Notable Albums
- Details
Musicians
- Ryan Montana - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar
- Leo Dombecki - Piano, Keys
- Kevin Cooper - Bass
- Seth Blumberg - Guitar
- Bill Ray - Drums, tape dispenser
- Todd Gunnerson - Engineer
Released 2006
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- Details
Musicians
- Sheila Sondergard - Vocals, Guitar
- Jeremy Miller - Keys
- Sean Martin - Guitar
- Jason Littlefield - Bass
- Bill Ray - Drums
- Sven-Erik Seaholm - Production
- John Hancock - Album Photography
Released 2008
Through my involvement with the Jamband known as Tubby I began working for other artists under the Barfly Promotions banner. Shawn Balch, a highly respected and regarded promoter in San Diego knows many great musicians through the shows he organizes and he brought us all together for a "hand-picked" foray into Sheila Sondergard, a singer/guitarist/awesome person whom he manages.
We began rehearsing for the sessions at Shawn's apartment in Mission Beach, CA. Tiny amps were the rule and I brought only a snare drum and brushes; the idea was to feel out the corners and nuance of the music. We really approached it as if it were a Jazz singer's album; Sheila is "small but mighty" but still it's good to play in the lower dynamic as to really get a sense for where her music comes from. More bands should relegate at least two practices like this to their preparation work; it's much easier to think and assess things when you are out of the "normal" band environment.
We started tracking at Sven Erik Seaholm's Kitsch -n- Sync studio and the songs just sort of flew together. When you've got the right ingredients, great things happen. Sven captured the rhythm tracks perfectly. Chuck Prada and Jeremy Miller came in and laid their parts after Sean, Jason and myself then Sheila went in and sang over the tracks. I'm really proud of this album too. It was at a point of my life where a lot of bad energy was being cast aside and a new rebirth if you will was taking place. It was also the first recording session my son attended with me and he sat right beside me as we were tracking "Spoke Too Loud".
- Details
Musicians
- Earl Thomas - Vocals
- Ryan Montana, Leo Dombecki - Saxophone
- Armando Marcos Cepeda - Bass
- Seth Blumberg - Guitar
- Paul Smith - Keys
- Bill Ray - Drums
Released 2010
Ah, Earl Thomas & The Kings of Rhythm. The "band that is like a solar eclipse; rarely seen but when you do it's always interesting". We've had many good times together. In the Spring of 2010 we did a full tour of the UK with the legendary John Mostyn as our tour manager, then in the summer of that year made a full tour of Italy and Sardinia. What a total blast that was!
From about mid 2009 to the early part of 2010 we were doing every last Saturday of the moth at the great blues venue Biscuits & Blues located on Mason & Geary streets in the heart of The City by the Bay. So we decided to record an album.
This album taught me a lot. A lot about life, about people and also about business; As I mentioned "It's always interesting to see what happens. So as a result this is one of the more "Interesting" albums I've been involved with. I hope it somehow becomes a cult classic and sells a bajillion copies.
Wait until you hear the Ike & Tina "American Songbook" collection we recorded over the Fall of 2012. It's gonna be siiiiick!
- Details
Musicians
- Ernest Lane - Piano, Vocals
- ? - Bass
- Seth Blumberg - Guitar
- Leo Dombecki, Paulie Cerra - Sax
- Mackinley "Mack" Johnson - Trumpet
- Bill Ray - Drums
Released 2006
Note: Please let me know who played bass on this recording.
Ernest Lane was the pianist who played with Ike Turner and was his oldest childhood friend. They grew up together in Clarksdale, MS and maintained that friendship all the way to the very end.
The stories that they would tell were hilarious mostly, some dark and incredulous. It was always fun to sit around and listen to them argue too. Lane always kept $500 on him, as he would occasionally come out with "Ike Turner, here's your $500 from such & such"...some long ago debt that he wouldn't let go, and Ike would never thak the money. Or if he did take it would give it back a little while later. Those guys...
We recorded this album in about 2006 up in Los Angeles at Leon Heywood's place off Crenshaw. It was funky through & through. The room we tracked in was the scene of many great albums. One of my heroes James Gadson had tracked in that room so for me it was a spiritual experience.
On another note, I also did the album cover for this; it was my first attempt and I since learned a lot about design and layout. One has to start somewhere!