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The Allman Brothers Band is back on the road, and life is good! Only halfway through their first tour in nearly a year, the band has already busted out several new songs and stellar jams worthy of listening to over and over again. Every show so far has had something special and unique to sets it apart.
The first show of the tour, at the old Woodstock festival site in Bethel, NY, featured the band's debut of Bob Dylan's "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry." The Jones Beach show has a blazing version of "Afro Blue" with legendary jazz drummer Roy Haynes that you have to hear to believe! The show in Holmdel, NJ was marked by an extended "Revival" jam and the ABB debut of Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious," while the Mansfield show had a smokin' version of "It Hurts Me Too" with Susan Tedeschi sitting in that is sure to knock your socks off.
Order them by clicking on the show name above, or you can pre-order any of the shows from the 2008 tour here. We'll be getting the first few shows any day now, with shows generally in stock within 2-3 weeks. The road goes on forever!
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The Charlie Wheeler Band likes to call their music "Old school rock for fresh young minds." We have plenty of old-school rockers and fresh young minds on this list, so we thought you should know about their new CD, Highway Run. Wheeler's savage guitar and singer "Greek" Cheronis' gutsy vocals are the stars of the show as the band rips though a set of 11 originals with plenty of horsepower behind them.
If you like the amped-up blues-rock of bands like the Black Crowes, then you will love the crackling energy and road warrior mythology of tunes like "I Got to Ramble" and "Highway Run." Of course, that isn't all the band has to offer. "When the Lord Comes To Get You" features a wonderfully broken down New Orleans vibe, and the funky clavinet groove of "In a Daydream" will get stuck in your head for days. Like many of our favorite bands, the CWB isn't afraid to stretch things out and jam, and Charlie himself yearns for the days when that was common practice.
"What happened to the guitar solo, the piano solo, the instrumentation?," Wheeler asks about today's music scene. "Where did it go? Isn't playing your instrument to your fullest potential one of the bedrock principles that rock n' roll was founded on?"
Preach on, Brother Charlie! This homegrown, grassroots band features some of the finest musicians in Western Pennsylvania, and now they are ready to take their sound nationwide. Check out their website at www.charliewheelerband.com to listen to song clips, find out more about the band, and order your very own copy of Highway Run! |
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Many Hittin' the Note readers may be familiar with Mike Farris through his work in the Screaming Cheetah Wheelies, a band that was one of the best live acts of the '90s and a staple on the HORDE tour. Mike has put the lifestyle of rock and roll excess behind him now, breaking the grip of drug addiction and producing a new gospel CD called Salvation In Lights that rings with passion and spirituality. HTN co-founder Kirk West felt so strongly about the new record that he interviewed Mike for the next issue of Hittin' the Note. Check out this excerpt from their conversation...
"I didn't know if God was going to give me a chance to play music again...I started to play again, and some things came about, and I said to myself 'You know what? You might get another chance.' I felt like the prodigal son, and it's turned out that playing music is better now than it ever was."
Mike will be joining forces with former Wet Willie lead singer and perennial HTN favorite Jimmy Hall for a very special show in Macon on September 13th at the Cox Capitol Theater. The first set will feature songs from Salvation In Lights. The second set will be a tribute to Macon soul artists like Little Richard, James Brown and Otis Redding, and Mike and Jimmy are sure to do them justice. Two of the most soulful, dynamic singers in the business, in the same place at the same time - how can you go wrong? Click here to buy tickets for this one-time special event! And speaking of the next issue of HTN.... |
Summer may be winding down, but the music never stops at Hittin' the Note. In early September we are very pleased to bring you another issue chock-full of articles and information about the artists who make music matter to all of us.
Singer/songwriter Ray LaMontagne created a huge sensation four years ago with his debut album, Trouble. With his probing lyrics and visceral delivery, Ray has carved out quite a niche for himself among his contemporaries, and has earned great praise from fans and critics alike. Usually quiet and reserved, Ray really opened up for HTN's Terry Adams while discussing his latest CD, Gossip in the Grain. This is a revealing look at a very private artist, so please enjoy it. In addition, Gov't Mule/Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, a true Ray LaMontagne advocate, offers his thoughts on this singular talent.
With a distinctive blend of bluegrass and rock, Railroad Earth is an emerging force on the jam scene today, a position that will be accentuated by the quality of music on their new album, Amen Corner. Rob Johnson caught up with the RRE guys before a show at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, and you'll find their comments as forthcoming as their playing.
Over the past 35 years, Randall Bramblett has become known as the preeminent singer/songwriter of the South. With Now It's Tomorrow, Randall further justifies that title, producing an album full of songs that are brilliant in their introspective nature and performed flawlessly.
Guitarist Derek Trucks has been a very busy man over the last two years. Aside from his spot fronting his own group and his position in the Allman Brothers Band, Derek has toured with Eric Clapton and, more recently, the Derek Trucks Band had the honor of opening on tour for the legendary Carlos Santana. Articulate and forthcoming, Derek told Joe Bell what it was like playing and sharing musical ideas with one of the greatest and most respected guitarists of the rock era.
Looking ahead, Hittin' the Note is proud to announce that the inimitable Carlos Santana will grace the cover of Issue #59; we also will have features on new albums from the Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi, as well as articles on My Morning Jacket and Tea Leaf Green. As always, we remain grateful for your support, and look forward to seeing you on the road.
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Far too many of our military veterans in this country suffer from mental and physical trauma, inadequate medical care, and problems with reintegrating into society after they leave the service. Everyone agrees that this is a problem, but radio personality Lexie Kaye and Terry Reeves of Music Matters Entertainment are doing something about it.
The Rock-A-Benefit will be held from noon to 8:30 p.m. on the Memorial Lawn at Stone Mountain Park in Stone Mountain, GA, and will be followed by Stone Mountain's 25th Anniversary Laser Show Spectacular! There will be live music throughout the day beginning at 12:30pm. Artists appearing include Tommy Talton, Lefty Williams, the Andrew Black Band and Tommy Crain and the Crosstown Allstars. See below for full schedule:
12:00 pm -- Lexie Kaye & Rodeo
(welcome/announcements/auctions)
12:30 pm -- Planet Rock School Band
1:30 pm -- Lingo
2:30 pm -- Vintage Max Band
3:30 pm -- Tommy Crain & the Crosstown Allstars
4:45 pm -- Andrew Black (Wilson Black)
6:00 pm -- Jason "Lefty" Williams
7:15 pm -- The Tommy Talton Band
Auctions of memorabilia and autographed items by Bryan Adams, Derek Trucks, Jimmy Hall, Kansas, the Atlanta Rhythm Section, and more, will be held throughout the day. There is a suggested donation of $20 per person attending the event, with all proceeds going to the Wounded Warrior Project.
For more information on the Rock-A-Benefit event, please visit us at www.myspace.com/rockabenefit.
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Next Thursday, August 28th, is the CD release party for one of our favorite bands, Scrapomatic! If you want to know why you should check out the show, HTN writer Allison Hersh said it best in her review of the new CD.
"On Sidewalk Caesars, Scrapomatic's much-anticipated follow-up to 2006's Alligator Love Cry, this talented duo perfects a lean, mean sound born of the blues, nurtured by American roots music and given shape by Mattison's soulful growl and Olsen's propulsive guitar...Thanks to Mattison and Olsen's creative songwriting, Sidewalk Caesars is populated by a host of colorful characters in a rich songwriting tradition that includes a diverse array of artists from the Grateful Dead to Tom Waits."
Sound good? If so, we hope to see you at Smith's Olde Bar next Thursday! Click here for tickets and directions. |
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Thank you for your support of Hittin'the Note, and all the wonderful music we bring to you. Keep your eyes and ears open for more new, happening items, and support live music whenever you can.
The Staff at Hittin' the Note magazine and merchandise! |
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