GUITAR LEGEND

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'CELEBRATING 50 YEARS'

UK classic rock legends Wishbone Ash US Tour begins 

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

In the ramp-up to Wishbone Ash’s 50th anniversary, the band is celebrating its 49th year in characteristic fashion: with an extended tour. Dubbed XLIX (49 in Roman numerals), the tour began in October 2018 in the UK, followed by early-2019 dates in Europe and Japan. This spring, XLIX arrives on these shores.

Longtime fans and new converts alike will revel in the group’s signature twin-guitar mastery and powerhouse rhythm section as they present classics spanning their career.

The US leg of the XLIX Tour will revisit some of the band’s favorite venues as well as new ones from the Eastern seaboard to the Rocky Mountains.

“We always look forward to meeting old friends and fans alike on our annual Midwest and East Coast tours,” says founding member Andy Powell. “American audiences are so supportive and enthusiastic!”

Formed in 1969 in London, England, Wishbone Ash is one of the most influential guitar bands in the history of rock. True road warriors, each year they log around 30,000 miles, roughly equivalent to circumnavigating the earth.

Mark Abrahams, the group’s newest member, has been trading licks with Powell for two years. Right out of the gate, Abrahams earned rave reviews from critics and fans on both sides of the Atlantic. Longtime rhythm section Bob Skeat on bass and Joe Crabtree on drums continue to provide the solid groove that is their hallmark.

By 1969, The Beatles, the blues boom and psychedelia had made their impact on classic rock, and the creative possibilities were infinite. Pioneering the use of twin lead guitars, Wishbone Ash jumped on board the burgeoning progressive rock scene. Taking full advantage of the fertile musical environment, they produced a distinctive brand of melodic rock.

Inspired equally by British folk traditions, American jazz and R&B, the group played to public and critical acclaim. Power and melody have made the Ash a hard act to follow, while they are currently being discovered by new generations of loyal rock fans.

Through the years the band has delved into various musical genres, from folk, blues and jazz to pedal-to-the-metal rock and electronica. Whatever the style, Wishbone Ash’s signature is the distinctive twin-melodic lead guitar interplay that has influenced such bands as Thin Lizzy, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Iron Maiden and, more recently, Opeth.

The quintessential road band, Wishbone Ash has gained worldwide recognition based firmly on a regime of relentless touring.

“The band basically lives together year-round on the road, so we have a very strong level of communication that translates in our performances and recordings,” says Powell. “We’ve come to an era where the industry has to pigeonhole a band as Classic Rock, Prog Rock, Heritage Rock and so on. The truth is that we have always kept our options open and always relied on the musicianship of the players to lead the way. It’s fun to be stylistically diverse and this has, in its way, contributed to our longevity.”

Wishbone Ash has to its credit 24 original studio recordings, 11 live albums and five live DVDs along with a DVD rockumentary (“This is Wishbone Ash”). Released April 2018, “The Vintage Years” 30-disc box set, three-and-a-half years in the making, is a special collection dedicated to the band’s output from 1970 to 1991, including all 16 studio albums, three live albums, eight previously unreleased live shows from 1973 to 1980, a 156-page coffee-table hardcover book and an assortment of memorabilia.

Also available is the fifth Roadworks CD, “Live in Sacramento,” recorded on the 2018 North American tour; and the first official re-releases in decades of “Twin Barrels Burning” from 1982 and “Raw to the Bone” from 1985. In addition, some older recordings are emerging from the vaults, including Snapper Records’ most recent release, “Live in Glasgow” from 1977. The legendary and eagerly awaited “Live from Rockpalast” TV show recording from 1970s Germany will also soon be available on the label Made in Germany Music.

In 2015, Powell released his musical memoir, “Eyes Wide Open: True Tales of a Wishbone Ash Warrior,” co-written with renowned Irish music journalist Colin Harper and available in Kindle and Apple iBook formats.

“It’s quite an undertaking to put 46 years of being a touring musician in this one band into book form,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of changes in the music business and the world in general, as you can imagine.”

There is no other rock band in history that has done more with the twin guitar concept than Wishbone Ash. Be sure to catch them on the XLIX US Tour in April-May 2019, and stay tuned for the 50th anniversary tour in 2020!

For more information about

Andy Powell and Wishbone Ash

Facebook: @wishbone.ash.official

Twitter: @wishboneash_com

Purchase Andy’s book … Eyes Wide Open: True Tales Of A Wishbone Ash Warrior by Andy Powell, Ian Rankin, et al. | Nov 9, 2015

at amazon

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LEGENDARY M O T O W N  STUDIO MUSICIAN

With THE FUNK BROTHERS

COMPOSER OF "SCORPIO" NUMBER 6 HIT

ON BILLBOARD'S HOT 100  

Dennis Coffey is an American original. Only in America (and specifically, only in Detroit) could one man play guitar with a group of legends as diverse as Del Shannon, The Temptations, and George Clinton and Funkadelic. However, the list of iconic artists, producers and writers Dennis has worked with the world over only scratches the surface of what the man has done and the contributions he’s made to the canon of popular music.

Dennis Coffey first began to make his mark as a member of The Royaltones, a group which had hits in the late 50’s and early 60’s and who performed sessions with other artists, including Del Shannon. From there, Dennis moved on to a distinguished run as a session guitarist for various labels operating at the peak of Detroit’s influence as a hub of musical innovation and commercial success. He’s perhaps best known for his work as a member of the legendary Funk Brothers, backing a veritable trunk load of hits for Motown, specifically The Temptations’ classics “Cloud Nine,” “Ball Of Confusion,” and “Just My Imagination.” It is in those works that his introduction of the wah-wah guitar sound to Motown (and soul / R&B in general) first reared its head, and the resulting influence on all kinds of popular music continues to reverberate to this day. His work with The Temptations is just the tip of the iceberg, though… he’s on stuff like “War” by Edwin Starr… “Band Of Gold” by Freda Payne…on and on the list goes.

In the early 70’s, Dennis struck out on his own as an artist, film scorer and producer. He scored the cult classic film Black Belt Jones. He recorded “Scorpio” in 1971 as part of his second solo record and first for Sussex (“Evolution”). “Scorpio” was a million selling single and was a key foundational track in the history and development of hip-hop, totally apart from its status as a funk classic. Dennis has recorded several other solo records, and he has co-produced a million seller in Gallery’s Nice To Be With You as well as cult record Cold Fact by Rodriguez, a release that has gained increasing notoriety over the decades since it initially appeared, and which is now regarded as a rediscovered gem. He also continued session guitar work through the 1970’s, appearing on such disco classics as “Boogie Fever” by the Sylvers.

Dennis is also featured in the 2002 film Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, further cementing his legacy as a key contributor to the development of some of the most cherished and important popular music of the 20th Century.

So, yeah… the man’s important. This isn’t just a history lesson, though. Dennis has continued to write and perform music. He’s a lifer. Now, it’s time for a new chapter. An opportunity to both remind music fans of what he’s done and show them what’s to come.

Dennis is a cast member in the Sony film Searching for Sugarman. He is also co-producer and co-arranger along with Mike Theodore for some of the songs on the soundtrack. He also plays guitar and bass in some of those songs.

For more information about Dennis Coffey visit … https://denniscoffeysite.com

Sharón Lynn Wyeth is an internationally recognized name expert. She can determine one's strengths, challenges and the purpose of one's life by deciphering a person's name. Sharón created Neimology® Science, the study of the placement of the letters in a name, after 15 years of research with 3 years of testing her theories, in over 70 countries, including Russia, India and China.  She continued to develop how to interpret names the next seventeen years, which is why Neimology® Science is so accurate today.  Today Sharón assists HR business departments to narrow down candidates to be interviewed, she assists lawyers in how to present cases to judges and helps couples and families to communicate better. Sharón also creates names for new business, new products and when people wish to change their name. Her bestselling book, “Know the Name; Know the Person” received an excellence in writing award. Sharón is a frequent guest on radio and television.

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CELEBRATED JAZZ DRUMMER WHO PERFORMED WITH THE LEGENDS

FROM 1982 THRU 1990 TOURED WITH JOSE FELICIANO

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!

Born in Sioux City Iowa, Russell grew up in a family of musicians and started playing drums on his father's knee at age 5. Both grandfathers were professional musicians. His mother's father was a "boogie-woogie" piano player and his father's father was a jazz trumpet player and big band orchestra leader. His father was a jazz drummer who played with the "Ink Spots". His two brothers were a trumpet player and a sax player, and both played drums as well. His love for drums drove him to pursue this calling. At 12 he started playing gigs at his grandfather's nightclub and by the time he was 19 he played with Chick Berry. The following year he played with Muddy Waters. He moved to New York City and studied with Roy Haynes as well as attended jazz workshops in Harlem. From 1974 to 1976 he toured and recorded with rock legend, Tommy Bolin. In 1977 he studied East Indian rhythms with Colin Walcott at Naropa Institute, Boulder Colorado. From 1979-1981 he played with jazz legend, Freddy Hubbard and in 1981 played with Bo Diddly. 1982-1990 he toured with Jose Feliciano. He recorded for the Laverne & Shirley Show, under Bennett Salvey, the Merv Griffin Show under Mort Lindsey, musical director between 1983 and 1985 during down time from touring. Later he also recorded for the Northern Exposure TV series. The Independent film, "Stanley's Gig" also featured his talents on the sound track. He played with French pop icon, Michel Jonasz from 1997 to 1998. Studied with International jazz drummer, Billy Higgins in 1998. Between tours he spent his time recording and performing in the LA area.

He has worked and recorded with a large variety of artists including Jimmy Smith, Billy Preston, Robben Ford, Tommy Bolin, Jeff Berlin, and many-many more. Has 3 solo albums to his credit: Tommy Bolin Tribute, Dream Street, and Fortaleza.

For more information about Russell Bizzett

https://myspace.com/russellebizzett

https://www.reverbnation.com/russellbizzett