Stephen Bruton - From The Five

Bitrate: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:04
Size: 119.2 MB
Styles: Texas blues, Alt country rock
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[5:41] 1. Bigger Wheel
[3:26] 2. This Old World
[4:13] 3. Walk By Faith
[5:31] 4. Fading Man
[4:13] 5. Every Once In A While
[4:25] 6. The Clock
[4:33] 7. Treasured Wounds
[4:13] 8. Put Me Out Of Your Misery
[5:13] 9. The Halo Effect
[3:59] 10. That Moment When
[3:49] 11. Ordinary Man
[2:43] 12. In The Wind

The singer/songwriter/producer's third New West release (and fifth overall, hence the title) doesn't expand his established Americana boundaries, but does feel more confident and at times rocks a little harder than his previous efforts. Stephen Bruton's cracked leather voice is also more controlled, talk-singing and slipping into these songs like an old pair of jeans. There is a subtly propulsive Little Feat funk groove to tracks such as "The Clock" and especially the very Lowell George-ish "Walk by Faith," helped by Feat keyboardist/songwriter Bill Payne, a member of Bruton's studio ensemble for this effort and co-writer of the peppy "Put Me Out of Your Misery." There are also echoes of the Band, particularly on the stately horns that accentuate the elegiac "Fading Man" and "Treasured Wounds." Bruton fluently nails this lazy, swampy Southern sound that only occasionally explodes into rock & roll on the Chuck Berry-styled Sam Moore-Junior Walker "Ordinary Man," an obscure cover from the soundtrack of the movie Tapeheads. Generally though, these are soulful, reflective, sometimes openly spiritual songs, sung with honest, even intense determination directly from Bruton's possibly bruised soul. This is particularly effective on "The Clock," where a wah-wah guitar and wailing backing female vocalist accentuate lyrics of "There's a wake-up call coming from the doomsday clock." Not everything jumps out, but repeated spins yield a heightened appreciation of the low-boil ballads that dominate the album's sound. From the Five is a thoughtful, reflective, and impressive set of beautifully produced and imagined songs from an underrated architect of the Texas singer/songwriter tradition.

From The Five mc
From The Five zippy

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Johnny Nicholas - 2 albums: Broke Again / Big Band Bash

Album: Broke Again
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 36:52
Size: 84.4 MB
Styles: Texas blues, Country blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[2:40] 1. Broke Again
[2:51] 2. Curb Your Dog
[5:44] 3. Visitor In My Dreams
[2:59] 4. Too Many Bad Habits
[2:58] 5. Terminal Love
[2:01] 6. Ride Your Train
[2:22] 7. My Rice Ain't Got No Gravy
[3:22] 8. Prodigal Son's Waltz
[2:37] 9. Glad To Get To Hell
[5:44] 10. Thick And Thin
[3:28] 11. Lonesome Traveler

The long awaited CD release of the legendary album, "Broke Again"... previously only available on LP and cassette with all orginial tunes by John "Johnny" Nicholas.

Since the mid-Sixties, Johnny Nicholas has been playing the blues from both coasts, as well as points in between. During that time he has enjoyed apprenticeships with some of the music’s most revered names, and he has taken a decade-long hiatus to raise a family and build up its Hill Top Café in the Central Texas Hill Country. With the Summer 2000 release of Rockin’ My Blues to Sleep: Texas/Louisiana Blues and Dance Hall Favorites, he and his band the Texas All-Stars staked their claim to the music of the region he has called home for more than two decades. From legendary tenor saxman Rocky Morales to the rock-solid rhythm section of bassist Jack Barber and drummer Ernie Durawa, the album features some of the finest musicians in the Austin-San Antonio area backing Nicholas on vocals and lead guitar. Its sensuous grooves, sympatico ensemble playing and crackerjack solos leave no doubt that Nicholas is back to stay.

Broke Again

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Album: Johnny Nicholas & The Texas All-Stars - Big Band Bash
Bitrate: 320K/s
Time: 72:33
Size: 166.1 MB
Styles: Country blues, Texas blues
Year: 2005
Art: Front

[3:48] 1. Broke Again
[3:38] 2. Baby I'm Gone (feat. Greg Piccolo)
[6:11] 3. The Ironic Twist (feat Jimmie Vaughan)
[6:01] 4. Down In The Alley
[3:56] 5. It Don't Mean A Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing (feat John Mills)
[4:14] 6. Mescal Mood (feat Joe King Carrasco)
[3:17] 7. This Old World Needs Love (feat Stephen Bruton)
[4:43] 8. All Blues (feat Floyd Domino)
[4:05] 9. Good Morning Judge
[5:41] 10. Somewhere Over The Rainbow (feat Greg Piccolo)
[5:25] 11. Maybe, Maybe (feat Joel Guzman, Sarah Fox)
[2:44] 12. I'm In Love Again (feat Augie Meyers)
[5:29] 13. Can't Stop The Crying (feat Al Gomez)
[5:00] 14. Before I Grow Too Old To Dream
[2:49] 15. The Hammer (feat Greg Piccolo)
[5:24] 16. Texas Flood (feat Jimmie Vaughan)

The Texas All Star Big Band Bash is somewhat of a misnomer. It is not about Big Band music, but more of the large band species ala Lyle Lovett. And a large band of musical brothers (and sisters) it is, who all live within a 90 mile radius of (take your pick) Austin or San Antonio. Now I don't claim to be the greatest or smartest or anythingest guy on the block, but it just occurred to me (about 9 or 10 years ago) that with all these great musicians in one area, we ought to get together once a year and throw down some tunes. And with the spread of the MTV disease and its horrible effect on live music and traditional genres, it seemed to make sense to use this gathering to try to pass on to young people a love and appreciation and (hopefully) inspiration for what is truly special about great music: the intangibles of soulfullness, passion and "joi de vivre" which great music always instills in those who experience it. The ranges of emotion of the Blues, the infectious "Let's Dance" grooves of swing and Tex-Mex R&B; the stories told that we all can connect with.Well all of this has become a reality in Fredericksburg, TX, where on the 2nd Saturday of November every year, there is a gathering of musicians and music lovers, where, when it is over, everyone leaves smiling, toes tapping and rejuvenated! But it doesn't end until next year's show. In between, the money raised is' (and has been) used to fund various music and theatre workshops and camps for kids; scholarships for youth interested in careers in the arts; tutoring sessions for budding musicians. However gratifying this aspect of the show is (and it is extremely gratifying and rewarding) it is the love of music that brings these artists together. We hope you enjoy what we be puttin' down on this album because we sure enjoyed makin' it!

Johnny Nicholas - Guitar, Vocals; Jimmie Vaughan - Guitar; Greg Piccolo - Tenor Sax, Vocals; Stephen Bruton - Guitar, Vocals; Joe “King” Carrasco - Guitar, Vocals; Augie Meyers - Vocals, Vox Organ on “Mescal Rose”; Joel Guzman - Accordion, Hammond B-3 Organ; Floyd Domino - Piano; Danny Levin - Fiddle; Tarry Hale - Upright Bass; Barry “Frosty” Smith - Drums; Ernie Durawa - Drums on “I’m In Love Again” and “Before I Grow Too Old”; Cecil “Chico” Orapeza - Drums on “Mescal Rose”; Joe Guzman - Drums and Percussion on “Maybe, Maybe”; Max Baca - Bajo Sexto; Speedy Sparks - Bass on “Mescal Rose”; Sarah Fox - Vocal on “Maybe, Maybe”; The Texas Horns: Mark “Kaz” Kazanoff - Alto & Tenor Sax; John Mills - Tenor Sax; Dan Torosian - Baritone Sax; Randy Zimmerman - Trombone; Al Gomez - Trumpet & Fluglehorn; Keith Winking - Trumpet.

Big Band Bash

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