Multiversal Blues (feat. Stanley Jordan)

#55 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Multiversal Blues, features the virtuosic and intergalactically original guitar playing of Stanley Jordan. His playing is badass enough just listening to it, but seeing his tapping technique up close took it to a whole nother level for me! If by some chance, you are not familiar with Stanley Jordan's thing (hard to believe but..), his 1985 debut Blue Note record, Magic Touch, was #1 on the Billboard Jazz Charts for a solid year! His covers of Stairway To Heaven, Eleanore Rigby and the Jimi Hendrix songbook are iconic and have been viewed a gazillion times on YouTube. His eclecticism and versatility has lead him to play with everybody from Dizzy Gillespie and Quincy Jones to The Dave Matthews Band and Phil Lesh. His vibe in the studio was incredibly generous and open minded and I think it is reflected in this track. Check it out!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. Mixed by the Grammy winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis) and as always, masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Find the Funk (feat. Leo Nocentelli)

Happy 2020! We begin the new decade with #54 in The Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumentals Series, Find The Funk, featuring a musician who is synonymous with funk, The Meters', Leo Nocentelli. If you've listened to popular music in the last 50 years you have directly or indirectly been moved by Leo's influential guitar playing, and his band, the Meters, certainly needs no introduction. But please allow me to gush for a moment...Leo played guitar on Lee Dorsey's, Workin’ In a Coal Mine and Dr. John's, Right Place, Wrong Time. The riff in Cissy Strut, that's his! His guitar playing and songs have been sampled by everyone from Public Enemy to Eminem. As a sideman, his undeniably groovy and instantly recognizable style has been featured on records by; Allen Toussaint, Peter Gabriel, Queen Latifah, Ice Cube, Bonnie Raitt, Sting, Labelle, Maceo, Robert Palmer and oh yeah, Paul McCartney! He is a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award Winner and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductee. And on top of being badass, Leo is an incredibly gracious human being. Turn this one up!

The backing band on this track is Rich Kirch (John Lee Hooker 1984-2001) on rhythm guitar, Alvino Bennett (Dave Mason, Stevie Wonder) on drums and myself on bass. The track was recorded at Skunkworks in Capitola CA. And the newest addition to the team; Mixing and Mastering by the Grand Wizard of Greaseland, Christoffer "Kid" Andersen.