Tag Archives: new releases

Bruce Springsteen: Western Stars

July 12, 2019 IM

Bruce Springsteen’s first studio album in five years takes his music to a new place, drawing inspiration in part from the Southern California pop records of the late ’60s and early ’70s. The 13 tracks encompass a range of American themes, of highways and desert spaces, of isolation and community, and the permanence of home and hope.

A member of Locals 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and 399 (Asbury Park, NJ), Springsteen says, “This record is a return to my solo recordings, featuring character-driven songs and sweeping, cinematic orchestral arrangements.” Ron Aniello of Local 47 is co-producer with Springsteen and plays bass and keyboard.

The album includes more than 20 musicians, including original E Street Band keyboard player David Sancious of Local 399, organist Charlie Giordano of Local 802 (New York City), and multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion of Local 47. Springsteen’s wife and E Street bandmate Patti Scialfa of Local 802 provides vocals.

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Jim Self, Flying Circus: Music for Brass Quintet

June 27, 2019 IM

In Flying Circus, tubist Jim Self of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) compiles the many quintets he has composed from 1996-2016.

For these recordings, he enlisted two of the most prominent ensembles and tubists playing today in LA: Crown City Brass Quintet, with Norm Pearson, and the Modern Brass Quintet, with Doug Tornquist, both of Local 47.

Drawing on jazz, swing, and dance music, Self’s compositions are generally tonal/modal/bi-tonal with strategic dissonances. Rhythmic elements are the driving force, with accents of lush textures. On this CD, he provides a sample of his range: From the fanfare of “Antiphonal Brass Quintets,” to the buoyant quality of “Polka.com,” and the structure of “HoopLA,” which leads with a Latin setup, followed by intricate grooves, a waltz, solos, and duets.

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John Henry Ryan II, John the Blind

June 21, 2019 IM

John the Blind marks the latest solo endeavor by songwriter-producer John Henry Ryan II of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA). This EP was preceded by three buzzworthy tracks “Hallelujah,” “Sticky,” and “Two Months.”

A graduate of Berklee College of Music, Ryan pursued a music career in Los Angeles. In his early 20s, he was recognized as one of pop music’s most in-demand and established songwriters, like Harry Styles, Maroon 5, and John Legend of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA).

It was just a matter of time before Ryan unveiled his own material to jumpstart his career as a solo artist. Of the years spent principally writing songs for other artists, he says, “I didn’t feel like I was exercising my whole creative muscle,” adding, “I still had stuff that I needed to get off my chest.” For Ryan, this release has been a dream fulfilled, the culmination of a multi-decade musical journey.

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Rob Thomas, Chip Tooth Smile

June 14, 2019 IM

Multiple Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Rob Thomas of Local 389 (Orlando, FL) has released his fourth solo album, Chip Tooth Smile. The 12-track collection features production from Butch Walker (Panic! At The Disco, P!nk) and Benny Blanco (Ed Sheeran), complimenting Thomas’ long-acclaimed songwriting talent.

“I was writing about experiences I’ve been through that I could’ve only been through by getting older, by facing mortality, by having a son, by having a family, and by having responsibilities that I didn’t have when I first started out,” Thomas says. “It’s very autobiographical about where I’m at now and where I’m headed.”

The album also includes standout tracks “Timeless,” inspired by classic songs of the ’80s, and “I Love It,” which is currently being used nationwide for the 2019 NBA Playoffs.

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Glen Campbell, Glen Campbell – The Legacy [1961-2017]

June 7, 2019 IM

Glen Campbell’s life and career is being celebrated with Glen Campbell – The Legacy [1961-2017], an updated and expanded edition of his long-out-of-print, career-spanning box set. Originally released in 2003, this four-disc anthology collects 78 songs that tell the Rhinestone Cowboy’s story, beginning with his earliest songs, traveling through his classic hits, and culminating with his final recordings.

This comprehensive collection includes songs from nearly all of his 60-plus albums and chronologically charts Campbell’s meteoric rise that made him a Grammy-winning, global pop/country superstar for over six decades with sales totaling more than 50 million albums. This box set includes a 60-page booklet and updated liner notes by Joel Selvin who wrote the original liners. Campbell was a member of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) until his death in 2017.

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Blake Mills, Look

May 31, 2019 IM

In his third solo album, Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) member Blake Mills offers five instrumental tracks composed entirely on vintage Roland guitar synthesizers. “The music on Look was not created with the intention of ever being heard,” Mills explains of the 25-minute record. “In the spring of 2017, I discovered a small collection of vintage guitar synthesizers that Roland made at the end of the 1970s. These machines were totally unfamiliar to me but immediately intuitive and inspiring. Since they rarely produce the same results twice, my process of learning how to play these instruments was through recording them. Look is a document of that experience; improvisational and exploratory music elaborated upon with the help of [other] musicians.”

Mills is an acclaimed guitarist, songwriter, composer, and producer. He has released two previous albums—Break Mirrors and Heigh Ho—and won a Grammy Award for his production work on Alabama Shakes’ album Sound & Color, and has twice been nominated Producer of the Year.

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Andrew Synowiec, Second Story

May 24, 2019 IM

Andrew Synowiec is a Grammy Award-winning guitarist who has worked with some of the biggest names in music, film, and television. With his creative life centered on writing and performing since the age of eight, all roads have led to the 2019 writing and recording of Second Story. The musical melting pot comprises songs that blend rock, blues, and jazz, bathed in 1960s psychedelia.

Synowiec, a member of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA), and a cast of supporting musicians, deliver an instrumental album that is as dynamic and engaging, colorful, and gripping as any vocal album. It features nine original songs. Among them, “Second Story” is a tune with a Hendrix attitude that meets a more evolved harmonic conception. “Albuquerque Blues,” is a true “guitar duel” with the legendary Tim Pierce of Local 47. “Already Taken” features soulful playing over a finely-crafted tune. “One of a Kind” is a melodic, moving work performed with eloquence and grace. “Second Story” delivers from start to finish.

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Joe Jencks, The Forgotten: Recovered Treasures from the Pen of Si Kahn

May 17, 2019 IM

All of the songs on Local 1000 (Nongeographic) member Joe Jencks’ new CD were written by his friend and American Folk colleague Si Kahn, also a member of Local 1000. A populist songwriter and grassroots organizer, Kahn turned over to Jencks 70 songs that he had written but never recorded or played live.

Kahn gave Jencks absolute artistic freedom and creative control to make an album based on his selections of those songs. The resulting collection of 14 songs chronicles the lives of extraordinary individuals and addresses issues including civil rights, immigration, gun violence, and labor. Produced by Ken Whiteley and featuring numerous Canadian musicians, Jencks called the tracks, “some of my best performances yet in recorded form.”

Jencks is a 20-year veteran of the international folk circuit, an award-winning songwriter, and a celebrated vocalist based in Chicago.

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Jack Pearson, Jack Pearson Live

May 10, 2019 IM

This two-disc set is the latest album from Local 257 (Nashville, TN) member Jack Pearson—guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer, and session musician. Recorded at 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville, Jack Pearson Live showcases the versatility and musicianship of Pearson, a staple of the Nashville music scene.

Over the past four decades, Pearson has become an A-list blues/rock lead and slide guitarist, while also mastering a wide range of instruments including mandolin, old-time banjo, and Hammond organ. He was a member of The Allman Brothers Band from 1997-1999 and has worked with music legends from the world of jazz, rock, blues, and country, including fellow Local 257 members Vince Gill, Jimmy Buffett, Delbert McClinton, and more.

The 14 songs on two discs cover jazz, blues, salsa, and funk, and include a cover of “Please Call Home” by Greg Allman, which Pearson performed only days after his friend’s death.

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Nile Rodgers, The Chic Organization 1977-1979

April 26, 2019 IM

In fall of 1978, Chic’s “Le Freak” sold more than seven million copies. This box set celebrates the song’s 40th anniversary and salutes Chic founders, guitarist Nile Rodgers of Local 802 (New York City) and the late bassist Bernard Edwards.

Available in five-CD and six-disc vinyl versions, the collection includes Chic’s first three albums—Chic, C’est Chic, and Risqué—newly remastered from the original Atlantic stereo tapes. Rodgers personally oversaw the remastering at Abbey Road Studios.

Following Chic’s initial success, Rodgers and Edwards made music for other artists as The Chic Organization, including Sister Sledge’s We Are Family (1978).

Rodgers is now chair of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the first-ever chief creative advisor at Abbey Road Studios. His work for a wide range of artists, from David Bowie to Diana Ross, has sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide.

AFM