Band Bios '09
Blues for Breakfast is the brainchild of WIZN DJ Mr. Charlie Frazier, who hosts a Sunday morning show of the same name. Sensing the Champlain Valley's potential interest in a no-nonsense, partying, houserockin' blues-rock band, in June of '91 he pulled together a group of the Burlington area's best musicians to perform at Vermont's annual Discover Jazz Festival Blues Jam
Buoyed by the response, they decided to ride the wave and not let a good thing slip away. The band's reputation has been growing ever since, More than a decade later, they're still going strong--packing dancers into clubs across northern Vermont, New York and New Hampshire.
They've headlined concerts for Burlington's First Night celebration, played the annual Lake Champlain Blues Cruises, for the Burlington Mayor's Arts Council in Battery Park, rocked out the Church Street Marketplace, the Plattsburgh Mayor's Cup and the Saranac Lake Chamber of Commerce.
The band's first release, "Fries & Gravy," was recorded live at Nectar's, and quickly sold out its 1000 copy pressing. They've also donated tracks to the first three Best of The Green Mountain Blues compilations, put together by Mr. Charlie, to benefit the kids at Camp Ta-Kum-Ta, a Colchester, VT camp for child cancer patients.
With over 200 songs in their repertoire, there's something for every musical taste! Occasionally augmented by the Over Easy Horns, and other special guest artists, the "House Band of the Champlain Valley" mixes a rockin' blend of blues, originals, R&B, Dead and reggae, that'll have you energized and dancin' all night!!!
"Mr. Charlie" Frazier - lead vocals, harp Adam King - Keys Ian Wade - Bass Brian Wade - Guitar Gary Wade - Drums Seth Yacavone - Guitar
Yarn’s organic blend of alt-cou
ntry music has the warmth of old vinyl, the soul of Gram Parsons and the lyricism and profound musicianship that only comes from each members dedicated musical journeys. This Brooklyn based band has used their songwriting, guitars, mandolins and shining vocal harmonies to capture a passionate following throughout the East Coast.
Their debut album was released in March 2007 when it reached #14 on the AMA and R&R Radio Charts, and achieved #79 on the AMA’s Top 100 Albums of 2007. In September of 2008, Yarn released their sophomore album, Empty Pockets, swiftly reaching Top 10 status on the AMA Radio Charts and peaking at #5. Honored with eight first round 2009 GRAMMY® nominations, Empty Pockets features guest appearances by Edie Brickell, Tony Trischka, Casey Dreissen and Caitlin Cary of Whiskeytown.
WWW.YARNMUSIC.NET
As their recording career continued, so did the critical acclaim. In 1987 Living in America, received the New York Music Award for Best Folk Album and was named in Billboard’s year-end critic’s poll. They have been praised in countless major US newspapers and magazines, including Rolling Stone, and have appeared on numerous TV and radio shows, such as the David Letterman Show, the King Biscuit Flour Hour, and World Café Live. In 1999 they were the subjects of the documentary, No Hit Wonder, which was aired on PBS.
Of their 2005 release, Days of Horses,” the Boston Globe said “fans of the duo’s harmony-driven tunes and easygoing acoustic guitar riffs will recognize their James Taylor-meets-Simon & Garfunkel sound. What’s new is the mood. This album sits back on its haunches as Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman look back wistfully at American pop culture and their own ride through it.”
2007 saw several hallmark events for the duo. In June, Aztec Two-Step performed “The Persecution and Restoration of Dean Moriarty (On The Road)” at a very special Lowell Celebrates Kerouac Festival as the author’s hometown marked the 50th anniversary of the publication of On The Road. Also In June 2007, Real Simple, a popular national lifestyle magazine, named Aztec Two-Step one of the top five classic folk albums joining work by Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Tom Rush and Phil Ochs. The article cites the duo as “surpass[ing] Simon and Garfunkel for exquisite harmonies, musicianship and emotion.”
Rhino Records released Forever Changing-The Golden Age of Elektra Records 1963-1973, a five-CD box set that tells the story of this landmark record label and the music that defined an era. The collection includes Aztec Two-Step’s “The Persecution and Restoration of Dean Moriarty (On The Road).”
Live at TCAN, a new DVD was released, featuring a 35th anniversary concert at The Center for Arts in Natick, Massachusetts, a performance of the self-titled debut album in its entirety, plus other fan-favorites from Aztec Two-Step’s long and distinguished career. The DVD also includes interviews with Rex Fowler, Neal Shulman and longtime Aztec Two-Step bassist Fred Holman, as well as comments recorded on the Aztec Two-Step “fan-cam.”
Aztec Two-Step continues to impress audiences with intelligent songwriting, dazzling acoustic lead guitar, and inspiring harmonies. They are one of acoustic music’s most popular and enduring acts.
WWW.AZTECTWOSTEP.COM
Composer and vocalist Leah Randazzo, 24, is a naturally gifted performer of uncommon charisma who knows how to bring an audience to its feet with her powerful voice and high-energy stage performance. Her original songs, described as jazz-infused R&B and funk, are sophisticated and soulful compositions that belie her young age. Leah's stunning debut album "At the Root," produced by Michael Gregory, has been acclaimed for having a sound that doesn't pigeonhole itself stylistically; musically it's as dynamic and fluid as Randazzo's voice.
The Leah Randazzo Group, a septet that includes vocals, rhythm section, and horns, formed in the spring of 2005 and has been touring nationally since. The Leah Randazzo Group was recently named "Best Jazz" for the second year in a row in western Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley (Valley Advocate). Additionally, the group was honored with the grand prize for music in September 2007 on OurStage.com and received a nomination for "Oustanding Jazz Act" in the 2007 Boston Music Awards. "At their most boisterous - as on the brash "My Weapon" - the band's songs are highly danceable and colored with punchy horn lines. At their most sensitive - as on the piano and string-laced Morning Song - they blow the work of Starbucks divas like Norah Jones out of the water." - Nick R. Scalia, Play Magazine
WWW.LEAHRANDAZZOGROUP.COM
About Lowell Bailey: I've been playing guitar and mandolin since the age of 10. At the moment I'm playing in the acoustic trio, The George Bailey Trio, with my father George Bailey and John Doan. The trio plays songs written by all three members. In that band, I play mostly mandolin and some guitar. George plays guitar and banjo. John plays dobro, guitar, and banjo. Check out our website at www.georgebaileytrio.com.
When I do play solo, it is usually in and around the Lake Placid area, although I did play sometimes in Burlington when I was going to UVM between 2003 and 2005.
The songs listed on this site are a mix of different songs I've recorded recently. I didn't include any of the songs off the GB3 album because you can go to our website and check those out. There is a song ("Shores of Horicon") from my album, "Songs of Logging", a project in which I wrote several orginal songs based on the history of logging in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State. (This also passed as my undergraduate thesis!). The other compositions are more recent stuff that I have been fooling around with. I recently upgraded my recording equipment and I am just getting used to the all-digital/all-computer recording concept. The songs, "Beyond The Mountain", "The Bubble", "Go Home", and "Fire You Down" are all recorded with my computer and its internal mic. I spend a lot of time on the road in hotel rooms so I use my laptop as a kind of musical sketch pad. The "Fire You Down" track is a kid of joke song that I am supposed to record with a Swedish studio in Solleftia, Sweden for the upcoming biathlon world championships. "Brakes My Will" was recorded with the same computer but at my home and with a decent mic and guitar.
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/LOWELLBAILEY
SPIRITUAL REZ is a 7-piece reggae horn funk dance party that has been tirelessly touring the country while commanding an extremely unique and high energy sound. Since 2003, the band has shared the stage with internationally touring acts such as Culture, Gregory Isaacs, Jimmy Buffett, Israel Vibration, Buju Banton and Jamaican Legends The Skatalites. They have also been lucky enough to play shows featuring Bernie Worrell (founding Parliamant Funkadelic member and keys for the Talking Heads) ..boards. Their EP, RISING IN THE EAST was released independantly in 2006 and the band plans a live album in the summer.
WWW.SPIRITUALREZ.COM
Porter Batiste Stoltz Their time has come at last. After spending years, even decades, providing some of the greatest backline support New Orleans music has heard, the brilliant sidemen George Porter Jr., Russell Batiste Jr., and Brian Stoltz, (Porter Batiste Stoltz) are ready for their close-up. “It’s now time to focus all of our efforts on this, right here, right now,” says Porter Jr. “This is where we want to be. We might be walking away from some decent projects but we believe in this and in each other.”
Everyone else who hears Porter Batiste Stoltz believes, too, which is why the prospect of a new album from the group is reason to get excited. There’s no denying the trio’s pedigree, and their chops are miles wide and oceans deep. Porter is the original bass player for the Meters, a group that virtually defined New Orleans rockin’ funk, while Batiste and Stoltz joined Porter in the latter day incarnation of that band, the Funky Meters.
“We all come from old school New Orleans,” says Stoltz. “I grew up listening to the Beatles and Hendrix, but we still have that deep New Orleans background.”
A few years ago, when Funky Meter Art Neville opted to go back to the band bearing his family’s name, Porter Batiste Stoltz saw opportunity, not disappointment. Rather than continue on with the measured but explosive Meter-like grooves, Porter Batiste Stoltz decided to explore a little, to tinker with the foundation of their funky sound.
The result of that tinkering was a debut album, the aptly titled Expanding the Funkin’ Universe (2005). “The stuff we do together can only happen with the three of us,” says Batiste. “We have a deep respect for the groove. We sound like Porter Batiste Stoltz and only Porter Batiste Stoltz, that’s what’s so special about this band.”
All the tracks on the new album begin with a great idea, and improve from there. “It’s more like a funk rock kind of thing with a strong pocket,” says Porter, “a bass line that connects with the drummer and allows for the rhythm stuff and the lead chords to do whatever.”
The rhythms are inimitable, as only first-call New Orleans players can lay down. But they’re also real songs. Stoltz, who has a songwriting background, adds greater dimension to the PBS collaborations, casting the melodies of classy pop and rock into the rawness of great R&B. “There’s a big difference in our approach,” says Stoltz. “We work very fast in Porter Batiste Stoltz, with the grooves coming first and finding topics to sing about later. There’s more intuition and less thinking, which makes it really fun.”
While their debut album offered funk, groove, fusion, rock, hyphenated style freakout, the new album, says Porter, promises to feature more focus and less wild-eyed indulgence. “We’ve taken a real step forward in the groove and we learned some things from the first record that’s made this next one really special.”
Batiste, accustomed to the more spontaneous approach in the studio, agrees: “To me it’s better because we’re more unified. The constructions on this album came from jams, right off the top of our heads. Now we’re talking grooves!” Stay tuned for information on the next album release by Porter Batiste Stoltz.
WWW.PORTERBATISTESTOLTZ.COM
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