Circles (feat. Seth Lee Jones)

#148 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, CIRCLES, features the super stylized sliding of multi-instrumentalist, composer and luthier, SETH LEE JONES. You can hear the Tulsa in his playing. It's slinky and sneaky and badass without being egotistical. Seth grew up in the church playing music with his dad and grandpa. Recognizing his gift, at sixteen they shipped him off to LA to study at the Musicians Institute. After acquiring the knowing and realizing that the politics of the music biz was not his cup of tea he headed back to Tulsa establishing SLJ Guitars his guitar-repair/guitar-building workshop and happily gigging locally, fronting the Seth Lee Jones Band. He recently released a record called Flathead and if you like Sonny Landreth, Ry Cooder, Chris Whitley, Billy Gibbons, etc...you gotta check it out. In the meanwhile, please enjoy this bluesy little waltz we've cooked up for ya. Enjoy!
 

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 Jared Tyler's studio in Tulsa. Mixed by the Grammy-winning Godfather of Grunge, Jack Endino (Nirvana, Nando Reis), and masterfully mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering. 

Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures

We interrupt the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series to announce the release of Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures. After a lifetime of sidemanning, co-this'ing and co-that'ing I've decided to stick my neck out there ALL the way. And, as any smart leader will do, surrounded myself with some of the most brilliant musicians I could ever dream of making music with and then spent the last several years building what became the Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures. Scott Yanow, the esteemed music journalist, and historian wrote the bio/blurb for this project so instead of me uncomfortably tooting my own horn I'm gonna let you all read it here: From there you can also get to Bandcamp to acquire the digital download of the whole record or even purchase a physical CD! (How many of you still have cd players?) We're also hoping to run vinyl if the interest is there. So please, ENJOY, let me know what you think, and accept my gratitude for your support.

Funkwrench Blues - Soundtrack For A Film Without Pictures
Produced By Frank Swart & Brian Brinkerhoff
Mixed by Frank Swart except The Crossing mixed by Kid Andersen
Mastered by Justin Weis at Trakworx
All Songs Written by Frank Swart (Funkwrench Music BMI) except The Life & The Resurrection written by Frank Swart & David Robbins
Titles inspired by Joseph Campbell's Monomyth
All compositions exclusively administered by Chittenden Music BMI

Cast in order of appearance:

Frank Swart - Bass, Guitars (trks1-13) Drums (trk 13)
David DR Robbins - Saxophone & Flute (tks1,6,9,11,12&13)
Thomas Pridgen - Drums (trks1&9)
Gary Bartz - Saxophone (trk2)
Derrek Phillips - Drums (trk2)
Evan Hatfield - Sitar (trk3)
Christopher Hoffman - Cellos (trk3,12,13)
Max Weissenfeldt - Drums (trk3)
George Garzone - Saxophone (trk4)
Simone Pannozzo - Drums (trk4&12)
Warren Wolf - Vibes (trk5)
Scott Amendola - Drums (trk5&7)
Chris West - Bass Clarinet (trk6)
Greg Stephens - Trombone (trk6)
Aaron Priskorn - Trumpet (trk6)
George Hearst - Drums (trk6)
Mike Clark - Drums (trks6&11)
Bill Evans - Saxophone (trk7)
Idris Ackamoor - Saxophone (trk8)
Tony Price - Percussion (trk8)
Mai Bloomfield - Cello (trk9)
John Deaderick - Piano (trk9)
Dave Liebman - Saxophone (trk10)
Andrew Guterman - Drums (trk10)

Organ Grinder (feat. Chief Keegan)

#148 in the Need To Know Badass Blues Instrumental Series, ORGAN GRINDER, features the fabulously funky jazz stylings of LUKE DUNFORD on the Hammond organ. Luke is a founding member of the Irish Funk band Chief Keegan. "Irish Funk band”?, you say. Hey, the Average White Band was from Scotland, right? Luke credits Dr. John, Jon Cleary, Vulfpeck, and The Meters as his biggest influences and I'm hearing some Larry Young in there, too. In their short existence, Chief Keegan has already played Knockanstockan, Bray Jazz Festival, and The Cork Jazz Festival as well as selling out their local Dublin shows. Luke and his Chief Keegan bandmates are amongst the most in-demand touring and studio musicians in Ireland, playing with Sharon Shannon, Mary Coughlan, Frances Black, The RTE Concert Orchestra, and many others. Chief Keegan will be releasing a new album in early 2024 that includes such guests as NOLA trombone legend Big Sam (NTK#138) and sax player Ron Holloway amongst others. I'm really glad Brian "discovered" these cats because this track was a blast. Give a listen, check out the Chief, and enjoy!

The backing band on this track is Oakland Born/Nashville residing, groovin' AF, Derrek Phillips, (Gloria Gaynor, Robben Ford, Charlie Hunter) on drums, and myself on rhythm guitar and bass. The track was recorded at NTA, South San Francisco, The Phamily Room, Nashville TN, and Chief Keegan's studio in Dublin. Mellifluously mixed and mastered by the infamous F-Bomb.