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CLICK TO LISTEN NOW: "MASTERS OF WAR"
March
19, 2003
For the past two years I have been in search of a Rock N Roll,
or Blues Rock act here in the Southern California area to produce
and promote. As you may well imagine, this area is filled with
many many very talented indivdiduals and groups, yet I was having
difficulty finding what I was seeking. Sometime late in the
summer of 2002 I walked into a club in the San Fernando Valley
and heard the sounds and felt the feels that I was looking for.
I was captivated throughout each and every song the group played;
the style, the heart, especially the rhythm and the feeling.
The lead guitarist in the band was just burning with some of
the tastiest lead and rhythmic playing that I have ever heard
and I knew he was very good, very very good indeed!
Although I left the club without making contact with the band
I knew I wanted to return for a second listen to verify what
I was feeling on that first occasion. When I returned a few
weeks later the magic was still there. Blue Baron, the leader
of the band, had the "gift", the gift to make magic
with the music. The music that poured froth from his heart,
and his soul, through his fingers and hands, his strings and
the Black and White American Standard Stratocaster, just transported
me to that place of "WOW!!!", that place that you
like to get to when listening to live music. Before leaving
this time, I handed a note to Blue asking him to contact me
if he was interested in making a record. Shortly thereafter,
we met and agreed that we would like to proceed with a project.
Our first session in the studio, November 2002, produced some
pretty incredible tunes and I knew we were onto something good
and headed in the direction that I had visualized. As the President
of Spann Records, a company dedicated to the memory of The great
pianist Otis Spann, a muscial genius as well as the underpinning
for the Muddy Waters Band for 17 years, I can with 100% honesty
say that we have created a record that is solid from beginning
to end. Each and every song of the 11 has something unique,
outstanding, and memorable to bring the listener back again
and again and again. I am extemely proud of this first offering
by Spann Records and The Blue Baron Band and I know in my heart
that if you enjoy blues rock oriented music, this is a record
that you will be thrilled to have in your collection as well
as to listen to time after time. For those of us who have already
listened to it the one thing we agree on is the difficulty of
choosing a favorite. From beginning to end, this record will
capativate you, Rock you, Roll you and Soul you.
Blue Baron, born Baron Phelps, was born and raised on the South
Side of Chicago in 1958, the heart of the electric blues revolution
of the 60's. Having received his first electric guitar from
his step father at the age of 10, he was sternly told, "you
better learn how to play this!", and with that as his initial
motivation, Blue began to absorb the different musical sounds
and feelings of Rock, Funk, Soul, R&B, Blues and Jazz, all
of which can be heard in his playing today. He is especially
fond of Jimi Hendrix and while we hear that influence in his
playing, Blue is definitely his own man with his own style.
What we hear in his playing is emotion, feeling, heart, soul
and a whole lot of rhythm. There is also a goodness and kindness
about Blue as an individual and those feelings permeate his
playing and his Music as well. Whether he is playing to a full
or almost empty house, it is always with a heartful of passion
and 100% intensity.
Blue came to the Los Angeles area in the mid 1980's and has
been playing here ever since. Among the current members of The
Blue Baron Band, drummer Stephen Marshall has been working with
Blue for the past 15 years. Bassist Sergio Osollo has been a
member of the group for the past 5 years. Normally Blue works
as a trio, however on occasion, the band is joined by good friend
and superb keyboardist Mark Foster. Mark joined in for this
entire record and has made outstanding and substantial contributions
to this project.
A special mention of thanks goes to Peter Malick who engineered
these sessions. Peter, a phenominal musician/ guitarist in his own right, made continual invaluable contributions to
the making of this record. During the last three years of Otis Spann's life, Peter toured with him as his guitarist. Peter
is also a two time nominee and one time WC Handy Award Winner.
In closing, I advise you for maximum enjoyment of this disc
to play it at the Highest Volumes tolerable to you.
In other words:
PLAY
IT LOUD!!!!!
And keep on Rockin'!!!!!!!!
Douglas
Grossman
President
Spann Records
Los Angeles, California
SOUNDBITES
for this CD available at http://www.cdbaby.com/bluebaronband
CD
Review by www.hitmakersmagazine.com
HOLIDAY
BLUES
For all of you that might have the holiday blues,
Check out the album "Out Of The Blue" by The Blue Baron on Spann Records.
The album has old time Chicago blues, smoky bar feel.
The album Filled with tasty guitar riffs from lead
singer/guitarist Blue Baron, and backed by an amazing
organ/piano, drums and bass.
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CD Review by Jim Santella, Southland Blues
The Blue Baron Band
Out of Blue
Spann
Blues/rock can mesmerize with authority. San Fernando singer/guitarist Blue Baron, with an album of his own compositions, demonstrates that quality with a firm hand and a heavy dosage of energy.
With him, organist/pianist Mark Foster, bassist Sergio Osollo and drummer Stephen Marshall fuse layer after layer of storied adventure pertaining to our local Southland lifestyles. With such tales as “tell it to the Man,” “Day by Night,” and “You Da One,” the leader encourages his audience in social behaviors pertinent to our part of the world. Older, more familiar themes such as “missing you” and “you say you’re 21?” allow the band to speak to the listener as if they were the garage band down the street. No neighborhood band, however, would have such good control.
As the classic American rock band Chicago did in the early ‘70s, Blue Baron and his army pump it up for all to share with foot-tappin’ rhythms and swirls of instrumental color, wrapped neatly around a lead singer’s emotional and easy to understand interpretations. What’s more, all their “boys next door” enthusiasm has been captured accurately in the studio and transferred in its entirety to the band’s recommended 2003 album.
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