The legendary guitarist, singer-songwriter Steven Stills, and former member of Buffalo Springfield, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, and Manassas has influenced many on his musical path.
Today, September 22, Rhino is bringing back memories of his earlier days with the release of Manasas ‘Pieces’, a 15-song collection of unreleased recordings from sessions for both of the band’s albums.
Win the CD here.
To many, Tommy Bolin was the legitimate heir to Jimi Hendrix’s rock guitar throne. Stints with the James Gang and Deep Purple – as well as solo albums and a groundbreaking release with jazz-rocker Billy Cobham – certainly proved that the adulation was rightly deserved. And with a techno-color fashion sense, he certainly stood out from the pack. Only one problem, Tommy had a death-defying drug addiction, which ultimately would lead to a premature and tragic end - before he was able to truly take his standing among the elite musicians of the world. ‘Touched by Magic: The Tommy Bolin Story’ is the first book to focus entirely on the life story of Tommy Bolin – compiled from nearly 50 exclusive interviews (including family, friends, and band members that played alongside Tommy throughout the years), and featuring many never-before-seen photos.
‘Touched by Magic’ is available through www.lulu.com for $19.98 (U.S.), and there is a sample chapter to read at the site (the chapter is titled “Moxy/’Teaser’/Deep Purple). The book was written by journalist Greg Prato, whose work has appeared in a variety of sites and magazines, including All Music Guide, Billboard.com, Rolling Stone.com, Record Collector Magazine, and Classic Rock Magazine, among others. A long-time fan of Tommy’s music, Greg conducted interviews with such renowned rock names as David Coverdale, Glenn Hughes, Eddie Kramer, Carmine Appice, Jan Hammer, Martin Barre, Jimmy Haslip, Mark Stein, Prairie Prince, Dale Peters, Jim Fox, Alphonse Mouzon, Kenny Passarelli, Henry Paul, Narada Michael Walden, Reggie McBride, and Otis Taylor, as well as Tommy’s brother, Johnnie Bolin (among countless others), for the book.
While it will obviously appeal to fans of Tommy Bolin, this 252 page paperback book (whose title comes from a phrase that keyboardist Jan Hammer once said to describe Tommy’s guitar playing) will also be of interest to fans of classic rock in general, as large portions of the book focus on Deep Purple, the James Gang, and Billy Cobham, while you’ll find additional stories that involve Led Zeppelin, Jeff Beck, Jethro Tull, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, the Tubes, Moxy, the Outlaws, and Jimi Hendrix’s Electric Lady Studios, among others. You’ll also get the inside scoop on such classic Tommy-related releases as Billy Cobham’s ‘Spectrum,’ the James Gang’s ‘Bang’ and ‘Miami,’ and Deep Purple’s ‘Come Taste the Band,’ plus Tommy’s two cult classic solo albums, ‘Teaser’ and ‘Private Eyes.’ Additionally, new information is gathered around the events that led to Tommy’s tragic passing in 1976, after a show in Miami with Jeff Beck.
Tommy’s following continues to grow each year, as his album ‘Private Eyes’ was recently certified gold in the U.S. (500,000 units sold), Dean Guitars recently unveiled a Tommy Bolin ‘Teaser’ tribute guitar, while Hartman Electronics recently premiered a new Tommy Bolin fuzz pedal. And with the release of ‘Touched by Magic,’ the buzz is only going to grow louder about the great Tommy Bolin. “After reading ‘Touched by Magic,’ it seemed to me every interview ‘takes you there’ for the moment…I give 105 stars to Greg!” -Johnnie Bolin, Tommy’s brother
Here’s a glimpse at Tommy’s playing while in the James Gang, performing Funk #49:
STREAM: Patrick Droney – “Save Me”
15 year old PATRICK DRONEY has become one of America’s phenomenal young
guitar players and talented young songwriters. Winning the Robert Johnson
Star Award in 2006 as one of the country’s most promising young musicians,
he has been turning heads since picking up the guitar at the age of 7.
Patrick has graced the stages of The Montreal Jazz Festival, The Whiskey
A-Go-Go, BB King’s Blues Clubs (LA and NYC), The Bamboozle Music Festival,
and House of Blues, just to name a few. His band (in 2006) was even the
youngest to play the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, according to Vintage
Guitar Magazine. He has been the support band for such legends as BB King
and the late James Brown and recently (October 2007) performed at the Taj
Mahal in Atlantic City as part of the Jimi Hendrix Experience Tour, sharing
the stage with Mitch Mitchell (drums) and Billy Cox (bass), the same Jimi
Hendrix Experience rhythm section that played behind Hendrix at Woodstock.
Critics have compared his talent to one that fuses elements of Stevie Raye
Vaughan, Robert Johnson and John Mayer while adding his own original style.
Patrick posses a textural smoothness and warm fluidity that connotes a
visceral connection between his fingers and the fret board, belying his
age. Blues Matters Magazine dubbed him “The New Generation”, The 2007 SXSW
Festival Must-See list called him “one of the best young guitarists alive
today.”
Track Listing:
1. Need Me Now
2. Everything
3. Alive
4. Bring You Back
5. Save Me
6. The Other Side
7. Brightside
8. Down On My Knees
9. Brighter Days
10. Angel
11. Reaction
12. Not That Special
Here he is performing Live:
Globetrotting guitarist Yoav stands at a very unique crossroads: where the tantalizing pop hooks of mainstream mainstays and the unabashedly artistic aesthetics of underground rock music intersect. Drawing both from a varied musical history – the classical music of his parents, the pop of his youth – and a rich personal history – Yoav was born in Isreal, grew up in South Africa, lived in Canada and the US – his music is the very definition of eclectic. Pulsing with the energy of electronic, the bulky beats of hip hop, and the earnest simplicity of singer-songwriter fare, this youngster’s latest, Charmed & Strange, has won over critics in every corner of the globe, a universal acceptance befitting of such a nomadic artist. Listening to “Club Thing ,” with its cascading guitars and plaintive melody, it’s easy to see what has the world so bewitched:
>MP3 “Club Thing”
“One man melting pot of Timbaland, Pharell Williams & Led Zeppelin” - The Guardian
“Deliciously dark” - Daily Star
Throughout the summer Yoav will be taking his guitar on the road for a massive worldwide tour, with stops in Denmark, Russia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and more. Loaded down with festival dates, the itinerary begins tonight and doesn’t wind down until September. Plenty of chances to catch this virtuosic newcomer in action.
05-27 Theatre Petit Champlain - Quebec City, Quebec
05-28 Live Lounge - Ottawa
05-29 The Mod Club - Toronto
06-05 Voxhall - Aarhus
06-06 Vega - Copenhagen
06-13 B2 Club - Moscow
06-29 Croissant Neuf Stage @ Glastonbury Festival - Pilton
07-02 Montreal Jazz Festival - Montreal, Quebec
07-03 Montreal Jazz Festival - Montreal, Quebec
07-04 Montreal Jazz Festival - Montreal, Quebec
07-05 Montreal Jazz Festival - Montreal, Quebec
07-13 Les Ardentes Electro Rock Festival Liege
07-15 Fibbers - York
07-16 The Cellars - Portsmouth
07-17 The Cooler - Bristol
07-19 Camp Bestival - Dorset
07-21 Chapel Of The House Of St Barnabas - London
07-22 The Bodega Social - Nottingham
07-23 Crawdaddy - Dublin
07-24 Sugarmill - Stoke on Trent
08-03 Big Weekend - Cardiff
08-08 Ripcurl Boardmasters Unleashed Festival - Newquay
08-10 Beatday 08 Festival - Copenhagen
09-06 Bestival - Isle Of Wight
Check out the links below for more info:
Here’s a great list of the 28 Most Recognizable Guitars of All Time compiled by Blender.com and complete with a YouTube video showcasing each instrument in action. My favorites gotta be Jimmy Page’s double neck, but what the hell is Angus Young doing so high??
Find the article HERE from blender.com by way of the lads at Stereogum.com
PLAY
