|
LINER NOTES:
ABOUT THE CROSS TOWN COWBOYS
In the spring of 2006 at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Poetry and Music Festival,
two lone singing cowboys, Dusty Hart and Buffalo Bryan bumped into each
other near one of the street venues. They were promptly introduced by their
longtime saddle pal, western crooner "Buck" Corbett. After the dust settled,
Dusty and Buff began writing western music together. Still something was
missing..the duo needed a moniker. Should it be Dusty and Buff or Buff and
Dusty? Neither was comfortable with being billed first over the other. They
tried combining their names. Duff and Busty was definitely out! Being men of
faith they arrived at the name "The Cross Town Cowboys". "Cross Town is
anywhere good cowboys gather to worship."
That following October "The Cross Town Cowboys" got one of their first
breaks. The boys were asked to act as the backup band for the "Wilshire
Boulevard Buffalo Hunter's Club" performances at the Lone Pine Film
Festival. Headed by television and movie star Jon "Falling Rock" Locke and
famed western artist Katie West, both have a keen eye for spotting talent.,
"The Cross Town Cowboys" were given the spotlight a number of times by Jon
and Katie, performing original material to the standing room only crowd.
Fate did surely bless them that evening. During the Saturday evening
performance Gary Lawson, creator of the Western Movie Legends actors group
took in the show. The boys were immediately inked to perform on the Western
Movie Legends float in the following days parade! The grueling four block
long parade root was taken in stride by the boys. They delighted the crowds
by singing their hearts out for everyone well before the parade started!
Another float participant quoted: "We had more fun on that float than anyone
watching the parade! I wanted to go around again so we could sing along some
more."
A few months later "The Cross Town Cowboys" were tagged to record and
perform material for the 2007 Santa Clarita Cowboy Poetry and Music
Festival's Cowboy Church Service. They belted out rousing renditions of
"I'll Fly Away" and "Hallelujah, I Am Ready" to the capacity crowd. Truly a
wonderful way to celebrate their meeting one year prior to the day!
In the spring of 2008 The Cross Town Cowboys released their long
anticipated debut CD. "Save the West!" is now receiving worldwide radio
airplay and has made numerous "Top Ten" lists with many accolades from their
peers. "Save the West!" was nominated for "Best Cowboys/Western Swing Album"
for 2008 by the Western Music Association. Work has begun on the next CD due
out in late 2009. As if that wasn't enough the boys have boldly forged into
the 1980's and the MTV generation. Dusty and Buff have been making videos
with the cooperation of Dancing Dachsye Productions.
Shortly after the release of "Save the West!" Dusty and Buff decided that it
was time to add a permanent third member to group. After a long exhaustive
search and the screening of over two hundred applicants the newest member of
the group was chosen. Robby Bausch brings with him over 30 years experience
as a guitarist. His talent, spirit and sense of humor have added a new
dimension to groups jazzy western swing sound.
Their combined musical experience spans way more time than any band should
be allowed to have. Noted for "having entirely too much fun," good music and
fun are a way of life for the band.
ABOUT JESSE BARISH
Millions of people worldwide have heard Jesse Barish's original songs countless times — usually without knowing who wrote them. A few years ago, his "Count on Me," as recorded by the classic Jefferson Starship lineup with Marty Balin singing lead, was featured on the soundtrack of the film "The Family Stone" starring Sarah Jessica Parker and Diane Keaton, played over the end titles.
A Top 10 pop/AC/AOR hit from the Starship's "Earth" album in 1978, "Count on Me" has been featured on more than three dozen Starship and various-artists compilation albums since then. It's also one of two songs in his 600-plus song catalog to earn a BMI Millionaire Award for more than a million plays on the airwaves. The other song is "Hearts (Is Everything All Right?)," Balin's first Top 10 solo hit in 1981.
His sixth and latest solo album, "Wheel Keep Turning" (Void Echo Records, 2008) features 16 original songs he composed and recorded over the last two years, working in the studio with his longtime producer Jeff Pescetto. "Wheel Keep Turning" is a mix of musical styles all tied together with lyrics about peace, love, hope, regret, believing and redemption, ending with a taste of Beatnik poetry.
Even though the tracks are stylistically different, there's a story woven through the sequencing and segues between the songs — an inspirational story about life, time going by, believing in and holding on to your dreams, living in the now without regrets, hoping for the future. This musical journey that's been underway for more than four decades began in Brooklyn. The album's cover photo, in fact, was taken at the entrance to his childhood residence.
In 1963, he headed west to California. After living in Venice Beach in the mid '60s he landed in the middle of the Haight Ashbury musical explosion fueled by psychotropics and psychedelics just before the scene peaked, joining The Orkustra, a seminal experimental Bay Area outfit that also included David LaFlamme, who went on to fame with It's a Beautiful Day.
In the early '70s, he returned to Southern California, where he worked as a sideman with John Phillips, the former Mamas & Papas leader/songwriter/singer/guitarist. While picking up songwriting tips from Phillips, he played flute and percussion on Phillips' "Wolfking of L.A." tour, which included numerous dates on both coasts among them the legendary 1970 Big Sur Folk Festival.
After touring with Phillips, he landed a record deal with Shelter/Capitol under the banner of Jesse, Wolf and Whings (Capitol required the band to add the extra "h" because it already had Paul McCartney's Wings on the roster). Shelter chief Denny Cordell produced the group's eponymous debut album. Jesse, Wolf & Whings toured to support it, opening for Leon Russell and bands like Spirit and Tower of Power as well as headlining smaller arenas. At that point he headed back to Northern California and spent the next eight years in Marin County, living the life and writing songs. Some of them found their way, through a mutual friend, to Marty Balin, then co-lead singer of Jefferson Starship. Flying high again after their multiplatinum "Dragon Fly" and "Red Octopus" LPs (1974 and '75), the band recorded Jesse's "Love Lovely Love" and "St. Charles" (the latter co-authored with the Starship) for their next LP, "Spitfire" which went multiplatinum in 1976. Versions of his songs were included on Starship's "Earth album," including "Count on Me," a Top 10 pop, A/C and AOR smash, and "Crazy Feeling," a Top 30 hit. The LP went multiplatinum in 1978. That success led to a solo record deal with the Starship's label, RCA. Produced by Balin, "Jesse Barish" (1978) included his own version of "Count on Me" and was voted Best Debut Album by BAM (Bay Area Music magazine), winning the Bammie Award. He followed up with "Mercury Shoes" (RCA, 1979), and performed at clubs and concerts in the greater San Francisco area with his band.
In 1981, for his eponymous debut solo album (EMI America), Balin recorded Jesse's "Hearts (Is Everything All Right?)" and sent that song into the Top 10. Internationally, "Hearts" was a Top 5 hit in many countries, hitting No. 1 in Japan, France and Israel. Balin's next single, Jesse's "Atlanta Lady," made the Top 30. For his 1983 follow-up album, "Lucky" (also EMI America), Balin also recorded Jesse's "Do it for Love."
As the '80s progressed, additional songs were recorded by former Tower of Power lead singer Lenny Williams ("Always," a Top 40 R&B hit, and "You Know What I Like," co written with Terry Shaddick, composer of the Olivia Newton-John hit "Physical"), and The Manhattans ("Back into the Night"), produced by Bobby Womack. Also in the mid 80's legendary French chanteuse Dalida recorded a version of "Hearts, which became a hit in France. Several videos of her doing the song can be seen on YouTube.
Focusing on songwriting during most of the ‘90s, he composed and recorded an album of acoustic guitar and vocal duets with his then-grown son A.J. titled "Farther Sun" (AKA Records, 1995). He continued writing and occasionally performed at clubs around Southern California, staying in touch with Pescetto while carefully developing the original songs and direction he wanted to take for his next solo album.
Meanwhile, a reconstituted Jefferson Starship (with Balin back on vocals) included a pair of Jesse's songs — "See the Light" and "Ways of Love" — on their "Windows of Heaven" album in 1999 (CMC International).
"Cherry Road" (Wheeltime Records, 2001) marked his return to full studio production, featuring his lead vocals and guitar, harmonica and flute, with additional backing by Pescetto. The album is a folk-rock Americana blend of California soul that's an autobiographical journey, into the past, the future and the moment.
Following his muse, the next couple of years were devoted to practicing and elevating the level of his flute-playing, and, with Pescetto, collaborated on writing and producing an album's-worth of flute-centric instrumentals titled "Flute Salad" during 2004-2005. Playing a different flute on each track, the collection features jazzy ambient tropical free-style flute with a cool funky backbeat vibe. Around this same time, Jack Wagner included a song of Jesse's, "American Dream", on his "Dancing in the Moonlight" record.
His latest songs, as recorded with Pescetto for "Wheel Keep Turning," range in style from rock to pop to jazz to reggae to country-rock to spoken word, yet are remarkably cohesive. "Wheel Keep Turning" is the latest chapter in a story that's still being written.
Psychedelic sixties relic north beach floating world
Bebop jazzman foreign flim flam turtleneck beatnik girl
Zoroaster faster faster trying not to fall
Hippie cogitater catch you later at the california ball
— From the song "California Ball" by Jesse Barish
ABOUT THE FEAVER
The Feaver is:
Braeden Lemasters (guitar, vocals, drums, keyboard)
Dylan Minnette (vocals, guitar, drums, keyboard)
Zack Mendenhall (bass, drums, guitar)
Cole Preston (drums, bass)
ABOUT THE HOST
Stephen K. Peeples is a Grammy-nominated record producer ("Monterey International Pop Festival," 1992), award-winning radio writer-producer ("The Lost Lennon Tapes," 1988-1990) and veteran record company executive (Capitol, Elektra/Asylum, Rhino). A 22-year resident of Canyon Country, Peeples has written about the SCV music scene for The Signal newspaper since 2004 and has been Online Editor of The Signal since October 2007. In 2009 he was honored for Best Website by the California Newspaper Publishers Association. A jazz and rock drummer since 12, Peeples was a member of the underground West L.A. garage band Peaking Duck from 1977-2008. He now plays with an SCV-based jazz quartet.
|
