's Worth
4. Polonium 210 Filter
5. TWO by TWO
6. 43 Letsby Ave.
7. The Ghost of 47 Letsby Ave.
8. Rising (Parts 1 & 2)
9. Borgasmord
10. Definition Defied
11. Days Fogged In

Line-up / Musicians
Percy Jones (Fretless Bass);
Scott McGill (Guitars);
Ritchie DeCarlo (Drums, percussion, Theremin); 

Tony Levin - 2002 "Pieces Of The Sun"

Pieces of the Sun is Tony Levin's third solo record. It is an often jazzy, progressive rock, instrumental record. It features the Tony Levin Band, which includes Levin on bass guitars, stick and cello, Jerry Marotta on drums, Larry Fast playing synthesisers and Jesse Gress on guitars. The California Guitar Trio accompanies the quartet on the opening track, "Apollo." In addition to his percussion duties, Marotta plays acoustic guitar, Omnichord and saxophone on the record. The only vocal performances are a spoken word on "Tequila" and the called "dog one," "dog two" and "dog three!" on "Dog One," which is a new recording of an unreleased Peter Gabriel composition, which Levin, Marotta and Fast had played on.

Track listing

1. "Apollo" (Tony Levin) - 6:49
2. "Geronimo" (Levin, Larry Fast, Jesse Gress, Jerry Marotta) - 3:11
3. "Aquafin" (Levin) - 5:13
4. "Dog One" (Peter Gabriel) - 5:15
5. "Tequila" (Levin, Chuck Rio) - 5:20
6. "Pieces of the Sun" (Levin, Marotta) - 7:20
7. "Phobos" (Fast) - 7:08
8. "Ooze" (Levin) - 4:16
9. "Blue Nude Reclining" (Levin, Fast, Gress, Marotta) - 3:08
10. "The Fifth Man" (Levin) - 5:47
11. "Ever the Sun Will Rise" (Levin) - 9:08
12. "Silhouette" (Levin) - 4:37

Personnel

Musicians

• Tony Levin - Chapman Stick (tracks 1, 2, 4, 7, 9-11), Music Man StingRay Bass (tracks 1, 5, 6), cello (tracks 6, 8, 11), NS Electric Upright Bass (track 2), electric fretless bass (tracks 3, 9, 12), acoustic bass guitar (track 1), electric guitar (track 8), Omnichord (track 3), vocals (tracks 4, 5)
• Larry Fast - synthesizers on all tracks except track 8, vocals (track 5)
• Jesse Gress - electric guitar (tracks 3, 5, 9, 11, 12), electric guitars (tracks 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 10), acoustic guitars (track 3), backwards guitar (track 8), vocals (tracks 4, 5)
• Jerry Marotta - drums on all tracks except track 8, percussion (tracks 5, 6), tenor saxophone (tracks 5, 9), acoustic guitars (track 3), Omnichord (track 3), Taos drum (track 8), vocals (track 4, 5)
• California Guitar Trio - acoustic guitars on "Apollo"

Larry Coryell-Steve Smith-Steve Marcus - 2001 "Count's Jam Band Reunion"

In the late '60s, guitarist Larry Coryell and soprano saxophonist Steve Marcus experimented with electric jazz together as Count's Jam Band before Coryell formed his own fusion band, The Eleventh House, and Marcus joined the Buddy Rich Band. The two of them found themselves working on a few of the same projects lately and decided to get together and record again as Count's Jam Band. For the reunion, the front men recruited drummer Steve Smith, bass guitarist and John McLaughlin sideman Kai Eckhardt and, on a few tunes, jam-bander and pianist Jeff Chimenti. But make no mistake: this project is all Coryell and Marcus. For the most part, the two front men look to Eckhardt for repetitive bass loops and to Smith for a constant barrage of backbeat, which they offer without complaint. Subsequently, Coryell and Marcus jump through the unison heads and solo for minutes on end, running up and down their respective instruments and keeping things at a wailing three-quarter burn throughout. Not surprisingly, the Count's Jam Band Reunion quickly becomes a tiresome event-especially on tunes like "Rhapsody and Blues," a coy fusion treatment of the sort-of referenced Gershwin composition.
The better moments on the album come when the band jettisons formula, as on "Pedals and Suspensions" and "Ballad for Guitar and Soprano," duets between an acoustic-playing Coryell and Marcus, and "Blues for Yoshiro Hattori," one of the few tunes that gives pianist Chimenti some space. On the all-out rockers, the occasional squeal doesn't cover up the saxophonist's gentlemanly attack, and Marcus, playing at a leisurely pace and with a touch of blues, sounds much more comfortable in the more relaxed settings.

First some background: Before fusion became popular in the early '70s, there was a community of musicians in NYC experimenting with jazz-rock in the mid- to late '60s. Two of the leaders of this movement were guitarist Coryell and a saxophonist known as Steve "The Count" Marcus. They documented these radical new ideas on two classic recordings made in 1967 and 1968 using the name Count's Rock Band. The two also collaborated on many of Coryell's later projects. They met up again in 1999, and decided to go at it again with drummer Steve Smith and bassist Kai Eckhardt. The music's not so radical anymore, since everyone's been through the fusion days, but the playing is incredible and as spirited as ever (musicians never seem to age, do they?). "Scotland" features a furious flurry of a melody testing the racing skills of Coryell and Marcus in tandem. "Reunion" features an off-meter percussion pattern and a push-and-pull interaction between Marcus' percussive soprano lines and Coryell's acoustic swirls. "Rhapsody in Blues" pays homage to Gershwin in a unique way, with the tandem jumping to and fro and overlapping each other and Smith banging away; they break for a lively piano solo by pianist Jeff Chimenti. "Blues for Yoshiro Hattori" shows off Marcus' wistful soprano skills, but is even more notable for its pulsing rhythm section. "Jammin' With the Count" is a crazy free for all that's best enjoyed by fans of these guys. Some of the other stuff will attract fusion curiosity seekers, but to get the full pleasure, you should know the history or be fans of the players in question.

Track listing:

1. Scotland (6:33) [Larry Coryell]
2. Reunion (9:55) [Kai Eckhardt]
3. Rhapsody & Blues (11:14) [Larry Coryell]
4. Pedals and Suspensions (5:52) [Larry Coryell]
5. Foreplay (8:09) [Larry Coryell]
6. Blues For Yoshihiro Hattori (6:48) [Larry Coryell]
7. Tomorrow Never Knows (12:45) [John Lennon, Paul McCartney]
8. Ballad For Guitar And Soprano (5:37) [Larry Coryell]
9. Jammin' With The Count (5:45) [Steve Marcus, Steve Smith, Kai Eckhardt]

(total time 73:01)

Personnel:

Larry Coryell: guitars
Steve Smith: drums
Steve Marcus: soprano saxophone
Kai Eckhardt: bass
Jeff Chimenti: piano (on 1,3,6,7)

Colosseum II - 1978 [1993] "War Dance"

Colosseum II was a British band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore was named as a member. Rehearsals were due to begin on January 1, 1975, but a permanent unit was not finalised until May 1975. Among musicians who almost made the group were Graham Bell, Duncan Mackay and Mark Clarke. The line-up was completed by Don Airey, Neil Murray and Mike Starrs.
The band was oriented toward jazz fusion, much of which was driven by the guitar work of Moore, leading to a much heavier sound than the original Colosseum band. After disappointing sales of the first album, Murray and Starrs were unceremoniously sacked by the band's record label (Bronze) in July 1976.
The band continued with a new record label and a new bass player (John Mole), and recorded two further largely instrumental (and still commercially unsuccessful) albums. They also performed on Variations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, which also featured Julian Lloyd Webber on cello, Rod Argent on keyboards and Hiseman's wife, Barbara Thompson, on flute and sax. This album reached number 2 on the UK charts.
In August 1978, Moore left to rejoin Thin Lizzy for a fourth spell, and Airey's brother Keith Airey replaced him on guitar. Plans for a fourth album fell through when Don Airey decided to join Rainbow in December 1978

Track listing

1. "War Dance" (Don Airey)– 5:56
2. "Major Keys" (John Mole/Gary Moore) – 5:10
3. "Put It That Way" (G.Moore/Jon Hiseman) – 3:37
4. "Castles" (G.Moore/J.Hiseman) – 5:40
5. "Fighting Talk" (G.Moore/J.Hiseman) – 5:50
6. "The Inquisition" (G.Moore/J.Hiseman) – 5:45
7. "Star Maiden (J.Mole)/Mysterioso (D.Airey)/Quasar (D.Airey)" – 6:15
8. "Last Exit" (G.Moore/J.Hiseman) – 3:22

Personnel

• Gary Moore - guitars, vocals (4)
• Don Airey - keyboards, synthesizer, organ, Hammond organ, clavinet, piano, bells
• John Mole - bass, piano
• Jon Hiseman - drums, percussion, cymbals, gong

Colosseum II - 1976 [1987] "Strange New Flesh"

Colosseum II was a British band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore was named as a member. Rehearsals were due to begin on January 1, 1975, but a permanent unit was not finalised until May 1975. Among musicians who almost made the group were Graham Bell, Duncan Mackay and Mark Clarke. The line-up was completed by Don Airey, Neil Murray and Mike Starrs.
The band was oriented toward jazz fusion, much of which was driven by the guitar work of Moore, leading to a much heavier sound than the original Colosseum band. After disappointing sales of the first album, Murray and Starrs were unceremoniously sacked by the band's record label (Bronze) in July 1976.
The band continued with a new record label and a new bass player (John Mole), and recorded two further largely instrumental (and still commercially unsuccessful) albums. They also performed on Variations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, which also featured Julian Lloyd Webber on cello, Rod Argent on keyboards and Hiseman's wife, Barbara Thompson, on flute and sax. This album reached number 2 on the UK charts.
In August 1978, Moore left to rejoin Thin Lizzy for a fourth spell, and Airey's brother Keith Airey replaced him on guitar. Plans for a fourth album fell through when Don Airey decided to join Rainbow in December 197

 

Track listing

1. "Dark Side of the Moog" (instrumental) (Don Airey/Gary Moore) – 6:22
2. "Down to You" (Joni Mitchell, instrumental centre-section - D.Airey) – 9:10
3. "Gemini and Leo" (G.Moore/Jon Hiseman) – 4:50
4. "Secret Places" (G.Moore/J.Hiseman) – 4:00
5. "On Second Thoughts" (G.Moore) – 7:29
6. "Winds" (G.Moore/J.Hiseman) – 10:25

Personnel

• Mike Starrs - vocals
• Gary Moore - guitars, vocals
• Don Airey - keyboards, synthesizers
• Neil Murray - bass
• Jon Hiseman - drums, percussion

Colosseum II - 1977 [1993] "Electric Savage"

Colosseum II was a British band formed in 1975 by the former Colosseum drummer and leader, Jon Hiseman, following the 1974 demise of his band Tempest. Hiseman announced his plan to form the band eventually named Colosseum II in November 1974, but only Gary Moore was named as a member. Rehearsals were due to begin on January 1, 1975, but a permanent unit was not finalised until May 1975. Among musicians who almost made the group were Graham Bell, Duncan Mackay and Mark Clarke. The line-up was completed by Don Airey, Neil Murray and Mike Starrs.
The band was oriented toward jazz fusion, much of which was driven by the guitar work of Moore, leading to a much heavier sound than the original Colosseum band. After disappointing sales of the first album, Murray and Starrs were unceremoniously sacked by the band's record label (Bronze) in July 1976.
The band continued with a new record label and a new bass player (John Mole), and recorded two further largely instrumental (and still commercially unsuccessful) albums. They also performed on Variations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, which also featured Julian Lloyd Webber on cello, Rod Argent on keyboards and Hiseman's wife, Barbara Thompson, on flute and sax. This album reached number 2 on the UK charts.
In August 1978, Moore left to rejoin Thin Lizzy for a fourth spell, and Airey's brother Keith Airey replaced him on guitar. Plans for a fourth album fell through when Don Airey decided to join Rainbow in December 1978.

Track listing

1. "Put It This Way" (Gary Moore/Jon Hiseman ) – 4:55
2. "All Skin & Bone"(G.Moore/J.Hiseman) – 3:46
3. "Rivers" – (G.Moore/J.Hiseman)- 5:50
4. "The Scorch" (G.Moore/Don Airey)– 6:02
5. "Lament" (Trad., arranged by G.Moore/J.Hiseman/D.Airey/John Mole) – 4:40
6. "Desperado"(G.Moore/J.Hiseman) – 5:59
7. "Am I" (D. Airey) – 4:16
8. "Intergalactic Strut"(D.Airey) – 5:58

Personnel

• Gary Moore - guitars, vocals (3)
• Don Airey - keyboards, synthesizer, Hammond organ, clavinet, piano
• John Mole - bass
• Jon Hiseman - drums, percussion, cymbals, gong, bells