A key player in the LA country rock scene of the mid 60s to early 70s, J D Souther's impressive writing credentials for The Eagles and Linda Ronstadt have often overshadowed his solo work. This CD aims to put that right with 18 stunning tracks featuring the very best of his 4 critically acclaimed solo albums and 2 albums from country rock supergroup Souther- Hillman-Furay Band.

Track List: White Wing, How Long, The Fast One, Jesus In 3/4 Time, Pretty Goodbyes, Border Town, Somebody Must Be Wrong, Trouble In Paradise, Faithless Love, Black Rose, If You Have Crying Eyes, Silver Blue, You're Only Lonely

Richie Furay After starting his musical career as a solo artist and member of various folk groups, RICHIE FURAY formed BUFFALO SPRINGFIELD in 1967 with Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Bruce Palmer and Dewey Martin. Buffalo Springfields debut album included the hit single For What Its Worth. The band went on to record two more albums before disbanding in 1968.
In 1968, Furay formed one of the first country-rock hybrid bands, POCO along with Jim Messina (who had replaced Palmer in Buffalo Springfield), Rusty Young, George Grantham, and Randy Meisner (quickly replaced by Timothy B. Schmidt). Poco recorded 6 albums with Furay at the helm, including the classics Pickin Up The Pieces and A Good Feeling To Know. Soon after departing Poco, Furay participated in Souther-Hillman-Furay Band (with J.D. Souther and Chris Hillman (of The Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers).
The SHF bands hit single was Furays Falling In Love. After three solo albums in the 70s, Furay, disappointed by the lack of the super star status that some of his former band members had achieved headed home to Colorado where he is the pastor of the Calvary Chapel. Furay has since released two excellent inspiration albums, In My Fathers House and I Am Sure. In 1997, Buffalo Springfield was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Over the past few years, Furay has made a limited number of live appearances, both solo and with Poco, Chris Hillman, and Jim Messina. 2006 will mark the release of Richie Furays first general market album in 3 decades. Joining Furay on "Hearbeat of Love" are former band mates, Neil Young and Stephen Stills of Buffalo Springfield, Rusty Young, Paul Cotton and current Eagles, Timothy B. Schmidt as well as Kenny Loggins and The Turtles, Mark Volman.

Robbin Thompson has been a Richmond resident since 1969. He is the Vice President and co-founder of In Your Ear Music and Recording Corp . . . a company that composes and produces music for commercials and films. His musical career spans over 40 years and still counting.

He was the lead singer in the Bruce Springsteen band Steel Mill, won the American Song Festival twice, and so far has recorded twelve albums. Thompson, along with friend Steve Bassett, authored the song "Sweet Virginia Breeze," which is considered by many to be the unofficial state song of Virginia. He has also written and recorded songs with Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit (who also sings harmonies on many of Robbin's recordings. Thompson has shared the stage with many recording artists, including Bob Dylan, Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills, & Nash, Bruce Springsteen, and Bruce Hornsby, to name just a few.

His latest album is "Just a blur in the rearview" was 3 years in the making. This cd features guest appearances by harmonica virtuoso Rick Epping and Canadian Songstress Ellen McIlwaine as well as some of Virginia's finest musicians.
The title song, "Just a blur in the rearview" was co-written by fellow Virginian, now Nashville songwriter, Phil Vassar. It also contains the song "I won't quit" that was in the Major motion Picture, THE FIGHTING TEMPTATIONS starring Cuba Gooding,Jr. and Beyonce'. Thompson co-wrote and sang the song with Dave Matthews Band members Carter Beauford and Butch Taylor.

Long-time singer/songwriter and Kauai resident Allan Thomas celebrates the completion of his fourth album 'Making Up For Lost Time'.

Featuring many of Kauai's A-list musicians, including Graham Nash of Crosby Stills and Nash, and Tris Imboden of Chicago, the record was produced and recorded by Allan on the North Shore of Kauai.

The line-up: Allan Thomas (Vocals, Guitar, Percussion), Tris Imboden (Drums), Jimmy Johnson (Bass), Graham Nash (Backing Vocals on Ray Of Hope), Bryan Kessler (Guitar), Michael Ruff (Keyboards, Accordion, Backing Vocals), Ken Emerson (Slide Guitar & Lap Steel), Kirk Smart (Guitar, Mandolin, Lap Steel), Anjela Rose (Backing Vocals), JP Allen (Harmonica).

The record was mixed and mastered by Mike Shipley who also mixes for Maroon Five, Shania Twain, Joni Mitchell, Tom Petty, Def Leppard, and Aerosmith, to name a few.
Allan’s style of music on this record can best be described as R&B (Rhythm & Beach) or Island Soul.

Allan’s first album of original songs entitled “A Picture” was released in 1971. The record garnered enough sufficient critical attention in the music world to open some new doors and Thomas soon began opening across the country for acts like The Cannonball Adderley Quintet, Weather Report, The Marc Almond Band, and Livingston Taylor.
In ‘83, Thomas moved to the Hawaiian Islands. It is there where he developed the new blend of music heard on his next two records.
In ‘89, Allan Thomas contacted producer Stephen Barncard and over the next year they created the album “The Island”. The CD, which was released on Thomas' own label, Black Bamboo Recordings, is a collection of Thomas' original tunes written and recorded during 1989-1990. Not surprisingly, much of the album draws its inspiration from the beauty and tranquility of the Hawaiian Islands, according to Thomas.
In ‘96, Thomas released his third album “Coconut Culture”, which departed from the jazz/rock based format on the “The Island” and leaned more towards a traditional feel, reflecting his love for the indigenous music of his adopted islands.
In early ’05, Allan upgraded his recording studio and then rented the studio to Donald Fagen of Steely Dan, for work on his third solo album “Morph The Cat”. This would lead to Fagen winning the 2006 TEC award for Outstanding Creative Technical Achievement for the best record production, by the voters of Mix Magazine. Thomas’ work with Fagen inspired him to get back to work on his own next solo record “Making Up For Lost Time”.

Allan gigs regularly on the North Shore Of Kauai and has opened for Graham Nash and Taj Mahal, among others. He also plays in Los Angeles, NYC, Toronto and other places in North America when the surf in Hawaii is flat, and is looking forward to getting out of paradise for a minute and doing some touring around the world.

For complete bio, visit Allan's site here!

"These songs came from memories, and these songs helped shape who I am – and they're still shaping who I am," says Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds about his beautifully emotional new album, Playlist. "They shaped my past and now they're shaping my future."

Indeed, eight of Playlist's ten songs loom large in the memory of just about anyone who has loved popular music for the past three decades. The titles and the original performers alone constitute a pop-radio dream team: "Wonderful Tonight" (Eric Clapton); "Shower the People" and "Fire and Rain" (James Taylor); "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan); "Please Come To Boston" (Dave Loggins); "Longer" (Dan Fogelberg); "Time in a Bottle" (Jim Croce), and "Diary" (Bread).

Much loved as they are, however, these songs are not necessarily the first ones that fans would associate with Edmonds, as he himself admits. "Coming from 'Whip Appeal' to these songs, it seems like a stretch," he says with a chuckle. "But it doesn't feel like that to me. It feels pretty natural." Indeed, while being characteristically respectful of the original versions, Edmonds layers in rhythmic emphases that make the songs move sensually on the bottom as the melodies float delicately on top. The result is immediately accessible acoustic soul music; old, cherished memories made new again.

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A interesting interview at InsideMusicast.com to know more about Shem.

Shem's musical career began at a very early age and as a child, he sang on many TV and radio commercials nationwide, continuing to do so throughout his early twenties. His education was very thorough contributing to his accomplishments as a multi-instrumentalist. As a singing bass player, he has toured with several successful Grammy Award® winning pop artists such as Tom Jones, Ambrosia, Marie Osmond, Christopher Cross, Don Felder, and as Musical Director for pop sensation Kenny Loggins. His solo career began in 2001 with the release of "Son Of Arthur". There will also be a compilation CD of Shem's earlier work including never before heard material with THE DOCTORS. Shem's latest ventures include an opera career as a dramatic tenor.

Hi, just a word to share with you this project I released for the Chicago 40th Anniversary Contest organized by Rhino Records. The album's cover art and internal graphics were selected through a fan contest with long-time fan Mark Rosenmeier cover chosen from over 400 entries. Inside, 10 of the runner-up designs are included and I am proud my design (3 hours of work) has been chosen to be included on the Liner note. That's FUN!
The concept idea of my work: the songs from past to present are like colors and paint with vitality the Chicago logotype to celebrate the band 40th Anniversary and new music to come. I also used the magnifying glass of Chicago 16 cover to enlarge the number 40 and to remember that album was important in the carreer of the band produced by David Foster with one of biggest hit "Hard to say I'm sorry".
Arnaud Leger

I've been waiting for a long time to see a band made by my favorite french musicians. El Club self titled album is amazing. Gildas Arzel and Erick Benzi (Canada) joined Michael Jones and Christian Seguret to release an old dream, playing together in a band. They share the same inspiration for folk, country and blues music and the combination of their talents gave something magic on stage. They wrote hits for Yannick Noah, Celine Dion, Rock Voisine, Joe Cocker, Johnny Halliday, Garou, Anguun, .... they don't have anyting to prove, just somthing to share: good songs and good music!
They will be in concert "au réservoir" tonight and on october 17th. Don't miss it!!
www.fnac.com
www.ticketnet.fr
www.francebillet.com

Photography by Monik Doumnitzky

If "Get Right with the Man" was a coming out party for Van Zant, "My Kind of Country" is a full-blown coronation. These pedigreed brothers from Southern rock’s first family took a break late last year from their respective hard-touring bands (Lynyrd Skynyrd for Johnny, 38 Special for Donnie) to lay down a new batch of songs that takes the promise of GRWTM and delivers a true classic—totally contemporary, but with Van Zant style and timeless subject matter.

“When we did Get Right with the Man, we didn’t know how people would accept it, us coming from rock backgrounds and now doing a country record,” observes Donnie. “But it was cool. Radio accepted us with open arms, and we put the record out and it did real well for us, so it was a dream come true for both of us.”

The duo’s first-ever country single, “Help Somebody,” reached number seven on the charts, and the follow-up, “Ain’t Nobody Gonna Tell Me What to Do,” cracked the Top 15. It’s now safe to say country has embraced Van Zant, and with My Kind of Country the brothers show they’re here to stay.

Van Zant sing about real problems and concerns that keep real people up at night and bring them comfort in the daytime. The brothers co-wrote more than half the cuts and enlisted some of Music Row’s most expressive writers on others. The result is more than impressive, and the subject matter is universal.

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When Rick Braun and Richard Elliot decided to start ARTizen Music Group it was a pretty fair bet that collaboration would be on the boards. After all, Rick's best-selling release to date is his collaboration with Boney James (Shake It Up). Duet albums from Bob James & David Sanborn, Lee Ritenour & Dave Grusin, George Benson & Earl Klugh are among the top-sellers of this (or any) genre. Richard had toured with Rick numerous times yet hadn't a real studio long-player to share credits with. Nonetheless, for these two stars it had to be perfect. Almost three years later and over half a dozen releases on their label that time had come. The planets aligned and they began writing and recording their own record together. Tunes like the title track "R n R," the raucous horn charts of "Curve Ball," and an exotic little burner "The Stranger" (see if you recognize the vamp) flowed from their collective musical wit and wisdom. From "Que Paso's" catchy handclaps, late night charmer "Two Heart Tango" and funkjam of "Q It Up" - this is simply an album that won't stop entertaining and amazing. There is an implicit pun evoked in naming this release. The consistent stumbling block to recording together was variously solo records, a tour, someone else's record - never mind having a life. So when they found some time for R(est) n R (elaxtion) - what do they do? They make a record. True to its namesake, R n R is all about fun.