Gil Scott-Heron - Pieces of a Man

Gil Scott-Heron - Pieces of a Man - 1971

Gil Scott-Heron's 1971 album Pieces of a Man set a standard for vocal artistry and political awareness that few musicians will ever match. 

His unique proto-rap vocal style influenced a generation of hip-hop artists, and nowhere is his style more powerful than on the classic "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised." Even though the media -- the very entity attacked in this song -- has used, reused, and recontextualized the song and its title so many times, the message is so strong that it has become almost impossible to co-opt.

Musically, the track created a formula that modern hip-hop would follow for years to come: bare-bones arrangements featuring pounding basslines and stripped-down drumbeats. Although the song features plenty of outdated references to everything from Spiro Agnew and Jim Webb to The Beverly Hillbillies, the force of Scott-Heron's well-directed anger makes the song timeless. More than just a spoken word poet, Scott-Heron was also a uniquely gifted vocalist.

On tracks like the reflective "I Think I'll Call It Morning" and the title track, Scott-Heron's voice is complemented perfectly by the soulful keyboards of Brian Jackson. On "Lady Day and John Coltrane," he not only celebrates jazz legends of the past in his words but in his vocal performance, one that is filled with enough soul and innovation to make Coltrane and Billie Holiday nod their heads in approval. 

More than three decades after its release, Pieces of a Man is just as -- if not more -- powerful and influential today as it was the day it was released

01. The Revolution Will Not Be Televised

02. Save the Children

03. Lady Day and John Coltrane

04. Home Is Where the Hatred Is

05. When You Are Who You Are

06. I Think I'll Call It Morning

07. Pieces of a Man

08. A Sign of the Ages

09. Or Down You'll Fall

10. The Needle's Eye

11. The Prisoner

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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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