Showing 201 - 225 of 1585
Artist: Mount McKinleys
The garage rock quartet the Mount McKinleys hail from Pittsburgh, and judging from their three full-length albums, 1996's Portrait of Mind Bender, plus 1999's Indescribable High Rise Sounds of Today and Stacked Up (And Get It!), the group has a thing for horn-driven instrumental sections and retro-psychedelic detours. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide [+] Read More
Artist: Parka Kings
Detroit ska band the Parka Kings consisted not only of the core trio of singer/guitarist Brett E. Warren, bassist Matt "Boose" Van, and drummer Tony Barragan, but also the Reuben Sandwich Horns -- tenor saxophonist Milton Gray, alto saxophonist Brian "Hank" Steinmetz, and trumpeter Doug Woolsey. The group debuted in 1995 with Bienvenidos!,... [+] Read More
Artist: Idiot Flesh
Idiot Flesh was comprised of members Dan Rathbun, Wes Anderson, Nils Frykdahl and Gene Jun; a highly idiosyncratic unit, their sound emerged largely from non-traditional instrumentation including bicycle horns, screwdrivers, saws and even a mailing tube. Debuting in 1995 with The Nothing Show, Idiot Flesh resurfaced two years later with Fancy. ~... [+] Read More
Artist: Nettai Tropical Jazz Big Band
Led by Carlos Kanno of Orquesta de la Luz, the Nettai Tropical Jazz Big Band started out as a group of friends playing for fun and evolved into an 18-piece ensemble. Boasting four percussionists, a three-piece rhythm section, and powerful horns, the group released their first album, Live in Yokohama, in 1998. That year also saw the Japanese... [+] Read More
Artist: Silage
Alternative Christian rockers Silage formed in Grass Valley, California, comprising singer/guitarist Damian Horne, guitarist Lance Black, his bassist brother Shane and drummer Chuck Cummings. Debuting in 1993 with the limited edition cassette Liquid Spatula, Silage issued a series of subsequent independent releases before signing to the Sub*Lime... [+] Read More
Artist: Ace & the Ragers
Ace & the Ragers saw its origins in Ohio. The group consists of Ace Borkowski, Bryan McCleery, Todd Nelson, Joe "The Butcher" Ryan, and Craig Ramsey. The group's debut CD, Light This Sucker Up (1998), showcases their particular style of rock & roll, a music that showcases an era gone by with original style rock & roll. They even include horn... [+] Read More
Artist: CCM4
The aggressive improvisational trio CCM4 is an offshoot of Connecticut's Middletown Creative Orchestra. Made up of Seth Misterka (reeds), Pete Cafarella (keys), and Rafael Cohen (oboe, English horn), all of whom also utilize computers, CCM4 had two CDs released on the Newsonic label in the late '90s. The second, CCM4 Destroys New York, was... [+] Read More
Artist: Crizzy & The Punx
Clearwater, FL-based Crizzy and the Punx have been turning out ska-punk tunes since May of 1996. Without the rage of many punk bands or the horn sections of many third wave ska bands, Crizzy and the Punx have created a sound that sits on the fence between the high energy and rumble of punk and the halting beats of reggae. Their first CD, Tight,... [+] Read More
Artist: Nic Kirshnit
My name is Nic Kirshnit and I am a new essayist for the AMG classical department. I am 19 years old and have just completed my sophomore year at Manhattan School of Music, where I major in French horn. I attended the Laguardia High School for the Performing Arts in New York City and also graduated from the Juilliard School pre-college program. I... [+] Read More
Artist: Earth, Wind & Fire
Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the '70s. Conceived by drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional vocalist Maurice White, EWF's all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul,... [+] Read More
Artist: Russenorsk
Jack Martin and Tim Race are two freshmen at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio and have been playing together for just over eight months. Russenorsk started as an improv/loop based project and quickly morphed into what is now known as Russenorsk. The band works hard to bring a variety of styles into their playing and also to provide a sound that... [+] Read More
Artist: Thomas Jefferson
One of the finest trumpeters in New Orleans during the 1950s and 60s, Thomas Jefferson played drums and French horn briefly before settling on trumpet. He worked with Oscar Celestin's Tuxedo Orchestra in 1936 and then locally in New Orleans with Sidney Desvignes, Jump Jackson, and others. He recorded in the 1950s with Johnny St. Cyr, Santo... [+] Read More
Artist: James Brown
"Soul Brother Number One," "the Godfather of Soul," "the Hardest Working Man in Show Business," "Mr. Dynamite" -- those are mighty titles, but no one can question that James Brown has earned them more than any other performer. Other singers were more popular, others were equally skilled, but few other African-American musicians have been so... [+] Read More
Artist: The Ides of March
Chicago's Ides of March burst onto the national scene in 1970 with the million-selling single "Vehicle," a tune that bore more than a passing resemblance to the then mega-selling Blood, Sweat & Tears. But the band's pedigree went back further than BS&T's, and with a much different origin. Formed in the mid-1960s in the Windy City, founding... [+] Read More
Artist: The Soul Survivors
The Soul Survivors' only giant hit, "Expressway to Your Heart," was one of the first notable productions by Philadelphia wizards Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff in 1967. Although they were white, the Soul Survivors adopted a convincing R&B sound for their early singles on Crimson. Gamble and Huff loaded "Expressway to Your Heart" with honking horns... [+] Read More
Artist: Ray Charles
Ray Charles was the musician most responsible for developing soul music. Singers like Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson also did a great deal to pioneer the form, but Charles did even more to devise a new form of black pop by merging '50s R&B with gospel-powered vocals, adding plenty of flavor from contemporary jazz, blues, and (in the '60s) country.... [+] Read More
Artist: Dr. B.'s Blues Dropouts
Dr. B. and The Blues Dropouts, with frontman Kevin Sullivan on voice and harp - known for his membership in the Talking Blues House Band - are a swinging bunch of old time R&B freaks. Their repertoire includes classics from the past six decades as well as their original contributions. Under the tutelage of bandleader and keyboarder Dr. B., these... [+] Read More
Artist: The Untouchables
An early West Coast ska band which mixed R&B covers with reggae rhythms and recorded with England's Stiff Records, the Untouchables debuted in 1984 with Live & Let Dance. The group comprised of vocalist Chuck Askerneese, guitarist and vocalist Clyde Grimes, bassist Derek Breakfield, keyboard player Brewster, and an alternating crew of... [+] Read More
Artist: I Don't Care
Absolutely dreadful sleeve art helped consign this bar band's LP one-shot to the cut-out bins. Actually, there's some fairly tasty, horn-driven R&B tucked inside the grooves. Edgar Winter's White Trash springs to mind on several songs. There's also a cover of Jimi Hendrix' "Fire" displaying kamikaze guitar by one Frank Pellino (no, not Marino).... [+] Read More
Artist: Kine Lam
The mbalax musical tradition of Senegal is blended with influences of rock, jazz, and reggae to create the exciting sound of Kine Lam. With her gutsy vocals set to the highly percussive accompaniment of her horn-driven band, Lam musically expresses the beauty and charm of her native land. In a review of her American debut album, Praise, released... [+] Read More
Artist: Maceo Parker
"Maceo! Blow your horn!" That's how James Brown would dynamically signal his favorite horn player to take another stinging sax solo -- and Maceo Parker never once let his boss down. Parker's jabbing workouts in the midst of "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag" and "Cold Sweat" made him a household name among '60s funk fans -- not bad for a kid fresh out... [+] Read More
Artist: The Bones
Bones was a '70s group consisting of Greg Tornquist (guitar, vocals, harmonica), brothers Danny Faragher (horns, harmonica, keyboard, vocals) and Jimmy Faragher (saxophone, bass, vocals), and Casey Cunningham (drums), that had previously recorded under the name the Peppermint Trolley Company and scored a singles-chart entry with "Baby You Come... [+] Read More
Artist: LOURDS
Though LOURDS founding member, frontwoman, and namesake Lourds Lane grew up playing classical violin and French horn, she wasn't particularly enamored with the rules of the music she was performing. As a teenager she started a rock band, playing the electric violin, mandolin, and rhythm guitar, as well as taking on lead vocals. Throughout the... [+] Read More
Artist: Hi Fi Killers
The Seattle electronic duo Hi Fi Killers comprised DJs/multi-instrumentalists Kevin Lee Oakland and John Horn, longtime fixtures of the local club scene as well as veterans of countless area hip-hop and reggae units. On their 1997 debut, Loaded, the group took its inspiration from '70s-era blaxploitation funk, while the follow-up Possession... [+] Read More
Artist: Boundary Issues
A spin-off of the Tone Sharks, Boundary Issues is an experimental avant-garde trio that specializes in an abstract and cerebral yet funky style of electric free jazz. Combining avant-garde jazz with rock and funk, the Corvallis, OR-based threesome draws on influences that range from Ornette Coleman's Prime Time and electric '70s-era Miles Davis... [+] Read More
