September 2018 News
Allan Thomas
Black Bamboo Recordings – 21 degrees north 159 degrees west – Island of Kauai – Hawaii – earth – third planet from the sun…
Aloha from rainy Kauai. Some updates regarding AT’s’ 6th album release ‘Two Sides To Every Story‘.
*Want to thank all who participated in our successful Indiegogo fundraising campaign. Your support and contributions both humbled and blew us away. YOU enabled us to have the record mixed in Montreal by old friend and noted mixer Paul Northfield, and take the next step: promotion.
*The BBR team spent August contacting and mailing CD’s to over 175 community and public radio stations across the US. While Peter Holmstedt of Hemifran in Sweden has started his ‘Two Sides…’ promotional campaign for Europe. http://www.hemifran.com
*Because WTF, we submitted ‘Two Sides…” to the Grammy selection committee in several categories. Will send out a news flash if the album is accepted.
*The cool and diverse web-based radio show/podcast Late Night Dream based in Paris, France named ‘Two Sides To Every Story‘ album of the week: https://www.latenightdream.com
*Thanks Calle Magnusson of Ervik Surfshop in the Stadlandet Peninsula, Norway for using the track ‘If Only’ on your new music video: https://youtu.be/hAY03nyHML0www.erviksurfshop.com
*’Two Sides…’ Radio News:
‘Two Sides To Every Story‘ has started to catch some overhead airwaves at the following locations: KKCR-FM Kauai Hawaii – KQNG-FM on Kauai Hawaii – KMNO on Maui Hawaii, KRCB-FM in Santa Rosa California, WXPR-FM in Rhinelander Wisconsin, KUOS-FM in Sedona Arizona – WQNR-FM in Auburn Alabama – KAFM Grand Junction Colorado – FM Cocolo Osaka Japan – WEFT-FM Champaign Illinois – WKFM.FR Paris France – WXOJ Northampton Massachusetts – KMUD Humboltd California – WHFR-FM Dearborn Detroit – Stay tuned for updates…
*DJ Bertwin Bijleveld Dutch radio show Blues & Friends on RTV Baarn FM, Netherlands playing ‘Could’ve Been Worse’. https://www.facebook.com/bertwin.bijleveld/posts/1126821744139851
*Quotes about the album:
Keith Carlock Steely Dan drummer: “Man, this stuff sounds so great! YOU are a bad mo fo! Love it. Thanks for having me be a part of it! Great songs, lyrics and production, love it man… Thank you Keith”
Jack Tempchin songwriter for the Eagles hits ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’ and ‘Already Gone’: “Fantastic songs amigo. Geezer Talk killed me!!! Super great album. You have a sound and as far as I know no one else sounds like your records… I love them. thanks, Jack”
Michael Ruff – singer/songwriter/piano man: “Fantastic I love it! It’s a pleasure to share this wonderful gift of music with you. Geezer talk classic!”
Joel Taylor drummer extraordinaire: “Man, this album sounds great! Beautiful tunes, production and musicianship. Congratulations on a job well done!”
Judd Miller muted trumpet, pads, chromatic harmonica: “Hi Allan, I’ve been listening to your album and am really enjoying it. Great songs, production, musicians and YOU! Thanks for letting me be a part of it. Keep spreading the love…..Namaste, Judd
Sylvia Tepper blues singer: “I am thoroughly enjoying my copy of the new CD! Outstanding musicianship; lovely compositions (as expected); that familiar, smooth, silky tenor voice (You still got it, Dude); clever, relevant lyrics spiced with a wise sense of humor; the horn section! – oh, Baby!; guitar licks and tones extraordinaire; the snazzy jazzy vibe – – Great job, Allan. Kudos”
Brian Elie DJ @ KRCB Northern California Public Radio: “We have been playing this cd over and over at our house. Rarely do you get a cd of music with this much variety and depth, with this kind of superior song writing and superb musicianship all in one package. Then there are the instrumentals that you the listener get to interpret yourself, they take you wherever you want to go. ‘In Search Of…’ totally knocks me out, feels the the heart is speaking. Well done Allan and friends! I will feature this cd next Monday night on KRCB 91.1 FM KRCB.org”
*Major thanks to Pekka Martikainen of Finland for adding ‘El Sueno‘ and ‘Aquadesiac’ to his wildly successful Smooth Jazz – Instrumental Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/user/pmartika/playlist/148My4xA7WoEaNDmnl2A8Z?nd=1
*Thank you David Lucarotti for including my song ‘Good To Go’ on your amazing playlist/podcast LATE NIGHT DREAM Presents The Border from Paris, France https://hearthis.at/late-night-dream-ag/late-night-dream-presents-the-border-by-david-lucarotti-ep2s2/
*Big thanks to Kenneth Bremer & Henrik Bohm at Blue Desert – The World of West Coast Music – in Denmark, for spotlighting ‘Two Sides…’ CD release along side such greats as Michael McDonald and Steve Lukather! https://www.westcoast.dk/allan-thomas-two-sides-to-every-story/
*Thanks Jean Philippe Réjou of West Coast Rendezvous WKFM.FR – the home of West Coast Music in Paris France – for adding ‘Could’ve Been Worse’ to your September 9th, 16th and 23rd playlists.
*’Two Sides…’ can be heard and purchased here:
Bandcamp: https://allanthomas.bandcamp.com/album/two-sides-to-every-story
CD Baby website: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/allanthomas5
Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/allan-thomas/7399212
Spotify: Two Sides To Every Story
Pandora: https://www.pandora.com/station/2757586686123840010
*’Two Sides…’ insights:
Blending elements of rock, blues, jazz and soulful vocals the album contains 15 songs comprised of eight vocal tracks and seven instrumentals. Ranging from a solo acoustic slack-key guitar instrumental to full-blown ensemble settings with some of the world’s tastiest musicians including players from Steely Dan, the Steve Gadd/James Taylor bands, the Yellowjackets and Crosby Stills and Nash. Plus many other studio luminaries from Kauai, Nashville and Los Angeles. ‘Two Sides To Every Story’ was mixed in Montreal by multi-platinum engineer Paul Northfield (Rush, Dream Theater).
Several compositions aim to lighten things up a bit entering the smirk-inducing territory of ‘The Dating Game’ – a dude’s-eye look into some of the head-scratching aspects of on-line dating, and ‘Geezer Talk’ – a lighthearted laundry list of the daily ailments thrust upon unsuspecting baby boomers. A few tunes present the wistful and wishful thinking of one who dreams big as in ‘Is That Asking Too Much?!’ and ‘If Only’. While ‘Troubled Times’ takes an unflinching look at a few of the darkly disturbing aspects of the present world we find ourselves in. Many of the tunes have been written recently, but the instrumental ‘In Search Of…’ goes all the way back to Malibu California, 1973. Some things take a while…
Instrumentals and vocals. Humor and deadly serious. Two sides…
Produced and recorded by Allan Thomas
Mixed by Paul Northfield and Allan Thomas
Associate producer Bryan Kessler
Mastering Paul Northfield
Featuring:
Allan Thomas – vocals, acoustic, nylon string, electric guitar and percussion.
Bryan Kessler (Hawaiian Style Band) acoustic and electric guitar.
Kirk Smart (Donald Fagen, Donavon Frankenreiter) bottleneck slide and electric guitar.
Jim Kimo West (Weird Al Yankovik) acoustic guitar.
Jimmy Johnson (James Taylor, Steve Gadd) bass.
Keith Carlock (Steely Dan, Sting) drums.
William Kennedy (Yellowjackets, Herbie Hancock) drums.
Joel Taylor (Joe Sample, Allan Holdsworth, Rock Band video game) drums.
Michael Ruff (Bonnie Raitt, Rickie Lee Jones, David Sanborn) keyboards.
Russell Ferrante (Yellowjackets, Joni Mitchell) acoustic piano.
James Raymond (Crosby Stills and Nash, Jackson Browne) keyboards.
Charles Judge (David Bowie, Miley Cyrus) keyboards.
Michael Whittaker (the Bottom 40 Band, Keith Carlock) acoustic piano.
Judd Miller (Michael Brecker, Danny Elfman) EVI muted trumpet, pads, chromatic harmonica, flute.
Sylvain Carton (Mitch Marcus Quintet) tenor sax.
Kate Markowitz (James Taylor, Don Henley, Shawn Colvin) backing vocals.
Karen Blake (Randy Newman, Michael McDonald) backing vocals.
Amanda Frazier (The Keepers) backing vocals.
With deep gratitude to Paul Nortfield, Bryan Kessler, Stephen Barncard, Bill Gillette, Jeff Richman, Eric Bronstein, Graham Nash, Ed Haaker and Charleen Dyer and Margaret Gill
CD front cover artwork Bret Linford
Photography Aaron Feinberg
Inner CD sleeve Jordan Thomas
In memory of Michael Shipley.
*‘Two Sides…’ review in Belgium magazine/website Rootsville (in dutch):
New Spotify Playlists featuring AT Tracks:
Thanks to Daryl Shawn for adding ‘In Search Of…’ to his This Week in Fingerstyle playlist on Spotify:
Thanks to Burro Borracho Records for adding ‘Makani ‘Olu ‘Olu’ to their Instrumental Folk playlist on Spotify:
Mahalo Matt C White for adding ‘Makani ‘Olu ‘Olu’ to his Relaxing Acoustic Folk playlist on Spotify:
Mahalo two-times to Matt Carl White for adding ‘In Search Of…’ to his sweet Rainy Day Acoustic Guitar playlist on Spotify:
Mahalo Spotify for creating a new Hawaiianish playlist using ‘In Search Of…‘ for its title and including 5 AT tracks from two albums.
Another new cool Hawaiian playlist on Spotify featuring ‘15 Minutes’.
Emilio Bonito adds ‘In Search Of…’ to his deep and beautiful Instrumental Delight Spotify playlist.
Great to have my song ‘Island Girl’ included on the the eclectic Hawaiian compilation I’ll Weave A Lei Of Stars For You Spotify playlist:
Mahalo Magnus Murel for adding ‘Makani ‘Olu ‘Olu’ to your Beautiful – Solo Instruments Spotify playlist:
Thanks to Serissa Records for adding ‘In Search Of…’ to your moody and thoughtful Spotify playlist Acoustic Instrumentals:
Two Sides To Every Story CD front cover artwork