Dave Meniketti - Meniketti

Dave Meniketti - Meniketti - 2002

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Dave has been an icon for guitar players worldwide and a Bay Area guitar and vocal hero for three decades. Through his childhood, Dave was influenced by some of the great varied rock, R&B and Jazz artists of the ’60s and ’70s such as Hendrix, James Brown, Led Zeppelin, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Allman Brothers, Coltrane, and so many others. Dave’s love for many types of musical expression is one of his great strengths & is evident in his soulful approach to playing & singing.

At sixteen, Dave was blown away by the guitar mastery of Jimi Hendrix, and he was inspired to pick up the guitar & he never looked back. Even though he started playing guitar late by most standards, Dave’s fire and passion for music allowed him to learn at an accelerated pace. Self taught, Dave quickly developed his unique style and found himself in a national recording band, developing a guitar hero fan base-all within only a few short years of picking up a guitar.

After being so impressed with Y&T and Dave’s playing at a live performance, Bay Area manager Herbie Herbert (Journey), a guitar player fanatic himself, signed the band to a management contract in 1974. Dave released his first record with Y&T (Yesterday & Today) on London Records in 1976 and started on his way to a long career of making records and touring the world. Early on, Dave’s bluesy style of rock guitar playing came to the forefront. When at a show in a Hollywood club in 1979, John Mayall was so impressed with Dave’s performance in Y&T that he grabbed the club owner and demanded to go backstage to meet Dave and asked him to collaborate on a record. By 1983, as Y&T had achieved worldwide respect & was continuing to gain popularity, Dave won a Bammy Award for “Best Bay Area Guitarist”, beating out other great players such as Neal Schon (Journey), Craig Chaquico (Starship), and several other guitar heroes. Dave has been listed in Guitar Player Magazine’s “Best of” polls numerous times over the past several decades.

When Y&T decided to break from recording and performing, Dave knew it was time to move on to other musical avenues. Though he’s been primarily a rock guitarist for most of his career, Dave felt his passion for “blues” drawing him toward his first solo recording On The Blue Side-made up of a passionate blend of blues/rock material, knowing in his gut that it was a natural thing to do. Coupled with a band of all-star players including bassist Myron Dove (Santana, Robben Ford), this first solo effort outsold previous Y&T records in Japan & Europe and met with critical acclaim worldwide.

With newfound solo inspiration and a great live band behind him, when Dave went back in the studio to come up with new tunes, he felt a pull back to his rock roots for his second solo effort. More rock-oriented, yet still a hint of blues in the mix, Dave’s sophomore solo CD Meniketti was released in summer 2002.

01. Messin' With Mr. Big

02. No Lies

03. Hard As I Try

04. Tough Luck Avenue

05. I Remember

06. Storm

07. It's Over

08. All In This Together

09. I Can't Take It

10. Lay Me Down

11. The Other Side

12. Tell Me (Why I Should Wait)

13. Take My Time

14. Train (Bonus Track)

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Stoney Curtis Band - Acid Blues Experience

Stoney Curtis Band - Acid Blues Experience - 2005

The Stoney Curtis Band is a Las Vegas heavy blues rock/acid blues experience.

They are guitarist/singer Stoney Curtis, bassist Barry Barnes, and drummer/percussionist Shon McKee.

To date, they have released six studio albums to critical acclaim. Their songs are regularly featured on Sirius XM Radio and receive millions of plays on online streaming services like Spotify and YouTube.

Founded by Stoney out of the blues club circuit in 1994, the Band has gone through several interactions over the years. They have been signed to Shrapnel Records since 2004 and have found ever-increasing success since that time. Having previously settled in Los Angeles, the band now makes its home nestled in the Las Vegas music scene.

Past members have included drummer Charlie Glover, bassist Colby Smith, bassist Roger Tausz, singer Eric Mitchell, and singer Kyle Frost.

Their current line-up was brought together in the early 2010’s.

01. Last Train To Chicago

02. Evil Woman

03. Bullets

04. Mulholland Shuffle

05. Crashin' Down Like Thunder

06. (Take Off) Around The World

07. Around the World

08. Colors

09. Free

10. Soul Love

11. Like A Man

12. Baby Needs Lovin'

13.  World Without You

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Stone the Crows - Live at the BBC

Stone the Crows - Live at the BBC - 2022

Formed in Glasgow in 1969, Stone The Crows cut their teeth in the pubs of Scotland and had everything going for them: not one, but two gritty singers, a talented guitarist, a rhythm section that had played with John Mayall, plus the kudos of having Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant as their producer. 

With a slew of critically acclaimed albums, it was on stage and live in the studio that Stone The Crows really flew free, as these superb recordings from 1969-1972 attest.The undoubted jewel in their crown was lead singer Maggie Bell. 

Winner of several Top Female Singer awards in Britain, Bell had a raunchy, gutbucket voice which, although it fell short of the naked emotion and range of Janis Joplin’s, probably came closer to her style than any other female singer. 

When her powerhouse vocals caught the attention of Peter Grant, his visceral reaction – “stone the crows!” – led to the band changing their name.

Hewn from studio sessions with John Peel, Bob Harris and Mike Harding, as well as in-concert performances, this 4CD set captures the Crows’ burgeoning Blues/Rock prowess. 

From the original line-up featuring guitarist/songwriter Leslie Harvey, to their latter stages with a young Jimmy McCulloch on guitar, Live At The BBC brings together broadcast versions of tracks from their four albums together with songs often featured in their live sets. Compiled in conjunction with Ashley Wood, Disc 4 includes a further eight recordings from 1970. 

Disc 1 -  BBC Sessions 1969-1970

Recorded 24/11/69 for Top Gear presented by John Peel, broadcast 6/12/69

01. Raining In Your Heart

02. The Touch Of Your Loving Hand

Recorded 19/5/70 for Top Gear presented by John Peel, broadcast 30/5/70

03. Freedom Road

04. Hollis Brown

Recorded 13/5/70 for Sounds of the 70s presented by Alan Black, broadcast 26/6/70 and *31/7/70

05. Raining In Your Heart *

06. Friend

Recorded 28/10/70 for Sounds of the 70s presented by Alan Black, broadcast 13/11/70 and *4/12/70

07. Mad Dogs And Englishmen

08. Love 74

09. Things Are Getting Better *

Personnel: 

Maggie Bell - Vocals

Leslie Harvey - Guitar

Jimmy Dewar - Bass & Vocals

Colin Allen - Drums

John McGuinness - Keyboards

Disc 2 BBC Sessions 1971-1972

Recorded 7/6/71 for Sounds of the 70s presented by Alan Black, broadcast 2/7/71 and *30/7/71

10. Faces *

11. Let It Down

Recorded 6/9/71 for Sounds of the 70s presented by Pete Drummond, broadcast 16/9/71

12. Big Jim Salter

13. Keep On Rollin’

Recorded 11/4/72 for Friday Night Is Boogie Night presented by John Peel, broadcast 28/4/72

14. Going Down

15. On The Highway

16. Mr. Wizard

Recorded 6/9/72 for Sounds of the 70s presented by Bob Harris, broadcast 18/9/72

17. Good Time Girl

18. Penicillin Blues

19. On The Highway

Personnel:

Tracks 1 & 2:

Maggie Bell - Vocals

Leslie Harvey - Guitar

Jimmy Dewar - Bass & Vocals

Colin Allen - Drums

John McGuinness - Keyboards

Tracks 3-7:

Maggie Bell - Vocals

Leslie Harvey - Guitar

Steve Thompson - Bass

Colin Allen - Drums

Ronnie Leahy - Keyboards

Tracks 8-10:

Maggie Bell - Vocals

Jimmy McCulloch - Guitar

Steve Thompson - Bass

Colin Allen - Drums

Ronnie Leahy - Keyboards

Disc 3 Live In Concert At The BBC

Recorded 4/11/71 at the Palace Theatre, London broadcast 16/11/71

20. Keep On Rollin’

21. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

22. Big Jim Salter

23. Mr. Wizard

24. Going Down

Recorded 12/10/72 at the Palace Theatre, London broadcast 28/10/72

25. On The Highway

26. Palace Of The King

27. Penicillin Blues

28. Sunset Cowboy

29. Niagara

30. Good Time Girl

31. Ionian Highland Lilt

Personnel:

Tracks 1-5:

Maggie Bell - Vocals

Leslie Harvey - Guitar

Steve Thompson - Bass

Colin Allen - Drums

Ronnie Leahy - Keyboards

Tracks 6-12:

Maggie Bell - Vocals

Jimmy McCulloch - Guitar

Steve Thompson - Bass

Colin Allen - Drums

Ronnie Leahy - Keyboards

Disc 4 BBC Broadcasts

Recorded 28/5/70 for Sunday Concert presented by John Peel, broadcast 7/6/70

32. Freedom Road

33. Blind Man

34. Danger Zone

35. Hollis Brown

Recorded 7/7/70 for Sounds of the 70s presented by Mike Harding, broadcast 14/7/70

36. I Saw America Pt.1

37. I Saw America Pt.3

38. Sad Mary

Recorded 26/11/70 for Sunday Concert presented by John Peel, broadcast 6/12/70

39. Penicillin Blues

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Joe Becker - Nature Boy

Joe Becker - Nature Boy - 1969

Most music lovers know Joe Beck as a famous jazz guitarist, composer and producer. At the early age of eighteen he left his home town Philadelphia to New York, where due to his extraordinary talent he soon became co-artist with famous jazz musicians ( such as Paul Winter, Charles Lloyd, Gary McFarland and Chico Hamilton). Miles Davis took him on as the first “electric guitarist”. In late 1966 he recorded the LP “Rock Encounter” with Sabicas, one of the world’s greatest flamenco guitarists, a truly extraordinary album, even in hindsight (first published on CD on Long Hair, LHC 48). The recordings on this LP earned him a record deal with MGM/Verve, and in 1967/68 “Nature Boy” was recorded. For further details please note the following remarks by Joe Beck in person!

Since at the time of the recording session Joe Beck did not have an own band, he won drummer Donald McDonald, who was to be his fellow artist with the band Jeremy And The Satyrs and was also drummer with the Tim Hardin Band and under contract with Verve. Joe Beck (guitars, bass, organ) and Donald McDonald (meanwhile deceased) recorded most of the album, with the occasional help of Don Payne, bass, Crazy Horse guitarist Danny Whitten (died in 1972) and trumpeter Randy Brecker.

Except for the jazz-standard “Nature Boy” all titles were composed by Joe Beck. Later on he did a few more recordings of the title song “Nature Boy” (composed by a certain Eden Ahbez) with various famous jazz musicians. “Nature Boy” had previously been recorded by Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and several others, and - interestingly so - is part of the soundtrack of the movie Moulin Rouge - sung by David Bowie! It is a very adaptable song that lends itself to a variety of interpretations, and in this album is brilliantly presented by Joe Beck and his extraordinary guitar work as a psychedelic rock song. 

“Nature Boy” is a congenial opener of the album of the same name, which Vernon Joynson in his recommendable book “Fuzz, Acid and Flowers” aptly described as a mixture of psyche, rock and jazz, with occasional classic influences, but clearly dominant psychedelic and rock elements. A fascinating album with exciting compositions that display high technical skills.

In 1968 Joe Beck joined Jeremy Steig’s The Satyrs. Rather unusual from today’s point of view, Jeremy and The Satyrs toured the United States together with Cream. Since he was open for musical ideas and forms apart from jazz, Joe Beck could not escape the fascination of this extraordinary band. He was also quite impressed by Jimi Hendrix’ guitar play, which was new and unusual at that time.

Apart from being bandleader, producer, composer, arranger and co-artist with many famous jazz, jazz-rock and funk artists, Joe Beck made himself a name as composer of theme songs for TV and radio and has also been famous for his film music and for adding sound to TV documentaries. He also recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, the Milan Philharmonics and the Paris String Ensemble in joint studio productions.

The making of this record could be the plot of a movie. A sixties adventure! It started out with me signing a contract with Verve for $100,000.00 advance. A large sum in 1967. I insisted that the recording be done in my house and that they also sign Warren Bernhardt. They agreed to these unheard of demands and much more and the project started soon after. 

I had the musicians living in my house and had rented every conceivable instrument and recording device possible at the time, including Jay Messina, the engineer. All in my house. We had a month to do the project. My fiancé at the time (Diane Doe) and Warren’s future wife got into a fight and all music ceased. Needless to say, neither marriage lasted very long. To make the very long story short, after all the contract talks and money to make this project work, we spent the entire budget on parties and who knows what and, at the end of a month, we had just one basic track. One track! It was acoustic guitar and conga drums – “Spoon’s Caress”. We had spent $100,000.00 and achieved nothing. The sixties. 

Now it was time to show Verve what a great project they had paid for. Out of desperation, I started recording tunes with myself playing all the parts except drums, which Donald MacDonald agreed to do. I sang, I played bass, I played piano, guitar, percussion, whatever it took to get the record done. As I worked, people came by the studio and that is how Randy Brecker came to play on it as well as Danny Whitten on a vocal or two.

“The Rapid Disintegration of a Chamber Orchestra” starts with part of a piece I wrote for my friends to play as a Christmas present the year before. I think I was 20 or 21 when I wrote it. It really was a gift for the players who worked for me at the time in the TV commercial business. They were all great musicians and I just wanted them to get a chance to play something not written for a commercial. Also, I wanted to play piano and this was part of a twenty minute piece for piano which has been lost over the years.

To tell the whole story of this project would take a long time and I’m not sure it is worth the telling. I suppose it is an accurate picture of my life at the time, but a little painful to look at too closely. Some of the people involved with this project passed away as a result of the times, others have left the business. I think I can safely say that those of us who survived the music and life of the sixties have a great respect for our art and how it affects others. I think of the ones we lost every day of my life and dedicate this new project to the memory of Donald MacDonald. He was my favorite drummer of all time and touched thousands of people with his music and his love.

01. Nature Boy

02. Spoon's Caress

03. Let Me Go

04. Come Back: Visions Without You

05. Maybe

06. No More Blues

07. Goodbye L.A.

08. Please Believe Me

09. Ain't No Use in Talkin'

Joe Beck - Bass, Guitar, Organ, Vocals

Donald MacDonald - Drums, Percussion

Don Payne - Bass (6, 9)

Danny Whitten - Guitar, Vocals (3)

Randy Brecker - Trumpet (4)

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The Legal Matters - The Legal Matters

The Legal Matters - The Legal Matters - 2014

By Mark Deming from AMG

The Legal Matters are a Michigan power pop supergroup, featuring Chris Richards of Chris Richards & the Subtractions, Keith Klingensmith of the Phenomenal Cats, and Andy Reed of An American Underdog, but if you think that tells you everything you need to know about the band, you could be wrong. The Legal Matters' self-titled debut album is a tuneful delight with great melodies, hooks, and vocal harmonies, but it's a more contemplative and low-key set than one might imagine; tunes like "We Were Enemies" and "Mary Anne" recall the pensive Chris Bell tracks on Big Star's #1 Record, the gorgeous tune faced against a dour lyric of "Have You Changed Your Mind?" nearly matches the bummed-out beauty of the Pernice Brothers, and "The Legend of Walter Wright" tells the tale of a sweet loser who wouldn't be out of place in a Village Green Preservation Society-era Kinks tune. There are plenty of tunes here that could be hit singles in a just world, especially the sunny opening track "Rite of Spring" and the playful, mildly cocky "Before We Get It Right," and the Legal Matters' three principals work beautifully together, bringing out the best in one another's abilities as songwriters, vocalists, and instrumentalists. But if you're expecting cookie-cutter high-energy power pop, the Legal Matters have instead delivered something a bit more sophisticated and ambitious, and rather than each member simply tossing a few tunes into the pot, this album sounds like a collaboration that's creating something more than the sum of the parts. Pop fans who want a record that will please their ears but also spark their imaginations will find all manner of pleasant surprises in The Legal Matters.

01. Rite Of Spring

02. Stubborn

03. Have You Changed Your Mind?

04. The Legend Of Walter Wright

05. Mary Anne

06. It's Not What I Say

07. Before We Get It Right

08. So Long Sunny Days

09. Outer Space

10. We Were Enemies

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St. John Green - St.John Green

St. John Green - St.John Green - 1968

St. John Green were a psychedelic rock from Los Angeles, California. They were formed in 1967 by keyboardist Mike Baxter and singer Vic Sabinto. Bassist Ed Bissot auditioned for them and he joined. Guitarist Bill Kirkland and drummer Shel Scott joined to complete the lineup. They all attended Pasadena City College. Bissot originally wanted to use his pseudonym "St. John", however the band compromised on naming the band St. John Green. They only released the full-length album St. John Green in 1968. It was produced by Kim Fowley. St. John Green disbanded in 1968.

01. 7th Generation Mutation

02. Canyon Women

03. Devil And The Sea

04. Do You Believe

05. Help Me Close The Door

06. Messages From The Dead

07. Goddess Of Death

08. St. John Green

09. Spirit Of Now

10. Love Or Hate

11. One Room Cemetery

12. Shivers Of Pleasure

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