Reunion Blues Backstage Banter

The Reunion Blues Blog

Category Archives: New Releases

Banjo Players Let You Know About the New RB Continental Banjo Case

We recently released our new Reunion Blues RB Continental Banjo Case and since then there has already been a few sightings of it in the wild. One of our favorites is from our friends at Banjo Hangout. You’ll remember that our own Director of Product Development, Dave Andrus, sat down with Banjo Hangout member, Craig Evans, back in December for a discussion on the then yet released RB Continental Banjo Case.

Well now Craig has picked up his own RB Continental Banjo Case and it took him all of five seconds to snap some photos and let everyone on the forum know what he thought.

Click here to see what Banjo Hangout has to say about the new Reunion Blues RB Continental Banjo Case.

Review of Phil Angotti and the Lazy Apple Orchestra-People and Places (Our House Records)

What do you get when combining a golden voice, clever songwriting, incredible musicianship, lush harmonies and a love of music? You get Phil Angotti’s new CD release “People and Places”.

Phil draws from American and British power pop influences from the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s but he has crafted his own style. Phil wrote all the songs, and if you like melody, you will like this release. You also get some great grooves and all the extras. I suggest that you get the whole CD (don’t just download a song or two). None of the songs sound the same and they each help build a total work of art. And with the Lazy Apple Orchestra you get a lot of different instruments on each song that you don’t want to miss.

As song # 6 says, “What happened to the songs with the grooves?” Well, I think he answered his own question. Click HERE.

Reunion Blues & Laurence Juber

As far as contemporary guitar players go, you’ll be hard pressed to find a player with more feathers in his cap than Laurence Juber. And those are some big, bright feathers. Laurence has done it all. He is the former lead guitarist for Paul McCartney and Wings, Alan Parsons Project, Carly Simon and too many other top stars to mention here.

Laurence Juber, now and then!

He has his own Laurence Juber signature model C.F. Martin Acoustic guitar OMC-LJ. He is a world renowned fingerpicking expert, composer, arranger and all around guitar virtuoso.  He composed and performed music for Ken Burn’s follow up baseball documentary film The Tenth Inning.  And he has recently completed LJ Plays The Beatles Vol. 2. These are just a few of his achievements and accomplishments in a hugely successful career.

And who does Laurence turn to for gig bags and cases for his prized guitars? Reunion Blues, of course! When I asked him about his squadron of Reunion Blues gig bags, he commented:

“I am indeed well-equipped with your bags, with my first purchased at Manny’s Music on 48th St in NYC in 1978.”

The Juber Squadron

Laurence sent us this photo of his Reunion Blues gig bags and cases titled: En Route to a Session (I bet that was one heck of a session!  He added:

“As a traveling musician, I appreciate the value of a well-designed and functional gig bag. There are certainly some competitive alternative products in the marketplace, but none have the consistency of style, ‘fit’ and ‘finish’ that I associate with Reunion Blues.”

When asked about traveling with his guitars, he offered this comment which may be even more impressive than our famous drop test from the top of a 3-story building:

“I’ve been happy with the Reunion Blues Continental for my Les Paul and have checked it as baggage with no concerns.”

Laurence was one of the first people we showed our new RB prototypes to at the 2011 NAMM show. Here is what he had to say:

“The suede finish prototype bag at NAMM was cool – I particularly liked the zippered flap over the outside pocket.”

We are obviously thrilled to have Laurence as an official Reunion Blues artist endorser. To learn more about one of the most exciting guitar players of our time, just go to laurencejuber.com. Enjoy with amazement!

RB Spotting: Warpaint’s Jenny Lee Lindberg

I’ve been really enjoying the new Warpaint record over the last several weeks and was pleased to stumble across a photo of bassist Jenny Lee Lindberg wearing one of our über-comfortable and pinstriped merino wool guitar straps.

Jenny Lee Lindberg of Warpaint
Jenny Lee Lindberg of Warpaint

Warpaint's Jenny Lee Lindberg sporting the Black Pinstripe strap

If you get a chance to check out “the Fool” I highly recommend it. The band is touring the US and Europe over the next few months so if they’re in town the live show is not to be missed! (If you’re interested in where you can find one of those sexy straps, click “How to Buy” from the Reunion Blues front page.)

"May The Strap Be With You"

So last weekend I was playing my friends Danelectro and I got to finally use one our new Merino Wool guitar straps. From what I have been told by both Brett and Dave, these Merino Wool straps have been selling like hot cakes.  (What are hot cakes anyway?)

Playing my friends Danelectro
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Playing my friends Danelectro

After playing last weekend with the strap I totally understand why these are flying off the shelves. Honestly, it was the most comfortable strap that I have ever used. Don’t let the Merino Wool thing get to you either, they’re not itchy. The full genuine leather tabs on either end also means you don’t have to worry about your heavy guitar tearing through it.

Right now these straps are only available in black, brown, and white pinstripe. However, Dave and I have just recently come up with new designs that should pique your interest even more. We got some samples of these in and they look awesome. Lets just say that after Winter NAMM in January your strap collection is going to have some attitude added to it.
All right, time for me to get back to work (if I must, sigh). In the mean time happy playing and happy holidays.

Busking the Santa Arrival

Pushed the piano down to Western Avenue & Petaluma Blvd. last Saturday and donned the traditional Santa hat for the annual arrival of the Clause by boat at the river turn around. Tens of hundreds of parents and kids swarmed the downtown area while Petalume Pete wailed on ragtime versions of Jingle Bells, Rudolph and, yes, even Silent Night with a swing beat. The tip jar overfloweth. Later discovered the event was captured and blogged by a Petaluma Citizen, who provided the reader with the attached photo.

petaluma-pete_12
Started wearing the gloves on colder days. Now I can’t play without ‘em!

I also discovered something all buskers can use. It’s the employment of a “remote” tip jar, because some people are reluctant to approach you with money, but are happy to pop their bucks in a jar that is at a safe distance about 20 feet away. I made a very secure remote tip jar that I will share with you soon. Do you have any tip garnering ideas you can share with our fellow buskers?

Of Chinese Democracy, The Dream, The Answer & AC/DC

 

So as you probably know there is an awful lot of hullabaloo on the webbernet and elsewhere these days about the long-awaited, much-anticipated,  ridiculously-delayed release of Chinese Democracy, the not-so-new Album from Guns & Roses or NU GNR or The Axl Rose Solo Band or whatever you prefer to call them.  Most of the reviews that I’ve read have been positive and I like what little I’ve heard so far.  Axl’s voice sounds good (well sounds like Axl anyway), the riffs groove and the songs rock. There’s a touch of an industrial sound here and there and the lead guitars, while stinging and soaring in their own right, are much different from Slash’s bluesy burning which I miss.  Other than that some of the material could almost be Use Your Illusion era Guns with Axl attempting his best Freddie Mercury ala November Rain.  I’m sure it will sell by the boatload and I’ll probably find it in my Christmas stocking! One certainty is that the live show, with Reunion Blues endorser Richard Fortus (also of Psychedelic Furs fame) laying it down on rhythm guitar amid the musical maelstrom of Axl, Dizzy, Richie, Bumblefoot, Frank, Chris, Tommy and possibly even Buckethead???, will be a spectacle worth beholding.  www.myspace.com/gunsnroses

Richie Rockin' out
richard_fortus_01

Richie Rockin

 

On a less grand scale but no less important, I’d also like to briefly mention another new release by yet another Reunion Blues endorser, a local boy and personal friend Josh Ramos.  The CD is called The Dream and it’s a collaboration between Josh and Hugo Valenti. Some of you may remember Josh from his time in The Storm which featured former members of Journey and Santana including Gregg Rolie, Steve Smith and Ross Valory and also the SoCal based hard rock outfit Hardline.  Hugo started out fronting Valentine which later became Open Skyz but might be best known for fronting Evolution, the pre-eminent East Coast Journey tribute act.  So as you might have guessed buy now, The Dream bears a strong resemblance to Journey in many aspects, but all in a positive way.  It’s the best collection of Journey songs from a band not named Journey that you’ll ever hear. The songwriting and arrangements on this album are rock solid and memorable and Hugo is a terrific singer with great range and passion. But the highlight of this cd is Josh’s playing. He really rips it up all over the disc with ferocity, feeling and an innate sense of melody not many possess.  The Dream is being released primarily in Europe so it might be a bit hard to find but for fans of outstanding melodic rock guitar playing it’s well worth seeking out. www.myspace.com/ramoshugo

Josh Jammin
josh-jammin

Josh Jammin

Brett’s Music Bag: You’ve also got to check out The Answer www.myspace.com/theanswerrock. These bad boys from Northern Ireland are really bringing it hard the wayyy old school way. I’ve had their initial release Rise for close to a couple of years now after hearing about them in Classic Rock Magazine.  Anyone who caught them on The Late Show with David Letterman recently knows exactly what I’m talking about. The singer Cormac Neeson reminds me of a heavier, more aggressive Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes and the guitarist Paul Mahon is pure Gibson/Marshall hard rock glory.  Catch The Answer  live in concert opening for AC/DC on their Black Ice world tour. Never toolate indeed…    

The Answer Rocks
the-answer-rocks

The Answer Rocks

 Speaking of AC/DC, kudos to the Brothers Young & Co.  whose Black Ice recently went #1 in 29 countries, shifting 1.5 million units in the first two weeks of release in the US alone and over 5 million copies sold worldwide so far. Brings a tear to a crusty old rocker’s eye. Good on ya mates! www.myspace.com/acdcDistinguished Gentlemen